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On making peace with his father, the former India fast bowler Yograj Singh, with whom he has had a fraught relationshipI think I actually made peace a couple of days ago when I was talking to my father. So I spoke to him and all the demons inside as a younger kid came out. That conversation happened and he said his side of the story. It was a very peaceful moment for me to have that closure and have that chat with him, because I’ve never had that chat with him in the last 20 years. He’s always been like a dragon to me… I think me and my father both have a very different relationship now. We both have grown up. Well I have grown up, I don’t know about him! All his life he has taken off on me in the media, now it’s my time.But yes, I’ve had closure with him. He never appreciated me playing any other sport. He only appreciated if I played cricket. So I said, “So be it.” And luckily for me, later on in my career I started enjoying it and made something good out of it.I think it was a very beautiful moment talking to my father and talking to my mom about my journey and I was looking for closure.On why he wasn’t able to do as well in Test cricket:Yes, definitely, that will always be a regret. I think I played at a time when it was very difficult to get a spot. Played with [VVS] Laxman, [Sourav] Ganguly who was captain, Sachin [Tendulkar], Rahul [Dravid], Viru [Virender Sehwag] started opening… it was very hard to find space in the middle order. And that time we used to get one or two Test matches [to prove ourselves] compared to guys today who get 10 to 15 Test matches to play all the time.So I never really got that spot. Every time I failed, I would lose my spot because it was just me, or Sourav or Laxman… Over seven years I think I sat out of 40 Test matches. And then when Sourav retired, that one year I was actually playing Test cricket. I finally got my spot, but then I got diagnosed with cancer, so… I don’t know what to say. It’s been unfortunate. If you look at the whole journey it’s been great, but unfortunate not to play… another 40 Test matches would have been awesome.I was batting at No. 6, I averaged about 34-35, which is not great. I would have loved to average 40. But for me, at the end of the day, it’s about winning games, and every time I scored runs I’m sure it helped win the game for India. It’s a regret, definitely, but I’ve given my all.On whether he regrets not scoring 10,000 ODI runs:No… Scoring 8000, 9000, whatever, definitely you can look at the books and say, “Oh he scored 10,000 runs.” But winning the World Cup… I’d rather have winning the World Cup than scoring 10,000 runs. I never thought about 10,000 runs, I always thought about winning the World Cup. 10,000 would be very special, but I think winning the World Cup is far more special.Yuvraj Singh never quite cracked the code of being a successful Test batsman•Getty Images

On his biggest high and his defining moment on the field:I think the biggest moment in my career would definitely be winning the World Cup in 2011 and being Man of the Series. And we won it in India as well, and after 28 years. There cannot be a bigger high.Defining moment in my career, I think it would be when I batted for the first time in my career and scored 84 against Australia. First game, and you score 84 against the best team in the world… It was quite a dream. Because of that, I came and failed in a lot of games. But because I had started so well I always got an opportunity.On his family’s reactions when he told them:I’d been talking to my wife and mother since two years, that I want to retire and go on with my life. But mentally I was not happy. Because after playing international cricket for so many years, going back and playing domestic cricket was a bit of a struggle.I spoke to my father recently and when I had told him I want to speak to him he was expecting that I would tell him I’m going to retire. He was also saying that, “It’s been enough. Almost 19 years and about 25 years of playing cricket.” I think he was very happy I was retiring, and he hugged me. He was very satisfied with the journey because he lived his dreams through me. He was very happy with my career and told me that when Kapil Dev had lifted the World Cup [in 1983], he had the regret that he wasn’t in that team, but he felt happy when I lifted the World Cup. He was very content with what I had achieved.On whether he would have wanted a farewell match:I didn’t tell anyone in BCCI that I want to play a last match. If I was good enough and had potential, I would have gone to the ground. I don’t like to play cricket in that fashion, that “I want a [farewell] match.” I had been told that if I can’t pass the yo-yo test, I can play a retirement match. I said then that I don’t want a retirement match. If I don’t pass the yo-yo test, I’ll go home quietly.On whether the yo-yo test is needed in a bat-ball game:See, I’m sure in life I will have a lot of time now to discuss these things. I will have a lot to say. I’m not saying it right now because India is playing the World Cup, and I don’t want any controversies around the players. Because I want the players to be in the best phase possible to win the last four. I’m sure my time will come to speak. I don’t want to be in that space where I retired during the World Cup time and whatever… I just retired because I want to move on with my life, and I’m sure my time will come to talk about these things.On which current player reminds him of himself:Not exactly myself, I think he has the potential to be better. Rishabh Pant, he’s already scored two Test hundreds away, in Australia and England. I think that boy has great potential to be a very attacking, match-winning left-hander. I’m looking forward to seeing him in the next few years.On mentorship or coaching in the future:Not now, I’ve just retired! I’ll enjoy myself for a year or two. After that I’ll think about it. Right now I’m going to take some time off. I definitely want to give something back to cricket, and hopefully do some work in the future with the younger generation.Yuvraj Singh gets aerial as he unleashes a throw•AFP

On the captains who had the most impact on him:I think Sourav Ganguly, under whom I started. He supported me a lot. And with MS Dhoni, I’ve won a lot of major championships, so definitely these two captains.Ganguly was very authoritative when it came to fighting for his players. He wanted certain players in the team, like myself, Ashish [Nehra], Bhajju [Harbhajan Singh], Zaheer Khan, [Virender] Sehwag. I think he built us guys together.Dhoni was very composed under pressure. He had a very good mind behind the stumps for how the game was going.On his thoughts before the first time he batted in international cricket:The previous night, Sourav Ganguly told me I have to open. Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and [Glenn] McGrath were the bowlers. I remember it was a night of a lot of anxiety. But I got up in the morning all ready to open and Sourav said, “No no, I was just joking, playing a prank on you.” I told him that “Hopefully I will be able to repay the prank some day!”I think there’s less pressure when you’re actually going in to bat. There’s more pressure outside, I’ve always felt it. And the moment I was in the zone, it was just like me and the ball.On how he took revenge on Ganguly:Gave it back to Sourav? Nicely, after a couple of years, against Pakistan. Bhajji and me made a false newspaper cutting of him accusing his own players. And Sourav got all red on the field and he said, “I don’t want to captain this team anymore.” And then we said, “April fool, .”On the toughest bowlers he’s faced and his favourite overseas cricketers:You’re asking me this now?! (laughter)I think Muttiah Muralitharan would be the toughest I’ve faced. The other would be Glenn McGrath. The overseas cricketers I admire… Ricky Ponting is someone I really admire as a batsman. AB de Villiers, Chris Gayle… I think these guys were serious powerhouses when I played against them.On playing under pressure:Under the sword, under pressure, I always play my best cricket. I used to enjoy the challenge when we were three or four down. When Kaif and me won that Natwest final, a lot of belief came from that situation, that if I can do this now at such a young age, I can do more in the future.I felt the pressure a lot when I came back after cancer. I was not that fit, I went to France for training. When I came back in the team, Duncan [Fletcher] was the coach. And I felt there was a lot of pressure just to perform at that time. Everything had changed. Because everybody thinks I’ve come back from cancer and I’m not the same player anymore. That added up a lot of pressure on me, but that’s how life is.

The left-hander briefly threatened to haul down Scotland’s revised DLS target with a thrilling assault full of audacious sweeps and reverse-sweeps

Peter Della Penna at The Grange22-May-2019In a Scotland batting unit featuring the reigning ICC Associate Player of the Year, Calum MacLeod, and a captain who earlier in the month had became the fastest Associate cricketer to 2000 ODI runs, Kyle Coetzer (in 49 innings), the most menacing threat to opposition bowling attacks might actually sit a bit lower down the order. George Munsey’s destructive batting has had him firmly entrenched in the opening slot in T20 cricket for Scotland, but in ODIs he slots in lower down as a finisher.On Tuesday against Sri Lanka at the Grange, the scene was set for Munsey to showcase his rapidly growing reputation as a power-hitter. A flurry of sweeps and reverse sweeps had taken him to 23 off 24 balls before rain transformed Scotland’s equation from 191 off 138 balls (8.30 per over), to 103 off 42 (14.71). Yet, Munsey says the situation was well within Scotland’s grasp in a match that eventually ended in Sri Lanka winning by 35 runs.”I was really positive actually,” Munsey told ESPNcricinfo after the match, when asked about Scotland’s chances as he walked out for the resumption of the chase. “I think with our firepower at the back end, these totals are not un-gettable.”We’ve got quite a strong hitting line-up at the tail and the belief in the team was we really have a great chance of getting this, especially if we have a good start and really go hard from ball one. We almost did that. One more over early on with a good over would have really put us in a great place. We lost a few too many wickets in the end but we weren’t far off chasing it down.”Scotland got that good over straight after the restart. Munsey struck Thisara Perera’s first ball for six over the leg side before clipping two more boundaries in a 19-run 28th over to keep the equation in check. A six off Suranga Lakmal as part of an 18-run 31st over brought up a 37-ball half-century. Scotland needed 50 off 18 balls, gettable in 2019 as proven by the latter stages of T20 chases on flat wickets like the Grange.But Nuwan Pradeep, bowling a match-winning spell of death bowling, yorked Munsey for 61 off 42 balls in the 32nd over. Even though he had passed his previous ODI best of 55, made last summer against England, Munsey was left despondent. More than 90 minutes after the final wicket had been taken by Sri Lanka, he still hadn’t taken off his pads.”I’m pretty gutted, to be honest,” Munsey said. “I felt like it’s one of my strengths, targeting bowlers. I started well and I felt like I could have seen the team over the line. So it was pretty gutting to be walking off knowing that I still had more to give out there and I felt like I could have steadied the ship home.”Nuwan Pradeep celebrates after taking his second wicket of the day•Peter Della Penna

Munsey’s wicket was the first in a sequence of three in five balls taken by Sri Lanka as Pradeep and Thisara submarined Scotland’s chase. Munsey gave plaudits to Sri Lanka’s bowlers for maintaining their death-bowling accuracy in spite of challenging conditions with a wet ball that needed to be replaced at one stage.”When you lose a cluster of wickets, you’re gonna struggle no matter what the situation is,” Munsey said. “To be fair to the Sri Lankans, they bowled really well. They hit their wide yorkers, they hit the boot. They only bowled a few wides. That was real tough to put away. Any length they gave us, we put away. We didn’t miss many length opportunities. But credit where credit is due, they smashed their yorkers.”Sent in to bat, Sri Lanka made a below-par 322 for 8, a total Munsey believes Scotland did well to hold them down to, given that they had been 203 for 1 after 33 overs. Scotland uncharacteristically dropped three chances, including one each off Dimuth Karunaratne on 13 and Avishka Fernando on 22; they went on to make 77 and 74 respectively. Munsey believes the missed chances cost Scotland in the end.”We were a fair bit behind the rate as far as DL (Duckworth-Lewis) is concerned when we came off, but in the appearance of the game we were doing quite well,” Munsey said. “So I think had the game gone the distance, I truly believe it would have been a different outcome. It’s hard to play devil’s advocate with DL because there’s so many different aspects to it. We did a good job but we weren’t quite on top of our game fielding and that’s what cost us.”We have a very good fielding team and that was slightly out of character for us today to drop so many catches in one game. From overs 0-20, we weren’t that great as a unit in the field but then we turned it around and we stopped them getting a 350 score and brought them back closer to a 300-mark. That was down to the bowling and fielding, holding catches. We saw two different fairy-tales in one innings of fielding.”

Colin Munro has rejoined the squad and could resume his place at the top of the order alongside Henry Nicholls

The Preview by Sreshth Shah02-Feb-20196:10

Dasgupta: Shubman Gill a great talent, but too late to consider him for World Cup

Big picture

Are India simply too reliant on Virat Kohli? That’s the big question as they head to Wellington for the final ODI of the series. After tumbling to their biggest defeat (in terms of balls remaining) in ODIs, it’s time for Rohit Sharma’s men to prove the defeat was a one-off.

Watch the match LIVE on ESPN+

Readers from the US can watch the fifth ODI between New Zealand and India on ESPN+, by clicking here.

It’s the last time before the World Cup that India will be playing in conditions that roughly simulate what can be expected in England, and for a batting order with a few spots still up for grabs, a solid show against the moving ball will be just what the selectors will want from the likes of Shubman Gill, Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu.For New Zealand, Trent Boult, who took 5 for 21 in Hamilton, and Colin de Grandhomme gave a reminder of how devastating they can be if they manage to extract swing. To bookend the domination with the moving ball, Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls showed glimpses of how India’s wristspinners can be tackled – Yuzvendra Chahal went for 32 off 16 balls – and that may finally give the hosts a slight psychological edge.New Zealand’s plans, however, took a blow on the eve of the ODI, with Martin Guptill tweaking his back at practice. His potential absence could give Colin Munro – who was dropped from the fourth ODI – a golden opportunity to impress coach Gary Stead, who recently said the team management has zeroed in on Nicholls as the short-term opening choice, while Munro remains in their plans.The Westpac Stadium, though, isn’t New Zealand’s favourite ground. They have lost each of their last three ODIs here.

Form guide

New Zealand (last five completed matches, most recent first) WLLLW
India LWWWW

In the spotlight

Khaleel Ahmed and Shubman Gill are two players with an outside chance of earning a ticket to England. India were defending only 93 in Hamilton, but Khaleel’s lengths seemed unsuitable for a surface where bowling full had earned New Zealand such reward.The fourth seam option remains vacant in India’s prospective World Cup squad, and Khaleel will look to end his tour of the Southern Hemisphere – he was expensive and wicketless in Australia too – with a solid spell of left-arm bowling.Kohli’s departure and MS Dhoni’s niggle opened the back door into the ODI line-up for Gill in Hamilton. For 20 balls, he looked the part on debut – fearless and compact – and he would have learned from his caught-and-bowled dismissal to a Boult inswinger. Importantly, with KL Rahul not finding form even in India against England Lions, a half-century or more in Wellington could secure Gill’s place for the ODIs against Australia at home, and keep him in the picture for the reserve opener’s role at the World Cup.It’s time for Kane Williamson to step up against a bowling attack that’s been without Jasprit Bumrah, and could be without Mohammed Shami, for the final ODI. After scoring 64 in the series opener, he hasn’t gone past 28 in the next three games. He’s edged one to the keeper, chopped one onto his stumps, and flicked one right into midwicket’s hands. A concrete contribution from him would be just the impetus New Zealand need for a big total, given their hard-hitting lower middle order.Shubman Gill reacts after being hit on the helmet•Getty Images

Team news

Guptill’s injury means Munro could return after missing one game. New Zealand may be tempted to give Doug Bracewell another shot, in place of James Neesham or Mitchell Santner. Matt Henry and Todd Astle would be favourites to keep their places having played just the one ODI each in the series.New Zealand 1 Henry Nicholls, 2 Colin Munro, 3 Kane Willamson (capt), 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Tom Latham (wk), 6 Colin de Grandhomme, 7 James Neesham, 8 Doug Bracewell/Mitchell Santner, 9 Todd Astle 10 Matt Henry/Tim Southee, 11 Trent BoultIndia have little reason to change their XI, given their goals and motives for the six ODIs that remain before the World Cup. But MS Dhoni is fit to play after missing the third and fourth ODIs with a hamstring injury, so expect a direct swap between him and Karthik, unless India decide to play Rayudu, Dhoni and Karthik at Nos. 3-5.India (possible): 1 Rohit Sharma (capt), 2 Shikhar Dhawan, 3 Shubman Gill, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 MS Dhoni, 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Yuzvendra Chahal, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Khaleel Ahmed

Pitch and conditions

Sunny, summer conditions and a breezy evening are expected at the Westpac. New Zealand have an average total of 207 at this ground over the last three years, and there could be assistance in the form of swing.

Stats and trivia

• Gill has an average of 104.46 in Youth ODIs.
• If Taylor scores 110, he will become the seventh-fastest batsman to 8000 ODI runs.
• Since Kohli’s debut, India have so far only played eight ODIs without either him or Dhoni in their XI.

Quotes

“The World Cup is going to be a long tournament, nine games to play. So you’re going to get some injuries, players are going to miss out. So it also gave us a reflection as to how players will cope up in their absence. We were found wanting in that sort of a situation in the last game, but again, all these players are quality players.”
“It’s a bit like Groundhog Day from four years ago, having that experience of desperately wanting to make a team for a big tournament and missing out, sort of puts me in good stead for this time around.”

Tim Paine hinted that Australia wouldn’t hold back on the bouncer with his view that it was underused against India, but with their top six shuffled again, Sri Lanka may be in with a chance

Andrew McGlashan23-Jan-2019

Dinesh Chandimal and Tim Paine pose with the Warne-Muralitharan Trophy•Getty Images

No one has been able to breach the Gabba fortress since West Indies in 1988, and Sri Lanka’s winless record in Australia does not suggest they can be the team. The visiting captain Dinesh Chandimal, however, hopes for a “miracle” as he chases his dream of securing a Test victory in the country.Sri Lanka have lost 11 of their 13 Tests in Australia but the vibe around the team is that they will never have a better chance of breaking their duck against a vulnerable home side who have again shuffled their top six.”It will definitely be a challenge for us,” Chandimal said. “If we can take this challenge as a batter or bowler, if you can give your best shot…we can do some miracle here. That’s what we want to do as a team.”If Sri Lanka are to make history, they will have combat a pitch which has proved too much for most touring sides over the last 30 years. There was a good tinge of green the day before the match, and allied with the day-night factor, there could be some testing periods for batsmen, although the previous floodlit Test at the Gabba, against Pakistan in 2016, included totals of over 400 for each side.”I hope it’s nice and fast, the usual sort of Gabba wicket,” Tim Paine said. “Hopefully there’s plenty of bounce and it’s good to watch.”There was also a strong hint from Paine that Australia wouldn’t hold back on the short stuff, with his view that it was underused in the series against India. Australia’s bowling tactics often came under scrutiny, especially in the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, with them unable to gain a single lbw for the quicks in the four matches but Paine believed that smart use of the bouncer could also bring the stumps into play.”Clearly we need to be hitting the stumps a little bit more than we were and it’s been spoken about, but I also didn’t think we used our bouncer as much as we would like,” he said. “When you are using your bouncer a couple of times an over and then when you pitch up it’s a bit more effective. We know the majority of the time we want to be hitting the top of the stumps a bit more, but there’s also a way to set that up.While Chandimal expected his batsmen to have their techniques challenged by the Australia quick bowlers, he was confident he had the firepower to respond in kind. “When you look at the pitch you can see a lot of grass on the wicket, but we have got really good fast bowlers who can bowl over 140.”He also wanted his batsman to take a leaf out of Cheteshwar Pujara’s book and force Australia’s pacemen back for multiple spells. Whatever balance of side Australia select, they won’t have more than three pace-bowling options, although Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins were rested from the India ODIs with this series in mind.”Pujara made a difference, especially these days the weather is really hot here. They brought the Australian bowlers back for more spells. That’s what I think Pujara did, and after that it helped the other batters enjoy their batting in the middle. That’s one area I think we learned in the India-Australia series.”Chandimal drew on the memories of his Test debut against South Africa in 2011, when Sri Lanka secured their first victory in the country, in Durban. He scored two half-centuries in the match to play a key part in a 208-run win.”That was a really good memory. I made my Test debut against SA and we won that game and that was the first time we won a game in SA in their soil,” he said. “One of my dreams as a captain and player is to win a Test match here. But that’s not an easy thing coming here. You have to do a lot of hard work…that has to come from all 11 players for all five days. That’s what we are looking at as a team. It is a really good opportunity to make history and we just want to do that as a team.”

The pair played key roles in Oman to help USA march into WCL Division Two

Peter Della Penna21-Nov-2018The Barbados-contracted pair of Aaron Jones and Hayden Walsh has come in for special praise from USA head coach Pubudu Dassanayake for their roles in helping the side earn promotion to WCL Division Two. The allround abilities of Walsh combined with the batting of Jones played a pivotal role in USA ending WCL Division Three on Monday with a 4-1 record, good enough to be promoted along with undefeated tournament champion Oman.”I can’t tell how happy I am about those two guys,” Dassanayake told ESPNcricinfo after USA finished runners-up at WCL Division Three in Oman. “They’re great players, they know how to behave inside a team and they fit straight into our culture. So I think that those two guys are the best thing that could happen to USA Cricket moving forward actually.”Jones and Walsh finished first and third for the team in scoring on tour with 200 runs and 167 runs respectively, regularly rescuing USA from perilous positions. Their best tag-team effort came against Denmark when they came together at 87 for 5 and produced a 131-run stand, a USA record for the sixth wicket.Jones came into the squad as an injury replacement for Sunny Sohal during the Super50 Cup, while Walsh hadn’t yet made his debut coming into WCL Division Three. Dassanayake revealed Walsh was initially picked as a legspinner, but a century during an intrasquad trial match at a USA training camp in North Carolina on the eve of the tournament convinced Dassanayake of his batting abilities.”When we looked at him the first time, we all thought he was a good legspinner but we were not sure about his batting, even though he came and said that he can bat,” he said. “But we had a few training sessions in Barbados and match scenarios basically playing a 50-over game on a full field using local players. Every scenario we played, he was scoring runs.”Dassanayake also hit back at criticism leveled at team management before the tournament for picking the pair in USA’s 14-man squad for Oman despite their non-participation in this year’s USA Cricket Combines. The caretaker administration run by the ICC Americas had communicated to stakeholders that anyone wishing to compete for a spot in USA’s Division Three squad had to attend a combine trial.That meant former West Indies batsman Xavier Marshall, who had made his USA debut in January, was axed after he skipped the last two days of the New York trial to play club cricket instead.New Zealand-based US passport holder David Wakefield also paid his own plane tickets to Florida to be evaluated, something that was not mandated of Jones nor Walsh. This was a source of unhappiness amongst players who attended the combines and felt it equated to double-standards.”Even though critics was there to criticise certain things about our performance and selections, we as a group had that confidence from the beginning which way we are moving and the players were confident and these results were not a surprise for our group,” Dassanayake said. “I’m not happy that we didn’t become number one but it’s part of the game. Oman played better cricket on that day against us but I still believe that USA is a better team and we are looking forward to move forward.”

After just over a month of constant rumours, speculation, and deals, transfer deadline day is finally here, but so far, Arsenal’s list of incomings is entirely blank.

Mikel Arteta’s side are still just about in the Premier League title race, flying in the Champions League and could even overturn their 2-0 deficit in the League Cup on Wednesday, but to give themselves the best chance of winning anything this year, they’ll surely need to make an addition to the squad before the window slams shut tonight.

Now, the North Londoners have been trying to strengthen their squad, with concrete links to players such as RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, but to little success.

Fee

Fee

None

Josh Robinson (Wigan)

Undisc.

Marquinhos (Cruzeiro)

Loan

Fortunately, with just a day remaining, recent reports have strongly linked the club with one of the most exciting up-and-coming attackers in European football, a youngster who’d be the perfect replacement for the ageing Leandro Trossard.

Arsenal chasing in-demand star

According to a recent report from Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg, Arsenal are one of several clubs who remain incredibly keen on Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel.

Plettenberg has revealed that, as things stand, no club has been able to reach an agreement with the German behemoths regarding the French talent and that while the Gunners are “in talks” with them, there will be “no panic sale.”

One of the major stumbling blocks for the Red Devils appears to have been the fact that Bayern wanted them to sign the 19-year-old on a permanent deal or on loan with an obligation to buy, which could potentially be an issue for the North Londoners as well, especially as the offer they accepted from Tottenham Hotspur last week stood at around £50m.

It could be a complicated and potentially costly transfer to get over the line before the end of the day, but given Tel’s immense ability and potential, it is one well worth fighting for, especially as the club need to be thinking about a Trossard replacement.

Why Tel would be a dream Trossard replacement

So, the first thing to clear up is just why Arsenal would want to sign a replacement for Leandro Trossard this month, especially as it was only last season that he racked up a tally of 19 goal involvements in 46 games.

Well, it comes down to two things. The first is that while he was exceptional last year, this season has been a different story altogether, and while still reasonably impressive, a tally of five goals and six assists in 35 games isn’t really enough for a side gunning for the title.

The second reason is that, at 30 years old, the Waterschei-born winger is far closer to the end of his career than the start, and while footballers of today can play longer than they did in the past, research carried out by The Athletic revealed that wingers peak at around 26 and experience an incredibly sharp decline in their ability to take on defenders when they reach 30.

Moreover, with reports coming out last month that little to no progress was being made on a new contract for the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace, it makes sense to start looking for a young and exciting long-term replacement, which in this case would be Tel.

Now, it is true that the Frenchman hasn’t had the best of campaigns this year, but that is almost entirely down to the fact that Vincent Kompany has barely played him, as he’s made just four starts across 14 appearances, totalling 458 minutes.

Appearances

41

Starts

10

Minutes

1406′

Goals

10

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.39

Minutes per Goal Involvement

87.87′

However, when you look at how effective the Sarcelles-born dynamo was last season, the clamour from other sides to secure his signature becomes far easier to understand.

For example, in just 1406 minutes across 41 appearances, the “mind-blowing” talent, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored ten goals and provided six assists, meaning he maintained an average of a goal involvement every 87.87 minutes, which is an awe-inspiring rate of return.

Moreover, considering that he produced those numbers despite being just 18 at the start of the campaign, it really does feel like the sky is the limit for the Bayern ace.

Ultimately, with Trossard being on the wrong side of 30 and his rate of return declining this season, it’s time Arsenal signed a proper long-term replacement for him, and based on his sensational form last season, Tel appears to be the perfect candidate.

100% passing: Arsenal star just showed he can save KSE millions tomorrow

Arsenal ripped Manchester City to shreds on Sunday evening.

1 ByMatt Dawson Feb 2, 2025

Everything you need to know about Benjamin Sesko's salary details playing for RB Leipzig

Talented youngster Benjamin Sesko arrived at RB Leipzig from RB Salzburg in 2023. The Slovenian international had previously spent four seasons with Salzburg, including a two-year loan spell at FC Liefering, before making the move to the German Bundesliga.

Since his arrival in Germany, Sesko has impressed fans and pundits alike with his forward play and clinical finishing.

Despite his young age, Sesko has established himself as a regular starter in the Leipzig lineup.

His current contract at Leipzig runs until 2029, under which he is also one of the top earners in the squad.

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology to find out exactly how much he is earning!

*

Benjamin Sesko's wages at RB Leipzig in numbers

Under his current contract with the Bundesliga club, Sesko commands a significant salary of £93,562 ($123,618) per week. This places him seventh on Leipzig's wage list, just behind fellow talent Xavi Simons in sixth and Willi Orban in fifth.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Benjamin Sesko

Slovenian

£93,562

$123,618

£4,865,245

$6,428,129

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at RB Leipzig

At the forefront of the German club's wage hierarchy are David Raum and Benjamin Henrichs, both earning top salaries. Their versatility in playing as midfielders and fullbacks makes them invaluable assets.

Following closely is Danish forward Yussuf Poulsen, who shares his salary bracket with Lukas Klostermann and Willi Orban. This parity in wages underscores the club's commitment to rewarding talent and versatility.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

David Raum

German

£124,805

$164,897

£6,489,859

$8,574,624

Benjamin Henrichs

German

£124,805

$164,897

£6,489,859

$8,574,624

Yussuf Poulsen

Danish

£109,101

$144,148

£5,673,254

$7,495,698

Lukas Klostermann

German

£109,101

$144,148

£5,673,254

$7,495,698

Willi Orban

Hungarian

£109,101

$144,148

£5,673,254

$7,495,698

Top earners in Bundesliga

Leipzig players do not feature in the top-five highest-paid players in the league.

Bayern Munich's financial dominance in the league is starkly evident when compared to other clubs' wage bills.

Among all Bundesliga footballers, the top thirteen highest earners are Bayern stars.

Borussia Dortmund's Niklas Sule is the first non-Bayern player, ranking fourteenth.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Harry Kane

English

£402,044

$526,303

£20,906,308

$27,367,765

Manuel Neuer

German

£337,717

$442,095

£17,561,299

$22,988,923

Joshua Kimmich

German

£321,636

$421,043

£16,725,047

$21,894,212

Jamal Musiala

German

£303,463

$397,254

£15,780,082

$20,657,189

Serge Gnabry

German

£303,463

$397,254

£15,780,082

$20,657,189

AFPHighest paid players in the world

Despite the substantial earnings of Bundesliga players, particularly Bayern stars, they don't make it to the top five highest-paid players globally. This elite list is entirely dominated by Saudi Pro League stars, with the legendary forward Cristiano Ronaldo leading the pack.

Following closely is his former Real Madrid colleague, Karim Benzema, in second place.

Next, Riyad Mahrez secures the third spot, with Senegalese stars Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly completing the top five.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,216,155

$4,210,425

£167,250,468

$218,942,120

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,608,178

$2,105,213

£83,625,234

$109,471,060

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£839,469

$1,098,921

£45,652,372

$57,43,893

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£643,271

$842,085

£33,450,094

$43,788,424

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£558,038

$730,509

£29,017,956

$37,986,458

MatériaMais Notícias

da aviator aposta： O técnico Rogério Ceni tem motivos para ficar um pouco mais tranquilo para montar o time no duelo da próxima quinta-feira (20), contra o Coritiba, no Morumbi. O zagueiro Diego Costa se recuperou na tendinite no joelho direito que o tirou dos últimos três jogos e pode ser a novidade do São Paulo no confronto válido pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

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+ Confira quem pode deixar o São Paulo no final da temporada

O capitão tricolor não atua desde a derrota na final da Copa Sul-Americana, na Argentina, no início do mês.

Na reapresentação do plantel são-paulino na manhã desta terça-feira (18), no CT da Barra Funda, Diego Costa participou normalmente das atividades ao lado do restante do elenco.

Um alívio para Ceni, que desta forma ganha opções concretas para formar a defesa da equipe. O treinador perdeu Ferraresi e Lucas Beraldo, expulsos no empate sem gols com o Palmeiras, no último domingo (16), e viu Miranda sofrer lesão no joelho que pode lhe tirar do restante da temporada. Além disso, Arboleda continua em transição física após passar por cirurgia no tornozelo esquerdo.

Além da cria de Cotia Luizão, o treiandor são-paulino teria à disposição para encarar os paranaenses apenas Léo, que cumpriu suspensão no clássico, e o lateral-direito Rafinha poderia ser improvisado no setor. O veterano esteve ausente no domingo pelo mesmo motivo.

Nesta terça, Ceni comandou atividades técnicas. Os atletas que atuaram por mais tempo contra o Palmeiras participaram de um trabalho de troca de passes e na sequência partiram para atividades mais leves.

O meia-atacante Nikão, que está em transição após avulsão no adutor esquerdo, fez atividades individuais e participou da última etapa do trabalho, quando Ceni separou duas equipes de dez jogadores para enfrentamento em campo reduzido.

Arboleda e o volante Gabriel Neves também foram ao gramado. O equatoriano segue em trabalhos de transiçãoe o uruguaio para atividades com a fisioterapia em meio à recuperação da lesão no ligamento colateral medial do joelho direito.

Alisson (dores na coxa direita), Miranda (lesão no ligamento colateral medial do joelho esquerdo) e Caio (cirurgia no joelho direito permaneceram no Reffis.

> Confira classificação, jogos e simule resultados do Brasileirão-22
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The Scottish Premiership table doesn’t lie, with reigning champions Celtic sitting pretty at the summit courtesy of a commanding 13-point lead over their closest title ‘rivals’.

That said, the shock 3-0 defeat away at Ibrox – as well as Tuesday’s thrilling 3-3 draw at Dundee – has shown that this Hoops side is far from the finished article, with Brendan Rodgers in need of further reinforcements if he is to kick on in the remainder of 2025.

While the midweek trip to Dens Park may have exposed the Glasgow side’s woes defensively, with Auston Trusty notably coming under fire from his manager, the attacking unit could also do with a fresh lick of paint, particularly amid reports that Luis Palma could be on his way before the month is out.

With Adam Idah having now failed to score in any of his last ten league outings – while Yang Hyun-jun has registered a measly total of six goals and assists in 49 total games for the club – the need for additional firepower is evident, with Rodgers far too reliant on the attacking trio of Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn and Kyogo Furuhashi. That triumvirate have netted 42 goals between them in 2024/25 in all competitions.

Thankfully, it would appear that new signings are set to lie in store for the Parkhead giants, all being well, with Rodgers and co seemingly looking to make a move for what could prove to be their next Jota…

Celtic's attacking transfer target

As reported by Daily Mail journalist Stephen McGowan, the Old Firm side are said to be weighing up a bid for Real Valladolid sensation, Raul Moro, with the 22-year-old also earning admiring glances from Ajax.

Transfer Focus

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

As per the report, the Dutch outfit are yet to firm up their interest in the promising Spaniard despite publicly confirming their admiration for the young winger, thus offering Celtic the chance to pounce should they so desire.

Any deal this month would require a significant offer, however, with Valladolid having set an asking price of around £8.5m.

That figure would be just behind what Rodgers forked out for both Idah (£9.5m) and Arne Engels (£11m) over the summer, as well as with the £9m signing of Odsonne Edouard back in 2018, thus potentially making it one of the biggest deals during his time at Parkhead should it go through.

Celtic could land the next Jota

Whether Celtic can edge the mighty Ajax to Moro’s signature remains to be seen, although it is certainly an encouraging sign for Rodgers and Co to also be in the equation, with the £17k-per-week forward deservedly catching the eye of late.

Indeed, the fleet-footed talent has been earning rave reviews ever since his days in the Barcelona youth set-up, no less, with his agent Junior Minguella having previously said of his time at La Masia:

That likeness to the great Argentine stems most notably from Moro’s diminutive 5 foot 6 frame, as well as his elite dribbling prowess, shown by the fact that he averages 1.9 successful dribbles per game in La Liga this season.

Stat (*per game)

Jota (2022/23)

Moro (2024/25)

Games

33

18

Goals

11

3

Assists

11

1

Big chances created

13

4

Pass accuracy*

80%

75%

Key passes*

1.9

1.5

Tackles*

1.2

0.8

Interceptions*

0.4

0.5

Successful dribbles*

1.5

1.9

Possession lost*

14.5

11.4

To put that into context, as indicated above, former Celtic talisman, Jota, was ‘only’ averaging 1.5 in that regard during his final season in the Premiership, indicating just what a wizard Moro truly is down the flanks.

While the former Lazio starlet – who, like Jota, also primarily operates on the left flank – does only have three goals and one assist to his name thus far in 2024/25, it is worth remembering the relatively limited impact of Jota in the senior game, before his move to Glasgow.

The Portuguese sensation had scored just three goals and registered only two assists in 34 games for Benfica, while also, ironically, enduring a mixed loan spell at Moro’s current side, Valladolid, where he scored just twice in 18 appearances.

The 25-year-old would then go on to rip up Scottish football with 54 goal involvements in just 83 games in that famous green and white shirt, with Moro – who has 13 goals and assists in 50 games in total in Spain – boasting all the credentials to potentially emulate his fellow winger.

Rodgers does already have Kuhn and Maeda to call upon in those wide roles, yet, as mentioned previously, quality competition and cover certainly needs to be on the agenda.

Celtic make enquiry to sign exciting star who could be their next Tim Weah

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers is seeking to improve his squad in January, so could a 21-year-old star be arriving in Glasgow on loan this month?

ByBen Gray Jan 16, 2025

Increasing numbers of top-level players are considering becoming T20 pros. The weak national economy and CSA’s transformation policy only provide them with added incentive

Firdose Moonda20-Jul-2016It is the year 2020. Kagiso Rabada has played for Sydney Sixers, Delhi Daredevils and Jamaica Tallawahs and is deciding between a return to Kent or making himself available for South Africa for a Test match. Rabada has not played for his country since 2018, in the World T20. He sat out 2019 because he chose the Pakistan Super League instead.You’ve heard these kinds of scenarios before, and perhaps you’ve even started to believe they will come to exist, especially if you are a follower of South African cricket.Why them in particular?With some of the most celebrated names in the game – think AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla, Dale Steyn – and a team that has until recently occupied top spot in Test cricket and hovered around there in ODIs, their players are in demand in T20 leagues and at home, and they increasingly have reasons to favour the former.While T20 leagues offer US dollar income and freedom from politics, playing for South Africa means being paid in declining rands, and a responsibility to nation-building, which involves buying into CSA’s aggressive transformation policy. The word from some former players is that the more valuable currency and the gigs with less baggage are likely to win out, despite the fierce loyalties bred through the South African school system that make players second-guess themselves.One former player told ESPNcricinfo that money will be “80%” to blame for the exodus. International player body FICA’s 2016 report painted a financial picture that showed the disparity that exists between centrally contracted national players and T20 mercenaries everywhere except in England and Australia (and presumably India, but their players do not have a union and so are not included in FICA reviews). A player who is part of three domestic T20 leagues a year takes home an average of $510,000. Cricket South Africa ($346,494), Sri Lanka Cricket ($234,500), New Zealand Cricket ($231,000), the West Indies Cricket Board ($225,625) and the Bangladesh Cricket Board ($67,935) all pay their players much less.For South Africans, whose currency has devalued 30% against the US dollar in the last 12 months, the monetary lure of earning foreign currency is too good to turn down. In a column for magazine in February, former Test opener Alviro Petersen he predicted that South Africa could lose their best players in 18-24 months.

South African cricket could end up being held to ransom by its headliners, and the cricket economy is such that there is little anyone can do to stop that

At the time Petersen used himself as an example. He was denied a no-objection certificate to play in the Masters Champions League because his South African franchise, Lions, wanted him to honour his contract with them. Petersen underlined what that cost him. “I could have earned what the Lions pay me in a year for just two and a half weeks at the MCL,” he wrote. “We might see some players decide to play Big Bash rather than play a Test series in December. This is reality! Watch this space…”As it turns out, several sources have confirmed two of South Africa’s top bowlers are considering exactly that. The Big Bash coincides with South Africa’s home series against Sri Lanka and there is an expectation of high-profile retirements from international cricket ahead of that.Money, though, will not be those players’ only reason for going. It is fast becoming an open secret in South Africa that the implementation of the transformation policy, which CSA is vehemently adhering to in a bid to have its ministerial ban against hosting major tournaments lifted, is causing players to question their commitment. Several players and administrators confirmed that the uncertainty around the application of the policy is causing concern (though none was willing to speak on the record about an issue that is sensitive and controversial and has cost people jobs).CSA maintains that there is no target at national level but has signed a memorandum of understanding with the sports ministry that requires it to field, at domestic level, teams that contain six players of colour, of which at least three must be black African. This has presented franchises and provincial teams with conundrums over the balance of their sides, but many coaches feel they are starting to settle into the new structure. However, at national level it gets more complicated, and a number of centrally contracted players are understood to be looking for options abroad because they feel they are being marginalised by the targets.Even for the rest, playing cricket for the national side is losing its appeal. FICA’s CEO, Tony Irish, told ESPNcricinfo that bilateral international cricket as a product, and as an experience for players, is struggling because players want “big crowds, close contests and matches that have context and sporting narrative”. T20 leagues offer all of those things and in a shorter time frame than international cricket, which is a factor, especially for players who have families, as Irish points out.That is where many of South Africa’s stars find themselves at the moment, with young children and partners who spend months living out of suitcases, and it has taken its toll on their performance. National coach Russell Domingo cited overwork as the main reason the team was unable to qualify for the final of the Caribbean triangular series this June. By the time they got there, some of them had come through their busiest summer season in recent memory, which included eight Tests, a World T20 and an IPL. Others then went straight from the West Indies tour into the CPL, and they will go from that into Tests against New Zealand and ODIs against Australia at home.South Africa’s packed schedule, coupled with a context-less international fixtures programme, is prompting players to consider pulling out of certain series to play T20 franchise cricket instead•Associated PressThe Australia fixtures, in particular, are an example of the kinds of matches that lack context. It is not too difficult to imagine players pulling out of that and other limited-overs series unless they can be persuaded to play on.That has already happened with Morne Morkel, who is understood to have been seriously considering retiring from limited-overs cricket after being left out of the World T20 squad. He was even due to play for Glamorgan over the South African winter. But he was included in the national squad to the West Indies – where he was only included in two out of six starting XIs – and convinced not to call it a day.Morkel is not the only one. Last season was dominated by reports of de Villiers pondering early retirement. De Villiers admitted there was “a little bit of truth” to the talk and spent several press conferences discussing the need for a more flexible schedule. In fact, he only recommitted fully to South African cricket after he was made permanent Test captain at the end of the England Test series.Several other former players saw that as a dangerous sign that some players are becoming too powerful. “These players know the system needs them and they know they can use that to their advantage. They can make threats about wanting to walk away, so in the end they get what they want,” one said.In effect, South African cricket could end up being held to ransom by its headliners, and the cricket economy is such that there is little anyone can do to stop that.The South African Cricketers’ Association remains of the view that “international cricket should still be the pinnacle for players”, but tempers that with a cautionary clause. “This needs to be balanced against also giving players some freedom to participate in vibrant T20 Leagues.”Irish feels that South African players have, up to now, been “pretty loyal to the country cause” but that “one can’t expect the best players in the world – and again this applies in all countries – to blindly commit to the country loyalty when there are more and more games without context and more and more one-sided matches played in half-empty stadia, when in the other market it’s the opposite.” He, along with his FICA colleagues, is pushing for a restructure of bilateral international cricket.Until that happens, South Africa’s administrators will have to continue to find ways to be flexible. They have already showed some signs that they are, at all levels. Dale Steyn was given an NOC to play in the NatWest T20 Blast during South African’s West Indies tour, though the official line was that he was supposed to be resting. In the women’s game Dane van Niekerk, Shabnim Ismail, Marizanne Kapp and Lizelle Lee will miss South Africa’s tour of Ireland because they were given permission to play in England’s Super League T20. CSA has recognised that for players to commit to a low-paying national cause, they have to be allowed to capitalise elsewhere, but they may also be hoping that international cricket realises the need to move towards a more football-like model before the players move it there themselves.