Test opener returns to club where he earned his route back to Australia squad in 2019

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Mar-2021Cameron Bancroft, the Australia Test opener, will return to Durham for the 2021 season, the club has announced.Bancroft captained Durham in both the County Championship and One Day Cup in 2019, prior to his call-up for that summer’s Ashes squad, and was described by the club’s director of cricket, Marcus North, as having a “positive influence” during his time with the club.Bancroft scored 726 runs at 45.37 in nine Championship games that season, and a further 377 runs at 94.25 in List A cricket, performances that helped to smooth his way back into the Test set-up after serving a nine-month ban for his role in Australia’s ball-tampering scandal in 2018.After missing out on the 2020 season due to the Covid-19 outbreak, Bancroft will return to Chester-le-Street once he has completed his Sheffield Shield campaign with Western Australia.”We are really pleased to welcome Cameron back to Emirates Riverside this summer,” North said. “He had a positive influence on and off the field during his time with us in 2019.He is currently having a fantastic summer down under for Western Australia and we look forward to him having a big impact for Durham when he re-joins the squad in May.”

Captain says they’ll use the series “as a way to gather a lot of info leading up to that T20 World Cup”

Daniel Brettig08-Feb-2021

Aaron Finch on the T20I series: “We’ll try to stick closely to the guys playing their roles that they’re accustomed to or where we’ll see them in the future playing”•Getty Images

Australia’s T20I captain Aaron Finch freely admits that the squad currently in New Zealand will be enormously different for the World Cup meant to be played in India later this year, meaning the tour lengthened considerably by a two-week quarantine period will be largely about fact-finding on fringe players and his own recovery from a dreadful Big Bash League.Finch did his best to completely avoid cricket during a 10-day sabbatical following the Melbourne Renegades’ second underwhelming BBL campaign in succession, the difference this time being that his own returns also dropped away alarmingly, tallying just 179 runs at 13.76 across 13 increasingly harried innings.Having crossed the Tasman on Sunday, the squad helmed by Australia’s senior assistant coach Andrew McDonald will provide an opportunity for Finch and the touring selector George Bailey to get a closer look at their options while the likes of David Warner, Steven Smith, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins are still at home.”The top three will be [Matt] Wade, [Josh] Philippe and myself,” Finch said. “Maxi [Maxwell] and Stoin [Stoinis], four and five, around that area. It’s pretty simple I’d imagine. When you look at the squad list, Josh Philippe has been in great nick and it’s great to see him playing well. Matty Wade, we know how dynamic he is along with Maxi. We’re going to be flexible with that top order as well. If that means Wadey or myself or Josh, whoever bats at three, it’ll be a great opportunity.”We’ll use this as a way to gather a lot of info leading up to that T20 World Cup, which means there might be a little bit of shuffling. But we’ll try to stick closely to the guys playing their roles that they’re accustomed to or where we’ll see them in the future playing. The result is not the be all and end all. I think building up and finding information, finding different ways our team can structure up is almost more important.”That sort of attitude will undoubtedly help Finch emerge from his BBL fog also. “Literally didn’t touch a bat during the 10 days I think I had off,” he said. “I’m feeling a lot better about my game – the one thing about when you’re out of nick or not getting any runs, you’re not quite sure where to turn, so putting the bat down for a while, just looking at some footage and assessing where you think your game was at and being realistic about it was as much as I needed to do.”I know I can still play, so it’s just about making sure when I turn up for these isolations training sessions I’m working on specific things and not just training for the sake of it. I feel pretty good to be honest, and that might sound pretty stupid coming off the back of not many runs. But it’s international cricket and I’m ready to go.”Finch on Josh Philippe: “When his head is still, he’s playing beautifully, and his wicketkeeping has been really good as well”•Getty Images and Cricket Australia

Philippe and the prodigiously talented young wristspinner Tanveer Sangha are two players Finch is particularly eager to get a closer look at. Assessing Philippe, Finch reckoned he was witnessing a future staple of the Australian top order at a key time in which he was learning how to balance good days and bad.”He’s someone who has obviously got all the shots but he’s starting to get to that point of his career, and I think a lot of that was on the back of having a couple of months of IPL where he spent a lot of time with AB [de Villers] and Virat [Kohli], talking about batting with myself,” Finch said. “He’s taken his game to a new level because he’s just getting past that period when he’s not hitting them well. When he’s playing well, it’s lights out, it’s brilliant.”But just those days when he’s not feeling 100%, he’s getting through that little danger period and still having a big impact on the game which I think is so important in T20. It’s such an up-and-down game, you’re not going to be consistent all the time but you can still contribute and he’s doing a brilliant job, he played fantastically well. When his head is still, he’s playing beautifully, and his wicketkeeping has been really good as well. That’s a great position for him to be in, coming here with a huge amount of confidence off the back of another Big Bash title.”As for the vacant Renegades coaching role, likely to be bid for by a wide array of candidates including Trevor Bayliss, David Saker and Simon Helmot, Finch did not hide his wish that there was more than one McDonald available, the better to play a key role for both club and country.”I would love Andrew back coaching the Renegades but I also think there’s a job for him to do with the Australian team and that’s the most important,” Finch said. “He’s doing a brilliant job around the group and with the bowlers as well, so yes and no is the answer. I’d love him back but what he’s doing at the moment is outstanding, he’s head coach of this tour, he’s as good as you get. I can understand if he’s not coach of the Renegades, but yeah.”The five-match T20I series will start on February 22 in Christchurch.

Chelsea have reached an agreement to let a £98 million player go, alongside their widely reported deal to sell Conor Gallagher to Atletico Madrid, but there is one key issue holding up the move.

Chelsea agree £34 million deal with Atletico to sell Gallagher

A multitude of reliable media outlets, including renowned transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, have claimed that Chelsea are ready to sell Gallagher to Atletico for around £34 million after shaking hands with the La Liga side.

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This comes after Diego Simeone's men opened discussions over the 24-year-old very recently. Atletico started talks to sign Gallagher from Chelsea last week, according to some reports, and it has not taken long for the Spaniards to find the middle ground in a potential deal.

The England star, who enjoyed a fine 2023/2024 campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, becoming a mainstay player and one of their most important squad members, was rewarded for his excellent form with a call-up to Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad for Euro 2024.

Gallagher started 37 Premier League games last season, scoring five goals and assisting his teammates on seven other occasions, but his contract expires next year and Todd Boehly risks losing the dynamic midfielder for nothing in 2025.

Cole Palmer

7.48

Conor Gallagher

7.13

Nicolas Jackson

7.07

Moises Caicedo

6.85

Noni Madueke

6.84

The Cobham academy graduate's sale would count as pure profit when it comes to Profit and Sustainability rules as well, meaning Chelsea chiefs are faced with making the unpopular decision to sell Gallagher this summer while they still can.

The Stamford Bridge side have attempted to tie the former Crystal Palace loanee down with a new two-year contract, which included the option of a third year, and would've put him in line with Chelsea's top earners in midfield.

However, Gallagher snubbed this proposal, and it is believed both Chelsea and Atletico are waiting on his final decision after both clubs found an agreement on his £34 million transfer fee.

"Understand Conor Gallagher turned down a new three year (2+1) contract extension at Chelsea today as well as in early June," wrote journalist Ben Jacobs on X earlier this week.

"Wages offered comparable to the highest earners in Chelsea's midfield. As reported, Chelsea have agreed a package with Atletico Madrid in excess of €40m including add-ons and will support a move to Spain if that's Gallagher's preference.

"No terms agreed yet. Aston Villa also had a club-record bid accepted for Gallagher in June but he decided to stay. Chelsea would prefer to sell Gallagher abroad than to a Premier League rival and the Atletico offer accepted is well below the one made by Villa."

As Chelsea wait on Gallagher, it is now believed they've agreed to sell another player to Aston Villa in a surprise development.

Chelsea agree to sell Lukaku to Aston Villa, but key issue stalls deal

Wantaway striker Romelu Lukaku is the subject of serious interest from Napoli, as the Serie A side speak with Chelsea over a deal for him with Victor Osimhen heading the other way (David Ornstein).

However, this hasn't stopped Villa from attempting to hijack Antonio Conte's move. According to Italian newspaper Il Mattino, via TUTTOmercatoWEB, Villa reached an agreement with Chelsea to sign Lukaku this week, but there's a key issue, as the Belgian only wants to reunite with Conte in Naples.

Chelsea want the 31-year-old, who cost £98 million to re-sign from Inter Milan in 2021, to accept a move to the Midlands – but Lukaku has set his sights on a return to the Italian top flight instead.

Called a "complete" striker by Leonardo Bonucci, Lukaku's best goalscoring seasons have come during his stints in Serie A. He even guided Inter to a Scudetto triumph during the 2020/2021 season under Conte, scoring 24 and bagging a further 11 assists in the league alone.

Whilst it's been a fairly quiet transfer window so far at St James' Park, Newcastle United are reportedly set to sign another future star in a move that would see them beat two of their top-flight rivals to his signature.

Newcastle transfer news

Perhaps limited by the Premier League's PSR rules, the Magpies are yet to steal the headlines this summer, signing the likes of Lloyd Kelly and Lewis Hall. Of course, there is still time for that to change, and with reports suggesting that Newcastle have made their first approach for Marc Guehi, manager Eddie Howe could finally receive some positive news.

The Crystal Palace and England defender would instantly become Newcastle's standout signing and replace the injured Sven Botman in Howe's starting side just under two weeks until the new Premier League campaign gets underway. And whilst Guehi potentially steals the spotlight, the Magpies could also seal a deal to sign a future star.

Related Alongside Osula: Newcastle could sign Isak 2.0 in "frightening" £45m talent

The Magpies have previously been linked with a move for the forward.

Posts ByEthan Lamb Aug 2, 2024

According to NUFC Blog, Newcastle are set to sign Kyle Fitzgerald from Galway United. The 17-year-old winger has also attracted the interest of Wolves and Brighton, but it is Newcastle who look set to win the battle for his signature. It's at St James' Park where he will seemingly join fellow Irish youngster Rory Finneran, who recently arrived from Blackburn Rovers.

One for the future, Fitzgerald represents the plan in place at Newcastle to create sustained success rather than becoming a flash in the pan as one of the Premier League's richest clubs these days.

"Exciting" Fitzgerald is one for the future

He may not be the big-money signing that will instantly ease the concerns of Newcastle fans, but Fitzgerald's reportedly pending arrival is still one that could prove important in years to come. Just 17 years old, the winger signed his first professional contract at Galway last season, earning the praise of manager John Caulfield as a result.

Caulfield told Galway's official website: "It’s fantastic for the club, he’s a local lad coming through with lots of talent. We’ve had lots of success the last couple of years with Alex Murphy going on to Newcastle United and David Tarmey coming through, and now Kyle signing a contract.

"Kyle’s an exciting technical player, he’s doing really well with the Ireland teams, too. We’re looking forward to working with Kyle and to continue his development and deliver on his undoubted potential with Galway United."

Months later, he's now seemingly set to follow Murphy by making his way to Newcastle. A potential long-term replacement for the likes of Miguel Almiron, Newcastle are planning for the future in abundance all whilst beating Premier League sides in the transfer market. Fitzgerald's development will certainly be one to watch.

Unai Emery is ramping things up at Aston Villa this summer as plenty of activity is expected over the next few weeks.

Moussa Diaby looks like he could be departing Villa, with Saudi outfit Al Ittiahd the club of choice, which could give the Spaniard some funds to work with.

A move for Jaden Philogene looks close to being agreed, with Villa resigning the player just a year after he left to join Hull City in the Championship.

Could there be a swoop for another attacking talent in the next few days, as Emery aims to bolster his team ahead of the 2024/25 campaign?

Aston Villa eye move for Serie A midfielder

According to Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, Villa are chasing a move for Napoli attacking midfielder Jesper Lindstrom this summer, along with Everton.

Antonio Conte will assess the player in training before making his final decision, but it looks as though the Italian side will accept an offer of around €30m (£25m) in order to sell Lindstrom.

This fee shouldn’t break the bank, especially if Diaby leaves in the coming days and a move for the Dane could see Emery form an impressive attacking duo next season…

How Lindstrom could fit alongside Philogene

Signing Philogene this summer could turn out to be a stroke of genius by Emery, especially considering how impressive he was in the second tier last term.

Goals

12

Assists

6

Big chances created

7

Shots on target per game

1.3

Successful dribbles per game

2.7

Key passes per game

1.6

Total duels won per game

7.6

Big chances missed

6

Across 33 games in all competitions, the youngster scored 12 goals while registering six assists, proving to Villa that they were silly to let him leave in the first place.

He can operate on either wing, but was more effective on the left flank, which could allow him to link up well with Lindstrom should the Dane make the move from Serie A to the Premier League.

The 24-year-old may not have scored at all during the 2023/24 campaign, but there is no doubting his quality in the number ten role. For Eintracht Frankfurt, Lindstrom registered 11 goal contributions in just 27 Bundesliga matches in the 2022/23 campaign, underlining how effective he was in the final third.

That season for the German side saw Lindstrom also created four big chances, average 0.7 key passes per game, succeed with one dribble per match and average 1.7 shots, demonstrating his effectiveness in an attacking midfield role.

U23 scout Antonio Mango dubbed the midfielder as “exceptional” back in 2022 and, despite his struggles with Napoli last term, he has already proven his worth in the Bundesliga.

Perhaps a fresh start would benefit the player and linking up with Emery could give him the confidence he needs to replicate his excellent 2022/23 campaign.

If so, the Spaniard could deploy him just behind Ollie Watkins, with Philogene operating on the left flank. This attacking setup certainly sounds like it could cause plenty of damage to opposition defences.

With Everton interested, Villa will need to act swiftly to secure his services, that’s for sure.

Dream for Onana: Aston Villa could sign £34m “duel monster”

The Midlands outfit has been busy indeed this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 17, 2024

Wolverhampton Wanderers may have lost Max Kilman during the summer transfer window, but rest assured, Gary O’Neil is working hard to bring in a replacement.

Of course, it won't be easy. Kilman made over 150 competitive appearances for the Old Gold after joining in 2018, eventually becoming their captain last season.

With just under a month to go until the end of the current window, O’Neil has plenty of time, but he must ensure his replacement can fill the large void left by the Englishman.

Could O’Neil be closer than we think to making that signing?

Wolves eye up Championship defender

Naturally, there have been a fair few links with numerous defenders in a bid to sign one or two this summer.

The latest news regarding O’Neil’s search comes from Fabrizio Romano, who said via X: “Maxime Estève could be one to watch in August as Premier League clubs are exploring move for Burnley CB.

“Wolves have asked for conditions, race open for Estève.”

Player

Club signed from

Appearances

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

Strasbourg

26

Jeremy Helen

Sheffield Wednesday

8

Sylvain Deslandes

Caen

8

Steven Mouyokolo

Hull City

7

Jereme Aliadiere

Arsenal

14

Jean-Manuel Thetis

Ipswich Town

3

Ludovic Pollet

RC Lens

85

Serge Romano

FC Martigues

4

It appears as though the Molineux outfit could be close to securing a swoop for the Burnley centre-back and he would make for a fine Kilman replacement.

Maxime Esteve’s season in numbers

The Frenchman played for two teams during the 2023/24 campaign. He started the season off with Montpellier, before joining Burnley in January for the second half of the Premier League season.

His performances in Ligue 1 clearly impressed Burnley enough to lure him to England. Across 12 games in the French top flight, Esteve averaged an 80% pass success rate, while keeping four clean sheets, winning 3.6 total duels per game – a success rate of 57% – and recovering 4.3 balls per game, showcasing his defensive talents.

He was slotted into the starting XI straight away upon his arrival at Turf Moor and began to prove exactly why the club went and signed him in the first place.

He finished the Premier League campaign with a pass success rate of 84%, while winning 4.4 total duels per game and recovering 3.9 balls per game, showing that the transition from France to England didn’t faze him at all.

In the top flight between January and May, Esteve ranked in the top 3% for interceptions (1.86), the top 9% for dribblers challenged (1.24) and in the top 5% for carries into the penalty area (0.14) per 90 among his positional peers, yet more evidence of how quickly he settled across the channel.

The defender is currently valued at €5.6m (£5m) according to Football Transfers, but the Championship side will be looking for a lot more than that for a player who only joined six months ago.

The youngster was hailed as “a true athletic phenomenon” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2022, and he has thrived since then.

O’Neil has a big gap to plug since selling Kilman to West Ham United. Could Esteve make the Englishman forget all about his former captain should he join the Old Gold this summer?

Only time will tell.

More creative than Ait-Nouri: Wolves explore move for £3m Neto replacement

Gary O’Neil is targeting another teenage signing after Pedro Lima…

ByRoss Kilvington Jul 24, 2024

Barcelona’s sporting director Deco has responded to questions of whether the Liga giants may be tempted to move for Erling Haaland or Viktor Gyokeres.

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• Prolific Pole going strong at age of 36
• Successor will be required at some stage
• Links to Man City & Sporting superstars

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Catalan heavyweights have no need for a new No.9 at present, with prolific Polish striker Robert Lewandowski filling that role. He is, however, 36 years of age and only tied to a contract through to the summer of 2026 – although a 12-month extension could be triggered if certain terms are met.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Barca will need to find another proven performer to lead their line at some stage, with there already talk of transfer raids being readied on the likes of Manchester City and Sporting. Deco, though, is reluctant to speculate on what could happen in future windows.

• WHAT DECO SAID

  Quizzed by on whether long-time target Haaland could end up at Camp Nou, Barcelona’s sporting director said: “First we have to know if Haaland is what we want in the future. We don't know now. Right now we don't want any 'nine'. We have Robert. We're not planning anything with any 'nine'. When the time comes to make a decision, I have to make it because I'm that one at the club, we'll consider the options. But I don't think it's the time to talk about any player.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Haaland has been a revelation for City – winning Premier League titles, the Champions League crown and two Golden Boots. Gyokeres is another that has been catching the eye with his strike rate at Sporting, but Deco added when asked if the Swedish sensation is a target on his radar: “He is a good player, he has been scoring goals for a long time in Portugal, we know him like many others but he is not our priority at the moment, nor are we looking for a number nine to replace Robert because we want him to remain happy, scoring goals and at least stay for another season. We have won things and he is happy to be here. We are not going to talk about any player now.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Nesta quinta-feira (14), o São Paulo recebe o Ceará no Morumbi, às 19h, em partida válida pela 26ª rodada do Brasileirão. O jogo seráo primeiro de Rogério Ceni em sua segunda passagem pelo Tricolor paulista, e vale pontos importantes na segunda metade da tabela.

RelacionadasSão PauloRogério Ceni aparece no BID como treinador do São Paulo e deve comandar a equipe contra o CearáSão Paulo13/10/2021Fora de CampoTorcedores ficam indignados com troca de Crespo por Rogério Ceni no São Paulo: ‘Estou com nojo’Fora de Campo13/10/2021Futebol LatinoMas já? Dois clubes sonham com a chegada de Hernán Crespo; confiraFutebol Latino13/10/2021

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA E SIMULE OS JOGOS DO BRASILEIRÃO DE 2021!

Atualmente na 13ª posição no campeonato, a semana do São Paulo foi bastante intensa. Após uma sequência de cinco empates, o treinador Hernán Crespo entrou em acordo com o clube nesta quarta-feira (13) para o término de seu vínculo e deixou o comando da equipe.

Quem assume é um velho conhecido. Rogério Ceni, ex-jogador e ídolo do Tricolor terá sua segunda passagem pelo clube como treinador. Após ser contratado ainda nesta quarta-feira, o técnico já foi incluído no BID e deve comandar a equipe no Morumbi.

+ Championship Manager 01/02 completa 20 anos: lembre promessas e jogadores ícones do game

O São Paulo tem incógnitas em sua escalação. A principal delas, assim como nas últimas rodadas, é na lateral direita. Recuperado, Orejuela está à disposição de Ceni e pode voltar a atuar, mas disputa posição com Igor Gomes. O colombiano foi motivo de polêmica na última semana após seu empresário criticar Crespo. Outro agente que fez o mesmo foi o de Benítez. O meia argentino também deve estrar na relação para a partida.

O São Paulo sofre, porém, com os importantes desfalques de Rigoni (lesionado) e Arboleda (seleção equatoriana). Galeano (trauma no tornozelo) e Igor Vinícius (pancada no olho).

O Ceará vem logo atrás do São Paulo na classificação, na 14ª posição. Com um ponto a menos em relação ao time paulista, o Vozão tem 29 pontos somados na tabela e está apenas dois pontos acima do 17º colocado. O Ceará, porém, tem um jogo a menos, contra justamente o 17º lugar da tabela, o Bahia.

Para a partida, Tiago Nunes não tem nenhum desfalque, contando com todo seu elenco para enfrentar o São Paulo de Rogério Ceni. Após duas rodadas sem vencer, o time espera voltar a somar três pontos e se distanciar da parte de baixo da tabela.

SÃO PAULO X CEARÁ
Local: Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo (SP)
Data e horário: 14 de outubro de 2021, às 19h
Árbitro: Paulo Cesar Zanovelli da Silva (MG)
Assistentes: Celso Luiz da Silva (MG) e Leonardo Henrique Pereira (MG)
VAR: Emerson de Almeida Ferreira (MG)
Onde acompanhar:Premiere, Tempo Real e em áudio na parceria LANCE!/Voz do Esporte.

SÃO PAULO
Tiago Volpi; Orejuela (Igor Gomes), Miranda, Léo e Reinaldo; Luan, Gabriel, Benítez e Gabriel Sara; Luciano e Calleri.
Técnico: Rogério Ceni.
Desfalques:Rigoni e Galeano (lesionados), Arboleda (seleção equatoriana) e Igor Vinícius (pancada no olho).

CEARÁ
Richard; Igor, Messias, Luiz Otávio, Bruno Pacheco; Marlon, Fernando Sobral, Lima, Vina; Rick e Cleber.
Técnico: Tiago Nunes.
Desfalques: –

After already losing Douglas Luiz to Juventus this summer, Aston Villa are now at risk of losing a second star player with Saudi Pro League side Al Ittihad reportedly reaching an agreement over personal terms.

Aston Villa transfer news

Whilst Luiz was swapping the Midlands for Italy, Villa were welcoming plenty of fresh faces in the opposite direction. Samuel Iling-Junior and Enzo Barrenechea both arrived in the opposite direction in the swap deal for the Brazilian, in between the arrivals of Ian Maatsen, Lewis Dobbin and Ross Barkley.

Maintaining their innocence on the profit and sustainability front as a result of Luiz's exit, Villa began to build a squad ready for the Champions League next season.

That squad could yet suffer another major blow, however. Luiz already left quite the gaping hole in Unai Emery's side and one that will now need to be filled by the likes of Barkley, Youri Tielemans and John McGinn, but another problem may now emerge.

According to Gianluigi Longari, Al Ittihad have agreed personal terms to sign Moussa Diaby from Aston Villa this summer and are ready to invest as much as €60m (£50m) to get the deal over the line. Alas, this would still see the Midlands club make a loss on their initial purchase, having signed Diaby for a reported club-record £52m last summer.

Aston Villa now set to lose "amazing" squad player with medical booked

The deal is reportedly progressing quickly…

1

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 11, 2024

It would be quite the move just one year on from his arrival, but with Villa reportedly in talks to sign Jaden Philogene, they may yet cash in and welcome an instant replacement. That said, given Diaby's place in their history books, such a deal just one year later should spark plenty of frustration.

"Versatile" Diaby still has another level to reach at Aston Villa

After just one season, Villa Park only truly saw glimpses of what Diaby is capable of at his best and a move away would end his time in the Premier League with a whimper more than anything.

With Villa now in the Champions League too, the 25-year-old has the chance to spend his prime on Europe's biggest stage and a stage he could help his side cause plenty of upsets on. That said, if personal terms are agreed, then Villa face an uphill battle to keep their star.

Moussa Diaby League stats (via FBref)	Bayer Leverkusen 22/23	Aston Villa 23/24
Appearances	33	38
Goals	9	6
Assists	8	8

The former Bayer Leverkusen star has earned plenty of praise throughout his career, including from France manager Didier Deschamps, who said via the official Bundesliga website: "He is able to evolve in different positions. In his club, he plays a little more on the sides.

"This year, it's a little more to the left than to the right, with freedom too. He has the option of using both feet. He's versatile, in addition to his ability to accelerate, he's rather skillful, he has a large volume of play. This desire that he has, the France team needs players of this type there too."

Seven West Media are entitled to a broadcast rights fee discount of as little as A$5 million from Cricket Australia due to changes in the schedule due to Covid-19, according to the independent arbitrator demanded by the free-to-air network.In a draft outcome understood to have been delivered to the warring parties on Tuesday night, the arbitrator Justin Jameson, of Venture Consulting, concluded that Seven should get only a tiny portion of the A$70 million reduction the debt-laden network had been chasing. The figure would rise to around A$8 million if the rescheduled Test match between Australia and Afghanistan does not go ahead next summer prior to the Ashes.While Jameson’s formal finding is still to be tabled, the heads-up was a source of some relief to CA, after an ugly and protracted campaign by Seven for massive cuts to their A$82 million-a-year share of the A$1.18 billion deal signed alongside Foxtel in April 2018.Led by their chief executive James Warburton, Seven have mounted all manner of arguments for a greater discount, from complaints about the quality of the BBL to allegations of a vast conspiracy between CA, the BCCI and Foxtel to move this summer’s limited-overs fixtures from January to November.Related

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• BBL beats season of uncertainty: 'There are moments when you hold your breath'

• Seven sues CA for not being centre of cricket universe

Seven had embarked upon ambitious cost-cutting campaigns last year, designed in part to raise the long-sinking stock price of Seven West Media. Cricket’s presence appears to have helped lift the network’s value significantly over summer: shares valued at just 13 cents in October are now trading at a relatively princely 54 cents – Seven’s highest share price since 2018.Ironically, the finding for an A$5 million discount to Seven’s fee would give it significantly less of a saving than the A$20 million believed to have been handed to Foxtel last year, an effective reduction of A$5 million a season for the remainder of the rights deal. CA has attempted to avoid slinging public mud back at Seven, particularly as the two organisations continued their operational relationship during the international and BBL schedules, but there has undoubtedly been a corrosive effect on relationships.In September, Seven stood in breach of its broadcast contract with CA for close to two weeks after paying only a portion of its scheduled cash instalment. At the time, Warburton heralded the arbitration process as his company’s right to determine “fair value”.”Putting aside the questions of breach,” Warburton had said, “in accordance with the contract Seven has invoked the right to appoint an independent expert to determine the fair value of the media rights against the expected schedule for the season compared to the originally published schedule.”The dispute reached arguably its lowest point in November, when Seven lodged a legal affidavit as part of “pre-discovery” action aimed at targeting schedule changes as being the result of convenience for India, CA and Foxtel rather than Covid-19. Private exchanges between CA’s head of commercial and broadcast, Steph Beltrame, and Seven’s head of sport Lewis Martin, were printed in the document and widely reported.That court action remains in play, although it remains to be seen how Seven’s multibillionaire chairman Kerry Stokes reacts to the underwhelming outcome of Warburton’s push for independent arbitration.Either way, the successful completion of the international home schedule, with vastly improved audiences for both Seven and Fox Cricket relative to India’s previous visit in 2018-19, plus the staging of the BBL in its entirety, left the free-to-air network’s protests largely in the realm of impressions and assertions rather than legally binding volumes of content.”With so much positivity around Australian cricket, it is disappointing that Seven West Media has again chosen to use the media to talk our wonderful game down,” CA’s acting chief executive Nick Hockley said in November after the affidavit’s release. “CA has maintained all along our commitment to delivering a thrilling summer of cricket and on behalf of all involved, be that governments, partners, players and staff, I’m proud to say we are doing just that. We remain confident in our contractual position.”