Lancashire’s star-studded line-up gave Liam Livingstone the perfect start to his spell as Lightning’s Vitality Blast captain with a landslide eight-wicket win over Leicestershire at Emirates Old Trafford.A team with seven internationals blitzed the Foxes early on thanks to Luke Wood’s pace in the powerplay after the visitors had elected to bat, limiting them to a measly 99 all out inside 19 overs.Livingstone didn’t bat or bowl in this lunchtime fixture, with his England white-ball team-mate Wood setting the tone with two wickets in the third over. He got openers Sol Budinger and Nick Welch caught pulling as the score fell to 17 for 2.Left-armer Wood finished with 3 for 11 from four overs, while another England quick Saqib Mahmood finished with 3 for 17 from 3.5 before the chase was completed inside 12 overs thanks to Steven Croft’s unbeaten 46 off 34 balls.Lancashire have started their bid for what could be a record-breaking 10th Finals Day appearance – Hampshire have also previously qualified for nine – by winning two from two at the start of the North Group.Wood’s fiery new-ball spell seemed to scramble the minds of Leicestershire’s batters, with nine of the 10 wickets falling to catches in their first game of the competition. Wiaan Mulder’s 25 was the only score above 20.When the easier-paced seam of Colin de Grandhomme was introduced in the fourth over, Arron Lilley chipped to midwicket and later Colin Ackermann was bowled aiming a big heave at a slower ball from the former New Zealand allrounder – leaving Leicestershire 35 for 4 after seven.Wickets continued to fall, three in four overs, as Leicestershire slipped deeper into trouble at 74 for 7 in the 14th. Matthew Parkinson struck with his third ball in the 11th when Rishi Patel tried to break the shackles and miscued to Wood at long-on before Mahmood had Mulder caught at deep midwicket pulling in the next.Wood then returned to get Rehan Ahmed caught behind trying to uppercut a short ball in the 14th over, the England allrounder falling for 6.That brought about a battle of the Parkinson twins, Matthew and Callum, the latter attempting to retrieve what already looked a lost cause. Callum survived against his brother, picking up a couple of singles off him on the way to 9. But he then fell caught behind off a top edge against Lancashire’s other New Zealand allrounder Daryl Mitchell.As the Foxes fell to 94 for 8 in the 18th over, Parkinson became the fourth batter out attempting to pull.Mahmood then wrapped up the innings – Leicestershire’s fifth-lowest in Blast history – with two more wickets caught off miscues in the 19th over, Pakistan debutant fast bowler Naseem Shah and Will Davis falling.South African Mulder took the new ball for the Foxes and struck in the second over when Luke Wells followed a number of visiting batters by falling caught on the pull, leaving Lancashire at 8 for 1.Croft and Phil Salt then shared 60 inside six overs for the second wicket, both hitting sixes. Salt was then superbly caught at backward point by a diving Patel off Ahmed’s legspin for 28, but it was nothing more than a consolatory wicket at 68 for 2 in the seventh.Mitchell later hit a six off Davis over backward square-leg to seal victory and finish 25 not out.Such is the strength of the Red Rose county’s team, captain Livingstone’s contribution was limited to captaincy alone upon his return from IPL duty. And England limited-overs skipper Jos Buttler will be added to the mix in time for next Thursday’s Roses clash at Headingley.

Chelsea may have a lot of work to do in the upcoming summer transfer window to build a squad that is ready to compete for the biggest trophies on offer.

The Blues only have the Conference League left to play for in the current campaign, after being knocked out of the League Cup and the EFL Cup, but they are on course to seal a place in the Champions League with a top four or top five finish.

Enzo Maresca may look to streamline the squad and move on from some of the players who either have not contributed enough on the pitch, or who have been out on loan and not done enough to earn a place in the side for the 2025/26 campaign.

Moving some of the highest earners and biggest underperformers on from Stamford Bridge in the summer could create space at the club for new signings to come in and improve the Italian coach’s team.

Chelsea's highest wage earners

The top three earners in the squad, Reece James, Wesley Fofana, and Christopher Nkunku have only started 30 of a possible 87 matches in the Premier League this season.

James is reportedly the highest earner at the club on £250k-per-week, per Capology, followed by Fofana on £215k-per-week, and Nkunku on £195k-per-week, and there may have to be decisions to be made on how much value for money the club are getting out of them.

Reece James

£250k

Wesley Fofana

£215k

Christopher Nkunku

£195k

Enzo Fernandez

£180k

Marc Cucurella

£175k

Pedro Neto

£160k

Moises Caicedo

£150k

Cole Palmer

£130k

Tosin Adarabioyo

£100k

Nicolas Jackson

£100k

What you cannot see in that list of the top ten earners at the club, however, is that Chelsea are still reportedly paying £75k-per-week to Spanish goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who is on loan at Bournemouth.

Why Chelsea must finally sell Kepa Arrizabalaga

Maresca must, now, finally cash in on the Spain international in the summer transfer window because the club have sent millions down the drain on the shot-stopper to date.

Chelsea reportedly smashed their club-record transfer fee to make him the most expensive goalkeeper in history with a £71m deal with Athletic Bilbao in the summer of 2018, and he penned a contract worth roughly £150k-per-week.

Kepa reportedly earned £39.1m in wages across his first four seasons at Cobham, conceding 175 goals in 163 appearances for the club in that time, which takes the total spent on him to £110.1m prior to this season.

The Spaniard, whose wages were covered by Real Madrid on loan last term, will have earned £3.9m in wages from the Blues – thanks to a 50% split with Bournemouth – this season and that takes the overall spend on him to £114m.

Kepa’s performances on the pitch for Chelsea when he was a regular in the first team did not provide good value for that amount of money.

Not only was there that ridiculous incident where he refused to be substituted but he conceded 8.9 more goals than the average goalkeeper would have been expected to based on the post-shot xG of the efforts against him in the Premier League in 109 matches.

Gary Neville heaped criticism on the £71m goalkeeper back in 2020 over his constant concession of long-range goals – 19 at the time – as he described his shot-stopping performances as a “sorry story” for a player of that value.

This shows that the 30-year-old flop, who did not win a Premier League title with the Blues, underperformed on the biggest job a goalkeeper has – saving shots.

Kepa’s contract at Stamford Bridges expires in the summer of 2026 and Maresca must push the board to cash in on him this year, to avoid losing him for nothing and to, hopefully, recoup a small amount of the £114m that has been wasted on the dud so far.

Chelsea have signed a "one-man army" who could be their next Makelele

Chelsea have signed a young star who could be their next Claude Makelele.

ByDan Emery Mar 20, 2025

Liverpool swiftly put paid to the notion that a bleak demise was on the cards after Jurgen Klopp said farewell. From the standpoint of the Premier League, things could hardly be going any better.

Sure, sure, Liverpool are out of all three cup competitions, but Arne Slot has done exemplary work on Merseyside this season, gathering the resources available and enriching the squad. With nine top-flight fixtures still to play, the Reds are 12 points clear of second-place Arsenal, a chasmic gap.

However, it would be remiss not to address the issues at Anfield. And there are problems. Liverpool’s robust and relentless first-team crop have worked wonders this year, but wintry defeats against PSV Eindhoven and Plymouth Argyle (you remember them), seemingly convinced in Slot’s mind his fringe ranks need some work.

The midfield, in particular, has looked a little leggy of late – and is it surprising? Slot’s tried and trusted central trio play together most every week, but recent defeats against Paris Saint-Germain and Newcastle United spoke of a sapped bunch.

Dominik Szoboszlai has perhaps looked the most fresh, but then he’s got an indefatigable engine to marvel at.

Dominik Szoboszlai's season in numbers

Klopp drove Liverpool’s pursuit of Szoboszlai in 2023 as he sought to redress Liverpool’s midfield woes, bagging the athletic midfielder from RB Leipzig after meeting his £60m release clause.

A hefty fee, that, but one Liverpool will be delighted with paying. Szoboszlai didn’t enjoy the finest of debut campaigns but he showed more than enough ability. This year, he’s made tremendous progress in Slot’s system.

A purple patch since the turn of the calendar year has lifted the star’s seasonal haul to seven goals and six assists across 40 matches in all competitions, but that still leaves room for something desirable.

Indeed, for all his quality, Szoboszlai still lacks that Midas touch in the final third. Much has been made of the forwards’ profligacy, and rightly so, but Liverpool’s No. 8 could have assuaged the woes of his frontal peers with more clinical performances.

It’s not the most pressing concern that sporting director Richard Hughes must contend with this summer, but Liverpool are believed to be leading the race for a star would could add some competition in attacking midfield.

Who knows, he may even be an upgrade on the 24-year-old.

Liverpool ready offer for summer transfer

According to Spanish sources, Liverpool are preparing to launch an official offer for coveted playmaker Xavi Simons. Curiously, the Dutch international plies his art with RB Leipzig.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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The bid in question is said to be worth around €80m (£67m), which would make Simons, 21, one of the most expensive players in Liverpool’s history, more so than Szoboszlai.

Manchester United are also keen on adding the diminutive dynamo to their ranks, but the Reds have the lead in the race and must now act with conviction to strengthen the squad.

What Xavi Simons would bring to Liverpool

Aside from fortifying the Dutch tinge to the Liverpool set-up, Simons is a silky and stylish attacking midfielder whose performances over the past several years have led analyst Ben Mattinson to pronounce he will become “one of the best in the world.”

Already something of a footballing nomad, Simons joined Leipzig permanently from PSG in January, having first joined on loan ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The results, for sure, have been promising. 68 appearances have yielded a healthy haul of 31 goal involvements, with the Netherlands native’s ability to play across the attacking positions something Slot is no doubt excited by.

Xavi Simons’ Leipzig Career by Position

Season

Apps

Goals

Assists

Left winger

35

7

8

Right winger

17

5

5

Attacking midfield

16

6

6

Stats via Transfermarkt

Simons’ knack for maintaining a steady production rate despite being shuffled about the frontline makes a compelling case that he’s fit for a role in Slot’s squad.

After all, he’s got a whole host of creative qualities that suggest he could outstrip Szoboszlai in front of goal. As per FBref, Simons ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 9% for progressive passes and the top 17% for shot-creating actions per 90.

Not bad at all, something that would surely enhance Liverpool’s transitional play, driving the ball forward and crafting openings for the forwards to feast upon.

Now, the caveat to all this would be that Szoboszlai posted higher counts when playing for Leipzig, and the jump to Premier League football may well knock Simons’ tally down.

However, this data from which to consider, not a rulebook to be strictly adhered to.

Simons perhaps poses more of a natural goal threat than Liverpool’s Hungarian engine. He’s certainly more focused on his sparkling playmaking, his eye for goal more eagle-tuned.

Sofascore also record some intriguing data to corroborate the praise around his name. Simons has bagged seven goals in the Bundesliga this season while only skewing two big chances wide. This is a promising level of clinical output, especially given he’s averaging 2.3 key passes, 1.3 dribbles and 5.3 successful duels per match.

This is a player of many parts. Szoboszlai boasts similar qualities, but he’s less accurate with his shooting and less productive across most other metrics. The Hungary skipper has missed seven big chances in the Premier League, scoring five goals. He also averages 1.5 key passes, 0.7 dribbles and 3.1 duels per game.

Ultimately, both stars could make a marked impact in Slot’s squad over the coming years; there’s room for two.

Liverpool need that extra injection of depth across a range of areas this summer, and with Simons signed, it might just be enough to prevent another Spring drop-off for a Liverpool side chasing silverware across multiple fronts.

Related Liverpool are brewing a homegrown Salah in "remarkable" 16-year-old star

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Mar 21, 2025

Arsenal hold a behind-the-scenes belief that a potential replacement for Kai Havertz has decided to join the Gunners this summer, and Mikel Arteta would benefit hugely from his arrival, as they set their sights on a more successful Premier League title challenge next season.

Berta sets sights on new striker for Arsenal this summer

As per recent reports, the arrival of new sporting director, Andrea Berta, could make this summer transfer window a very exciting one.

Berta "will try" to sign £160k-per-week star amid new Arsenal transfer plan

The Italian is set to orchestrate an ambitious project.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 13, 2025

The 53-year-old agreed a deal to replace ex-transfer chief Edu Gaspar at the Emirates Stadium, following 12 successful years at Atlético Madrid, and it is believed that Berta wishes to reinforce Arteta’s squad across the board.

Chelsea (home)

March 16th

Fulham (home)

April 1st

Everton (away)

April 5th

Brentford (home)

April 12th

Ipswich Town (away)

April 20th

GiveMeSport claim Berta could spearhead a £300 million investment into the Arsenal squad, with the Gunners eyeing a new second-choice keeper, left-back, defensive midfielder, left-winger and, of course, a prolific striker.

Havertz’s season-ending injury higlights the glaring need for another option up top, and one who could even replace the German long-term so he can take up another position in the attacking midfield.

Newcastle United star Alexander Isak is believed to be a serious target for the north Londoners, but his rumoured £150 million price tag, not to mention the Magpies’ unwillingness to sell, makes this potential deal a very hard one to pull off. A more attainable option, according to various reports, could be RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko.

The Slovenia international is on course to smash his 2023/2024 goals tally, having scored 17 in all competitions already, and his contract will include an active release clause this summer.

Multiple reports are also suggesting that Sesko is personally keen on a move to Arsenal, and this has apparently been registered among the club’s hierarchy, who theorise that the 21-year-old has already decided on a move to N5.

Arsenal convinced Benjamin Sesko has chosen to join them

That is according to journalist Ben Jacobs, who shared an intriguing update on the forward when featuring on GiveMeSport’s Market Madness Podcast this week. Jacobs claims Arsenal are convinced that Sesko has picked them for a move ahead of the next transfer window, over both Man United and Chelsea.

“Arsenal have got two lead targets,” Jacobs said. “One, Benjamin Sesko, who Arsenal believe has picked their project over Chelsea or Manchester United and will be available with the release clause this summer in the region of 70 million euros (£59m).

“Although it’s performance-related, my understanding is, and it is variable, and therefore the better Sesko does, the higher the amount goes up, and it could eventually be something, even in the region of 80 million euros.

“But Arsenal feel PSR compliant, they’ve got money to spend, and finding that number nine is the top priority. Of course, Alexander Isak is the other name. Newcastle have got a big league cup final.

“We should start by saying Darren Eales, the Newcastle CEO, has said it would be crazy to sell Isak. That doesn’t mean Arsenal won’t try, but it’s going to be a difficult deal to pull off. And there’s no progress at this point.”

Sesko is easily one of Europe’s most exciting young number nines, even drawing comparisons with Man City superstar Erling Haaland, and while most prolific strikers come at an extortionate premium, his release clause may actually be great value for money.

Arsenal did actually have an offer to Sesko rejected last summer, with the player choosing to remain at Leipzig and further his development. However, it appears Arteta could finally land his man this year.

Cummins admits he was ‘not surprised’ as former captains criticise overtly attacking move

Matt Roller20-Jun-2023Ben Stokes defended his decision to declare England’s first innings at 393 for 8 after their two-wicket defeat to Australia in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.Joe Root was unbeaten on 118 and, along with Ollie Robinson, had just taken 20 runs off a single Nathan Lyon over when Stokes called his batters in on the first evening, leaving England 20 minutes to bowl against Australia’s openers.Robinson and Stuart Broad bowled two overs each, which Usman Khawaja and David Warner survived to finish the opening day on 14 for 0, with Khawaja going on to make 141 in the first innings.Stokes’ decision came under scrutiny in the media, with former England captains lining up to say they would not have declared in the same circumstances. And in the context of England’s narrow defeat late on the final evening, his declaration was questioned again.Speaking on the BBC’s Test Match Special, former England captain Michael Vaughan said he would “guarantee” that Stokes would not make the same declaration in the second Test if the circumstances arose.Related

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“Those 30 or 40 runs…” Vaughan said. “If you’d have asked Ben Stokes this morning, ‘Would you have liked Joe to have got another 30 on that day one, you’ve now got them in the bank?’ Of course [he would].”I will guarantee at Lord’s, if they bat first and they’re 393 for 8 with 20 minutes to go, I will guarantee that they’ll carry on batting… not with Joe Root 118 not out.”But at his press conference, Stokes said: “If we were in the same position? Yeah. I would like to be 398 for 6 [sic] with 20 minutes left. That would be great.”I could also turn it around and say, ‘if we didn’t declare, would we have got the excitement that we did at the end of day five?’ I’m not a hundred percent sure, but I’m not going to be looking back on this game as ‘what ifs’… the reality is, we just didn’t manage to get over the line.”Australia’s captain Pat Cummins, who hit the winning runs and took four second-innings wickets in leading Australia to victory, said he would “probably not” have declared in the same circumstances.”I wasn’t overly surprised,” Cummins said, “But the wicket felt pretty good, so I thought every run was pretty much needed in that first innings.”Stokes explained that he had sensed “an opportunity to pounce” on Khawaja and Warner, and that he would not alter his bold captaincy style simply because of the opposition and the nature of Ashes series.”I thought that was a time to pounce,” Stokes said at the presentation. “I am not going to change the way I have gone about my cricket because it is the Ashes.”Who knows? We could have got an extra 40 runs or lost two wickets in two balls. I am not a captain who gets by on what ifs.”We saw it as an opportunity to pounce on Australia and really start day two on top.”

It might be one of the most overused words in the modern football lexicon, but Tottenham Hotspur are undoubtedly going through a project under the management of Ange Postecoglou.

That might sound like a bit of nothing phrase, but, in reality, it just means that while things might look bleak at the moment – and they certainly do – fans and pundits might need to wait a few more years to see the club’s plan come to fruition.

This will likely mean that players such as Son Heung-min, Yves Bissouma and Richarlison will be moved on and replaced by exciting and hungry youngsters.

The absurd amount of injuries the club have had to deal with this season has already seen some of those up-and-comers be given more game time, and should Daniel Levy and Co be able to get a specific deal over the line in the summer, they’ll have another young star in their squad who’s already being compared to an incredibly valuable talent on the continent.

Spurs rising stars

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a few of Spurs’ other promising prospects, such as Archie Gray.

The former Lees United gem is still only 18 years old, and while respected football analyst Ben Mattinson described him as a “future £100m” central midfielder, he has been a vital part of the defence this term.

So far, injuries have seen the Durham-born gem make 19 appearances at centre-back, seven at right-back, and five at left-back.

Another new arrival who’s made a significant impact on the first team despite still being a teenager is Lucas Bergvall, who joined the club from Swedish side Djurgarden for a fee of around £8.5m – which is starting to look like a bargain.

In recent months, the Swedish midfielder has become an increasingly important player for the manager and has made 36 appearances.

Impressively, 18 of those appearances have been starts, and he has managed to rack up a decent tally of one goal and four assists to boot.

Finally, while he’s not had quite the same impact on the first team this season, Mikey Moore looks like he’s set to become one of the North Londoners’ most dangerous attackers in the near future.

Gray, Bergvall & Moore
Player	Gray	Bergvall	Moore
Appearances	36	36	16
Starts	28	18	7
Minutes	2619′	1746′	632′
Goals	0	1	1
Assists	0	4	2
Goal Involvements per Match	0	0.13	0.18
Minutes per Goal Involvement	0	349.2	210.66′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

He’s made 16 appearances so far, totalling just 632 minutes, in which he’s scored a goal, provided two assists and was even compared to Neymar Jr by James Maddison.

Overall, the future looks incredibly bright for Tottenham, and it could be brighter if Levy and Co complete a deal to sign another exciting youngster in the summer, a youngster compared to an £83m star.

Spurs' potential £83m superstar in the making

Now, while all the talents mentioned above are already officially Tottenham players and will be next season – lest they be sold for some reason – the player in question might not be, despite starting for the team last Thursday.

Mathys Tel joined the Lilywhites on a short-term loan last month, but, importantly, there is an option to buy in the deal at £45m, and while his next move is not entirely down to the North Londoners, reports from last month seemed to indicate that he’d be open to staying for the long term.

Now, there might be some fans who remain unconvinced by the 19-year-old attacker, and considering he’s not hit the ground running in England, scoring one goal in six games, that would be understandable.

However, during his still relatively limited game time for Bayern Munich last season, he showed just why respected talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as a “mind-blowing talent.”

In just 1406 minutes of first-team football, he scored ten goals and provided six assists, which comes out to an astounding average of a goal involvement every 87.87 minutes and also saw him win comparisons to Borussia Dortmund’s rising star, Jamie Gittens.

Tel’s incredible 23/24
Appearances	41
Starts	10
Minutes	1406′
Goals	10
Assists	6
Goal Involvements per Match	0.39
Minutes per Goal Involvement	87.87′
All Stats via Transfermarkt

The comparison primarily stemmed from FBref, which compared players in similar positions in the Bundesliga last season, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and concluded that the Englishman was the fifth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the Frenchman.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair ranked closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, shots, live passes, blocks, clearances, shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Tel & Gittens
Statistics per 90	Tel	Gittens
Non-Penalty Expected G+As	0.52	0.43
Progressive Passes	2.31	2.20
Shots	3.69	3.66
Expected Assists	0.26	0.25
Live Passes	33.2	30.3
Shot-Creating Actions	3.86	3.92
Blocks	0.94	0.93
Clearances	0.51	0.59
Carries	35.5	33.8
All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 Bundesliga Season

While the comparison to one of the most exciting talents in Germany is already encouraging enough regarding the Sarcelles-born star’s development, it’s also a good sign for his future value.

For example, it was only last month that the German publication Bild, as relayed by the BBC, reported that Dortmund value their incredible youngster at up to £83m in light of his growing reputation and the interest in him from other sides.

So, if the young Englishman is worth such an astounding amount of money and is so statistically similar to the Bayern loanee, who’s to say that he, too, won’t be worth as much down the line once he gets even more game time?

Therefore, while he has not hit the ground running at Tottenham, Levy and Co should be doing all they can to bring Tel to N17 this summer, as with the right coaching, he could be an extraordinarily valuable asset on and off the pitch in the future.

Not just Porro: Levy must ensure £35m flop isn't at Spurs next season

Ange Postecoglou needs to be brutal and part ways with multiple Tottenham Hotspur players this summer.

1

By
Ethan Lamb

Mar 12, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

Precisando tirar dois gols de diferença para avançar à semifinal da Libertadores, o Corinthians precisará muito dos seus volantes no duelo de volta das quartas de final da competição continental, contra o Flamengo.

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+ GALERIA – Relembre todas as remontadas do Corinthians neste século

Isso porque a tendência é que o trio Róger Guedes, Yuri Alberto e Willian seja titular nesta terça-feira (9), no estádio do Maracanã.

A ideia é utilizar o que tem de melhor do meio para frente, mesmo sabendo dos custos defensivos que o Timão teria pela frente.

Com Róger Guedes e Willian pelas pontas, a recomposição pelos lados do campo tende a ficar comprometida. E é aí que entra a importância dos volantes.

Com Fagner e Fábio Santos nas laterais, a velocidade por ali fica comprometida em aspectos defensivos, embora o time ganhe muito ofensivamente e em experiência para um jogo grande, como o que será.

+ TABELA – Timão ou Flamengo? Simule os jogos da Libertadores

Du Queiroz deve ser o escolhido para fazer o ‘trabalho sujo’.

Escolhido para ser o primeiro homem do meio-campo corintiano no jogo de ida, Cantillo deve perder a titularidade. Isso porque a inserção do camisa 24 é muito mais para qualificar a saída de bola do que apertar a marcação.

A tendência é que Fausto Vera auxilie Du nas coberturas, mas com a bola seja uma espécie de meia, se aproximando da área, junto com Renato Augusto.

Derrotado por 2 a 0 no jogo de ida, na Neo Química Arena, o Timão precisa vencer por três gols de diferença para garantir a classificação. Vitória por dois gols de vantagem leva a decisão para os pênaltis.

أزمة جديدة تشتعل داخل أروقة نادي شلاسك فروتسواف البولندي بطلها المهاجم المغربي أسد الحملاوي، بعدما غادر معسكر الفريق بشكل مفاجئ ودون إذن، في تصرف وصفته الإدارة بـ”التمرد غير المبرر”، مما دفع النادي للتحرك رسميًا والرد عبر تصريحات حادة.

وفي تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات، أوضح المديران الرياضيان للنادي، داريوش شتيلكا ورافال جرودزيتسكي، العرض المقدم لضم الحملاوي وهل هو من الأهلي؟.

اقرأ أيضًا | بين الراحلين والصفقات.. مفاجآت بالجُملة في الأهلي قبل الموسم الجديد

وقال مسؤولا شلاسك: “اللاعب سيواجه عقوبات واضحة، لأن غيابه دون إذن يُعد خرقًا مباشرًا للعقد، نعتبر هذا التصرف غير احترافي تمامًا، ويمس صورة اللاعب، كما أن الأندية الراغبة في التعاقد معه يجب أن تضع في اعتبارها هذا السلوك”.

وأضافا: “من يرغب في ضم أسد الحملاوي عليه أن يسدد قيمة الشرط الجزائي كاملة، والمحددة بعقده الممتد حتى يونيو 2027، إذا تم ذلك، فلن نمانع رحيله، لكن بخلاف ذلك، لن نقبل أي ضغوط، العرض المقدم للاعب من نادٍ أوروبي وليس من الأهلي، ولا نعلم مدى اهتمامهم بضم الحملاوي لأن ليس هناك عرض رسمي منهم”.

كما شددا على أن السلوك الأخير للاعب قد يضر بمستقبله، حيث قال جرودزيتسكي: “أعتقد أن ما حدث سيجعل عددًا من الأندية تتراجع عن التفاوض معه، لأن ما بدر منه ومن وكيله لا يُعبر عن احترافية، بل يثير القلق بشأن التزامه مستقبلاً”.

وكان اللاعب المغربي قد غادر معسكر الفريق المقام حاليًا في مدينة “تشيبنيتسا” البولندية، في وقت كان يشارك فيه بشكل طبيعي بالتدريبات والمباريات التحضيرية للموسم الجديد.

Manchester City ace Jack Grealish is reportedly being viewed as a potential replacement for Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.

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• Grealish linked with Leverkusen
• Seen as potential Wirtz replacement
• German could head to Liverpool

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Sun claims Grealish has accepted his City career is over, and now Leverkusen are set to enter the race for his services. The 29-year-old is said to be valued at around £40 million ($54.2m), with ex-Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag telling Leverkusen chiefs he could be the 'perfect replacement' for Liverpool-linked Wirtz.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Grealish has gone from being a £100m ($135.5m) signing to a fringe player at City who is nearly unrecognisable from the one they signed at Aston Villa in 2021. Despite that, Newcastle United, Everton, and more, are chasing his signature.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  England international Grealish, who has been left out of City's Club World Cup squad this summer, has scored 17 goals and added 23 assists in 157 appearances for the Manchester outfit in all competitions.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Former Villa star Grealish, who has also been linked with Serie A champions Napoli, the Villans, and Tottenham, does not appear to be short of options this summer but his next move remains uncertain.

England captain enjoying extended Lightning stint despite scratchy recent form

ECB Reporters Network05-Jun-2023

Jos Buttler has set his sights on winning another Blast title with Lancashire•Getty Images

From the bright lights of the IPL to the ‘Kiss Me Quick’ hats of Blackpool, Jos Buttler is set for quite the scenery change on Wednesday when he plays his first home match of the summer for Lancashire in the Vitality Blast against Worcestershire at Stanley Park.England men’s limited-overs captain Buttler is in the early stages of a 10-group game run in Lightning colours. His first was Thursday’s Roses defeat at Headingley, and he will feature in five home games between now and July 2 – the other four at Emirates Old Trafford.Buttler, fresh from two months at the IPL with Rajasthan Royals, has been with Lancashire for the past week and a half, training at Chester Boughton Hall before away matches at Yorkshire, Durham and Notts.”It’s been so nice to go and train at Chester after being in the IPL with all the razzmatazz and pressure, to almost go back to where you started your career,” he said. “Club cricket has been such a big part of my development, it makes you feel quite comfortable and for it to just be about the cricket.Related

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“Being able to take some of our games to outgrounds such as Blackpool, it’s great for the county. It will be a bit different [than the last couple of months at the IPL]. But if it was the same every time, you’d get bored of it maybe. I’m really looking forward it.”After Thursday’s Roses game, in which Buttler scored 1 opening the batting, Yorkshire captain Shan Masood said Lancashire’s team for the Blast “could be an international side”. Buttler is joined in the squad by Colin de Grandhomme, Liam Livingstone, Saqib Mahmood, Daryl Mitchell, Matthew Parkinson, Phil Salt and Luke Wood.It begs the question of how the Red Rose compare to an IPL team?”It’s a tough question,” Buttler said. “There are limitations in terms of county cricket compared to IPL. You get the four overseas players over there, for example. But I certainly think we have a very strong team for this competition.”There’s lots of international experience and some really talented guys who are on the cusp of pushing. We also have some experienced guys from around the franchise world. We have a nice blend of guys, and we should go well in the competition.”It is amazing to think that this coming September it will be 10 years since Buttler signed for Lancashire from home county Somerset in search of greater opportunities. At the time, Craig Kieswetter was preferred behind the stumps at Taunton.”That makes me feel a bit old,” smiled the 32-year-old. “It is a long time, but it feels like it’s gone very fast. You look back at 10 years and my evolution as a player, the constant desire to improve and get better.”There have obviously been different parts of that, trying to make the best of it in red-ball cricket and Test matches. Very much now, I’d say there’s a big focus on white-ball cricket and being captain of the [England] white-ball team.”It’s been a great journey and a development of my game over time. There’s still some very similar bits in there, but hopefully there’s plenty more to come. I came here with ambitions to really push on and kick-start an international career. It’s been a fantastic journey, and the club have been so supportive.”I’ve been in and out and not been around as much, but the support has been fantastic. I’ve had a brilliant time at the club, and I’m really looking forward to playing a nice block of games and be part of a really strong side. Hopefully we can have a good competition.”Given the strength of Lancashire’s team across the two decades of Blast cricket, it is a huge surprise that the county have only won the title once – in 2015, when Buttler was in the team. The likes of Andrew Flintoff have played, Muttiah Muralitharan, the late Andrew Symonds, Stuart Law – the list goes on.Buttler is one of those who can’t really believe that statistic: “No, not really – for the strength of the squads and teams we’ve had and the stature of the club,” he added. “Teams such as Lancashire should be competing and winning. Overall, we’ve won the most T20 games [in England]. But it’s about winning the finals.”We’ve got a good team again this year, and – as I say – I expect us to push hard for that trophy.”