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Newcastle United have failed to build on the progress they showed last season as they currently remain way off the top four in the Premier League table.

It's safe to say that injuries have played their part throughout the 2023/24 campaign, with Eddie Howe rueing the fact his squad has been disrupted, which has prevented them from taking the next step – with Jamaal Lascelles the latest to be struck down.

Unless results drastically change, the Magpies may find themselves missing out on European football altogether next season, which could potentially have ramifications with regard to the transfer market.

Will players want to join the club if they are not in continental competition? As Howe looks to strengthen his first team squad over the summer.

Newcastle United transfer news

Since being taken over by the Saudi Public Investment Fund in October 2021, the club have managed to attract players such as Alexander Isak and Anthony Gordan, with plenty more in the pipeline if Howe has his way.

According to Fabrizio Romano (via Transfer News 24/7), the Magpies are showing interest in OGC Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo ahead of the summer window opening in a few months.

Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool are also keen on luring the player from France this summer, with the North East appearing to be way down in the pecking order considering their league status at present.

Nice have set an asking price of around £40m if any club wishes to sign him, and this is certainly within Newcastle’s budget.

The club have enjoyed plenty of success by signing players from France previously, especially with one current first-team player emerging as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League – Bruno Guimaraes.

Bruno Guimaraes' statistics at Newcastle United

The Brazilian joined the Magpies in January 2020 – just months after their takeover – from Lyon for a transfer fee in the region of £40m.

This move signalled a big statement of intent by the club that they were ready to challenge the elite and begin to move towards the top six.

Bruno Guimaraes' stats this season
Metric	Champions League	Premier League
Goals	0	3
Assists	1	5
Key passes per game	0.8	1.5
Big chances created	1	8
Accurate passes per game	39.3	52.4
Via Sofascore

Five goals and one assist during his first six months at Newcastle proved that he was going to be an excellent signing, before taking his game to the next level last term.

The club finished fourth in the top flight, with Guimaraes scoring four times and grabbing five assists. Not only that, but the 26-year-old also ranked first for accurate passes per game (43.1) among his teammates in the Premier League, along with ranking second for key passes per game (1.3), fourth for successful dribbles per game (1.4) and first for tackles per game (2.4), clearly showcasing his talents across a wide range of metrics.

He has continued this form in the current team, adding eight goal contributions in the league from the heart of the midfield, and much of Newcastle's success depends on whether the former Lyon gem remains at his peak.

It is clear Howe struck gold by signing Guimaraes two years ago. Could he repeat this coup by securing Todibo’s signature during the summer transfer window?

Jean-Clair Todibo’s statistics this season for Nice

The 24-year-old has missed only four Ligue 1 matches for his club this term, showing a solid level of consistency which suggests he could become a mainstay in the Newcastle starting XI should he make the move.

Todibo’s performances have been impressive this term, showcasing his passing and defensive abilities on a regular basis. Across his 22 league matches, the defender has completed an impressive 90% of his passes per game while averaging 98.4 touches, showing that he is willing to get involved at all times.

Todibo has also won 58% of his total duels per game while making two tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 3.5 clearances per game, showing plenty of evidence that his defensive skills are something Howe desperately needs.

The Frenchman was hailed as a “Rolls Royce” of a defender by talent scout Antonio Mango and with the player standing at 6 foot 3, his physical presence could be another main bonus for Howe.

When compared to his positional peers, Todibo currently ranks in the top 8% for progressive passes per 90 (5.52), the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.69) and the top 17% for progressive carries per 90 (1.04), demonstrating his forward-thinking capabilities and ability to bring the ball out from the back with ease.

Newcastle have conceded 48 top flight goals this term – the ninth-worst total in the division – which is a clear indicator that Howe must improve his defensive options ahead of next season.

Sven Botman could be an ideal partner for Todibo next season, although he is out injured having suffered another ACL injury which will require surgery.

How Todibo could fit in at Newcastle

Like the Frenchman, Botman also has a wonderful passing ability, evidenced by the fact he currently has a 91% pass success rate in the Premier League this season, along with winning 62% of his total duels per game, losing possession just 6.2 times per game and making 1.2 tackles each match.

These statistics prove that he could form a formidable duo with Todibo at the heart of the Newcastle defence, with the pair extremely suited to each other considering their attributes.

Howe will miss the 24-year-old during the final few weeks of this season and the opening months of 2024/25, thus heightening the need for another centre-back during the summer transfer window.

If the former Bournemouth manager can fight off the likes of Liverpool and Man United for Todibo’s signature, he will be significantly improving his starting XI.

Once Botman returns to the field, the pair could be the defensive duo that Howe has wanted, and they could return Newcastle to the top four once again, securing qualification for the Champions League.

As previously mentioned, this could depend on how the club ends the season. With ties against Tottenham Hotspur, Fulham and Everton to come over the coming weeks, they will need to be at their very best to finish in as high a position as possible.

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He’s also subject to interest from another Premier League side.

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Mar 28, 2024

Big picture
After all the promise of a competitive ODI series, the T20Is have been something of a damp squib. Pakistan brought their top form to both weekend games, and illustrated the chasm that evidently exists between a Pakistani side that’s rapidly improving and a Zimbabwean unit that needs improvement desperately. teams As you might expect, if these two teams simply go through the motions, Pakistan will nearly always emerge on top and do so with relative comfort.If anything, the hosts may be slightly disappointed they weren’t challenged further to be able to assess how well some of the youngsters afforded opportunities this series would fare in that scenario. Haider Ali and Usman Qadir have both excelled, but they could have been undergoing net sessions for all the intensity of the contest. Haris Rauf’s pace has been enough to get him a cluster of wickets, but he may have to demonstrate more nuanced skills against more competitive opponents. And while Babar Azam has scored two sumptuous half-centuries, you wouldn’t expect any less of him against the quality of bowling he has faced; if anything, his frustration must centre on a failure to remain at the crease to knock off the winning runs. Pakistan have just turned up and not more, and so far, it’s been more than enough.Much of that is down to Zimbabwe. The visitors haven’t come close to a level of performance they will believe they are capable of. In two of the three ODIs, Zimbabwe pushed themselves to the limit. But in the T20Is, even the in-form batsmen have floundered, while with the ball and in the field, Chamu Chibhabha’s side has been – at best – lacklustre.You could level more scathing criticism at Chibhabha himself, who arguably shouldn’t be anywhere near this side based on his numbers over the past several years. When a frontline batsman who averages 13.24 over the past four years leads the side out on a challenging tour, it is of little surprise if he returns just 34 runs in five innings. It’s a level of performance that’s unacceptable for any international side whatever the ranking, and when the middle order doesn’t bail Zimbabwe out – as on Sunday – they fall apart alarmingly quickly.Form guide

Pakistan WWWLW
Zimbabwe LLLLW
Wesley Madhevere looked good while he was out there•AFP via Getty Images

In the spotlightThese are uncertain times for Fakhar Zaman, for whom being the leading run-scorer in the recent National T20 Cup doesn’t seem to have brought international T20 runs. In the format he should be most useful at, at home and against a mediocre attack, Zaman’s lack of confidence has been laid bare by the manner of his dismissal on Sunday. A low-percentage, ill-timed drive straight to mid-on sent him back for 5, the 16th consecutive T20I innings in which he has failed to reach 40. In that time, he has crossed 25 only once, and for all his domestic form, Zaman wouldn’t be able to complain if the Pakistan selectors – who have shown uncharacteristic patience with him – get twitchy fingers after another failure on Tuesday.Despite being the highest run-getter for Zimbabwe in the ODI series, Brendan Taylor’s twin failures in the T20Is may signal a deeper malaise. He, too, has crossed 40 in T20I cricket just once in the past 16 innings, though he has continued to produce cameos fairly regularly. But against Pakistan, he will need to take more leadership at the top of the innings, especially with Chibhabha out of form. If anything, it may relieve some pressure off the young shoulders of Wesley Madhevere, and give his bowlers something to defend if Zimbabwe are to bat first again.Team newsPakistan maybe open to some experimentation in the bowling. Mohammad Musa will be itching to get a game, while even Rohail Nazir could get a call-up with the series sealed.Pakistan (possible): 1 Fakhar Zaman, 2 Babar Azam (capt), 3 Haider Ali, 4 Mohammad Hafeez/Abdullah Shafique, 5 Mohammad Rizwan/Rohail Nazir (wk), 6 Khushdil Shah, 7 Imad Wasim/Faheem Ashraf, 8 Haris Rauf, 9 Wahab Riaz, 10 Mohammad Musa, 11 Mohammad HasnainZimbawe have been somewhat cautious, never quite ringing the changes this series. It would be a surprise to see that change, though with the series gone, they can afford to experiment.Zimbawe (possible): 1 Chamu Chibhabha (capt), 2 Brendan Taylor (wk), 3 Sean Williams, 4 Wesley Madhevere, 5 Craig Ervine, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Elton Chigumbura, 8 Tendai Chisoro, 9 Carl Mumba, 10 Richard Ngarava, 11 Blessing MuzarabaniPitch and conditions
The pitches prepared for this series have been dry and flat, and expect that to remain unchanged tomorrow. Rain should not be a factor.Stats and trivia

• Sikandar Raza has batted 34 times in T20Is without being dismissed for a duck. The only active internationals with longer streaks are Kusal Perera (46), Faf du Plessis (47) and David Miller (68)
• Azam has scored six half-centuries in his last nine T20I innings
• Taylor needs 99 runs to become just the second Zimbabwe batsman after Hamilton Masakadza to tally 1000 runs in T20I cricket

Newcastle United have endured a difficult 2023/24 campaign as they have failed to kick on after they qualified for the Champions League last season.

Eddie Howe's side finished in the top four in the Premier League to secure European football and reached the final of the League Cup last term, but things have not gone as well this time around.

The Magpies are currently tenth in the top-flight, have been knocked out of both domestic cup competitions, and finished bottom of their Champions League group.

Change could be on the horizon during the summer transfer window if Newcastle do not enjoy a terrific end to the season, as the head coach could look to make alterations to his playing squad to bounce back next term.

One player who could be on their way out of St. James' Park is Sean Longstaff, who has been linked with a move away from the club, and Howe may already have a homegrown replacement for the midfielder in U21 starlet James Huntley.

Latest Newcastle United transfer news

According to a report from the Sunday Mirror (17 March, page 66), via Sports View, Championship side Leeds United are lining up a swoop to sign the English metronome at the end of the season.

Longstaff's current contract with the Magpies is due to expire at the end of the 2024/25 campaign, and the Whites are looking to take advantage of that by making a move for him this summer.

He will only have 12 months left on his deal later this year and Newcastle could be forced to either cash in on him or risk losing the academy graduate for nothing in 2025.

The report claims that the club have had preliminary talks with the central midfielder over a contract extension on Tyneside, but it remains to be seen whether or not they will be successful in their attempts to tie him down.

It states that Leeds, who are currently top of the Championship and on course to seal promotion to the top-flight, are eyeing up a £15m deal to secure his services.

That could help Newcastle with their own desire to bolster the squad as that £15m would be pure profit, given that Longstaff came through the academy rather than being bought for millions from another team.

Sean Longstaff's performances this season

The Magpies may also benefit from cashing in on Longstaff on the pitch as the English dud's performances this season have been far from convincing.

Across 25 appearances in the Premier League this term, the 26-year-old lightweight has failed to make a big impact in or out of possession for Howe's side.

He currently ranks within the bottom 38% of his positional peers in the top-flight for pass completion rate (80.7%), the bottom 14% for shot-creating actions (1.61) per 90, and the bottom 39% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.08) per 90.

This shows that Longstaff, who is also in the bottom 17% for progressive carries (0.66) per 90, has been wasteful with his use of the ball, as he has given possession away more than the average midfielder in the league whilst also being below average as a creator.

The academy graduate also ranks within the bottom 34% or lower of midfielders in the Premier League for tackles (1.75), interceptions (0.52), clearances (0.76), and aerial battles won (0.43) per 90 respectively.

These statistics show that the Toon lightweight, who has lost 53% of his duels in the division, has been below average defensively and in possession as a passer and creator. Although, Longstaff has scored four goals in his 25 league outings, which shows that he does offer a goal threat from midfield.

His struggles at both ends of the pitch were on display in Newcastle's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on Saturday, as you can see in the table below.

Sean Longstaff	Against Manchester City
Minutes played	62
Sofascore rating	6.4
Duels won	1/4
Pass accuracy	77%
Key passes	0
Stats via Sofascore

The Leeds United target was sloppy in possession, with zero chances created and a 77% pass accuracy, and was dominated in the physical battle, with one duel won out of four contested.

Therefore, the Magpies could decide to rake in £15m from Daniel Farke's side for Longstaff to boost their own transfer budget, given his poor displays this term, and Howe may already have a homegrown replacement for him in the form of Huntley.

Why James Huntley could be Longstaff's replacement

The academy starlet, who earns less – per Salary Sport – (£760-per-week) than his former U21s teammate Lewis Miley (£2k-per-week), is a promising young central midfielder who could emerge as a first-team option.

Miley's emergence – with 27 first-team appearances this season – shows that Howe is willing to dip into the youth team to find solutions to problems within his senior squad.

Huntley could now follow in his former teammate's footsteps and come through as a homegrown heir to Longstaff's position in the team, should the club decide to move the 26-year-old dud on this summer.

The 20-year-old youngster showcased his quality against first-team opposition in the form of Crewe in the EFL Trophy earlier this season, as you can see in the table below.

James Huntley	Against Crewe
Minutes played	90
Sofascore rating	7.7
Goals	1
Key passes	1
Duels won	6/16
Tackles + interceptions	3
Stats via Sofascore

Huntley scored Newcastle's only goal from the spot in a 2-1 loss but also showcased his combative nature with two tackles, one interception, one block, and one clearance to win six duels.

Whereas, Longstaff has only won 3.3 duels per game on average and averaged less than one key pass (0.6) per match in the Premier League this season.

This suggests that the potential is there for the U21s maestro to offer more than the first-team dud as a competitor and creator in midfield, if he can translate that level of performance over to the senior team.

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Huntley has also chipped in with contributions in the final third throughout his time in the academy, with three goals and three assists in 32 U21 outings, after a return of four goals and four assists in 37 matches for the U18s.

These statistics show that the Magpies youngster is a midfielder who can compete to win duels and win possession back for his side more often than Longstaff whilst also being able to offer quality at the top end of the pitch with goals and assists.

Therefore, the 20-year-old gem, who still has plenty of time left to develop and improve further, could emerge as a dream homegrown replacement for the Leeds target and follow in Miley's footsteps if Howe offers him a chance to impress.

Glasgow Rangers head into this weekend's Old Firm clash with a chance to gain a psychological boost in the Premiership title chase.

The Gers are currently second in the league table, a point behind Celtic, although they have a game in hand against Dundee next week.

It has been a remarkable turnaround by the club since Philippe Clement took over in October, as prior to that, Michael Beale was on the verge of a crisis.

Three defeats in the opening seven Premiership matches threatened to derail a title challenge before Halloween, yet the Belgian has saved the day and has the Light Blues on the cusp of a stunning treble.

Beale did do some decent business in the transfer window. He signed Jack Butland, who has been in wonderful form throughout the season, registering 23 clean sheets across 48 matches, while Abdallah Sima and Dujon Sterling have also been impressive.

The Englishman also managed to secure a transfer fee of nearly £5m for Glen Kamara, who joined Leeds United, while striker Antonio Colak also departed the Gers after just one season in Glasgow.

Kamara has since shone for Leeds in the Championship this term, yet Colak has failed to replicate his form in front of goal that he displayed at Rangers during 2022/23, struggling for Parma this term.

How much Rangers sold Antonio Colak for

Despite being one of the Gers most consistent goal threats under Giovanni van Bronckhorst, Colak found himself out of the team on a regular basis when Beale took over.

An injury suffered prior to the enforced hiatus due to the World Cup ruled the striker out for five games, and he struggled to assert himself in the starting XI upon his return.

Although the likes of Alfredo Morelos and Ryan Kent left the club following the expiration of their contracts at the end of last season, Colak clearly found himself frozen out of Beale’s future plans.

Metric

Premiership

Champions League

Goals

14

0

Assists

1

0

Shots on target per game

1.2

0.2

Big chances missed

10

2

Total duels won per game

1.6

1.5

Serie B side Parma came in for the Croatian striker during the summer transfer window and a bid of £2.5m was accepted by the Light Blues, as Beale needed some funds in order to complete a few transfer deals of his own before the start of the season.

Considering they had only paid £1.8m to secure his services a year prior, it was a solid piece of transfer business by the club, ensuring they made a profit on the player.

Antonio Colak’s statistics for Rangers

Colak had clearly made an impression on the Rangers' hierarchy as early as 2021, scoring twice against the Gers in a Champions League qualifier when playing for Malmö, which sent the Ibrox side packing.

Although not the nimblest of centre-forwards, Colak certainly knew where the goal was and enjoyed a decent start to life in Glasgow after being dubbed “experienced” by the Dutchman.

Not only did he score three goals in the Champions League qualifiers – including the winner against PSV Eindhoven – he also found his feet in the Premiership fairly quickly.

In his opening 14 league matches for the club, Colak scored 11 times while chipping in with two assists, proving to be a player Van Bronckhorst could rely on domestically.

In the Champions League, however, Colak struggled against the likes of Liverpool, Napoli and Ajax, scoring zero goals while completing just 4.5 passes per game, winning 26% of his total duels per game along with taking just 0.2 shots on target each match, indicating that performing against the elite proved to be a step too far.

Overall, the 30-year-old found the back of the net on 18 occasions during his sole season in Scotland – ranking him as their joint top scorer alongside James Tavernier – which, on the surface, sounds like a fairly respectable campaign.

With opportunities looking slim under Beale, he moved to Italy, yet has failed to hit the ground running for Parma.

Antonio Colak’s season in numbers for Parma

Although Colak scored three goals during his first eight Serie B games for the club, he has been goalless since the start of October, starting just twice since, as it looks like he has fallen down the pecking order.

Not only has he missed two big chances in the Italian second tier, but the former Malmö frontman has averaged just 11 touches, 4.3 passes, won 1.2 total duels and managed only 0.4 shots on target per game across his 18 appearances for Parma.

Hardly the form that was anticipated for a £2.5m signing, and it is clear the Gers have struck gold by selling him for this amount last year.

Even Rabbi Matondo, who was expected to also depart Ibrox in 2023, has scored more than Colak this season, taking full advantage of the chances he has been given in the starting XI, finally showcasing his full potential.

Rabbi Matondo's stats in 2023/24

While Colak shone for the Gers in his maiden season, Matondo struggled, failing to score in 28 matches in all competitions.

The Welsh winger enjoyed a solid pre-season as he looked to fight for his place in the side before his Ibrox career finally took off following a wonderful goal against PSV.

Since then, he has added another four goals while registering the same number of assists, despite missing 17 games through injury this term.

His impact, especially from the bench, has been solid during the 2023/24 season, and he certainly has a decent future at the club under Clement, which looked ominous during pre-season.

He may not be a regular starter for the Gers, but Matondo has proved that fighting for his place instead of leaving at the first sign of trouble can allow him to develop and showcase his talents.

Not many would have predicted the former Manchester City starlet would have scored more goals than Colak this season, indicating that the club hit the jackpot by selling the Croatian striker in 2023.

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Glasgow Rangers return to domestic action this afternoon as Dundee are the opposition in the final match before the international break.

Philippe Clement saw his side crash to a 1-0 defeat against Benfica in the Europa League on Thursday evening and there could be a few changes to the starting XI today.

One positive thing about the end of the European run is that fixture congestion won't be a problem and this could help an injury-ravaged squad during the final few weeks of the season.

Several players were below par against Benfica, but the one encouraging sign was seeing Todd Cantwell secure some minutes after recovering from his hamstring injury.

Todd Cantwell's performance in numbers vs Dundee

Tom Lawrence started as the number ten against the Portuguese side in midweek, but he was replaced by Cantwell with less than 20 minutes to go, much to the delight of the Ibrox faithful.

Although Cantwell couldn’t quite get into the game that was slipping away from Rangers, seeing him back in action would have been a big relief for Clement.

Accurate passes

22/24 (92% success)

Key passes

2

Shots on target

1

Possession lost

2

Touches

25

Against Dundee, he could be given a start in order to test his fitness and there is no doubt that the midfielder can terrorise their backline.

Todd Cantwell’s season in numbers

The £1.5m signing from Norwich in January 2023 has impressed under Clement, especially since being moved to his favoured attacking midfield role.

Throughout the 2023/24 campaign, the 26-year-old has registered ten goal contributions – six goals and four assists – yet injury issues have meant he has started only 27 games.

Although initially struggling under Michael Beale, the Belgian moved Cantwell into a more central position and has been rewarded with five Premiership goals since Christmas Eve, indicating that it was an inspired move.

Among his teammates, the Englishman currently ranks fourth for goals and assists (eight) in the top flight, along with ranking fifth for big chances created (four), fourth for key passes per game (1.6) and fifth for successful dribbles per game (1.1).

If he had been totally injury-free, there is no doubt these statistics would be more impressive, but it shows how influential he can be when deployed as a number ten.

At the end of last season, journalist Josh Bunting lavished praise on Cantwell, saying: “With the momentum he has he’s going to be the catalyst in that Rangers side. Has that desire.”

It may have taken him a few months and a change of manager for him to finally hit the heights he reached between January and May last year; but it looks as though Cantwell is at the peak of his powers.

Hopefully, the £22k-per-week midfielder is fully recovered from his hamstring injury and is ready to be unleashed against Dundee, as his creative talents can certainly unlock their defence.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

A win against the Tayside outfit will mean Clement’s side head into the break maintaining their two-point lead at the summit of the table.

Could Cantwell and co help lead the Gers to their first league crown since 2021? Only time will tell.

Leeds United had their fair share of struggles in the transfer market last summer following on from their relegation down from the Premier League.

The Whites had a bloated squad that needed to be gutted to make way for Daniel Farke to bolster his side with new signings, which meant that several first-team players were ditched.

However, the Yorkshire-based outfit failed to find permanent buyers for a number of stars and were forced to loan out the likes of Robin Koch, Max Wober, Rasmus Kristensen, Marc Roca, and Jack Harrison, among others.

Leeds may face a different problem if they fail to earn promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, as they had to fend off suitors for Crysencio Summerville earlier this term.

Whilst the Dutch whiz is reportedly worth a hefty sum of money at the moment, if you adjust for inflation in football over the years then the Whites once had a winger who was sold for even more in the form of Harry Kewell.

How much Crysencio Summerville is worth

Earlier this season, Football Insider reported that Leeds valued Summerville at a fee of at least £25m, which came amid interest from two unnamed Premier League teams.

Meanwhile, FootballTransfers place his current Expected Transfer Value at €15.2m (£13m) at the time of the writing (21/03/2024), off the back of his impressive campaign in the Championship so far this term.

The 22-year-old gem scored four goals and provided two assists in 28 Premier League appearances for the Whites as they were relegated down to the second tier last season.

Playing in the Championship has allowed the former Feyenoord youngster to emerge as a regular starter for Farke on the left flank, which has given him a platform to shine in the final third.

The right-footed magician has proven his ability to score and assist goals on a consistent basis with a return of 15 goals and eight assists in 35 league appearances for the club.

Sofascore rating

7.79

1st

Goals

15

1st

Assists

8

2nd

Big chances created

16

2nd

Key passes per game

2.8

1st

As you can see in the table above, he has been one of the club's outstanding performers at the top end of the pitch in the Championship this season.

Summerville has the quality to provide goals and assists at an impressive rate, which is why the Whites value him around £25m, and why Premier League sides have shown an interest in securing his services this year.

He is not the first, and will not be the last, talented left winger to thrive in the final third at Elland Road, though, as Kewell dominated that wing during his time in Yorkshire.

How much Leeds paid for Harry Kewell

The Whites did not have to pay a penny in transfer fees to land the Australian forward as he joined the academy after a successful trial in England, having left his home country in 1993 as a 14-year-old.

After seemingly catching the eye through his performances for the various youth teams at Thorp Arch, Kewell made his first-team debut in the Premier League against Middlesbrough in March 1996.

The young whiz had to bide his time and wait patiently for his chance to impress as Howard Wilkinson and George Graham only handed him three first-team appearances throughout the 1995/96 and 1996/97 campaigns combined.

His emergence as a regular came the following season as Kewell scored five goals and assisted one in 29 Premier League matches during the 1997/98 term.

The Australia international's real breakthrough campaign came during the 1999/00 season, however, as the forward won the PFA Young Player of the Year award – ahead of Robbie Keane and Steven Gerrard – for his performances on the wing.

Premier League

36

10

2

UEFA Cup

12

5

2

League Cup

2

0

1

FA Cup

3

2

0

As you can see in the table above, Kewell produced 17 goals and five assists in all competitions to convince his peers that he was the best young player in England's top-flight that term.

Unfortunately, the magical dynamo suffered an Achilles tendon injury and only racked up two goals and seven assists in 26 matches during the 2000/01 campaign.

Impressively, the Leeds star recovered to score 22 goals and assist six in 58 Premier League appearances across the following two seasons at Elland Road.

How much Leeds sold Harry Kewell for

The Australian wizard's fantastic form for Leeds convinced Liverpool to swoop in – per Totally Money – with a fee of £9m to sign him in the summer of 2003.

When you adjust for the inflation of football transfer fees over the years, per Totally Money's index, the talented forward's £9m fee would be worth a staggering £37.8m in 2024 money.

This suggests that Kewell's sale would be worth almost £13m more than what Summerville is currently worth if the club had sold him to the Reds in the current day.

Leeds, therefore, struck gold with the exciting gem as they brought him through their youth academy and developed him into a huge asset to the club, financially and on the pitch.

They may now hope to do the same with the likes of Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph, who have both emerged as first-team players this season, as they could grow into key senior figures who could be worth multi-millions in the future if their respective careers continue to progress.

Kewell went on to play 139 times for Liverpool and produced 16 goals and 17 assists for the Premier League before his free transfer to Galatasaray in the summer of 2008.

The move to Turkey was criticised by some due to the passing away of Leeds fans Christopher Loftus and Kevin Speight ahead of their UEFA Cup semi-final with Galatasaray back in 2000.

Kewell released a statement defending his decision, and emphasising his love for Leeds and sympathy for the families of both men, and claimed that rejecting the Turkish giants because of that incident would have been discriminatory, in his view.

The Blues could be about to spend north of $128M on the two Portuguese attackers in what would be another serious transfer misstep

Chelsea's dizzying transfer window took another twist this week as, out of pretty much nowhere, the Blues swiftly wrapped up a deal for Wolves' Pedro Neto, paying their Premier League rivals a cool £54 million ($69m) for the winger despite his injury troubles. The 24-year-old became the west Londoners' most expensive new arrival of a bewildering summer of business to date and, remarkably, already the player signed in just over two years under the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership.

And they might not be done yet. The same day that Neto's switch was announced, it emerged amid a muddle of transfer rumours that his new club were in talks over bringing his compatriot and former loanee Joao Felix back from Atletico Madrid. That, in turn, would enable the Spanish side to finally complete the separate signing of Chelsea's Conor Gallagher, after striker Samu Omorodion's proposed move in the opposite direction collapsed.

That means the Blues could be poised to spend more than a combined £100m ($128m) on the two Portugal internationals, who are far from reliable, in what has the potential to be yet another grave transfer misstep for the club's hierarchy and another damning indictment of their decision-making.

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  Cause for concern

  "I’m very excited, he can offer many things. He can play on the right side, he can play on the left side, he’s very good one-on-one." That was Chelsea head coach Enzo Maresca's enthusiastic reaction to Neto's £54m arrival from Wolves, but he notably ignored the elephant in the room.

  There is no doubting Neto's quality, a player who made 14 goal contributions in just 24 appearances in 2023-24, but when you delve into the reason why he was limited to so few outings there is serious cause for concern.

  A glance at the 24-year-old's injury record have given Chelsea pause for thought, especially after their now-infamous struggles with incessant fitness problems across the squad in recent times. The winger suffered two separate serious hamstring injuries last term, which sidelined him for around four months of the season as a whole. He also missed a significant portion of the 2022-23 campaign with an ankle problem.

  In his five years at Wolves, Neto averaged just 15 Premier League starts per season and was absent for as many as 108 games, per . As much as he is one of the best wingers in the league when fit, Chelsea's recent injury history should have resulted in a far more cautious approach to signing Neto, with the costly transfer seemingly agreed in no time at all as Wolves jumped at the chance to cash in.

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  Jury's out on Joao

  A possible return to Chelsea for Felix poses similar questions: is he worth the money? Do Chelsea need yet another attacker who operates predominantly from out wide? And will he actually be a difference-maker?

  Felix's value is arguably at an all-time low following an unspectacular loan at Barcelona, where he failed to earn a dream permanent transfer after contributing six goals and 10 assists in 44 appearances. Atletico Madrid remain desperate to sell, as they have been for the past couple of years, and the player is said to be keen to return to Stamford Bridge having had chants of 'son of a b*tch' aimed at him by his own fans in Spain.

  The chance to sign Felix for a relatively cut price – at least against Atletico's valuation – could be what is motivating the unexpected pursuit of the player, as well as facilitating Gallagher's move the other way, but it's hardly like Chelsea need him. Having literally just added his compatriot Neto, the Blues are overstocked for wide forwards or those who operate in the half space, with Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, Mykhailo Mudryk and Christopher Nkunku already on the books.

  Ultimately, Felix is a player who passes the eye test but does not make a tangible impact, which has been his biggest problem since leaving Benfica for €126m (£113m/$138m) in 2019. His six-month loan at Chelsea last season encapsulated his career as a whole, albeit he was at the club at a time when standards reached a nadir under Graham Potter and Frank Lampard; although he oozed class and demonstrated his obvious talent with flicks, tricks and dazzling dribbles, he only showed his ability in flashes and would often drift out of games without making telling attacking contributions, while his defensive work rate has been called into question.

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  Directors deserve scrutiny

  A trend of Chelsea's recent transfer windows has been sporting directors Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart avoiding much of the scrutiny as they work away from the spotlight, with co-owners Todd Boehly and – to a lesser extent – Behdad Eghbali more often than not the butt of the joke on social media.

  However, attitudes towards the two men who have been put in charge of recruitment are beginning to shift despite the unwavering backing of the owners. They will face the scorn of the fanbase if they don't get it right this time around, especially after hiring and swiftly letting go of Mauricio Pochettino despite the progress made in the second half of 2023-24.

  Winstanley and Stewart only officially started work at the end of the January 2023 transfer window, notably after the Blues had extraordinarily splurged £290m ($370m) on the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Mudryk and Madueke, although Winstanley was heavily involved in that recruitment drive.

  The summer 2023 transfer window was therefore the first they oversaw as Boehly and Eghbali bankrolled a spend that soared beyond £400m ($505m). Palmer emerged as the biggest hit, but the fanbase will reserve judgement on the rest; supporters revelled in the ruthless double capture of midfielders Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia ahead of Liverpool, but the former struggled for form for a long period and the latter missed almost all of the season through injury.

  A deal for Nkunku had been long pre-agreed, but he too fell foul of Chelsea's injury curse as he damaged knee ligaments in pre-season. Meanwhile, further additions Axel Disasi and Nicolas Jackson impressed at times but are widely considered to be quite raw.

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  Questionable decisions

  After a quiet January transfer window, Chelsea have followed a different strategy in what has been a busy and often baffling window so far. While Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Renato Veiga have supposedly been signed to fit Maresca's tactical system, the Blues have otherwise insisted on almost exclusively going after what the recruitment team consider to be low-cost, high-potential young players, shelling out tens of millions of pounds on the likes of Marc Guiu, Omari Kellyman and Filip Jorgensen, while prodigious Palmeiras talent Estevao Willian will join the club in 2025.

  Both 24, Neto and Felix are still technically yet to reach their respective peaks, but both feel like a departure from the policy of targeting less established names for relatively low fees, with the latter's potential return in particular hinting at possible intervention from Boehly or Eghbali. Recent reports suggest Felix's asking price still stands at €60m (£51m/$66m), meaning the Portuguese pair could cost north of £100m ($128m).

  The club's own academy products will continue to be the victims of the outlay, which is a sure-fire way to lose the favour of fans as the connection between the playing staff and those in the stands is eroded. Ian Maatsen and Lewis Hall have already been sold off for pure profit amid the threat of breaching the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability rules (PSR), and Gallagher – a star of the team last season, stand-in captain and fan favourite – is set to suffer the same fate despite being Chelsea through and through, as the club try to emotionlessly flog him to Atletico.

  Although amortisation of some transfer fees muddies the waters, the strategy of almost solely targeting youngsters deserves to be called into question, too, when players such as Carney Chukwuemeka and Madueke – both of whom only joined in the 2022-23 season – are already being touted for an exit; the former was signed from Aston Villa for £20m ($26m) and has been linked with a move to Crystal Palace for the same fee, while Newcastle supposedly hold an interest in the latter. Goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic only joined from MLS last summer and enjoyed a good first season, but he has already been put up for sale.

Kris Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra will also be presented lifetime achievement awards

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Jan-2020

There’s no escaping Jasprit Bumrah’s early strikes•BCCI

Jasprit Bumrah’s trophy cabinet is set to include the BCCI’s Polly Umrigar award, recognising him as the best male cricketer for India in 2018-19. The 26-year-old fast bowler will be felicitated on Sunday in Mumbai alongside Poonam Yadav, who will go home with the title best women’s player of the past season.The winners of the BCCI awards 2018-19

Kris Srikkanth – Col CK Nayudu Lifetime achievement award
Anjum Chopra – BCCI lifetime achievement award for women
Dilip Doshi – BCCI special award
Cheteshwar Pujara – Dilip Sardesai highest run-getter in Test cricket
Jasprit Bumrah – Dilip Sardesai highest wickets in Test cricket
Smriti Mandhana – Highest run-getter in women’s ODIs
Jhulan Goswami – Highest wickets in women’s ODIs
Mayank Agarwal – Best international debut (men)
Shafali Verma – Best international debut (women)
Shivam Dube (Mumbai) – Lala Amarnath award for best allrounder in Ranji Trophy cricket
Nitish Rana (Delhi) – Lala Amarnath award for best allrounder in limited-overs competitions
Milind Kumar (Sikkim) – Madhavrao Scindia award for highest run-getter in Ranji Trophy
Ashutosh Aman (Bihar) – Madhavrao Scindia award for highest wicket-taker in Ranji Trophy
Vidarbha – Best performance in BCCI domestic tournaments

Although he was already a first-choice pick in limited-overs cricket, Bumrah made his Test debut for India in January 2018 and has proven himself to be an all-format wicket-taking force. He became the first man from Asia to pick up five-wicket hauls in Australia, England, South Africa and the West Indies, and even added a hat-trick to his resume. Since his debut in the Cape Town Test two years ago, Bumrah has picked up 62 wickets in 12 Tests. Only three players have a better bowling average than his 19.24 in this period (under the condition of at least 20 wickets taken). His consistency was crucial to India winning their first ever series in Australia in early 2019, and for all that the BCCI will present him with a trophy, a citation and a cash prize of INR 15 lakh.ALSO READ: Sharda Ugra on the boy called BoomYadav, meanwhile, is the world’s top ODI wicket-taker (39) for the last two years. Her slow, teasing legspin helps the team dictate terms through the middle overs in T20I cricket as well, where she’s performed even better – 51 wickets at an average of 16.27. Recognition as India’s best female cricketer by the BCCI comes on the heels of the 28-year-old winning the Arjuna award last year.Both the senior men’s and women’s teams are expected to be at the BCCI function. “It will be a special evening in Mumbai as we will also have the 7th MAK Pataudi lecture and I am delighted to inform that it will be Virender Sehwag who will address the gathering.” the board president Sourav Ganguly said.Lifetime achievement awards will also be given to the World-Cup-winning former India opener Kris Srikkanth and Anjum Chopra, the first Indian woman to play 100 ODIs.”We wanted to make Naman [the BCCI awards] bigger and better and have introduced four new categories – highest run-getter and wicket-takers in WODIs and best international debut men and women – from this year. A total of 25 awards will be presented,” board secretary Jay Shah said.

Former Glamorgan and England allrounder Peter Walker has died aged 84 following a stroke.A dependable option with bat and ball, Walker’s standout attribute was his close catching: he managed 697 catches over the course of his first-class career, including a club-record 656 for Glamorgan, with the vast majority at either slip or short leg.Partly educated in South Africa, Walker spent two years in the merchant navy before starting to play first-class cricket, making his debut in 1956. He passed the 1000-run mark in 11 separate seasons as an attacking middle-order batsman, and after starting out as a left-arm swing bowler, he developed into a left-arm orthodox spinner towards the end of his career.He made his Test debut aged 24, making 9 and 37 in a win against South Africa at Edgbaston, and added his only half-century at Lord’s two weeks later. But three games – and three wins – into his England career, he was left out and was never called upon again. Alongside Martin Saggers and Toby Roland-Jones, he is one of three men to have played three Tests or more in his England career while maintaining a 100% win record in the post-war era.He was a key part of the Glamorgan side that went undefeated in the 1969 County Championship season, which culminated in the club’s second title, and retired in 1972 to further his broadcasting career with the BBC, where he was the face of Sunday League coverage for several years.He went on to become an administrator, and was a driving force behind the creation of the National Cricket Centre for Wales at Sophia Gardens. In 2010, he was awarded an MBE for services to cricket, primarily for his role at the centre.He later had a short stint as Glamorgan president, starting his tenure in March 2009 but resigning in November 2010 following the sacking of Jamie Dalrymple as captain and the departure of Matthew Maynard as coach.Glamorgan chairman Gareth Williams said: “Everyone at Glamorgan is saddened to hear this news. Peter was a club legend, a man who gave everything he could to the club he loved while playing, and later in an off-field capacity. He gave so much back to the game, in particular through his work with Cricket Wales and the National Cricket Centre, and through his outstanding service as President of Glamorgan.”Hugh Morris, the club’s chief executive, said: “A combination of world-class catching ability, aggressive batting and accurate spin made him a triple threat and a brilliant allrounder. He helped Glamorgan to win a County Championship title and represented England, making him a true legend of the club.”We may never see another player quite like him, and he will be missed by everyone at the club. Our thoughts go out to his family, and his friends.”

When Granit Xhaka left Arsenal in the summer of 2023, Mikel Arteta and Edu knew they needed to go to great lengths to replace his extraordinary output last season.

A £105m move for Declan Rice was signed, sealed and delivered while Kai Havertz, certainly to less fanfare, arrived from another part of London in Chelsea.

The £65m addition hasn't quite made the grade after moving to the north of the capital, with it taking until November for the German to finally score a goal in Arsenal colours from open play.

Perhaps realising the error of their ways, the Gunners have been looking at signing another midfielder according to reports.

Arsenal's midfield shortlist

Two names on the club's shortlist for 2024 reside in the Premier League with Amadou Onana, touted at £60m, interesting Arsenal, while Joao Palhinha of Fulham is another to be tipped with a move to join the ranks at the Emirates Stadium.

A wildcard option could well be that of Joao Neves, Benfica's next hot property in the middle of the park after Enzo Fernandez.

The teenage sensation has been strongly linked with Manchester United in recent months but Arsenal are another casting their eyes towards Neves. Reports in the build-up to the January window suggested that the Gunners were tracking the 19-year-old but with a release clause of £103m and no intention of selling, any move is incredibly unlikely, at least for now.

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Luke Randall

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Yet, if the Kroenke's were to dip their hands into their pockets again for another mega midfield signing, Neves would offer some extreme quality to Arteta's side. Does anyone fancy another round of Santi Cazorla?

How Joao Neves compares to Santi Cazorla

Who is Neves we hear you ask? Well, a quick look at his FBref scouting profile indicates what a fine young individual this budding teen is.

Compared to positionally similar players across Europe's top five leagues and the top continental competitions, he ranks among the best 11% for passes into the final third (via FBref), indicating his progressive nature in possession of the ball.

Further sitting inside the top 17% for passes attempted, it's clear Neves is a player who offers plenty of protection and composure on the ball. However, he's more than just about passing play. Neves happens to be adept in the defensive and offensive phases of play.

Indeed, the Benfica starlet is in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe for goal-creating actions per 90 minutes, the best 1% for tackles won (3.95) and the finest 13% for interceptions (1.58 per 90). To put that into context, Rice makes 2.01 tackles per 90 and 1.73 interceptions.

Can you imagine the thought of the two playing together, therefore? Yeah, it's a dreamy picture to envisage. The progressive and classy nature of the two is a tantalising prospect.

Already we're getting a sense of why Neves is similar to Cazorla though. He's intricate with his passing play, progressive and capable of doing his fair share of the dirty work. The comparison is supplemented by analyst Ben Mattinson.

Cazorla was one of the most gifted players in the Emirates Stadium era and is remembered particularly fondly by those of an Arsenal persuasion. He played a key hand in ending the club's trophy drought in 2014, scoring a scorching free-kick in the FA Cup final versus Hull City but overall, he was just marvellously gifted at football.

The Spaniard left in 2018 after a period of sustained injury hell that nearly ended his career but he did so with a mighty fine record in Arsenal colours, scoring 29 goals and supplying 45 assists in 180 outings.

With such a creative marvel in mind, let's dive a little deeper into how he compares to Neves.

Joao Neves vs Santi Cazorla
Stat (per 90)	Neves (23/24)	Cazorla (18/19)
Shots	0.89	0.95
Pass Success	88%	81%
Key Passes	0.74	2.41
Progressive Passes	6.52	8.67
Shot-creating Actions	2.89	4.63
Tackles Won	2.44	1.16
Interceptions	1.48	0.95
Carries	51.7	41.9
Progressive Carries	1.78	2.35
Stats via FBref.

Despite there being some differences in the volume of each stat, you can see how their playstyles are alike. Both registered a high number of progressive passes and shot-creating actions, showcasing a preference for getting on the ball and creating openings for teammates.

Cazorla was one of the finest in the Premier League era at such a quality and thus, signing Neves would be truly exciting for supporters. With such a huge asking price, however, we might never see him in Arsenal colours.