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The Dutchman has not made the roaring start to the season he would have hoped for, but there are still signs of progress and some patience is needed

Sir Jim Ratcliffe recently likened his year-long negotiations with the Glazer family to buy Manchester United to fishing for salmon. Salmon fishing (he always puts his catches back in the river) is one of the billionaire's many passions, and Ratcliffe, who owns 400,000 acres in Iceland, set up the Six Rivers foundation to reverse the declining population of Atlantic salmon.

He also take as a keen interest in sailing, Formula One, and endurance sports such as marathons and Ironman triathlon. Ratcliffe's lifetime mission, however, was to own United, the club he grew up supporting as a boy in north Manchester. That opportunity finally arose in November 2022 when the Glazers held their strategic review.

Thirteen months later, the petrochemicals tycoon saw off competition from Qatari Sheikh Jassim to land a 27 percent stake in the club which he has called "a colossal enterprise" with "probably the biggest fanbase of any sports team in the world". The transaction, he told , was like reeling in a huge salmon as it required "enormous patience – it was on the line for a long time."

Ratcliffe has developed a reputation for being utterly ruthless and acting swiftly, as he showed with his removal of chief executive Richard Arnold and sporting director John Murtough, and with the 250 club employees he is set to make redundant. But his passion for salmon fishing and his love for the great outdoors demonstrates another aspect of his character, one willing to show a little patience.

And now Ratcliffe needs to show a little patience with Erik ten Hag, the man who he came so close to firing last May before giving him a reluctant vote of confidence. The Dutchman has not made the most convincing of starts to the new season and there have already been calls for Ratcliffe to pull the trigger. But as Ten Hag prepares to face United's biggest rivals, Liverpool, on Sunday, he needs to feel the confidence of his boss.

AFPDeja-vu

United are in a near-identical situation at the start of this season as they were at the beginning of the last campaign, which proved to be their worst since 1990. They got a largely uninspiring home win over Fulham on their opening day which had some similarities to their first victory of last season against Wolves, and then sank to defeat in their first away trip against Brighton, giving them a familiar feeling to how they were beaten by Tottenham in their second game.

The conceding of Joao Pedro's last-gasp winner crystallised the sense of deja-vu, as it was the sixth time United had lost a Premier League game after the 90th minute under Ten Hag. And it did not take long for disgruntled fans on social media and pundits to quickly point the finger at Ten Hag and demand he be sacked. Former United players were not far behind.

Dwight Yorke claimed Ten Hag was "not an elite manager" and said he expected Ratcliffe to sack Ten Hag swiftly. "There will be no hiding place at United for Erik ten Hag, and even though he has been given a new deal, the club are expecting improved results very quickly," he said. "They have now lost to Brighton and scraped past Fulham and I expect Sir Jim Ratcliffe won’t hesitate to make a change."

AdvertisementGetty Images SportBetter than results suggest

United's minority shareholder should hesitate to act too swiftly with Ten Hag, though. Despite the familiar feeling to last season, the performances have been different, and better. The team looked solid against Fulham and the only on-target shots they conceded were efforts from outside the area, which were calmly tipped over the bar by Andre Onana.

It was a very different story to the ragged 2-1 home defeat by Fulham the previous season, when the Cottagers had 17 attempts, five on target. That was the game which sparked Jamie Carragher's brutal analysis of the way United played under Ten Hag, which he dubbed "low block, high press" and called, with some justification, "impossible".

United, who were outplayed at home by Brighton last season in a chastening 3-1 defeat, may have succumbed to the same ultimate result on Saturday, but, two defensive lapses aside, they looked more solid and more cohesive at the Amex Stadium.

They spurned good chances and had a goal that would have given them the lead ruled out for a freak offside. Even as United sunk to defeat in the relentless south coast rain, there were silver linings around the clouds.

Getty Images SportMore cohesion

The midfield looks tougher and more together, and is not getting repeatedly exposed on the counter-attack like last season. They are still creating the exciting transitional attacks of last season, though, with Amad Diallo's pace frightening opponents and Alejandro Garnacho looking like a real threat in the three appearances he has made off the bench. Indeed, there is a growing case for Ten Hag to drop Marcus Rashford and start Garnacho off the left of the attack, with Amad staying on the right.

United are also still integrating the new arrivals such as Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt, with the centre-back still yet to start a game. Nor has Zirkzee, even though he enjoyed a dream debut against Fulham.

The trio all missed the pre-season tour and need more time to get up to speed, while the team will soon gain some extra energy and power in midfield when Manuel Ugarte joins up with the squad after completing his move from Paris Saint-Germain.

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GettyGetting stronger

Then there is the fact that starting centre-forward Rasmus Hojlund is still injured and Leny Yoro, the star defender who United beat Real Madrid to sign back in July, also suffered an untimely serious injury in pre-season.

Hojlund should be back in time for the trip to Southampton after the international break, with Yoro set to return between late October and early November. United's crippling injury crisis was a big factor in United giving Ten Hag another opportunity last season, so it is only fair that he is allowed to demonstrate what he can do with his first-choice striker and his biggest signing of the summer.

United’s next fixture against Liverpool might strike fear into some fans, especially given that the Merseysiders have made a strong start under Arne Slot, winning both of their games 2-0. But it is worth remembering that this fixture has often brought out the best of Ten Hag’s United, at least at Old Trafford.

A former SL sports minister has alleged corruption, though no evidence has been made public

Andrew Fidel Fernando01-Jul-2020Kumar Sangakkara, Mahela Jayawardene, Aravinda de Silva and Upul Tharanga have all been summoned to appear before a special investigations unit set up by Sri Lanka’s Sports Ministry, over allegations of match-fixing in the 2011 World Cup final. The allegations were made by Mahindananda Aluthgamage, who was the sports minister at the time, and is seeking re-election in parliamentary polls next month.Although Aluthgamage has claimed that he is in possession of evidence that fixing occurred, nothing substantial has been made public. The ICC’s Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) has never stated the final was under suspicion either. A senior ICC official at the time has told ESPNcricinfo that they do not recall having received any complaints about possible corruption in that match. And separately, a senior official from the tournament organising committee has also confirmed to ESPNcricinfo that no complaint related to corruption has been filed regarding that game.Broadly, Aluthgamage’s allegations appear to be about the four changes Sri Lanka made to their XI for the final. However, Sangakkara (who was captain), Jayawardene (who was vice-captain) and de Silva (who was chief selector) have repeatedly said that those changes were precipitated by injuries to two players – Angelo Mathews and Muttiah Muralitharan – sustained during the semi-final. Muralitharan was able to play the final, but has since said he had not been fully fit. Mathews, meanwhile, was the player who provided balance to the XI, and his exit from the side is said to have changed the batsmen/bowler composition that Sri Lanka had been using for much of the World Cup.That the sports ministry can summon these players before a special investigations unit is due to the “Prevention of offences related to sports act”, which was passed last year with the aim of curbing fixing. The ICC’s ACU is understood to have worked closely with the Sri Lankan government during the drafting of that bill.De Silva had given evidence before the investigations unit on Tuesday, while Tharanga had appeared before the unit on Wednesday. Sangakkara and Jayawardene will make their appearances either side of the weekend.

Truth be told, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have a gigantic task on their hands this summer as they look to return Manchester United to their glory days.

This season simply hasn’t been good enough under Erik ten Hag, with the team conceding their highest total goals since 1971 with 82.

Huge decisions will be made by the new ownership, with the manager spot under threat and plenty of players set to be sent packing.

A cultural shift is needed at Old Trafford, and Ratcliffe will look to begin by signing young talent for lesser fees, a complete change from the recent overpaying for mediocre profiles.

Man Utd’s search for youthful star

According to a report from the Northern Echo this week, Man United are lining up a bid for Sunderland’s Chris Rigg.

At just 16 years old, the Black Cat is yet to sign his first professional contract at the club, but Sunderland are hoping that he opts to continue his development at the club.

The report mentions that Manchester United “are poised to make the strongest move for Rigg,” but the potential fee is unknown.

However, the Red Devils won’t be alone in their pursuit of the wonderkid, with the likes of Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Bayer Leverkusen also monitoring him.

Imagine Rigg and Mainoo

Ratcliffe will be absolutely thrilled to have Kobbie Mainoo already in his squad, who has taken his opportunity in the first team and become undroppable.

Since his Man United debut in November, the 19-year-old has started a further 21 Premier League games, scoring two goals, running the show from midfield and being handed his England debut by Gareth Southgate. Impressive work indeed.

Not just has the number 37’s quality, maturity and confidence been rewarded by his country, but a new contract is also reportedly in the works to keep the superstar at the club for the foreseeable future.

It’s clear that Ratcliffe looks set to plan ahead to ensure long-term success at the club by signing Rigg, who could thrive at the heart of the Red Devils midfield for years to come alongside Mainoo.

As you can see by the table below showcasing Rigg’s performance against Leicester City earlier this season, it’s extremely clear that the teenager has a vast skill set. He notably won seven of his eight duels and completed all three of his dribbles.

Minutes

82

Shots

2

Successful dribbles

3/3

Touches

43

Key passes

1

Tackles

2

Duels won

7/8

Therefore, the “wonderful” ace, as dubbed by former Sunderland boss Tony Mowbray, has already proven that he can hold his own against top players, which is extremely impressive for a 16-year-old.

Despite being so inexperienced, the number 31 has featured 21 times in the Championship this season, with an average of 38 minutes per game. However, although he’s had limited minutes, it’s obvious that Rigg has the potential to be a special player, with Richard Amofa of the Athletic saying that he’s "going right to the very top."

The Sunderland academy star is a versatile midfielder who can play out wide or more centrally due to his technical class and ability to work relentlessly off the ball, as shown by his two tackles and 43 touches in that clash with the Foxes.

Yet what makes Rigg even more remarkable is the fact that he can impact the game in the final third, whether that be via his silky dribbling, vision, or serving as a direct threat himself, as displayed via his successful dribbles, shots, and one key pass.

To conclude, the potential of having both Rigg and Mainoo on the same side for the foreseeable future is extremely exciting, and it would certainly be a sign of intent from Ratcliffe.

Man Utd must cash in on 4/10 flop who's now worth even less than Casemiro

This struggling Red Devil is not proving that he deserves a future at Old Trafford.

ByAngus Sinclair May 14, 2024

Vivianne Miedema admits to dreaming of being “up front with Robin van Persie” in the men’s game when professional women’s football “wasn’t a thing”.

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Limited options for striker as a youngsterHas reached the top of her chosen professionPays little attention to breaking recordsWHAT HAPPENED?

As a starry-eyed youngster, the prolific Dutch forward never imagined that the day would come when she could strut her stuff at the very highest level and get paid for the pleasure. In order to achieve that, teenage Miedema believed that she would have to prove her worth alongside the men.

AdvertisementGettyWHAT MIEDEMA SAID

She did just that at youth level, as doubters were silenced in spectacular style, and has told of childhood ambition that saw her targeting a spot alongside a former Arsenal and Manchester United star in Rotterdam: “Playing professionally with other girls wasn’t a thing back then. I thought I’d be up front with Robin van Persie at Feyenoord one day. I remember a game where the opposing team said: 'They have a girl, this should be fun.' We won that match 11-0, I scored six goals and provided five assists. Who’s laughing now?”

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Miedema went on to make her professional debut for Heerenveen at 15 years of age, before taking in memorable stints at Bayern Munich and Arsenal. She is the Netherlands’ all-time leading scorer, boasts the most goals ever scored in the WSL, won the Golden Boot at the 2021 Olympic Games and has three Ballon d’Or Feminin nominations.

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Miedema does, however, consider records to be little more than “nice to have”, adding on her exploits: “Records are there just for others to break. Ultimately, I play for the team’s results and to keep growing myself, both on and off the field.”

England square the series thanks to final-day team effort, led by star allrounder

The Report by Valkerie Baynes20-Jul-2020Ben Stokes, match winner, series saviour. That was the bottom line as England kept alive their quest for the Wisden Trophy with victory in the second Test to level their series against West Indies 1-1.The hosts’ 113-run triumph was built on a towering performance with bat and ball from Stokes and means both teams start the third and final Test, also at Emirates Old Trafford, on Friday with it all to play for.Stokes’ contrasting innings helped England into a commanding position and his ability to break up key partnerships not only helped his side take 19 wickets over the last two days, having lost the entire third day to rain, but destroyed West Indies’ chances of holding out for a draw, which would have seen them retain the trophy.Stokes left many wondering, is there anything he can’t do? But there was more than just his contribution to like about this England performance.To leave out three frontline bowlers in Jofra Archer, James Anderson and Mark Wood and replace them to great effect with Stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Sam Curran speaks to a strength in depth that will prove especially important this summer as six Test are shoe-horned into seven weeks.Broad’s fourth-day spell, when he took 3 for 1 in 14 balls during West Indies’ first innings, sent a clear message after he was overlooked for the first Test but, more importantly, it removed three recognised batsmen in quick succession when England needed time and wickets.Woakes also took three wickets in West Indies’ first innings and he and Broad combined brilliantly with the new ball to put the tourists in trouble early in their second.Meanwhile, Dom Sibley, a young player scoring the second century of a Test career that is only eight matches old, did little to advertise the excitement the game can offer but did everything in his power to give England control in their first innings. His 372-ball 120 showed a maturity to stick to his way and not be pressured into forcing something to happen.Then there was Stokes. His first innings of 176, which came from 356 balls, surprised even himself in terms of its longevity. It also pushed the England innings on where Sibley couldn’t.Then, when England needed quick runs to shore up their position before giving themselves enough time to bowl West Indies out, it was a case of “will the real Ben Stokes please stand up?” and there he was.Having been sent in to open for the first time in a Test on the penultimate evening and resuming on 16 the following morning, Stokes helped himself to an unbeaten 78 from 57 balls. He shared a 73-run partnership with Joe Root and was instrumental as England added 92 runs from 11 overs in the first hour before their declaration set West Indies a target of 312.Ben Stokes launches one down the ground•Getty ImagesThe first over of the day, from Kemar Roach, went for 14 runs, 13 of them to Stokes, including a four followed immediately by a towering six over long-off. Stokes was dropped on 29 by John Campbell at deep extra cover off the bowling of Shannon Gabriel in one of the more damaging West Indies fielding blunders, of which there were a handful.The declaration also gave England 85 overs in which to bowl West Indies out and time to access the second new ball, available after 80 overs. In the end, it wasn’t needed as West Indies were bowled out inside 71 overs.By lunch on the final day, Broad and Woakes had West Indies 25 for 3. The first wicket, Campbell caught behind off Broad in the first over of the innings, almost wasn’t recorded. Beaten outside off stump, Campbell attempted a loose drive which was collected by Jos Buttler, who showed no reaction whatsoever. As Broad appealed, Root looked as un-moved as the umpire, but he signalled for a review with barely half a second to spare and Ultra-Edge showed a clear spike to overturn the not-out decision.Broad had suggested the night before that Kraigg Brathwaite’s would be a vital wicket and Woakes delivered it, lbw. Broad then cut down Shai Hope with a beauty that jagged in off the seam between bat and pad to clatter into the top of off stump.Broad struck again in the fourth over after lunch when he had Roston Chase out lbw and it looked as though Woakes could have had the threatening Shamarh Brooks caught behind for 17 when the batsman fended to Buttler but was given not out and England opted not to review with replays later suggesting the batsman may have gloved the ball.Brooks and Jermaine Blackwood set to work, building a 100-run partnership that had the potential for subborn-ness, albeit with a lot of overs to see out, until that man Stokes reappeared.ALSO READ: As it happened – Live Report from the final day at Old TraffordStokes even tried to chase down a Blackwood four struck off his own bowling when the batsman found a gaping hole at mid-off. And while Stokes’ effort was in vain that time, he had more to offer with when his short ball, aimed at Blackwood’s ribs, struck the glove and ballooned to Buttler, who took a good diving catch.Blackwood was gone for 55 and Stokes had ended another solid union, just as he had done in West Indies’ first innings when he removed Brathwaite with a caught-and-bowled that broke a 76-run partnership with Brooks.Brooks backed up his first-innings 68 with 62 in the second as Woakes dismissed Shane Dowrich, who made a pair. But when Curran had Brooks out lbw, it fell to Jason Holder, the West Indies captain and star allrounder, to save his side from defeat.But when the offspin of Dom Bess came to the fore, a gem smashing into middle stump from outside off with Holder on 35 and West Indies still needing 129 runs versus England’s requirement of two wickets, it was only a matter of time – and the hosts had plenty of that – before they claimed victory.Of course, Stokes was in the action almost until the end, dismissing tailender Alzarri Joseph, before Ollie Pope’s spectacular juggled catch at short leg off the bowling of Bess accounted for Roach, the last man out.The only worry for England was the fact that Stokes stopped bowling in the middle of an over in apparent discomfort. Given his star turn in this match, England will be keen to have him fit for the series decider.

Head coach Simon Katich impressed with timing the batsmen showed after months of downtime

Shashank Kishore29-Aug-2020Virat Kohli said that his first net session in five months “went much better than expected” after Royal Challengers Bangalore’s first training session on Friday in the UAE. The team trained in batches and Kohli was part of the first set of players who underwent a full session at the ICC Academy.”[It went] much better than expected, to be honest,” Kohli told royalchallengers.com. “I was pretty scared. I hadn’t picked up a bat for five months, but yeah it came out better than I thought, to be honest. I’ve trained quite a bit during lockdown, so I’m feeling quite fit and that helps.”Because the body is light and you react better, I feel like I have more time on the ball. That’s a big plus. Otherwise you come heavier into the season, the body isn’t moving as much, and it starts playing on mind, but yeah, as I said it went much better than I expected.”On Wednesday, head coach Simon Katich had underlined how the conditions could bring spin into the equation quite early in the season. And after a full session, Kohli was particularly pleased with how the spinners fared. While Yuzvendra Chahal remains the only frontline spinner, Royal Challengers have a number of spin bowling all-rounders in Moeen Ali, Pawan Negi, Washington Sundar and Shahbaz Ahmed.”The spinners looked pretty good for day one, they pitched the ball in consistent areas for long enough,” Kohli said. “Shahbaz was good, Washy was very good, I saw Chahal bowl well too. The seamers went through their motions a little bit. All in all, a decent start to our camp.”ALSO READ: RCB will show faith in youngsters and local players, says KatichMeanwhile, Katich seemed pleased with the level the players were at on the opening day of the camp. In particular, he was impressed with the timing the batsmen showed.”Considering the conditions and considering it was their first hit for a while, all of them were outstanding,” Katich said. “A lot of them had nearly an hour in the nets in very hot conditions, credit to them for being able to do that. We’re impressed with what they’re all being able to do. The timing was great to watch.”For Hesson, who is in charge of Royal Challengers for the first time, like Katich, the first outing was an opportunity to have a look at many of the players, and not “necessarily judge” them yet.”To be fair, it was a good chance for us to observe them rather than necessarily giving them too many instructions,” he explained. “So just getting to know what they’re working on and making sure they’re doing with purpose, but also not being too harsh on themselves.”The fact is some of them hadn’t even batted for many months. So not a judging day, just a day for them to go out and get through the first session as Katto said, they did it superbly.”

Manchester City's fight against their 115 charges has reportedly prompted players' agents to seek options amid the threat of relegation.

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Man City began defence against 115 chargesPlayers keep options open in case of relegationAgents in touch with club to figure out optionsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱IMAGOWHAT HAPPENED?

Manchester City have begun the battle against their 115 charges of alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules, with certain charges ranging back over a decade ago. As such, a number of key officials and publications have suggested that Pep Guardiola's side could face relegation if found guilty.

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The Daily Mail has now reported that Manchester City's players' agents are keeping their options open regarding the future of their clients in case the eight-time Premier League champions lose their top-flight status. The report has suggested that agents are open to holding discussions with City to 'hear the club's plans and be informed of the options open to them if the worst-case scenario occurs', with their intention being to understand every eventuality to ensure their players are protected.

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Manchester City have maintained their 'not guilty' stance since the charges were brought upon them over a year ago. However, they will now have to contest against the same charges in court to make sure they avoid a bleak future that could see them lose key figures like Pep Guardiola, Erling Haaland and many more.

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WHAT NEXT FOR MAN CITY?

Guardiola's men remain strong in the Premier League as they lead the standings. However, they will also eagerly keep an eye on the court proceedings as players will want to know what the future holds.

Injuries. All teams deal with them, but some suffer worse than others, particularly if they all occur to players in the same position, which was the case at Manchester United last season.

Erik ten Hag is adamant that it’s arguably the biggest reason why his side has underperformed this campaign, and in truth, it’s difficult to disagree with him.

The centre-back position has been the problem, and with Raphael Varane leaving this summer, a replacement has to be lined up.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at a Man Utd target who’d be a fantastic partner for Lisandro Martinez.

Man Utd’s search for new defender

According to a recent report from The Guardian, Man Utd are looking at Trevoh Chalobah.

It’s mentioned that the Blues defender could be on his way out of the club, and with Chelsea set to sign Tosin Adarabioyo from Fulham, the competition amongst the defence is high.

Therefore, due to his uncertain future at Stamford Bridge, Chalobah has “emerged as a target” for INEOS.

In order to acquire the signature of the English ace, Sir Jim Ratcliffe would have to fork out a figure of around £25m.

Why Chalobah would be brilliant alongside Martinez

Chalobah isn’t necessarily a player that would be at the top of the list of transfer targets for Man United, but he’s certainly one that could have a huge impact on the side.

The 24-year-old has been a consistent performer every time he stepped on the field for Chelsea last season, despite missing a lot of the early stages of the campaign through injury.

This meant that the Englishman only made ten starts in the Premier League, making 13 appearances in total, with his first coming at the end of February.

However, his influence can be judged by this one statistic alone: Chelsea didn’t lose a single Premier League game that Chalobah started, which also gives an indication of how he could impact United.

Touches

56

68.5

54.7

Passes completed

40.4

49.1

39.6

Pass accuracy

89%

87%

87%

Possession lost

6.4

8.1

6.6

Interceptions

1

1.2

0.5

Tackles

1.2

2

1

Dribbled past

0.4

0.5

0.4

Duels won %

57%

60%

64%

As you can see from the table above showcasing their statistics from the 22/23 season, Chalobah and United’s Argentine would be a fantastic partnership, while it could be argued that the Chelsea ace would be an upgrade on Varane.

Both centre-backs are extremely comfortable on the ball, rarely giving possession away cheaply while also being progressive, which would enable United to assert more control.

This would be particularly useful when playing against a tough opponent who utilises a press, such as Liverpool, as United have tended to go incredibly long spells without the ball against quality opposition.

On the other hand, Chalobah and Martinez are also both proactive defenders who can thrive when playing in a high line and when defending their own box, whereas Varane is slightly less dynamic than the aforementioned duo.

From another out-of-possession perspective, what would make Chalobah a “monster” alongside Martinez – as he was labelled by scout Jacek Kulig – is the fact that he’s comfortable with defending wide zones.

This is due to his experience playing as a makeshift right back and a wide centre back, and his dominance would make United less vulnerable when the opponent hits them on the break, which is a huge reason why he'd be an upgrade on the French defender.

Overall, signing Chalobah for £25m does seem like great value for money, and if he can remain fit, he’d be a superb centre-half for the Red Devils.

He's like Rashford: Man Utd eyeing "one of the best players" in the PL

The Man Utd target would have been their top scorer in the Premier League last season.

ByTom Lever Jun 2, 2024

The transfer window is just a couple of days away, and after a season full of ups and downs, Tottenham Hotspur have the chance to strengthen their squad.

Ange Postecoglou has shown a lot of promise in his first Premier League season as the Lilywhites boss, and with links to players such as Santiago Gimenez and Youssef En-Nesyri, he could have the player required to push into the Champions League places next year.

However, while he may be handed some new stars, he could also lose some, and, based on recent reports, he may well be about to lose one of his most important starters in a move reminiscent of Luka Modric's over a decade ago.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from ESPN Argentina, Real Madrid are interested in signing Tottenham defender Cristian Romero this summer and have the player in their 'sights.'

The report does not mention a potential price, but the CIES Football Observatory currently values the defender at €60m, which converts to around £51m.

In good news for the North Londoners, the 6 foot 1 Argentine signed a four-year £165k-per-week deal in August 2022, which should give them the opportunity to demand a higher fee for their talismanic centre-back.

However, the allure of Real is undeniable, and if Romero pushes for a move, then the Lilywhites may be forced to sell one of their key men to the Spanish giants in a situation akin to Modric's sale in 2012.

Romero's parallels to Modric

Romero joined Spurs for a whopping £42m from Serie A side Atalanta in August 2021, and since then, he's been an indispensable part of the club's lineup.

Appearances

98

Goals

6

Assists

1

Yellow Cards

28

Second Yellow Cards

3

Red Cards

1

He's made 98 appearances in all competitions and has scored seven goals and assisted seven times.

Described as an "incredible" talent by journalist Alasdair Gold, the World Cup winner has had moments here and there for Spurs in which he's lost his head and been sent off – four times to be exact – but his ferocity and hardworking nature has also worked in his favour as he was named vice-captain alongside James Maddison at the start of this season.

In all, the 26-year-old titan, whom Lionel Messi described as "the best defender in the world" – and he probably knows a thing or two – is an essential member of Postecoglou's squad, and losing him to Real this summer would be reminiscent of Modric's move in 2012.

At the time, the Croatian superstar had been playing at White Hart Lane for four seasons, in which he scored 17 goals and provided 24 assists in 160 games.

He moved to the Bernabeu for £30m, but struggled in his first campaign, scoring four goals and providing six assists in 53 games and being labelled as La Liga's worst signing.

However, as we all know, he soon kicked on and is now one of the most beloved players in the club's modern history, with 534 appearances, 39 goals and 86 assists to his name, although most importantly, he has a trophy cabinet that could rival any player in history.

Appearances

160

534

Goals

17

39

Assists

24

86

Goal Involvements

0.25

0.23

During his time in the Spanish capital, he has won six Champions Leagues, four La Liga titles, two Spanish Cups, five Spanish Super Cups, four UEFA Super Cups, four Club World Cups, one UEFA Best Player in Europe Award, one Best Fifa Men's Player award, and one Ballon d'Or – not bad for the league's worst signing.

Ultimately, the Croatian legend was impressive as a Tottenham player but reached an entirely new level at Real, and while Romero might be tempted to see if he can do the same, Daniel Levy and Co must do all they can to help him reach his maximum potential in North London, not Madrid.

Spurs favourites to sign Richarlison upgrade who's a "pure goalscorer"

The clinical number nine could help fire the Lilywhites back into the Champions League places next season.

2 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jun 13, 2024

Scans showed the allrounder suffered “a moderate to high grade” injury to his right ankle

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Oct-2020Mitchell Marsh will have to wait until later this month to find out whether he will require surgery on the ankle problem he suffered at the IPL after scans showed “a moderate to high grade” injury.Marsh is unable to see a specialist under he completes his 14-day quarantine period on October 10. Speaking earlier this week he was hopeful he would be able to avoid surgery and had his sights set on pushing for a return late in the opening stages of the Sheffield Shield which will be played in an Adelaide hub.ALSO READ: Injury, illness, selection: the ups and downs of Mitchell Marsh”Scans have revealed that Mitch Marsh has suffered a moderate to high grade syndesmosis injury to his right ankle, which he sustained in the Sunrisers Hyderabad’s opening match in the United Arab Emirates early last week,” a WACA statement said.”A specialist will further assess Mitch’s ankle once he is out of hotel quarantine next Saturday 10 October to determine if surgery or non-surgical management is required. Return to play timelines will be mapped out once he has completed quarantine and met with the specialist.”Meanwhile, Western Australia have named a 17-man squad for the Sheffield Shield hub. Players will take part in Premier cricket over the weekend before self-isolating from Monday prior to heading to Adelaide later next week. Their first match is against South Australia from October 10.Ashton Agar, who was part of the limited-overs tour of England and has been quarantining in Adelaide, will link up with the squad when they arrive in the city.Off-season signing Cameron Gannon, the former Queensland quick, is in line for his Western Australia debut while uncapped pair Corey Rocchiccioli and Lance Morris have been included.”We’re ready to go and can’t wait to get over to Adelaide and begin the season,” head coach Adam Voges said. “It’s a tight knit group, the commitment of the players during the pre-season has been excellent and this will hold us in good stead as we enter the hub.”This will be a season like no other, we are well prepared to tackle the challenges that present throughout the year.”Western Australia squad Ashton Agar, Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Cameron Gannon, Cameron Green, Liam Guthrie, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Matt Kelly, Shaun Marsh, David Moody, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, D’Arcy Short, Ashton Turner, Sam Whiteman