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Antoine Griezmann has finally revealed his actual thoughts on not being made the France captain, with Kylian Mbappe chosen instead.

What happened between Griezmann and Mbappe?

When Hugo Lloris opted to retire from international football, there was an expectation from some that the Atletico Madrid man would take over.

However, Didier Deschamps snubbed the more experienced 32-year-old in favour of Paris Saint-Germain star Mbappe.

At the time, that decision supposedly annoyed Griezmann, who was been named France’s new vice-captain instead. After all, Le Figaro even claimed that considered ruling himself out of contention for future call-ups.

In the end, the forward opted against that and has since admitted that he is now fully behind Mbappe, even if it was a bitter pill to swallow initially.

Griezmann told Telefoot: “It was hard to take, and tough. I’m 32 and, although I still have the legs, I know I’m reaching the end [of my career].

“I had a hard time stomaching it for one or two days.”

He added: “I’m fully behind our captain Kylian. I won’t change anything, because that’s who I am.”

How many goals has Mbappe scored for France?

Griezmann certainly has given plenty to France over the years, playing 120 times for his country. In this period, he has played in two World Cup finals (winning won), while scoring 43 goals and claiming 36 assists. He also finished as the top scorer at Euro 2016 although his country lost in the final to Portugal.

However, Mbappe isn’t exactly a surprising pick for captain. After all, he too has played in two World Cup finals, scoring four goals across those matches – the most any player has ever managed.

And while he is still only 24 years of age, he already has 69 caps to his name, netting 39 goals and providing 24 assists in that time.

With that being the case, it feels as though Deschamps has picked an option for the long term, instead of entrusting the older Griezmann with the armband for a few years.

Only time will tell if this is the right decision but at least it now appears that the 32-year-old has finally come to terms with it all.

Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, has spoken to the overseas players taking part in the tournament about the security measures in place for the final to take place in Lahore

Umar Farooq07-Feb-2017The PSL chairman Najam Sethi met all the overseas players in the Pakistan Super League in Dubai on Tuesday to brief them about the exhaustive security arrangements put in place to host the final of the tournament in Lahore. The PCB has also drawn contingency plans in case some of the participants do not want to make the trip. In the last week of February, a player draft will be held so that the five franchises can top up their rosters, albeit with local talent.At the launch of the second season of the tournament in Dubai on Monday, Sethi confirmed the final will be at the Gaddafi stadium. The PCB has received assurances from the Punjab government and other security agencies and is confident they can conduct the match without trouble.The PCB has been trying to persuade foreign players to travel to Pakistan for a while now, having invested in four bulletproof buses, and have also been mulling the idea of flying the players in for the PSL final on March 5, the day of the match, and flying them out immediately the end of it. The teams going through to the final are expected to stay at the National Cricket Academy.Sethi was confident the security arrangements for the PSL final will be “endorsed” by the ICC and player associations even though the Federation of International Cricketers’ Association, in January, reported that “an accepted level of participant safety cannot be expected or guaranteed”.As opposed to last year, when all the franchise captains were Pakistani, three of the five – Kumar Sangakarra (Karachi Kings), Darren Sammy (Peshawar Zalmi) and Brendon McCullum (Lahore Qalandars) – are foreign players.PSL ambassadors Ramiz Raja and Wasim Akram – who was born in Lahore – implored the overseas contingent to stay on and play the final.”Lahore is a beautiful city, the perceptions about the place might be muddled, but I can assure you that the players who will travel will be making a priceless contribution to Pakistan cricket,” Raja said. “Once you taste the flavour of cricket in the country you will come to realise how welcoming the crowds are. I am hoping that cricket can be brought back to Pakistan, it will be a huge contribution to the emotions of the cricket fans in the country.”Akram said: “Growing up I saw legends like Michael Holding and Sunil Gavaskar play in the stadiums, which was hugely inspiring. It is imperative that cricket returns to the country, Pakistanis are passionate about the game, my wife who is an Australian is staying in Karachi for the last four years and she is having a great time. Let me also remind you all that the government will do everything possible to ensure the safety of the players.”Akram explained the importance of bringing cricket back to Pakistan by recalling an incident from the 1996 World Cup, when the security situation in Sri Lanka was dire enough that Australia and West Indies did not travel to Colombo and forfeited their matches instead.”A team comprising of six star players each from Pakistan and India travelled to the country to play a solidarity match and change perceptions,” he said. “We played a positive role in 1996 that was warmly welcomed in Sri Lanka. Trust me, the foreigners who travel to Lahore for the final will be given heroic status in the country and their contribution will be remembered by Pakistanis for a long time, the passionate followers of the game will be hugely welcoming and thankful.”Another thing that may reduce the players’ perception of risk could be Giles Clarke’s comments about the situation in Lahore. He had visited the city in January as head of a Task Force to see if international cricket can be brought back to the country. Clarke is understood to have shared details of his trips to the member boards at the ICC meetings in Dubai over the weekend.

Everton are in the market for new players as they look to put a terrible 2022/23 season behind them, but boss Sean Dyche cannot bring in new recruits for the sake of it.

That is a category Crystal Palace Jean-Philippe Mateta – a possible loan target for the Toffees this summer, according to French outlet So Foot – very much fits into.

Who are Everton looking to sign this summer?

Everton have already been linked with a whole array of players since retaining their Premier League status at the end of last month, including the likes of El Bilal Toure, Wout Weghorst and Tammy Abraham.

As the second-lowest goalscorers (34) in the division last season, behind only Wolves (31), and eighth in terms of goals conceded (57), there is not really a position Everton could not do with strengthening in the coming months – a goalkeeper aside.

Smart recruitment has not exactly been a buzz phrase around Goodison Park in recent years, though, with Everton far more accustomed to splashing out large on a flop than spending wisely on a player for the future.

While he may still only be aged 25, meaning his best years should be ahead of him, Mateta has done little in his time in English football to suggest he will provide Everton with value for their money.

How has Mateta performed at Crystal Palace?

Signed for a reported fee of €18m (£15.5m) in January 2020, initially on an 18-month loan arrangement, Palace have not yet seen a return on their investment.

Mateta has scored just eight Premier League goals in 58 appearances and netted just once in his final 30 games of the 2022/23 season. Despite those disappointing figures, Everton, Torino, Valencia and PSV are all reportedly weighing up a move for the former France U21 international.

In last season's Premier League campaign alone, the former Lyon player scored twice from 27 shots and had a shot-on-target percentage of 25.9. To put that in some perspective, no Everton attacker who featured regularly last season failed to hit the target as often.

Those problems go beyond simply finding the net, with football reporter Raj Chohan describing Mateta's decision-making on transitions as "woeful".

Mateta's numbers are very similar to those of Weghorst, another rumoured target for the hierarchy at Goodison.

Like the Palace man, however, he has been a high-profile flop and failed to set the world alight during a temporary stint at Manchester United.

That said, the Dutchman did just about edge out his positional peer for pass completion percentage (72.9 compared to 69.8) and goal-creating actions per 90 minutes (0.23 and 0.12 respectively).

Pivotally, he also scored more goals last term. Although Weghorst netted just once for United, he bagged eight in 16 Super Lig appearances for Besiktas in the first half of the season.

Everton fans may joke that any option is an improvement on what they currently have, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin's fitness issues proving to be a huge concern, but given Mateta's weekly wage of £50k and a likely transfer fee in the region of £8m if a permanent move is forged, they will be better off biding their time and looking elsewhere.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bayern Munich powerhouse Leon Goretzka this summer, with the player ostensibly falling out of favour with the German giants.

According to journalist Phillip Kessler (via Bavarian Football Works), Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel is unhappy with the cohesion in the club's midfield this season, mainly the work of Goretzka alongside Joshua Kimmich, with the latter being eyed for a new role in his compatriot's No. 8 deployment.

The 28-year-old has endured one of his toughest campaigns to date with the German champions, who claimed their 11th successive Bundesliga title on a dramatic final day after Borussia Dortmund failed to win at home against Mainz.

To exacerbate Goretzka's concerns over the prominence of his role at the Allianz Arena, Bayern have completed the signing of Konrad Laimer on a free transfer from RB Leipzig, with the Austrian signing an agreement in April ahead of the expiry of his contract.

This could put Liverpool in position to swoop for the £36m-rated star, with the aforementioned report stating that Jurgen Klopp's outfit 'could be a suitor' after their own strife this season.

Should Liverpool sign Leon Goretzka?

The lion's share of targets that the Reds are being linked with of late are all exciting talents in the maiden phase of their career: Manu Kone is 22, as is Khephren Thuram; Bayern's Ryan Gravenberch is 21, while Alexis Mac Allister, soon to pen a deal with the Anfield side, is 24-years-old.

Goretzka may be older, but given the club's departees this summer – consisting of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – will leave the centre bereft of much of its experience and leadership, targetting a distinguished gem such as the one-time Schalke star might not be an inauspicious move.

And Goretzka has pedigree in abundance; signing for Bayern in 2018, the £301k-per-week phenom has made 179 appearances, scoring 34 goals and supplying 35 assists, and won five Bundesliga titles, two DFB Pokal trophies and the Champions League.

This season, despite retaining the league, Die Roten have not looked at their imperious best and Goretzka only found a starting berth in the Bundesliga on 22 occasions, with his seasonal rating of 6.89 – via WhoScored – the lowest it has been in the German top-flight since 2014/15

The 50-cap Germany international does fit the mould of the kind of central sensation the Reds need after falling by the wayside this year, and he draws similarities to Jude Bellingham, who was Klopp's prime summer transfer target before the club ceded ground for Real Madrid to tie up a deal after concerns over the exorbitant price of such a deal, as per Sky Sports.

The Borussia Dortmund prodigy is one of the most coveted talents in the world, and ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 8% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

Goretzka, who is a comparable player to the 19-year-old on FBref, ranks among the top 12% of positional peers for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 5% for rate of assists, the top 23% for progressive carries, the top 3% for blocks and the top 8% for aerials won per 90.

Praised for being as "cold as ice" by teammate Manuel Neuer, Goretzka could bring the cool composure and iron-clad resolve that the Merseyside outfit has been yearning for this season, and Klopp might just look to swoop for the monstrous midfielder as he melds youthful exuberance with tried-and-tested mettle this summer.

Journalist Paul Brown has backed West Ham to make a move for Southampton midfielder James Ward-Prowse in the summer transfer window.

Is Ward-Prowse leaving Southampton?

The 28-year-old has endured a tough season in the Premier League, being part of a Saints team who will finish bottom of the table. Relegation to the Championship has looked on the cards for some time, and it has become increasingly inevitable as each month has passed.

Ward-Prowse has done his best to keep his team in the division, scoring eight goals and also chipping in with four assists, with a free-kick winner away to Chelsea arguably the best moment of his campaign. There simply hasn't been enough quality around him, however, and Southampton have paid the price.

The £100,000-a-week midfielder has been a great servant at St Mary's, making 408 appearances along the way, but it now seems certain that he will leave this summer, with a player of his calibre not wanting to be playing Championship football.

West Ham are one of the clubs who have been linked with a move for Ward-Prowse and it is a rumour that is refusing to go away, ahead of what is sure to be his final Saints appearance at home to Liverpool on Sunday.

Could West Ham sign Ward-Prowse?

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Brown talked up the Hammers' chances of sealing the signing of the Southampton captain at the end of the season:

"I think he's a leader, someone you can rely on, a great trainer, brilliant professional. I think he'd be a great signing for West Ham, and if Rice was to go, that would certainly sugar the pill a little bit."

Granted, the fact that Ward-Prowse is part of a relegated team doesn't necessarily reflect brilliantly on himself, but he could still be an inspired signing by West Ham this summer.

At 28, he is in the career sweet spot of being very experienced but also young enough to be at his best for a number of years to come, and he has been hailed as "world-class" by former Saints manager Nathan Jones during their time together.

Ward-Prowse's all-round quality and bite in midfield could help fill the likely void left by Declan Rice at West Ham, with an average of 1.7 tackles and 1.4 interceptions per game coming his way in the Premier League this season, as well as two key passes per match, showing that he can be a force both on and off the ball.

أعلنت اللجنة المنظمة لبطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا كان 2023 في كوت ديفوار، عن رجل مباراة البلد المستضيف أمام مالي، في ربع نهائي البطولة.

منتخب كوت ديفوار فاز بثنائية مقابل هدف، بسيناريو درامي، بعدما كان متأخرًا بهدف ومطرود منه لاعبًا، ليعود عن طريق أدينجرا قبل نهاية الشوط الثاني والمباراة، ويقضي على مالي بالهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 121 من خلال عمر دياكيتي.

طالع أيضًا | تشكيل الرأس الأخضر أمام جنوب إفريقيا.. بيبي على مقاعد البدلاء

وبعد تسجيله هدف الفوز القاتل، حصل عمر دياكيتي على جائزة رجل مباراة كوت ديفوار ومالي من اللجنة المنظمة للبطولة.

عمر دياكيتي دخل بدلًا من المخضرم ماكس جراديل في الدقيقة 73، وتمكن من تسجيل الهدف في الدقيقة 121، في الوقت بدل الضائع من الشوط الرابع.

بعد الهدف تعرض دياكيتي للطرد بسبب خلع قميصه، حيث كان قد حصل على كارت أصفر في الدقيقة 111 بسبب مخالفة لصالح مدافع مالي.

ويلعب عمر دياكيتي في ستاد ريمس الفرنسي، وسيغيب عن مواجهة نصف النهائي بسبب الطرد الذي حصل عليه في مواجهة الكونغو الديمقراطية.

Aston Villa has enjoyed a phenomenal resurgence under Unai Emery, who has triumphed in 13 of his 22 Premier League games at the helm, propelling his new club to the cusp of European football.

The Spaniard has allowed players like Ollie Watkins, Jacob Ramsey, and Tyrone Mings to flourish, finding some of the best form of their careers.

However, despite many areas of improvement, one player who has drastically underperformed for a considerable period is Philippe Coutinho.

How much has Philippe Coutinho cost Aston Villa?

The Brazilian, who is currently the club’s third best-paid player on £125k-per-week, has been hugely underwhelming and draining the club whilst offering very little output in return.

The 30-year-old originally joined the Midlands outfit in January 2022, signing on loan under Steven Gerrard for the remainder of the season.

The deal generated massive excitement and anticipation, which skyrocketed when he netted on his debut against Manchester United in a 2-2 draw at Villa Park.

He would go on to register eight contributions in 19 league outings and recorded the second-highest rating (6.96) of any Villa player, as per WhoScored, to support his formidable reputation

As a result of these impressive performances, the former Liverpool star was signed at the end of the campaign on a permanent deal for £17m on a four-year contract.

Then-manager Gerrard was thrilled with the deal and said: “I think it's fantastic for everyone connected with the club. You've seen the reaction from the supporters, it's very positive, they've seen him over the last five or six months play ever so well.

"He's still got loads left in him, in our opinion. To have him here full time and settled, I think he'll come again and go up another level.”

Although, since this announcement, the playmaker’s time in England has unravelled into disaster with the total cost of a move set to cost in the region of £23.5m once you consider his wages for this term.

Gerrard received the sack earlier in the campaign when Villa was in touching distance of the relegation zone, and despite the upturn of results under Emery, Coutinho has been unable to refind his feet. The technician has only scored once and produced no assists in 20 Premier League appearances.

Despite his mercurial brilliance, the attacker dismally resides in the bottom 28% for progressive carries per 90 and the lowest 43% for successful take-ons per 90, according to FBref.

It is a damning indictment of a player who lacks influence, involvement, and quality.

Retired Villa striker Dwight Yorke is baffled by his decline, saying: “It's mind-boggling how world-class players lose their way totally like he has.

“Coutinho is not half the player he was, that move to Barcelona was sensational and he was sensational at Liverpool. He became a journeyman, went to Bayern on loan, and then to Aston Villa before moving permanently. It's a mystery how it happened.”

It would make sense for NSWE and co to try and move Coutinho on in the summer as performing consistently in English seems beyond him.

Aston Villa are confident they will be able to win the race for AS Roma's Tammy Abraham this summer, despite growing interest in the striker from across Europe, according to a recent report from 90min.

Which strikers could Aston Villa sign this summer?

The Villans may have their work cut out trying to sign Lens striker Lois Openda this summer, as Arsenal are now said to have joined the race for the 23-year-old, who has 18 Ligue 1 goals to his name so far this season.

Former Villa man Gabby Agbonlahor has insisted that Brentford's Ivan Toney is "the striker that Aston Villa need", with the England international now on 20 Premier League goals, however it is his compatriot who has been a long-term target.

Abraham has been linked with a return to Villa Park since last year, and there is seemingly a growing possibility he leaves Roma this summer, amid interest from a number of Europe's top clubs.

According to a report from 90min, Villa are confident they can win the race for the striker in the upcoming window, despite possible interest from the likes of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.

A number of scouts were in attendance to watch Roma's recent 1-1 draw against AC Milan at the Stadio Olimpico, in which the 25-year-old scored, and the forward was the "centre of attention" for a plethora of clubs.

In order to win the race for their former loanee, the Villans will need to stump up at least £40m, which would break the club's transfer record.

Should Aston Villa sign Tammy Abraham?

Lauded as "sensational" by members of the media, the £93k-per-week marksman has proven his worth in the Serie A over the past couple of seasons, scoring a remarkable 27 goals in all competitions last term.

Not only that, the London-born attacker is also proven at Premier League level, having netted 15 times for Chelsea in the 2019-20 season.

Although he has not hit the heights of last season during the current campaign, the 11-time England international has recently started to find his form, scoring two goals in his last three games.

With Villa pushing for a place in European competition next season, they will need a partner for Ollie Watkins who can help take them to the next level, and Abraham fits the bill perfectly, having scored the second-highest number of Europa Conference League goals last season.

Leeds United's survival hopes were dealt a significant blow this afternoon at home to fellow strugglers, Crystal Palace, with the visitors running out 5-1 winners following a remarkable second-half display at Elland Road.

It had initially been a scintillating start for the Whites as they took a deserved lead through Patrick Bamford's guided header, only for compatriot Marc Guehi to convert at the other end on the stroke of half-time to drag the away side level.

That sucker punch just before the break appeared to knock the stuffing out of Javi Gracia's men as they simply capitulated in the second period, with Jordan Ayew bagging a brace, while both Odsonne Edouard and Eberechi Eze also got in on the act to rub further salt in the wounds.

Such a Jekyll and Hyde performance from the Yorkshire side will no doubt have Gracia tearing his hair out, with the performance of captain Luke Ayling likely to be of particular concern, with the Englishman having been simply woeful in that stunning collapse.

The former Bristol City man was particularly erratic on the ball as he lost possession on 31 occasions, while also proving culpable in the Eagles' second of the day, having merely allowed the aforementioned Ayew to head home.

Unsurprisingly, the 31-year-old's grim outing – in which he won just six of his 21 duels and was dribbled past on six occasions – saw him record the worst match rating of the lot, according to Sofascore, having been awarded a dismal 5.4/10.

The struggling full-back was not alone in having stunk the place out at Elland Road, however, with fellow defender Pascal Struijk having also endured a grim afternoon against Roy Hodgson's men.

How did Struijk perform against Palace?

The 23-year-old centre-back was at the 'eye of that second-half storm', according to Leeds Live's Beren Cross, as he was among those who simply could not live with the fluid nature of Palace's relentless forward line.

As 90min's Jack Gallagher noted, the former Netherlands youth international notably 'struggled to deal with Edouard's movement', with the home side likely ruing the absence of the stricken Max Wober in that left-sided berth.

The 54-touch dud, like Ayling, was also far too easily beaten as he was dribbled past four times in total, having also been rather lightweight at the heart of the backline after losing eight of his 12 total duels, including winning just one of his four aerial duels.

That is a worrying record indeed for the 6 foot 3 asset, with Yorkshire Evening Post writer Graham Smyth correctly summating that Stuijk looked like a 'rabbit in headlights at times' in that latter 45 minutes.

Those woes are laid bare by the fact that the £50k-per-week brute was also awarded a meagre 5.5 match rating, as per Sofascore, with that the second-worst rating of any player on the day, just marginally ahead of Ayling.

There is no doubt that Stuijk and his teammates will be hoping to forget this Easter horror show as soon as possible.

Leeds United have reportedly finalised a move for FC Barcelona forward Ilias Akhomach ahead of the summer.

The Lowdown: Transfer rumour

Akhomach was first linked with a move to Yorkshire last month after Victor Orta met with the player’s representatives.

Since then, a deal has seemingly gathered real pace, with speculation over a four-year deal with the Whites after his contract wit the Catalan giants expires.

A new update has now emerged, with Andrea Radrizzani and the 49ers Enterprises seemingly securing a first summer signing.

The Latest: Agreement reached

A Spanish outlet shared a transfer update in the last 48 hours regarding Leeds and Akhomach. They said the player has ‘reached an agreement’ to move to England after finalising a transfer with Leeds.

The report adds that Akhomach was in demand as Elland Road wasn’t the only offer on the table, with his days at the Nou Camp now numbered.

The Verdict: Next Leeds gem?

The Whites have had plenty of success when it comes to bringing in a number of unknown teenagers and turning them into first-team stars.

Illan Meslier and Pascal Struijk both arrived as teenagers and have gone on to become regulars in Yorkshire, with Meslier making 118 appearances and Struijk 87.

More recently, the club have reaped the rewards of signing Wilfried Gnonto, who has gone on to impress under former manager Jesse Marsch and new head coach Javi Gracia. The Italy international has contributed to six goals in 19 appearances, with Gabby Agbonlahor already a big fan:.

“He’s a top player. He might not be on Raphinha’s level just yet, as he’s only 19 – but he’s got that directness, that scary pace.

“He could do better with his final ball or with his finishing – but that will only get better and better in the future.

“I can see him being at that Raphinha level in the next couple of seasons.

Leeds will be hoping that Akhomach can make a similar impact to that of Gnonto in Yorkshire next season, where hopefully, the Whites will be preparing a fourth successive season of Premier League football.

Akhomach has already made three senior appearances for Barcelona, so a move could prove to be a shrewd one in the long run, with the 18-year-old primarily a right-winger who can also play on the left or through the middle and is valued at €3m (£2.7m) by Transfermarkt.