Everton have excelled in recent weeks under boss Sean Dyche, securing Premier League survival after three successive victories against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Brentford.

Idrissa Gueye has starred in midfield, even finding himself on the scoresheet in two of the victories against Forest and Brentford – securing vital points in their battle for survival.

The Toffees have had their setbacks this campaign, suffering an eight-point deduction after multiple breaches of the Premier League's PSR rules – putting their ever-present Premier League status at risk.

However, Dyche has transformed his side's fortunes in recent weeks, looking to build a stable platform ahead of the 2024/25 season, with the club aiming to consolidate as a mid-table side.

One player deserves to be a crucial figure within the Toffees squad next season, with his excellent recent form seeing a sharp increase in his market value.

Dwight McNeil's stats in 2023/24

After joining the club for £20m from Burnley during the summer of 2022, midfielder Dwight McNeil endured a solid first campaign at Goodison Park, scoring seven times and providing three assists for his teammates – as the club narrowly avoided relegation.

However, whilst he's scored fewer goals this season, just three in total, his all-round play has been much improved – with McNeil's stats backing up his development.

The 24-year-old has provided six assists in the Premier League this season, the most of any player within Dyche's squad, with the winger making up for his lack of goals with his other contributions.

However, out of his three goals this season, two of them have come against Forest, with McNeil producing consistently against sides in and around the Toffees in the table.

His brilliant performances have seen the attacker achieve an average rating of 7.18, as per FotMob, the highest of any player in the Everton squad this season.

McNeil's excellent campaign doesn't stop there, with the former Burnley man creating 65 chances and 17 big chances, in the league – tallies that simply can't be matched by any of his teammates.

As previously mentioned, his excellent displays have allowed for the winger's value to skyrocket, to the point where he's now valued more than one Everton talent who's been linked with a huge move this summer.

Dwight McNeil's market value in 2024

Less than two years on from his move to Merseyside, the "fantastic" McNeil, as described by journalist Zach Lowy, has seen an increase in his market value, with the 24-year-old now valued at £31m, as per Football Transfers.

His figure, which is £11m more than the club paid for him, is also two times higher than Amadou Onana, who joined the club for a fee of around £33m during the same summer as McNeil.

The young Belgian is now only valued at £15m after failing to truly kick on over the last two years or so, while McNeil has firmly established himself as a key figure at Goodison.

The latter man has been superb in what has been a difficult season for the Toffees, proving in recent weeks that he has the ability to be a crucial part of the club going forward.

With the wideman only being 24, he has the potential to grow into a sensational talent and increase his market value further, subsequently making the club a huge profit on their £20m investment.

Everton could hit jackpot by selling "complete" star for 6,900% profit

The Toffees titan has been linked with a move away from Goodison this summer.

By
Dan Emery

Apr 30, 2024

Liverpool have a talented squad that is more than capable of leading Arne Slot toward success, though, without question, reinforcements are paramount this summer.

Leading authorities such as The Athletic's David Ornstein have revealed that FSG are going to target a central defender and a wide forward to ensure that Liverpool stand a good chance of closing the distance on Manchester City and Arsenal, though recent news suggests that the midfield could face further work in the months to come.

Jurgen Klopp countered last summer's midfield exodus by making sweeping changes, but now that Thiago Alcantara has departed upon the end of his contract there is possibly room for one more star in the centre of the park.

Liverpool now frontrunners for former Slot star

According to Calciomercato, Liverpool are leading the race for Atalanta's Teun Koopmeiners, with Chelsea and Juventus also in the mix for the Dutchman, who has been valued at €60m (£52m) by the recently-crowned Europa League champions.

Koopmeiners, aged 25, has played a leading role in Piero Gian Gasperini's side's campaign but has recently suggested that he hopes to close the door on his Atalanta career, opening the door for Slot's Liverpool.

Given that Liverpool's new head coach has previously worked with his countryman when he led AZ Alkmaar, Koopmeiners featuring 58 times under the 46-year-old, it might be the perfect opportunity for the Reds to complete their engine room with a quality addition.

Why Liverpool are interested in Teun Koopmeiners

If you had to pin down Koopmeiners' ability to one performance, look no further than his display against record-breaking near-invincibles Bayer Leverkusen in this week's Europa League final.

The Netherlands star earned an 8/10 match rating by 90min after a tireless effort, with the publication writing: 'Picked up some dangerous positions deep in Leverkusen territory and produced some incisive passes to open up their defence.'

Koopmeiners wasn't at his best, winning just four of 12 contested duels and failing to make a key pass, as per Sofascore, but he fought brilliantly to subdue Xabi Alonso's indomitable Bundesliga champions.

Let's not forget, only one month earlier Koopmeiners produced a masterful two-legged performance to knock Liverpool out of the continental competition, winning 12 duels and making seven tackles across the two matches.

Hailed for his "complete" skill set by Dutch legend Ruud Krol, the 6 foot 1 talent has showcased some pretty impressive skills this season, scoring 15 goals and adding seven assists in all competitions, with his creative, tenacious and robust style drawing comparisons to none other than Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes.

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Aleksandr Golovin

AS Monaco

2.

Florian Sotoca

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Bruno Fernandes

Manchester United

4.

Angelo Fulgini

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Morgan Gibbs-White

Nottingham Forest

A dynamic midfielder, Koopmeiners ranks among the top 20% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 19% for passes attempted, the top 13% for progressive passes and the top 5% for clearances per 90, as per FBref.

Let's compare that to the Red Devils captain: Fernandes ranks among the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 2% for progressive passes and clearances and the top 13% for tackles and interceptions per 90.

Erik ten Hag's side might have struggled to impress this season but Fernandes has maintained his position as a beacon of strength for a fallen giant – creating the most chances in the Premier League – and adding a player of similar quality and commitment to the balmy conditions at Anfield would only strengthen Slot's accord.

Slot should ditch Liverpool star earning more than Diaz & Jones combined

Jamie Carragher noted that this Reds player was “so poor” this season.

ByAngus Sinclair May 25, 2024

كشفت تقارير صحفية أزمة مرتقبة تخص موعد بطولة كأس العالم نسخة 2034، والتي ستستضيفها المملكة العربية السعودية.

وسيؤكد ممثلو الاتحادات الأعضاء في فيفا، البالغ عددهم 211 اتحادًا، على الدول المضيفة لنسختي 2030 و2034 من كأس العالم في مؤتمر الأسبوع المقبل.

ولم يتقدم أحد سوى السعودية لاستضافة نسخة 2034 من كأس العالم، ومن ثم فإنها ستكون الدولة صاحبة الحق في الاستضافة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

وذكرت صحيفة “ذا صن” الإنجليزية أن هناك أزمة مرتقبة تخص نسخة كأس العالم 2034 بسبب ميعادها المُحتمل.

وأوضحت أن درجات الحرارة تصل في شهر يونيو، التوقيت المعتاد لكأس العالم، إلى 45 درجة في السعودية، وهو ما يجعل إقامة المونديال في ذلك التوقيت أمر مستحيل.

وأشارت إلى أن تلك المشكلة تشبه ما كانت عليه نسخة مونديال 2022 في قطر عندما تمت في شهري نوفمبر وديسمبر.

وأفادت بأنه على الرغم من ذلك، فإن إقامة كأس العالم 2034 في السعودية خلال الشتاء هو أمر صعب بسبب شهر رمضان المُعظم، ومن ثم فإن إقامته في يناير من العام نفسه هو الحل الأكثر احتمالية الآن.

وذكرت أنه ما لم توافق السلطات السعودية على السماح بعدم مراعاة طقوس شهر رمضان، وهو أمر يُعتقد بكونه غير مرجح، فإن استضافة البطولة في شهر يناير قيد المناقشة.

وسيؤثر ذلك على جدول الدوري الإنجليزي، وخاصة مرحلة البوكسينج داي الشهيرة، كما ستتأثر المراحل الأولى من المسابقات الأوروبية الثلاثة (دوري أبطال أوروبا، الدوري الأوروبي ودوري المؤتمر الأوروبي)، حيث من المحتمل أن يُضغط جدول المباريات.

ومع الأخذ في الاعتبار تطبيق النظام الجديد لكأس العالم بتواجد 48 فريقًا بدءًا من نسخة 2026، أي أن هناك حاجة إلى خوض 104 مباريات، فإن ذلك يعني 38 يومًا لإكمال البطولة.

في حين يمكن تقليص ذلك قليلاً، يُنظر إلى 35 يومًا على أنها الحد الأدنى للإطار الزمني الممكن، وهو ما يعني توقف الدوري الإنجليزي لمدة تبلغ 7 أسابيع.

Tottenham fans have hit out at manager Ange Postecoglou for his side's "embarrassing" 1-0 loss at home to Arsenal.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Arsenal beat Tottenham 1-0
• Spurs spent heavily under Postecoglou
• Fans rage at under-fire Australian

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gabriel Magalhaes' 64th-minute effort secured Arsenal a derby win on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Despite having 63 percent possession and 15 shots to the visitors' five, Mikel Arteta's men claimed all three points. That led some Spurs supporters to accuse Postecoglou of "bending over" in the loss, while others felt it was unacceptable that they weren't progressing despite spending more than £350 million ($459m) since the Australian took charge in mid-2023.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

  @SeanDOlfc posted on X, formerly Twitter: "I’m once again asking where big Ange’s £350 million went. The squad is shocking," and @coyscomps wrote: "Embarrassing, Ange needs to have a look at himself after this. Absolutely toothless once again today."

  @Ic3Evaa tweeted: "Ange fully told Spurs fans they had a s*** mentality for not wanting Arsenal to win the league and instead bends over for them every time they play."

  @PremLeaguePanel commented: "Ange’s tactical answers to Arteta’s deep block were abysmal. Refusal to move Son inside (he is not a touchline winger at 32 years old). Then he took 68 mins to bring Odobert on who is his only 1v1 winger in the squad. Kept trying to build thru the middle where there was no space."

  Finally, @JayMotty added: "Spurs have lost 7 of their last 11 PL games but no one cares cos Big Ange calls journalists ‘mate’ and played a high line when down to 9 men against Chelsea."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The result leaves Tottenham 13th in the Premier League with four points from their opening four games. After just missing out on qualifying for the Champions League last season, pressure will be on the former Celtic boss to go one better this term. But this start appears to have many Spurs supporters fearing the worst going forward.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Tottenham will look to gain a morale-boosting win over Championship side Coventry City in round two of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, before hosting London neighbours Brentford in the Premier League four days later.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo venceu o Vasco por 2 a 0, na noite desta quarta-feira (28), no Morumbi, e largou com vantagem nas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil. Os atacantes Rigoni e Pablo fizeram os gols da vitória do Tricolor.

City prepara oferta para Grealish, Pogba negocia com novo clube, técnico do Barcelona barra duas contratações… O Dia do Mercado

Agora, o São Paulo pode até perder por um gol de diferença em São Januário na próxima quarta-feira (4), às 21h30. Já o Vasco precisa de uma vitória por três ou mais gols de diferença para se classificar. Um triunfo por dois gols do Cruzmaltino leva a decisão para a disputa de pênaltis.

CONFIRA AS PARTIDAS DAS OITAVAS DE FINAL DA COPA DO BRASIL

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SÃO PAULO COMEÇA MELHOR E ABRE O PLACAR
​Buscando abrir uma vantagem cedo em casa, o São Paulo iniciou o jogo com mais ritmo no ataque e buscando marcar logo no começo. Logo no primeiro minuto de jogo,Reinaldo lançou Rigoni com perfeição. O argentino tocou na bola, mas ela escapou e passou pertinho do gol de Vanderlei. O mesmo Rigoni quase marcou aos sete, mas não conseguiu dominar na área.

O Vasco assustou na sequência com Léo Jabá, que alertou o goleiro Volpi em chute de fora da área. No entanto, com 13 minutos, o São Paulo abriu o placar.Benítez fez longo lançamento para Rigoni, que matou a bola perto da área, cortou Castán e mandou rasteiro, cruzado, no canto de Vanderlei.

VASCO MELHORA E EQUILIBRA A PARTIDA ANTES DO INTERVALO
Enquanto o jogo acontecia, a equipe carioca conseguiu ter mais volume de jogo e quase empatou com 16 minutos.Bruno Gomes bateu de fora da área, Volpi deu o rebote, Léo Jabá se atirou, mas não conseguiu alcançar a bola.

Já o São Paulo chegou com perigo em lances de Miranda, que Vanderlei defendeu e com Benítez, que bateu de fora da área. A bola passou ao lado da meta vascaína.

Antes do final do primeiro tempo,Jabá fez boa jogada pela direita e cruzou. Cano dominou, limpou a marcação, mas caiu. Na sobra, Marquinhos Gabriel finalizou de fora da área, mas Volpi defendeu. Ainda deu tempo de Arboleda sair machucado antes do intervalo no Morumbi.

ETAPA FINAL COMEÇA COM CHANCES PARA AS DUAS EQUIPES
Buscando empatar a partida, o Vasco começou com maior presença no ataque e assustou logo com um minuto.Cano invadiu a área e bateu, mas Léo cortou. Bruno Gomes pegou o rebote e soltou a bomba, mas por cima do gol de Volpi. Logo depois,Cano fez boa jogada no ataque do Vasco, tabelou com Galarza, deixou Léo para trás e bateu forte, cruzado, mas a bola foi para fora.

O São Paulo criou chance novamente com a dupla Benitez e Rigoni.Benítez toca de primeira para Rigoni, que ajeitou e bateu rasteiro. A bola tocou na trave direita de Vanderlei e foi para fora. Pablo também teve oportunidade de marcar e Vanderlei fez boa defesa.

PABLO APARECE E MARCA O SEGUNDO DO SÃO PAULO
A partida caiu de produção na segunda etapa. O Vasco tinha dificuldades de construir as jogadas, mesmo problema do São Paulo, que tinha a estratégia de ficar mais com a bola. Com uma marcação apertada, a bola parada poderia ser um caminho. E foi por aí que o Tricolor aumentou o placar.

Com 33 minutos,Reinaldo bateu escanteio na primeira trave, Pablo se adiantou ao zagueiro e cabeceou no canto direito de Vanderlei para ampliar.

No último lance do jogo, aos 48 minutos, Vanderlei salvou o Vasco em chute rasteiro de Marquinhos. Fim de partida no Morumbi e vantagem do São Paulo nas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil.

Agora, as equipes tem clássicos pela frente. O São Paulo enfrenta o Palmeiras, no próximo sábado (31), às 18h, no Morumbi. Enquanto isso, o Vasco pega o Botafogo, no mesmo dia, às 21h, no Engenhão.

SÃO PAULO 2 X 0 VASCO
Local: Estádio do Morumbi
Data e horário: 28 de julho de 2021, às 21h30
Árbitro: Wilton Pereira Sampaio (GO)
Assistentes: Fabricio Vilarinho da Silva (GO) e Bruno Raphael Pires (GO)
VAR: Elmo Alves Resende Cunha (GO)
Cartões Amarelos:
Cartões Vermelhos:
Gols: Rigoni (13’/1ºT) (1-0), Pablo (33’/2ºT) (2-0)

SÃO PAULO
Volpi, Arboleda (Bruno Alves, aos 44’/1ºT), Miranda e Léo; Orejuela, Rodrigo Nestor (Liziero, aos 32’/2ºT), Benítez (Talles, aos 32’/2ºT), Igor Gomes (Gabriel Sara, aos 16’/2ºT) e Reinaldo; Rigoni (Marquinhos, aos 16’/2ºT) e Pablo. Técnico: Hernán Crespo

VASCO
Vanderlei; Léo Matos, Ernando, Leandro Castán e Zeca; Bruno Gomes, Galarza (Arthur, aos 25’/2ºT) e Marquinhos Gabriel (Sarrafiore, aos 38’/2ºT); Léo Jabá (Morato, aos 38’/2ºT), Gabriel Pec (Andrey, Intervalo) e Cano. Técnico: Lisca

Dawid Malan was unbeaten on 50 as Yorkshire closed three down and needing 68 more for victory

Paul Edwards at Chester-le-Street03-Aug-2020
Sometimes the incomparable game reaches back into its rich past even as it charms us with its dynamic present. Should the forecast be correct this match may yet be curtailed by the weather. Yorkshire need 68 runs to win, Durham require seven wickets, yet the threat of rain means any result is possible in a contest that has recalled treasured dynasties.Cricket, you see, has its simple lists and its honourable lineages. Bowling fast and opening the batting for Yorkshire are among the latter. Bill Bowes, Fred Trueman and Darren Gough are just three of those who have taken the new ball for the White Rose while Herbert Sutcliffe, Leonard Hutton and Geoffrey Boycott all opened their county’s innings. All six cricketers performed their skills with much honour for England on very many occasions. And there were seasons when Halifax-born batsman Alex Lees seemed destined to follow in their line. For had not those mighty prophets Boycott and Bird assured us it would be so?Such years have now been consigned to the Elder Days. Lees left Yorkshire nearly two years ago, having fallen out of favour with the club’s management. There were even days when it seemed he didn’t much like the game itself. So neutrals were pleased to see him make a success of his move to Durham while Yorkshire supporters could be reassured that since his new team was in the second division there was little immediate chance of him playing against their county in proper cricket.That, though, was before Covid-19 and the inception of the Bob Willis Trophy. No one foresaw that Lees might do anything so dastardly as to make a century against Yorkshire, something he accomplished early on this third afternoon at the Riverside when he nudged Harry Brook backward of square for two runs on the off side. It was his 16th first-class hundred, a dozen of which have been scored for the county of his birth.So maybe it was thought fitting that Lees’ innings should be ended – and the match changed utterly – by York’s Matthew Fisher, who still has a career bubbling with promise despite the injuries that have haunted him in recent seasons. When Fisher took the new ball ten overs after lunch Durham were 215 for 3 and were digging themselves out of trouble. Their 96-run first-innings deficit had been cleared and Lees was unbeaten on exactly 100.Immediately, though, Fisher achieved prodigious swing, even on a warm afternoon unthreatened by cloud. Lees thin-edged his first ball to fine leg for four and had collected two more runs before the sixth delivery swung in, brushed his pad and sent the off stump sprawling.Fisher was merely warming to his task. Four overs later he produced what may be seen as one of the balls of the season: a ferocious inswinging yorker which not only removed Jack Burnham’s middle and leg stump but even succeeded in knocking the hapless batsman off his feet as he sought to play or avoid it. Two balls later Durham’s newly appointed skipper, Ned Eckersley, played sloppily across the line and was leg before. In the next over Paul Coughlin departed in similar fashion although not as culpably. Fisher had taken four wickets in 19 balls.Durham’s batsmen were allowed no respite. Jordan Thompson, a Loiner, replaced Fisher at the Finchale End and immediately dismissed both Ben Raine and Matthew Potts, who might have fared just as well had they been batting with a stick of tusky. Chris Rushworth joined Gareth Harte and the pair added 27 with a mixture of useful thumps and alert running. Durham’s lead was 170 when Steve Patterson completed the collapse by trapping Rushworth leg before. Less than two hours earlier he had begun it when he removed David Bedingham in like fashion for 77 four overs before the new ball became available. That wicket brought to an end the South African’s 136-run stand with Lees; more significantly it began a tumble that saw Durham lose their last eight wickets for 59 runs, and 6 for 18 before the last-wicket merriment.Yorkshire now needed 171 to win but fortunately we had an interval before the game’s final innings began. Dishes of tea were taken and chatty reports about the arrival of the soon-to-be ermined Lord Botham of Somewhere-or-Other were discarded. Wits were gathered and then immediately puréed as Rushworth rumbled in from the Lumley End and had both Adam Lyth and Will Fraine leg before in the first five overs of Yorkshire’s innings. At that point supporters of the away team watching events on the live stream may have decided that something stronger than tea was required.Dawid Malan and Tom Kohler-Cadmore calmed matters with a stand of 52 but Rushworth switched to the Finchale End and Kohler-Cadmore became the 14th batsman in this match to fall leg before. He was on his front foot but Graham Lloyd’s decision looked fair enough. That was Rushworth’s 500th first-class wicket in a fine career and his team-mates gave him a round of applause which was rather more enthusiastic than the one Lees had been afforded by his former colleagues. That was understandable enough, of course, although Patterson, a decent fellow at the worst of times, patted the opener on the back when he was out. Come to think of it, Yorkshire’s other cricketers may simply have been rubbing sanitiser into their hands.Durham pressed for further wickets in the soft evening sunlight and Malan was dropped on by Sean Dickson at first slip off Ben Raine when he was on 32 when Yorkshire needed a further 96. We then wondered if eight overs might be added to the day’s allocation but the umpires decided we had seen enough. Malan will resume on 50 after reaching his first half-century for Yorkshire in the final over of the day. His only contribution to the third morning had been to negotiate an obstacle course and retrieve the ball from a stand into which it had been hit by Bedingham. One imagines the former Middlesex batsman rarely had to perform such vulgar tasks when he worked at Lord’s but he may have something more useful to do on the fourth morning of this fine match.

Dropped batsman set to finish as he began, one match into a losing campaign against West Indies

Andrew Miller15-Jul-2020In the course of his long and not-entirely-lustrous career, Joe Denly has come to know all about being on the outside looking in – he spent nine years and an England-record 384 matches in the wilderness, after all, before his remarkable recall in Sri Lanka in 2018. For the next two weeks in Manchester, however, he can brace for something of the inverse experience – a wistful, poignant period of being on the inside looking out.Inside England’s bio-secure bubble at Emirates Old Trafford, looking out on his team-mates as they move on without him. Inside the team environment, for now, but looking out towards his new life as a former international cricketer – the status that will surely be conferred on him for good this time, after his run of 15 consecutive Tests ended as it had begun, one Test into a losing campaign against West Indies.ALSO READ: Stubborn Smith staking reputation on Buttler’s Test careerNever say never, you might argue. The door is not closed, as Joe Root insisted, but that’s surely only because to open it would risk allowing a series-threatening lurgy to breach the team’s inner sanctum. At the age of 34, and with the rising star Dan Lawrence already straining for the next opening in the team, there can be no way back from here.Instead, it seems that Denly’s final innings against West Indies last week will stand as testimony to every attribute – good, bad and infuriating – that he brought to a doughty but ultimately inadequate Test career.On Saturday at the Ageas Bowl, Denly was faced, not for the first time, with reinvigorating a failing England batting display. He showed grit in abundance as he settled in for another of his long hauls. But then, with the hardest work done, a flaccid clip to midwicket off the spin of Roston Chase meant that he bowed out for the 28th and final time with 29 from 70 balls – barely half a point shy of his final Test average of 29.53, and just five balls short of his mean stay at the wicket.There have been other, more lauded, Test batsmen who’ve averaged worse than that – Mark Ramprakash (27.32) and Moeen Ali (28.97) among them, while Graeme Hick (31.32) and the still unimpeachable Jos Buttler (31.46) are only a tick above.Joe Denly during a practice session with Zak Crawley in the background•Getty Images

A degree of mockery is inevitable, not least because of the close attentions Denly received from his former Kent team-mate and chief selector, Ed Smith, who talked him up as a “genius” prior to his Sri Lanka recall and tried so hard to crowbar him into England’s World Cup plans too. But Denly’s durability deserves to be celebrated with something more than just an ironic cheer.For history may record his highest Test score as 94, but it would be remiss to ignore his haul of nine “Denturies” in the space of 13 innings: stays of 100 balls or more that have entered a certain niche of cricket folklore, much as the “Cowan”, of Australian Ed fame, did during Michael Clarke’s rebuilding years of 2012-13.For that has been Denly’s fate in the course of a cross-over era for English cricket. Consider the chaos that he was asked to help sweep up on debut in the Caribbean 18 months ago – England had just been bowled out for 77 in the first Test in Barbados, losing nine wickets in a single session. And if that was bad, then at least it was a slight improvement on the ten-in-a-session that they had squandered at Auckland, Dhaka and Nottingham in the preceding seasons.The Test team was rudderless. Alastair Cook was long gone, the one-day stars were preoccupied with staying in character for the fast-approaching World Cup, and though England in theory had the most awesome lower-middle order in the game, with every man-jack from 5 to 9 considering himself an allrounder, there was no hope of them getting a toe-hold in any contest if the team was 30 for 3 in every innings.What England needed in that period, more desperately even than runs, was time. A chance to take a breath, whether that was the middle-order themselves, or England’s seamers who were getting justifiably sick of having their feet up for barely half a day at a time. And Denly, with the unglamorous grit of the seasoned pro, was able to oblige.In a five-month zenith between August 2019 and January this year, Denly evolved into a batting barnacle straight out of Chris Tavare’s playbook. It started most famously in the second innings of the Ashes Test at Leeds, where Denly’s dour, uncelebrated but ultimately priceless 50 from 155 balls provided the grit for Ben Stokes’ Headingley oyster.The pair did not share so much as a single delivery in that historic second innings – instead they crossed in the outfield after Denly’s dismissal in the 60th over of England’s innings. And yet, by enduring for that long, and in helping to gnaw 141 runs out of an improbable victory target of 359, he did what few England No.3s had managed since the demise of Jonathan Trott. He gave England’s middle order a rare chance to bed in before the new ball, and flourish thereafter.And more recently, his efforts gave England’s next big thing the leeway to blossom too. By drawing the heat away from Ollie Pope in the early months of his return to the side, Denly allowed him to settle into the team at No. 6, Ricky Ponting-style, rather than leave him to become yet another sacrifice to the team’s waning standards in the top three. That’ll be Pope’s berth soon enough, you sense. But doing things in a rush has been England’s downfall in Tests for far too many seasons now.”‘It’s never an easy decision to lose someone from the team,” said Root on the eve of the Test. “Joe has done a brilliant job over a period of time for us and I suppose he’s helped show our identity as a side and the way we want to play moving forward. He’s been a big part of that by batting long periods of time and laying the platform for the middle order to go on and make big scores.”That much is true, and at least on this occasion, Denly will depart with some gratitude ringing in his ears – unlike his experience back in 2010, when he was dumped on the eve of the World T20 in the Caribbean, and had to look on from the outside as England lifted their maiden global trophy.He spent the rest of the decade presuming he’d never get another chance. At least this time he gets to finish as an insider.

Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has become the latest superstar 'signing' for Gerard Pique's Kings League tournament.

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Pique launches Kings League tournamentSeven-a-side event grows in popularityBarca's Yamal league's latest 'signing'WHAT HAPPENED?

On Sunday night, Yamal was unveiled as a new recruit for the seven-a-side competition. In a Traitors TV show-like reveal, the 17-year-old took off his hood and said: "Here begins the new Kings' season. Let's beat the game."

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Spanish publication Sport says although the Spain international's role has not yet been revealed, it will be detailed in the coming days. The fourth edition of this competition gets underway on September 15 at the Cupra Arena in Barcelona. If Yamal plays in the tournament, that will be quite the bombshell.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Kings League was launched in late 2022 by former Barca and Spain defender Pique – who tweeted a bomb emoji in response to Yama's unveiling. The format involves additions such as a tie-breaker penalty shootout, unlimited substitutions, double goals, and more. In the previous editions of the tournament, former stars such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Iker Casillas, Sergio Aguero, Ronaldinho, and Eden Hazard have taken part.

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WHAT NEXT?

Sport state that more players for the tournament will be confirmed on Wednesday, September 11. Spanish side Porcinos FC will once again be the team to beat after winning the first Kings World Cup in June.

One Chelsea star's future is now all but confirmed, with the player having reached a full agreement with a new club ahead of the summer.

Progress under Pochettino

Though thrashed 5-0 at the hands of Arsenal, Chelsea's late season form has been best the Stamford Bridge outfit have seen in some time. They have lost one Premier League game since February, and dismantled a sorry West Ham United side 5-0 courtesy of two goals from Nicolas Jackson in their most recent outing, a result which lifted them above Manchester United, though the Red Devils have a game in hand.

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It means that, with three games left to play, Mauricio Pochettino's side trail Newcastle by just two points and are only six points behind bitter London rivals Tottenham, who they beat in midweek. In turn, that has left Blues fans dreaming of Europa League football, which could still be theirs should they continue their strong end to the season and see the teams around them drop points.

Premier League table as it stands

Position

Club

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goal Difference

Points

5th

Tottenham Hotspur

35

18

6

11

11

60

6th

Newcastle United

35

17

5

13

22

56

7th

Chelsea

35

15

9

11

11

54

8th

Manchester United

34

16

6

12

1

54

9th

West Ham United

36

13

10

13

-14

49

With Manchester United playing host to title-chasing Arsenal this weekend, the possibility is certainly there. Regardless, there has been clear progress under Pochettino in recent weeks, and a decision to part ways with him may well be one that the club hold fire on as they seek some stability at Stamford Bridge. One man, however, will be leaving.

Defender chooses next club as agreement reached

That comes in the form of veteran defender Thiago Silva, who has now reportedly decided on his next club ahead of the summer. The Brazilian already announced that he would be leaving the Blues this summer, telling fans that "Chelsea means a lot to me, I came here with the intention of only staying for a year and it ended up being four years".

It was later reported that he had offers from three London clubs to stay in England, with the 39-year-old available on a free transfer this summer as his £110k per week deal comes to an end, just as he had been when Chelsea snapped him up.

However, the latest claims suggest that he has opted to head back to his native Brazil. As per Brazilian outlet Globo Esporte [Via Sport Witness], the defender has "reached an agreement" to return to former club Fluminense, who he made 97 appearances for before heading to AC Milan back in 2009. This comes after reports a couple of weeks ago claimed a verbal pact was in place, so it appears a full agreement has now been cemented from that.

It is added that though an agreement has been reached and officials have been sent to "work on the announcement", nothing will be made official until the end of the season as a "sign of respect" for both Chelsea and Silva, something that the player demanded in negotiations. However, it appears that his next destination will be home.

Aston Villa chiefs are willing to offer a player-plus-cash deal to land one of their summer transfer targets, according to recent reports.

Aston Villa transfer rumours

Villa have enjoyed a remarkable 2023/24 Premier League campaign under the guidance of Unai Emery. Their Europa Conference League run may have ended in disappointing fashion, but the Midlands outfit have secured a place in the Champions League ahead of the 2024/25 campaign getting underway.

Villa proved during 2023/24 that they can compete with some of Europe's best clubs, taking points off both Arsenal and Manchester City. However, the Champions League is a completely different beast and the Villans are no doubt well aware their squad will need to be improved during the summer if they are to give a good account of themselves in Europe's premier club competition.

According to reports, Paris Saint-Germain's versatile midfielder Carlos Soler is expected to leave the Ligue 1 champions this summer and is attracting a hive of interest, with Aston Villa said to be holding advanced talks regarding the move.

Elsewhere, Villa have been boosted by the news that Lille midfielder Angel Gomes is open to a return to the Premier League under Emery this summer. The Spaniard has also reportedly "convinced Aston Villa Sporting Director Monchi" that Alex Baena would be a good addition to the Midlands outfit, and they will "make an approach" for him in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Now, another major summer transfer is seemingly been lined up by Villa as they look to continue their rise under the Spanish tactician.

Aston Villa ready to offer player-plus-cash for "extraordinary" player

According to reports in Spain, Aston Villa have set their sights on Chelsea's Conor Gallagher ahead of next season. The 24-year-old has been one of the Blues' most consistent performers in the Premier League this term, scoring five and assisting seven in 36 games.

Gallagher's rise has been labelled as "extraordinary" by former Blues boss Thomas Tuchel: "His development is extraordinary and outstanding. He is one of the key players at Crystal Palace (on loan) and he has made a huge step in his development up front.

"He was a pleasure to coach in pre-season – he has so much positive energy, so much energy in general and so much work-rate to give that he can of course be a big help and a big influence."

However, despite Mauricio Pochettino wanting to keep him, Gallagher's future at Stamford Bridge appears uncertain heading into the summer and Aston Villa are ready to seize the opportunity. According to the aforementioned report, NSWE are "willing" to make an "attractive" offer to secure his services, including the possibility of inserting young striker Jhon Duran into a deal for the Englishman.

In terms of the cash involved in a deal for Gallagher, no fee is mentioned in the report, but he is valued at around £43m by Transfermarkt.