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Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson believes Jurgen Klopp is planning on moving to Mallorca when he departs Merseyside this summer.

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Klopp and wife Ulla renovating villa in MallorcaEx-Liverpool defender thinks couple will "retreat" to islandBalearic jewel famously popular with German visitorsWHAT HAPPENED?

The Liverpool boss stunned the football world last week when he revealed he had agreed to step down from his role at the end of the season saying he was "running out of energy." Those comments suggest the German will not be looking for a route back into management any time soon, and Lawrenson has revealed that Klopp and his wife, Ulla, have been busy renovating a mansion on the Spanish island of Mallorca.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT LAWRENSON SAID

Lawrenson, who won five league titles and a European Cup while a player at Anfield, let Ireland's radio in on a bit of a secret, stating: "I'm not sure I should tell you this, but it's not a massive secret. He's having a house built in Mallorca. I have a house not far away from where he's building his and I saw him the other month after a game and asked him how the house was coming along. Ulla his wife is in charge of all of that. He swore and said: 'The bloody thing's not even ready yet. And I'm paying all the bills!' So he's probably going to retreat to there for a while, I would suggest. It's not just a nice gaff, it's an absolutely fabulous gaff. It's sensational."

GettyTHE GOSSIP

The reports that the "gaff" in question is a 5,000-square metre villa purchased by the Klopps in the summer of 2022 for €4m (£3.4m/$4.3m). The property has reportedly been given a huge renovation in an effort to make the villa more energy efficient. The landscaping of the surrounding grounds are being managed by the company that designed Mallorca's Five-star Son Buyola Hotel.

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WHAT NEXT?

The Klopps won't lack for company in Mallorca. The Balearic island is so popular with Germans both as a tourist destination and as a place to live that is often jokingly referred to as Germany's 17th state. An incredible 4.5 million Germans visited the island in 2023.

The 38-year-old pace bowler will end an 18-year international career with a T20I against New Zealand in Delhi on November 1

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Oct-20172:39

Not easy being a fast bowler at 38-39 – Nehra

Ashish Nehra will end his 18-year international career with the T20I against New Zealand on November 1 at his home ground, the Feroz Shah Kotla. The 38-year-old Nehra was one of the few remaining active internationals among those who began their career in the 1990s. He is also set to retire from domestic cricket and the Indian Premier League, which played a key role in paving the way for his international comeback in 2016.Through his career, Nehra had to fight injuries. It was a marvel he played as long as he did after 12 surgeries and many other small setbacks. He often jokes that the injuries aren’t on his body, but that his body is stuck somewhere among the injuries. Nehra’s many comebacks and his awareness of his body is spoken of as an example by his contemporaries. Despite all the injuries, he made comebacks at important junctures: he was a World Cup winner in 2011 and led India’s attack to the semi-finals of the World T20 in 2016.Nehra made his international debut in a Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo in February 1999, and for a few years was a consistent presence in India’s limited-overs line-ups. He was a critical part of India’s run to the final of the 2003 World Cup. His 6 for 23 against England in that event – even as he fought illness and vomited on the sidelines – remain the best figures by an Indian in World Cups.Injuries soon struck. Between September 2005 and June 2009, Nehra did not play a single international match for India, but returned in the lead-up to the 2011 World Cup. Even in that tournament, he broke his finger while going for the catch of Pakistan’s last hope, Misbah-ul-Haq, in the semi-final. He missed the final.Nehra returned to domestic cricket for the 2011-12 season and continued to play for Delhi and zonal teams in first-class and List A competitions, while also playing the IPL. He turned out for four franchises between 2012 and 2016: Pune Warriors, Delhi Daredevils, Chennai Super Kings and Sunrisers Hyderabad. His most impressive season came with Super Kings in 2015, when he picked up 22 wickets to finish among the top five wicket-takers in that edition. That performance went some way towards his selection for the T20Is in Australia in January 2016, and the World T20 thereafter.When fit, Nehra was considered one of the smartest quicks to have played for India. Alongside Zaheer Khan, he was a mentor for many young fast bowlers. In a recent interview with ESPNcricinfo, he admitted he wasn’t sure “how long I can play for”. While this retirement announcement was largely expected, he didn’t rule out some sort of coaching role in the future as he likes to “share experience”.The most telling statement in the interview was: “The only one thing that is not happy that I am still playing is my body. I can play for another couple of years but it isn’t easy for a fast bowler at 38-39, especially considering the state of my body. At times when I wake up, especially in the winter in Delhi, my knees are so sore, it is half an hour before I can even leave my bed and am able to walk. I have had four surgeries in my ankle, plus my knee is always sore. But again, after half an hour or so I say to myself that I have to do it.”Nehra is yet to feature in the ongoing T20I series against Australia, with India having picked Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah in the first two matches. It is unlikely India will tinker with the combination for the series-decider on Friday.

Cristiano Ronaldo surprised the son of his former Real Madrid team-mate Marcelo by sending a special Christmas gift to Brazil.

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Pair spent nine years together at BernabeuWon domestic, continental & global prizesHave remained in contact since going separate waysWHAT HAPPENED?

The Portuguese superstar, who is now on the books of Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Nassr, spent nine years working alongside Marcel at Santiago Bernabeu between 2009 and 2018. The pair enjoyed considerable success together, claiming two La Liga titles, four Champions League crowns and three FIFA Club World Cup triumphs – while Ronaldo became Los Blancos’ all-time leading goalscorer.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ronaldo and Marcelo had a good relationship on and off the field in Madrid, with the duo often seen joking around on the training pitch, but CR7 opted to take on a new challenge when leaving Spain for Serie A giants Juventus.

DID YOU KNOW?

He has clearly stayed in touch with Marcelo, who is back in his native Brazil at Copa Libertadores winners Fluminense, as a unique present has made its way from the Middle East to South America. Marcelo’s son was the starry-eyed recipient of that parcel, with the youngster posting on social media after unwrapping a signed Al-Nassr shirt from the five-time Ballon d’Or winner: “Thank you so much Cris. I love you. You are my idol @cristiano”

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WHAT NEXT FOR MARCELO?

There had been talk of Marcelo following Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia when he brought a brief spell at Greek side Olympiacos to a close in February 2023, but he said of returning to his homeland: “We talked about this some time ago. I had some proposals to leave, not just there [Al-Nassr], but I needed to return here [Brazil], to my roots. Something told me that I had to go back.”

Manchester United outcast Donny van de Beek has sensationally offered himself to Barcelona as potential cover for the injured Gavi.

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Dutch midfielder struggling for game timeEndured a testing spell at Old TraffordLikely to be on the move in January windowWHAT HAPPENED?

The Liga giants are exploring their options heading towards the January transfer window. The intention at Camp Nou is to bring in another midfielder that can help to bolster Xavi’s ranks while teen sensation Gavi recovers from a season-ending ACL injury.

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A loan deal could be done in the winter window and, according to , Van de Beek is ready to answer the call in Catalunya. The Netherlands international midfielder has played just 21 minutes of football for United this season through two substitute appearances in Carabao Cup and Premier League competition.

DID YOU KNOW?

Van de Beek has struggled to make an impact since moving to Old Trafford from Ajax in 2020 and desperately needs a new challenge in order to get his faltering career back on track. He has already spent time on loan at Everton amid struggles for game time in Manchester and has made Barca aware that he would jump at the chance to join their cause.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR VAN DE BEEK?

Van de Beek is, however, already being lined up for a move to Serie A giants Juventus. Talks are said to be taking place there regarding a six-month loan in Turin, but the 26-year-old could shun interest from the Bianconeri were Barcelona to decide that he could slot into their squad alongside fellow countryman and former Ajax team-mate Frenkie de Jong.

Andre Onana was reportedly left fuming at his AFCON snub by Cameroon, with the Manchester United keeper asking: “Why did I come on a private jet?”

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Red Devils shot-stopper delayed journey to Ivory CoastArrived in time for tournament openerLeft out of matchday squad by head coach SongWHAT HAPPENED?

The Red Devils star figured for his club in a Premier League clash with Tottenham on Sunday, before immediately making his way to John Lennon Airport in Liverpool and catching a flight to the Ivory Coast in order to link up with his national team.

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He was unable to land in Yamoussoukro – where Cameroon were kicking off their Africa Cup of Nations campaign against Guinea – but did complete a 5,000-mile journey three hours prior to that game getting underway. Onana was still left out of Rigobert Song’s matchday squad, with Fabrice Ondoa taking on starting duties while Devis Epassy and Simon Ngapandouetnbu filled spots on the bench.

WHAT ONANA SAID

Onana reportedly had to be calmed down by former Liverpool and Senegal star El Hadji Diouf, with the 27-year-old shot-stopper said to have bellowed in the direction of Cameroon’s coaching team: “If I wasn't going to play or make the team, then why did I come here on a private jet?”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ONANA?

Onana has endured a strained relationship with Song, leading to him being sent home from the 2022 World Cup. An international retirement decision was reversed in order to join AFCON plans in 2024, but a man that has struggled for form at Old Trafford now has to convince his head coach that he should figure against Senegal on Friday – with the Indomitable Lions being held to a 1-1 draw in their opening game of another quest to savour continental glory.

The Sussex openers added an unbeaten 86 in the 21 overs possible on the opening day

ECB Reporters Network27-Apr-2018
ScorecardSussex openers Phil Salt and Luke Wells made an impressive start to their Specsavers County Championship game against Gloucestershire before rain swept in to ruin the first day at Hove.Salt, 21, was unbeaten on 54 and Wells had contributed 25 to a stand of 86 for the first wicket before rain arrived at 12.30pm. Umpires Martin Saggers and Russell Warren abandoned play at 4pm with no sign of an improvement in conditions after taking an early tea.After losing Chris Nash to Nottinghamshire during the winter Sussex are giving Salt, who is making only his tenth first-class appearance, a run as opener and although he played some false shots there was a lot to admire in his aggressive approach after Sussex had batted first following an uncontested toss.Australian Dan Worrall troubled both batsmen during a lively nine-over burst with the new ball up the slope. Salt came down the pitch to try and smear him through the off side and was then struck on the helmet by the next delivery when he misjudged a bouncer and needed to make repairs to his headgear.But in the last over before the rain arrived, Salt drove Matt Taylor for four then pulled his next ball over square leg for six. A single off the next delivery took him to his second Championship half-century from 59 balls which has included nine boundaries. Earlier, in the tenth over, he had taken three fours off Taylor with two drives through the off side and a pull to the midwicket rope.Wells, fresh from an unbeaten 102 on Monday in Sussex’s last match against Leicestershire, batted with more reserve but looked solid enough. His innings, from 66 balls so far, has included four boundaries.Gloucestershire, who won their opening Division Two game against Kent before losing to Glamorgan last week, used just Worrall, Taylor and Craig Miles and although Worrall in particular beat the bat on several occasions their trio of seamers could not make a breakthrough.Sussex made one change with left-arm spinner Danny Briggs making his first appearance of the season with legspinner Will Beer dropping out. Gloucestershire were without last year’s leading wicket-taker Liam Norwell and David Payne because of injury.

Aston Villa star Alisha Lehmann showed some invention with her bum as she promoted the viral soft drink PRIME on social media.

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Aston Villa star posts inventive promotional videoUses bum to topple bottle down stairsInstagram following laps up wacky vidGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

In the quirky video full of quick edits, Lehmann finds ever more bizarre ways to tumble a bottle of PRIME down a stair well to herself below. To the tune of JID's 'Surround Sound' she drops, throws and nods a bottle down before failing with a hip bump, causing her to resort to toppling the bottle with her behind. The video went down well with her 16 million Instagram followers. Lehmann also revealed that she is partial to PRIME's Cherry Freeze option, as she captioned the post: "Prime everywhere, that's my favourite flavour ❄️💘"

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Getty/TwitchDID YOU KNOW?

Lehmann's vast social media following were let in on a secret as the new year broke with the Swiss star posting a series of family photos that revealed that she had reunited with Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz after splitting up in November 2022.

Eagle-eyed Twitch viewers were also treated to the sight of Lehmann ticking off her partner for losing track of time after a marathon Call of Duty session on Tuesday evening.

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WHAT NEXT FOR ALISHA LEHMANN?

After a month of for the WSL winter break its back to work for the Swiss international when Villa take on Everton in the FA Women's Cup fourth round on Saturday. Lehmann will also hope for minutes in Villa's first WSL game back against Leicester on January 19.

New Zealand coach Mike Hesson said that on a pitch that did not provide a lot of assistance the side needed a bowler who could create opportunities, something Neil Wagner had done consistently

Firdose Moonda in Dunedin08-Mar-2017New Zealand’s brains trust may have spent Tuesday night sleepless as they mulled over which bowler to bench, in order to accommodate two spinners in their XI at the University Oval. In the end, they left out vice-captain Tim Southee, who has not been dropped in five years since India 2012, in a move that blind-sided everyone including the opposition.”I was surprised because he is their trump card. He and Boult have been phenomenal for New Zealand, in Test and one-day cricket so I was surprised to see him not playing,” Dean Elgar, South Africa’s centurion, said. “I know to play two spinners you have to sacrifice someone. But I was surprised because he bowls with a lot of control and brings the right-arm aspect to the bowling department.”Mike Hesson explained that once New Zealand had decided on their spin duo, they had to choose two of their “three very good seamers” to make up the rest of the attack. With Trent Boult the mainstay, the choice was between Southee and homeboy Neil Wagner, and Wagner won out.”We didn’t think there was a lot in the wicket and we needed one of the two seamers to be able to create things when there’s not a lot on offer, and Neil has done that consistently over the last few years. So that was relatively straightforward,” Hesson said. “It’s certainly something Kane, myself and senior players spent some time tossing over and I think no matter which way we went it would have been a difficult decision. Whoever missed out would have felt a bit miffed.”A sullen Southee was spotted throughout the first day but he wasn’t the only one who would have felt hard done by. Colin de Grandhomme, who has impressed in this home summer, made way for Jimmy Neesham, who is regarded as a better batsman, for tactical reasons. “If we thought the wicket was going to seam then we would have played Colin de Grandhomme. It hasn’t seamed this year and it didn’t seam today,” Hesson said.Hesson conceded that the real test of whether there is any movement on offer will come when South Africa take the field and Vernon Philander has the ball in hand.Elgar is confident that even if there isn’t much for Philander to exploit, South Africa’s attack is good enough to make inroads despite having picked only one specialist spinner in Keshav Maharaj.”I’m going to say our bowlers will perform brilliantly,” Elgar said. “We are fortunate to have similar wickets, like at St George’s Park, where we play good cricket and the wicket is very similar with regards to the pace. Our bowlers seem to have a lot of success there.”Even though Elgar found his most free-scoring period when the New Zealand quicks were using the older ball post-lunch, he believes the South Africa’s speedsters could pose real problems for New Zealand, especially with the new ball. “Having a little bit of extra pace on the ball seems to be key, which is why I find it a bit odd that Neesham didn’t bowl a bit more because he does bowl a quicker, heavier ball. We’ve got Morne and KG who can crank it up to 145-plus, which could work in our favour in this kind of wicket,” Elgar said.Before South Africa get to that, they will want to ensure they give their bowlers enough to work with. After losing four wickets on a slow first day and with two batsmen well set, they could already be rethinking their estimation of what they would like to end up with. “We were looking at about 250-280 at about tea time but now being in a good position after not losing a wicket in the last session we can readjust,” Elgar said. “I think 350 is maybe a 450 on that wicket just because of the slowness of the wicket.”The pace of the match is a concern for other reasons too. The scoring rate on day one eked over 2.5 to the over, and with rain around on the weekend, there is already suggestion there may not be enough time for anything other than a draw. Hesson, however, thinks it’s too early to look further than the next day or two. “Any time you play against South Africa, it’s always a result pitch,” Hesson said. “Dunedin has put on a cracking day today and I wouldn’t expect it to be much different the next couple of days. As for the weekend, when you live on the coast, predicting the weather two days out can be a bit of a guessing game.”

Alastair Cook’s decision to resign from the England captaincy stemmed from his reservations about “how much he had left in the tank”, according to Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricketSpeaking at Lord’s on the day it was confirmed that Cook, 32,

Andrew Miller06-Feb-20171:57

Dobell: Cook served England with distinction

Alastair Cook’s decision to resign from the England captaincy stemmed from his reservations about “how much he had left in the tank”, according to Andrew Strauss, England’s director of cricket, who says that the ECB expects to be able to name his successor within a fortnight, ahead of the one-day squad’s departure for the Caribbean on February 22.Speaking at Lord’s on the day it was confirmed that Cook, 32, would be standing down from the captaincy after a record 59 Tests in charge, Strauss praised the considered manner in which his former opening partner had reached his decision. The timing of Cook’s announcement leaves his successor – almost certainly Joe Root – a full four months of preparation before England’s next Test series against South Africa in July.”This wasn’t one of those situations when it was right for me to persuade him to carry on,” Strauss, from whom Cook inherited the captaincy back in 2012, told Sky Sports at Lord’s. “I’ve been there myself. You either know if you have got it in you to carry on, or, deep down, you know it’s time to step aside.”He did it the right way. He didn’t jump to conclusions, he allowed the dust to settle after the India tour, he took some time to speak to the people closest to him, whom he trusted. I support and understand that decision.”Cook’s resignation had been on the cards ever since the tour of India in December, which finished with back-to-back innings defeat for a dispiriting 4-0 scoreline. As he had indicated at the time, Cook chose not to make a snap decision, but instead took the opportunity to take stock before informing Strauss of his intentions when the pair met up in January.”When the India tour finished, Alastair said to everyone that he’d sit down with me and talk things through,” Strauss said, “both the learnings from the India tour and what the England team could do to get better, but also his own position.”We met up in January and I was interested to see how he had fared in India. I know how draining the England captaincy can be, especially on a long tour away from home when you are on the wrong end of the result.”So we had a conversation around that, and it was pretty clear that Alastair knew how much drive, determination and energy was going to be required of the England captain in the next 12 months or so.”He had some thoughts and reservations about how much he had left in the tank as England’s longest-serving Test captain, and it was right that we didn’t jump to conclusions, and let the dust settle. I allowed him to go away and think further. But, over the last ten days or so, it was clear his mind was made up.”Andrew Strauss discusses Alastair Cook’s decision to stand down as England captain•Getty ImagesDespite the speculation that has surrounded the role, Strauss insisted that the search for Cook’s successor would only now begin in earnest.”There is a process to go through,” he said. “It would have been entirely wrong for me to have spoken to other players about the captaincy before Alastair stepped down, and especially while two important white-ball series were going on in India.”Now’s the chance for myself and selectors, and the coach, to have conversations amongst ourselves and some players in the England environment, to get an understanding of who the right person is, what their philosophy is, and how they intent to take the team forward, so that when we come to announce the new captain, we are sure he’s the right man.”Although Root is the outstanding candidate to inherit Cook’s role, his lack of captaincy experience is a justifiable concern – he has led in only four matches to date in his first-class career. Strauss, however, played down that aspect of his candidature.”That is the reality in this day and age,” he said. “It’s very hard for England players to get a great deal of county captaincy experience. But on one level there’s only so much you can do to prepare yourself. I think playing in the set-up for a number of years and understanding the demands is more important.”[Cook’s decision] gives the new captain a huge amount of time to get used to the idea and have conversations about off-the-field stuff with the coaches and support staff, so that when he steps on the field for the first time as England captain in July, a lot of that stuff will already be taken care of.”He added: “Joe has done a very good job as vice-captain. He’s matured a lot over the last two years and there is absolutely no reason he won’t be one of the strong candidates.”For the time being, however, Strauss preferred to focus on Cook’s own contribution as England captain, which included 24 Test wins, two Ashes victories, and memorable series wins in India and South Africa.”I honestly believe he deserves to be looked upon as one of England’s great captains,” Strauss said. “I also think the great measure of a leader is what the people who played with you and under you feel about you. I’m certain that there isn’t a single player in that dressing room right now who doesn’t think Alastair has done an unbelievable job as England captain.”More than anything, he has had that personal touch. He has shown empathy for people and he’s understood just how difficult it can be to play for England. He’s had the time and inclination to help people through that. As he walks away he can do so with his head held exceptionally high knowing he gave absolutely everything to the role.”His record stands for itself as England’s longest serving captain and the longest serving one day captain as well. To combine that longevity with his individual performances is a testament to his drive and character. He was certainly never in it for personal glory.”

Sunday evening's 2-0 defeat to Arsenal was a reminder that Newcastle United have not quite reached the desired pedestal despite exemplary work in the Premier League this season.

Having failed to qualify for the Champions League for 20 years, Eddie Howe's outfit have waltzed into top four reckoning this season and perch in third place with just four matches to play, a point above fourth-placed Manchester United and two points above Liverpool – who have played an extra game – in fifth.

Newcastle do remain a distance behind title-chasing Manchester City and Arsenal, and must now look to make apt signings to edge closer to the very forefront of the division, and bolstering the offensive ranks with someone of Harvey Barnes' ilk would be a sterling way to continue the improvements.

According to the Daily Mail, the Leicester City ace could depart from the King Power Stadium this summer, yet to enter contract negotiations with his current deal set to expire in 2025.

The report states that the winger was valued at £60m when the Magpies inquired about his availability this time last year, with Premier League rivals Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur supposedly considering a move. They are joined in their interest by the Toon who still hold an admiration for the player.

Should Newcastle sign Harvey Barnes?

Despite United's newfound affluence since the £300m PIF takeover in October 2021, the deals forged on the transfer front have been shrewdly worked and embody the well-worked strategies implemented; a structural organisation fit for a team searching for success at the highest level.

One deal that has not quite cut the grade thus far is the £45m acquisition of 21-year-old winger Anthony Gordon, who has flattered to deceive across his 12 outings for the side since his January arrival, yet to score or assist.

Unquestionably, the Liverpudlian is a talented prospect and could yet forge a successful career at the highest level, but he's not there yet and currently yields a seasonal Sofascore rating of just 6.66 in the Premier League, hardly exuding confidence with his average of 1.2 shots and 0.5 key passes per outing.

Barnes, retrospectively, has exhibited an impressive cutting edge for his team over the past few years, integral in sustaining the offensive fluidity when Leicester were at their free-flowing best under Brendan Rodgers and prolific during the current campaign, providing a reliable striking outlet despite the club's perilous Premier League position.

Across the duration of his City career, the £40k-per-week star has scored 42 goals and supplied 32 assists from 183 appearances, winning the FA Cup and Community Shield and being singled out as "unbelievable" by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp for his exploits.

The one-cap England international has indeed been a menace in front of goal this term, scoring ten league goals from 30 outings, with his talismanic aura aiding his side greatly in the fight to preserve top-flight status, above 18th-placed Nottingham Forest only on goal difference with four matches to play.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals per 90, indeed encapsulating his clinical prowess and reminding the likes of Howe of the impact that he could make on Newcastle's fortunes.

He could be the "catalyst" – as he has been dubbed by his Leicester manager – for the next phase of the Toon team's ascension, and as the Magpies continue their skywards flight, Barnes' prospective inclusion could spell danger for all who oppose their claim for a spot at the top.