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Chelsea have now moved ahead of Arsenal in the race to sign Marseille striker Robinio Vaz, having opened talks, and a January offer is now being explored.

The Blues’ interest in signing a new striker perhaps stems from the slow start Liam Delap has made to life at Stamford Bridge, most recently failing to find the back of the net in the 2-0 victory at Burnley, before being replaced by Malo Gusto in the second half.

Michael Owen was critical of some aspects of the striker’s performance too, saying: “I do think in this situation he needs to be a little bit more unselfish, he probably could have passed it a couple of times.

“If he plays this ball in [to Pedro Neto] and makes a run to take the defender away, he will leave Neto with a one-on-one in this area. I think he’s got to do that instead of being a bit selfish and thinking he’s going to score a goal on his own. He takes a pot-shot from 25 yards and it’s not great.”

Ultimately, Enzo Maresca’s side prevailed regardless, but it was another poor performance from the 22-year-old, who is still yet to open his account since moving to west London, and a new centre-forward is being targeted for the January transfer window.

Chelsea make contact to sign Robinio Vaz

According to a report from Caught Offside, Chelsea have now opened talks over a deal for Marseille striker Vaz, having made contact with both the French club and the 18-year-old’s representatives ahead of a potential January move.

The Blues are exploring the possibility of making a formal bid for the youngster this winter, and they have moved ahead of London rivals Arsenal in the race for his signature, with the Gunners taking a more patient approach.

A deal would be relatively affordable, with the Ligue 1 side looking to hold out for €20m – €30m (£18m – £26m), but they are in no rush to cash-in, having already knocked back an offer from an unnamed European club.

The Frenchman has been a breakout star for Marseille this season, managing to become a first-team regular, having only missed one Ligue 1 game, and he has weighed in with four goals and two assists in 12 outings.

Scout Ben Mattinson also clearly believes the starlet has a lot of potential, having singled him out for high praise when giving an overview of his key strengths on X back in February.

Vaz could be a future star, but with a Premier League title push potentially on the cards, Chelsea could do with bringing in a striker with a little more experience in January, rather than yet another youngster.

Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for £79m Premier League star Related Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for "incredible" £79m Premier League star

The Italian is looking to sign a new defender, who is viewed as an ideal fit for his system.

Posts ByDominic Lund Nov 23, 2025

While their start to the season might suggest otherwise, West Ham United do have some seriously talented players in their squad.

For example, the likes of Freddie Potts, Lucas Paqueta, Mateus Fernandes and El Hadji Malick Diouf are all quality options.

However, when it comes to the Hammers’ most crucial player, it’s impossible to ignore Mr West Ham himself, Jarrod Bowen.

At his best, the Englishman is a force of nature, and so fans should be excited about reports linking the club with someone who could be Bowen 2.0.

West Ham target their next Bowen

Since moving to West Ham in 2020, Bowen has made 251 appearances for West Ham.

Transfer Focus

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

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In that time, he’s provided 53 assists and scored 77 goals, including what will probably be the most important he’ll ever score, the winner against Fiorentina in the Conference League Final.

There can be no doubt that the Leominster-born international has been one of the greatest transfers the club have made in the modern era, and so it’s exciting to see that they might be about to make a similar one.

At least, that is according to a recent report from Sports Boom, which claims West Ham are interested in Scott Twine.

The report goes further, revealing that the Irons are in fact plotting an £8m swoop to sign the Bristol City star as soon as January.

However, the East Londoners are unlikely to get a free hit at the Englishman, as the report has also highlighted Leeds United and Wolverhampton Wanderers as interested parties.

With that said, even if it’s not a straightforward deal, West Ham should pursue Twine, as he could be a Bowen repeat.

Why Twine could be a Bowen repeat

Now, the first thing to point out is that, yes, Twine is primarily a midfielder and therefore plays a very different role and style compared to Bowen.

However, where he plays is not what makes this a potential repeat of the move for the 28-year-old.

Instead, one of the main similarities is that, were this deal to go through in January, it would be another example of the Hammers signing one of the most interesting English players from the Championship.

For example, in the half-season before his move to East London in 2020, the former Hull ace had racked up a monstrous tally of 17 goals and six assists in 32 games.

Twine’s 25/26

Appearances

17

Starts

17

Minutes

1318′

Goals

6

Assists

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

131.8

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Now, the Bristol star hasn’t been that much of a goal threat, but considering he is a midfielder, his tally of six goals and four assists in 17 appearances is still hugely impressive.

Moreover, while it would be foolish to expect the Swindon-born ace to be as good for the Irons as their captain has been over the years, there is at least one area of the game in which he’s arguably world-class: free-kicks.

For example, four of his 11 goals over the last two years have come from them, and when you see the quality of them, it’s hard to disagree with one content creator who has dubbed him “the best free kick taker in the world.”

With that said, Bristol’s manager, Gerhard Struber, has made clear that the 26-year-old “is not only a free-kick monster; he is also a really good transition player.”

Ultimately, while he isn’t going to be as transformative as Bowen has been, Twine could be another excellent signing from the Championship for West Ham, and given his price tag, a bit of a no-brainer.

Related Wilson upgrade: West Ham hold talks to sign new CF who "can't stop scoring"

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 26, 2025

Baseball is rapidly careening down a track that could lead to a very dark place.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Dodgers continued their lavish spending by signing closer Tanner Scott to a four-year, $72 million deal. That move came days after 23-year-old Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki chose to join the Dodgers, which came a few months after the world champions added two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell on a five-year, $182 million contract. That followed a 2023 offseason during which L.A. spent roughly $1.2 billion on contracts. Which came after … you get the idea.

Let me first say the Dodgers are not the problem. The system is. Baseball is facing a jarring division between the haves and have-nots, and there is no sign of it slowing down. The gap between big-market teams and those in medium and small markets is only growing.

Any way you slice it, that is terrible for the game.

The Dodgers have used the financial might of their market to dwarf the competition. In the last 12 months, the franchise has added four nine-figure contracts. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Snell will combine to make more than $1.3 billion over the course of their contracts, and they all play the same position. Add those deals to the nine-figure agreements signed by Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Will Smith, and you've got seven players being paid a combined $2 billion.

Perhaps the most stunning part of L.A.’s spending spree has been the incredible amount of deferred money involved. The team currently has about $1 billion in deferrals still on the books. A common refrain to counter outrage at the concentration of players the Dodgers have hoarded is that any owner and franchise could be doing this. That's far from reality. When the rival San Diego Padres tried to keep up with Los Angeles's spending in 2023, MLB stepped in and all but outright told them to stop.

Fans should expect owners to spend and be competitive, but they can't ask them to lose money on their teams annually. It would be bad business not to at least break even every season. The problem is that thanks solely to geography, the Dodgers and New York’s two teams have a massive built-in advantage.

Los Angeles signed a 25-year, $8.35 billion television contract in 2013. Thus, before selling a single ticket each season, the Dodgers have roughly $334 million in revenue already on the books. By comparison, the Padres were receiving roughly $60 million per year before Diamond Sports Group's implosion. That figure is now far lower. Given that disparity, San Diego can't be expected to financially compete with the Dodgers.

Big markets will always be a draw for top players. That can't be avoided. But the financial inequality in baseball is reaching alarming levels.

While deferred money has been used in MLB contracts for decades, no one has utilized it as the Dodgers have. According to Forbes's latest franchise valuations, the $1 billion of deferred cash on their books is worth as much as the entire Miami Marlins franchise. That's beyond absurd.

The Dodgers are set to enter the 2025 season with a luxury tax payroll of more than $375 million. That's roughly $70 million more than the Philadelphia Phillies, who come in second. The New York Yankees are the only other team slated to be over $300 million. The Dodgers’ roster features six players with a luxury tax salary of more than $27 million and 14 players making more than $11 million. No other franchise's salary ledger looks anything like that.

There are 29 MLB owners who aren't happy with what's happening in Los Angeles and you can bet they are already gearing up for a massive fight when the current collective bargaining agreement expires following the 2026 season. Baseball's owners have long wanted to implement a salary cap of some kind, and the Dodgers’ spending has given them the perfect argument to get fans on their side.

Small- and mid-market owners will want more competitiveness injected back into the game because they figure fans will tune out at the local level if their teams aren't fighting for playoff spots. That would only accelerate baseball's already declining ratings. They will almost certainly take a hard stance to rein in the massive spending at the top of the food chain. The MLB Players Association, meanwhile, will presumably never accept a hard cap. It would accordingly be shocking if there wasn't a prolonged lockout or strike after the current CBA ends.

Fans will also note that owners such as the Pittsburgh Pirates' Bob Nutting and the Oakland/Sacramento/TBD Athletics' John Fisher hurt the game even more by not spending. You'll get no argument from me on that front. Both are awful for the game.

The most common-sense solution to baseball's problems would be to implement a salary floor that would please the players union and fans while adding incredibly harsh penalties for exceeding the luxury tax and increasing those penalties for repeat offenders. The current system doesn't go far enough. If a team is a repeat offender over the highest threshold, they could pay harsh fines, be stripped of their first five draft picks, have strict limits on the salaries that can be acquired in trades, and/or have their international free agency budget cut from the current figure of $4.75 million to a maximum of $1 million.

Perhaps most relevant to this conversation, deferred money should be counted against the luxury tax. Shohei Ohtani will be paid $700 million for playing 10 years with the Dodgers, but because much of the money is deferred and $700 million will be the future value, his salary only counts as $46 million against the luxury tax payroll. It's a smart accounting trick L.A. has used repeatedly. It should be abolished. If players want to get their money later, that's great, but the total amount given should be the number that counts against the tax. Ohtani will receive $700 million for playing 10 seasons. His annual luxury tax salary should be $70 million.

On top of that, the leaguewide disparity in revenue must be addressed. In the wake of the regional sports network fiasco, pooling local television revenues—or at least a significant percentage of it—then distributing that evenly among the league's 30 teams would be the simplest solution. You can bet teams like the Dodgers, Yankees, and New York Mets would fight that hard, but such a move would give the little guys a fighting chance.

The Dodgers are an incredibly well-run franchise with a rich history and a championship pedigree. They are not the cause of baseball's biggest problem, but a symptom of a broken system.

Major League Baseball needs to turn its attention to the wide financial gap between its teams and start figuring out solutions. If the league ignores the current predicament and doesn't begin preparing a response, things are likely to get ugly when the current CBA expires. At that point, any goodwill fans have will be completely squandered.

Former captain makes 94 but ends up on the losing side at Northwood

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay09-Jul-2025

Stephen Eskinazi powered the Middlesex innings but couldn’t get them over the line•Getty Images

Former Middlesex all-rounder James Fuller returned to haunt his old team with a crucial unbeaten 43 from 26 balls as Hampshire squeezed over the line at Merchant Taylors’ School to keep their Vitality Blast hopes alive.The Hawks were under pressure at 157 for seven, needing 31 from 13, when the final ball of Noah Cornwell’s stint sailed over Fuller for four byes plus a no-ball – and momentum swung as the batter capitalised on the resulting free hit to crack six off Leus du Plooy.Stephen Eskinazi, who stood down as Middlesex’s T20 captain earlier in the day, led the way for his side with an outstanding knock of 94 from 48, sharing partnerships of 69 from 40 and 82 from 51 with Kane Williamson and Max Holden respectively.But Hawks seamer Scott Currie (four for 32) removed both Eskinazi and Holden, triggering a middle-order collapse as Middlesex shed seven wickets for 34 and fell below the 200-plus total that had looked likely.Put in to bat, the home side made swift progress in the powerplay as Williamson (25 from 22) flicked Sonny Baker neatly over long leg for six and Eskinazi plundered 20 from Eddie Jack’s first over.Benny Howell made the breakthrough with his fourth delivery as Williamson was bowled swinging across the line, but runs continued to flow from Eskinazi’s bat and the opener raised his third half-century of the tournament from 23 balls with a straight-driven six.Holden (33 from 26) played second fiddle, taking 18 balls to register his first boundary, but Eskinazi’s timing and placement was exemplary as he cut Currie for successive fours, with a hundred looking inevitable.However, Eskinazi was denied when Currie returned to rip out his off stump – the first of five wickets in 17 balls as Middlesex faltered during the death overs, clambering above 180 thanks to a couple of late boundaries from Luke Hollman.James Vince (27 from 17) began briskly when Hampshire replied, pulling Zafar Gohar for six and punching a string of back-foot boundaries off the seamers before he fell to a low diving catch at mid-off by opposite number Du Plooy.The new Middlesex skipper took a skier to dismiss Tom Prest in the next over and, when Toby Albert presented Hollman (two for 21) with a routine return catch, the visitors were uncertainly placed at 68 for three.Joe Weatherley batted aggressively, clubbing both Gohar and Ryan Higgins for straight sixes in his 41 from 22 but, when he failed to counter Hollman’s googly, the Hawks were back under pressure.Cornwell and Higgins picked up further wickets, but the left-armer’s lapse tilted the contest back towards Hampshire and Fuller finished the job with two balls to spare, hitting Higgins for successive boundaries.

Visitors recover from 1 for 2 to post 206 for 5 and maintain Trent Bridge winning run

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay07-Jun-2025

Adam Hose set Worcestershire on their way to victory•Getty Images

Worcestershire 206 for 5 (Hose 95, Kashif 51) beat Nottinghamshire 181 for 7 (Moores 39, Taylor 2-36) by 25 runsWorcestershire Rapids bounced back from a Friday night home defeat to North Group leaders Northamptonshire Steelbacks with a third consecutive Trent Bridge victory in the Vitality Blast, winning by a comfortable 25 runs.Adam Hose clocked up six sixes in a superb 51-ball 95 with Kashif Ali hitting 51 off 35 as the Rapids totalled a challenging 206 for 5 after being asked to bat first as the rain that had washed out the scheduled Blast Women’s game earlier thankfully disappeared.Tom Moores (39 off 27), Joe Clarke (31 off 24) and Liam Patterson-White (39 off 19) tried to keep the Outlaws in contention but Worcestershire’s bowlers served their team well by taking wickets at key moments, two each from Tom Taylor and Jacob Duffy, with Australian paceman Ben Dwarshius (1 for 23) outstanding at the death, conceding only 11 in his last two overs as the home side fell short at 181 for 7.Worcestershire’s total was all the more remarkable given they were 1 for 2 after seven balls as Brett D’Oliveira, stumbling out of his ground after keeping out a sharp delivery from Daniel Sams, was run out by the bowler, and Ed Pollock’s slog-sweep picked out deep backward square.Kashif’s aggression restored some order from a Rapids point of view but after hitting four fours and three sixes he perished for 51 at 74 for 3 in the 10th, skying one to long-on off legspinner Calvin Harrison.But Hose now took the initiative, clearing the ropes three times in going to 52 from 32, with Ethan Brookes backing him up with 32 from 19 before finding Sams on the midwicket boundary after the fourth-wicket pair had added 77 in 38 balls.With three more maximums, Hose advanced to within one blow of a third T20 hundred before he was leg before attempting to ramp Dillon Pennington in the last over but 18 off nine from Dwarshius took the Worcestershire total past 200 for the fourth time at Trent Bridge and the sixes tally to 11.The Outlaws chased down 227 here just over a week ago but were in trouble at 44 for 3 in the seventh. Lyndon James clubbed to mid-on in the opening over, Jack Haynes pulled sixes off Dwarshius and Duffy but skewed a slower ball from the latter to mid-off and Moises Henriques was easily stumped off former Nottinghamshire left-arm spinner Fateh Singh.Clarke’s attempt to kick-start a faltering effort brought him a second six as he slog-swept Singh but his attempt to clear extra cover saw him fall to a well-judged catch by D’Oliveira, Sams sliced to backward point and Moores fell to a similar shot, after which Patterson-White’s lusty blows proved not enough.

They are all but certain to play two spinners; the second spinner could be Washington to provide the batting depth

Sidharth Monga30-Jun-2025

Jasprit Bumrah is fit and available, but will he play?•Getty Images

Jasprit Bumrah is fit and available for the second Test against England, but India are not giving away whether he will play at Edgbaston, given he is likely to feature in only three of the five fixtures in the series.India are also all but certain to play two spinners at Edgbaston, given the patchy grass on the pitch, which is dry underneath. The second spinner, though, could be offspin allrounder Washington Sundar as India seem worried about batting depth.”Bumrah is ready to play,” India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate said two days before the Edgbaston Test. “It’s how we manage these four Tests. So if we feel like there’s value in playing him in this Test, we’ll make that call at the very last minute. I’m talking about weather, how the pitch is going to play, are we better off holding him back for Lord’s and maybe Manchester or The Oval? So it’s all those factors, but you’ve seen him train yesterday, he trained a little bit today. It’s not like he’s not fit to play. It’s just trying to fit those puzzle pieces to get the most out of what we know we do have from him.”The weather forecasts in England are best not taken as gospel, but there is rain predicted on days one, four and five. There is a chance, given the flat nature of pitches in England of late, that the weather might not leave the teams enough time for a result. Keeping that in mind, India could be thinking of preserving Bumrah for later in the series.Related

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With India trailing, will Jasprit Bumrah play at Edgbaston?

They also believe the dry nature of the pitch brings their slower bowlers into play. “It’s just which two we play,” ten Doeschate said. “And that goes back to juggling the batting depth. All three spinners are bowling very nicely. Washi is batting very nicely. So it’s just which combination do we go with? The allrounder-spinner or the out-and-out spinner? And obviously you have to play the bowling allrounder again.”So there are so many different variables. The wicket has got 11 mils [mm of grass] at the moment, 11 or 12, I can’t remember which of the two, but it’s quite grassy and patchy. It’s quite dry underneath, but there’s also rain forecast for Wednesday, so again trying to weigh up the two options of how we want to go attack-wise, but I’m pretty sure two spinners will play in this Test.”Washington Sundar could be the second spinner•AFP/Getty ImagesAt the start of the series, captain Shubman Gill had said he was prepared to play four tailenders to go for 20 wickets as cheaply as possible, but ten Doeschate seemed to suggest that was easier said than done. When asked how seriously they considered that option, given the struggles with team balance since the start of the Australia tour, ten Doeschate said: “We have [discussed playing four tailenders]. And when you’re 430 for 3, it’s absolutely fine, but when you’re 200 for 5, it’s a very different ball game.”So, in terms of managing the strategy there, we’re looking at each bowler individually, what we feel they can get wickets wise, and then it’s just trying to balance up and trying to calculate as best you can what the best chance of getting into the Test match, but you need 20 wickets. So the attacking part is obviously finding someone who can get wickets as well, and we are grappling with that. We don’t stop talking about that. We’re trying to figure it out.”Reddy ‘very close to getting a game’After Yashasvi Jaiswal dropped three catches at Headingley, India rejigged their slip cordon during their practice sessions in Birmingham. The first three slips were the same – Karun Nair, KL Rahul and Gill – but Sai Sudharsan and Nitish Kumar Reddy alternated at fourth slip and gully. Ten Doeschate said the change had nothing to do with Headingley but was about developing all-round fielders, freeing Jaiswal for short-leg practice. However, he did say Reddy was back in contention. Shardul Thakur, preferred to Reddy in Leeds, ended up bowling only 16 overs and didn’t contribute with the bat.Nitish Kumar Reddy has a chat with Morne Morkel•Getty Images”He’s [Reddy] very close to getting a game,” ten Doeschate said. “Obviously, he was fantastic in Australia, coming into the team and playing the way he did. We just felt that on balance, for the last game, we wanted to go with the bowling allrounder, which we thought Shardul was slightly ahead on the bowling front. We’re looking at ways of rejigging the puzzle here so we can get a batting allrounder in and obviously Nitish is our premium batting allrounder at the moment. So I would say he’s a very good chance to play this Test.”Not having a proper seam-bowling allrounder has been a headache for India, who have not had success juggling batting depth and bowling penetration. The unfortunate condition of Bumrah playing only three Tests due to workload management complicates the issue. When asked whether there was a temptation to play Bumrah at Edgbaston because 2-0 can be extremely difficult to come back from, ten Doeschate said: “It is, but we also feel we can go 1-1 or keep the score at 1-0 without Jasprit, and then again, that’s putting the eggs in the back end of the series. We’re going to need him at some stage as well. You have got to decide when you’re going to play your strongest suit.”And that’s what I was talking about the weather and all that, but we feel that whatever we put out there, we can compete in this Test match, and you know, we came pretty close without Jasprit in the second innings when he didn’t get any wickets, and you can’t win the Test series with just one bowler in any case, and the bowlers are very well aware they need to chip in with wickets. Sorry, I can’t give you a more firm answer, but we’ll work out in the next 48 or 24 hours how we’re going to manage Jasprit.”

Virat Kohli’s enduring love for Test cricket and his tireless efforts to champion the game’s oldest and most demanding format will be a defining part of his legacy, according to his India team-mate Cheteshwar Pujara.In a chat with ESPNcricinfo following Kohli’s retirement from Test cricket after a remarkable 14-year, 123-match career, Pujara reflected on the values Kohli brought to the longest format.”He paid a lot of attention to Test format in the era where all the youngsters were looking to play more of white-ball cricket,” Pujara said. “For Virat, the ultimate format of the game was Test cricket and for that, he worked really hard.”Related

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Pujara highlighted Kohli’s transformational influence on the Indian team’s fitness standards, especially after he took over as full-time captain in January 2015.”When he started leading the team from 2015 onwards, that’s the time when he brought in the fitness culture in the Indian team. All the teams were trying to work hard on their fitness, but in the Indian team, the fitness had to improve and that was the time when the shift did come in.”The number of fast bowlers who came into the Indian team at that time also had to work on their fitness. The entire team started working on the fitness and at the same time, Virat paid a lot of attention to the Test format and he wanted the team to be one of the best in the world.”3:48

Pujara: ‘Under Kohli’s captaincy, everyone started believing we can win overseas’

One of Kohli’s most defining qualities as captain, according to Pujara, was his relentless focus on taking 20 wickets to win Test matches, even if it meant having to play one less batter at times. Pujara himself had to miss out on a few instances, such as the first two Tests of the 2015 tour to Sri Lanka.”From the time he was in charge, he always wanted to take 20 wickets,” Pujara said. “So the intensity on the field was very important. And for each and every player to put in those suggestions to take those 20 wickets, it was important that everyone came together and then we started working towards the goal.”He wanted to create that environment and atmosphere on the field where the batters who are batting, they felt the pressure. They felt that we were hunting in the pack. We are on the field to pick wickets. We are not just trying to be there and wait for the moment to pick a wicket. We are there to pick wickets at any time.”2:33

Pujara: Kohli putting pressure on bowlers helped me a lot

Pujara pointed to the 2021 Lord’s Test against England as a vivid example of Kohli’s leadership and aggression. Before India went out to bowl on the final day, with time seemingly running out, Kohli delivered a rousing speech, urging his bowlers to give England “60 overs of hell”. The result was a dramatic 151-run victory that gave India a 1-0 lead in the series.”That was one of the best victories I have been part of,” Pujara said. “Because no one thought that India can win that Test match. It was a brave declaration on day five where only 55-60 overs were left and on a pitch which looked a flat pitch, where to bowl a team out was a big challenge.”Credit goes to the way everyone performed, the way bowlers bowled, the way Virat led the team, and even the way team management supported that call, because it was important to declare. There are times where you feel like it’s a flat pitch, there’s no point wasting our energy, but that was a brave call and we ended up winning that Test match.”Asked to pick his favourite Kohli innings, Pujara singled out the combative Perth century during the 2018-19 tour to Australia, where India won 2-1 to record their first-ever Test-series win Down Under.”Unfortunately, we ended up losing that Test match, but on a pitch like that, which was a fiery pitch where there was a lot of lateral movement, there was enough in the pitch to trouble the batters,” Pujara said. “But he came out aggressively, started playing those straight drives, those classic Kohli cover drives, and the way he played the pull shot, because there were times where he was troubled by the pull shot in the earlier games.”But after that he realised he had to pick the right length to play the pull and hook shot. He came out on top and he played that brilliant innings. It’s one of his favourite innings, which I’ve seen when I was playing with him.”

It was officially confirmed last week that Daniel Levy would be stepping down from his position as Tottenham Hotspur’s chairman, and it was met with mixed reactions.

Some wanted to point to the fact that Spurs were the most profitable ‘big six’ team in the Premier League during his tenure, which spanned over 24 years from March 2001 to the start of this month.

You only have to rewind a few months to the Europa League trophy that Spurs won, ending their 17-year wait for a major trophy, to find one of the highlights of Levy’s time as chairman.

Daniel Levy's expensive Spurs blunders

However, some supporters may point to some of his transfer business over the years as being less-than-impressive, perhaps contributing to the 17-year wait for a trophy.

Levy was not really different to any other chairman, owner, or sports director, in the sense that he made good and bad signings throughout his time at the club.

For example, he sanctioned a potential club-record level deal for Dominic Solanke last summer, signing the English striker in a move worth up to £65m. The 27-year-old marksman scored just nine goals from 10.97 xG in 27 appearances in the Premier League for Spurs last season, per Sofascore.

Solanke is, therefore, yet to show that he is worth a club-record fee for Tottenham, given his lack of quality in front of goal so far, but he is not the only Levy signing who falls into that category.

Richarlison was signed from Everton in the summer of 2022 in a deal that was worth up to £60m, and he has yet to live up to that price tag for the club.

How much Richarlison's market value has plummeted at Spurs

Levy made one of his biggest errors as the club’s chairman when he sanctioned that mammoth transfer for the Brazil international, because the striker’s market value has plummeted in the last three years.

Richarlison, who was once described as a “goalmouth monster” by Ange Postecoglou, has been a frustrating figure in North London, as he has produced moments of quality, like the bicycle kick goal against Burnley this season.

However, those moments have been too few and far between, as the £60m signing has only scored 22 goals in 94 appearances in all competitions, per Transfermarkt.

The former Everton and Watford marksman scored one goal in his first Premier League season with the club and four in the 2024/25 campaign, with 11 goals in his second term, which illustrates his inconsistency in front of goal.

July 2022

£60m move to Spurs

December 2022

£48m

June 2023

£42m

September 2023

£35m

December 2023

£30m

May 2024

£33m

December 2024

£26m

March 2025

£22m

May 2025 – present

£17m

As you can see in the table above, Richarlison’s market value has been heavily impacted by his inconsistency on the pitch, as his value has dropped by a staggering £43m from £60m to £17m at the time of writing.

The Brazilian attacker could point to injuries, as he has missed 58 games through injury in the last three seasons, but the return of one goal in 27 Premier League games in his first year at the club was simply not good enough.

Spurs should expect more from Richarlison for the money Levy shelled out to bring him to the club, which is why he should currently be considered one of the ex-chairman’s biggest blunders.

As it stands, the £60m deal that was put together to sign the Brazil international from Everton looks to have been a huge overpay by Levy, given that he is currently valued at just £17m.

Forget Bale and Son: Spurs "wonderkid" was Levy's best-ever signing

Tottenham Hotspur hit the jackpot on this star who was an even better Daniel Levy signing than Gareth Bale & Heung-min Son.

ByDan Emery Sep 8, 2025

Wayne Madsen has been reappointed as Derbyshire’s club captain and will lead the team in County Championship cricket this summer.Madsen, 41, agreed to take on the role less than a month before the start of the season, following the decision of David Lloyd to stand down. Madsen was previously Derbyshire’s captain between 2012 and 2016, overseeing promotion from Division Two of the Championship in his first season.”Wayne has always shown great leadership qualities and he’s a popular member of our dressing room, so I’m delighted he will be leading our team in 2025,” Derbyshire’s head of cricket, Mickey Arthur, said.Related

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“His experience is invaluable; he has won promotion once as a captain already and I’m looking forward to seeing how his ideas play out on the field.”Wayne is a player who always leads by example, he is the one that sets the standards in training and with his professionalism, and I know he will approach the role with real pride and enthusiasm.”In a disappointing 2024 campaign, which saw Derbyshire claim the wooden spoon after finishing bottom of Division Two, Madsen was the club’s leading Championship run-scorer, with 1005 at 50.25 – the seventh time in 12 seasons that he has crossed the 1000-run mark.Overall, he has scored 14,601 first-class runs for Derbyshire, putting him ninth on the list for the club.Madsen said: “It’s a real privilege to captain Derbyshire again. I know what it means to represent this great county and its members, and I take immense pride in leading the team on the field.”David [Lloyd] has done a fantastic job in laying the foundations for me to build on. While results didn’t always go our way last season, he and Mickey, with his vast experience and knowledge, have fostered a real sense of togetherness and resilience within the squad – qualities I want to carry forward this year.”I’m proud to lead this team and excited about what we can achieve under Mickey’s guidance. With the talent and character in this squad, we’re determined to win games and bring success to our supporters.”

Barcelona star Joan Garcia remains sidelined after a successful knee operation with the goalkeeper in danger of missing the Clasico showdown against Real Madrid in late October. The 24-year-old stopper, signed this summer from Espanyol for €25 million, has been ruled out for between four and six weeks after arthroscopic surgery on a torn meniscus in his left knee.

• Surgery sidelines summer signing

  Barcelona confirmed on Friday that Garcia’s operation had been a success, though the recovery period will dictate just how many matches he misses. The injury is similar to the one suffered by team-mate Gavi earlier this week, although the damage was far more severe in the midfielder’s case as he has been ruled out for up to five months. Garcia’s prognosis is less drastic, but even four weeks on the sidelines leaves little margin before El Clasico scheduled on October 26. Six weeks out would all but guarantee his absence for the high-voltage fixture.

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  From dream debut to cruel setback

  Since arriving from city rivals Espanyol, Garcia had wasted no time cementing his place as Barca’s number one. Handed the gloves by Flick from day one, he started every match of the new campaign and quickly won over the fans with his command in goal. Conceding only five goals in seven league appearances, the Spaniard was lauded for his shot-stopping and composure, though he did draw criticism on Thursday after a loose pass led to Oviedo’s opener. Flick, however, defended his young goalkeeper, praising his overall form and leadership from the back.

• Szczesny set to step back in

  The setback means Wojciech Szczesny will be thrust back into the starting XI. The experienced Pole, who had already proven his worth last season during Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s spell out with injury, now has another chance to be Barca’s guardian between the sticks.

  Speaking at Saturday’s press conference, Flick struck a defiant tone despite the blow.

  "It’s not good news to have Joan Garcia out, he was fine. He got injured in the last game against Oviedo, but these things happen," he said. "Now, Tek is back, and if you look at the second half of last season, we won almost every game with Szczesny; he was there, and we won three titles with him. He’s a great goalkeeper, a great person, and I have no doubt about him.”

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  International break gives Barca breathing space

  Barcelona will at least find some relief in the timing of the international break, which eases the fixture congestion during Garcia’s rehabilitation. Garcia is already ruled out of the Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain, a game that will go a long way to shaping Barca’s European ambitions. He will miss La Liga games against Real Sociedad, Sevilla and Girona, at least, before the Madrid match in late-October.