There are only two current Tottenham Hotspur players who started Mauricio Pochettino’s final game: Ben Davies and Son Heung-min.

The former has been a reliable if unspectacular servant to the club and will be remembered fondly by the fans, but the latter has been a bonafide star, an icon of the club and the Premier League.

However, the South Korean joined the club a decade ago and will turn 33 in the summer, and while his numbers are still decent, he clearly cannot impact games in the same way anymore.

He is simply a victim of time, with research from The Athletic revealing that wingers see a dramatic decline in their ability to beat defenders when they reach 30 years old.

So, if Ange Postecoglou wants to take the club forward next season, he should be looking at a long-term replacement for the club legend, and based on recent reports, Daniel Levy and Co may have identified just the player.

Tottenham's winger search

According to a recent report out of Spain, Spurs are incredibly keen on Feyenoord’s Brazilian dynamo Igor Paixão.

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Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

In fact, alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that North London rivals Arsenal, as well as Newcastle United, Liverpool and Bournemouth, have made contact and expressed their interest in signing the goalscoring wideman.

Fortunately, while the number of interested parties is far from ideal, the Dutch giants reportedly value the 24-year-old maestro at just €30m, which comes out to about £25m.

It could still be a difficult transfer to get over the line, but with how well Paixão has played this season, it’s one Spurs should fight for, especially as he could be the perfect upgrade on Son.

How Paixão compares to Son

Now, when we get down to it, there are two key areas in which Paixão has an advantage over Son, and the first is longevity.

By this, we mean the simple fact that, at 24 years old, the Brazilian is going to be able to play at the very highest level for far longer than the South Korean will be, especially in the high-intensity system Postecoglou wants to implement.

The second area where the Feyenoord star, whom U23 scout Antonio Mango has described as having a real “eye for goal”, has the edge is raw output.

For example, in 38 appearances this season, totalling 3176 minutes, the “quality” Macapá-born winger, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, has scored 11 goals and provided 15 assists.

That means he is currently averaging a goal involvement every 1.46 games, or every 122.15 minutes, which is an undeniably impressive level of output.

In contrast, the former Bayer Leverkusen ace has scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 40 appearances, totalling 2835 minutes, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.81 games, or every 128.86 minutes.

While that’s still an impressive level of productivity from the Chuncheon-born icon, it’s still less than his potential competition and, given where he is in his career, we’d be stunned if he was able to match it again next year.

Ultimately, Son is undeniably a modern-day great for both Spurs and the Premier League as a whole, but he is much nearer the end of his career than the start, and while he’s plying his trade in a non-top five league at the moment, Paixão looks to have the raw ingredients to be an effective upgrade on the 32-year-old.

Therefore, Levy and Co should do what they can to bring him to N17 before one of their rivals beat them to his signature.

Spurs are brewing a homegrown Kulusevski in 16-year-old "cheat-code"

The unreal prospect could be a superstar for Spurs.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Mar 20, 2025

Ansu Fati’s proposed move to Monaco is stuck as the French club refuse to budge on how much of the Barcelona star’s salary they’ll cover.

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Monaco unwilling to meet salary demandsNegotiations with Barcelona have stalledCatalan giants want to offload Fati this summerFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Barcelona and Monaco were in advanced talks over Fati’s transfer, but now the deal has stalled due to disagreement over his wages, according to . The French club is only willing to pay a limited share of the forward’s salary and has made it clear they won’t shift from that position. The club’s current attacking depth gives them leverage, meaning they’re in no rush to finalise the signing.

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The Catalan giants are keen to trim their wage bill and part ways with Ansu, who no longer features in the club’s long-term plans. Monaco had emerged as the top destination, with Fati and Paul Pogba expected to be high-profile signings. But without a compromise on salary, the transfer hangs in limbo, affecting both clubs’ summer strategies.

DID YOU KNOW?

Fati, who came from the famous La Masia academy became Barcelona’s youngest-ever goal scorer in La Liga at just 16 years old, and wears the No. 10 shirt vacated by Lionel Messi, a sign of the enormous expectations placed on him early in his career. However, he has struggled in recent seasons. After spending the 2023-24 campaign on loan at Brighton, he made just 11 appearances in all competitions for Hansi Flick's side last term.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR ANSU FATI?

Unless Monaco shifts its stance or Barcelona agrees to subsidise more of Ansu’s wages, the deal could collapse. Other clubs may enter the race if talks break down completely, but for now, his move to Ligue 1 is on hold.

أشاد ماتياس هاجي، رئيس كشافين نادي بريدا الهولندي، بقدرات اللاعب الفلسطيني الشاب آدم كايد، بعد اقترابه من الانتقال إلى نادي الزمالك في الميركاتو الصيفي الحالي.

ووصل كايد إلى القاهرة بحسب مصادر بطولات في نادي الزمالك، قبل التوقيع على العقود الرسمية مع المدير الرياضي، جون إدوارد، والتقديم الإعلامي عبر المنصات الاجتماعية.

اقرأ أيضًا | ميكالي يكشف كواليس مثيرة عن سداسية المغرب.. ورفض تدريب الزمالك

وقال هاجي في تصريحات خاصة: “آدم لاعب رائع، يعجبني كثيرًا، هو الأفضل في المراوغات السريعة في المساحات الصغيرة، لكن حان الوقت ليحصل على فرصة للعب بشكل منتظم”.

وأشار الكشاف الهولندي إلى أن قلة دقائق اللعب كانت أحد الأسباب التي دفعت اللاعب للتفكير في خوض تجربة جديدة، موضحًا: “أعتقد أن انتقاله خطوة منطقية لأنه بحاجة للمشاركة باستمرار”.

وشارك كايد مع بريدا خلال 24 مباراة ولكن بإجمالي دقائق وصل إلى 674 دقيقة فقط مع تسجيله هدفًا في الدوري الهولندي ضد تيفنتي.

وعن شخصيته داخل الفريق، كشف هاجي: “آدم محبوب جدًا من الجميع، اجتماعي إلى أبعد الحدود، ولديه رغبة دائمة في التعلم والتطور، إنه شخص رائع داخل وخارج الملعب”.

واختتم حديثه: “أتمنى له كل التوفيق في هذه المرحلة الجديدة مع الزمالك، لأنه يستحق الأفضل”.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Internacional sofreu, mas derrotou o Cuiabá neste sábado, no Beira Rio, pela 26ª rodada do Brasileirão. O gol foi marcado por Alemão, no segundo tempo. Com o resultado, o time treinado por Mano Menezes subiu para a vice-liderança de forma provisória. Por outro lado, o Dourado fica com 26, em 16º, e pode terminar a rodada na zona de rebaixamento.

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O primeiro tempo foi todo do Inter, que mandou na partida, fazendo um verdadeiro ataque contra defesa. Sob a maestria de Alan Patrick, a equipe mandante criou algumas boas oportunidades de marcar, mas não conseguiu vencer a defesa adversária.

Na volta do intervalo, pouca coisa mudou. Aos cinco,Renê inverteu a jogada, Bustos dominou na área e soltou uma bomba, com perigo. Logo depois, Alan Patrick cobrou escanteio, Johnny subiu sozinho e quase marcou.

A primeira oportunidade do Cuiabá na partida surgiu aos 20 minutos, com chute de Valdívia na entrada da área. Em seguida,Pedro Henrique saiu em velocidade, cruzou na área e Alemão furou. A bola voltou para PH após ficar perdida e ele mandou novamente um chuveirinho. Desta vez, Alemão testou para o fundo das redes e abriu o placar.

Com o gol tomado, o Cuiabá começou a ficar mais presente no campo ofensivo, mas não conseguia criar grandes chances. Até que aos 44′, Edenílson se enrolou na saída de bola, André roubou, foi derrubado pelo camisa 8 e a arbitragem marcou pênalti. Após ser chamado pelo VAR, o juiz desmarcou a penalidade.

Agora, o Intervolta para campo somente no dia 19, para duelar contra o Atlético-GO, fora de casa. No dia anterior, o Cuiabá visita o Athletico Paranaense, na Arena da Baixada.

FICHA TÉCNICA DA PARTIDA
​Internacional 1×0 Cuiabá
Local: Estádio Beira-Rio, Porto Alegre-RS
Data/horário: 10/09/2022 – 16h30 (de Brasília)
​Árbitro: Maguielson Lima Barbosa – CBF/DF
Auxiliares: Alessandro Rocha Matos – FIFA/BA e Leila da Cruz – FIFA/DF
Quarto árbitro: Lucas Horn – CBF/RS
VAR: Rodrigo D’Alonso Ferreira – CBF/SC
Cartões amarelos:Joaquim, André Luís, Pepê (Cuiabá)
Cartões vermelhos: –

GOLS:Alemão (22’/2T) (1-0)

Internacional – Técnico: Mano Menezes
Daniel; Bustos, Vitão, Mercado e Renê; Gabriel, Johnny (Edenílson 13’/2T), Mauricio (Taison 24’/2T), Alan Patrick (Estevão 24’/2T) e Wanderson (Pedro Henrique – intervalo); Alemão (Liziero 42’/2T).

Cuiabá – Técnico: Antonio Oliveira
​João Carlos; Marllon, Joaquim (Camilo 29’/2T) e Alan Empereur; João Lucas, Marcão (Alesson 29’/2T), Pepê e Sidcley (Osório 29’/2T); André Luís (Valdívia 16’/2T), Pepê e Deyverson (André 33’/2T).

Labuschagne produces more super-sub heroics; Cameron Green ruled out for eight days with concussion

Alex Malcolm08-Sep-2023

Australia’s selectors might give Marnus Labuschagne’s mother Alta a call to get some insight into how the next three months of ODI cricket will unfold, after she correctly predicted that her son would play in Bloemfontein, where he saved Australia’s blushes as the supersub again through the most unlikely set of circumstances.Labuschagne made 80 not out to guide Australia home to a three-wicket win chasing just 223 after replacing Cameron Green as the concussion substitute.Green was hit behind the left ear when he ducked into a Kagiso Rabada bouncer off the second ball he faced after walking out at No. 4 for the first time in his ODI career. Green retired hurt and didn’t return. Cricket Australia confirmed he had a precautionary scan and will now enter an eight-day concussion protocol where he will be monitored daily by the medical staff. He is not going to be available to play again until at least the last match of the series on September 17.Related

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Labuschagne called in as Green's concussion sub

Abbott earns World Cup berth, Australia confident about fitness

'Our next best have got work to do' – South Africa coach

Labuschagne's lack of consistency puts paid to WC hopes

Labuschagne was initially left out of the ODI squad to tour South Africa and Australia’s provisional 15-man World Cup squad having averaged just 22.30 and struck at a lowly 69.87 over his previous 14 ODI innings dating back to April 2022, and had admitted he “wasn’t too shocked” he was dropped, when speaking in the aftermath of his sensational 80 not out on return.But as Labuschagne was preparing to play some 50-over matches for Australia A against New Zealand A in Queensland, which start this week, a wrist tendon injury to Steven Smith saw him getting called up to South Africa as cover for that series.Even then it appeared like he was just getting a free trip to South Africa to visit family as he was listed 15th on Australia’s team sheet for the first ODI, behind Tim David and Aaron Hardie.But despite all evidence to the contrary, Alta Labuschagne stayed at the ground in Bloemfontein for the entirety of Australia’s bowling innings and the start of the chase and was proven right. Green was hit in the head in the sixth over of Australia’s reply. Five overs later, Australia confirmed Labuschagne would be the concussion sub for Green, as he famously was for Smith at Lord’s in the second Ashes Test in 2019. And one over later he was out in the middle at No. 7 with Australia in dire straits at 72 for 5. From there he guided his side home with a classy 93-ball innings, looking every bit the world-class player he has been at Test level.”She’s an amazing woman,” Labuschagne said of his mother’s premonition. “She stayed for the whole game. Even though I wasn’t playing for the first three-and-a-half hours of the game. She had a feeling. She was adamant when I came here that I was going to play this game. And I told her, ‘I’ve seen the team, Mum, I’m not in the team’. She just got a feeling and, once again, she’s right. It’s hard to describe, to be honest.”Labuschagne’s innings will undoubtedly cause some external discussions around his omission from Australia’s World Cup squad. But Labuschagne was having none of it, taking full responsibility for his recent ODI form and being completely understanding of the reasons behind his omission.”I have been really disappointed with how I’ve played my one-day cricket, the last 10 to 12 games I felt like I haven’t shown the intensity and the courage that I would have liked,” he said. “I wasn’t too shocked when I was dropped. I said that to the selectors, I said, ‘I understand I haven’t made runs’. But I did say that I still want to be that person for you batting in the middle order. And then you’ve just got to sit tight and wait for your opportunity. And when the opportunity comes, you’ve got to be ready.”Ready he was, just like he was at Lord’s. Labuschagne revealed he only took three or four days off after the gruelling Ashes series and was straight back into the nets working on his white-ball deficiencies.That work immediately paid dividends. He admitted the lowering of expectations, both personally and externally, does help when entering as a concussion sub. But even with that, his performance was extraordinary. On a surface where every player struggled at times to find rhythm and timing, including South Africa captain Temba Bavuma during his outstanding unbeaten century, Labuschagne’s timing was sublime from the outset racing to 34 off his first 20 balls without really taking a risk.Marnus Labuschagne famously walked out as a concussion sub for Steven Smith and scored a battling half-century in the 2019 Lord’s Test•Getty Images

“It comes (down) to your training, I always pride myself on training well, and making sure I’m always ready,” Labuschagne said. “The opportunity that happens when you’re a concussion sub is sometimes a little bit of a free hit because the pressure of the game is out there but obviously the expectation is probably not as much on you.”He got outstanding support from Ashton Agar, who made his highest ODI score of 48 not out to help Labuschagne guide Australia home, reinforcing the selectors’ desire to have an XI that bats as deep as possible. It was just Agar’s third score above 30 in an ODI but he has recently been working diligently on simplifying his batting and his mental approach and that work was also evident.It is unlikely Australia’s selectors will second guess their initial decision to leave Labuschagne out of the World Cup squad but his performance, alongside Agar’s, will give them enormous confidence in their bench strength which continues to flex its muscle as South Africa white-ball coach Rob Walter lamented after the T20I series.Australia’s injury toll remains a concern, with Green now added to the list of concerns alongside Smith, Glenn Maxwell (ankle), Pat Cummins (wrist) and Mitchell Starc (groin) ahead of the World Cup.Labuschagne proved he is ready to go at a moment’s notice and a man for a crisis, particularly on difficult pitches. His mum might tell him to keep his passport within arm’s reach at all times as the World Cup draws closer.

Barcelona have softened their stance on Ansu Fati’s transfer status as the club seems to offload the forward quickly amid low interest from Monaco.

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• Barcelona now open to loaning Ansu Fati to Monaco
• No formal offers received for a permanent move
• Deal expected to close in the coming days

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to a report from , Barcelona have reopened talks with Monaco over a potential loan move for Fati after initially holding out for a permanent transfer. The Catalan club, having received no formal proposals for the 22-year-old winger, are now open to a temporary arrangement with Monaco covering part of his wage.

  Fati, who is under contract until June 2027, has already agreed personal terms with the Ligue 1 side. Reportedly, talks had previously stalled due to disagreement over the structure of the deal.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Ansu Fati is not part of coach Hansi Flick's plans for the 2025-26 season and made only 11 appearances across all competitions last campaign. With Barcelona needing to reduce their wage bill and the player requiring regular game time, a loan move has emerged as the most possible solution. Monaco are also closing in on a separate deal to sign Paul Pogba on a two-year contract following his suspension. The club, which finished third in Ligue 1 last season, is targeting experienced additions ahead of their Champions League return.

• WHAT DECO SAID

  Barcelona sporting director, Deco said: "With his age and the career he's had, he can't stay without playing. We're open and we won't put obstacles in his way if he wants to leave. Yes, we've spoken with Monaco. Ansu is under contract, if he asks to leave it would be a loan. He's 23, we talk about him as if he were 30, but he still has to grow and he still has a lot to learn."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR ANSU FATI?

  Fati is expected to complete the loan move once Barcelona and Monaco finalise salary terms and remaining conditions. The deal should be carried out before the start of pre-season, which will let the Spain international join Monaco's preparations for the Champions League. Barcelona will monitor his performance closely during the loan spell, with a long-term decision on his future to taken likely in the next summer.

The PCB, hosts for the tournament, agreed to the decision reluctantly after the ACC sent out a message to stakeholders without consulting the PCB

Andrew Fidel Fernando05-Sep-2023The PCB has reluctantly agreed to have the last five matches of the ongoing Asia Cup played in Colombo, as scheduled. This is despite the Pakistan board having strongly objected to the games staying in Colombo and not moving to Hambantota, as well as the manner in which the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) made that decision.The PCB had been on board with plans to move the Colombo matches to Hambantota, on account of rains being forecast in Colombo during the next ten days – this information is understood to have been provided by Sri Lanka’s department of meteorology. On Monday evening, and on Tuesday morning, the ACC appeared to be working on the understanding that the games would shift to Hambantota.But suddenly, around midday on Tuesday, the ACC sent a mail to the stakeholders stating that the matches would be played in Colombo as originally scheduled. This incensed the PCB officials, who not only would have preferred the matches to have been played in Hambantota but were also alarmed that the ACC had made this decision unilaterally, without adequately consulting them, the hosts of the tournament.In response, the PCB called for an immediate ACC executive board meeting, and has also sent a letter to ACC president Jay Shah, protesting the decision-making process at the ACC. But beyond pulling out of the tournament, there is little the PCB can do now. While deeply troubled by the events of Tuesday, the PCB appears unlikely to take a drastic step.On Tuesday afternoon, Shah himself made a statement as ACC president, which addressed the matter of the tournament’s scheduling.”All the full members, media rights holder, and in-stadia rights holders were initially hesitant to commit to hosting the entire tournament in Pakistan,” Shah said in this statement. “This reluctance stemmed from concerns related to the security and economic situation prevailing in the country.”However, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have visited Pakistan for bilateral tours since 2019, and have also played matches there in the group stage of the ongoing Asia Cup. Neither team has publicly expressed a reluctance to play there, nor have their boards expressed a reluctance to send teams to Pakistan. In fact, two BCCI officials – board president Roger Binny and vice-president Rajeev Shukla – have visited Lahore over the past two days, and were hosted by the governor of (Pakistani) Punjab.The background to all of this is that the PCB had originally wanted the whole tournament to be played in Pakistan, but the BCCI refused on the basis that their government would not allow the team to travel to Pakistan. Much of the tournament was then shifted to Sri Lanka.This seemed a workable compromise, until the Pakistan vs India match in Pallekele was rained out on Saturday, prompting fears that the whole tournament would be severely affected by the weather.BCCI president Roger Binny and vice-president Rajeev Shukla flank PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf during their visit to Lahore•PCBIn any case, the SLC is pleased the tournament will stay in Colombo, and has always preferred the tournament to be played there, as it is logistically the easiest city in which to host a multi-team tournament. SLC chief executive Ashley de Silva told ESPNcricinfo on Tuesday that one of the reasons the ACC decided to keep the games in Colombo was because “a lot of fans had already made arrangements to watch the matches in Colombo” and because “the last few days it hasn’t been raining as much” in the city.He also cited Sri Lanka’s largely successful history with hosting ODIs. In the last ten years, 79 of the 84 men’s ODIs played in the country have been completed. Of the five abandoned matches, Saturday’s game was the only match to be abandoned in the month of September, which historically is not an especially wet month.Jay Shah points to ‘several changes’ in PCB for confusion
In his statement, Shah also said, “In my capacity as ACC President, I was committed to finding a viable and mutually agreeable solution. To this end, I had accepted the hybrid model that was proposed by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) in collaboration with the ACC management. However, it’s important to note that the leadership of the PCB underwent several changes, and this resulted in some back-and-forth negotiations, particularly regarding crucial aspects such as tax exemption and insurance for matches.”In response to initial PCB suggestions that the tournament be played in Pakistan and the UAE – aired again in recent days given the weather in Sri Lanka – Shah said there was a difference between playing 20-over games and 50-over games in the UAE in September.”The Asia Cup 2022 edition was played in the UAE in the T20 format. It’s important to emphasize that the dynamics of a T20 tournament cannot be directly compared to those of a 100-over One-day format. In this context, ACC members received feedback from their respective high-performance teams, expressing concerns about playing One-day matches in the UAE in the month of September. Such a schedule could have potentially led to player fatigue and an increased risk of injuries, particularly right before the all-important ICC Cricket World Cup.”The decision-making process regarding the Asia Cup 2023 format and venue was guided by a sincere desire to prioritise the well-being of the players, as well as the overarching interests of the sport. Ultimately, the goal was to strike a balance that would allow for a competitive and successful tournament while ensuring the health and readiness of the participating teams for ICC Cricket World Cup 2023.”

New York Warriors vs Morrisville Unity

Shehan Jayasuriya and Calvin Savage brought Morrisville Unity extremely close to their target of 125 against New York Warriors but even a 21-run last over wasn’t enough to seal victory when they needed 28 off the last six balls. After hitting two fours and two sixes in the first five balls of the over, Jayasuriya had to hit a six to tie the game but Shahid Afridi’s yorker was too hard to put away, and they fell short by six runs.Earlier, Richard Levi’s 66 off 25 – studded with four fours and seven sixes – powered New York to 124 after the openers Tillakaratne Dilshan (21 off 11) and Kamran Akmal (24 off 19) started well. In reply, Chris Gayle fell for a run-a-ball 12 as Morrisville slumped to 33 for 3 in five overs. Obus Pienaar (35 off 12) and Jayasuriya (28 off 10) tried to take the game close with a barrage of boundaries but couldn’t take them over the line. Umaid Asif took 3 for 22 and Dhammika Prasad finished with 2 for 8.

Atlanta Riders vs Texas Chargers

The first game of the new T10 league was washed out after the toss happened. Led by Robin Uthappa, Atlanta Riders had opted to bowl against Texas Chargers, who were being led by Ben Dunk.The match was set to begin after the toss but there was a lightning warning in the area around the stadium when the players were set to walk out. The pitch was soon covered and after a long wait the match was eventually abandoned.

New Jersey Triton’s vs Texas Chargers

The second game saw a similar result – abandoned after a toss. Gautam Gambhir, the New Jersey Triton’s captain, had opted to bowl after a delayed toss, against Suresh Raina’s California Knights. The rain returned just when the match was set to begin and did not relent to allow any action in this game.

Cesar Azpilicueta has expressed his regret over the lack of trophies he won at Atletico Madrid as the defender leaves the club after two years.

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• Azpilicueta leaves Atletico after two seasons
• Defender speaks up on failure to win trophies
• Snubbed the probability of a return to the Premier League

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The ex-Chelsea player was released by the club on Monday as his contract came to an end, with the Spanish side opting against offering him an extension.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Azpilicueta, 35, left Chelsea in 2023 as a free agent to sign for Madrid in Spain. He featured in 54 games for the Rojiblancos, but was limited to just 14 La Liga appearances last season after falling down the pecking order behind younger players like Robin Le Normand and Clement Lenglet. However, having tasted success in his spells at Marseille and Chelsea, he hoped he would pick up some silverware on his return to his homeland, but regrets without new additions to his trophy cabinet.

• WHAT AZPILICUETA SAID

  He wrote: “After two seasons, the time has come to say goodbye. Although my time at Atlético has been short, it has been full of commitment, effort, and learning. From the first day, I felt welcomed as one of the team. I’ve been fortunate to share my daily life with an incredible group of people, both on and off the pitch. Thank you to all of them for making me feel part of this family from the very start. I also want to thank everyone who works at the club and the fans for their constant support. I’ve done my best to defend this badge with courage and heart at all times. Though I wish I could have helped in winning titles, I thank you for allowing me to live this experience. I wish you all the best in what lies ahead. Come on Atletico de Madrid!”

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  WHAT NEXT FOR AZPILICUETA?

  Soon to turn 36 in August, Azpilicueta will be in search of a new club, but he has reportedly ruled out a return to the Premier League out of respect for Chelsea.

He moved his feet well and timed punches and half-drives to perfection, but did not undertake any wicketkeeping drills

S Sudarshanan07-Sep-2023After linking up with the India squad in Colombo on Tuesday, KL Rahul had his first session at the Nondescripts Cricket Club indoor nets on Thursday. Heavy rain accompanied by winds lashed the Sri Lanka capital in the morning, forcing India to have their optional training indoors.Rahul was part of a select group – Hardik Pandya, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur were the others – that trained under the watchful eyes of head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour. He began with a few throwdowns and batted in rotation with Iyer. There was no visible discomfort as he moved his feet well and timed the punches and half-drives to perfection.Related

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Rahul vs Kishan: Who will India's first-choice keeper be?

Last leg of Asia Cup matches to be played in Colombo as scheduled

Rahul, who last played an ODI in March, tore a tendon in his right thigh during the IPL and had to undergo surgery in May. He was selected in the Asia Cup squad following extensive rehab at the NCA but was ruled out of the first two matches after picking up a fresh niggle.”KL is looking good. We feel this gives us the best balance to try and do well,” chief selector Ajit Agarkar had said after Rahul was named in the World Cup squad earlier this week. “With KL, he was part of the camp in Bangalore. He looked really good there and has got over his niggle. He played a couple of games over the last two days. I think he kept for 50 overs and batted for around 50 overs too. So he looks good and we’re happy to have him.”Rahul then got through two sessions of throwdowns, with the second focused primarily on the left-arm over-the-wicket angle with throwdown specialist Nuwan Seneviratne feeding him deliveries. A while later, he ran a few sprints in one of the nets. Rahul, though, did not undertake wicketkeeping drills.Rahul may not have played a competitive game since the start of May, but he remains firmly in India’s plans as their wicketkeeper. With Ishan Kishan scoring a fighting half-century and helping India recover from a shaky start against Pakistan, the choice between him and the returning Rahul will be a tough one.Since the 2019 men’s World Cup, Rahul has averaged 55.64 – behind only Sanju Samson among all keepers to played at least five games in the period – and struck at 97.61 in 18 ODIs as India’s designated wicketkeeper. Agarkar did not reveal if India would leave out Kishan, who brings in the left-hand factor, for India’s Super Fours clash against Pakistan and said, “The captain-coach will sit down and decide what’s best for the team on a given day. We’re happy to have two options who will fight for a place in the team than the other way round.” Gill prepares for round two against Afridi
Rahul aside, Gill had a longish stint in nets, facing throwdowns from Seneviratne. The India opener was kept quiet by the Pakistan pacers Shaheen Shah Afridi and Naseem Shah before inside-edging one off Haris Rauf for 10 off 32 balls.Gill was consciously trying to get a stride forward while playing his drives and was mindful of not falling over while playing the flick through the on side. After a stint in the nets, he looked at video footage of his session before proceeding to have another spell.