PGMOL chief Howard Webb says David Coote was wrong to award a penalty to West Ham in their win over Manchester United, following a VAR intervention.
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Coote suspended after viral videoCriticism of Liverpool has caused outrage onlineFurther controversy that also involves Michael OliverFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Coote's career as a Premier League referee is hanging in the balance and now any return has been cast into further doubt after PGMOL chief Webb admitted his decision to award West Ham a penalty in their recent win over Manchester United was wrong. Coote initially waved play on after Danny Ings was brought down in the box by Matthijs de Ligt in the final minutes of the game, with the referee reversing his decision and awarding a penalty after being advised by VAR to check the incident on the monitor. Jarrod Bowen cooly converted from the spot to give the Hammers a big win, with Erik ten Hag then sacked as head coach following that result.
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Speaking on Sky Sports' , Webb said: "I thought it was a misread by the VAR. A VAR that's normally really talented and reliable, but gets uber-focused in this situation on De Ligt's leg. His leg coming through on to Danny Ings, not making any contact with the ball. The ball's already past De Ligt as he makes contact with Danny Ings. And the VAR sees that as a clear foul. I think he (Michael Oliver) was too focused on that aspect. I don't think he should have got involved. I think this is a situation where we'd leave the on-field decision as it is, probably whichever way it's called. On balance, I don't think it's a penalty kick."
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Webb added that the PGMOL are taking the recent scandal very seriously and will be conducting a full investigation before deciding Coote's future. But with his public criticism of Liverpool – in particular Jurgen Klopp – there would be severe backlash if he were to be involved in a game concerning the Reds again, or any that could have implications on their league position.
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There is no timeline yet for when a decision will be made on the match official, but Coote has been pulled out of his duties during the interational break. He will no longer be able to referee in UEFA competitions either, until there is a conclusion to the case.
Raphinha revealed that he was proud of how Brazil played against Uruguay despite fans booing after the 1-1 draw.
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Raphinha praised his team-matesFans booed the national team starsBrazil & Uruguay play out 1-1 drawFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
It was yet another frustrating outing for the Selecao as they came from behind to hold Uruguay to a 1-1 draw at the Arena Fonte Nova in Bahia. Real Madrid star Federico Valverde opened the scoring for the visitors in the 55th minute but former AS Roma midfielder Gerson scored a spectacular equaliser to ensure the spoils were shared in the World Cup qualifying clash.
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The five-time world champions are now fifth in the 2026 World Cup CONMEBOL qualifying table having managed to win just five of their 12 matches so far. After the frustrating draw, Brazil fans booed Dorival Junior's team as they left the pitch. Nevertheless, Barcelona winger Raphinha insisted that Brazil put in a strong performance.
WHAT RAPHINHA SAID
Speaking to via , Raphinha said: "We played really well. The truth is that I'm very proud of everyone. Based on what we did here today, it's going to be difficult to beat us."
When asked about the boos from Brazil fans, Raphinha added: "The booing is for the result. Excuse the word, but we played like hell."
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The 27-year-old, who has been one of Barcelona's best players in the 2024-25 campaign, having recorded 22 goals and assists already, will be next seen in action on Saturday as Hansi Flick's side face Celta Vigo in La Liga.
Ipswich Town are leading the race to land yet another EFL star this summer as they look to build a side capable of Premier League survival.
Busy summer for Ipswich Town
After securing back-to-back promotions, there has understandably been significant squad turnover at Portman Road. Perhaps their most important business was to renew the contract of manager Kieran McKenna, who had been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton before penning a new deal in East Anglia.
Ipswich now preparing big offer to sign "world-class attacker" for McKenna
The Tractor Boys mean business in the transfer window this summer.
ByTom Coates Jul 24, 2024
So far, the Tractor Boys have shelled out £60m on five new faces, with last season's hero Omari Hutchinson the pick of the transfers after he arrived from Chelsea for a club record £20m. They have also added Hull City centre-back Jacob Greaves to the heart of their defence, while they raided relegated Burnley to bring Arijanet Muric to Portman Road in a deal worth around £8m.
Ben Johnson also arrived on a free transfer after his contract with West Ham United expired, while they bolstered their frontline with the arrival of Liam Delap from Manchester City, in a move that set them back a further £15m. Now, they want to add to their ranks of impressive EFL talents with another addition.
Ipswich leading Europa League champions in chase for midfielder
That comes in the shape of Birmingham City midfielder Jordan James, who has impressed for the Bluebirds in recent seasons. The Wales international is still just 20 years old but has already racked up 11 appearances for the Welsh national side, while he passed 100 Birmingham appearances in the final weeks of the 2023/24 campaign.
Jordan James 2023/24 Championship campaign
Appearances
42
Goals
8
Assists
0
Yellow Cards
10
Though his side were relegated to League One, James is considered a major talent and former Wales boss Rob Page didn't hold back in his praise of the youngster.
"He reads the game well, he’s athletic, he likes a tackle, he can pass the ball, he can head it,’ said Page ‘He ticks a lot of boxes; he has got everything. He is a great lad and he wants to work hard. He has got potential and we’re going to help him achieve that."
Now, he could be set to leave St Andrews' and it is Ipswich who are reportedly leading the way for his signature.
That comes courtesy of HITC, who claim that the midfielder has been "made available for a fee of over £10m" this summer with James "expected to leave" before the new season.
Wales international Jordan James.
It is added that Atalanta, who are the current Europa League champions, are also chasing his signature but that Ipswich are "currently leading the race" as they look to bolster their midfield ranks.
Were Ipswich to be able to beat a current European champion to the signing of the 20-year-old, it could represent a major statement of intent from the Tractor Boys, and may well help them remain a Premier League side beyond next season.
Difficulties against Lasith Embuldeniya have not prompted batsman to make changes
Alan Gardner20-Feb-2021Four Tests into England’s six-match subcontinental winter, it is fair to say things could have gone more smoothly for Zak Crawley. A difficult baptism to the prevailing conditions in Sri Lanka, where Crawley made scores of 9, 8, 5 and 13, was followed by a “freak” injury at the start of the India tour, when he slipped on his spikes outside the changing room in Chennai and the resultant wrist sprain ruled him out of contention.Crawley is now back in training and looking to prove his fitness ahead of the third Test, a day-night match starting in Ahmedabad on Wednesday. And despite the difficulties he experienced against the left-arm spin of Sri Lanka’s Lasith Embuldeniya – who dismissed him four times in four innings – he has vowed to “stick with what has got me here” rather than seek to make technical changes.Related
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Sam Curran out of India Tests due to logistical difficulties
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England’s top three has been a moveable feast – if “feast” isn’t too misleading a word – in Sri Lanka and India: Crawley opened alongside Dom Sibley for two Tests, with Jonny Bairstow at No. 3; Rory Burns then returned from paternity leave to partner Sibley, and with Bairstow rested and Crawley injured, Dan Lawrence was pushed up to first drop for the two games in Chennai.Of the five, only Sibley and Lawrence have scored fifties – although Bairstow averaged 46.33 in Sri Lanka – the latter on debut and the former after he opted to change his approach in response to three single-figure scores. Crawley, who finished the English summer by scoring 267 at No. 3 against Pakistan, described the two Galle Tests as a “great learning curve” but intends to stick to his approach should he come up against India’s Axar Patel, another left-arm spinner capable of bowling with the new ball.”It’s important not to change too much and I still back my game against spin,” he said. “It’s still a great learning curve for me that I need to be a bit sharper and work on a few things, doing things that I do best. There’s room for improvement which is always positive.”I’m not going to let a few dismissals change the way I play. I had a couple of good balls, I hit one rash shot. Well, I don’t think it was a rash shot, I just mis-executed one shot. So for me there is no problem, I’m just going to continue playing the way I play. Axar Patel is a top-quality performer so I’m going to give him the respect he deserves. It’s not a problem in my eyes, I’m just going to try to improve the way I play.”ESPNcricinfo LtdCrawley said that rather than making any tweaks, he had been paying attention to his team-mates in the nets and would focus on “using my height bit more, and getting out to the spinners and then right back” if he is picked for a recall in Ahmedabad.”I’ve watched quite a few of the top players in our group,” he said. “The top players keep it simple, that’s what I’m going to try to do. I’m not going to over-complicate anything. Like I said before, a couple of dismissals aren’t going to change the way I play too much. I’m just going to try to get better at the things I do.”In Sri Lanka with the new ball, one went straight on, one spun. A couple spun and caught the edge, I didn’t think there was much I could have done about those. And I mis-executed one shot and that was the way it went for me. I’ll stick with what has got me here and try to get better at that.”In this environment [of] Test cricket, there’s a lot of scrutiny and it’s very easy to change quickly. But I’ve played a game that’s got me here so far, and a couple of Test matches in Sri Lanka aren’t going to change that. If down the line it continued to be a problem, then that’s something to look at that. There’s obviously been a bit of talk about the way Embuldeniya got a few wickets early in Sri Lanka. But I think for me it’s all about sticking with what I know, and my opinion and people’s opinion who’ve been around me this whole time. For now I think it’s about playing my game.”Zak Crawley has returned to the England nets after his injury•BCCIAs for the wrist injury, Crawley has returned to batting in the nets and taking part in fielding drills, and was keen to put the incident behind him – albeit he admitted to being “slightly disappointed” that the solution to the problem, some carpet strategically placed on top of a marble floor, was already in place outside the India dressing room.”I was one of the first players to go out on the field with my spikes on and basically my feet went out from underneath me, and to protect my head I stuck out my hand. It was one of those freak incidents where my arm took all the weight. A real shame to miss some Test cricket.”Crawley also echoed Mark Wood in suggesting that the pink ball might aid England’s efforts to bounce back strongly after India levelled the series in Chennai.”It seems to be swinging more than the red ball and doing a bit more for the seamers,” Crawley said. “It seems to be a bit harder so the spinners are skidding it on a bit more as well. So it’s going to play different than the red ball. I expect to see more seam in this game. The spinners are still going to have to play a big role. I’d be surprised if they produced an absolute green seamer. I think it will still spin quite a bit but the seamers are going to have a bit more of a chance than in the last couple.”
Glasgow Rangers have made their eighth signing of the summer as winger Vaclav Cerny joins the Ibrox side on a season-long loan deal.
Arriving from Bundesliga side VFL Wolfsburg, it is clear the Czech international – who represented his nation at Euro 2024 – has the skills required to shine in Scotland.
Philippe Clement was full of praise for the player upon his arrival, saying: “I am delighted to welcome Václav to the squad, he is an exciting player, with valuable experience in European football.”
Hopefully, this is a signing which is the catalyst for more players to join the Light Blues ahead of their first league match against Hearts next week.
Clement will be aiming for a couple of more experienced bodies to join the club, but he is still keen on signing youngsters with extraordinarily high ceilings.
Could the South American market be looked at once again? It looks like the experienced manager has targeted a signing from the continent…
Rangers eye move for Colombian talent
According to reports, Rangers are keen on signing right-back Edier Ocampo in the next few weeks.
The 20-year-old could be close to leaving Colombian outfit Athletico Nacional after coach Pablo Repetto left him out of the previous match against Millonarios due to the interest expressed in the young defender.
Edier Ocampo
Indeed, Rangers, Hellas Verona and French side Toulouse have tabled offers for him, according to the report, while interest in the MLS comes from the Vancouver Whitecaps, indicating that Clement has some competition to fend off.
The Belgian is eyeing up signings from all over the pitch and, with the future of James Tavernier in doubt, could Ocampo be an ideal replacement for the captain should he make the move from South America to Scotland this summer?
Latest on James Tavernier’s Ibrox future
While there have been several new arrivals this summer, Clement is now at a stage where he needs to move a few first-team players on. Not only to create space in the squad, but to also raise vital funds for one or two marquee signings.
There is still plenty of time to go until the summer transfer window closes, yet the return of the new season is fast approaching, with players who clearly aren’t good enough looking like they could start the league opener against Hearts.
Tavernier is one member of the senior leadership team who could be about to end their stay at Ibrox, as several clubs are keen on signing him.
Season
Games
Goals
Assists
2023/24
58
24
12
2022/23
55
18
10
2021/22
58
18
17
2020/21
46
19
16
2019/20
46
3
15
2018/19
57
17
20
2017/18
46
9
9
2016/17
44
2
7
2015/16
50
15
23
Former Gers boss Giovanni van Bronckhorst – who is now in charge of Besiktas – wants to reunite with the Englishman. Fellow Turkish side Trabzonspor are also interested, having made an offer last week to secure his services.
His future still remains uncertain, yet this is surely the ideal chance for the club to cash in on the player, who has two years left on his current contract.
Since joining Rangers back in the summer of 2015, Tavernier has played 460 competitive games for the club, scoring a quite remarkable 125 goals. Add in a further 129 assists during his spell in Glasgow, and it becomes evident that the club may never have a right-back who can replicate these kinds of numbers again.
The last few seasons, despite the goal involvements, have seen the likes of Tavernier and Connor Goldson fail to inspire the team to more domestic honours, stumbling when it really matters.
Ocampo might not be the finished product, but Clement’s new strategy is clearly signing youngsters with significant potential in order to secure a major profit for them in the future.
Could the Colombian gem send the captain packing? Only time will tell.
Edier Ocampo’s career statistics
Despite not turning 21 until October, the starlet has already made 58 senior appearances for Athletico Nacional. Add to that another 21 games for the Colombia U20 side, and it is clear he is ready for a fresh challenge.
While primarily a right-back, Ocampo can also operate in a more advanced role as a right-winger, which means, regardless of where he plays, Clement can expect the player to get forward and contribute towards the attack.
In 21 club matches during 2024, the 20-year-old – who has "seriously high potential", as noted above – scored three goals and chipped in with an assist in the Colombian top flight, showcasing his attacking qualities.
During the opening Apertura section of the league, Ocampo ranked second among his teammates for goals and assists (four), while also ranking second for big chances created (two), third for key passes per game (1.4), first for successful dribbles per game (1.3) and fifth for shots on target per game (0.7), yet more evidence of his growing attacking qualities.
The more he plays, the better Ocampo will get. With a move to Europe looking like it could be the most likely option, Clement will need to act swiftly to bring this deal over the line.
If Tavernier does leave, it opens up space for the youngster to develop further at Rangers at right-back, while even pushing forward to a more attacking position should the opportunity arise.
This will depend on Clement managing to secure a deal to send the captain packing in the next week or so, however.
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ByRoss Kilvington Jul 25, 2024
If Ocampo is available for a decent fee, then this is a move which the club should be doing everything they can to get over the line.
He is young, ready to play senior football and clearly has a limitless ceiling when it comes to future potential. With Cerny arriving through the doors at Ibrox, more should be ready to follow suit in the coming weeks, that’s for sure.
Uncapped New Zealander a like-for-like swap after the Australian makes himself unavailable for the entire 2021 season
Deivarayan Muthu10-Mar-2021The Royal Challengers Bangalore have signed uncapped New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman Finn Allen as a like-for-like replacement for Josh Philippe who will miss the entire IPL 2021 for personal reasons.Allen, who had initially found no takers in the auction last month, had listed his base price at INR 20 lakh – identical to that of Philippe who was snapped up by the Royal Challengers at the IPL 2020 auction. Like Philippe, Allen can open the batting and keep wickets if needed.”The RCB management is disappointed to lose a player of Josh’s calibre for this IPL season, but at the same time we fully understand, respect and support his decision of excluding himself from the tournament,” the franchise said in a statement. “We had to select the next best option from the list of players registered for the IPL auction, at the same base price as Josh (20 lakh). We spent a great amount of time working through that potential list and have selected Finn Allen as a top-order batting replacement.”Allen, the 21-year-old Auckland batsman who had moved to Wellington ahead of this domestic season, had a bumper Super Smash 2020-21, his chart-topping 512 runs at a strike rate of almost 194 powering the Firebirds to the title. All up, Allen clattered 25 sixes in the tournament – the most by any player – and pulled off a variety of trick shots, including an outrageous switch-hit off New Zealand and Northern Knights’ premier spinner Mitchell Santner.Related
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Finn Allen the breakout star in Super Smash
A day out of the Super Smash final, Allen had no expectations of an IPL call-up although he conceded that featuring in the league would be a bit of a dream come true.”For me, there are no expectations,” Allen had told ESPNcricinfo. “It has kind of always been that way for me – I’m just going out there and enjoying what I am doing. Just trying to win the title for Wellington, and if more than that comes out of it, it would be awesome. Obviously going to the IPL would be pretty amazing – that’s almost my dream for a long time now, so yeah hopefully get lucky and get picked up. But, obviously no expectations, and if it doesn’t happen, there’s always the future.”A day after lifting the Super Smash trophy, Allen made it to the New Zealand T20I squad although only as cover for senior opener Martin Guptill. After Guptill cleared his fitness test, Allen linked up with Wellington again and continued his stellar form with a maiden List A hundred. During his knock of 128 off 59 balls, he drew level with Peter Fulton for the fastest hundred (50 balls) by a New Zealander in the format as Wellington posted 427 for 8 – another New Zealand List A record.
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RCB director of cricket Mike Hesson, who had closely followed the New Zealand domestic season, was impressed with Allen’s ball-striking in the Super Smash.”From a New Zealand point of view, once again I’m not so sure about Colin Munro right now,” Hesson had told Ian Smith on in February. “I think he has played a lot of cricket and once again you what he can do. You can bring him in if you need to. Finn Allen is the exciting one, isn’t he? It’s a matter of whether you can fit him in there…often players need to have a breakout season like that just to get their first opportunity before you find out that they’re actually really good.”And New Zealand has done that with (Devon) Conway – obviously he’s been knocking on the door for a long time – and Will Young is another fine player who has had to bide his time. But, if we think back to when Martin Guptill made his debut – he was young and on the back of some really, really good domestic performances to the point where he needed that opportunity. And Finn Allen, for me, there’s no better time to do it. He’s been exceptional at the top of the order and once it’s about who you going to leave out.”At RCB, Allen will now unite with Hesson and Kyle Jamieson, who was signed for INR 15 crore at the auction.Allen’s maiden IPL deal means he could potentially be unavailable for New Zealand’s three-match T20I series at home against Bangladesh, starting on March 28. IPL 2021 is due to begin on April 9, with RCB scheduled to play their league fixtures in Chennai, Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Kolkata. The franchise’s pre-season camp is already underway at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson hailed goalkeeper Callum Burton's performance as "excellent" despite their 1-0 loss to Stockport County.
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Okonkwo out injured for WrexhamBurton replaces keeper in goalParkinson praises back-up stopperFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
Despite falling to a 1-0 loss to fourth-placed Stockport County in League One on Saturday, manager Parkinson was full of praise for Burton's performance between the sticks. With first-choice stopper Arthur Okonkwo out injured, having a solid deputy could be key to the success of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Wrexham side.
AdvertisementGettyWHAT PHIL PARKINSON SAID
Parkinson told reporters: "Callum was excellent. He put in a really good performance. I’m very pleased for him, obviously, as much as he’ll be happy with his performance, the most important thing is the team gets a result and we weren’t able to do that, but I don’t think he could have done much more on the day."
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Wrexham missed the chance to close the gap on League One's top two sides Wycombe Wanderers and Birmingham City on Saturday. They are still two points outside the automatic promotion spots and have played two more games than City and one more than Wycombe. But they have still made a very good start to the season and promotion to the Championship is very much a possibility.
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Burton will continue to be Wrexham's keeper while Okonkwo is sidelined, with the 23-year-old out for another six weeks or so. Next up for the Red Dragons is a home clash against Exeter City next Saturday.
Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has labelled referee David Coote's derogatory comments about Liverpool and ex-manager Jurgen Klopp 'unacceptable'.
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Maresca says Coote comments are indefensibleCoote insulted Klopp & Liverpool in leaked videoMaresca heads to former club Leicester on SaturdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?
On the Monday after the Premier League paused for the November international break, social media became awash with leaked footage of Coote labelling Liverpool "sh*t", and Klopp a "German c*nt". A second video later emerged of Coote allegedly sniffing a white powder in his hotel room at Euro 2024 in Germany in the summer. A PGMOL investigation is ongoing and Coote has been suspended both domestically and by UEFA.
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In a press conference ahead of Chelsea's clash with his former employers Leicester City, Maresca was asked about the video of Coote slandering Liverpool and did not hold back in his response. While no decision on Coote's future in officiating has been made, the videos are naturally still a major talking point, and Maresca's reaction to the footage is one of the most damning yet.
Getty Images SportWHAT MARESCA SAID
Asked what he made of the footage of Coote, Maresca responded: "These kinds of things are not the reaction [you expect] from a player, a manager, a referee, or a normal human being who is not involved in football. It doesn’t matter that he is a referee."
He added: “The reaction is not the best one because there are things that are not correct to say. It doesn’t matter that he is a referee. If I, as a manager, say the same thing it is wrong. If a journalist says the same it is wrong. So it doesn’t matter that he is a referee. Any human being that says these kinds of things. It is not good.”
Asked about the prospect of facing his former club Leicester, Maresca was reflective: "We had many good moments. The way I will receive them, the players, the owners, the sporting directors, the guys working there. It was hard to leave for sure because there was a good connection between human beings.
"The owners did everything they could to convince me to stay. He completely understood but the connection was fantastic."
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WHAT NEXT FOR MARESCA, CHELSEA AND COOTE?
Maresca and Chelsea travel to King Power Stadium for Saturday's early kick-off to face Leicester, a game they go into as firm favourites. Should they win, they will close the gap to second-placed Manchester City, at least temporarily.
As for Coote, the future is less clear. Still suspended by the PGMOL, the outcome of the investigation is still pending, but with the nature of his comments it is unlikely he will return to refereeing any time soon.
Left-arm seamer pulled out of County Championship fixture vs Middlesex on third morning
Matt Roller06-Jul-2021Amid the chaos of England’s first-choice ODI squad entering self-isolation on Tuesday morning, a handful of county stalwarts received news that they thought would never come. Danny Briggs was recalled after seven-and-a-half years since his last international appearance; John Simpson was given a first call-up as the back-up wicketkeeper at the age of 32; and David Payne struggled to hide his emotion after being named in an England squad for the first time.”This has been the dream for a long time,” Payne told Gloucestershire’s in-house channels at Cheltenham before leaving their County Championship game against Middlesex to link up with the new squad in Cardiff. “I’m not sure words can describe how I’m feeling – I’m ecstatic, and I can’t stop smiling. It’s everything everyone plays for, so to finally get that call is everything I ever wanted.”While a handful of players and support staff were reached last night, Payne was among those who only found out on Wednesday morning. “I had a missed call and a message on WhatsApp,” he explained. “I was down at breakfast and left my phone in the hotel room, so I came back and saw that.”The message said, ‘it’s Chris Silverwood, can you give me a call?’ Instantly, my heart was kind of racing and excited, thinking, ‘what’s this going to be?’ I tried to stay cool [and] thought I’d do my teeth and get ready to go to the ground and then give him a call. In the car he was ringing me again so I took the call again and he said can I join him down in Cardiff?Related
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“My initial reaction was a bit confused and I was thinking, ‘I’m in the middle of the game – what does this mean?’ [But] with replacements being allowed, it means that Dom [Goodman] could come in for me today so I could concentrate on going down and joining them.”I had absolutely no idea [about the outbreak]. Chris asked if I’d heard anything and honestly, I was completely oblivious to what was going on. [I’m] just thankful for the opportunity.”Payne is the only left-arm seamer in the squad, with Sam Curran, George Garton and David Willey all self-isolating and Reece Topley injured. While he is not guaranteed to start the series – several more regular squad members have been named in the group – the call-up is a reward for his consistency in both white-ball formats over a number of years: he has taken 110 wickets at 24.96 in his List A career, and 125 at 22.67 in T20.Payne was a regular for England at Under-19 level between 2009 and 2010 but has never been called up by the England Lions, and is one of four players in the new-look ODI squad – along with Jake Ball, Briggs and Simpson – who missed out on the 55-man training squad named at the start of the 2020 summer.”It’s amazing,” he said. “Probably the last thing I expected to happen this morning. I spent last night watching Jimmy Anderson’s spell with the red ball [for Lancashire against Kent] and was really excited turning up today to put a red ball in my hand and be out there for Glos.”To get the call from Chris Silverwood was the last thing I thought would happen this morning, but just the most amazing news for me. [I’m] completely ecstatic and can’t wait to get down there.”
Arsenal have a massive campaign ahead of them next season as they look to finally get over the line and bring the Premier League back to North London for the first time in over 20 years.
Mikel Arteta's side were almost perfect last year, with a best-in-class defence and a seriously impressive haul of 91 goals to boot, but given the level of competition, they'll need some more reinforcements before the transfer window slams shut.
This is clearly the feeling at the club as well, as, over the last few weeks, a number of genuinely top-class players, from Sporting CP's Viktor Gyokeres to Napoli's Victor Osimhen and countless others, have been linked with a move to the Emirates.
However, there was one star touted for a move to N5 earlier this summer, who, if signed, would be a real coup, although his arrival might be bad news for Gabriel Martinelli.
Arsenal transfer news
According to a report from Football Transfers back in mid-July, Arsenal were one of two sides tipped to sign Napoli's Georgian superstar Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Napoli forwardKhvicha Kvaratskhelia.
The links seemed to stem from the winger's former coach, Gela Davitadze, who named the Gunners and fellow Premier League side Manchester City as the two most suitable destinations for the Serie A winner.
However, if the North Londoners are to go back in for the 23-year-old phenom, they'd have to dig deep into their pockets, as the report claimed that he'd cost at least €100m, which converts to around £84m.
That said, to get the best, you have to pay a premium, and Kvaratskhelia is undeniably one of the most exciting widemen in Europe and would be a serious level-raiser at the Emirates, even if he'd potentially replace Martinelli.
How Kvaratskhelia compares to Martinelli
So, if the Gunners were to go back in for Kvaratskhelia this summer, there is little chance that he'd join without a guarantee of significant game time, although while he can play off the right, it would be incredibly surprising to see him replace Bukayo Saka.
Napoli forwardKhvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Moreover, considering he has more experience playing off the left, he'd likely compete with Martinelli for a long-term place in the starting lineup.
So, how do the pair compare? Well, when we look at their raw output from the last couple of seasons, it's the "unstoppable" Georgian, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, who comes out on top.
In 45 appearances, he scored 11 goals and provided nine assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 2.25 games.
However, as if that wasn't impressive enough, his form the season prior was something else entirely, as he scored 14 goals and provided 17 assists in just 43 appearances, equating to an incredible average of a goal involvement every 1.38 games.
In contrast, Arsenal's Brazilian dynamo can't quite match those numbers.
For example, last season, he produced 13 goal involvements in 44 appearances, averaging out to one every 3.38 games, while the campaign prior saw him produce 21 in 46 games, leading to a more impressive average of one every 2.19 games.
What about their underlying numbers, then? Does the Tiflis-born star win out when we examine what's happening under the hood?
Unsurprisingly, given their comparative output, the Napoli ace also comes out way ahead in practically every relevant underlying metric, including but not limited to non-penalty expected goals plus assists, actual non-penalty goals plus assists, progressive passes and carries, shots and shots on target, passing accuracy, key passes, shot and goal-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.
Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists
0.59
0.58
Non-Penalty Goals + Assists
0.56
0.45
Progressive Passes
2.93
2.90
Progressive Carries
6.05
5.67
Shots
4.21
2.59
Shots on Target
1.48
0.89
Passing Accuracy
80.4%
77.9%
Key Passes
2.07
2.05
Shot-Creating Actions
5.10
4.10
Goal-Creating Actions
0.53
0.49
Successful Take-Ons
3.32
1.79
Ultimately, in every conceivable metric, Kvaratskhelia comes out ahead of Martinelli. Therefore, while he'd cost a king's ransom, Edu and Co should do what they can to secure his services.
He'd be a game-changing signing for Arsenal and could play a pivotal role in ending the club's extended title drought, as he did for Napoli.
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