Glasgow Rangers manager Michael Beale bolstered his attacking options earlier this month as the club officially confirmed the signing of Sam Lammers from Atalanta on a permanent basis.
The Light Blues have now added four players to their squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, with the Dutchman following Jack Butland, Kieran Dowell, and Dujon Sterling in committing to the Scottish giants this summer.
However, the Gers do not appear to be done in the transfer market and are eyeing another striker to compete with Lammers, Antonio Colak, and Kemar Roofe.
Who is Josh Maja?
The Glasgow giants reportedly have a genuine and long-standing interest in signing Bordeaux centre-forward Josh Maja in the coming weeks.
His contract with the Ligue 2 side is set to expire at the end of this month and, as it stands, the Nigerian international is poised to be available for nothing.
Beale could strike gold by signing the 24-year-old striker as current Gers attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell could make him unstoppable next season.
Rangers attacking midfielder Todd Cantwell.
The English maestro arrived at Ibrox in January from Norwich and enjoyed a terrific start to life in Scotland. He averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.36 and chipped in with six goals and four assists from the middle of the park across 16 league outings.
Cantwell created five 'big chances' and produced 1.3 key passes per game for his teammates, despite having played less than half of the campaign.
The 25-year-old, who completed 89% of his attempted passes in the Scottish Premiership, is able to open up the opposition on a regular basis to create significant chances for his fellow attackers, whilst his goal return last term also suggests that the ex-Norwich magician can make a big impact on his own.
Maja, whose "rare" talent was hailed by former Rangers striker Jermain Defoe, could benefit from Cantwell's creativity after an impressive season with Bordeaux in Ligue 2.
The £10k-per-week finisher averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.08 across 37 league appearances and contributed with 16 goals and six assists for the French side.
These statistics show that the 5 foot 11 dynamo, who scored 17 goals in 49 games for Sunderland's first-team, has the potential to be a prolific scorer for Rangers if provided with the right service.
Cantwell could be the player to do that for him as the 25-year-old wizard has proven himself to be an excellent creator for the Light Blues and his constant supply line to the forwards could make Maja an unstoppable threat up front for Beale in the 2023/24 campaign.
The Nigerian gem's ability to assist others from a number nine position, which resulted in him being able to create eight 'big chances' in 22/23, also means that opposition defenders would have to deal with his creativity, in potentially assisting Cantwell, as well as his finishing quality in the box.
Spurs are facing a race against time to replace their offensive talisman before the transfer window closes…
It's been touted to be happening for years, but there was still an element of disbelief when Harry Kane pulled on a Bayern Munich shirt for the first time on Saturday. The man who had dragged Tottenham to the dizziest heights of their modern era – almost single-handedly at times – has left the building. Now, Spurs need to find a new hero – and fast.
With less than three weeks left until the summer transfer window closes, Spurs are facing the daunting prospect of Richarlison leading the line single-handedly for the entire season, unless they can recruit a new No.9.
At least Daniel Levy has a sizeable chunk of change to play with, with Bayern paying an initial €100m (£86.1m/$108.8m) plus add-ons for Kane. Then again, in the current market, even a war chest that size does not give you complete freedom, meaning Ange Postecoglou may need to settle for one of the names lower down on his shortlist.
Ahead of what is set to be a hectic few weeks, GOAL has taken a look at how Tottenham could go about completing the impossible job of replacing Kane:
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Richarlison (Tottenham)
Tottenham have already spent £50m+ ($63.5m) on a potential Kane replacement in the relatively recent past. Richarlison's maiden season in north London following his arrival from Everton was pretty shambolic, however, with the Brazilian scoring just once in the Premier League.
Prior to this sharp drop off in form, he boasted a fairly reliable record in front of goal and was trusted with filling Kane's boots against Brentford on the opening weekend. The reviews were mixed at best. He had a handful of chances but again drew a blank, with Postecoglou calling for better service from those behind him moving forward.
“I thought we could have been a little bit more direct to him and look for him a little bit more,” the Spurs boss said. “He was making some good runs and he was working hard. He had a couple of half-opportunities, but I thought we could have created more for him. The key for us with Richy is to keep supporting him because he’s working awfully hard for the team in a defensive sense and when we get in that front third I thought we didn’t look enough for him today. I have got a lot of time for him. He’s a striker and he’s got a lot of great attributes and he will always work hard for the team, and that’s a good starting point for me.”
While his manager is convinced he will come good, Spurs could clearly use another centre-forward. Should Richarlison go down with an injury, Postecoglou would be left scratching around for a No.9, with Son Heung-min or Manor Solomon likely to be asked to play out of position.
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Romelu Lukaku (Chelsea)
Romelu Lukaku has endured a miserable few months. Since missing golden chance in the Champions League final for Inter, the Belgian has managed to alienate the only fanbase that has ever loved him unconditionally, and there is now next to no chance of him securing a permanent return to San Siro.
Following significant supporter backlash, Juventus no longer seem interested either, while links with Saudi Arabia have cooled significantly too. As a result, Lukaku is in limbo at Chelsea, with new manager Mauricio Pochettino showing no indication that he is part of his plans. Could Tottenham offer Lukaku salvation? Quite possibly.
Things haven't gone tremendously well since Lukaku left Inter the first time, but it's worth remembering what earned him his big-money move to Stamford Bridge in the first place. Between 2019 and 2021, the 30-year-old could not stop scoring, with his goals propelling the Nerazzurri to the Serie A title in 2021.
It's clear Lukaku needs a bit of love to thrive and he would get that in abundance under Postecoglou's care. As long as Spurs' other forwards can get close to him when they're attacking, he should be a snug fit stylistically too.
Wages could be an issue, but then again Chelsea are desperate to sell, which puts Daniel Levy in a strong negotiating position. This is one to watch very closely over the next few weeks.
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Dusan Vlahovic (Juventus)
Like Lukaku, Dusan Vlahovic might be regretting his most recent transfer. The Serbian had his pick of Europe's top clubs when he opted to leave Fiorentina partway through the 2021-22 season, eventually opting to remain in Italy by joining Juventus. Vlahovic's time in Turin, however, has been punctuated by off-field turmoil and on-field dysfunction under Max Allegri – with the frontman managing just 23 goals in 63 appearances.
There are several reasons for his underwhelming form. A troublesome groin injury has limited his influence, while the highly-pragmatic Allegri has been accused of shackling the Serbian's potential by asking him to play too deep. The manager does not appear to be leaving Turin any time soon, so Vlahovic might have to be the one to move on.
While he would likely prefer to join a Champions League club, no one who fits this description appears to be searching for a striker. Tottenham would represent a welcome change of scenery, and Postecoglou would no doubt facilitate his return to the penalty-box predator that took Europe by storm a few years back.
The chance to be Spurs' undisputed star man is also likely to appeal. Vlahovic is certainly no shrinking violet, taking Cristiano Ronaldo's No.7 shirt after arriving at Juventus.
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Folarin Balogun (Arsenal)
Folarin Balogun had been expected to join Inter this summer, with the United States men's national team star dropping a huge hint that the Serie A side was his preferred destination by posting a clip of himself watching prime Ronaldo Nazario highlights from his time at San Siro.
However, despite the striker's clear preference to join the Nerazzurri, a concrete offer has not emerged, opening the door for other clubs to sign him. West Ham and Monaco have both been linked, but it wouldn't be a surprise to see Tottenham enter the fray too.
Balogun enjoyed a breakout 2022-23, netting a stunning 21 goals for mid-table Reims in Ligue 1. That's more league goals than Marcus Rashford, Karim Benzema and Lionel Messi managed last season.
Balogun is a lethal finisher, but is also able to fashion chances for himself thanks to his excellent dribbling ability. Naysayers may point to his lack of assists, but with James Maddison arriving at Spurs this summer, whoever replaces Kane will not have to be anywhere near as creative as he was in his prime.
Obviously, crossing the north London divide would not make him a popular man with Arsenal supporters, but with some Gunners fans already beginning to sour on the U.S. international, he may not mind ruffling a few feathers.
Leicestershire have announced the signing of Sharjeel Khan as an overseas player for the 2017 NatWest Blast season
George Dobell07-Sep-2016
Sharjeel Khan acknowledges the applause on reaching a 26-ball 50 in the ODI at Trent Bridge•AFP
Leicestershire have announced the signing of Sharjeel Khan as an overseas player for the 2017 NatWest Blast season.Sharjeel, who is currently part of the Pakistan limited-overs squad in England, thrashed his maiden ODI century against Ireland recently (he reached his century in just 62 balls) and also made an impressive 58 from 30 balls against England at Trent Bridge.Leicestershire have previously announced that former Australia international Clint McKay will be their other overseas player in the NatWest Blast. They finished bottom of the North Group this season, with four wins, eight losses and two no-results from their 14 games. Sharjeel is expected to be available for the duration of the Blast campaign.”I am aware that there was keen interest from other counties, so I am delighted that we have managed to secure someone of Sharjeel’s ability for the duration of the 2017 NatWest T20 Blast campaign,” Leicestershire’s CEO Wasim Khan said: “He is a powerful hitter who will offer us another option as a T20 opener.””It has been an ambition of mine to play county cricket and I would like to thank Leicestershire for this great opportunity,” Sharjeel said. “A number of fine Pakistan batsmen have played for Leicestershire over the years including Shahid Afridi, Abdul Razzaq and Umar Akmal, and I’m pleased to be following in their footsteps.”
Liverpool need to be wary of being 'exposed' at right-back due to Jurgen Klopp's decision to allow Trent Alexander-Arnold to venture into midfield, according to journalist Dean Jones.
What's the latest news involving Trent Alexander-Arnold's new role?
Alexander-Arnold has been something of a revelation in his new role as an inverted full-back with a licence to roam into central areas, having registered six assists in his last eight matches since being deployed there, as per Transfermarkt.
Former Liverpool player Dean Saunders has praised the tactical switch highly and thinks the Reds now don't need to sign a new midfielder in the summer due to the form of the 24-year-old.
Speaking to talkSPORT as quoted by The Mirror, the pundit said: "I honestly think Liverpool don't need to sign a midfield player. I think he [Alexander-Arnold] is better than all the English midfield players. I think Trent could play centre of midfield for England and end up captain. I think he's a brilliant central midfield player; he's like a caged animal waiting, you can tell he's loving it. He can defend in midfield, which is not like defending as a full-back where you get isolated with the winger – he's got defensive thoughts in his head which he can track people into the box. His feet are better than anybody's in the England team, both feet."
Liverpool have been in the market for several players to strengthen their midfield in the forthcoming transfer window, including Sporting Lisbon's Manuel Ugarte, Brighton & Hove Albion ace Alexis Mac Allister and Chelsea playmaker Mason Mount.
Nevertheless, Alexander-Arnold has helped to revive a stagnating Reds midfield in the last few weeks, which has helped Liverpool climb back into Champions League contention.
Speaking to Football FanCast, Jones thinks Liverpool need to be cautious when operating in this system and also doesn't think that Alexander-Arnold will be moved into central midfield permanently to allow someone else to assume responsibilities at right-back such as Joe Gomez.
Jones told FFC: "I don't think Joe Joe Gomez could play this specific role that Trent is playing right now. I think that this has been adapted specifically for him to try and solve the problem, but you know, Liverpool do need to decide what actually happens at right back because that spot has been exposed a few times since they've been playing in this style."
Will Liverpool stick with this style of play next season?
Right now it's impossible to say; however, the initial signs have been encouraging at Anfield as Liverpool look to have turned a corner after an inconsistent 2022/23 campaign.
Klopp has managed to guide his side to eight matches without defeat in the Premier League and the Reds look to be finally enjoying themselves on the field, which bodes well for next season and to the degree that they may continue to use their current tactical system.
Of course, a lot will depend on summer signings at the club, who are likely to strengthen in middle of the park to replace peripheral figures such as the outgoing Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Veteran James Milner also looks certain to leave Liverpool to join Brighton on a free transfer, making it an interesting time of things to see where the future of Alexander Arnold's role will lie and whether he will be reverted back to duties more traditionally in keeping with a right-sided defender.
YouTuber Conor McGilligan has slammed the Leeds United board and Victor Orta amid the "complete embarrassment" of the Jean-Kevin Augustin transfer saga.
What's the latest on Leeds and Jean-Kevin Augustin?
While the Whites have plenty to worry about on the pitch having suffered a demoralising 5-1 Premier League defeat to relegation rivals Crystal Palace on the weekend, the picture doesn't look any prettier off it.
Indeed, after years of issues, it now seems as though the club are set to be hit with a massive bill for a deal that happened in 2020.
Indeed, Leeds initially agreed to a January loan deal for Augustin with an alleged obligation to buy him from Red Bull Leipzig for £18m if promotion was achieved.
While the club went into the Premier League, the striker saw just 48 minutes of action and ultimately the club didn't make the transfer permanent.
However, in a new ruling, the Whites must now pay Augustin £24.5m after being found to have breached the player’s contract by not completing the deal (via The Athletic).
Amid this mess, McGilligan took to Twitter to voice his immense frustration at sporting director Orta who was in charge of the deal, saying: "For people who defend the cheap deals this guy has made, fair enough.
"But the ridiculous transfer fees we have paid this last 3/4 years on players – massively outweighs any bargain we have got through the door.
"This alone is a complete embarrassment."
How much will Leeds have to pay for Jean-Kevin Augustin?
As mentioned above, the Whites will now potentially have to pay the player £24.5m – although the club have actually appealed against the decision.
This is made clear in The Athletic article which also points out that the player could have been entitled to a five-year contract on a reported €90,000 per week (about £80k-p/w) deal had the obligation been taken up – which may explain that high fee now owed.
What's more, the club also had to pay a £15.5m settlement with Leipzig last year, having previously lost their case at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
So in total, the club could have to fork out a combined figure in the region of £40m to finally put this whole fiasco to bed.
Seeing as Leeds signed Georginio Rutter just last January for what was thought to be a club-record £35.5m transfer, it now looks as though Augustin could actually take that crown despite having only ever played three times for the Whites.
A 167-run partnership between Paras Khadka and Sharad Vesawkar withstood a spirited fightback from Namibia to seal a tense three-wicket victory
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Apr-2016 ScorecardFile photo: Paras Khadka struck seven sixes in his 103 off 94 balls•ICC/Barry Chambers
Captain Paras Khadka’s highest score for Nepal led them to a tense three-wicket victory in their WCL Championship match against Namibia on Monday.Khadka’s 103 off 94 balls, and his third-wicket partnership of 167 with Sharad Vesawkar through the middle overs became crucial to chasing a target of 240 because Namibia were excellent in the final 10. They took five quick wickets to break into the Nepal tail, but the set batsman Vesawkar remained. He took the chase to the penultimate ball, struck the winning runs, and remained unbeaten on 74 off 107 balls.Khadka and Vesawkar were brought together in the 14th over and they began to shut Namibia out. Khadka was the aggressor, striking seven sixes and five fours to maintain a strike-rate of 109.57 and Vesawkar lent excellent support, batting 165 minutes to make sure a tricky target was overcome.It could have been a lot more considering Namibia captain Stephan Baard (51) and wicketkeeper Zane Green (47) had laid a strong foundation through a 95-run opening stand. The next three batsmen, though, fell for single-figure scores. Pikky Ya France and Gerhard Erasmus were run-out and Gerrie Snyman fell lbw for a duck to Basant Regmi.Namibia lurched from 105 for 1 to 136 for 6 but Sarel Burger, at No. 7, struck an unbeaten 43 off 60 balls to lead a recovery. He rescued them with the ball too, taking three wickets across the 47th and the 49th overs to create some tension. Nepal were seven down when the final over began, and needed six runs to win. Vesawkar made sure they got it.Among Nepal’s bowlers, 15-year old legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane picked up 2 for 39 from nine overs. Left-arm spinner Shakti Gauchan, who opened the bowling, took 2 for 44 off his 10 overs and Regmi finished with 2 for 45.
Newcastle United are currently gearing up for what could be a potentially pivotal game in the battle to secure a top-four berth, with the Magpies making their return from the international break at home to Manchester United on Sunday.
That Premier League encounter comes just over a month on from the meeting between the two sides in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley, with the Red Devils ultimately running out 2-0 winners to ensure that the wait for silverware goes on at St James' Park.
One potential regret that manager Eddie Howe may have from that showpiece defeat is the decision not to include club-record signing Alexander Isak in the starting lineup, with the Sweden international having been "electric" after entering the fray off the bench, according to his manager.
While Howe had seemingly found it a "tough" decision to choose between the former Real Sociedad man and fellow forward, Callum Wilson, it would appear that the choice should be far simpler this time around, with Isak undoubtedly the man of the moment at present.
After netting three goals across his last two league games prior to going on international duty, the 6 foot 4 striker has continued that momentum for his country – despite not scoring over the past week – having notably produced a standout display against Azerbaijan on Monday evening.
How did Isak perform for Sweden?
There is no doubt that it has largely been a season of frustration for the 23-year-old due to injury, although with the one-time Borussia Dortmund man now boasting six goals from just ten league appearances, it does look as if Newcastle are finally beginning to reap the rewards of their £63m investment.
As pundit Jermaine Jenas noted, it looks as if Isak "could be the one to get them into the top four", with the 39-cap sensation having proven himself a real "handful for defenders" due to his all-round attributes, as per former Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth boss, Harry Redknapp.
During his recent outing with Sweden, the dynamic ace proved that he can offer much more than just putting the ball in the back of the net, having registered an impressive haul of three key passes from just 23 touches during that 71-minute outing, illustrating his creative potential.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak
The all-action ace also showed his dynamism after completing one of his two dribbles as well as putting in a shift defensively, having won 75% of his total duels – including winning both of his aerial duels.
While the pacy marksman was unable to contribute with a goal of his own – having seen three shots blocked – he was able to play a key role in his side's second of the night, after surging into the opposition penalty area before seeing his clever pullback deflect in for an own goal.
The manner in which Isak was able to burst clear in behind was another example of just what a 'handful' he is, with Howe likely hoping that the £120k-per-week man can continue to shine on a consistent basis over the coming months.
Newcastle have signed some world class players in their time, whilst also securing deals to forget, of course. But let’s focus on the positive.
The Magpies can boast some of the greatest goal scorers in Premier League history, as well as one of the best dribblers, and players that will forever appear on ‘streets won’t forget’ Instagram posts, which force us all to never stop thinking about certain players.
With that said, and a variation of players to look at, we ranked Newcastle United’s greatest signings of the Premier League era.
10) Hatem Ben Arfa – £5m
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I think I speak for the majority when I say how surprised I am to see Hatem Ben Arfa featured on a list not centred around the streets not forgetting certain individuals, but here we are.
The tricky Frenchman, at his best, was out of this world, as remains one of Newcastle’s greatest ever signings.
He came in and was capable of playing in a variety of roles, including attacking midfield and off the wing.
Ben Arfa ended his Newcastle career with 86 games under his belt, as well as 14 goals and 15 assists.
9) Yohan Cabaye – £4.3m
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Speaking of great Frenchmen to play for Newcastle United, Yohan Cabaye was as classy as they come when at St James’ Park, and played a crucial part in what felt like a French Revolution under Alan Pardew.
Most Newcastle fans still have a soft spot for the midfielder and it’s little surprise.
Cabaye played 93 times for the Magpies, scoring 18 goals and laying on 14 assists, which is a superb return given the small fee involved.
It is perhaps a surprise to see he actually played more games for Crystal Palace than Newcastle.
8) Demba Ba – Free Transfer
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Before he was breaking Liverpool hearts, Demba Ba was scoring goals galore in an incredible striking duo with the soon-to-be-mentioned Papiss Cisse, having arrived for absolutely nothing.
By the time he left the Magpies, he had scored 29 goals in 58 games to earn the bigger move to Stamford Bridge.
He went on to impress at Chelsea, as well, although he could never quite recapture the magic of his spell at Newcastle.
He was some signing, having been snapped up from West Ham United.
7) Papiss Cisse – £10m
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We told you we’d get to him.
Whenever we think of Cisse, we think of that stunning, near-impossible, goal against Chelsea with the outside of his boot.
And that sums his time at Newcastle up, in a way. The sheer brilliance to produce what some thought was impossible.
In the end, he scored 44 goals in 131 games for the club and is still going at the age of 37, playing for French club Amiens in Ligue 2.
6) Nolberto Solano – £2m
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Newcastle’s talisman in all 315 of his appearances for the club, Nolberto Solano (still one of the best names in Premier League history) is one of the best to sign for the Magpies.
He arrived in January of 1998, before leaving his first spell in 2004, and joining again in 2006.
By the time that his second spell was over, Solano had 77 assists and 48 goals to his name.
He was an absolute bargain to start with, too, having been snapped up from the little-known Peruvian club Sporting Cristal.
5) Les Ferdinand – £6m
20 Oct 1996: Les Ferdinand of Newcastle United raises his arms aloft during an FA Carling Premiership match against Manchester United at St James” Park in Newcastle, England. Newcastle won the match 5-0. Mandatory Credit: Ben Radford/Allsport
Where to start with Les Ferdinand?
The Premier League hasn’t seen many better strikers.
The Englishman scored 50 goals in 84 games for Newcastle United, and goes down as one of their best signings, before leaving for Tottenham.
With a total of 149 Premier League goals to his name, only a handful of players have scored more in the so-called ‘promised land’ than Ferdinand.
4) Andy Cole – £1.75m
Celtic defender Tom Boyd holds off Andy Cole (R) playing for Newcastle United in the Peter Beardsley testimonial match at St James Park January 27. Newcastle players from several years ago returned to the club to show their support for Beardsley.JJM/CLH/
If Ferdinand was good, then Andy Cole was incredible.
During his time at Newcastle United, the forward netted a prolific 68 goals in 84 appearances.
And, by the time that he was ready to hang up his golden boots, he had scored 187 Premier League goals.
It might seem like Newcastle snapped him up for next to nothing, but they actually broke their club transfer record to get him in.
Only three players have scored more in Premier League history: Harry Kane, Wayne Rooney, and Alan Shearer. We’ll get to one of them…
3) Gary Speed – £5.5m
Gary Speed’s name sparks happy memories, but also ones of someone who was taken from us all far too soon.
He remains one of the best players to have signed for Newcastle United, with 285 appearances for the club cementing the legacy of the left-midfielder.
He played for the club between 1998 and 2004 and was a loyal servant before joining Bolton Wanderers.
A top player who is sorely missed.
2) Peter Beardsley – £150,000
One of the most naturally gifted players on this list and in Newcastle history, Peter Beardsley was some player, and he was snapped up on the cheap.
Whilst playing for the Magpies, he managed to score an incredible number of 118 goals in 314 appearances. To put it simply, Beardsley was phenomenal.
He didn’t win any team trophies at St James’ Park, but he did win the club’s Player of the Year award on two separate occasions.
A true icon of the game.
1) Alan Shearer – £15m
It was always going to be him at the top of this list, wasn’t it?
Every Newcastle fan’s hero; the biggest legend at the club; most impressive of all, the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer with 260 goals, and briefly the most expensive player in the world.
In English football history, not many strikers can match Shearer, he was that good, and remains Newcastle’s greatest signing of the Premier League era.
He may well see his record disappear eventually; Harry Kane is now 60 goals behind him, but for now, he stands alone.
So, there you have it, Newcastle United’s best signings of the Premier League era. From Pardew’s French Revolution, to some of the Premier League’s greatest goalscorers, there’s some incredible players on this list. Now, as one of the richest clubs in world football, the Magpies will be hoping to see recent signings go on to enjoy similar legacies at the club.
da roleta： It proved to be a summer of change for Tottenham Hotspur, with the most notable departure having been the sale of club record goalscorer, Harry Kane, following the Englishman's £100m move to Bayern Munich.
da bet7： The 30-year-old goal machine was followed out the door by fellow academy graduate Harry Winks who sealed a £10m switch to Championship side, Leicester City, while Davinson Sanchez was another remnant of the Mauricio Pochettino era to have moved on permanently, joining Galatasaray for a reported fee of £12.8m.
Aside from a raft of further loan departures – including Djed Spence following Joe Rodon to Leeds United – the north Londoners also saw diminutive forward, Lucas Moura move on to pastures new after just over five years on the books at N17.
The experienced Brazilian had originally been snapped up from Paris Saint-Germain back in January 2018, although the 31-year-old was sent packing this summer with chairman Daniel Levy making a sizeable loss on his initial investment.
How much did Tottenham pay for Lucas Moura?
The fleet-footed speedster had caught the attention of Levy and Pochettino following his standout form in France at the Parc des Princes, having racked up 94 goals and assists in 229 games in all competitions for the Ligue 1 giants.
That impressive, trophy-laden spell in Paris persuaded Spurs to fork out around £23m in order to bring the winger to England, with the winter arrival tasked with providing further firepower alongside the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son.
While not always a regular fixture of the side over the next few years, Moura did cement his "cult hero" status – as per pundit Paul Robinson – following his remarkable hat-trick against Ajax to fire the club to a maiden Champions League final in 2019.
That stellar showing came as a significant high point in an otherwise mixed spell in north London for the 5 foot 8 enigma, as he was never able to truly kick on from that thrilling night in Amsterdam.
How much did Tottenham sell Moura for?
On reflection, it would appear that the 2018/19 season was as good as it got for the 35-cap international in a Tottenham jersey, as he scored 15 goals in all competitions, including bagging ten goals in 32 league appearances.
Following on from that standout season, Moura would remarkably score just ten top-flight goals across the next four seasons combined, having perhaps suffered as a result of the sacking of Pochettino in November 2019.
The winger's woes were particularly evident in his final season at the club as he failed to start a single league game under Antonio Conte and co, with it somewhat perplexing that Levy did not agree to sanction his departure last summer – amid reported interest from the likes of Newcastle United and Aston Villa.
Tottenham Hotspur forward Lucas Moura.
As it proved, the Lilywhites ultimately allowed the misfiring marksman to leave at the end of his contract back in June, with the club unable to recoup any of their initial investment in the former PSG man.
There may be those who believe that the forgotten figure should have been allowed to depart far sooner amid his slide down the pecking order, with the 2018 transfer having perhaps not quite gone as expected, despite Moura's haul of 39 goals and 27 assists in 221 games in all competitions.
Deepti Sharma is the only player not belonging to the two finalists to make the cut
Vishal Dikshit18-Mar-20241 Shafali Verma (Delhi Capitals)
For the second season in a row, Shafali, not surprisingly, finished with the most sixes (20) in the WPL, double that of the second-best. While she continued to target the boundaries to provide Delhi Capitals rapid starts, this season saw a much more consistent Shafali who also took more responsibility towards building a solid opening stand with Meg Lanning. She also finished WPL 2024 with the best batting strike rate (minimum 75 balls faced) and shone in the final too with a 27-ball 44.2 Smriti Mandhana (capt, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The title-winning captain doubled her run-tally compared to her forgettable WPL 2023 and looked more assured and free in her strokeplay. Her runs at the top meant a lot more to RCB because she didn’t find a stable opening partner in the tournament. She also impressed with her astute captaincy, field settings and use of resources to be named captain of this XI. In the modest chase in the final, she steered her team almost all the way.Related
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3 Meg Lanning (Delhi Capitals)
As imposing and imperious as she has ever been, Lanning was the solid batter at one end with a regular flow of fours while Shafali targeted the sixes. After taking home the orange cap last season, she finished second on the list this time, just behind Ellyse Perry, with another prolific and consistent season. She was as good as ever at finding the gaps on her way to striking more fours than anyone and struck four fifties, also the most, but couldn’t see her side out of a collapse in the final which left her in tears at the end.4 Jemimah Rodrigues (Delhi Capitals)
Barring the two-ball duck in the final, this WPL season saw a different avatar of Rodrigues whose free-flowing strokes were more powerful, more aerial, and more frequent. Otherwise not known for her six-hitting abilities, Rodrigues impressed with her consistency and along-the-ground strokes, especially in the Delhi leg where the lack of bounce suited her natural game. As compared to zero sixes off her bat in WPL 2023, this time she hit eight sixes and played a pivotal role at No. 3 by shooting up her strike rate from 128.57 to 153.59 in the two WPL seasons.ESPNcricinfo Ltd5 Ellyse Perry (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
The Australian hand in winning the trophy, who first confirmed RCB’s knockout berth with a career-best 6 for 15, then lifted them from the pits of 49 for 4 in the eliminator and stayed not out on 35 when Richa Ghosh hit the winning runs on Sunday night. Her four unbeaten knocks gave her a staggering average of 69.40 in the tournament along with the orange cap.6 Richa Ghosh (wk, Royal Challengers Bangalore)
After starting the tournament with a bang – 62 off 37 against UP Warriorz – Ghosh was putting in blitzy performances in the middle order. Then came her stunning 51 off 29 in a high-pressure chase against Capitals to nearly snatch victory. That she led the team almost single-handedly against a top bowling attack in the second half of that chase spoke volumes of her ability to handle pressure-cooker situations. The Indian team management will hope this has prepared the 20-year-old for the big games in the forthcoming World Cups.7 Marizanne Kapp (Delhi Capitals)
A gun new-ball bowler. Powerplay specialist. Swing and seam movement. Dot-ball pressure. Name the skill and she had it this season, impressing at 34 despite battling recent illnesses and injuries. Coming on the back of solid all-round performances in Australia before the WPL, Kapp thrived in different conditions in both Bengaluru and Delhi. She was the main force Capitals used early on to break through before others rallied around her. She was the purple-cap holder until the final, the only game in which she went wicketless.She also set up a victory against RCB by smacking a 16-ball 32 to help Capitals post an imposing 194 before dismissing Mandhana and Ghosh in the chase.Jemimah Rodrigues and Shreyanka Patil were crucial cogs in their teams’ runs to the final•BCCI8 Deepti Sharma (UP Warriorz)
One of the top India allrounders, Deepti showed a new facet to her T20 batting with a high-octane 88 off 60 against Gujarat Giants, her third fifty in a row, which nearly saw Warriorz mow down 67 in the last three overs. She struck four sixes in that innings alone after not managing even one in the last WPL.She was promoted to Nos. 3 and 4 towards the end of the league and did the heavy lifting when some of the other international players didn’t score as much.With the ball, she got breakthroughs in almost all games, highlighted by her match-turning hat-trick against Capitals and frugal figures of 2 for 22 in their last game. She was hence named the MVP (Most Valuable Player) of the tournament.9 Shreyanka Patil (Royal Challengers Bangalore
Picked the most wickets, did the victory on Sunday night, held the glittery purple-cap trophy and lifted the WPL trophy – all with a hairline fracture on her left hand, which earned her praise from captain Mandhana and many others. After a lean Bengaluru leg, her campaign burst to life in Delhi when she bagged 4 for 26 – all big international wickets – against Capitals before stifling the Mumbai Indians openers and dismissing Harmanpreet Kaur late in the eliminator to turn the match on its head. In the final, she pounced on Capitals again after Sophie Molineux’s triple-wicket over, starting with the wicket of Lanning, who fell to Patil twice in three games.10 Shikha Pandey (Delhi Capitals)
The oldest bowler in the Capitals set-up also bowled the most overs for them because of her experience and regularity of picking wickets. If Kapp did it with the new ball, Pandey shone in the death overs, being the only quick bowler among the top wicket-takers in that phase. Her accuracy stifled the opposition and even though she didn’t pick more than two wickets in any game, she struck in all games but one and finished with nine scalps, only behind Kapp and Nat Sciver-Brunt among the fast bowlers.11 Asha Sobhana (Royal Challengers Bangalore)
A woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, Sobhana was among the brightest uncapped stars this WPL along with Tanuja Kanwar, who narrowly missed out in this XI.Sobhana bagged the first five-for of this season – in their opening game – and bowled some ripping legbreaks for an attack that had eight bowling options in the final. She was the most economical spinner for champions RCB and bowled the high-pressure last over ahead of Sophie Devine and Renuka Singh when Mumbai needed 12 runs to win the eliminator. She conceded only six in that over and made a name with her fearless flight and change of pace that also fetched her the wickets of Kapp and Jess Jonaseen in the space of three balls in the final.