Category Uncategorized

Everton could be set for their most difficult summer for a while, with the club currently navigating financial troubles, as well as battling to remain in the Premier League for next season.

However, even if they do maintain their top-flight status, they will also face a difficult battle to keep ahold of a number of their key players, including Richarlison, who reportedly wants a permanent transfer away from the club.

What’s the news?

According to Goal, Manchester United could capitalise on the Brazilian striker’s situation at Goodison Park, and lure him to Old Trafford to bolster their attacking options, with Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford and Cristiano Ronaldo’s futures still unclear.

The Red Devils, who were rejected by the Everton star back in the January 2020 transfer window, will, however, be up against Spanish giants Real Madrid in the race for his signature.

Difficult to replace

Despite going through a difficult spell of form over the last eight games, in which he has averaged a 6.6 match rating according to SofaScore, the 24-year-old remains as important as ever to Frank Lampard’s plans at Finch Farm, and to lose him would be a major disaster.

After arriving at Everton as a 21-year-old back in July 2018, for £35m, he has made 142 appearances in all competitions for the club, scoring 47 goals and assisting 12 more.

This season, he has netted just four Premier League goals in 20 appearances, setting up only three as he averages a 6.82 match rating this season, not helped by his 11% goal conversion rate and three big chances missed so far.

Once hailed as an “amazing talent” by former Watford manager Marco Silva during the forward’s time at the Hertfordshire club, his career has gone from strength to strength ignoring this campaign, having already made an impressive 32 appearances for Brazil and scoring ten goals.

According to FBRef, Richarlison remains one of the top pressing forwards in Europe, ranking in the top 6% among attacking-midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues and continental competitions for pressures per 90 (21.99), top 7% for tackles per 90 (1.40) and top 8% for interceptions per 90 (0.75).

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Rated at £49.5m by Transfermarkt, the former Fluminense prospect would be difficult to replace for Everton, and if they do end up in the Championship, fans will not want to get used to a replacement of far lower quality.

In other news: Everton can finally axe “reckless” £112k-p/w flop by unleashing Lampard’s next Kovacic

Wednesday at the Karnail Singh Stadium, Delhi proved why Indian cricket might be sinking further into the mire. With two of the country’s finest teams – Indian Railways and Baroda – battling it out for the prestigious Ranji Trophy, the curator served what could best be described an enormous dud – a pitch where the ball started to keep low as early as in the first session of the first day itself. The end result was there for all to see; Railways after a brisk start struggled to 253 all out in their first innings. Baroda, who had to play five overs on the day, were 17 for no loss in reply.The nature of the pitch meant that the toss could prove vital. Railways, then, had every reason to celebrate when their captain Abhay Sharma won it in the morning and elected to bat. An impressive opening stand between Amit Pagnis and Jai P Yadav followed.Yadav, who replaced prolific opener and India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar at the top of the order, was the steadying influence in the partnership. Pagnis, for his part, went after the bowling, stroking as many as seven fours on his way to 35 off 42 balls before Baroda off-spinner Ajit Bhoite claimed him with a ball that kept low.Tejinder Pal Singh, who followed, helped Railways consolidate, adding 31 runs for the second wicket with Yadav. His brief but eventful stay saw him score 18 off 19 balls with three fours before the visitors’ other spinner, left-armer Valmik Buch, snared him.Railways No. 4 Yere Goud might never have received the India call-up but he has remained the home team’s most prolific batsman over the years. The Railways, who are looking to avenge their defeat in last year’s Ranji final to the same opponents, must have pinned a lot of their hopes on him.Goud’s start was promising, and he slowly but surely settled to do business, milking runs whenever the opportunity presented itself. Yadav, at the other end, had also begun to gain in confidence and soon the most promising partnership in the Railway innings began to flower. The run-rate might not have been anything to write home about, it being only a tad over two, but 64 runs were scored in the 31.5 overs that the duo were together. Goud’s dismissal, when he dragged an in-cutter from medium-pacer Rakesh Patel onto his stumps, however, was to induce a turnaround in the fortunes of the two sides.Next man Raja Ali (0) and skipper Abhay Sharma (9) both failed as Railways were reduced from a healthy 146 for two to 170 for five. Fourteen runs later, Yadav, who had played with commendable application and skill while compiling 85 off 171 balls, brought about his own downfall by tamely guiding Buch into the waiting hands of Baroda captain Jacob Martin at first slip.Two more late-order wickets, those of Murali Kartik and Kulamani Parida, for the addition of just twelve runs put Baroda firmly on top. But at that stage, Shreyas Khanolkar, who had come in after the fall of Abhay Shrma, found a dependable partner in No. 10 Zakir Hussain.With Hussain using the long handle to good effect and Khanolkar also among the runs, the duo put on a useful 53 runs for the ninth wicket. Hussain’s luck though ran out with the Railways score on 249, Patel trapping him lbw after he had scored 23 off just 34 balls. Last man Harvinder Singh added four more runs to his team’s score before Khanolkar was dismissed for a patient and useful 44 off 72 balls.For Baroda, Patel and off-spinner Bhoite claimed three wickets each while their other medium-pacer Shekar Joshi and left-arm spinner Buch had to be satisfied with two each.When the visitors replied, openers Connor Williams (12*) and Satyajit Parab (5*) stroked four boundaries between them as Baroda began their reply on the right note.With the ball already keeping dangerously low, the second day’s play will now prove crucial. Baroda would be hoping to achieve a healthy first innings lead as batting last on an already wearing wicket would prove a most difficult task. Railways, on the other hand, would be hoping to restrict Baroda as this would put them well and truly on course to snatch the Ranji Trophy from the defending champions.

Ian Dev Singh’s 104 steered Jammu and Kashmir to 230 for 5 against Madhya Pradesh on the opening day in Jammu © Cricinfo Ltd

ScorecardLegspinner Timil Patel left Tripura clueless, shooting them out for 116 on the first day in Ahmedabad. Justifying their captain’s decision to field first, Gujarat’s bowlers enjoyed a good day. Siddharth Trivedi did the early damage, dismissing opener Manoj Singh, but it was the spin twins – offbreak bowler Mohnish Parmar and Timil – who were the wreckers in chief. It was Timil’s second five-wicket haul of his career and he mopped up the tail by grabbing the last four wickets. Gujarat responded confidently, reaching 84 for 2 with Parthiv Patel leading the way with a 91-ball 48.
ScorecardHaryana struggled on the opening day in Jamshedpur, crawling to 200 for 7 against Jharkhand. Vishal Sahni, opening the batting in only his second first-class match, provided a rapid start – his 58 coming in just 60 balls and including nine fours – before Sunil Viswanathan, who recently moved from Tamil Nadu, stabilised the middle order. However, Jharkhand’s bowlers, led by medium-pacer Shankar Rao and left-arm spinner Shahbaz Nadeem, struck at regular intervals to keep their team in front at the end of the day.
ScorecardSreekumar Nair and VA Jagadeesh slammed hundreds as Kerala sent Services on a leather hunt on the opening day in Palakkad. Choosing to field first, Services were buoyed by two early wickets but had little to celebrate later with Nair and Jadageesh piling on the agony with a 277-run stand. Nair’s fourth century was laden with 26 hits to the boundary while Jadageesh’s maiden century was a more sedate one with only half as many fours. Fazil Mohammad, Services’ new-ball bowler, was the lone wicket-taker of the day.
ScorecardSwapnil Asnodkar and J Arunkumar propelled Goa to a healthy 279 for 5 against Railways in Margao. Goa, who won the toss and chose to bat, were in early trouble when Rohit Asnodkar and Saahil Dhuri were both dismissed cheaply, with only 25 runs on the board. Fortunately for Goa Swapnil Asnodkar and Arunkumar then stemmed the rot, putting on 153 for the third wicket. When Arunkumar fell on 75 there was another mini wobble, but Swapnil Asnodkar ensured that one end was sealed and finished the day unbeaten on 125.
ScorecardIan Dev Singh, the 18-year old right-hand opening batsman, ploughed a lone furrow, scoring 104 as Jammu and Kashmir reached 230 for 5 against Madhya Pradesh. Shantanu Pitre, the opening bowler, had a hand in three dismissals, picking up two wickets and effecting a run-out. The only other batsman to make a contribution was Majid Dhar, who scored an unbeaten half-century at No. 4. Dhar was patient, consuming 241 balls for his 62, spending close to five hours at the crease. Madhya Pradesh, who chose to bowl, failed to complete their 90 overs on the day, falling short by four and a half overs.
ScorecardRain ruined two-thirds of the first day’s play in Guwahati and Assam were only able to put on 65 in the 29 overs of play that were possible. Mohammad Hashim, the opening bowler, picked up both the wickets to fall, and had Assam in trouble at 30 for 2. Nishanta Bordoloi and Sadagoppan Ramesh then steadied the ship, settling down and ensuring no further wickets fell before rain led to play being called off after lunch.

Roger Knight has been rewarded for 13 years of service at the MCC © Getty Images

Roger Knight, the former secretary and chief executive of the MCC, has been awarded honorary life membership of the club.It is the second major honour inside two weeks for Knight, who retired from his post in August 2006 after 13 years, following the award of an OBE at the start of the year for services to sport.Commenting on Knight’s inclusion in the New Year Honours List, MCC’s Chairman, Charles Fry, said: “Roger thoroughly deserves this award, for his decades of service to cricket – as a player, a captain and, for thirteen years, an outstanding Secretary & Chief Executive of MCC.”During Knight’s 13 years at the helm he transformed the facilities at Lord’s, launched the MCC’s Spirit of Cricket initiative, and oversaw the admission of women members.Since his retirement he has continued to serve as Chairman of the European Cricket Council – which, like MCC, is based at Lord’s.

Who, among these two, will get the ‘greatest’ tag? © Getty Images

Arjuna Ranatunga, the former Sri Lanka captain, has criticised Shane Warne, the record-breaking spinner, for suggesting that rivals like Muttiah Muralitharan benefited by taking “cheap” wickets. “Shane tries to be larger than the game and life and expects a lot of credit for his performances. He thinks there’s no better bowler than him,” Ranatunga told AFP.Warne said earlier this week that his world records of 651 career wickets and 87 in a calender year will not last long because other bowlers got more opportunities against weaker opponents. Without naming Muralitharan, his nearest rival with 584, Warne said: “There’s a lot more cricket being played these days and you have teams like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in there, with some teams playing them a lot more (than others).”I’m sure that whoever those people are, they might get the record.” Warne told : “It doesn’t take a sudoku expert or a Da Vinci Code sleuth to work out who ‘those people’ are.” Muralitharan has taken more wickets (89) against Test minnows Zimbabwe than any other nation and he also has 34 wickets in four Tests against Bangladesh.Ranatunga said Warne’s argument against his rivals did not stand up. “Warne takes a lot of wickets against England, South Africa and New Zealand who generally don’t play spin all that well,” he said. “But take a look at his record against the Indians who play spin best. I am not lying, check the statistics and judge for yourself and you would know who the better spinner is.”Warne has taken 172 wickets against England, 107 against South Africa and 103 against New Zealand. But he has managed only 43 against the Indians at a poor average of 47.19. “He also gets a lot of tail-end wickets and I have always said that he’s an overrated bowler,” Ranatunga said. “Question marks will always hover around Warne’s performances. After all, he is the one and only Test cricketer banned from the game for taking drugs.”Can Warne be a role model for any youngster?. How many controversies has he been part of? Warne can never be a role model and I don’t want any Sri Lankan youngsters to follow him as a role model.”

ScorecardJason Bennett produced another superb spell of pace bowling as Barbados kept themselves in the hunt despite conceding a first-innings lead of 41 to Jamaica.Bennett, who finished the day with figures of 5 for 34, combined with Corey Collymore to reduce Jamaica to a dismal 26 for 7 in their second innings, before Darren Powell (47) and Nikita Miller launched a spirited recovery, adding 69 before stumps. Barbados’s first innings had been a limp affair, with Martin Nurse’s stoild 42 being the only contribution of note. Powell had shone with the ball as well, taking 4 for 47, but the Bennett-induced wobble later in the day left the match intriguingly poised heading into day three.ScorecardGuyana seized control of this match on another day affected by inclement weather, with only 59.4 overs of play possible. Having stretched their first innings to 176 from the overnight total of 103 for 6, Guyana had reduced Windward Islands to 58 for 4 before the weather intervened as Gros Islet. Vishal Nagamootoo made an unbeaten 32 as Guyana struggled against the pace of Kenroy Peters and the offspin of Shane Shillingford. But when Windwards began their reply, Trevor Garraway struck twice in a hurry to leave slim hopes of a first-innings lead resting in the hands of Junior Murray (36 not out), the 37-year-old veteran who played the last of his 33 Tests almost three years ago.No play

Henry Olonga has been granted a five-year visa to remain in Britain. Olonga hit the headlines earlier this year when he and team-mate Andy Flower staged a protest against the Zimbabwe government during their first World Cup game. The players claimed they were mourning the “death of democracy” in Zimbabwe.Both players decided to retire from international cricket after the World Cup. Olonga, who said he was threatened by the ZImbabwean police, quit the country and moved to England, while Flower now divides his time between playingcounty cricket for Essex in England and in domestic cricket for South Australia.Olonga, who is a talented singer and is planning a musical career, is due to undergo knee surgery later this month and believes he may not play first-class cricket again. “I’ve torn about a square centimetre of cartilage which is floating around in my knee,” he told the BBC Sport website. “It’s got to be taken out and then they’ve got to find the source. The specialist reckons it’s from the back of my knee but he can’t say how bad the damage is until he goes in.”My knee is the latest in a whole string of injuries that have spanned mycareer. I’m 27 and I’m starting to feel 40.”Olonga worked as an analyst for Channel 4 in England last summer, and also joined the BBC’s Test Match Special radio commentary team during Zimbabwe’s tour. And he also played for Lashings, a Kent-based club side, which now employs him as a public-relations officer.Olonga and Flower were awarded life membership of MCC recebtly inrecognition of their stand against the regime of Zimbabwe’s president Robert Mugabe.Olonga concluded: “I’m not sure if and when I’ll return to Zimbabwe. If thecurrent regime stays in power, then I’ve got no chance. If things were to change, it may well be that I won’t stay here all that time – but I will plan my life as if I’m going to be here for those five years.”I’m not going to make any predictions but where I end up staying andworking will be determined by the next moves I make in my career, whether it becricket or music. If it’s cricket, I may well go back. But if music takes a central role in my life, it’s unlikely I’ll go back to Zim.”

New Zealand paceman Chris Drum all but guaranteed a walk up start in next month’s triangular one-day cricket series by inspiring a four wicket win over the Prime Minister’s XI here today.Late tour replacement Drum took 5-34 including an opening eight over spell of 4-8 to help reduce the Prime Minister’s XI to 7-217 before Nathan Astle (85 notout) guided New Zealand to 6-222 with two overs to spare.Astle brought up the winning runs with a six but stand-in Kiwi captain Craig McMillan said little could be read into their performance before the up-coming one-day series which will also feature Australia and South Africa.The win continued a promising tour for New Zealand which came within three wickets of upsetting world champions Australia in their recent three-Test series.”We surprised a lot of people (who) didn’t expect us to compete as well, or get as close to Australia, as we did (in the Test series drawn 0-0,” he said.”A lot of people are sitting up and taking notice of us now.”We’re looking forward to coming back here after Christmas and giving the one day series a real shake.”New Zealand will contest a two-Test series at home against Bangladesh before returning to Australia for the triangular one day series starting in January.As a nursery for future Australian international cricketers, the match here today provided a few helpful pointers to Test selectors who watched the game.Wicketkeeper/batsman Brad Haddin (35) gave his usual big-hitting display before becoming the first of Drum’s victims.PM’s XI skipper Greg Blewett brought his side’s innings together with 41 and local ACT player Jack Smith, who hit a century against the Black Caps during aprevious tour game, top-scored for the side with 48 not out.Paceman Stuart Clark (2-36) and leg-spinner Cameron White (2-44) turned in economical performances for the Prime Minister’s XI.The game completed a dismal Australian tour for batsman Matthew Bell who scored a duck today after being dropped from the Test side in the Australian series.

Leeds United will be without left-back Junior Firpo vs Wolves and some fresh news has now emerged on the extent of his knee injury, per The Athletic’s Phil Hay.

The Lowdown: Firpo picks up injury

The defender was injured in the disappointing 3-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa last week, as his frustrating start to life at Elland Road continues.

Firpo arrived with a relatively big reputation because of joining from European giants Barcelona but he has flattered to deceive so far, only managing 15 Premier League starts.

The 25-year-old’s injury looked fairly serious at the time and a fresh update has now emerged regarding the situation.

[freshpress-quiz id=“383507″]

The Latest: Hay delivers the latest

Taking to Twitter, Hay confirmed that Firpo is expected to be out until at least early April, with Jesse Marsch having to make do without him during a key period:

“Firpo out for three to five weeks with a knee ligament injury.”

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-38/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The Verdict: Brutal…

Stuart Dallas should be fine to continue at left-back, as was the case in the win over Norwich City last Sunday, with the Northern Irishman an experienced head who knows how to shine in an auxiliary role.

In terms of squad depth and rotation, however, this is a big hit for Marsch, who has immediately been handed a taste of the injury crisis Marcelo Bielsa had to deal with this season.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

---

Subscribe

By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

The hope is that Firpo is back sooner rather than later and can play a part in the closing stages of the season – he has been hailed as ‘incredibly fit’ by Kevin Campbell in the past – but you have to wonder now if we will ever see the full-back in his best form in Yorkshire, given there are even talks he could leave the club.

In other news, Leeds have been backed to sign one player this summer. Find out who it is here.

The PCB is concerned about the increasing number of fitness problems among players © AFP

Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Asif, who is missing out on the tour of India due to his elbow injury, has been advised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to keep on hold his contract with English county Surrey until his fitness position becomes clear.Asif remains uncertain for the Indian tour although the Board has said he has pulled out of the one-day series and is undergoing a rehabilitation programme for his elbow problem which requires rest and exercises and cannot be treated by medication.Asif, who also missed four of the five one-day internationals against South Africa last month at home due to the same injury, has been offered a two-year contract by Surrey for 2008 and 2009.The PCB’s chief operating officer Shafqat Naghmi said that given the increasing number of fitness problems, with the fast bowlers in particular, they would review in detail the policy of allowing players to sign contracts with English counties for the summer.”It is true that Pakistan has no commitments between late May and mid-September for next year but we will still have a rethink on our policy of giving permission to our players to go and play for counties,” he said. Naghmi also said their policy would be based on the fact that bowlers risk a burnout because of excessive cricket. “Otherwise we should have no objections,” he added.