Steven Finn believes that Josh Tongue’s success since he dismissed Steven Smith at New Road last month proves that “English cricket as a whole” benefitted from Smith’s short stint in the County Championship.Smith’s three-match contract with Sussex prompted fierce debate within the county game around the merits of enabling Australian players to tune up for the Ashes – and the World Test Championship final, in which he scored a century – by signing short-term contracts, but he batted only three times, making 30, 3 and 89.Tongue trapped Smith lbw to bring the first of those three innings to an end, and has since taken a five-wicket haul on Test debut at Lord’s and been named in England’s Ashes squad. Finn, who has missed the entirety of Sussex’s 2023 season to date through injury, said that Tongue’s upwards trajectory demonstrated that Smith was not the only beneficiary of his time at the club.Related

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“What did I learn? That he’s a lot more normal than you’d think he might be in the dressing room,” Finn joked. “It was a big debate, wasn’t it? About whether it was good for English cricket, letting him play three first-class games before an Ashes series.”I don’t have a problem with it. I would say that because he was my team-mate and helped to put us in positions to win games. But I think for the people playing against him… Josh Tongue got him out and bowled against him. Smith said, ‘I think he looks like a good bowler.'”Three weeks later, he’s playing Test cricket and took five-for here. The confidence that someone like Tongue will have gained from bowling at him and getting him out far outweighs the negatives of him being here and playing three first-class games before an Ashes series.”He’s good enough to be able to adapt whether he plays three games or one game… the effect he had on the dressing room and the environment there was a really positive thing, not just for Sussex but for English cricket as a whole.”Finn believes that Tongue will have a role to play in the Ashes – though not simply to target Smith again. “Smith is too good to allow something like that to faze him or worry him,” he said, speaking at Lord’s at the launch of IG’s Net Gains campaign. “[But] I certainly think looking at the way Tongue bowled here, I see him having some sort of impact at some stage of the series.Tongue took five wickets on Test debut•Gareth Copley/Getty Images

“I thought it was impressive, the way he kept his pace up. I liked the angle of his arm – slightly beyond the perpendicular – so that gave him a different angle of attack compared to the other right-arm, over-the-wicket bowlers. He bowled great pace; he did the hard yards, banging it in when he had to, and showed discipline and skill when he came back to hitting a good length.”With five Ashes Tests scheduled within seven weeks, England are likely to rotate their seamers throughout the series. “I think this management has done something quite unique in the sense that they’re going to have people not kicking off about not playing,” Finn said.”In the early part of my career when I got left out, I dragged my bottom lip around, I sulked and that can be sapping to the dressing room. One, I don’t think this management will allow it. But two, they encourage people to buy into the ethos of ‘you’re not picked now, we’re going to be upfront with you about why, we’re going to keep you completely in the loop and you’re going to play a part at some stage in the series’.”Look at the way they managed the Ben Foakes scenario: Brendon McCullum picked up the phone, called him and said, ‘You’re still a big part of our plans, this is just the decision we’ve made’. You get buy-in from that and there is a lot to be said for that, whereas in the past it can be a bit cloak-and-dangers with being left out of the team.”Steven Finn at the launch of IG’s Net Gains campaign•PR

Finn was a three-time Ashes-winner with England, playing roles in the 2010-11, 2013 and 2015 series, but found himself left out of the side by Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss three Tests into the 2010-11 tour due to his high economy rate, which was seen as more important than his low strike rate.It is an attitude at odds with the current England regime under McCullum and Ben Stokes. “You look at the freedom with which they’re playing at the moment, without constraints,” Finn said.”When I started – when I was younger and I was a bit of a tearaway – you look at that environment that I was in and it was a great team. The way it was run and managed at that time suited the characters in it.”But from a selfish perspective you look at the way the guys play now and the freedom they have… there are not many cricketers who played in the last 20 years who wouldn’t want to be involved with this team now.”

The pitch in Ahmedabad is expected to be a belter and the expectation is that there won’t be a lot of dew

Sreshth Shah25-May-20237:57

Moody: Suryakumar vs Rashid and Noor will be fascinating to watch

Big picture: Defending champions vs Serial winnersFor probably the first time in the franchise’s young history, Gujarat Titans will be feeling the pressure in a knockout game. Freshly jolted by a defeat in Qualifier 1, this is the first time they’re ever playing an IPL game to stay alive. The best team from the league stage didn’t really play like it against Chennai Super Kings to the point that it suddenly seems like they aren’t entirely sure of their best XI. Getting that wrong in the playoff stages usually proves expensive.On the other hand, Mumbai Indians are peaking at the right time. They produced one of their most complete performances in the Eliminator to go with four wins in their last five games in the group stages. From the batting point of view, everyone has unlocked the most dangerous version of themselves, and among bowlers, Piyush Chawla and Jason Behrendorff are doing enough for Akash Madhwal to shine at the death.Related

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Mumbai beat Titans the last time the two sides met in IPL 2023, and purely based on recent results and recent vibes, Mumbai would appear to have the edge. Their bowling unit has been red-hot of late but that wasn’t quite the case early on in the tournament. Titans on the other hand have proven performers with the ball, including the season’s top two wicket-takers. How Madhwal and co can match up to Mohammed Shami and Rashid Khan may well decide the outcome of this game.Titans’ batting though, at least in the present moment, lacks the clarity their bowling has. They need to figure out if Dasun Shanaka is offering enough. And also do more to ensure Vijay Shankar bats when he can have the most impact. Most of all, they have to find a way for Hardik Pandya – the batter – to make the best use of his skills. If that clarity is there, Titans will feel that the Qualifier defeat was a mere blip on their journey towards defending their IPL title. It won’t come easy against a side that just knows how to win crunch games.Form guideGujarat Titans: LWWLW
Mumbai Indians: WWLWWTeam news: Worry for Titans seamers?Titans played Darshan Nalkande against Super Kings for Yash Dayal, but Nalkande was hobbling after his bowling spell. If Nalkande is unfit, one could see Dayal coming back in. Titans could also bring in Josh Little as a replacement, but that would see Shanaka dropped. Little is a frontrunner for his experience and better bowling numbers compared to the uncapped Indians, more so in a knockout game.With Tilak Varma returning to their side against Lucknow Super Giants, Mumbai have no injury concerns.Nehal Wadhera scored quick runs coming in as an Impact sub•AFP/Getty ImagesImpact Player strategy: What will Mumbai do?Mumbai could use an extra batter – like in the Eliminator with Nehal Wadhera – and sacrifice an extra bowling option to give their first-innings total a push if they bat first. Otherwise, the default route is Suryakumar Yadav being used as an Impact sub for an Indian bowler.Mumbai Indians (probable XII): 1 Ishan Kishan (wk), 2 Rohit Sharma (capt), 3 Cameron Green, , 5 Tilak Varma, 6 Tim David, , 8 Chris Jordan, 9 Piyush Chawla, 10 Jason Behrendorff, 11 Akash Madhwal, 12 Kumar KartikeyaTitans are likely to go with Vijay as the Impact Player in a chase or bring in a fast bowler if they are defending.Gujarat Titans (probable XII): 1 Shubman Gill, 2 Wriddhiman Saha (wk), 3 Hardik Pandya (capt), , 5 David Miller, 6 Sai Sudharsan/Abhinav Manohar, 7 Rahul Tewatia, 8 Rashid Khan, 9 Noor Ahmad, , 11 Mohit Sharma, 12 Mohammed Shami.Stats that matter: Watch out for Rohit vs Rashid Rohit Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav have contrasting numbers against Rashid Khan. Rohit has been dismissed four times in six innings, but Suryakumar has scored 67 runs in 47 balls without ever being dismissed in the IPL. Titans and Mumbai are the two best chasing sides in IPL 2023, having won six of their nine chases. In IPL 2023, Hardik averages 40 at the No. 3 position in eight innings, but at No. 4, he struggles, averaging 11.4 in five innings. Mumbai’s powerplay bowling has steadily improved. In their first ten games, their powerplay economy of 9.2 came with an average of 54.9. In their last five games, their powerplay economy has dropped to 8.2, with an average of 27.3. Pitch and conditionsIt has touched 43 degrees in Ahmedabad. Curators have covered the pitch to ensure it doesn’t break down abnormally. The pitch for the game is among the least used strips – the centre has nine surfaces – and is being brought in to seemingly provide a run fest.It has been watered adequately to ensure some amount of moisture helps bind it underneath. The curator expects good pace and bounce like all season. Dew isn’t expected to be a major factor, helped by the chemical they use to prevent its formation.

Earlier this month, it was announced that Andrea Berta had agreed to become Arsenal’s new Sporting Director, and while he’ll be joining a team who have fought for the Premier League title three seasons on the bounce now, he’ll have a lot of work to do.

Mikel Arteta’s side are undoubtedly one of the very best in the country, but this season has proven that attacking reinforcements are desperately needed.

One of the stars most heavily linked with the club in recent months has been Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, although, with reports claiming he could cost up to £150m, it’d be a Herculean deal to get over the line.

That said, with several players set to leave this summer, a significant amount of the wage bill should be freed up, which could help the ownership secure the Swede’s services.

However, there is another star player who almost certainly won’t be leaving this year but should be one of the players Berta looks to move on as soon as possible, as they make more than twice as much as Isak.

Arsenal's decreasing wage bill

So, before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at how much Arsenal’s wage bill could decrease by this summer, with certain players’ contracts expiring and others potentially being sold.

Starting with those who are in the former group, it seems almost guaranteed now that Thomas Partey, who makes £200k-per-week, and Jorginho, on £110k-per-week, will be leaving the club at the end of June alongside Celtic-bound Kieran Tierney, who also makes £110k-per-week.

Raheem Sterling, who has been earning around £110k-per-week and Neto, who makes £50k-per-week, will also come off the wage bill when their loan spells end in the summer.

Finally, while there is a chance the club will fail to sell any of their fringe players in the transfer window, it feels increasingly likely that Oleksandr Zinchenko, who earns £150k-per-week, will finally be moved on, as he’ll have just a year left on his contract if not.

So, when you add together the wages of those who are out of contract, those on loan and Zinchenko, it doesn’t seem too far-fetched that Arsenal could reduce their wage bill by an astounding £730k-per-week before making any signings in the summer, which comes out to a massive figure of £37.96m per year.

Such an incredible sum of money being saved could help Berta and Co raise the finances needed to complete their summer transfer plans, although there is still another big earner in the club who needs to be moved on as soon as possible.

The Arsenal star Berta needs to sell

With a lot of Arsenal’s big earners either making good on their wage packets or mentioned above, it will likely come as no surprise that the player we are talking about is Gabriel Jesus.

The Brazilian forward joined the Gunners for around £45m in the summer of 2022, and while he was truly sensational for the first half of that season, he has not been the same player since suffering a serious knee injury at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

Since then, it would be hard to argue that the former Manchester City star has been deserving of his enormous £265k-per-week wage when potentially world-class strikers like Isak are earning less than half of that, coming in at around £120k-per-week.

For example, while the Sao Paulo-born nine wasn’t bad last season, he was, as pundit Micah Richards put it, “frustrating,” as for all the silky footwork and innate skill he has, he was only able to muster up a tally of eight goals and eight assists in 36 appearances, which wasn’t enough to stop Kai Havertz eventually replacing him as Arteta’s go-to striker.

In contrast, the Toon star, who has endured his own injury problems, was able to amass a haul of 25 goals and two assists in 40 appearances and looks set to do even better this year, already hitting 23 goals and five assists in just 33 games.

For his efforts, the Gunners’ forward was only able to score seven goals and provide two assists in his 27 appearances before his ACL injury this season, which is what will keep him at the Emirates this summer.

However, once he is back to full fitness at some point in 2026, Berta and Co need to move him on as soon as they can, as not only is he no longer at the level required to push the team forward, but his bumper contract expires in June 2027, meaning the window to get a decent fee for him will be slight.

Ultimately, Jesus is an undeniably talented footballer, but his inefficiency in front of goal, poor injury record and monster wages mean that he has to be sold by Arsenal as soon as they get the chance.

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Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 25, 2025

Jadon Sancho is a player who looked to be a shrewd addition after his debut off the bench against Bournemouth earlier in the season, but it’s safe to say he’s not lived up to the hype.

The 24-year-old joined on loan with an obligation to buy from Manchester United in the summer but has seen a decline in form under Enzo Maresca, failing to register a single goal or assist in any of his last 13 appearances.

Such form over the last few weeks has led to murmurs over his future at the club, with the Blues prepared to pay a fee to send him back to his parent club at the end of his spell.

The former Borussia Dortmund star has massively struggled for a consistent home after his move to United, with his temporary spell in West London another one to add to his growing list of disappointing periods.

Given his form and the interest in ending his spell over the next few months, it would be a surprise to no one to see the club delve into the market, with one player appearing to catch the eye in recent days.

Chelsea make enquiry for another attacking talent

According to Italian outlet TuttoSport, Chelsea have made an enquiry for Juventus winger Kenan Yildiz over a potential transfer during the summer window.

The Blues aren’t the only Premier League outfit to register interest in the 19-year-old, with Liverpool and Manchester United also in the hunt for the teenager’s signature.

The Turkish international has registered six goals and four assists in his 41 appearances throughout 2024/25, with one of his efforts coming in the Champions League.

The report states that Maresca’s men have already asked about a potential move, whilst trying to include the youngster in a deal that saw Renato Veiga move to the Old Lady in January.

Given his tender age and recent form in Italy, it would be no surprise to see Juve demand a hefty fee for his services, but he would be a better option than another player who’s already moving to London.

Why Yildiz would be better than Quenda for Chelsea

Over the last couple of days, it was confirmed that Chelsea had agreed a deal to sign Sporting CP’s 17-year-old Geovany Quenda, forking out a small fortune for his services.

The Portuguese star cost the Blues a deal in the region of £42m before add-ons, with the winger spending the remainder of the campaign at his boyhood club and also returning on loan next year.

He’s set to move to the Bridge ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, looking to cement his place in the first team and be a key figure in their ambitions of returning to the pinnacle of the English top flight.

Maresca’s side beat Manchester United in the race for Quenda, hoping to do the same with Yildiz this summer, with the Turkish star possessing a lot of qualities to further bolster their attacking unit.

In 2024/25 to date, he’s managed to outperform the Sporting sensation in numerous key areas, highlighting how much of a phenomenal addition he would be for the club.

The Juve star, who’s been labelled “one of the best left-wingers in the world” by one analyst has managed more combined goals and assists this season, whilst also managing to get more of his efforts on target – showcasing his clinical edge.

Games played

28

26

Goals & assists

6

5

Pass accuracy

86%

82%

Shots taken

2.3

1.7

Successful dribbles

2.2

1.5

Dribble success rate

56%

49%

Duels won

6.7

4.4

He’s also completed more dribbles per 90, whilst also achieving a higher take-on success rate, showcasing the threat he possesses with the ball at his feet within the final third.

Given the pending move for Quenda, it would be another huge investment from the hierarchy as they try to take the club back to their previous heights.

However, it’s an exciting prospect given the stats Yildiz has produced in recent times, undoubtedly offering another huge threat within the final third for the manager.

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Short-ball plans trigger Australia collapse but visitors closing in on 2-0

Andrew McGlashan01-Jul-2023Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins put Australia within touching distance of a 2-0 Ashes lead as they cut through England’s top order during the final session of a day that had earlier been marked by the home side’s unprecedented short-ball plan, which reached reaped rewards but ultimately looked to have no bearing on the outcome.For periods of the fourth day the game almost game to a standstill as Australia ducked and swayed away from bouncer after bouncer, but overall they lost 8 for 92 which, given England’s recent history of chases, including one of 378 against India last summer, offered them a glimmer with a target of 371 in four sessions.However, those hopes were blown away by the brilliance of Starc and Cummins which left them 45 for 4 and the absence of Nathan Lyon, who had astonishingly appeared to bat at No. 11, likely not proving a factor. It appeared they were five down shortly before the close when Starc superbly caught Ben Duckett’s attempted upper cut at fine leg, but the third umpire ruled the catch wasn’t clean as the ball scraped along the outfield, much to Australia’s amazement and frustration.The first wicket of England’s innings was not among the memorable ones as Zak Crawley tickled Starc down the leg side. But Starc was finding movement with the new ball and produced a wonderful delivery which came back sharply into Ollie Pope and clattered middle stump.Cummins, who is no stranger to creating viral Ashes moments, then produced what may go down as the over of the series as he roughed up Joe Root with a delivery which struck his forearm before having him fending to slip. He then produced a ball to take Harry Brook’s off stump which matched the one Root received at Old Trafford in 2019.Australia were two wickets away from England’s bowlers and there was a chance the game could hurtle to a conclusion but Duckett, with his second half-century of the match, and Ben Stokes – who had earlier put his knee on the line with a 12-over bouncer-laden spell – forged a stand of 69 to ensure that there would be room for a few further mentions of Headingley, even though the task of 257 more runs remained huge with a long tail.After briefly trying to find the outside edge when play began, England soon resorted to short-pitched bowling and basically did not shift from it until Australia were all out. The two sessions on the fourth day record the highest number of short deliveries in ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball database going back to 2015. TV graphics showed that 98% of the deliveries England bowled in the second session pitched eight metres or shorter.It was a slow burn of a tactic and created much debate, particularly after England’s previous proclamations of entertainment, but wickets did start to fall. It began when Usman Khawaja’s fine innings, which took him to 300 runs for the series, ended with a top edge to long leg.Mitchell Starc roars after dismissing Ollie Pope•Getty Images

In what then became a frenetic period, Travis Head was dropped at backward point before he had scored by James Anderson – his second miss of the game – then next ball Steven Smith top-edged to deep square leg. Head soon fended a catch to short leg which was superbly caught by Root as Australia lost 3 for 10 to spark some life into England.Cameron Green and Alex Carey played carefully until lunch then the afternoon session was when the game hit a virtual stalemate, although Australia held a strong advantage the whole time. By and large the pair did not have huge trouble avoiding the short deliveries, although Green was struck on the badge of the helmet by Stokes and a few moments later pulled Robinson to deep square leg after a 13-over post-lunch period which brought 17 runs.Stokes was into one of those marathon spells which have dotted through his Test career – the most famous being at Headingley in 2019 before his batting heroics. Whether this time, with the state of his knee, it was a sensible approach remains to seen and he was clearly grimacing at the crease when he later batted.But he certainly played a role for England as wickets fell at the other end. Carey was another to bunt a catch to short leg – Robinson then ending with a spell of 9-6-7-2 – and Cummins fended to gully after being given a life when Stokes had overstepped.Stokes finally earned a wicket when Josh Hazlewood turned the ball to short leg but the innings was not yet done with its bizarreness. Lyon, unable to use a runner under ICC playing conditions, limped down the steps of the pavilion and hobbled to the middle with his badly damaged calf, which will surely rule him out of the rest of the series. Barely able to stand and unable to walk he helped Starc add 15 runs and managed one pulled boundary himself.Australia may have felt they needed every run available, but the new-ball bursts from their opening pair have meant it will take another extraordinary turn of events for this match to come down to such fine margins.

Runaway Division Two leaders Durham are under early pressure at Scarborough after Yorkshire openers Adam Lyth and Fin Bean shared a century stand to help the hosts make the most of just less than half a day’s play due to hail and heavy rain at Scarborough.Lyth and Bean shared 113 inside 31 overs after the visitors had elected to bowl at the start of this LV= Insurance County Championship fixture, contributing to a close of play 142 for two from 38 overs.Lyth led the way with 75 not out off 118 balls at the North Marine Road venue where he played his league cricket growing up. Fellow left-hander Bean made 46 but was the first of two wickets to fall – lbw to England Test quick Matthew Potts almost immediately after a 5.30pm resumption.Hail at lunch prevented an afternoon restart, and when umpires Steve O’Shaughnessy and Surendiran Shanmugam attempted to get going again at 2.30pm heavy rain returned as they and the players walked back onto the outfield.Puddles had formed all over the square within 30 minutes, and it took until 5.30pm for conditions to improve enough for nine more overs of play before bad light ended the day just after 6pm.Potts trapped Bean lbw with the seventh ball back – his first after the resumption – and later removed George Hill the same way for seven.Yorkshire have now lost a remarkable 1,308 overs to the weather this season, including the complete washout against Gloucestershire at Bristol in April when not a ball was bowled.Just short of 350 of those have come in the last three games, including at Worcestershire and against Sussex at Headingley earlier this month.New ball seamer Ben Raine will have counted himself unfortunate not to have removed Lyth with either of two confident lbw appeals in the opening over.But, aside from that, the visitors were unable to build pressure before lunch as they failed to hit a consistent line or length, allowing Lyth and Bean to continue their excellent recent form.The pair shared 177 for the first wicket in the draw against Worcestershire at New Road earlier this month, a game in which Bean scored a century.Lyth did likewise in last week’s draw against Sussex at Headingley, when the pair added 94.Yorkshire only batted once in each fixture, something which is not out of the question here unless Durham can continue to bowl with the quality and potency Potts displayed in the evening to oust Bean and then Hill.Lyth was particularly strong on the drive and Bean on the cut, with 17 runs coming from the morning’s penultimate over – bowled by the seam of Netherlands international Bas de Leede.

Search begins for new head coach after Nixon took leave last month

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Jul-2023Paul Nixon will leave his position as Leicestershire head coach after reaching a “mutual agreement” with the club.Nixon had held the post for five-and-a-half years but took leave last month.Sean Jarvis, Leicestershire’s chief executive, said at the time he would be “investigating comments and allegations” but did not elaborate, citing “wishes of lawyers”.Related

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On Thursday, Leicestershire announced that Nixon would depart and that Alfonso Thomas and James Taylor, Leicestershire’s assistant coach and batting coach respectively, would assume responsibility for the first team for the remainder of the season, assisted by director of cricket Claude Henderson and second team head coach Dips Patel.After a decorated playing career with the Foxes, Nixon returned to Grace Road in October 2017, leading the club to the knockout stages of the Vitality Blast in 2020 and the quarter-finals of the Royal London Cup in 2022.Nixon said in a statement released by the club: “I am immensely proud of my time at Leicestershire and would like to thank the players, both past and present, staff and most of all the fans for the unconditional support I have received during my tenure. The club will always hold a special place in my heart, and I wish them all the best for the future.”Henderson said in the statement: “Paul has been a true servant to Leicestershire County Cricket Club since he first joined the club in 1988, in two stints as a player then as Head Coach since 2017. He’s shown relentless commitment, enthusiasm and passion during his time as head coach and has been a fantastic ambassador for the club. We wish him every success in the next steps of his career.”Our attention now turns to the process of finding a new head coach to work alongside Alfonso Thomas and James Taylor, whilst ensuring we also remain competitive for the second half of the 2023 season.”The squad possesses a wealth of exciting young talent and has shown some encouraging progress in the early stages of the summer. We believe we have established an effective coaching structure and we are keen to build on our strong culture and values.”Whilst it has been a difficult fortnight for both parties, now is a time for collectiveness. We as supporters, players and staff need to stick together to ensure that our trajectory as a club continues upwards in the months ahead.”Leicestershire are second in Division Two of the County Championship but have struggled in the Blast this year, losing 12 of their 14 fixtures, including a 92-run defeat at the hands of Northants and a 71-run loss to Derbyshire.Three senior players – Colin Ackermann, Callum Parkinson and Chris Wright – have announced their departures from Leicestershire at the end of the season. Ackermann and Parkinson will head to Durham, while veteran seamer Wright has signed for Sussex.

Bournemouth forward Justin Kluivert has emerged as a candidate to fill the void left by Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• Leverkusen could raid Premier League
• Kluivert an option to replace Wirtz
• Bournemouth may be open to selling

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leverkusen are not expected to go for a big name as they seek to move on from Wirtz, with his £116 million (£157m) transfer to Liverpool moving towards completion. Instead, reports that Justin Kluivert has been the subject of an enquiry made to Bournemouth. Another option, according to , is PSV Eindhoven winger Johan Bakayoko.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kluivert has been around the block since a breakthough at Ajax almost a decade ago, but the 26-year-old enjoyed the best season of his career for Bournemouth in 2024-25. It is claimed by that Ten Hag, known for his influence over recruitment at Manchester United, is "driving the potential move" due to his belief that Kluivert is the "perfect profile" to replace Wirtz.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bournemouth consider Kluivert not for sale, but are not expected to stand in the way of a transfer if the right price is offered. There is no release clause, unlike the case for Dean Huijsen when he joined Real Madrid recently, so a fee between Leverkusen and Bournemouth would need to be negotiated.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Bournemouth's squad could look very different next season. Huijsen has already gone, Milos Kerkez could soon too if Liverpool follow through with longstanding transfer interest, while the Cherries could also let PSG-linked Illia Zabarnyi and versatile forward Antonine Semenyo leave if offers come in. Manager Andoni Iraola looks set to stay, however, after Tottenham poached Thomas Frank from Brentford instead.

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos remanescentes da conquista do Gauchão Sub-20 em 2021, o zagueiro Ryan está com a expectativa alta na busca do bicampeonato estadual com o Internacional. O Colorado tem pela frente o clássico diante do Grêmio, na decisão, onde o jogo de ida está marcado para o próximo sábado (27), às 15h (de Brasília), no CT Hélio Dourado.

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Ryan falou sobre a expectativa da final e espera conseguir um bom resultado no primeiro duelo entre as duas equipes para levar alguma vantagem no confronto derradeiro:

– A expectativa é sempre grande para um jogo desses, ainda mais se tratando de um clássico. Sabemos da qualidade da equipe do Grêmio e que não será um jogo fácil. Mas estamos motivados e nos preparando muito bem durante a semana para esse primeiro jogo. Acredito muito no trabalho da equipe e sei que iremos fazer de tudo para sair com a vitória e levar um bom resultado para casa.

O defensor fez parte da equipe Sub-20 do Internacional que conquistou o título gaúcho da categoria, em cima do Brasil de Pelotas, na temporada passada. Agora, estando diante de um Grenal, Ryan sabe que as circunstâncias são diferentes, mas ressalta que o grupo tem trabalhado bastante pelo importante feito do bicampeonato:

– Trabalhamos muito no ano passado para buscar aquele título e, esse ano, estamos confiantes também para fazer duas belas partidas. Clássico é sempre diferente. É outro clima ainda mais numa final. Mas vamos com os pés no chão para que, se Deus quiser, consigamos buscar mais uma vez esse título estadual.

Ramos and Monterrey face Inter Milan in Club World Cup at the Rose Bowl, with Veteran defender expected to start

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Monterrey in Group E with Inter Milan, Urawa Red Diamonds, River Plate

Veteran defender Sergio Ramos expected to start

Mbappé, Real Madrid make CWC debut Wednesday

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

As Monterrey prepares for its debut at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup against UEFA Champions League runners-up Inter Milan, veteran defender Sergio Ramos took a moment to weigh in on one of football’s most talked-about topics: the Ballon d'Or.

While anticipation builds over who will win this year's award, Ramos named Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé as his top pick – unsurprising given his long-standing ties to the Spanish club. However, Ramos acknowledged that despite Mbappé's prolific scoring season, the Frenchman may face stiff competition from players who enjoyed greater team success.

“He won the Golden Boot, but didn’t secure the major trophies others have," he said. "These are individual awards, not team titles. But in football, those collective achievements often tip the scales. There are some top-level players out there who’ve won the Champions League, domestic leagues, even the Nations League. Those things matter.”

Mbappé’s name has consistently surfaced among candidates for the 2025 Ballon d'Or, despite Real Madrid's underwhelming season. Still, the former Madrid captain believes Mbappé has what it takes to dominate the award in the years to come.

“If it were up to me, Kylian would win four or five Ballon d'Ors in the next decade – maybe even more,” Ramos said. “He’s got the talent, and he’s already proven that on the biggest stages.”

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Mbappé claimed the Golden Boot in his debut season in Spain, netting 31 goals – a remarkable individual tally even as Real Madrid came up short in all major competitions, including La Liga, the Champions League and the Copa del Rey.

While players such as Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé are expected to be front-runners in the Ballon d’Or race, Ramos says Mbappé’s goalscoring record speaks louder than silverware.

“He was the top scorer this season. That alone puts him above the rest,” said the veteran defender.

Getty Images SportWHAT SERGIO RAMOS SAID

Sergio Ramos also addressed the presence of his former club, Real Madrid, in the Club World Cup, acknowledging that Los Blancos remain favorites in any international competition they enter.

“Madrid is always a contender in big tournaments,” he said.

While he admitted it would be special to face some of his former teammates, Ramos was honest about what would be best for Monterrey.

"It’s always nice to play against former teammates," he said, "but if we can avoid them, even better – we’d all save ourselves the heartbreak.”

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MONTERREY?

 will remain in Los Angeles for the duration of the group stage, where they play Inter Milan on Tuesday, followed by River Plate (June 21) and Urawa Red Diamonds (June 25).