Ryan Reynolds was not the only Vancouver royalty at Wrexham’s friendly date with the Whitecaps, as Alphonso Davies was also in attendance.
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Red Dragons in Canada on North American tourBayern defender among those in attendanceReynolds & McElhenney left celebrating big winWHAT HAPPENED?
The Bayern Munich superstar joined the MLS side’s youth ranks at the age of 14, having emigrated to Edmonton from Ghana alongside his family. A senior breakthrough was made in 2016, becoming the youngest player in Major League Soccer at the time.
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A record-breaking deal took Davies to Germany in 2019, with close to 200 appearances for Bayern taken in since then – claiming five Bundesliga titles and a Champions League crown along the way. The 23-year-old has never forgotten where it all began for him.
DID YOU KNOW?
Davies was presented with a special No.67 shirt ahead of the Whitecaps’ clash with Wrexham at BC Place. He was given a rousing reception by the home support, but saw the hosts slips to a 4-1 defeat – with Vancouver native Reynolds having the last laugh as the team that he co-owns alongside Rob McElhenney prevailed at the end of their North American tour.
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WHAT NEXT?
Davies has been enjoying a summer break on the back of Copa America duty with Canada. Bayern are preparing to head to Seoul for a meeting with Premier League side Tottenham, as questions are asked of Davies’ future – with Real Madrid seeing another transfer move mooted as the jet-heeled left-back enters the final year of his contract in Germany.
Teenager Shafali Verma, too, climbed in the rankings after finishing the West Indies series with most runs
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2019Jemimah Rodrigues has broken into the top five of the T20I batting rankings, moving up from seventh to fourth after compiling 96 runs during India’s five-nil mauling of West Indies. Her most significant contribution came in the final match, in which she struck a half-century.Following the result, India and West Indies swapped places, with India climbing to fourth after gaining eight points and West Indies dropping to fifth place, after losing ten points. To cap India’s dominance in the rankings, left-arm spinner Radha Yadav climbed from fifth to second after picking seven wickets in the series, just second behind offspinner Deepti Sharma, who took eight wickets to hold on to her fourth place. With legspinner Poonam Yadav ranked five, India are well represented.Fifteen-year old opener Shafali Verma, too, climbed in the rankings, leapfrogging from 87 to 30 after finishing the series as the highest run-getter with a tally of 157, which included two fifties.Meanwhile, Pakistan batter Javeria Khan broke into the top 20 in T20Is after amassing 111 runs in the 3-0 thrashing of Bangladesh at home. But Bangladesh themselves had something to cheer about as fast bowler Jahanara Alam, who took nine wickets in the series, climbed 22 spots to 15th.
The 2023/24 season has been another tough one for Chelsea fans.
Mauricio Pochettino's young team are sitting in 11th place in the Premier League and are unlikely to qualify for European football unless they can lift the FA Cup at the end of the campaign.
However, there have been some bright spots here and there. Notably, the performances of Cole Palmer, so fans should be excited that the latest player the club are targeting has been compared to the Englishman.
Chelsea's latest transfer news
According to a report from Steve Kay of Football Transfers, the Blues are ready to move on Conor Gallagher in the summer and have already identified the perfect player to replace him, Dani Olmo.
The report has revealed that the Pensioners have made the Spaniard one of their primary targets for the summer transfer window and have already initiated discussions with RB Leipzig about his departure.
Dani Olmo for RB Leipzig
Leipzig signed the La Masia graduate in the summer of 2020 for around €34m, or about £29m, and while no fee has been reported for the potential deal with Chelsea, the CIES Football Observatory has valued him at around €40m, which comes to around £34m.
That might not be a bargain, but based on his performances over the last few years, it would undoubtedly represent fair value and, with favourable comparisons to Palmer, should leave fans excited.
Dani Olmo playing for Spain
How Dani Olmo compares to Cole Palmer
So, where does this comparison come from, then? Well, it stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues and creates a list of ten other players who share the most similar characteristics and statistics.
In the case of Olmo, Palmer – who boasts 26 goals and assists for the Blues so far – is the fourth most similar player to him, with the likes of Xavi Simons, Michael Olise, and Isco also making it into the top ten, which can only be encouraging.
1
Stephan El Shaarawy
AS Roma
2
Xavi Simons
RB Leipzig (loan)
3
Vincenzo Grifo
Freiburg
4
Cole Palmer
Chelsea
5
Dominic Berardi
Sassuolo
6
Alexis Saelemaekers
Bologna
7
Andrea Colpani
Monza
8
Michael Olise
Crystal Palace
9
Isco
Real Betis
10
Marcus Tavernier
Bournemouth
In terms of specifics, while the Spaniard scores 0.29 non-penalty goals per 90, the Englishman scores 0.31, where the 25-year-old provides 0.38 assists per 90, the 21-year-old provides 0.41, and where the Chelsea ace produces 0.59 non-penalty expected goals per 90, the Leipzig star produces 0.50.
In short, the pair produces a lot of similar underlying numbers, but the "incredible" Terrassa-born dynamo, as described by Pep Guardiola, can also back it up on the pitch.
In 19 appearances this season, he has scored seven goals and provided four assists, meaning he's averaging a goal involvement every 1.72 games. Had he not been beset by a number of injuries, those figures may have been even more impressive.
Ultimately, while he might not be a player who is particularly familiar to Premier League fans, Olmo is a special player who would undoubtedly wow fans on a weekly basis at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea could end their Pochettino nightmare by hiring Guardiola 2.0
The Blues could replace the former Spurs man with a true icon of the game.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 26, 2024
So, if Chelsea can get this deal done, they absolutely should, especially if CIES' valuation is accurate.
Everton have often conducted poor business in the transfer market in recent seasons, with their spending partly to blame for the club's point deduction this season.
The Toffees spent a lot of money during the 2019/20 season, with the club spending upwards of £100m on players – with just one signing remaining at Goodison Park in 2024.
Everton's home stadium, Goodison Park.
Players such as Alex Iwobi, Moise Kean and Jean-Philippe Gbamin arrived at the club, for fees all over £20m, with the latter leaving the club on a free transfer last summer after making just eight appearances for the Toffees.
However, one big-money signing over the last few years impressed for the Toffees, before leaving the club to hunt for European football. His departure was one that many fans were unhappy with, but it did see the club make a profit on their investment.
Lucas Digne's stats at Everton
Left-back Lucas Digne joined Everton for £18m back in 2018, with the defender having great pedigree after his spell in Spain playing for European giants Barcelona.
He made an immediate impact during his first campaign for the club, making 37 appearances for the Toffees during his first campaign – with his set-piece ability catching the eye.
His second campaign in 2019/20 was just as successful, with the Frenchman making 39 appearances for the club in all competitions, with Digne grabbing nine goal contributions – a great return for a defender.
However, the appointment of former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez would be the start of his Everton downfall, with Digne falling out of favour under the Spaniard.
Although he started all nine games at the start of the 2021/22 campaign, he would quickly lose his place in the starting lineup, with the left-back sometimes not even being included in the matchday squad.
Digne wasn't involved in four consecutive games throughout December and January, with his lack of game time leading to his departure.
Although the departure wasn't a hit with the Everton fanbase, his move to Aston Villa in January 2022 was a profitable one for the club, with the Frenchman leaving for £25m – making the Toffees £7m on the defender during his three-and-a-half-year stint at Goodison.
Lucas Digne's market value in 2024
Just over two years on from his Everton departure, the "phenomenal" defender, as dubbed by his agent Mikkel Beck, has failed to impress at Villa Park under Unai Emery, with the former Arsenal boss preferring to use Alex Moreno over the £25m man.
Lucas-digne-aston-villa
His lack of form has seen his value drop to just £10m – as per Transfermarkt – with the 30-year-old now worth less than current Toffees left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko, who boasts a market value of £24m – less than two years on from his £17m move to the club.
Whilst there's no debate that Digne is better going forward, Mykolenko has excelled defensively, blowing the Frenchman out of the water and being a real part of Everton's stellar defence that has the best defensive record outside the Premier League's top four.
The Ukrainian has averaged 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League this season, with former Everton man Digne only managing to reach a tally of 1.8.
Tackles
1.8
2.7
Interceptions
1.1
1.6
Clearances
2.2
3.5
Blocks
0.6
1.4
Mykolenko also dominates with regard to interceptions and clearances, with his tallies of 1.6 and 3.5 respectively, far more than the attacking full-back who's struggled at times defensively this campaign.
The Frenchman has only averaged 1.1 interceptions and 2.2 clearances, with 23-year-old Mykolenko seemingly more suited to boss Sean Dyche's defensive system.
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?
Although at the time it was an unpopular decision to let Digne leave, it turned out to be a brilliant piece of business with the club replacing him with a younger and more defensively solid full-back who has outperformed the former Toffee this campaign.
“In the slips, the ball hits your hand so hard it almost felt like a heavy hockey ball.”
ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2019Fielding, rather than batting, could be the biggest challenge faced with the pink ball, according to Virat Kohli. The India captain spoke about adjusting to how quickly the ball travelled, and getting used to its feel on the eve of India’s first day-night Test, at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.ALSO READ: ‘Wanted to play in our own conditions first’ – Kohli on pink-ball change of heart”Catching the ball, we felt like how you feel like with the white ball in the afternoon,” Kohli said of India’s fielding session on Thursday. “You don’t know how far the ball is and then it hits your hand very quickly. In the slips, the ball hits your hand so hard it almost felt like a heavy hockey ball, or those synthetic balls we’ve played with when we were younger. It really felt like that on the hand, and it’s definitely because of the extra glaze of the ball.”It’s definitely much harder, and it felt a little heavier. Obviously, it can’t be a difference of weight, but for some reason it felt heavier. Even the throws took a lot more effort than the red ball to reach the keeper. And again, the dip perception was very difficult when the ball went up in the air. During the day, high catches will be very difficult. We had to watch the balls straight into our palms more often than not. With red ball and white ball, you catch with the idea of how fast the ball is coming down, but this time if you don’t look down at the ball in your palms, it’s gone. So, I think the fielding session for me was far more challenging than batting. People are going to be surprised by how challenging fielding with this ball can be.”ALSO READ – Fashionably late, India and Bangladesh join the pink paradeAs for batting, Kohli said earlier practice sessions had helped tune up the batsmen, and the ploy against the pink ball was merely to keep things tight.”I think in general, if you haven’t played with the pink ball before, it’s going to be challenging throughout the game,” Kohli said. “It’ll require more concentration, more solid technique. A more compact game compared to the red ball, purely because anyway in the longer format, the ball does a lot more than the white ball. Add not having great visibility or the ability to pick that colour, and it makes it even more difficult. As you can imagine, decision-making will have to be very precise. Your idea of off stump… I think that’s going to be the most crucial thing. Because even yesterday when we practiced, we felt that the ball could be closer to you but it’s not actually that close to the off stump. So I think that channel, one will have to be careful.”Batting is something we were focussing on. As a batsman, invariably you end up thinking a lot more about cutting down those errors when you’re playing with a different coloured ball. As batsmen, we were in the mindset of solidifying our games and our techniques. It’s going be a challenge, it’s going to be something which should excite everyone. Sometimes you need to change the template and be excited for new things and new challenges that you’re going to try out. I think we’ll have to be very precise and our skills will be tested.”Kohli also said that India were particularly excited about playing in front of a packed Eden Gardens and described their first pink-ball Test as a “landmark occasion”.”It’s a nice occasion. We were already excited about this Test, like I said, it’s a challenge for us,” he said. “I think before this, we had this much excitement and buzz in Eden when we played against Pakistan in the T20 World Cup. Even then there had been big names and there was a felicitation ceremony and there was a packed stadium. So, I think that type it’ll be that kind of atmosphere. It can be daunting or intimidating, but it’s also very exciting.”When a batsman goes out, he’ll have a lot of support. When a bowler is standing at his mark and 80,000 people are cheering for him with the new ball, which is not easy to play with, he will be boosted. The first session, the first hour, I think will be very exciting, because the energy will be high. And the people will enjoy it a lot. So, obviously this is a landmark occasion and like I said before, we’re lucky that we’re starting this new trend. It’s a matter of honour.”
Chelsea are reportedly closing in on the deal to sign Rennes' Guela Doue this summer before sending the 21-year-old on loan to Strasbourg.
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Chelsea set to sign Rennes' Guela DoueSet to miss out on younger brother, DesireGuela to be sent on loan to StrasbourgWHAT HAPPENED?
As per Gianluca di Marzio, Chelsea are set to sign Doue this summer for a reported fee of €7 million (£5.8m/$7.6m) with €2 million (£1.6m/$2.1m) in add-ons. However, the Blues will immediately send the defender back on loan to Ligue 1. However, he will not return to Rennes and will rather join Strasbourg, who share the same ownership group as Chelsea.
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Guela is the elder brother of Desire Doue, who has been a major target for multiple top clubs this summer including Chelsea. However, the Blues will likely miss out on the 19-year-old as Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich remain top contenders for the younger Doue.
Chelsea FCDID YOU KNOW?
Guela will be Chelsea's second straight defensive signing this summer to head out on loan to Strasbourg after they signed Caleb Wiley from Atlanta United for a reported fee of £8.5 million ($10.9m). The USMNT full-back is due to head to the Ligue 1 side after his involvement at the Paris Olympics.
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WHAT NEXT FOR GUELA DOUE?
The 21-year-old will soon head to France to join pre-season training for Strasbourg under new head coach Liam Rosenior, who was appointed earlier today following the departure of Patrick Vieira.
West Ham United, as an institution, is in a very good place, with the squad brimming with high-value, high-quality players, the club competing a European qualifying spot in the Premier League and preparing for a Europa League quarter-finals showdown against Bayer Leverkusen.
But manager David Moyes is only contracted until the end of the campaign and may be prepared to step down in several months, with the Scotsman the architect of it all but long facing detractors due to his pragmatic, conservative style of football.
David Moyes.
Perhaps Tim Stiedten will initiate discussions for a renewal, but such is uncertain at this stage, with several exciting names being drawn up should Moyes indeed leave the club.
West Ham eyeing David Moyes replacements
According to GIVEMESPORT, Graham Potter is admired by the Hammers hierarchy but is understood to be reserved about taking the role, having previously led Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion in the top flight.
Fulham manager Marco Silva.
While Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth believes that West Ham could search overseas for the right successor, Fulham boss Marco Silva is liked by the east London club and could be the perfect man to bring stability and a fresh slant.
Marco Silva could arrive with Joao Palhinha in tow
Silva, aged 46, was welcomed to the dugout at Craven Cottage in July 2021 and he stormed the Championship to hand the London side instant promotion back to the Premier League. Though this time, the yo-yo snapped its cord. This time, Fulham thrived.
Spearheaded by Aleksandar Mitrovic and braided together with cohesion and discipline and determination, Fulham secured a top-half Premier League finish last year and played so slickly as a unit, with Silva's managerial prowess shining.
Fulham have suffered a slight regression this term but they are still 17 points above 18th-placed Luton Town with seven fixtures left to play, with Silva's tactical blueprint on show once again, carving out bravery and solidity. A top-class holding midfielder is inherent to the system.
Enter Joao Palhinha, of course. Silva's Portuguese compatriot was signed from Sporting Lisbon in a £20m package in 2022 and has been an absolute "tackle monster" – according to The Telegraph's Sam Dean – having made the most tackles in the division last season with 148 – that's 48 more than second-placed Moises Caicedo.
Joao Palhinha
Fulham
115
Vinicius Souza
Sheffield United
107
Joao Gomes
Wolverhampton Wanderers
95
Tyrick Mitchell
Crystal Palace
87
Emerson Palmieri
West Ham United
82
He leads the charts again this term and it's no wonder that West Ham have been among the outfits eager to snap him up. Bayern Munich were the salient suitors, failing to wrap up a £69m deal last summer, but Palhinha has recently revealed that the Irons were also in the mix.
By replacing Moyes with Silva, the 28-year-old Palhinha could perhaps be convinced to finally make the move to east London, already tried and tested within his countryman's tactical set-up and enticed by the proposition of competing for an outfit with a regular presence on the continent.
Who knows? But Silva certainly seems to have cultivated the right mood at Fulham and there's every chance that he could be the perfect successor to ensure that West Ham continue to fight for success.
West Ham officials are keen on signing record-breaker in £15m+ transfer
The Hammers have turned their attention towards the summer.
The 22-year old wicketkeeper was struck on the head by the ball in the 44th over, a ricochet off the top edge which also resulted in his wicket
ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jan-2020Rishabh Pant has been ruled out of India’s second ODI against Australia, after sustaining a concussion during the first match in Mumbai. A decision on his availability for the third and final match has not been made yet, and will depend on how he responds to treatment during the rehabilitation period.The 22-year old wicketkeeper was struck on the head by a bouncer from Pat Cummins in the 44th over of India’s innings, a ricochet off the top edge which also resulted in his wicket. He didn’t take the field for the second half of the match, with KL Rahul given the gloves for India.With no replacement named by the BCCI, it looks likely that Rahul will continue to keep wicket as the series goes on. Pant, meanwhile, was kept under observation overnight and will now head to the NCA in Bengaluru, which is also the venue for the third ODI, after his scans came back clear.”After getting hit on his helmet while batting in the 1st ODI, Rishabh got a concussion and took no further part in the game,” the BCCI said ina statement. “He was then taken to the hospital for overnight monitoring under a specialist. He is stable and all his scan reports are clear. He has been discharged from the hospital and will head to NCA, Bengaluru to undergo his rehabilitation protocol. He is ruled out of the 2nd ODI. His availability for the final ODI will be based on how he responds during the rehabilitation protocol.”Pant had not needed any immediate treatment on the field after he was hit on Tuesday, and he was able to walk off on his own steam as well, but it soon became clear that he was indisposed. He did not join India’s training in the break between innings and Rahul who was seen practicing his glovework as the Australian openers walked out. Confirmation of the injury arrived when the BCCI put out a statement some time during the first two overs of the chase.Pant had played a good hand, scoring 28 off 33 balls as India tried to recover from a middle-order collapse. India had been 134 for 1 in the 28th over, but were dragged down to 164 for 5 as Australia’s fast bowlers adapted well to a slow pitch at the Wankhede Stadium.The bowlers eventually restricted India to 255, and the opening duo of David Warner and Aaron Finch both hit unbeaten centuries as Australia squashed India by ten wickets, with 12.2 overs to spare.
Erik ten Hag has delivered updates on Jonny Evans, Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire after seeing Manchester United suffer more defensive injury woe.
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Yoro & Hojlund already ruled outMore knocks in South CarolinaRed Devils returning to EnglandGettyWHAT HAPPENED?
The Red Devils’ tour of the United States is proving to be costly, with £52 million ($67m) summer signing Leny Yoro and Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund already picking up knocks that are keeping them out of action. Lindelof, Evans and Aaron Wan-Bissaka all started a friendly date with Liverpool in South Carolina, but none were able to finish that contest.
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Will Fish was another forced off with his leg in a brace following a hefty challenge with Liverpool’s Harvey Blair, and Ten Hag told afterwards when asked about his battered and bruised squad: “Always, we have to see what has gone on. The assessment, of course, with Will Fish is it’s an impact injury. We also had to sub Jonny Evans at half-time because he was ill. Victor Lindelof [was] a precaution. So, yeah, there are some injuries, but we have to see how bad it will be.”
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England international centre-half Maguire was not involved at all in a 3-0 defeat to Liverpool, with Ten Hag saying before a ball was kicked: “Pre-season is always tough. But, yeah, Harry Maguire, as a precaution, we leave him out. And we had, of course, some injuries, but that is part of club football. We have to develop our team and make some good progression.”
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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?
United are now heading back to England ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. They will be involved in the traditional Community Shield curtain-raiser against arch-rivals Manchester City on August 10 – with the FA Cup holders preparing to face the Premier League champions.
Batsman added 118 in 19.5 overs alongside James Bracey as Lions rack up mammoth first-innings total
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2020Dan Lawrence made 190 to put continue his stellar form and put England Lions into a commanding position on the second day of their tour match against a Cricket Australia XI in Hobart.Resuming on 103 not out overnight, Lawrence put his foot down on the second morning, adding 118 in just 19.5 overs for the sixth wicket alongside James Bracey, taking him to 190 before he was eventually dismissed by Jake Lehmann’s part-time spin. Lawrence has been the standout player across the tour, his innings in this game following scores of 50*, 35 and 41 as well as six wickets in the one-day leg of the tour.Bracey made 58 before becoming Brendan Doggett’s fourth victim, while Lewis Gregory put on 78 in 13.3 overs with Craig Overton before declaring at the fall of his wicket. The total of 613 for 8 declared was the second-highest in the history of England Lions and England A sides, behind only a score of 624 for 8 declared against South Africa A in 2015.Gregory struck almost immediately with the new ball, having Caleb Jewell caught behind with the third delivery of the reply, before Sam Whiteman and Jason Sangha provided some resistance. Richard Gleeson, the Lancashire fast bowler, made the breakthrough by bowling Whiteman, but Sangha continued to frustrate the Lions with an unbroken stand of 79 with Lehmann.”I’m really proud of the boys who’ve helped us rack up this formidable total to put us in a strong position to win this match,” said Gregory. “Dom [Sibley] and Keaton [Jennings] batted beautifully yesterday, with Dan carrying on his day-one form to propel us even further today with great support from James.”I enjoyed my partnership at the end with Craig to push past the 600 mark and we’ve started well in the tough task of taking 20 Australian wickets. The next two days will be a great test for us.”