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Pedri has never shied away from praising talent, but his latest admission makes one thing clear, there’s one player he’d sign for Barcelona above anyone else and that is Bayern Munich star Jamal Musiala. The midfielder, currently recovering from injury, openly hailed Musiala as a rare talent who “blows him away,” sparking fresh debate about two of Europe’s most gifted young players.

• Pedri names Musiala as the only player he'd sign for Barca

  Appearing on the YouTube channel , the Barcelona midfielder was asked which single player he would sign if he had full control. He was quick to admit and name the one player on his mind: “A player who blows me away is Musiala. He’s very good.”

  The addition of Musiala to the already star-studded squad is exciting, but the reality is far more complicated. Musiala extended his Bayern contract until 2030, and even with a release clause reportedly in place, the figure is far from small with €175 million, dropping to €100m only in 2029.

  Pedri was also asked about his favourite player from La Masia, to which he replied: "The one I like the most is Dro, he is very good, he has a lot of quality and it seems that he does not have a hard time doing things."

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  Why Musiala impresses Pedri and why the transfer won't happen

  Musiala is one of Europe’s most complete young attackers – versatile, technically sharp, and dangerously productive in the final third. His ability to glide past defenders and contribute goals makes him a standout even among elite talent.

  But the admiration isn’t one-sided. Bayern once wanted Pedri. In 2020, shortly after Barca’s infamous 8-2 Champions League defeat, former Barca sporting director Ramon Planes revealed that Bayern requested a video call to push for Pedri’s signing.

  Pedri acknowledged the interest but said it was never realistic: “It's true that Bayern were interested in me. But I have an unconditional love for Barca. I’ve always wanted to play here. That's why it was very difficult to imagine going to another club.”

  So while Pedri dreams of Musiala in a Barcelona shirt, both players are entrenched pillars of their current clubs, neither likely to move anytime soon.

• How Pedri and Musiala became elite young stars

  Pedri and Musiala emerged almost simultaneously on the European stage, with both players making their senior breakthroughs in 2020. Pedri arrived at Barcelona from Las Palmas and adapted instantly to top-level football, while Musiala progressed rapidly through Bayern's youth system after his move from Chelsea.

  Their rise to prominence was equally swift. Pedri’s 2020-21 season turned him into a regular starter across all major competitions, marking him as Barcelona’s most influential young midfielder. Musiala’s breakthrough in 2021-22 confirmed him as Bayern’s next major attacking talent, earning consistent minutes and producing decisive contributions in the Bundesliga and Champions League.

  Since then, both have become central to the identities of their respective teams. Pedri anchors Barcelona’s midfield with his positional intelligence, composure, and ability to control the rhythm of matches. Musiala provides Bayern with a more explosive dimension, using his dribbling and acceleration to unsettle opponents and create scoring chances.

  By 2025, Pedri has accumulated roughly 200 appearances with 28 goals and 23 assists, reflecting his influence as a playmaker and organiser. Musiala, with around 200 appearances, 64 goals and 39 assists, has established himself as a more direct attacking threat with higher scoring output.

  Pedri brings control; Musiala brings chaos. One dictates the game, the other breaks it open. Their contrasting styles explain why Pedri speaks so highly of Musiala’s talent.

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  What lies ahead for Pedri and Musiala

  Both stars are currently on recovery paths. Pedri suffered a hamstring tear shortly after El Clasico. Initially ruled out for six weeks, he’s progressing faster than expected and could return sooner, though Barcelona are cautious about avoiding a relapse.

  Musiala, meanwhile, is recovering from a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle sustained in July 2025 during the Club World Cup. He has returned to light grass training and is expected to be fit for competitive action by December 2025.

  Their importance to their clubs cannot be overstated. Pedri remains the backbone of Barcelona’s midfield while Musiala is Bayern’s most exciting attacking hope.

  For now, both remain central figures in their respective projects and any talk of a Barcelona-Musiala union remains nothing more than admiration from one elite talent to another.

Nationals center fielder Jacob Young is finding a routine of making incredible catches in the outfield.

He continued that trend Monday evening when he came up with a wild grab against the Braves where he bobbled a liner off the bat of Atlanta shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Young dove for the ball and got in front of it, but the ball popped out of his glove and he miraculously made the catch with his bare hand.

He made an eerily similar catch just a day ago against the Mets in New York where he tracked down a ball on the warning track that fell out of his glove, but he kicked it back up off his foot and brought it in for a wild out.

In an MLB talent show, Young may take the cake with his impressive juggling and hacky sack skills. The catch off his foot Sunday is one you rarely ever see, and then he follows it up with a similar play the next day. Incredible.

The Nationals' season will come to a close Sunday against the White Sox as they sit at the bottom of the NL East. Maybe we'll see some more new skills from Young with just five games to go.

There are set to be at least five seasons and it will be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Nov-2025FairBreak and Saudi Cricket have announced a five-year partnership to host the Women’s World T20 Challenge in Saudi Arabia from 2026. It is set to be the first professional women’s cricket event in Saudi Arabia. Saudi Cricket and FairBreak said in a release that the competition will feature players from more than 35 countries.FairBreak is a private company founded in 2013 that aims to improve gender equality in sport and previously hosted the FairBreak Global Invitational T20 in 2022 and 2023 in Dubai and Hong Kong respectively. A third edition was planned in 2023 in the USA but it was initially postponed to 2024 and eventually didn’t come to fruition.The FairBreak Invitational was fully sanctioned by the ICC and had six teams. It featured international stars like Chamari Athapaththu, Sophie Ecclestone, Laura Wolvaardt and Marizanne Kapp among others. However, the BCCI did not give No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the Indian players. It is also unclear as of now if any Indian players will feature in the new T20 tournament.The announcement said new T20 league is “in alignment with the ambitions of Saudi Vision 2030” and among its objectives are to develop women’s cricket talent through structured training programmes and pathways, to raise public awareness and inspire the next generation of players, to enhance international collaboration, and to bring in players from more than 35 countries.The Women’s World T20 Challenge will see Saudi Arabia increase its presence on the cricket map. The IPL auction was held in Jeddah in 2024 and the country was also poised to back a new Grand-Slam-style circuit of T20 tournaments. Saudi Arabia is also set to host some games in the future seasons of the ILT20.

India last played a 50-over game in August, but the biggest concern is the fickle weather

The Preview by Shashank Kishore14-Dec-20193:15

India’s bench strength under the scanner

Big Picture

It is common knowledge that Chennai gets a lot of rain in December. Yet, here we are trying to squeeze in an ODI, when two more T20Is would’ve brought in more context with the World Cup just around the corner. Ironical as it may be, we could well have a curtailed game veering towards the T20s if the weather, which forced India to call off their optional nets on Friday and West Indies on Saturday, continues to remain fickle.India have not played ODIs for a while. Their last 50-over series came in the Caribbean, well remembered for that audacious Virat Kohli shot, where he opened up the off-side and carved a short of length delivery on the up for six over extra cover while being off balance. It even had Sir Viv Richards admiring the shot in awe. If you don’t remember the scoreline of the series, though, or any other detail, well, you would be forgiven.West Indies have the benefit of having played a good amount of white-ball cricket on tour, even before the T20I series. They whitewashed Afghanistan 3-0 in the ODI series in Lucknow to begin Kieron Pollard’s captaincy era on a promising note. So far, West Indies have made all the right noises, both in terms of their squad selection as well as administrative intent to become a formidable force once again. This ODI series is another opportunity to build forward.

Form guide

India WWWLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
West IndiesWWWLL

In the spotlight

KL Rahul is in one day, out the next. He is opening one day, at No. 4 the next. There hasn’t been much clarity about his role in the white-ball set up. With Shikhar Dhawan injured, this is Rahul’s best chance to settle the debate by making big runs. It will be of massive help to him that he is coming into the series on the back of a Man-of-the-Match-winning performance in the third T20I.He has been mistaken to be the son of Courtney Walsh, but if he bowled anywhere like he did in the Caribbean Premier League – where he picked up 22 wickets in nine games – Hayden Walsh will likely carve an identity of his own. He cannot ask for better spin-friendly tracks than Chennai and Cuttack to make a splash. His three ODIs against Afghanistan didn’t bring him a rich haul, but there were shades of promise.BCCI

Team news

Mayank Agarwal may have to wait for his ODI debut, but Shivam Dube could earn his. There could be a toss-up between Kedar Jadhav and Ravindra Jadeja.India: 1 KL Rahul, 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli (capt), 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Shivam Dube, 8 Deepak Chahar, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Yuzvendra Chahal, 11 Mohammed ShamiEwin Lewis has a soft-tissue injury on his knee, so he’s likely to be assessed. With their net session on match eve called off, it’s unlikely they’ll want to risk him straightaway. For now, he’ll remain with the squad. Sunil Ambris or Brandon King could come in for Lewis at the top of the order.West Indies: 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope, 3 Roston Chase, 4 Shimron Hetmyer, Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Kieron Pollard, 7 Romario Shephard, 8 Kharry Pierre, 9 Hayden Walsh, 10 Keemo Paul, 11 Alzarri Joseph

Pitch and conditions

Rains for two days in the build-up to the ODI have forced the groundstaff to cover the pitch right through. There hasn’t been much sunshine either. That said, the spinners won’t mind bowling on what is traditionally a good deck for them. India made 281 in the previous ODI here, in September 2017, with Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav picking five Australian wickets in a truncated chase to win the game.

Stats and Trivia

• Virat Kohli has more runs against West Indies in just half the number of games of his nearest competitor. For long, Javed Miandad led the runs rally with 1930 runs in 64 innings. Kohli has already racked up 2146 runs in just 35 innings. In his last nine innings alone, he’s made six hundreds and 870 runs at an average of 174.
• Shai Hope has had a phenomenal last two years as an ODI batsman, averaging 60.54 in 41 innings, with six centuries and 10 half-centuries. This is significantly higher than his overall average of 50.63. However, his strike-rate hovers around 76 in this period, which is far below the norm in ODIs these days. He may want to press on a lot earlier, to avoid putting too much pressure on the big hitters to follow.

Quotes

“The reason why we keep discussing [about] him [Rishabh Pant] is that he has got immense ability. Everybody believes he can be an X-factor. All of us believe he is a good player who can come good.”
“Yes, playing in the IPL augurs well financially and experience-wise, but it is not something which should be at the forefront of your minds in order to succeed.”

Celtic dropped more points in the Scottish Premiership this season as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Aberdeen away from Parkhead on Saturday in the early kick-off.

The Hoops were, in fact, fortunate to even secure a point as they went 1-0 down early in the first half thanks to a stunning goal from Bojan Miovski.

Celtic had been linked with an interest in the North Macedonia international ahead of the January transfer window, and he gave them a timely reminder of why they were looking at him with a sublime finish into the far corner of Joe Hart's goal.

Nicolas Kuhn, thankfully, found a deflected equaliser for the Bhoys but a huge miss from Graeme Shinnie – and a great save from Joe Hart – stopped the hosts from coming away with all three points.

Brendan Rodgers' side are now only three points ahead of Rangers, having played one game more, and the Northern Irish head coach must work out a way to avoid more of these slip-ups to prevent the title race swinging the wrong way.

Getting the best out of Kyogo Furuhashi, who struggled for much of Saturday's game, could be pivotal as the Japan international is a prolific scorer at his best, and he could do that by unleashing Adam Idah from the start alongside him.

Kyogo's red-hot form last season

The 29-year-old marksman has not been able to hit the heights of last season under Ange Postecoglou as his form in front of goal has dipped drastically.

He was on fire for the Australian tactician throughout the 2022/23 campaign and earned the PFA Scotland Player of the Year award last summer for his terrific exploits on the pitch.

Kyogo plundered a staggering 27 goals in 31 Scottish Premiership starts for the Hoops and only missed 16 'big chances' in total, which speaks to his clinical finishing in the final third.

He scored 16 more goals than any other Celtic player – Jota with 11 was in second place – and played a vital role in their title success with his consistently reliable goalscoring as a centre-forward for Postecoglou.

The former Vissel Kobe star found the back of the net every 86 minutes on average throughout the season in the Premiership, which is better than one every full match, and that is a phenomenal return for any striker.

His stunning form led to The Sun reporting last summer that Tottenham and four other European clubs were ready to battle it out for the Japanese dynamo, who was valued at around £20m at the time.

However, Celtic were able to fight off interest in his services from elsewhere, including their former head coach, and may have expected more of the same this season from Kyogo after they managed to keep hold of him.

Instead, the experienced marksman has failed to replicate his form under Postecoglou and Rodgers may be scratching his head as to why that has been the case.

Kyogo's struggles this season

The Hoops striker's output in front of goal has fallen off a cliff in comparison to last season as he has only found the back of the net eight times in 24 outings.

Kyogo has not made the most of the opportunities that his teammates have provided for him with 12 'big chances' missed in those 24 matches, with more big chances missed than goals scored for the first time in a Premiership season for the club.

As you can see in the table below, the 29-year-old gem has not provided anywhere near as much of a threat to opposition defenders as he did last term.

The Bhoys dynamo has failed to hit the target as often per match, missed more 'big chances' per game on average, and scored significantly less frequently this term compared to last.

Interestingly, Kyogo has taken ten more shots from distance (16 to six) this season and this could come from frustration at a lack of chances around the box, which is where Idah could come into play.

Idah's potential partnership with Kyogo

The club swooped to secure the signing of the Ireland international on loan from Norwich City on deadline day and supporters could be forgiven for being underwhelmed.

On the face of it, Celtic brought in a back-up striker from a Championship side on loan instead of a proven Premiership scorer like Miovski, who had – as aforementioned – been linked with a move to Parkhead.

However, the 22-year-old is an exciting prospect who could fulfill his potential in Scotland with regular minutes that did not come at Carrow Road.

Idah came off the bench to help rescue a point for the Hoops against Aberdeen and his impressive cameo off the bench provided a glimpse at the possible combination between him and Kyogo.

As you can see in the table above, the Canaries loanee provided outstanding creativity in limited touches, with Sky Sports co-commentator Chris Sutton describing his centre-forward play as "sensational" during the game, in just over half an hour on the pitch on his debut.

His composed turn and well-weighted lay-off provided Kuhn with the opportunity to fire in the equaliser and he was unfortunate not to land another assist from Kyogo or Matt O'Riley, who both had efforts on goal from inside the box thanks to his passes.

Idah, who stands at 6 foot 3, has the physical presence to be the perfect foil for the Japan international to play off as part of a front two for Celtic.

The £23k-per-week whiz won both of his aerial duels against the Dons whilst Kyogo has won 0.2 aerial battles per game this term at a success rate of 18%.

Idah, who scored six goals from 5.83 Expected Goals in the Championship for Norwich this season, could be the focal point of Rodgers' attack and use his creativity and strong hold-up play, as he did against Aberdeen, to create chances for the Japanese marksman.

This could, therefore, ignite Kyogo by allowing him to play off the Irishman and focus on getting shots away in the box instead of competing with opposition defenders in physical battles and taking too many shots from distance, which is why the manager must unleash his new signing from the start.

Aston Villa saw one of their chances at ending a near three-decade wait for a major trophy end in midweek as they crashed out of the FA Cup following a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea.

Unai Emery now arguably has only the Europa Conference League to aim for if he wishes to win something this season, and considering West Ham United were victorious last term, it could pave the way for Villa to follow suit in May.

The Spaniard will now turn his attention to the Premier League clash against Manchester United tomorrow afternoon, as the Red Devils make their way to the Midlands.

Erik ten Hag’s side are on a decent run of form, winning four of their previous five matches and remaining undefeated in 2024.

The 52-year-old manager may make some changes to his team following the below-par performance against a struggling Blues side in midweek…

1

GK – Emiliano Martínez

The Argentine will not be displaced from the starting XI ahead of what could be a vital fixture for both teams tomorrow.

The former Arsenal goalkeeper conceded three times against United during the 3-2 defeat on Boxing Day last year, yet he has kept a clean sheet in two of his previous three league matches, and hopefully he will secure another one on Sunday.

2

RB – Matty Cash

The English-born Poland international will start his first league match since the 3-1 defeat against Newcastle United at the end of January and Emery will be looking for him to make an impact against United.

Cash did win four out of his five duels against Chelsea and succeeded with 100% of his dribble attempts and made two key passes. Another display like this could help Villa massively.

3

CB – Diego Carlos

With Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa out injured, the Brazilian has come into the starting XI and performed solidly enough.

He completed 91% of his passes and won four out of six aerial duels against the Blues, but they still found the back of the net three times, and he will have to be wary against United, especially with the form they are in currently.

4

CB – Pau Torres

The towering "Rolls-Royce" – as described by journalist Graeme Bailey – was named on the bench for the defeat in midweek but could make his return form injury tomorrow, with the pairing of Diego Carlos and Clement Lenglet shipping three goals.

The £100k-per-week talent was reportedly a target for the Red Devils prior to the signing of Lisandro Martinez in 2022 and could prove a key figure in dowing Ten Hag's men at Villa Park.

5

LB – Alex Moreno

Lucas Digne is nearing a return to action, but the clash against Ten Hag’s men tomorrow could come too soon for the Frenchman.

This means Moreno will make his eighth start in a row and, since returning to the first team following an injury, he has scored three goals in just 15 matches, suggesting that he is a decent goal threat.

6

CM – Douglas Luiz

Arguably one of Villa’s most important players this season. Luiz has transformed his game and has emerged as a more attacking threat this season.

This is evidenced by the fact he has registered 14 goal contributions in all competitions – seven goals and seven assists, while his influence will be crucial against United tomorrow.

7

CM – Boubacar Kamara

The Frenchman has missed just four league matches during the 2023/24 campaign – all down to suspension – and when he is fit and available, he forms a solid partnership with Luiz in the middle of the pitch.

The Brazilian tends to push forward more often than Kamara, but the former Marseille gem provides a reliable defensive acumen which helps protect the back four.

8

RW – Leon Bailey

If Luiz is one of Villa’s most important players this term, then Bailey has every right to be considered as one of the most improved.

Last term, he managed only nine goal contributions – five goals and four assists – while this season, the Jamaican has already scored ten times and grabbed nine assists in all competitions, firmly establishing himself as the main attacking outlet on the right flank, and he will start against the Red Devils.

9

AM – Moussa Diaby

Although usually deployed on the wing for Bayer Leverkusen, Diaby has found himself operating in a number of positions this season and against the Red Devils, he could play in the number ten role, just behind Watkins.

He scored his sixth goal of the season against Chelsea in midweek after coming off the bench, and he will replace Youri Tielemans in the starting XI.

The Belgian completed just 60% of his passes and lost possession ten times during his time on the pitch, thus meaning he should drop to the bench.

10

LW – John McGinn

The captain is another name who finds himself as a key performer under Emery, with the Scot starting all but two matches this season, scoring eight goals in the process.

He found the back of the net during the last clash against the Old Trafford side and Emery will be hoping he can repeat the trick tomorrow, albeit with a different result at the end of the game.

He played 48 international matches and was the Man of the Match in his last Test, in 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Feb-2020Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has retired from international and first-class cricket, making the announcement on Friday via Twitter. Ojha remembered his “memorable” IPL journey too in a retirement letter he tweeted, effectively putting an end to his career across formats.”It’s time I move on to the next phase of my life. The love and support of each and every individual will always remain with me and motivate me all the time,” he tweeted.Ojha played 48 international matches – 24 Tests, 18 ODIs and six T20Is – from 2008 to 2013. In his last game for India, a Test against West Indies in 2013 which was Sachin Tendulkar’s farewell match, Ojha finished with match figures of 10 for 89 and was named the Man of the Match. Overall, he took 113 Test wickets at an average of 30.26, 21 in ODIs and 10 in T20Is at an economy rate of 6.28.”To be an Indian cricketer and represent the country at the highest level was always a dream I cherished as a youngster,” Ojha said in a letter he posted on Twitter. “I fall short of words to describe how fortunate I have been to have lived, dream and earned the love and respect of my fellow countrymen. For a sportsperson, there cannot be a greater reward.” Ojha started his domestic career with Hyderabad in 2005 and made his international debut in an ODI against Bangladesh in 2008. In 2015 he left Hyderabad to ply his trade as a professional player in the domestic circuit and represented Bengal in 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. In 2017, he returned to Hyderabad, but for only one season before switching to Bihar for whom he played three one-day matches and one first-class game at the end of 2018.He ended his first class career with 424 wickets from 108 matches at an average of 28.60, with 23 five-fors and three 10-wicket match hauls. In 50-over games he had 123 wickets from 103 games and another 156 wickets from 142 T20s.In the IPL, he represented Deccan Chargers from 2008 to 2011 and Mumbai Indians from 2012 to 2015. In 2009 he helped the Chargers lift the trophy with 18 wickets, and even ended as the highest wicket-taker in 2010 with 21 scalps, when the Chargers lost to Royal Challengers Bangalore in the third-place playoff.”My eventful career has witnessed many ups and downs. Over the time, I have realized that the legacy of a sportsperson is not just the outcome of his hard work and dedication, but also the faith and guidance bestowed upon by the association (team management), teammates, coaches, trainers, and the fans. Their belief fills you with a strong sense of purpose and belonging.”I have been a part of the Hyderabad Cricket Association for close to 14 years, and the incredible experience I have gained will have an everlasting impact. I would like to express my gratitude to all the members of the Association who have supported me through these years.”Ojha also thanked the Cricket Association of Bengal, the Bihar Cricket Association, the two IPL franchises he represented and many of his former team-mates.”My humble salute to all my seniors and teammates from whom I draw immense inspiration, and who have helped me to strive to be a better sportsperson. I am very thankful to Mr. V.V.S. Laxman for mentoring me like an elder brother, Mr. Venkatapathy Raju for being the role model I always looked to emulate, Mr. Harbhajan Singh for being a constant adviser and Mr. M.S. Dhoni for providing me with the honorable opportunity to wear the Indian Cap.”I extend my regards to my contemporaries Mr. Rohit Sharma and Mr. Manoj Tiwary who have shared many eventful moments with me. My Hyderabad teammates – Mr. Amol Shinde, Mr. M.P. Arjun, Mr. Alfred Absolom and Mr.P.S Niranjan have been an integral and inseparable part of my journey. My utmost gratitude to Mr. Arjun Yadav who was the first captain I played under during my Ranji Trophy debut and also Mr. Kanwaljit Singh who coached me during the early phases of my career.”Lastly, I am certain that looking back at my career will always fill me with a sense of pride. The most memorable moments would be receiving my Test Cap from Mr. Sachin Tendulkar and accomplishing the feat of taking 100 test wickets. I hope to continue contributing towards the growth of Indian Cricket in every capacity possible.”

BBC Radio 5 Live pundit Alan Hutton is under the belief that Tottenham "will have always been in contact" about signing a speedy player for 2024/2025.

Spurs chasing new forward deal for Postecoglou

As reliably reported, a position which Spurs are eager to strengthen this summer is out wide.

Tottenham laying groundwork to sign marquee striker with Paratici contacts

The Italian advises Spurs on a consultancy basis.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 6, 2024

Despite the presence of Timo Werner, Bryan Gil, Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min and Manor Solomon in their squad already, it is believed Tottenham are admirers of both Wolves star Pedro Neto and Eberechi Eze of Crystal Palace heading into the summer.

Manager Ange Postecoglou doesn't appear to favour Gil in his starting line up, leading to rumours that the Spaniard could in fact leave N17 this summer, while the consistently-injured Manor Solomon could quit Spurs if they end up bringing in two wingers (Dan Kilpatrick).

This would free up space for a new wide attacker for next term, and a decision must also be made on the long-term future of Werner.

The German, signed on loan from RB Leipzig in the winter transfer window, bagged his first Spurs goal against Crystal Palace last weekend and has registered a further two assists so far during his time at N17.

His deal is thought to contain a £15 million buy-option, something which may well entice the wider Tottenham recruitment team if Werner can display the kind of form which motivated Chelsea to splash £47.5m on him in 2020.

Hutton thinks Spurs will "always" be in contact over Werner deal for 24/25

Now, speaking to Tottenham News, former Lilywhites defender Hutton has suggested that Spurs will always have been in contact over signing Werner permanently for 24/25.

“I think they will have always been in contact about it,” said Hutton.

“I don’t think that will change between now and the end of the season, they will always be monitoring that situation. It always goes back to the same thing for me, he needs more than one opportunity to score a goal.

"You see Eze, fantastic free-kick but before that Werner has a great opportunity one-on-one with the goalkeeper and he shows amazing speed and that’s what he’s all about getting into position.

“Sometimes I just think when he has too long to think about it, I never feel confident that he’ll score. If that was Son, I’d put him down to score. But he got his goal and he’s off the mark. Well done, it’s good for him and good for the club, but I think they’ll be monitoring the situation from now until the end of the season to see if he’s a guy that can fit in long-term or not. Then they’ll have to make the decision."

Recall at No.6 will help young player bed into Test cricket after baptism of fire in 2018

George Dobell in Mount Maunganui19-Nov-2019At the end of the English domestic season Ryan ten Doeschate made a revealing comment. Asked whether he intended to play for Essex for another season in the County Championship, he replied he wasn’t sure. “Batting at No. 6,” he said, “it’s where you blood someone to bat. And there are a couple of young guys who are close to being ready.”It was revealing for a couple of reasons. For a start, it underlined what a fine team man ten Doeschate is. While many players, approaching their 40th birthday, might have thought little beyond attempting to secure themselves another contract, ten Doeschate was thinking about what was best for the future of Essex as a club. His personal aspirations were clearly secondary to the team’s long-term benefits.More pertinently, his words underlined how a successful team – and Essex have won the County Championship twice in the last three years, remember – integrates new players. And they contrasted with England’s approach in recent times.Take the example of Ollie Pope. Having earned the attention of the selectors by batting at No. 6 for Surrey, the then 20-year-old was thrust into bat at No. 4 in Test cricket. That meant that, even though he had never batted inside the first 20 overs of a first-class innings at county level, he was then expected to come in before the 10th over in Test cricket. It’s hardly surprising he struggled.It was a similar story with Jason Roy. Having impressed as an opening batsman in white-ball cricket, where there is little lateral movement and the pitches tend to be good for batting, Roy was given the task of opening in Test cricket in England where the ball moves lavishly and the surfaces, in recent times, offer seamers plenty. Again, it was hardly surprising that he struggled.At least it appears England are learning. Pope may well move up the order in the months or years ahead but, for now, he will be given a chance to acclimatise to the higher standards of Test cricket by batting at No. 6 in New Zealand. Equally, England have opted for two specialist opening batsmen. Not only should they offer more expertise in negotiating new-ball spells, they should also provide some protection for the middle-order.While Joe Denly is still being asked to bat out of position at No. 3, the presence of Zak Crawley – another opening batsman – in reserve probably hints at the direction of travel. After a period of simply picking the most eye-catching players and asking them to adapt, the new team management are adopting a more sophisticated approach towards both young players and the embrace of specialists.ALSO READ: ‘I want to stop being vulnerable’ – Sam CurranThere is one exception to this. In handing the gloves back to Jos Buttler – with Pope as reserve keeper now that Jonny Bairstow has gone home – England are still taking a risk. Buttler performed well with the gloves in the warm-up games, but Ben Foakes remains, by a distance, the best keeper available to England.The issue of specialisation was acknowledged by Dom Sibley as he anticipates his Test debut. He knows he will be required to perform at a higher level than he has previously, but he also knows what the job entails.”If I do play I’ll try to do exactly the same as what I’ve done this season in county cricket,” he said. “I’ll try to get through the new ball, soak up as many balls as I can and score big hundreds. It’s been a strength of mine that once I’ve got in, I’ve really cashed in. Hopefully if I do play and get through the new ball, I can do the same.”There was a minor scare at training on Tuesday when Ben Stokes briefly left the nets for treatment after he was struck on the hand by a delivery from Archer. He returned shortly afterwards, however, and dismissed any suggestion of injury. You suspect it would take more than the loss of one hand to keep him out of this game.A first look at the Mount Maunganui pitch might have pleasantly surprised the bowlers. While most pre-match predictions have suggested this will prove to be the Bay of Plenty of runs, the surface was surprisingly green. It may well be, however, that the layer of grass is only there to prevent the pitch drying out in the strong winds. Both sides are expected to field specialist spinners for just such a reason. This will be only the 10th first-class game here – three of the first nine have been drawn – however, so there must be an element of the unknown about how the surface will play.

Leandro Trossard has been left fuming after learning his EA FC 25 rating as he believes many of the stats "should have been much higher."

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• Trossard has an overall rating of 81 in EA FC 24
• Has seen marginal improvement this season
• Belgian not happy with some of the stats

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Belgian took just two minutes to make his mark against Aston Villa as he fired in Arsenal's opener with a first-time strike that flew past a hapless Emiliano Martinez. And what followed was the customary superhero-inspired celebration and a starting berth in the next match against Brighton.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Trossard's fiery start was a continuation of where he left off in the previous season. The Gunners went on to stitch a six-match winning run to end the 2023-24 Premier League campaign and the Belgian scored in four of them. However, his spike in performances was not amply reflected in the FC 25 ratings which infuriated the forward.

• WHAT TROSSARD SAID

  Trossard's pace attribute has gone up by one and is now 82 whereas his shooting (81) also got boosted by the same margin, which has disappointed the player.

  "Should be much higher," he said in an interview with the .

  "Now, that's not enough. Not at all. For any attacker, shooting is a big part. I have been practising all my life, especially on both feet how to score goals and I think I have shown already that I can score some nice goals."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Trossard emerged as one of Arsenal's key players last season making 46 appearances across competitions scoring 17 goals and providing two assists. His overall FC 25 rating is 83 which has increased marginally by two points.