Dunk has not ruled out returning to the BBL but may prioritise overseas competitions to fit around family life

Matt Roller27-Jan-2021Ben Dunk has pinpointed Christmas Day as the moment when he realised that he wanted to terminate his contract with Melbourne Stars after three-and-a-half seasons at the club.Dunk signed a five-year deal with the Stars ahead of the 2017-18 Big Bash having led the tournament’s run charts the previous season, but performed a long way below expectations during his time at the club. In 39 innings for the Stars across four seasons, he made 621 runs at an average of 16.34 and a strike rate of 115.34, regularly moving up and down the order as they desperately tried to help him replicate the form he had shown in the Pakistan Super League and the Mzansi Super League.This season, he made 69 runs in six matches – including two as an X-factor sub – and after spending Christmas away from his family in the tournament’s hub on the Gold Coast, Dunk and the Stars came to a mutual agreement to terminate his contract midway through the season.The termination allowed him to fly to the UAE to take up his contract with the Qalandars in the Abu Dhabi T10 League. He finished his quarantine period at the start of the week, and trained with his new team-mates for the first time on Tuesday night ahead of their first fixture on Friday.Related

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At a media briefing which coincided with the Stars’ elimination from the competition – he had listened to the first innings on the radio after struggling to find TV coverage – Dunk admitted that he had struggled to come to terms with his lack of role security at the club.”My position at the Stars was not secured in the team,” he said. “With the rule changes, I’d been the X-factor player quite a bit – so I was playing some games, some not, keeping wicket in some games, some not. As players, we live for gamedays, and time away from home when you’re not playing was proving difficult.”I’ve got two young children at home, so Christmas time is really important to me. It really hit home this year when I was in the hub on the Gold Coast and my family were back in Hobart on Christmas Day. I’ve got a little boy who turns four in February and understands what Christmas is and gets really excited. That made the decision a little bit easier, in terms of trying to free up time to be with family.”And while Dunk insisted that he had no plans to retire from the BBL, he conceded that the uncertainty over the cricket calendar on account of the pandemic and his reluctance to miss another family Christmas meant that he may not make himself available for the full season if approached by a team. At 33, Dunk remains a popular pick in several leagues around the world, and he hinted that he would consider prioritising other tournaments over the BBL.”The pandemic has thrown the cricket calendar into absolute chaos,” Dunk said. “When you include the two weeks of hotel quarantine when I get back to Australia, it’s just another bit of murkiness in the water. I certainly want to explore my playing options, especially around the world.Ben Dunk has continued to be a consistent scorer in overseas leagues•Pakistan Super League”The Big Bash obviously has that window all the way through to mid-February, which is a long time in a cricket season. Who knows what will be going on, especially with the pandemic? With the Big Bash, [we don’t know] whether that’s going to stay in that slot for the same period of time, whether the South African comp [Mzansi Super League] gets back up and running, Bangladesh, the T10 – there’s a lot of cricket to be played.”From my own, selfish point of view, it’s nice to be free around that sort of time. But I’m certainly not retiring from the Big Bash – there might be an opportunity there to play next year in a limited capacity, depending on what else is going on around the world.”More immediately, Dunk expressed his excitement about the opportunity to play with both Tom Banton and Rashid Khan in the T10 League and the upcoming PSL respectively. He will play for the Qalandars franchise in both competitions, under their Lahore guise in the PSL.”I’ve come across [Banton] a couple of times at the Big Bash and the PSL but we’ve never been in the same team, so I’m excited to see him up close and see how he works. He’s an exciting player who I think we’ll watch for a long period of time.”In the PSL, we went on a great journey last year, all the way through to the final where we were beaten on the day by a better team in Karachi. I’m really excited to play with Rashid Khan – he’ll be a great addition to our squad and hopefully we can go one better.”

A £120,000-per-week member of Ange Postecoglou's squad is set to leave Tottenham this summer, with Man United targeting him for Erik ten Hag.

Postecoglou plans Spurs overhaul

Postecoglou has publicly stated that "drastic change" is needed at Spurs, and openly suggested that a number of players could be moved on as "not everyone" can be along for the ride.

Tottenham player now reaches agreement in principle to join European giants

There will be club-to-club talks this week.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 4, 2024

Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga, Eric Dier and Ivan Perisic all left N17 first, upon the expiry of their contracts with the club, while chairman Daniel Levy also sought to terminate Tanguy Ndombele's deal a year before it was meant to run out.

Wales international defender Joe Rodon soon followed Ndombele out of the door, with technical director Johan Lange and the recruitment team using him as an unofficial makeweight in a move for English sensation Archie Gray.

Rodon joined Leeds United in a £10 million deal, after spending the 2023/2024 season on loan at Elland Road, with Gray heading the opposite direction in a separate £40 million move (Fabrizio Romano).

Attention now turns to who could follow up Rodon and the aforementioned crop. Bryan Gil, Djed Spence, Giovani Lo Celso, Troy Parrott, Richarlison, Yves Bissouma, Manor Solomon and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are all players who could be sold by Tottenham this summer, with reports suggesting Spurs could be open to offers for all of them.

Tottenham's best-performing players in the Premier League last season	Average match rating (WhoScored)
Son Heung-min	7.30
James Maddison	7.17
Pedro Porro	7.05
Cristian Romero	7.04
Dejan Kulusevski	7.03

AC Milan are currently trying to sign Emerson Royal from Spurs after getting the Brazilian's green-light, while Hojbjerg is keen to leave Tottenham as Borussia Dortmund consider a deal.

There is also uncertainty surrounding the future of left-back Sergio Reguilon, who spent 23/24 on two half-season loan spells at Man United and Brentford.

Reguilon set to leave Tottenham as Man United eye move for ten Hag

The Red Devils have just shown their commitment to ten Hag by agreeing a new contract for the Dutchman, and it appears they're keen to support their manager by bringing Reguilon back to Old Trafford.

That is according to Diario AS, who claim Reguilon is set to pack his bags and leave Tottenham this summer. The 27-year-old, who was signed from Sevilla by Jose Mourinho in 2020, apparently has no future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Alongside United, it is believed another big European club in Juventus are interested, as well as London rivals West Ham. On a reported £120,000-per-week (The Mirror), it would be a long way back for Reguilon under Postecoglou, given the stellar form of left-back Destiny Udogie last season.

The best solution for both parties is to amicably part company, and perhaps United could well facilitate that over the coming weeks.

With less than a month to go until the start of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, Enzo Maresca and his new Chelsea side continue to recruit to bolster the side going into the new season, with aspirations of regaining a Champions League spot.

The Blues have already signed Leicester City POTY Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, along with Tosin Adarabioyo, Omari Kellyman, Renato Veiga, Caleb Wiley, and Marc Guiu.

But Chelsea are still on the lookout for that big summer signing, with links to Athletic Bilbao and Spain star Nico Williams, after his sparkling Euro 2024 performances, scoring two goals and providing one assist in his six appearances.

Chelsea transfer news

Forgetting about that man Williams, Todd Boehly and Co could swoop for another winger. According to reports from Italian publication Gazzetta, Chelsea are interested in Juventus winger Frederico Chiesa, who only has one year left on his remaining deal.

The reports claim Tottenham are also watching Chiesa, and could also pounce if a contract renewal is not agreed between Chiesa and Juventus.

Chiesa made 37 appearances in all competitions last season, scoring ten goals, and providing three assists in 2,512 minutes.

Chiesa comparisons to Rodrygo

Via FBref's "similar players" feature, the second name for comparable players to Chiesa is none other than Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo. Both players are right-footed and prefer to play off the left, whilst both have the ability to play off the right (something often asked of both).

Rodrygo is, of course, coming off the back of a Champions League and La Liga double, making 51 appearances in all competitions, scoring 17 goals and providing nine assists, mainly playing as a centre-forward this season, as opposed to his more familiar wide areas.

However, whilst Rodrygo would start from the centre-forward position, Carlo Ancelotti had a very fluid system, which allowed Rodrygo along with Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham to roam and find space in those wide zones.

Shot-Creating actions

4.79

4.09

Shots Total

3.03

3.29

Progressive Carries

4.55

5.52

Successful take-ons

1.43

2.07

Key Passes

2.21

1.70

Carries into Final Third

2.29

3.56

Carries into Penalty Area

2.38

2.81

From the metrics, you can see both players excel as carriers, with some of their best data being from this area. Both are in the top 3% for progressive carries in Europe, and this expands to their specific carrying duties in and around the box, both ranking in the top 3% for carries into the penalty area.

Whilst Rodrygo has had a higher output and tends to better Chiesa in the carrying metrics, the latter has an added touch of creativity, with a higher key passes metric, and a higher shot-creating actions average, showing the creative potential of the Italian, and the ability he has to create opportunities for others.

With similar numbers to Rodrygo in key areas, the Italian could improve his output in a slightly more consistent and attacking side, as he only currently produces 0.23 Non-Penalty xG per 90, and only provides 0.08 assists per 90, which is far below the creation expected of someone with these metrics.

If Chiesa can avoid further injury problems, there is every chance that, with a move away from Juventus, he could return to his "potent" self – as he was described by Rio Ferdinand – increasing his output and becoming the main man again.

It certainly wouldn't be a bad alternative to the aforementioned Williams.

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ByEthan Lamb Jul 19, 2024

Celtic played out their first friendly of pre-season on Friday as they were held to a 1-1 draw by lower league outfit Ayr, whilst missing a number of key first-team performers due to international commitments.

Kyogo Furuhashi scored from the penalty spot but that was not enough to secure a win in the Scottish giants' first outing ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

There were no new signings on display for the fans to get excited about as the Hoops are yet to make their first addition of the summer transfer window.

The Scottish Premiership season kicks off in less than a month and the Bhoys may want to have some fresh faces in the door before their clash with Kilmarnock at Parkhead.

A new number one after Joe Hart's retirement is needed and Newcastle United's Martin Dubravka and Croatia star Dominik Livakovic have both been linked with moves to Paradise.

The Premiership champions are also reportedly looking to bring two players back to Glasgow after their respective loan spells at the club last season.

Celtic in talks to sign £4m star

According to the Daily Record, the Hoops are in talks to secure a permanent deal to sign central midfielder Paulo Bernardo from Benfica this summer.

The report claims that the Bhoys are negotiating with the Portuguese outfit to thrash out a fee for the Portugal U21 international ahead of next season.

It states that Benfica are looking for a fee in the region of £6m for their talented maestro but Celtic think that they will be able to bring him back for a fee of £4m, plus a sell-on clause.

That sell-on clause could be a game-changer in negotiations as Benfica have also reaped the rewards of such an agreement, having netted a whopping £7.5m from Jota's £25m move to Al-Ittihad last summer due to being owed 30% of any future transfer after they sold him to the Bhoys the previous year.

The Daily Record adds that the Hoops are 'confident' that they can get a deal over the line for the impressive youngster, who is also keen to return to the club for a second spell in Glasgow.

This suggests that a transfer may be a formality once they can finalise a fee with the Liga Portugal outfit as the player wants the move to happen and Celtic are pushing to bring him back.

If Brendan Rodgers can strike a deal to sign Bernardo for the Glasgow giants then he could be a terrific long-term option for the club to play in attack alongside another player they want to bring in – Adam Idah.

Celtic's pursuit of Adam Idah

BBC Sport recently reported that Norwich City have rejected an offer from Celtic to sign the Ireland international after his loan spell at Paradise last season.

The report claimed that the English Championship side have turned down a bid that was between £4m and £5m for the 6 foot 3 centre-forward, as they are not 'actively' looking to sell him and their new manager – Johannes Hoff Thorup – is excited to work with him.

This means that the Premiership team will need to go back in with another attempt to snap him up from the Canaries to bolster their attacking options for next term.

The 23-year-old attacker caught the eye with his fantastic performances for the club during the second half of the 2023/24 campaign, after joining on loan from Norwich in the winter window.

Idah hit the ground running in the Premiership and ended the season with a sensational return of eight goals and two assists in the league, despite starting just five of his 15 appearances.

Appearances

15

Goals

8

Big chances missed

7

Conversion rate

27%

Minutes per goal

76

As you can see in the table above, the Irish marksman was incredibly prolific in the top-flight with more goals than 'big chances' missed and less than 90 minutes per goal.

Idah also produced a huge moment in his last game for Celtic in the SFA Cup final at Hampden Park with a last-minute winner against Rangers, slotting into the back of the net after Jack Butland spilled a shot… from Bernardo.

Why Paulo Bernardo and Adam Idah could become a dream duo

The two loanees from the 2023/24 campaign did not establish themselves as regular starters but they are both young talents who were in their first seasons in Scotland.

They could develop into first-choice options at the top end of the pitch for Rodgers with more experience in Glasgow and more development on the training pitch under their belt if they are both signed on permanent deals this month.

Despite not starting week-in-week-out, both players showed enough in the Premiership last season to suggest that they could eventually become a dream duo at Parkhead.

The Portuguese whiz, who was hailed as "tenacious" by Rodgers, showcased his attacking qualities with six direct goal contributions in just 11 league starts.

Appearances

22

Starts

11

Goals

3

Assists

3

Big chances created

4

As you can see in the table above, the 22-year-old maestro did enough to show that the potential is there for him to develop into an excellent midfielder for the Hoops.

He chipped in with goals and assists at an impressive rate as a starter and his driving run and shot from midfield, which did not officially register as an assist, created Idah's winner in the SFA Cup final.

Bernardo is a dynamic and forward-thinking midfielder who can carry the ball, as shown by his Premiership dribble success rate of 58%, forward to provide quality as a scorer and a creator of goals from the middle of the park.

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Idah, meanwhile, proved himself to be more than adept at making the most of the chances that came his way in a Celtic jersey, as shown by his aforementioned statistics, and that is why the pair could eventually become an exciting and dream duo for Rodgers in the final third.

MatériaMais Notícias

O caso envolvendo a ofensa racista proferida por um conselheiro do Brusque contra o meio-campista Celsinho, do Londrina, em partida entre as equipes pela Série B do Brasileirão foi julgado nesta sexta-feira (24) pelo Superior Tribunal de Justiça Desportiva (STJD).

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

A sentença proferida no julgamento em questão condenou o clube catarinense a pagar uma multa de R$ 60 mil além da pena esportiva com a perda de três pontos na tabela. A pena ainda cabe recurso mas, até segunda ordem, o Brusque fica com 26 pontos e em 16° lugar, uma unidade acima da zona de rebaixamento.

+ Veja a tabela da Série B e simule os resultados dos jogos

O enquadramento jurídico para a aplicação da pena se deu noartigo 243-G do Código Brasileiro de Justiça Desportiva (CBJD) que fala em “praticar ato discriminatório, desdenhoso ou ultrajante, relacionado a preconceito”.

Quem também foi punido pelo fato ocorrido no último dia 28 de agosto foi o conselheiro acusado de chamar o cabelo do jogador do Londrina de “cachopa de abelha”,Júlio Antônio Petermann, a pagar uma multa de R$ 30 mil além de suspensão das atividades por 360 dias.

Em sua defesa, Júlio chegou a argumentar que usou uma expressão que seria comum na região e em resposta a provocações que jogadores do clube paranaense estavam fazendo no aquecimento ao lado do alambrado do Augusto Bauer.

Entretanto, nenhum dos auditores do STJD demonstrou ter acolhido a justificativa usada no depoimento e, em via de regra, condenaram o ato reiterando a necessidade de sempre punir com rigor ofensas de cunho racista e/ou preconceituosas.

Given the ODI Super League points on offer, the home team does not want to take any chances

Mohammad Isam23-Jan-2021

Bangladesh are 2-0 ahead after convincing wins in the first two ODIs in Dhaka•AFP via Getty Images

Given the ICC World Cup Super League points on offer, Bangladesh are unlikely to make any changes for the third ODI against West Indies, according to the BCB president Nazmul Hassan. The match is a dead rubber, with Bangladesh having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead with two crushing wins at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.Those results have given Bangladesh a head start in the Super League, and they are currently third on the table behind Australia and England. The top eight teams (including hosts India) will gain direct entry to the 2023 World Cup, while the bottom five will have to play in a qualifying event in Zimbabwe along with teams from the lower divisions of the qualification pathway.Bangladesh are strong favourites to make it 3-0 given the inexperience of the depleted West Indies team that is playing this series, and given their struggles so far.BCB chief Hassan, who has a hands-on approach with the national team and often publicly airs his views on major decisions, said Bangladesh would be unlikely to make any major changes to their XI, because they don’t want to take any chances with important points up for grabs.”There may be changes in the XI, but we don’t want to underestimate anyone,” Hassan said. “I would like you to remember that this is the start of the ICC Super League. We have already got 20 points. Every match is very important, so we can’t take anything for granted. We want to qualify to the World Cup directly, so we are taking every game seriously.”This is a very important game because we are mostly facing strong teams in overseas conditions. We have defeated India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies and New Zealand at home, but we haven’t won much abroad. So we have to take every game seriously, and win as much as possible.”Hassan said he was happy with Shakib Al Hasan’s performances since his return to international cricket following a one-year ban, and new captain Tamim Iqbal’s consistency in ODI cricket. “If you ask me about performance, Shakib and the rest have bowled well,” he said. “I am impressed with the bowling. Tamim has been consistent, and Shakib, about whom we were so worried, seems to be returning to form quickly too.”Hassan, who has overseen some major developments in the Bangladesh team over the last seven years, said choosing the team has lately become both easier and harder than before, due to the number of options now available to the national selectors.”We have a good team on our hands,” he said. “There was a time when we couldn’t find a substitute for a player who got injured but believe me, the captain, coach and selectors now have a hard time finding out who to leave out from the XI. We have a number of options for each position.”Bangladesh and West Indies have both arrived in Chattogram for the third ODI, which is scheduled for January 25.

India allrounders Hardik and Krunal Pandya have lost their father Himanshu, who died on Saturday after suffering a heart attack. He was 71.Krunal, who was leading Baroda in the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, left the team’s bio-bubble to be with his family, Baroda Cricket Association secretary Ajit Lele told PTI. Hardik is not playing the tournament as he is preparing for the white-ball series against England. He has also left Mumbai, where he was training, to go to Vadodara.Himanshu had played a key role in the success of his sons, who have represented India and the Mumbai Indians in the IPL. Virat Kohli and Sachin Tendulkar led the cricketing fraternity in condoling his demise.