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Four teams, three spots, two games – it’s all going down to the wire

S Rajesh01-Nov-2020

Shikhar Dhawan clings onto a skier•BCCI

Scenario 1Game 1:
Game 2: The Capitals will secure second place with 16 points, but the relatively narrow margin of defeat will ensure that the Royal Challengers will end up with a higher net run rate than Knight Riders. In that case, if Sunrisers win their last game, then Knight Riders will be knocked out.
1. Mumbai Indians, 2. Delhi Capitals, 3. Sunrisers Hyderabad, 4. Royal Challengers BangaloreScenario 2Game 1:
Game 2: The Capitals will still finish second, but the Royal Challengers’ NRR will fall below that of the Knight Riders. In that case, if Sunrisers win on Tuesday, then the Royal Challengers will be knocked out. The Sunrisers will occupy third place because of their higher NRR.
1. Mumbai Indians, 2. Delhi Capitals, 3. Sunrisers Hyderabad, 4. Kolkata Knight RidersScenario 3Game 1:
Game 2: A win for the Royal Challengers on Monday will push them into second place with 16 points, but if the margin is relatively small, then the Capitals will stay ahead of the Knight Riders on NRR. In that situation, if the Sunrisers win on Tuesday, then the Knight Riders will be knocked out.
1. Mumbai Indians, 2. Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3. Sunrisers Hyderabad, 4. Delhi CapitalsThe points table after the weekend double-headers•Getty Images

Scenario 4Game 1:
Game 2: If the Royal Challengers win by 19 or more runs defending 160, or if they chase down the target of 161 within 17.5 overs, then the Capitals’ NRR will fall below that of the Knight Riders. In that case, the fourth playoff place will go to the Knight Riders.
1. Mumbai Indians, 2. Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3. Sunrisers Hyderabad, 4. Kolkata Knight RidersScenario 5Game 1:
Game 2: If the Sunrisers lose to Mumbai Indians, they will be eliminated, and the last four teams will all finish on 12 points. Both the Knight Riders and the Royal Challengers will qualify, with the third and fourth positions depending on the margin of the result of Monday’s game.
1. Mumbai Indians, 2. Delhi Capitals, 3 & 4. Kolkata Knight Riders & Royal Challengers BangaloreScenario 6Game 1:
Game 2: If the Royal Challengers win on Monday and the Sunrisers lose on Tuesday, then the Knight Riders and the Capitals will take third and fourth place, with their respective positions depending on the margin of Monday’s result.In the case of the last two scenarios, the top four teams on the points table will be the same as the ones who occupied those slots at the halfway stage of the tournament. After 28 games, the top four, in that order, were Mumbai Indians, Capitals, Royal Challengers, and Knight Riders.
1. Mumbai Indians, 2. Royal Challengers, 3 & 4. Kolkata Knight Riders & Delhi Capitals

Keep up to date with all the movements around the counties as preparations are made for the 2021 seasonDerbyshireIN: Brooke Guest (Lancashire), George Scrimshaw (Worcestershire)
OUT: Tony Palladino (released), Ravi Rampaul (Kolpak)
OVERSEAS: Billy Stanlake, Dustin Melton, Ben McDermott (T20/RLC)DurhamIN: Sean Dickson (Kent), Scott Borthwick (Surrey), Alex Thomson (Warwickshire, loan)
OUT: Scott Steel (Leicestershire), Josh Coughlin, Sol Bell, Ben Whitehead, James Weighell, Nathan Rimmington (all released)
OVERSEAS: Farhaan Behardien, Cameron Bancroft, Will Young (CC)EssexIN:
OUT: Rishi Patel (Leicestershire)
OVERSEAS: Simon Harmer, Peter Siddle, Jimmy Neesham (T20)ALSO READ: Counties allowed two overseas players in 2021, ECB confirmsGlamorganIN:
OUT: Graham Wagg, Kieran Bull, Connor Brown, Owen Morgan (all released), Craig Meschede (retired), Marchant de Lange (Somerset)
OVERSEAS: Colin Ingram (T20), Marnus Labuschagne, Michael Neser (CC/RLC), Andy Balbirnie (CC)GloucestershireIN: Tom Lace (Middlesex), Jared Warner (Yorkshire)
OUT: Gareth Roderick (Worcestershire), George Drissell (released), Stuart Whittingham (retired)
OVERSEAS: Daniel Worrall, Kraigg Brathwaite (CC)HampshireIN:
OUT: Harry Came, Oli Soames (both released)
OVERSEAS: Kyle Abbott, Mohammad Abbas (CC)KentIN: Nathan Gilchrist (Somerset), Tawanda Muyeye (schoolboy)
OUT: Sean Dickson (Durham), Calum Haggett, Ivan Thomas (both released), Adam Rouse (retired)
OVERSEAS: Heino Kuhn, Miguel Cummins (CC)LancashireIN: Jack Blatherwick (Nottinghamshire), Luke Wells (Sussex)
OUT: Graham Onions (retired), Stephen Parry, Toby Lester (both released), Brooke Guest (Derbyshire)
OVERSEAS: Dane Vilas, Jackson Bird (CC), Finn Allen (T20), Shreyas Iyer (RLC)ALSO READ: ECB confirms Kolpak registration cancellationsLeicestershireIN: Scott Steel (Durham), Rishi Patel (Essex), Edward Barnes (Yorkshire)
OUT: Tom Taylor (Northamptonshire), Paul Horton (retired), Mark Cosgrove (released)
OVERSEAS: Naveen-ul-Haq (T20), Marcus Harris (CC/RLC), Josh Inglis (T20)MiddlesexIN:
OUT: Tom Lace (Gloucestershire), Dan Lincoln (released)
OVERSEAS: Peter Handscomb, Mujeeb Ur Rahman (T20), Mitchell Marsh (T20)NorthamptonshireIN: Tom Taylor (Leicestershire)
OUT: Brett Hutton (Nottinghamshire), Rob Newton, Blessing Muzarabani, Tom Sole (all released)
OVERSEAS: Mohammad Nabi (T20), Wayne ParnellNottinghamshireIN: Brett Hutton (Northamptonshire), Lyndon James (academy), Toby Pettman (Oxford MCCU), Dane Schadendorf
OUT: Chris Nash (released), Jack Blatherwick (Lancashire)
OVERSEAS: Dane Paterson, Dan Christian (T20)SomersetIN:
OUT: Jamie Overton (Surrey), Dom Bess (Yorkshire), Nathan Gilchrist (Kent)
OVERSEAS: Marchant de LangeSurreyIN: Laurie Evans (Sussex), Jamie Overton (Somerset)
OUT: Scott Borthwick (Durham), Morne Morkel (Kolpak)
OVERSEAS: Hashim Amla, Kemar Roach (CC)SussexIN:
OUT: Laurie Evans (Surrey), Danny Briggs (Warwickshire), Luke Wells (Lancashire), Harry Finch, Will Sheffield (both released)
OVERSEAS: Travis Head, Stiaan van Zyl, Rashid Khan (T20), David Wiese (T20)WarwickshireIN: Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire), Danny Briggs (Sussex), Jake Lintott
OUT: Ian Bell, Tim Ambrose, Jeetan Patel (all retired), Liam Banks (released)
OVERSEAS: Carlos Brathwaite (T20), Pieter Malan (CC)WorcestershireIN: Gareth Roderick (Gloucestershire)
OUT: Ben Twohig, Olly Westbury (both released), Wayne Parnell (Kolpak), George Scrimshaw (Derbyshire)
OVERSEAS: Ben Dwarshuis (T20), Alzarri Joseph (CC)YorkshireIN: Dom Bess (Somerset)
OUT: Tim Bresnan (Warwickshire), James Logan (released), Jared Warner (Gloucestershire), Edward Barnes (Leicestershire)
OVERSEAS: Duanne Olivier, Lockie Ferguson (T20)

England rue shocking display in the field as Adil Rashid’s brilliance goes under-rewarded

Valkerie Baynes08-Sep-2020A cool-headed knock by Mitchell Marsh handed Australia a consolation win worth more than just that to the tourists in the third and final T20I against England at the Ageas Bowl.A superb spell from Adil Rashid yielded three wickets and gave Australia a big scare, especially given their failure to chase down a modest target in the opening match of the series. But Marsh, playing his first T20I since February, carried them over the line by five wickets with just three balls to spare with his unbeaten 39 off 36 balls.Aaron Finch sends a pull off Jofra Archer soaring•AFP via Getty Images

There’s nothing like bragging rights (of sorts) being on the line to fire up an Australian team. With England already having sealed the series, Tuesday’s result made it 2-1 but also wrested back the World No.1 ranking in T20Is for Australia. They had lost top spot to England on Sunday when the hosts went 2-0 up in the series with a six-wicket victory, but this will also be a boost for Australia ahead of the three ODIs starting Friday.Marsh came in with Australia having struggled again in the middle overs against spin and, after two dot balls with the scores tied, he hit the winning run off Chris Jordan, dashing through for a single and narrowly avoiding being run out when the throw to the non-striker’s end was wayward, highlighting England’s struggles in the field all evening.Rashid spooks AustraliaRashid’s 3 for 21 off his four overs turned what looked like an infinitely achievable run-chase for Australia into a nervy pursuit, which the tourists just managed to pull off after staring down memories of their bungled effort in the first match of the series.He had to watch catches go down off his bowling, as England fell well short of their gold standard in the field, but stayed supremely focused to claim the key wickets of Aaron Finch, Steve Smith and Glenn Maxwell.Maxwell came in ahead of Smith but was out to a poor attempt at a reverse-scoop off Rashid which went straight to Tom Curran at backward point. After Bairstow had put down a dolly off Finch, Rashid did the job himself, bowling the Australian captain with a stunning googly, and then dismissing Smith with the last ball of his spell with a low caught-and-bowled.Aussie changesMatthew Wade’s inclusion came as Australia made three changes, resting David Warner and Pat Cummins and dropping Alex Carey with Marsh and Josh Hazlewood also coming in. That meant Wade, playing his first T20I since February and only his fourth since early 2016, kept and opened.Wade’s gigantic six off the sixth ball of the innings was something to behold as he clubbed Jofra Archer into the scoreboard at the back of the first tier over deep square leg. And while he didn’t press on, falling to Archer’s pace partner Mark Wood, caught by Jordan for 14 off 9 balls, his belligerence set an early tone for Australia.Marsh was twice dropped by Malan in the early stages of his knock – once off Joe Denly and once off Rashid. He had arrived with Australia 87 for 4 after Aaron Finch had tried to go inside out to Rashid’s googly, and was bowled through the gate for 39 off 26 balls. Marsh was left with a big job to do when Maxwell and Smith fell cheaply and he did it with authority, marshalling a 46-run partnership with Ashton Agar to see his side home.England’s sluggish startEngland lost Tom Banton on the 11th ball of the match, putting them at 4 for 1 and, while it was the only wicket to fall inside the first six overs, they only managed to reach 33 for 1 by the end of the Powerplay.It was the lowest Powerplay score by a team in any of the six T20I matches in England this summer, falling one short of England’s 34 for 1 in their first match against Pakistan. The hosts ended up on 145 for 6 which – after scores of 162, 160, 157 and 158 in the previous innings this series – looked a tad short. In contrast, Australia were 61 for 1 at the end of their Powerplay and managed to overhaul the target, despite another troubling mini-collapse.When the Buttler’s awayJos Buttler’s family leave left a hole in England’s batting, compounded by Eoin Morgan’s absence after dislocating his finger in the previous match. But that opened the auditions for England’s chorus line in the form of Tom Banton, Sam Billings and Joe Denly. None of them managed to throw themselves into the spotlight, however, and it fell to Jonny Bairstow to anchor their innings, albeit in a less-than-polished performance.Bairstow’s knock wasn’t his most fluent but he bludgeoned three sixes – including two brutal blows off Adam Zampa over deep square leg and long off – on his way to 55 off 44 balls. He would finish as England’s top-scorer after lofting Agar into no man’s land, only for the bowler to run into space and claim the return catch. Bairstow stepped up as Banton, promoted to open in Buttler’s place, fell for just 2. While his form in the previous series against Pakistan was impressive, this was a missed opportunity for Banton to reaffirm what he can do.When he fell short, Dawid Malan came to the crease, having enjoyed an excellent time against the Australians – including a Man-of-the-Match-winning 66 in the first encounter of this series – but with his penchant for slow starts under the microscope. He had scored 14 off 14 balls by the end of the seventh over and, just as he began to look like increasing the tempo with a lovely reverse sweep off Agar to the boundary, Zampa enticed a regulation sweep five balls later that sailed towards deep midwicket. Stoinis, running in from the fence, took an excellent catch diving forward to end Malan’s knock at 21 off 18.Billings fell cheaply when he gloved a reverse off Zampa to slip for just 4, leaving his 87 against West Indies 18 months ago as his only T20I score of note since his 53 against Pakistan in 2015. In a similar vein to Bairstow, Denly’s unbeaten 29 off 19 looks fine on the page but lacked conviction when translated to the stage. Morgan’s absence handed the captaincy to Moeen Ali, who contributed 23 off 21.

Chelsea's recruitment chiefs have apparently identified their "perfect" signing this summer, and it is believed he is just "waiting" to join them once the window opens.

Winstanley and Stewart draw up transfer plans at Chelsea

Both Paul Winstanley and Laurence Stewart, the club's co-sporting directors, are said to be safe in their positions as the west Londoners prepare for their end-of-season review next week (Matt Law).

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The same cannot definitely be said for manager Mauricio Pochettino, as doubts still linger over his future at Stamford Bridge despite an upturn in form, with the Argentine's debut campaign in the Blues dugout set to be assessed by high-ranking Chelsea chiefs very soon (Matt Law).

Depending on the outcome of their end-of-season review, Stewart and Winstanley could well be tasked with sourcing a new head coach, but for now they're assisting chairman Todd Boehly in drawing up transfer plans for the summer window.

It's been a whirlwind Premier League season for Chelsea, filled with ups and downs. Things have turned a corner lately, though, with the major positive being their exceptional home form under Pochettino.

Chelsea 5-0 West Ham

Chelsea 2-0 Tottenham

Chelsea 6-0 Everton

Chelsea 4-3 Man United

Chelsea 2-2 Burnley

At the bridge, they've lost just once in all competitions since the turn of the year, winning 10 out of 13 in that time. However, their form away from home has been a real problem, with Pochettino sealing their first victory on the road in months at Nottingham Forest last weekend.

When it comes to their star performers over 2023/2024, Cole Palmer has been the obvious standout, with his 26 goals and 14 assists being absolutely pivotal. The winger has been an undoubted success since his multi-million pound switch from Man City last summer, helping to paper over the fact that Chelsea are without a world-class, classic number nine for that real presence up front.

Concerns have surrounded the suitability of Nicolas Jackson, despite the Senegalese hitting double figures and putting in some great performances. The 22-year-old is still pretty raw, so it is believed Chelsea are targeting a prolific, more proven striker for 2024/2025.

The standout name linked in recent months has been Napoli star Victor Osimhen. The Nigerian's new contract includes a £113 million release clause, and earns wages of around £212,000-per-week.

Chelsea identify "perfect striker" in Osimhen who's "waiting" to join

TEAMtalk have an update on their pursuit, and it's a pretty intriguing one. Quoting their sources, TT claim Chelsea's recruitment chiefs think Osimhen is the "perfect striker" for them, with the player himself "waiting" for Boehly and co to make a formal move.

Chelsea are apparently Osimhen's favoured destination, mainly due to his desire to make a move to England and his adoration for club legend Didier Drogba. As well as Pochettino's side, Ligue 1 giants PSG are said to be in the race, but Chelsea are favourites over them.

Arsenal are also looking elsewhere, which means Stewart and Winstanley have a "clear path" to get the Osimhen deal done. It will be very interesting to see how they navigate their way past the finances involved, especially considering Chelsea's trouble regarding Profit and Sustainability rules.

Manchester City are believed to be interested in signing an exciting "wonderkid" in the summer transfer window, according to a new claim.

Man City transfer news

Pep Guardiola may have assembled a world-class group of players – one that threatened to win back-to-back trebles prior to their midweek Champions League exit – but that doesn't mean that new signings won't be needed in the summer. The manager will want fresh blood added to his squad, not only to add quality but to also keep current individuals on their toes.

One player who has been linked with a move to City at the end of the season is Crystal Palace star Michael Olise, who has also caught the eye of some of their rivals, including Manchester United and Liverpool. The Frenchman has again shone for the Eagles in 2023/24 when fit, scoring six goals in nine Premier League starts.

Meanwhile, Guardiola is thought to be pushing to complete the signing of Bayern Munich ace Jamal Musiala, with a return to England potentially on the cards this summer. The 21-year-old is one of Europe's most sought-after young talents and could be seen as an upgrade on Jeremy Doku and Jack Grealish on the left wing.

Gremio teenager Gustavo Nunes has also emerged as a long-term option for City, with Liverpool also providing competition for his signature, seeing him as an heir to Mohamed Salah.

The Citizens have reportedly sent scouts to watch young Villarreal goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen in action, too, looking at him as a replacement for Stefan Ortega, should he leave the Etihad once the current campaign reaches its conclusion.

Man City eyeing move for "wonderkid"

Musiala, Nunes and Jorgensen aren't the only youngsters seemingly being looked at, however, with HITC claiming that City want to sign Lokomotiv Moscow forward Sergey Pinyaev in the summer window. He has been compared to Cristiano Ronaldo by former Arsenal attacker Andrey Arshavin, who also labelled him a "rocket" due to his blistering speed.

There is thought to be strong interest in the 19-year-old from English clubs, although the situation is "complicated", meaning a move won't be easy to get over the line.

Pinyaev looks like a huge prospect, having once enjoyed a trial at Manchester United, scoring five goals in a friendly against Bari, so City could look to strike a deal for him and get one over on their rivals in the process.

Planning for the long term always has to be the aim and the Lokomotiv ace is ideal in that respect, coming in as a squad player to begin with, before hopefully maturing into a key man for Guardiola's side over time, long beyond the Spaniard's time as manager.

Pinyaev has been described as a "wonderkid", highlighting his vast ability, and he already has six caps to his name for Russia, scoring one goal in that time.

Man City eye move to sign £65m star who is INEOS's top target for Man Utd

It could be quite the battle for his signature this summer between the two sides.

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Ben Browning

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This season, he has three goals and four assists in the Russian Premier League, showing that he is providing an end product at such a tender age. Whether City can strike a deal remains to be seen, but the lure of playing for arguably world football's best club side would surely be a difficult one to ignore.

أعلن دينو توبمولر، المدير الفني لفريق آينتراخت فرانكفورت الألماني، تشكيل الفريق لمباراة ميتلاند بالدوري الأوروبي.

ويلتقي فرانكفورت مع ميتلاند في العاشرة مساء اليوم الخميس (بتوقيت مصر)، على ملعب إم سي إتش أرينا.

ويتواجد المصري عمر مرموش مهاجم آينتراخت فرانكفورت أساسيًا في تشكيل الفريق لمواجهة ميتلاند.

فرانكفورت في المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري الأوروبي برصيد 10 نقاط، وميتلاند في المركز الـ13 برصيد 7 نقاط من فوزين وتعادل وهزيمة. تشكيل آينتراخت فرانكفورت أمام ميتلاند بـ الدوري الأوروبي 

حراسة المرمى: كيفن تراب.

خط الدفاع: ننامدي كولينز، توتا، روبن كوخ، آرثر ثيتي.

خط الوسط: محمود داوود، هوجو لارسون، فارس شايبي، نيليس نكونكو.

خط الهجوم: عمر مرموش، هوجو إيكيتيكي.

Glasgow Rangers head coach Philippe Clement will have the chance to make changes to his squad in the upcoming summer transfer window.

The Belgian boss has only had the January market to work with so far, having arrived in October to replace Michael Beale last year, and made three loan signings.

Fabio Silva, Mohammed Diomande, and Oscar Cortes were all snapped up by Clement and Head of Recruitment Nils Koppen, and the pair could look to make further alterations to the group ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

The Gers could also end up losing or letting go a number of players to make way for new signings to take their place, particularly with a host of first-team stars out of contract in the summer.

John Lundstram, Leon Balogun, Borna Barisic, Kemar Roofe, and Ryan Jack are all due to become free agents at the end of the season, unless the club pin them down to extensions.

John Lundstram transfer latest

According to Turkish outlet Fanatik, as relayed by Sport Witness, Trabzonspor manager Abdullah Avci is keen to get a deal over the line to sign Lundstram on a free transfer.

The outlet claims that the Super Lig side are aiming to reach an agreement with the former Sheffield United midfielder to join them for nothing in the coming months.

It also states that they have already agreed a deal with his teammate Barisic, who now looks set to complete a move to Turkey this summer, and they may hope that the Croatia international can convince the Englishman to follow the same route.

Clement could give up on trying to convince Lundstram to remain at Ibrox and ditch the central midfielder this summer by pursuing a deal to sign Motherwell starlet Lennon Miller.

At the end of last month, former Rangers ace Derek Ferguson urged the club to swoop in for Miller over Aberdeen midfielder Connor Barron, as he claimed that the teenage whiz has more to his game as an all-round number eight than the Dons gem.

In November of last year, TEAMtalk named Rangers as one of a number of clubs keeping tabs on the Scottish youngster ahead of a potential swoop.

Scottish rivals Celtic have also had their eye on the talented ace, whilst they could also face competition from teams in the Premier League down south.

Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Brentford, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United have all watched him in action for Motherwell throughout the campaign.

Rangers must now press ahead and act upon their interest in the 17-year-old dynamo, who has caught the eye in the Scottish Premiership this term, to then allow them to ditch Lundstram with no worries about the hole that would leave in the XI.

Why Rangers should sign Lennon Miller

Despite not turning 18 until August, the Motherwell enforcer has already proven himself to be a terrific SPFL midfielder with his performances this season.

In fact, the 17-year-old battler has showcased his quality against Rangers, and Lundstram in particular, with a dominant display in a 2-1 win for his team at Ibrox.

Minutes played

90

90

Touches

89

58

Duels won

5/11

10/12

Tackles

1

3

Interceptions

1

3

Key passes

2

1

As you can see in the table above, Miller got the better of the Englishman in the physical battle in the middle of the park, whilst only creating one fewer chance with 31 touches less than the experienced gem.

The teenage dynamo, who has been described as a "midfield machine" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also stepped up against Celtic for his team back in February, with an outstanding assist to help his side take the lead in the match.

Miller took a phenomenal touch on the half-turn to bamboozle Hoops captain Callum McGregor, and then had the presence of mind and weight of pass to tee up Blair Spittal to whip the ball into the far corner.

This shows that he has the quality to stand out against the two best teams in Scotland, which suggests that the youngster has the mentality and ability required to play for a top team, given he can stand up on the biggest stages in the Premiership.

How Lennon Miller compares to John Lundstram

At the age of 17, Miller is not the finished article, and it is worth considering that Clement could work with him to develop the young star's weak points over the years to come.

Passing is an obvious area for improvement for the 5 foot 10 battler, as his passing accuracy of 68% falls well short of Lundstram's 89% for Rangers in the Premiership this season.

Although, Motherwell do only average 44.5% of possession in the league, compared to Rangers' 63.4% possession, and Miller's passing could improve in a team that has more control of the game and space to work with.

Appearances

20

31

Assists

2

4

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.9

2.6

Ball recoveries per game

6.4

6.5

Dribbled past per game

0.9

1.1

Ground duel success rate

68%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

70%

57%

As you can see in the table above, the Gers target is already significantly better than Lundstram when it comes to their respective work out of possession.

Despite his team having more of the ball, the Light Blues midfielder has been dribbled past 0.2 times more per match and made fewer tackles and interceptions combined per game.

Miller has also won a considerably higher percentage of his duels, both on the deck and in the air, despite only being 17, and this speaks to his impressive physicality and mobility at such a young age.

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How big a loss would he be for the Gers?

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Therefore, Clement could brutally ditch his 30-year-old metronome by securing a deal to sign the Motherwell star this summer, due to the impressive physical and defensive attributes that he could bring to the Gers team next season and moving forward.

13 years younger than the Englishman, Miller would also be a fantastic long-term signing for Rangers and someone the club could invest in as a future asset to sell on for a profit, whilst also being a key player in the short-to-mid-term.

Over the past few years, Crystal Palace have arguably been one of the most successful Premier League clubs in the transfer market.

Their recruitment strategy has seemingly kept them in the league for a sustained period, but they will hope their latest acquisition, Oliver Glasner, can take them one step further.

Michael Olise, Eberechi Eze, Marc Guehi, and Joachim Andersen are all examples of absolute bargains, but the Eagles also have had some misses among the hits.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at one player who’s costing the club millions via his wage, even earning more than Guehi.

Marc Guehi’s Salary

The summer of 2021 saw a young, promising centre-half leave Chelsea to join Palace in a deal worth £18m, which looks like an absolute steal today.

Since moving to Selhurst Park, the 23-year-old has developed into one of the most reliable defenders in the division, with his performances earning him the captain’s armband and an international call-up for England.

Unfortunately, the number six is out injured at the moment after being forced off early against Brighton & Hove Albion last month, but he’s still started 22 matches in the league this campaign.

Nonetheless, considering he’s such a vital player for Palace, his wage being at just £50k-per-week seems like an astute piece of business, especially when you consider the impact of one individual who’s earning more.

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Jairo Riedewald’s wage at Palace

In 2017, 20-year-old Jairo Riedewald moved to Palace for a fee of £7.9m, which saw him play under his former boss Frank de Boer in England.

However, it wasn’t exactly the perfect start to life in England for the Netherlands ace, who started just 11 Premier League games over his first three seasons at the club.

That said, the former Ajax prospect did feature far more heavily in the 2020/21 campaign, where he played 33 top-flight matches at the heart of the Eagles midfield.

Fast forward to this season, and he’s started just twice, which is his best run of starts in three years, with his total tally in the Premier League being just three starts in the last three seasons.

But the biggest concern surrounding Riedewald is his wage, which sees him earn £55k per week, which is higher than Guehi, equating to £2.9m per season.

CPFC's Wage Ranking
Player	Wage per week
Olise, Henderson, Eze	£100k
Edouard	£90k
Clyne, Andersen	£80k
Lerma, Doucoure	£70k
Riedewald, Richards	£55k
Via Capology

As can be seen in the table above, this puts him not far off the top earners in the Palace squad, and considering his lack of minutes, it’s fair to say that he’s simply rinsing the club.

Having said that, with the number 44’s contract set to expire in June this year, it seems that Riedewald will be on his way out of the club for good, with Glasner expected to let him walk for free.

Nevertheless, it’s clear that the signing of the versatile Dutch player has been nothing short of a disaster, with him failing to impress under any manager since 2017.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has officially become the latest big name to join the Saudi Pro League as he signs for Al-Qadsiah.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Aubameyang makes the move to Saudi Pro League
• Joins newly promoted Al-Qadsiah on a two-year deal
• Leaves Marseille after just one season with the club

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former Premier League striker had a wonderful season with Marseille as his 30-goal campaign led the club to the Europa League semi-final. However, the rest of the side struggled and the club missed out on European football as they finished 8th in Ligue 1 despite the Gabonese striker's 17 goals in the league.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Aubameyang has now secured a move to Al-Qadsiah on a two-year deal and will join former Real Madrid defender Nacho and Koen Casteels from Wolfsburg as the club's third signing of the season from Europe's top five leagues.

• (C)GettyImages
  

  WHAT AUBAMEYANG SAID

  On Instagram, Aubameyang wrote an emotional message as he said: "THANK YOU MARSEILLE!

  "It’s been an emotional year and I’d like to thank the whole club, the staff, my team-mates and our supporters.

  "You’ve made me stronger and these memories with you will stay with me forever.

  "As you know, I’ve always followed my father’s advice, which has helped me to become the player I am, so we’ve made this decision for the rest of my career. It’s time for me to start a new chapter."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR AUBAMEYANG?

  The former Barcelona striker will now make the move to the Saudi club as he will look to begin pre-season training with the newly promoted side.

South Africa’s domestic structures are not up to the standard needed to produce quality international cricketers, according to captain Faf du Plessis. In the aftermath of the 3-0 drubbing in India, du Plessis said that a combination of inexperience in the domestic system, a lack of proper planning and the talent drain caused by Kolpak contributed to the current state of the national side that has lost three of their last four Test series.”What this has unveiled is that our structures are not where they need to be,” du Plessis said. “The gap between domestic cricket and intentional cricket – there needs to be things put in place to make sure you can address that a little bit better.”His first point of contention was that South Africa were not adequately prepared for the spate of retirements that took place in the last 18 months, including Morne Morkel, AB de Villiers, Hashim Amla and Dale Steyn.ALSO READ: Hashim Amla set to sign for Surrey on Kolpak deal“If you look back three or four years and someone had the vision of saying that in three or four years time there will be a lot of experienced guys – if you look at the ages, a lot of 34/35/36 year-olds – who could retire, so what do you do to make sure you get yourself ready for when that time comes? And possibly we are guilty for not planning for all of these guys going at the same time,” he said. “If you look at the last year-and-a-half, we’ve lost four or five Test players and now you’ve got to replace, not only one player but four or five of your best players. In there, we could have been a little bit smarter in the planning phase and the phasing out of the great players.”But the current level of inexperience in the squad cannot only be blamed for lack of foresight. Earlier this year, South Africa were banking on Duanne Olivier to fill the gap left by Morkel and Steyn, but he signed a Kolpak deal, just like Kyle Abbott had done two years ago. Both players, shortly before leaving, made statements committing themselves to the team and CSA was both blindsided by their decisions to leave and fruitless in its efforts to convince them otherwise.With the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union imminent, Kolpak agreements could be in danger. Currently, Kolpak agreements ensure that citizens of countries that have signed European Union Association agreements, such as South Africa, will have the same freedom of movement as European Union citizen. If the United Kingdom is no longer part of the European Union, this may no longer apply and du Plessis was hopeful that the Kolpak stream, which he once swam in himself, will stop even though he knows South Africans will continue to seek opportunity abroad.”Brexit will be one thing that will stop the Kolpak players so that will benefit South African cricket tremendous amounts,” he said. “I don’t know if maybe they will find a loophole around it by saying we will have another overseas player that will be allowed to play in county cricket which still means that players will go and play there, just be under a different name tag. Opportunities are there for players in the domestic circuit in England. There’re a lot of South African players playing there at the moment. From a financial point of view, the pound is stronger than the Rand so that will always be a concern for us. But the less of those things there are for players to go overseas, that more cricket in South Africa will benefit.”Faf du Plessis looks on•BCCI

If there is an allowance of more overseas players in England, du Plessis also hoped South Africa would have access those players who initially showed an intention to play on the county circuit, improve and return, such as Simon Harmer. The offspinner was the leading wicket-taker last summer and is currently pursuing qualification for England. “Simon Harmer is an unbelievable spinner and it would be great for South Africa to be in a position where they could go, he has done well overseas, let’s bring him on tour with us. Post-Brexit, maybe guys will still go and play there but you can still pick them for the country,” du Plessis said. “That’s the situation where we need to get to because at the moment we don’t have the option of all the best players.”But the best-case scenario for du Plessis would be that if the Kolpak route was closed, South Africa would be able to keep more players. “We are losing our experience in international cricket but are also losing our experience in domestic cricket,” he said. “Your top players domestically are going overseas. The guys who are left of the South African team, they go overseas, so you are missing out on a lot of your best players, a talent pool that is all of a sudden a lot smaller. That’s something that we try to identify to stop but it has been very difficult to stop.”Equally important to retaining the talent that may go on to represent South Africa is keeping those who have recently done that, in the system. “The guys post international cricket, Hashim Amla, those guys they are not playing domestic cricket,” du Plessis said. “So you lose all of that experience which will help the young guys. To play with Hashim Amla will be the greatest learning curve you can get, playing with Dale Steyn, AB de Villiers. It’s about making sure you can bridge that gap and finding ways to do it.”ALSO READ: Amla opts out of the MSLAmla, who had retired after the World Cup, is not playing any cricket in South Africa, and is understood to be on the verge of signing a Kolpak deal. He has been a studio analyst for during this series but will not play in the Mzansi Super League, South Africa’s franchise T20 tournament. Steyn and de Villiers are part of MSL sides, and then both players will move to the Big Bash League. However, none of them play first-class cricket. The same is true for Morkel, who lives in Australia, JP Duminy and Imran Tahir, who will play in MSL but not in other formats. All of them had retired in the last two years.Such a significant changing of the guard, coupled with systemic problems in the structures, has left South Africa feeling like they are starting from scratch and du Plessis acknowledged they have a long way to go. As he put it, there’s no quick fix. “It’s a tough place to start, right at the beginning,” he said. “Obviously, in a perfect world you will start somewhere in the middle, change one or two players and that period takes a little bit shorter but the position we find ourselves in now with a lot of experience out of the Test team, that process will probably take a little bit longer.”