Manchester United may have to break the bank to sign one rumoured target this summer, after it emerged that he would demand to be on more than Bruno Fernandes at Old Trafford.

Red Devils eyeing key positions

It is set to be a summer of major change at Manchester United following another disappointing Premier League season. Currently seventh, they arguably have no chance of reaching next season's Champions League and though they could yet lift the FA Cup, it would serve only to paper over the cracks of the squad.

Up to 21 players could leave this summer in a major overhaul of the playing staff at the Theatre of Dreams, with Raphael Varane, Jonny Evans and Anthony Martial all out of contract and Sofyan Amrabat's loan not set to be made permanent.

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Beyond that, the likes of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Harry Maguire, Christian Eriksen, Scott McTominay, Jadon Sancho and Amad Diallo could all depart, while Donny van De Beek looks set to return from his latest unsuccessful loan spell and may also move on.

There could be plenty of work on the incoming front too, with a centre-back and a full-back possibly among the priorities due to injuries, along with a central midfielder and a striker to provide cover and competition to 21-year-old Rasmus Hojlund, who has endured a mixed first season at Old Trafford.

Ivan Toney demanding big wage

That comes in the form of Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who had previously been discussed amid links to Chelsea and Arsenal.

Now, Manchester United have reportedly entered the race for his signature, but whoever signs him will have to stump up a lot of cash. That is because Toney is demanding a massive £250,000 per week for any new contract, according to The Sun, which is also why Brentford are struggling to offer him a new deal.

That sort of wage would see him take home more than Manchester United captain Fernandes, who currently earns £240,000 per week at Old Trafford.

Manchester United's highest earners
Player	Weekly wage
Casemiro	£350,000
Raphael Varane	£340,000
Marcus Rashford	£300,000
Anthony Martial	£250,000
Mason Mount	£250,000
Bruno Fernandes	£240,000

Toney himself has made no secret of his desire to leave Brentford on several occasions, but Thomas Frank has admitted that he would still like to keep his "world-class" striker until his contract runs out in 2025.

“For me as a coach I do not want to sell him. Of course I want my best players. Of course I say to Phil (Giles) and Matt (Benham) do not sell him", he explained. Ivan is a world class player, so why should we sell a world class player? I would rather want him to play here for the rest of his contract. That is not up to me to decide.”

Toney could reportedly set any buying club back £40m according to The Sun, though Frank hit back at this report claiming: "Normally I don’t go into these price labels, but I would say that’s very cheap for a 20-goal goalscorer in the Premier League.”

With such hefty wages and a not-so-cheap transfer fee, could he prove value for money for INEOS?

Fifties from the middle-order pair helped Pakistan overhaul a 263-run target against co-hosts New Zealand

The Report by Karthik Krishnaswamy01-May-2020 #RetroLive They lost three of their first five matches, and should probably have lost a fourth too, when England bowled them out for 74. Rain saved them there, and gave them an underserved point, a point that was eventually critical to their progress into the last four of this World Cup.But don’t take anything away from Pakistan for what they’ve done since that early run. They beat Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand on the bounce to reach the semi-finals. And now they’re in their first World Cup final, having pulled off a sensational chase to dump out New Zealand, the co-hosts and league-table toppers, on their own turf.They’ve pulled off the fourth-biggest successful chase in any World Cup match. Of the three above it, two came in 60-over matches, and the third against an Associate side, Zimbabwe. And none of the top three chases came in a knockout match.It was challenge enough for Pakistan to chase 263. When Imran Khan and Saleem Malik fell in the space of five balls, their task had grown immeasurably more difficult: 123 needed off 95 balls, with six wickets in hand.It was here that Inzamam-ul-Haq, all of 22, with only 15 ODIs behind him, joined Javed Miandad at the crease. Inzamam wasn’t unknown or unproven at this level; he’d scored back-to-back ODI hundreds against Sri Lanka earlier this year. But this had been a quiet World Cup for him up to this point, and this was a semi-final.For a player of quality, though, a semi-final is a cricket match like any other. And Inzamam is most definitely a player of quality. How else do you score a half-century in 31 balls while exuding the air of someone taking a leisurely stroll around the neighbourhood, pausing occasionally to chomp on an apple?It wasn’t an in-your-face explosion of sixes and fours. There were moments of sublime timing, such as when Inzamam stepped out to Gavin Larsen and sent the ball racing to the midwicket boundary with the gentlest of nudges, and shots that hinted at supreme judgment of length, such as a pulled four off a Chris Harris delivery that was only marginally short. But more than all that, it was an innings of awareness, of where the gaps were and how to find them; to that end, his best shot was probably a dancing flick over midwicket off Willie Watson, which landed in a wide, unguarded area to the left of deep square leg and allowed him to run three.There was some poor bowling too; Harris kept floating the ball wide of off stump when the batsmen advanced at him, with no sweeper protecting the off-side boundary. Inzamam and Miandad threaded fours through the off-side infield once each in successive overs. Dipak Patel, the offspinner, kept bowling into Inzamam’s sweeping and pulling arc despite leaving a massive gap between deep backward-square leg and deep midwicket.Inzamam, in truth, was showing up a limited New Zealand attack for what it was. Their dibbly-dobblers – Harris, Larsen and Watson – have been unhittable at times during this World Cup, especially on the slower pitches in New Zealand, but there’s a sameness to this attack, and a lack of genuinely attacking bowlers apart from Danny Morrison.Once Inzamam and Miandad brought the required rate back under control with an 87-run partnership off 63 balls, New Zealand needed a couple of quick wickets to bring themselves back in the match, and lacked the bowling firepower with which to do it.Their fielding could have brought them a couple of wickets, though. Two direct hits from Harris had Miandad – batting on 1 at that stage – and Moin Khan – on 5, with Pakistan needing 16 off 16 with four wickets in hand – scrambling for safety. Replays showed both of them marginally, but clearly, short of their crease. There was no way the square-leg umpire could have given either of them out, but with technology playing an increasingly influential role at this level, expect video umpires to make an appearance soon.Who knows what might have happened had Miandad been run out so early, with Pakistan needing 177 off 161 balls. The fallout of Moin’s non-dismissal was clearer; he’s still new to this level, but he showed Miandadesque calmness and smarts in helping the senior man finish off the match, and clubbed a pair of unorthodox, Miandadesque boundaries to seal the deal.That Pakistan had needed to hustle to such a degree at the finish was down to their turgid scoring through the first two-thirds of their innings, which was largely down to Imran Khan’s struggle, after promoting himself to No. 3 once again, to pierce the field, and, on occasion, to put bat to ball. It lasted 93 balls, and brought him only 40 runs, 12 of them coming in two hits.A similar struggle took root at a similar stage of New Zealand’s innings, after they had chosen to bat first with a grim forecast in mind. Mark Greatbatch, as he has done through this tournament, clubbed a couple of early sixes, before failing to pick up a back-of-the-hand slower ball from Aaqib Javed that spun like a googly. John Wright and the No. 3 Andrew Jones struggled to time the ball, though, and Ken Rutherford, batting at No. 5, took an age to get going, remaining scoreless for 20 balls, and taking 43 balls to reach double figures.If it wasn’t for the in-form Martin Crowe, who moved his feet with precision and timed the ball like a dream from the moment he stepped in, New Zealand’s innings could have come to a complete standstill. Mushtaq Ahmed, who had returned figures of 2 for 18 in 10 overs in the league-stage meeting between these sides, dismissed Jones with a brilliant quicker one, and gave Rutherford a torrid time as well, and with Pakistan’s second legspinner, Iqbal Sikander, starting tidily as well, New Zealand crawled to 119 for 3 in 34 overs. Getting to 220 looked unlikely.But as if a switch had been clicked on, Rutherford suddenly found his rhythm, and his feet began to twinkle against the spinners, bringing him a series of boundaries including a straight six off Sikander. Crowe, like Inzamam would do later in the match, began punishing the smallest errors in line and length, sweeping and pulling the spinners at every opportunity, and whipping Wasim Akram for a stupendous six off his hip, over backward square leg. Crowe raced to his fifty in 51 balls. Rutherford flew from 17 off 47 balls to 50 off 67, before a miscued pull off Akram ended their partnership at 107.New Zealand’s innings had legs now, but their captain’s legs gave way in the 44th over, Crowe injuring his left hamstring while taking a single off Sikander. On 79 then, he would add 12 more to his score, before a mix-up involving his runner, Greatbatch, sent him back in the 47th over, right after another brutal pull off a barely-short delivery had moved him into the 90s.Crowe’s injury didn’t have any immediate effect on New Zealand’s morale, with Ian Smith leading their plundering of 40 runs off the last 22 balls of their innings. But their tactics during Pakistan’s innings lacked the Crowe stamp. Rather than swap his bowlers around constantly as Crowe has done through this tournament, the stand-in captain Wright kept his bowlers on for long spells, refusing to use Jones’ offspin as a sixth option. With Inzamam new to the crease, he delayed the reintroduction of Morrison, who had four overs left, and kept plugging away with his slow-medium trio.It’s hard to say, though, that this same New Zealand attack, shuffled into a different configuration, could have dealt with Inzamam in the mood he was in. Today was simply his day, and this tournament may simply be Pakistan’s, though England or South Africa may have something to say about that. RetroLive

Real Madrid have sent a heartfelt “always proud of you” message to Cristiano Ronaldo after seeing him make history with goal number 900.

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Portuguese superstar hits another landmarkHas rewritten the history books once againBlancos proud of their all-time top scorerGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner hit that mark, while rewriting the record books once again, when taking in a UEFA Nations League outing with Portugal against Croatia. Emotion spilled out of Ronaldo after finding the target and reaching another remarkable career landmark.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

CR7 has made a habit of producing exploits of the history-making kind down the years, with countless individual achievements set to stand the test of time. One of those sees the legendary Portuguese hold the record for most goals scored for Real Madrid – with 450 efforts for the Blancos registered through 438 appearances.

WHAT REAL MADRID SAID

He may have bid farewell to Santiago Bernabeu in 2018, but he will forever hold a special place in the hearts of those in the Spanish capital. With that in mind, Real Madrid have posted after seeing Ronaldo reach 900 career goals: “Another historic feat: 900 goals in the professional career of one of the biggest legends in the history of Real Madrid and world football. Congratulations, dear and admired @Cristiano! Real Madrid and the club’s fans are always proud of you.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Ronaldo will not be stopping at 900 on the goal front, with the evergreen frontman having already stated his desire to reach 1,000. International retirement is not being considered any time soon, while prolific exploits for Saudi Pro League side Al-Nassr should help to nudge him closer to that mark before a day finally comes in which to hang up the most distinguished of boots.

Glasgow Rangers may still be in the hunt for the Premiership title, but it will take a dramatic turn of events for the trophy to return to Ibrox following a three-year drought.

Not only will the Gers have to beat Celtic at Parkhead – something which has happened just twice since 2010 – but they will likely need their rivals to drop points in either of the two games after that too.

It appears as though the dropped points to Motherwell, Ross County and Dundee since the beginning of March will prove to be Philippe Clement’s undoing, but he can only do so much with the squad at his disposal.

Former manager Michael Beale endured a poor summer transfer window last season, which saw the Englishman splash millions on players who have either missed large sections of the season due to injury (Danilo) or have simply not been good enough in front of goal (Cyriel Dessers), leading to the club potentially having to undergo yet another rebuild this summer.

Much will depend on how many players Clement moves out this summer with regard to his budget for improving the team, but a few of Beale’s signings could be those who move on, notably Cyriel Dessers and Danilo.

Why Dessers & Danilo could leave Rangers

Beale spent £4.5m on the Nigerian before splashing £6m to bring Danilo to Ibrox from Feyenoord last summer as he sought to bolster his attacking options.

Both have endured tough spells during their maiden year in Glasgow, although Dessers has a chance to finish as the club’s top goalscorer this season.

Since joining, the 29-year-old has scored 20 goals and grabbed eight assists in all competitions, which, on the surface, represents a decent enough debut season at the Light Blues.

Metric

Danilo

Cyriel Dessers

Goals

4

14

Assists

1

3

Shots per game

3

2.9

Big chances missed

9

24

Big chances created

1

7

However, in the top flight alone, Dessers has missed a staggering 24 big chances in 32 games, which means if he was more clinical, the striker could be sitting on 30 or more goals.

His lack of consistency – world beater one minute to taking four chances to score the next – means that his future is currently undecided at this moment in time, although he could be a decent backup option for next season.

Danilo, on the other hand, hasn’t had much time on the pitch to really make a solid impression. The Brazilian has only played 21 times this term due to a succession of injuries, scoring six goals in the process.

The 25-year-old missed nine games in September and October due to a broken cheekbone suffered against St Johnstone before a knee injury sustained against Hearts in December ultimately ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.

Due to the hefty fee paid to sign the forwrad, it looks as though Clement will utilise him next season when he returns to full fitness as he showed promise during his time on the pitch.

Dessers is currently valued at £3.4m according to Transfermarkt, while Danilo’s valuation by the same source is now £5.1m, showing that both players now have values below the fees that Rangers paid to sign them. Hardly a promising sign.

Interestingly enough, the Light Blues managed to sell a player back in 1995 for a fee which, in current money, actually works out as more than Danilo and Dessers’ market value. We're talking about Mark Hateley.

How Mark Hateley performed at Rangers

With Graeme Souness in charge, Hateley became the next big English player to sign for the Light Blues, following in the footsteps of Chris Woods, Terry Butcher, and Gary Stevens.

The former AC Milan striker endeared himself to the Ibrox faithful during his maiden season, scoring twice against Aberdeen in the final match of the season to ensure Rangers won their third league title in a row, and he would become a key player under Walter Smith.

The next three seasons at Ibrox saw Hateley and Ally McCoist become one of the finest striking partnerships in the club’s history. The little and large duo were excellent as the Gers swept up the majority of domestic prizes on offer.

He scored 62 goals across those three years in the league alone, with more notable efforts coming in the Champions League against Leeds United while scoring in both domestic cups.

After 13 goals in just 23 league matches during the 1994/95 campaign, Hateley was sold to Queens Park Rangers at the start of the following season.

Mark Hateley’s transfer value in 2024 money

After five highly successful seasons in Glasgow, Smith sold the Englishman to QPR for a transfer fee in the region of £1.5m, which wasn’t a bad piece of business considering he was approaching the final stages of his career.

In 2024 money, however – with Totally Money adjusted for inflation over the years – that transfer fee would be worth a staggering £14.5m.

This means that Hateley’s transfer value is worth more than Danilo and Dessers combined, showing how much the club hit the jackpot by moving him on nearly 30 years ago.

The Englishman would return for one final fling at Rangers towards the end of the 1996/97 season as the club were chasing history.

With an injury crisis engulfing the squad, Smith signed Hateley ahead of the final Old Firm clash of the season, and it proved to be a stroke of genius as he bullied the Celtic defence throughout, with a 1-0 win being secured.

He may have scored just once in four appearances, but it was clear he was ready to do anything for the club as they were edging towards securing their ninth title in a row.

If only the current squad had players with this mentality, they wouldn’t be trailing their Old Firm adversaries by three points with just three matches left, especially with how poor Celtic have been this term.

With a big summer ahead for Clement, he will be hoping to add his own version of players such as Hateley and McCoist, who contributed so much to the club.

Much will depend on his budget, but if a decent offer comes in for Dessers or Danilo, the 50-year-old may take the money and run.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Over the years, Everton have had their fair share of cult heroes who have given multiple generations of supporters memories to last a lifetime.

From Dixie Dean to Tim Cahill, the club have employed many talents who have gone on to achieve unthinkable things and set records that are yet to be beaten – including Dean's record of 60 league goals during the 1927/28 campaign.

However, in recent years, the Toffees have found icons hard to come by, with Leighton Baines the closest player to a club legend, having featured 420 times for the Toffees over a 13-year period.

The left-back remains an integral part of the club, leading the next generation of potential Everton stars, with Baines currently occupying the role of the club's U18 head coach.

Everton have also had another hero return to the club in recent years, with the former Toffees striker still a monster hit with the fanbase after his successful stint as a player on Merseyside.

Duncan Ferguson's time at Everton

Striker Duncan Ferguson epitomised everything about Everton Football Club during his time as a player and temporary manager – passion, commitment and desire.

The Scotsman originally arrived at the club way back in 1994 from Scottish giants Rangers, looking to build on the 17th-placed finish from the season prior.

He would be an instant hit at Goodison, scoring 22 goals throughout his first three full campaigns with the club, helping the Toffees climb to a 6th placed finish in the 1995/96 campaign.

However, after just four years at the club, he would move on to join fellow Premier League side Newcastle United, in a deal conducted behind Walter Smith's back, with the forward costing the Magpies £8m.

It was always a case of unfinished business at Goodison for the Scottish international, eventually rejoining the Toffees just two years later – in a move that would see him end his career at the club.

Ferguson would go on to enjoy another six seasons with Everton, retiring at the age of 33 after a total of 263 appearances for the club that included 69 goals – cementing himself as a club legend.

He was undoubtedly a bargain given his impact on Merseyside, with his transfer fee in 1994 subject to drastic inflation 30 years on…

How much Duncan Ferguson would be worth in 2024

If that same move went through today, Ferguson would've cost the club a jaw-dropping £78m to get through the door, according to Totally Money's Transfer Index.

That would make the former Everton forward the most expensive member of the current Toffees squad by some distance, with Dwight McNeil, the club's highest-valued player as per Football Transfers, not even worth half of the fee Ferguson would've commanded in 2024.

Dwight McNeil

£31.8m

Vitaliy Mykolenko

£29.6m

Jordan Pickford

£29.4m

Jack Harrison

£28.1m

James Garner

£27.5m

It may have been an expensive deal 30 years ago, but Ferguson, who was dubbed Everton's "greatest servant" by chairman Bill Kenwright, was a bargain and a player who left a real impact on the football club.

Although the club have secured their Premier League status for another season, boss Sean Dyche would've loved to have a player like the Scotsman within his ranks.

His relentless nature alongside his aggressive and tenacious playstyle fit the bill for a Dyche centre-forward, with the club desperately needing to unearth the next Ferguson this summer.

Everton played a blinder on Koeman signing who's now worth less than Keane

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التقى أساطير برشلونة وريال مدريد في مباراة كلاسيكو ودية أقيمت في قطر، اليوم الخميس، وانتهت بتعادل إيجابي بهدفين لمثليهما.

وشهدت المباراة مشاركة أبرز نجوم الفريقين السابقين، مثل رونالدينيو ولويس فيجو وسيدورف وخوليا بابتيستا وريفالدو.

وعاد أسطورة برشلونة رونالدينيو بالذاكرة بعد تسجيله هدفاً مذهلاً من ركلة حرة في مباراة استعراضية في الكلاسيكو.

وتقدم برشلونة بهدف مبكر عن طريق خوان بابلو سورين، قبل أن يحصل على ركلة حرة من مسافة 22 ياردة.

وتقدم رونالدينيو وسدد تسديدة رائعة بقدمه اليمنى في الزاوية اليسرى العليا لمرمى حارس المرمى السابق فرانسيسكو بويو.

ولكن حارس مرمى ريال مدريد السابق البالغ من العمر 66 عامًا، لم يتمكن من التصدي، وضاعف رونالدينيو النتيجة لبرشلونة.

وفي نهاية المطاف، تمكن أساطير مدريد من العودة إلى المباراة، وسجل الجناح البرتغالي السابق فيجو، هدفًا لريال مدريد في الشوط الثاني، وأدرك إدوين كونجو التعادل بتسديدة في الدقيقة 63.

اقرأ أيضًا | هنري يشيد بلاعب ليفربول: انتظرنا تألق محمد صلاح ومبابي ولكنه خطف الأضواء

وحصل برشلونة على ضربة جزاء، لكن حارس المرمى البديل بيدرو كونتريراس تصدى لتسديدة كلويفرت.

احتكم الفريقان إلى ركلات الترجيح ونجح برشلونة في الفوز برباعية لهدفين، ليتوج بالكأس.

سيلعب الأساطير في مباراة كلاسيكو أخرى قبل نهاية العام، ويستغرق كل شوط 40 دقيقة. أهداف وركلات ترجيح مباراة أساطير برشلونة وريال مدريد

Gary Lineker has revealed his pick for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, while also making a “next five years” prediction for Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.

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• Vinicius Jr tops betting markets
• Rodri fancied by many to land Golden Ball
• Barca starlet in line for Kopa Trophy

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Teen sensation Yamal is on the 30-man shortlist pieced together by France Football that will see the title of best player on the planet handed out alongside a prestigious Golden Ball. He is not considered to be a leading contender to land that prize just yet.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  For now, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior tops the Ballon d’Or betting – after helping the Blancos to La Liga and Champions League crowns last season. His club colleague, England international Jude Bellingham, is another leading contender.

• Getty
  

  WHAT LINEKER SAID

  Ex-England and Barca striker Lineker is, however, of the opinion that Yamal’s international colleague Rodri – who remains a talismanic presence for Premier League champions Manchester City – would be the most deserving recipient, telling The Rest Is Football podcast when making his predictions: “I think Rodri deserves it. Obviously, they didn’t win the Champions League at City but they did win the Premier League and then the Euros with Spain where he was very much their leader.

  “Young player of the year I’ve got a feeling will be Lamine Yamal. He could win that for the next five years!”

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• WHAT NEXT?

  The Kopa Trophy is handed out at the Ballon d’Or ceremony to the best performing player under the age of 21. Yamal, who continues to break records at 17, is highly fancied to claim that award at an event that will take place in Paris on October 28.

A pundit has urged chairman Daniel Levy to make an "incredibly affordable" Tottenham signing this summer after recent news from The Telegraph.

Spurs face important summer after positive debut season for Ange

Whether or not Spurs qualify for the Champions League next season, you can deem manager Ange Postecoglou's debut season in the dugout a positive one.

Tottenham eyeing zero cost move for £250,000-per-week ace hailed by Carrick

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Spurs have executed a brand of entertaining, attack-minded football to devastating effect at times, and while losses like their 4-0 defeat away to Newcastle indicate there is still plenty to work on, you can argue that this will be part of the growing process.

Postecoglou is certainly under that impression, and he expects more heavy losses akin to their Newcastle trip in future as they continue to work through the kinks.

“Newcastle were good, credit to them”, said Postecoglou after Tottenham's defeat to Newcastle. “We just didn’t really get a grip of the game at all. We never really wrestled control at any stage and we paid the price for that.

“We allowed them to dictate the way the game was played. We weren’t brave on the ball. A lot of it was self-inflicted. It’s the same as every other game. There’s no point sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. We’ve got another game in two weeks’ time.

Arsenal (home)

April 28th

Chelsea (away)

May 2nd

Liverpool (away)

May 5th

Burnley (home)

May 11th

Man City (home)

May 14th

“It’s not the first time it [a heavy defeat] has happened to us; it won’t be the last. It’s part of our growth. Sometimes that growth is painful. I was concerned with all of it. There was no one area that cost us today. We never got to any sort of tempo."

Part of that growth will be acquiring new faces later this year, when the window reopens, and it is believed that Tottenham are looking at signing a new forward or two. An exciting player to be linked with Spurs is Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams, coming after the 21-year-old's three goals and eight assists in 25 La Liga appearances.

The Telegraph back other reports that Tottenham are eyeing a move for Williams this summer, and it is a deal which pundit John Wenham believes should absolutely be done.

Wenham urges Spurs to move for Nico Williams

Speaking to Tottenham News, Wenham says Tottenham should sign the "incredibly affordable" Williams given the rumoured £42.8 million release clause in his Bilbao deal.

“His £42.8million buyout clause is incredibly affordable for a team of Tottenham’s financial standing,” Wenham said.

“Williams is a player with immense talent, huge potential and somebody who is starting for Spain and will be looking to go to the Euros this summer. In this current market we’re talking about a £60million-plus player, and he is available for just over £40million, so this deal is a no-brainer for me.”

Ryan Campbell fears being left “out in the cold” for the next four years

Peter Della Penna30-Apr-2020

Netherlands coach Ryan Campbell hits a skier during fielding practice•Peter Della Penna

With cricket in a literal standstill, and uncertainty surrounding its return, the Netherlands team is fearing the worst.This year, they were supposed to be playing in the ODI Super League, the qualifying tournament for 2023 World Cup. But the Covid-19 pandemic has not only forced it to be deferred but also backed the ICC into a corner where it believes a review of the entire FTP may be necessary. In case one of those measures involves scrapping the Super League entirely, then, according to their head coach, Ryan Campbell, the Netherlands will be “out in the cold” for the next four years.Before the world was rocked by Covid-19, the Dutch were guaranteed 24 ODIs over the next two years following their success in the World Cricket League Championship in 2017, which confirmed their spot in the 13-team Super League. But that is now up in the air after a decision made at the ICC chief executives committee meeting last week to conduct and extensive review of the existing calendar.”We worked bloody hard to get it to become part of this 13-team competition,” Campbell told ESPNcricinfo. “If you think about it, the day that we won against Namibia [in December 2017] and became the 13th team, we had to wait for the Super League to be announced and when it was going to be. Then they announced what was going to happen to the World Cricket League and the World [League Two] has been started and they’ve played a lot of rounds and we’re still waiting to play ODI cricket for the Super League.”You can imagine all the frustration if, all of a sudden, all the countries who have all the money then turn around and say, ‘Oh no, we need to play our own home series and make more money and leave us out,’ because we literally would be out in the cold.”Campbell said it would be more than just a “mistake” to scrap the Super League and ask the Netherlands to wait possibly the length of a whole World Cup cycle (four years) to play ODIs again.”We can’t rejoin the World Cricket League because that’s already well in advance, and if we can’t play the Super League… Can you imagine leaving a country like us which has worked bloody hard and I think everyone would agree, we’re a good team, to play zero ODI cricket [sic, Netherlands played two ODIs each against Nepal and Zimbabwe in 2018 & 2019] for a period that would stretch to about four years? That’s not just a mistake. That’s almost criminal. So let’s hope that common sense prevails and we go, ‘We’re gonna stick to the Super League.’ It was brought up for a very good reason, to give credence to ODI cricket, and let’s work it out. I just hope people don’t forget about the Dutch.”Captain Pieter Seelaar celebrates after his first wicket of the day•Peter Della Penna

The Dutch government recently announced that all professional sport in the country was suspended until September 1. It means that Netherlands’ first series as part of the Super League, a three-match slate hosting Pakistan in July, has been shelved. Visits from New Zealand for a T20I as well as an ODI series against USA, Oman and Namibia have also been scrapped.”This year was supposed to be a very exciting year for Dutch cricket but now we don’t know anything,” Campbell said. “The first chance that we may be able to play is [the ODI tour to] Zimbabwe in September.”Netherlands will have to host four teams before the Super League ends in March 2022. Three of them – England, Ireland and West Indies – are all set to visit in 2021. That just leaves the postponed Pakistan series from this summer and Campbell wants to do all he can to make sure it happens. “If it means we have to go to Pakistan, then we’ll do it. We’re willing to go wherever we need to go.”The Netherlands were due to have a training camp in Spain in early March before heading to Namibia for a six-match ODI and T20I tour at the end of the month, both of which were cancelled as the pandemic spread. The Namibia tour was meant to kickstart their 2020 campaign culminating in a T20 World Cup appearance in October.Campbell is in contact with Namibia coach Pierre de Bruyn with a view to facilitate some cricket once border restrictions are lifted.”If that means we just jump on a plane and go somewhere to play… I’m talking to Pierre de Bruyn, I’m talking to my mates in Hong Kong,” Campbell said of the country he played for in the 2016 T20 World Cup. “They understand how to deal with issues. They’ve been through SARS and been through this. Going to Hong Kong might be an option for us. If the World Cup proceeds on time, then we’ll be ready. If it’s delayed, then we’ll proceed with other plans.”

Since becoming the manager of Arsenal in December 2019, Mikel Arteta has overseen several transfer windows, which have all had varying degrees of success. In total, the Spaniard has spent around £700m.

Some of the success stories include the likes of Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice. The Norweigan midfielder joined Arsenal on a permanent basis from Real Madrid, after an initial loan move to the Emirates Stadium in a deal worth roughly £30m, in August 2021.

England international Rice, who has now captained his country, signed for the Gunners in a club-record deal which saw him move from West Ham to the North London club for £105m. It is fair to say both deals have been a success so far.

Meanwhile, some have not been quite as good. The likes of Nuno Tavares, who Arsenal signed from Benfica for £8m in 2021, has not worked out for either party with the full-back spending two consecutive seasons out on loan. Another in Pablo Mari, who cost £8m, is no longer at the club.

However, there is one player whom Arteta brought into the club in January 2023, who has ended up becoming an integral player for the Gunners during his time at the Emirates Stadium.

Jakub Kiwior’s stats in 2024

The player in question here is Polish international defender Jakub Kiwior, who has become an important player under the Spaniard this season, as Arsenal looked to beat Manchester City to the Premier League title.

The 24-year-old defender has played 30 times in all competitions for the Gunners this season, with 20 of those appearances coming in the top flight, and seven in the Champions League, a competition that Arsenal were eliminated from in the quarter-final, by Bayern Munich.

Kiwior has also chipped in with some handy goal involvements this season. The Poland international, who is likely going to go to Euro 2024, went on a run of four goals and assists in five Premier League games across February and March, which included finding the back of the net against Newcastle in a 4-1 victory at home.

Competition for a place at left-back for the Gunners this season has been high, although Arteta has often struggled to find the right formula for that side. Aside from Kiwior, Oleksandr Zinchenko and Takehiro Tomiyasu have played at left-back this season.

Arsenal's main 3 left-back options in 2023/24

Player

Left-back apps (all comps)

Kiwior

19

Zinchenko

30

Tomiyasu

19

Stats from Transfermarkt.

Despite this competition for places, Kiwior has put in some big performances across the season, something which has seen a spike in his market value going into the 2024 summer transfer window.

Kiwior’s market value in 2024

According to the market value tool by CIES Football Observatory, Kiwior has seen his transfer value rise to £34m, which is a sizeable increase compared to the sum that Arsenal paid for him in January 2023.

Indeed, the Gunners paid Kiwior’s former club Spezia £20m to acquire his services, seeing an impressive increase of £14m on his current transfer market value. This certainly reflects Kiwior’s consistent performances at left-back this season.

In fact, with that increase in his transfer value, Kiwior is now valued the same as some of Arsenal’s most important players.

Specifically, he shares the same value as the likes of Leandro Trossard and David Raya, who are also worth £34m, whilst fellow left-backs Tomiyasu and Zinchenko are valued at considerably less, at just £17m.

Both of those players have been particularly key for Arteta this term, Trossard notably scoring 17 goals in all competitions and Raya taking home the Premier League's Golden Glove award for the most clean sheets.

Should Arsenal wish to move Kiwior on this summer, it would be a deal which they can likely make a profit from. Whilst a transfer seems highly unlikely given Kiwior’s impressive season, it is certainly a deal Arsenal may consider if they can strengthen at left-back as a result of a departure.

Without a doubt, the deal to bring the defender in can be seen as a success from Arsenal. He was described as "extraordinary" by Poland teammate Robert Lewandowski, and this season he has shown why. Kiwior's cost, performances this season and subsequent rise in transfer value are testament to that, and overall it has been a good piece of business by the Gunners.

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