Former Barcelona midfielder Sergi Roberto has heaped praise upon Lamine Yamal, saying there is no limit to the teenage star's potential.
Roberto praises Yamal after Como clashEx-Barca star says he will achieve 'great things'18-year-old gunning for the Ballon d'OrFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Roberto, 33, came up against the Ballon d'Or candidate on Sunday when his Como side lost 5-0 to the Catalan giants in the Joan Gamper Trophy, with Yamal scoring two goals against Cesc Fabregas' side. The midfielder was left stunned by Yamal's talent and his "incredible potential".
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Ever since breaking into the senior team as a 16-year-old, Yamal has been regarded as one of the best talents in the world. At 17, he won the European Championship for Spain, and last term achieved the domestic treble at Barca. His talent and progression have garnered the praise of many, and Roberto is convinced he is fully worth the hype.
WHAT ROBERTO SAID
He told reporters: "Lamine's ceiling is whatever he sets for himself. He's doing very well and has incredible potential for his age. I encourage him to continue with the same dynamic, and I'm sure he'll do great things at this club."
Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR YAMAL AND BARCA?
Yamal's next game for Barcelona is on August 16, when they take on Mallorca in their La Liga opener.
Andrea Stramaccioni, former Inter manager, has been praised for saving two teenage girls from drowning, but he humbly rejects the 'hero' label.
Ex-Inter boss Stramaccioni rescued two girls
Acted instinctively after spotting the danger
Labels the act as an "instinct to help"
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WHAT HAPPENED?
While on holiday with his family on a beach in Puglia, former Inter manager Stramaccioni was involved in a dramatic rescue. He noticed two young girls, aged 17 and 19, in distress in the water, who were struggling against strong waves. Reacting to the lifeguard's urgent whistles, Stramaccioni sprinted and plunged into the sea to assist, understanding that the lifeguard would be unable to save both girls alone. His quick and decisive actions ultimately led to the safe rescue of the two teenagers.
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The girls were out in deep water and one was in a state of shock, causing Stramaccioni to feel genuine fear for both their lives and his own at one point. The former manager, however, believes his actions were not extraordinary, but rather a natural response. "I'm not a hero or a freak; in fact, at one point I had a tough time of it myself," he recounted, downplaying his immense courage.
WHAT STRAMACCIONI SAID
Recounting the scene's the ex-Udinese manager said: "I was under the umbrella with my wife and children. At a certain point, in the distance, people started crowding along the shore. One of the lifeguards was in the water, whistling to attract attention. There were two girls waving their arms and screaming, so I got up and quickly headed for the water. I immediately sensed the danger. The lifeguard would never have made it alone. The lifeguard entered the water without anything, neither life jackets nor ropes, like me. He told me to head towards the first girl, the older one, while he would focus on the other. As soon as I saw her, she told me she was scared. The water was deep, the waves were strong, I reiterated to her to stay calm, to stay on her back, and that in five minutes it would all be over. In the end, that's what happened."
Stramaccioni continued: "As soon as we reached a comfort zone near the shore, I turned around to check on the lifeguard and the other girl. She was in shock. The lifeguard couldn't help her, so I immediately turned back. The younger girl's situation was desperate: she kept disappearing, going down, and then coming back up, and above all, she had already drunk a lot. Meanwhile, the rescue boat had picked up the lifeguard and was trying to reach us, but we were too close to the rocks. They started throwing ropes at us from the rocks, but we couldn't reach them. I started to get scared, especially because the girl was dragging me into the water. She was convinced she was going to die. I'm not a hero or a freak; in fact, at one point I had a tough time of it myself, but as someone with the physical and mental characteristics needed for a similar situation, I felt compelled to intervene. My son asked me, 'Dad, what if I died?' I did it out of a sense of 'protection,' as if my wife or one of them had been in the water."
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WHAT NEXT FOR STRAMACCIONI?
Stramaccioni's brave actions earned him recognition from the Coast Guard, who presented him with a symbolic shirt. The Italian's selfless act shines more light on his personality and the human compassion within him, adding a new dimension to his public image while he reportedly awaits his next management role.
Temba Bavuma has been ruled out of the second Test against Bangladesh, which starts next Tuesday, as he has not sufficiently recovered from an elbow injury. Aiden Markram will lead the side in his absence, with a view to Bavuma being available for the home Tests against Sri Lanka next month.”We just feel medically he’s not going to be ready for the second Test,” South Africa’s Test coach Shukri Conrad said from Dhaka. “We will tone down the [rehabilitation] programme so that he can be ready for the Sri Lankan series.”It has not yet been decided if Bavuma will stay with the squad in Bangladesh or return home to continue his recovery and play domestic red-ball cricket. The first-class competition begins next week, and Bavuma’s team, Lions, will play three matches before the first Test against Sri Lanka begins.”I’d like him to stay [in Bangladesh], and I’ve communicated that with him,” Conrad said. “But I also know that he’s got a young family. But yes, I’d like him to stay. He still plays a valuable role. It’s still his team. We’ll see how it unfolds.”Bavuma sustained the injury earlier this month in an ODI against Ireland when he fell awkwardly as he made his ground to complete a run. He retired hurt on 35 in that game, and was unable to field. The injury is on the same elbow which Bavuma had hurt in 2022 on a T20I tour of India. It ruled him out of South Africa’s tour of England later that year.In Bavuma’s absence, Matthew Breetzke, who debuted in the first Test against Bangladesh, in Mirpur, could be retained at No. 6 unless South Africa opt for an extra allrounder or a bowler in their XI. Left-hander Senuran Muthusamy is a possible replacement, as he also bowls left-arm spin.South Africa won the Mirpur Test after dismissing Bangladesh for 106 in the first innings with a four-bowler attack comprising two seamers and two spinners. Conrad paid special tribute to the player he called “our superstar Rolls Royce fast bowler,” Kagiso Rabada, who took nine wickets in the match including his 300th and his first five-for in the subcontinent. “We are an inexperienced side but we still need our leaders,” Conrad said. “KB led from the front there with the ball. He carried this attack, as he has done for quite a while now. And then backed up by some really valuable contributions by others with the ball, and then guys with the bat as well.”Kagiso Rabada picked up his 300th Test wicket and took 9 for 72 in the Mirpur Test•AFP/Getty Images
Kyle Verreynne, playing his first Test in the subcontinent, scored his second century in the format and Tristan Stubbs, newly promoted to No.3, oversaw the end of the chase . “The most pleasing thing for me was just the calmness that we showed throughout. There was nothing frantic about it, even when things were going against us. I was really pleased with the manner in which we went about our business. We were very calm and clear in terms of what our game plans were as a team and as individuals. That, for me, was really the stand out.”South Africa’s win in Mirpur has kept them in the hunt for a place in the World Test Championship final. They have five Tests remaining in this cycle, starting with the Chattogram Test before two each against Sri Lanka and Pakistan at home. On paper and historical form, South Africa will go into all of those matches as favourites but Conrad is being careful not to get too carried away.”We know that there’s some hard graft that’s going to have to be done along the way. That first Test match was the first one that we needed to put in the hard graft. We’re certainly not going to be looking to sit on our lead and we’re certainly not going to bask in the glory of that victory too much. Tomorrow, we go to Chattogram and we know that’s going to be really tough, and we’re going to have to play particularly good cricket. If we get a great result there, then great, and then we move on to Sri Lanka.”The World Test Championship is our World Cup but we are not going to be building any sandcastles, we’re certainly not going to have any pie in the sky but you’ve got to allow yourself to dream as well. And then give yourself the chance of realising that dream. But it’s going to take a lot of graft, and we’re a long way away from that still.”South Africa are currently fourth on the WTC points table and must win at least four of their remaining five Tests to have a chance of making the final.
South Africa Test squad
Aiden Markram (capt), David Bedingham, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Tony de Zorzi, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Senuran Muthusamy, Lungi Ngidi, Dane Paterson, Dane Piedt, Kagiso Rabada, Tristan Stubbs, Ryan Rickelton and Kyle Verreynne
كشفت صحيفة موندو ديبورتيفو اليوم الأربعاء، عن وجود غضب كبير من قبل إدارة نادي برشلونة على ريال مدريد، وذلك بسبب الأحداث التي تلت الكلاسيكو وما قبلها وفي المباراة نفسها أيضًا.
برشلونة تعرض إلى خسارة الكلاسيكو أمام ريال مدريد بهدفين مقابل هدف واحد يوم الأحد الماضي، ضمن قمة الجولة العاشرة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني للدرجة الأولى على ملعب سانتياجو برنابيو.
لكن الكلاسيكو شهد مناوشات كثيرة قبل المباراة، حيث استفز لامين يامال، جناح برشلونة، جمهور ريال مدريد واتهم الفريق الملكي بكثرة الشكوى والسرقة، في حين سخر حارس مرمى ريال مدريد، تيبو كورتوا، من قضية نيجريرا التي لا يزال البرسا يحاول الخروج منها بسلام.
اقرأ أيضًا .. رسميًا.. الاتحاد الإسباني يصدر قراره النهائي بشأن معاقبة لاعب ريال مدريد
ووصلت قمة الصراع في الكلاسيكو إلى ما بعد نهاية مباراة الأحد، حيث دخل لامين يامال في شجار مع تيبو كورتوا، حارس مرمى ريال مدريد وفينيسيوس جونيور، وداني كارفاخال.
وأفادت الصحيفة، أن برشلونة يرى أن هناك مبالغة كبيرة في رد فعل ريال مدريد على تصريحات لامين يامال، وأن هناك انتقاداً عنيفاً للغاية يوجه للاعب الشاب.
وأوضحت الصحيفة، أن غضب برشلونة ناتج أنه في المقابل لم يكن هناك أي ردة فعل بعد تصريحات كورتوا الأسبوع الماضي بسبب قضية نيجريرا.
كما أردفت “سبورت”، أن برشلونة غاضب حقًا من جود بيلينجهام، نجم ريال مدريد، حيث قام الدولي الإنجليزي بالصراخ في الكلاسيكو لحكم اللقاء، سيزار سوتو جرادو ، ليقول له: ”ولا حتى مع نيجريرا”.
وجاء اعتراض بيلينجهام على الحكم بحسب موفيستار ، بعد خطأ ارتكبه الدولي الإنجليزي على بيدري.
Celtic are a club that have been come used to cashing in on their top players once they have developed and impressed at Parkhead in the Scottish Premiership.
You only have to look as recently as last summer to see when Matt O’Riley left to sign for Brighton & Hove Albion after winning the club’s Player of the Year award in the 2023/24 campaign.
As you can see in the graphic above, the Premiership champions have a rich history of selling players for big money, including three players who have left for £25m.
The Hoops also cashed in on Japan international Kyogo Furuhashi in the January transfer window, selling him to Rennes for a reported fee of £10m, which placed him on par with Liel Abada’s exit.
Brendan Rodgers, now, is set to have to deal with more exits in the current transfer window, as Nicolas Kuhn is reportedly closing in on an exit from Parkhead.
Journalist Anthony Joseph reports that Como have agreed a deal worth an initial fee of £16.5m to sign the German attacker, who has already agreed a long-term contract with the Italian side.
Why selling Nicolas Kuhn is a good deal for Celtic
Firstly, selling Kuhn will come as an initial blow to Rodgers and Celtic because of the attacking quality that he provided at the top end of the pitch last season.
The 25-year-old winger ended the campaign with a return of 21 goals and 15 assists in 51 matches in all competitions, which shows that the Hoops are set to lose a player who can deliver goals and assists on a regular basis.
However, it is also a deal that also makes a lot of sense for Celtic, given the money involved, and his form in the second half of the 2024/25 campaign.
The Scottish giants reportedly paid a fee of £3m to sign the winger from Rapid Vienna, which means that the club are making at least £13.5m in profit just 18 months on from when they snapped him up.
Appearances
15
17
Goals
7
6
Big chances created
7
4
Assists
6
3
As you can see in the table above, Kuhn’s form in the Premiership also dropped off in the second half of the season, with fewer goals, fewer ‘big chances’ created, and fewer assists despite playing two more games.
These statistics suggest that Celtic could be cashing in on him at the right time, because there is the risk that his form will continue to drop after that lightning start to last season.
Meanwhile, there is reported interest in another Hoops superstar whose exit would come as an even bigger blow to Rodgers and the club this summer.
Celtic set price tag for star forward
According to Football Insider, there are a number of teams interested in signing versatile Celtic forward Daizen Maeda before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that Tottenham Hotspur, West Ham United, Fenerbahce, and Brentford are all keen on a deal to sign the Japan international to bolster their respective attacks.
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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
It adds that Celtic are in ‘no mood’ to lose their star attacker this summer, though, on top of already being about to sell Kuhn, and that they have placed a huge price tag on his head.
Football Insider reports that the Scottish giants are not willing to part ways with the 27-year-old winger, who can also play as a centre-forward, for anything less than a fee of £25m, which would be a joint-record sale for the club.
Daizen Maeda
It now remains to be seen whether or not any of the three Premier League teams or Fenerbahce eyeing up are willing to spend that much money on the Japanese dynamo this summer.
Why Daizen Maeda would be a bigger loss than Nicolas Kuhn
If one of those interested clubs swoop to sign Maeda from the Premiership champions for a fee of £25m in the coming weeks or months, it would be a bigger blow than Kuhn’s impending exit is set to be.
The Japan international ended the season with a haul of 33 goals in 51 games for Celtic in all competitions, which means that he scored 12 more goals than the German winger in the same number of appearances.
Maeda, dubbed a “special player” by Alistair Johnston, also has more positional value to Rodgers because he has shown that he can be deployed on either flank or through the middle as a centre-forward, whilst Kuhn made 52 of his 55 starts for the club as a right winger.
This means that Celtic would lose depth in several positions if they cashed in on the Japanese marksman this summer, but they are only set to lose an option on the right wing with Kuhn’s move to Como.
Appearances
34
32
Goals
16
13
Goals per game
0.5
0.4
Big chances created
10
11
Assists
10
9
Assists per game
0.3
0.3
Cross accuracy
17%
5%
As you can see in the table above, Maeda also outperformed the £16.5m-rated winger in the Premiership with more goals and more assists for the Hoops.
This suggests that the £25m-rated forward’s exit would leave an even bigger hole for Rodgers to fill at the top end of the pitch, from a quality perspective as well as the positions that he can play.
Overall, Maeda offers more to the team, with his quality and versatility, and that is why his transfer would be an even bigger blow than Kuhn’s transfer to Como, which is also reflected in the respective reported fees.
Celtic wanting £25m for Maeda, whilst they have accepted £16.5m for Kuhn, speaks to how important they view them within the squad, and that is backed up by their respective statistics.
It'd be Ryan Christie 2.0: Euro club open talks to sign £2m Celtic ace
A European team are interested in a deal to sign a star from Celtic this summer.
ByDan Emery Jul 3, 2025
Hopefully, Celtic will be able to fend off interest from the likes of Spurs and Fenerbache in order to keep hold of their star attacker before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.
The squad includes seven uncapped players, including Sediqullah Atal and Ismat Alam
ESPNcricinfo staff16-Dec-2024
Rashid Khan last played a Test match in March 2021•BCCI
Afghanistan’s ace spinner Rashid Khan is set to play his first Test match in more than three years after having been named in their squad for the upcoming two-Test series in Zimbabwe.Rashid had earlier taken a break from the longest format on medical advice because of a groin injury. Rashid’s last Test, which also came against Zimbabwe, was back in March 2021 in Abu Dhabi.The squad includes seven uncapped players, including allrounder Ismat Alam, left-arm spinner Zahir Shehzad and left-arm quick Bashir Ahmad Afghan. The trio has been rewarded for its strong domestic performances and will join Azmatullah Omarzai, Fareed Ahmad, Riaz Hassan and Sediqullah Atal who are also yet to represent Afghanistan in Test cricket. Omarzai, Fareed and Riaz were all part of the squad, though, for the one-off Test against New Zealand, which was washed out without a ball being bowled in September earlier this year.Related
Ben Curran among seven uncapped Test players in Zimbabwe squad vs Afghanistan
Omarzai, Rashid lead Afghanistan to T20I series win
“Rashid Khan returns to the Test squad, which is a promising sign for our red-ball game going forward,” Ahmad Shah Sulimankhil, ACB’s interim chief selector, said in a statement. “The rest of the team underwent good preparations recently in Nangarhar province, which featured 19 players and all the support staff to work with the players and ensure full preparation for the series.”We have thoroughly monitored the proceedings and have picked the squad which includes several new faces, including Ismat Alam, Bashir Ahmad, and Zahir Shehzad, who have performed well during the recent Ahmad Shah Abdali first-class tournament.”Meanwhile, Nasir Jamal, Zia Ur Rehman, and Mohammad Ibrahim will be part of the group as reserve players.Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott, who was in charge of the ODI leg of the team’s multi-format tour of Zimbabwe, has made himself unavailable for other formats of this tour for personal reasons. Hamid Hassan will stand in as head coach and Nawroz Mangal as the assistant coach in Trott’s absence. Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to lead the team, with Rahmat Shah being his deputy.Bulawayo will host both the Test matches, with the series running from December 26 to January 6.Afghanistan Test squadHashmatullah Shahidi (capt), Rahmat Shah (vice-capt), Ikram Alikhail (wk), Afsar Zazai (wk), Riaz Hassan, Sediqullah Atal, Abdul Malik, Bahir Shah, Ismat Alam, Azmatullah Omarzai, Zahir Khan, Zia Ur Rehman, Zahir Shehzad, Rashid Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai, Bashir Ahmad, Naveed Zadran, Fareed Ahmad
Samson’s exclusion comes after KCA decided to include players from the camp
Shashank Kishore18-Dec-2024Sanju Samson has been left out of Kerala’s squad for the Vijay Hazare Trophy beginning December 21. The move comes on the back of an internal decision to include only those players who participated in a preparatory camp in the lead-up to the tournament.Samson had led Kerala in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) 2024-25, where they narrowly missed out on qualifying for the knockouts, winning four out of their six matches. Samson, who had originally been named in the 30-member probable list, now finds himself out of the 19-member long list.ESPNcricinfo understands Samson had written to the association stating his unavailability for the camp, but the KCA has decided to stick to its original decision. With senior batter Sachin Baby also unavailable due to injury he picked up during SMAT, batter Salman Nizar has been named captain for the 50-over competition.Related
Vijay Hazare Trophy: Agarawal, Tilak, Nair go big as tournament crosses halfway mark
Shami named in Bengal's Vijay Hazare Trophy squad
Prithvi Shaw dropped from Mumbai squad for Vijay Hazare Trophy
Samson, fresh off two T20I centuries on the tour of South Africa, played in five of Kerala’s six games at SMAT, scoring 135 runs including one half-century.Kerala squad: Salman Nizar (capt), Rohan Kunnummal, Shoun Roger, Mohammed Azharuddeen (wk), Anand Krishnan, Krishna Prasad, Jalaj Saxena, Aditya Sarwate, Sijomon Joseph, Basil Thampi, Basil NP, Nidheesh MD, Eden Apple Tom, Sharafuddeen, Akhil Scaria, Vishweshwar Suresh, Vaishak Chandran, Ajnas M (wk)
Karnataka ‘move on’ from Manish Pandey
Meanwhile, there’s churn elsewhere with Karnataka seemingly having “moved on” – as per KSCA selection committee chair J Abhiram – from a number of senior players in a bid to reset. Among those not considered is senior batter Manish Pandey.The KSCA believes Pandey’s exit at this point is purely on form and the possibility of a comeback seems “tough.” Pandey managed just 117 runs in five innings as Karnataka failed to make the SMAT knockouts; they finished fourth in the eight-team pool, losing out to Baroda and Saurashtra.The last of Karnataka’s white-ball trophies – Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy in 2018-19 and 2019-20 – came under Manish Pandey’s captaincy•MPCA
The association has also gone to the extent of saying Pandey, who was vice-captain to Mayank Agarwal for the first half of Ranji Trophy 2024-25, won’t be considered for the back end of the competition that will resume in January. Pandey managed a solitary half-century in six innings, with Karnataka needing a miracle to qualify for the knockouts.”We as an association have realised that we need to move on from the players of old and bring in new blood,” Abhiram said. “We cannot live in past glory.”If Pandey has indeed played his last game, it marks the end of a glorious career in which he was part of two Ranji Trophy-winning squads [2013-14 and 2014-15], apart from winning a number of white-ball championships. Interestingly, Karnataka won their most-recent silverware under his leadership – the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy back-to-back in 2018-19 and 2019-20.Pandey has 7973 runs in 118 first-class matches at an average of 50.78, with 25 centuries. Overall, he also has over 13,000 runs across the white-ball formats. He played the most-recent of his 68 white-ball games for India in 2021. Last month, he was re-signed by reigning IPL champions Kolkata Knight Riders ahead of the 2025 season.Pandey’s ouster from Karnataka comes hot on the heels of a number of high-profile exits. K Gowtham, the allrounder, hasn’t been considered across formats since the end of the 2022-23 season despite compelling performances in club cricket as well as the state-run Maharaja T20 Trophy.R Samarth, the opener, has moved to Uttarakhand to play across formats, something he wasn’t able to at Karnataka with the selectors considering him as a red-ball specialist. Shreyas Gopal, the legspinner, left for Kerala for a season but has since returned to the Karnataka fold.It appears now that senior players, including captain Agarwal, will be under close scrutiny from the selection committee should they continue to flounder. “When we won the double-treble, it was a young Karnataka team,” Abhiram said. “We’re banking on youth once again to get us there.”Karnataka squad: Mayank Agarwal (capt), Shreyas Gopal (vice-capt), S Nikin Jose, KV Aneesh, R Smaran, KL Shrijith, Abhinav Manohar, Hardik Raj, Vyshak Vijaykumar, Vasuki Koushik, Vidyadhar Patil, Kishan Bedare, Abhilash Shetty, Manoj Bhandage, Pravin Dubey, Luvnith Sisodia
This summer appears to be massive for Tottenham Hotspur if they are to leap back up the Premier League table throughout the 2025/26 campaign.
Thomas Frank will be the latest manager tasked with taking the Lilywhites back towards the top end after the side registered a 17th-place finish this time around.
However, the Dane will have to find the balance between the league and Europe, with the club entering the Champions League as a result of their Europa League triumph.
Squad depth will be vital if they are to be competitive across both competitions, needing to strike a balance between the two to avoid any further embarrassment.
If the 51-year-old is to have the depth he desires, he will need the board to back him in the transfer market to allow him to land the stars he wants to be a success in his stint in North London.
The latest on Spurs’ hunt for new additions this summer
Antoine Semenyo has emerged as a key target for Spurs this window, with the Ghanaian high on their list of priorities after netting 11 goals and registering five assists at the Vitality this season.
He’s not the only one on their radar, with Fulham striker Rodrigo Muniz another talent on their radar, but it could cost a pretty penny with the Cottagers demanding £50m to part ways with the Brazilian.
However, despite the interest in the aforementioned duo, Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze has once again emerged on their shortlist, according to TBR Football’s latest update.
They claim that the Lilywhites are prepared to trigger his £68m release clause in his contract, with Frank’s men confident of completing a deal for the England international.
It also states that the 26-year-old is very keen on a move to join the North London outfit this window, even preparing to push for a move to depart his current employers during the off-season.
Why Eze would be Frank’s answer to Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo is a player who’s made a name for himself under Frank at Brentford over recent years, being a key reason for the success endured across the capital.
Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo celebrates after the match
The Cameroonian international has endured his own rise after joining from French side Troyes back in 2019, registering 70 goals for the Bees in the last six seasons.
He’s exploded into life in 2024/25, notching 20 league goals – the best return of his professional career – cementing himself as one of the Premier League’s most threatening talents.
After the Dane’s switch to join Spurs, he’s already attempted to bring the attacker to the club with him, but faces stiff competition from Manchester United for his signature.
It’s unclear whether the Lilywhites will be able to land the 25-year-old in this window, with attention potentially being turned in the direction of Eze as a result.
The attacking midfielder has caught the eye this campaign, registering 16 combined goals and assists in the league, even scoring the winner in their FA Cup triumph.
He could become Frank’s next version of Mbeumo should he complete a move, being his new talisman that can create endless opportunities – as seen with his respective tallies.
Eze, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by journalist Adam Keys and as a “superstar” by data analyst Ben Mattinson, has registered 3.5 shots per 90, with 37% of his efforts going on target, showcasing his clinical edge in attacking areas.
His creative nature is also reflected in his tally of 2.1 key passes per 90, whilst also registering 3.4 progressive carries per 90, having the skillset to take the ball into attacking areas and carry the threat that Frank desires.
Games played
34
Goals & assists
16
Shots taken
3.5
Shot on target accuracy
37%
Key passes
2.1
Progressive carries
3.4
Take-on success
49%
The midfielder has also completed 49% of the take-ons he’s attempted, with 4.7 shot-creating actions per 90, having the tools to create and score on his own – replicating that of Mbeumo at Brentford.
Whilst £68m appears to be a hefty figure, it would be a deal that could hand Frank a completely new dimension within the final third during his first season at the helm.
Eberechi Eze for Crystal Palace.
Should he replicate the levels produced by the Cameroonian across the capital, it would be a superb piece of business, handing the side the best chance of returning to a European battle next season.
A better signing than Semenyo: Spurs set to make approach for £50m striker
Tottenham Hotspur could be about to make a move for a star who would improve Thomas Frank’s options in the final third.
He’s bounced out Rohit Sharma, he’s yorked Hardik Pandya, and his numbers suggest he’s an utterly transformed bowler
Alagappan Muthu02-Oct-20212:54
Manjrekar: Avesh Khan is confident, and he has the range as a bowler
It’s a lot of fun being Avesh Khan. Now.He is barely into his first over and he has Rohit Sharma hopping about. He’s making one of India’s very best look out of place, but there’s nothing out-of-the-box about how he’s doing it. Avesh has always been a hit-the-deck fast bowler. It’s just that now he’s learned to put the ball exactly where he wants to.Watch the IPL on ESPN+
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Kids who become superstars at Under-19 level produce a lot of excitement in India. Call it the Virat Kohli syndrome.Avesh once belonged in this bracket. At the 2016 Youth World Cup, when India went all the way to the final, he was their highest wicket-taker. But while his peers from that tournament have gone on to bigger things – Rashid Khan is probably the world’s greatest T20 bowler now, Shadab Khan is Pakistan’s No. 1 limited-overs spinner, Shimron Hetmyer and Alzarri Joseph are West Indies regulars, and even Sandeep Lamichhane travels the world playing franchise cricket – Avesh has been stuck.He couldn’t even break into an IPL team. Avesh made his debut back in 2017. But until 2021 he had played only nine games in four years.Imagine that. This is a new-ball/death bowler. A resource every team needs. And he clocks 140 kph and more. An asset in any form of the game. Plus, he’s Indian, which means not only does he cover a specialist position for you, he also frees you up in your search for overseas picks. While most other franchises scour the globe for a quality quick, you could go and get a six-hitter or an allrounder. There’s a lot of one and not a lot of the other.But Avesh – the old Avesh – wasn’t all that good. He gave away a boundary every four balls and he took 36 (roughly) to pick up a wicket.Avesh Khan has become a completely different bowler this season•ESPNcricinfo LtdCut to 2021 though, and Avesh is a bowler transformed. Now, it takes about seven balls for him to concede a boundary and only 13 to pick up a wicket.”I don’t know if he can go any better than this,” Anrich Nortje said midway through the Delhi Capitals’ game against the Mumbai Indians on Saturday. And here’s why.Avesh is in his last over, the 19th of the innings, and he completely nails Hardik Pandya.This is a yorker. Not just any yorker. It’s an inswinging yorker. And it’s a corker. At 141kph. Hardik is, at first, set up to helicopter the ball away. But it starts moving in the air. Moving scarily. Hardik is not in the right position. He’s falling over and the ball keeps surging in. It slips through the gap between his feet – his feet! – and knocks back leg stump.The old Avesh could produce such moments. But he wouldn’t have finished a T20 game with an economy rate of 3.75. Top-class fast bowlers make it seem like they can do everything. Strike first, strike late, keep the runs down, make batters wet their pants. Avesh is finally starting to look like he can tick all those boxes.
The Tamil Nadu opener talks about the challenges of turning up motivated for domestic cricket for 13 years regardless of not wearing the Indian cap for long
Interview by Deivarayan Muthu04-Feb-2020From being the ‘baby’ in WV Raman’s Tamil Nadu side back in the day, you’ve evolved into a senior pro. How do you look back on your career? It has been a natural progression. Getting to 100 Ranji games or 10,000 first-class runs – I still haven’t got to 10,000 yet – is something that does not happen overnight and it has taken a while. I hadn’t imagined that this would happen when I played my first game. It’s actually a good feeling.To be honest, every season has been a challenge. As years go by, there’s a lot of life into you as well. From 17 years old you’re just playing cricket, then by 21-22 you’re thinking how you’re probably going to be playing for your country. And you think why you’re not playing for the country. I think that’s a journey in itself. And I’m glad I’ve been aware of my journey – where life has taken me in this 13th year as a first-class cricketer. It makes a lot of sense for me to say that this has been something that has evolved through a process. It has not come easy no doubt, but I’ve thoroughly enjoyed doing what I do. That’s definitely something I’m really grateful for.Your good friend Dinesh Karthik has also been part of your journey. Your 100th match coincided with Karthik becoming the most-capped first-class cricketer for Tamil Nadu…The journey has given me one of my good friends Dinesh who has been part of most of my games that I’ve played for Tamil Nadu. He had started out much earlier than I did and over the years we’ve built our friendship on many, many, many Ranji Trophy games and it’s something that has happened over time. He’s much older than me, and I’ve always looked up to him. I’ve gone to him when I needed advice and yes we’ve shared a lot of good moments together. It was really special to share the moment with him in that game – considering both of us had missed previous games and we played two rounds together.You have a triple-century to your name, and almost 12 years later you hit a century in a single session. How do you rate that?It’s different, and it’s probably something that a lot of people might put it past me. I didn’t go out thinking that I will score a hundred in a session. In fact, we lost the toss and they (Railways) were batting first. Usually, you don’t get ready to bat right after lunch on the first day. I just went in there, hit a couple of boundaries, and things just fell in place there.It wasn’t an easy wicket to bat on, I think, and there was some assistance for the spinners. I didn’t want them to settle, so I went ahead and played my shots and it was good when it came off.
“If you’re going to play for 13 years, nobody is going to turn up and say: ‘I was successful all these years.’ If they do, then they’re probably lying. Everyone goes through a bad patch whether at the start of at the middle of the season, but it’s important that the quicker you come out of it, the better it is for you.”ABHINAV MUKUND
Can you recall the most memorable Ranji game you were part of?I feel my memory has been a strength and a weakness for me. I remember most of games that I’ve played and there’re a lot of good memories.Tamil Nadu beating Karnataka in the quarter-final in 2016 up there? Didn’t you miss the closing stages of the game because of illness?Oh yeah, I was very sick that game, and I remember that game also ended in two days. Personally, if you ask me I would go back to 2011, when we played Haryana at home. It was one of the better innings I played, I think. I got a double-hundred. They got 348. I batted from No.1 to No.11 – I was the last man to be dismissed – and that’s one of the games that I remember quite vividly. Again, it was a good attack; they had [Yuzvendra] Chahal and [Amit] Mishra.Abhinav Mukund sweeps one away•PTI The most challenging bowlers you’ve come across?Probably playing out somebody like Pankaj Singh, Vinay Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar. These are guys I’ve had intense battles with over the years. I’ve also got hundreds against these teams, but I’ve also failed.Many players keep grinding in domestic cricket, but they often go unnoticed. And there’s also no guarantee that performers might get the chance at a higher level. How have you dealt with that?There’s no guarantee for anybody in life. It (the domestic grind) matures you as a player and person to be really honest because you’ve given it your all. You keep travelling and it’s long. But, it has given me a lot of lessons, especially as a person individually. And, to be honest, I did stop enjoying the game midway somewhere and it has been well-documented. But, I did realise that I started playing the game for a reason and I’m enjoying the challenge.ALSO READ: The fall and rise of Abhinav Mukund (2016) You’d touched upon the fact that whether you score runs or not, you didn’t let it affect your happiness as a person?Every cricketer goes through such difficult times. If you’re going to play for 13 years, nobody is going to turn up and say: “I was successful all these years.” If they do, then they’re probably lying. Everyone goes through a bad patch whether at the start or at the middle of the season, but it’s important that the quicker you come out of it, the better it is for you.But, I’m really enjoying playing for Tamil Nadu. We’ve got a couple of more games to go and it’s really heartening to see a lot of talented, young guys coming in. A lot of these young guys look up to people like Dinesh, [R] Ashwin – when he’s playing – and me. It’s important we set a good example for them and that’s something we’re trying to do.Do you feel it’s important to have a life outside cricket?It is sometimes difficult. I didn’t have enough time to complete a degree because I was playing and on the road. There are multiple days you spend in the hotel room without doing much on the road. You have to learn to keep yourself occupied on the road. You can watch movies on the go – on Netflix and Amazon Prime – these days. Earlier, you could have picked up a book and read. It’s about survival, which is under-rated, I think, but you have to do the travel because you enjoy playing the sport.Has doing commentary given you a fresh perspective on your game?I’ve believed that I shouldn’t curtail myself in doing something that I want to do. Commentary is something that I’ve enjoyed doing. Yes, it has given a different perspective. When you’re playing, you think only about winning the game. Here, you are looking at both teams objectively and trying to figure out what they’re doing to outwit each other. It’s an interesting take. I’ve always felt it has given me an edge because I’m passionate about the game and even sitting at home I’ve called games with my parents or my wife.I was actually watching the Mushtaq Ali final at home, and I called it. I felt that something was going wrong for Tamil Nadu and I was absolutely devastated to watch. [Vijay Shankar’s run-out] was the game.
“I remember going AWOL on everyone for a while and one of my closest friends – you can call him even a mentor – asked me what I can do to make me feel better or get back into the Indian team. He said [barge the door] and it was a motivating factor for me.”ABHINAV MUKUND
There’s this perception that you’re just a red-ball player. But, you were the top scorer in the 2018-19 Vijay Hazare Trophy and extended your fine form earlier this season. Has that perception bothered you?Perceptions are always going to be there. There are people on the outside to be critical, and everyone has an opinion. It’s normal in this day and age. But, I don’t take these too seriously and I believe that I’m a good cricketer and good enough to survive in different conditions. I think I’ve done a fairly decent job and I’m not worried about these perceptions. How did #bargethedoor come about, on most of your social media posts?I remember going AWOL on everyone for a while and one of my closest friends – you can call him even a mentor – asked me what I can do to make me feel better or get back into the Indian team. He was very real about it. I’m not going to come across as a very eye-catching batsman or do something spectacular – it’s probably never going to come to me. I might probably score a hundred in a session.He said (barge the door) and it was a motivating factor for me. A lot of people have caught onto it on social media.Tamil Nadu had an excellent white-ball season, but the form has dipped in the red-ball format. Do you think the younger batsmen need to work more on adjusting to the longer format?With the domestic season being so cramped, it does require time to adjust from white-ball to red-ball cricket. These are different balls – one swings a lot more than the other. Red-ball cricket is more about patience and more awareness about conditions. I’ve played league cricket with these (younger) guys at home and I know for a fact that they’re willing to put in the hard yards. There’s scope for improvement, but we still are not where we need to be. Winning the Ranji Trophy: it’s important that everyone has that goal in mind. If we can move on and make the knockouts, probably winning is the goal. I’m sure these are good lessons for that.