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Australia’s marks out of ten after their 3-0 defeat in the Tests in Sri Lanka

Daniel Brettig18-Aug-20169Mitchell Starc (24 wickets at 15.16)Until Rangana Herath’s final day burst of wickets to complete a 3-0 sweep, Starc was the series’ leading wicket taker by a distance, a remarkable effort in the prevailing conditions. This series was confirmation of his arrival as a mature yet still fiercely-fast Test bowler, now pain-free after ankle and foot surgeries. His evolution has been undoubtedly helped by the presence of Allan Donald on this tour, particularly in reversing the ball from over the wicket in addition to his favoured line from around the stumps. The only member of the touring party to significantly enhance his reputation, even if his batting dropped off alongside the rest of the tail.8Shaun Marsh (153 runs at 76.50)An excellent first-innings century upon returning to the team in the third Test and a decent opening stand with David Warner in the second innings too. Unfortunately Marsh was unable to confound his reputation as the architect of some great one-off innings by dint of his omission until the series had been decided. Nevertheless, Marsh has shored up his spot for the tour of India next year, regardless of what happens in the Tests at home.6Josh Hazlewood (7 wickets at 32.71)Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary, Hazlewood at least did his job, which was more than could be said for many team-mates. He bowled economically, and took advantage of the only real seam movement available for the series by taking wickets at Pallekele. Offered next to nothing with the bat, but it’s not what he’s in the team for.Steve O’Keefe (3 wickets at 24.66)Was shaping as Australia’s most dangerous spin-bowling option for the series before a hamstring strain sentenced him to an early trip home. If O’Keefe was crestfallen by that moment of misfortune, he at least channeled it into a long, stubborn stay at the crease alongside Peter Nevill to try stave off defeat at Pallekele – his best Test innings. Less edifying was a police report for abusing pub security and refusing to leave the venue on a night out after he returned home.5Mitchell Marsh (163 runs at 27.16 and 2 wickets at 59.00)A series of starts with the bat and some handy spells with the ball offered more evidence – admittedly of the fleeing kind – that Marsh is going to evolve into a cricketer of substance. Annoyed to be foxed by a Lakshan Sandakan googly and bowled at Pallekele, Marsh played the left-arm wristspinner better from that point, though also falling victim to Rangana Herath’s wiles. Still defends with hard hands early in his innings, but progress is being made.Steven Smith ran at Rangana Herath, only to be stumped by Dinesh Chandimal, in Pallekele•Associated Press4Steven Smith (247 runs at 41.16)Played two of the three most substantial Australian innings of the series, but also played the worst shot to get out – a harebrained charge down the wicket at Herath in Pallekele that was both unnecessary at that time and ultimately damaging to Australia’s chances for the whole series. As captain of a team so thoroughly humiliated, Smith maintained his dignity, but did not seem anymore capable of mastering conditions or situations than the men he led. Tactically sound, he could perhaps have bowled more, and certainly caught better.Nathan Lyon (16 wickets at 31.93)Better figures than he returned in the UAE in 2014 are misleading – Lyon needed to assert himself on this tour and was unable to do so. Partly this was because his “spin up” method is best suited to Australia, and partly because sheer unrelenting accuracy eluded him when it was needed. But there was also the sense, evident before, that as a quiet and diffident character, Lyon is happiest as part of a bowling ensemble rather than as the spearhead. At a time when the moment needed seizing, he could not do so.David Warner (163 runs at 27.16)A hard-driving 68 in the final innings of the series shows what Warner could have offered on this tour, had he been able to get through his first few balls at Pallekele. Instead a pair of low scores underlined his lack of match preparation coming into the tour, and thereafter his obvious talent was not accompanied by any sense of permanence at the batting crease. It is now four overseas series since Warner last made a hundred away from home. More is needed from Smith’s lieutenant.Jon Holland (5 wickets at 54.80)So surprised was Holland at his call-up to replace O’Keefe that he had to renew his passport in 24 hours before flying to Sri Lanka. Once he joined the side, Holland struggled to adapt to the method best suited to the pitches, where side spin and skid are more important than overspin and bounce. Even so, Holland improved in Colombo, and in the first innings bowled beautifully. However he was let down in the field and by ill fortune, meaning he had precious few wickets to show for his work. Lacking the confidence those wickets mayhem brought, he then struggled on day four. Should not be ruled out of India.3Adam Voges (118 runs at 19.66)In the words of Tex Perkins, . Voges arrived in Sri Lanka with a Test average of 95.5 and the confident expectation of making runs after playing on a series of slow, low tracks in England with Middlesex. However he managed to get himself out in varying ways across the first two Tests, culminating in a rash of reverse sweeps in Galle. Colombo ended with a textbook lbw dismissal by Herath, the same method by which he very nearly fell to his first ball of the series. Voges’ Test record remains handsome, but he has receded from the Bradman platform to that of a mere Pollock. The selectors must now work out how long they want to keep him on board, and sound out Voges as to his own intentions.Joe Burns (34 runs at 8.50)Like Voges, Burns was out in a variety of ways across the first two Tests, before finding himself dropped for the Colombo Test. He looked at times to be out of his depth, but in the second innings at Pallekele established a decent platform only to cop Sandakan’s best ball of the series. Should the selectors choose to pick a team tailored even further to India than this one was to Sri Lanka, Burns may find himself surplus to requirements, bit it would be harsh to leave him out at home given his successes last summer.Peter Nevill perhaps needs a promotion to build partnerships with other batsmen•AFPPeter Nevill (51 runs at 8.50 and 11 dismissals)One dogged innings at Pallekele, one sneaky smart stumping at the SSC and very little else. Nevill is an admirable cricketer, all hard work and diligence, but he was unable to build scores in Sri Lanka and his keeping showed signs of deterioration as the series went on. Among the biggest issues for Nevill and the selectors is that his busy, correct batting technique looks more batsman-like than his gloveman’s commission at No. 7 – he bats higher up the order for NSW. At the very least a shift above Mitchell Marsh may be needed to allow Nevill the chance to form partnerships with other batsmen.2Moises Henriques (8 runs at 4.00)A puzzling selection for the tour and even more so for the third Test, Henriques took an opportunity that could have been used to let Burns or Khawaja redeem themselves just as Kaushal Silva would go on to do. Henriques is a good tourist, a fine fielder and a mature young man, but his first-class record simply did not warrant inclusion to bat No. 5 in a Test match, and a pair of low scores served only to underline the point.Usman Khawaja (55 runs at 13.75)Before this tour Khawaja inked a new bat contract with Kookaburra, signifying his rise in standing and financial status after a wondrous 2015-16 season. What followed in Sri Lanka was a rapid fall, as four cheap exits and worrying patterns of dismissal had him dropped for the third Test. Perhaps most troubling in all this is the fact that Khawaja was actually one of the more experienced batsmen on tour in respect to Asian conditions – he had toured Sri Lanka in 2011 and then gone to India two years later. A return to the top three in Australia is likely, but he has some serious thinking to do before India next year, if the selectors decide to choose him, that is.

Australia did not begin to win Tests in Asia until touring teams went to greater lengths to understand the region. The current team, humiliated once again in Colombo, has lapsed back into old mindsets under Cricket Australia’s watch

Daniel Brettig in Colombo17-Aug-20164:02

Brettig: 3-0 worse than defeats in India, UAE

In 1969, when choosing the Australian touring team for India, the selectors omitted a young Greg Chappell to the surprise of many. When pressed for a reason why, the selection chairman Sir Donald Bradman is said to have replied: “We don’t want him going to India and getting sick.”Though Bill Lawry’s team went on to win a fractious and tightly contested series, Bradman’s comment endured as a summation of Australian attitudes to Asia for years afterwards. It was the place you went to to get sick, to have your batting average halved by wily spinners and trigger-happy umpires, and to have your back broken by pitches designed to break fast bowlers’ hearts. Tim May, the former Test spin bowler, penned a satirical book called Mayhem, that focused on digestive misadventures as the hallmark of trips to the subcontinent.It was not until a more enlightened generation of players made visits, led with perseverance and forbearance by Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh in turn, that this attitude began to change. Asia went from being a place to be endured to a challenge to be enjoyed, and a land to be embraced. Others helped too – notably the writer Mike Coward’s unstinting efforts to encourage Australian understanding of the region, and to find beauty in the disparate brands of cricket played here.Coward’s last Test tour was to India in 2008, coinciding with the start of the barren run that has only got worse over time. The trip ended in a 2-0 defeat over four Tests, followed by another 2-0 loss in two matches in 2010. A 1-0 victory in Sri Lanka on Michael Clarke’s first Test tour as captain looks increasingly like an outlier, followed as it has been by the 4-0 drubbing in India in 2013, a 2-0 caning by Pakistan in the UAE, and now the ignominy of a 3-0 sweep by Sri Lanka, the team that Australia have historically known better how to beat than anyone else. The ledger over eight years now reads 18 Tests for one win, and the last nine lost in a row. The gains of the preceding generation or two have been utterly and irrevocably lost.Whether watching the Australians slide from 100 for 1 to 160 all out or listening to the captain Steven Smith’s befuddled comments after his first series defeat, the incomprehension of the tour party was clear. This team has now spent comfortably more than a month in Sri Lanka, but they are no wiser as to how to succeed in this part of the world than they were on arrival. Not so much in terms of rhetoric, plans or intentions, but critically in terms of putting the best ideas into action when faced by hot days, dry wickets and doughty opponents.Why is this so? Certainly prevailing conditions in Australia do not give players much of an opportunity to show themselves capable against spin bowling, or capable of delivering it for that matter. The coach Darren Lehmann has pined for a return to the former contrasts between pitches in Sydney, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane. The team performance manager Pat Howard has tried to aid the players by having spin wickets installed at the National Cricket Centre, and Australia A and national performance squads have spent considerable time in India over the past 12 months.Equally, the IPL experience has not added much to the knowledge base of Australian players despite the fact they have now spent nine editions of the tournament traipsing across India and playing at most of the nation’s major grounds. Truly spinning pitches are an IPL rarity, while batsmen and bowlers do not hone skills of patience and judgment in the most truncated format. This has led to a fundamental disconnect between Australian displays in the IPL and those seen in Asian Test matches: never in history have Australian cricketers spent more time playing cricket in Asia, yet never have they looked less equipped to deal with conditions presented in Asian Tests.Another factor that has arisen in recent times, harking back to the days of barren subcontinental trips without much hope or expectation of victory. This is the perceived preparation of pitches in Asia with the express purpose of aiding the home team. A guided tour of the SSC pitch in Colombo for the touring press by the selection chairman Rod Marsh was indeed a throwback to days of greater distrust between tourists and hosts, accompanied as it was by predictions of an early finish.There is a sense, too, about this team that success at home is what really matters. For all the well-intentioned homilies about the best teams winning away and the need to be more adaptable – Smith has spoken often of it as the buzzword for his captaincy – no jobs would appear to be under threat based on results in Asian Tests. After all, Lehmann has just been reappointed until the 2019 Ashes series. While Smith was able to notch a first Asian Test hundred in the first innings of this match, his deputy David Warner has now gone 12 away Tests without reaching three figures. That statistic will only come to affect his standing and bank balance if he experiences a similar dry spell in Australia, broadcast around the country on Channel Nine.David Warner has now gone 12 away Tests without reaching three figures•AFPAn attitude of impatience with this part of the world has also been evident in the dealings of Howard and the team manager Gavin Dovey, two appointments from the more hermetically sealed world of rugby. While undoubtedly professional, businesslike and efficient, these men have struggled at times to bridge the gap in understanding between the highly regimented, budgeted and corporatised world of Cricket Australia and the far more ad hoc ways of the cricketing subcontinent. Both are committed to getting things “just right” for the national team. But it is arguable that in Asia, “just right” simply isn’t possible, whether in terms of training facilities, travel arrangements or match schedules.As it was, the SSC pitch held together much better than any member of the visiting team thought, even as they were comprehensively out-batted and out-bowled on it. That fact served only to heighten focus upon the performance of the Australian players themselves, as a pair of horrendous batting collapses delivered Sri Lanka victory on a plate, even when the home captain Angelo Mathews declined to declare overnight on what turned out to be a more than match-winning lead.The recurring nature of so many Australian dismissals, from Smith being bowled trying to cut off the stumps for a second time in the series to Adam Voges being pinned lbw by a Herath slider, left the distinct impression that the match and series had been decided as much between the ears as between wickets. From the moment the tourists failed to take advantage of Sri Lanka’s swift dismissal for 117 on the opening day of the series this was no longer a contest between the world’s No. 1 ranked side and a modest No. 7. Instead, it was Australia against Asian climes, complete with all the attendant mental baggage that now comes with that billing.Each batsman wore a slightly dazed look on his face that earlier touring teams will be familiar with. Their mystified, frustrated countenance betrayed a desire to get home to more comfortable conditions and speedier pitches, just as their forebears once felt. Next time Australia come to Asia, for Tests against India next year, they are likely to form a more radically selected squad. But regardless of the personnel involved, attitude and understanding will be the most important qualities of all.”To lose patience is to lose the battle” is a proverb the former Test legspinner and later selector Jim Higgs adopted after seeing the sign on a wall in India in 1979. This Australian side must find a way to grasp how matches are won and lost in Asia. The first step to finding it will be to accept the challenge as Border, Taylor and Waugh once did, rather than echoing the skeptical sentiment of Bradman.

Manchester City have reportedly made an offer for Atletico Madrid winger Rodrigo Riquelme.

What’s the latest Man City transfer news?

Those at the Etihad aren’t wasting any time in preparing for the 2023/24 season, looking to carry on the success under Pep Guardiola following a historic treble-winning campaign.

However, City have already lost one of their key players from last season in Ilkay Gundogan, who has left the Etihad on a free transfer to sign for Barcelona.

Mateo Kovacic has been confirmed as the first arrival of the window and looks set to replace Gundogan in the middle of the park, joining from Premier League rivals Chelsea in a deal worth an intial £25m.

Fellow Croatia international and RB Leipzig defender Josko Gvardiol could soon join Kovacic in Manchester, with personal terms already agreed over a potential move.

There has been further rumours of another new midfielder as well, with talks held with the agent of Celta Vigo’s Gabri Veiga and contact seemingly made for Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada.

Those links appear to be as a result of Bernardo Silva’s future at City being up in the air. Reports have claimed that Guardiola has given the green light to another marquee midfield signing should Silva leave, with the Portugal international having a ‘mind-boggling’ offer from a side in Saudi Arabia.

Therefore, it looks as if it could be an extremely busy few months in Manchester, and another player who appears to be on the radar is Riquelme.

Sport Witness relayed an update from Spanish outlet AS regarding City and Riquelme in the last 48 hours. They claimed that City have made an offer to sign the player, who has a €60m release clause, with a move in the initial stages.

The report adds that Atletico are willing to explore sales for plenty of their players, and they could negotiate a deal with City under Riquelme’s release clause.

Who is Rodrigo Riquelme?

Riquelme is primarily a left-winger who can also play on the right-hand side or in an attacking midfield role. The 23-year-old actually shares the same agency as Jon Stones and Nathan Ake and is valued at a career-high €12m by Transfermarkt.

The Spaniard has come through Atletico’s academy but has made just two senior appearances for his current employers. That’s because he has been sent out on loan on numerous occasions in recent years, including to Bournemouth where he scored twice in 19 appearances.

Riquelme has most recently been with Girona, though, contributing to eight La Liga goals in 34 appearances, with Atletico’s president, Enrique Cerezo, describing the winger’s efforts last season as “magnificent”.

“He had a magnificent season at Girona, and now Rayo [Vallecano] is interested in him.

“He is a great player, and I believe he has a place at Atletico.”

It looks as if a move to the Etihad could be one to watch this summer, and who knows, Guardiola may feel he could take Riquelme’s game to the next level, potentially viewing him as a long-term alternative to someone like Silva.

India sealed their 12th successive T20I win over Sri Lanka as Harmanpreet Kaur became their leading T20I run-getter

Vishal Dikshit25-Jun-20222:55

Mandhana: ‘Shafali and I knew which bowlers we wanted to target’

When it started to look like Sri Lanka would post a strong total after their brisk 87-run opening stand and make India work hard to win the second match of the series, the hosts lost six wickets for just 14 runs in the last 3.1 overs of their innings to end with a below-par 125 that didn’t prove to be enough.India were made to work slightly in the chase but their deep batting line-up, led by Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur, chased down the target easily to clinch the series 2-0 and help India win their 12th T20I in a row against Sri Lanka.Sri Lanka’s best opening stand in T20Is
Unlike the first T20I in which Sri Lanka struggled to score freely and lost early wickets, Vishmi Gunaratne and Chamari Athapaththu gave their team a solid opening stand after a scratchy start. Gunaratne hogged the strike for the first three overs and struck four fours in the first four overs on either side of the pitch.Athapaththu, meanwhile, had faced only three balls at the end of the fourth over and took seven balls to get off the mark after missing plenty of cuts and heaves. But once she hit her first boundary – a straight six off Deepti Sharma followed by a slog sweep for four in the same over – she cut loose. They collected 12 off the last powerplay over to reach 37 and found boundaries against both pace and spin to post 60 at the halfway mark. Athapaththu targeted her favoured leg side and was particularly attacking against Deepti to score 19 off her 10 balls. She also got two lives when she was dropped at cover point on 24 and survived a tough stumping chance on 34, when Renuka sent a wide down the leg side but Yastika Bhatia couldn’t hit the stumps.Sri Lanka slide after opening stand
Soon after Athapaththu collected two fours in an over off Deepti and Renuka Singh each and brought up Sri Lanka’s best opening stand in T20Is, she holed out to deep square leg off Pooja Vastrakar for 43 off 41.Harmanpreet Kaur shepherded India home after a few quick wickets•Sri Lanka CricketWhen Vastrakar and Harmanpreet conceded just 12 runs in the space of four overs, Gunaratne felt the pressure and also fell by handing a return catch to Harmanpreet for 45 off 50. No Sri Lanka batter reached double-figures thereafter as Deepti came back to remove Harshitha Samarawickrama and Nilakshi de Silva in the 18th over, Hasini Perera and Oshadi Ranasinghe fell in the 19th and Renuka removed Dilhari Kavisha in the last to keep the hosts’ tally of the last four overs to just 19 runs for five wickets.Harmanpreet takes India home after a strong start
Mandhana started the chase with an exquisite cover drive, and Shafali Verma helped India put on 31 in four overs with her trademark power and charge down the pitch. She went after Ranasinghe’s offbreaks by hitting her over mid-off in the second over, and when she tried a third consecutive boundary against her in the fourth over, she found mid-off to fall for 17 off 10.S Meghana took on left-arm quick Udeshika Prabodhani with four fours in the fifth over, using dabs behind square on either side, a well-timed cover drive and an outside edge, and India were 47 for 1 with one powerplay over left.India, however, stuttered in between when three of their batters were stumped but they never looked in trouble. Meghana was stumped off Kumari for 17 in the sixth over, before Mandhana continued to pepper the off-side boundary with her drives and dabs. By the time she fell at the end of the 11th over, India needed a comfortable 40 from 54 balls.Jemimah Rodrigues, India’s top scorer in the opening game, handed a catch to backward point for 3 before Bhatia stitched a patient stand of 23 with Harmanpreet. Even though Bhatia was also stumped, for 13 in the 18th over, India needed just 12 more off 16 and Harmanpreet sealed the win with her trademark sweep. En route, she also became the leading T20I runscorer for India, going past Mithali RajIndia won’t be completely pleased with the performance though. They leaked overthrows and gave the hosts nearly three run-out chances in one ball when Harmanpreet swept a ball in the 18th over to deep midwicket and called for two, but Bhatia didn’t want the second. A wayward throw from the deep saved Bhatia, the fielder backing up couldn’t run her out either at the bowler’s end, and another throw reached the keeper’s end slightly late when the batters took the third run.

He will fill in for head coach Rahul Dravid who will instead assist India’s prep in England

Shashank Kishore18-May-2022VVS Laxman will step in as India’s head coach on their two-T20I tour of Ireland in late June, filling in for Rahul Dravid, who will instead be in England to assist the team’s preparation for the rescheduled fifth Test from the tour last year as well as the limited-overs series.Dravid will be with India’s Test squad, which will play a four-day game in Leicester from June 24-27, before they move to Birmingham, where the Test against England will be played from July 1-5. He will join the tour party after the conclusion of India’s five-match T20I series against South Africa on June 19 in Bengaluru.There will also be a clash of dates between India’s T20 warm-up games in England – against Northamptonshire and Derbyshire – and the Edgbaston Test, so there is a possibility of Laxman being with the team during those games as well.Laxman is currently the director of cricket at the National Cricket Academy in Bengaluru, a position he has been in since being appointed last year following Dravid’s elevation as head coach of the national team. He has earlier been involved in coaching capacities with Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and Bengal in the Indian domestic circuit as a batting consultant. Earlier this year, he was part of the support staff group with the India Under-19 World Cup-winning team in the Caribbean.India’s selectors are likely to pick separate squads for the tours on May 22. This is something they had to do in July last year too, when Dravid helmed the limited-overs leg in Sri Lanka with Shikhar Dhawan as captain, while Ravi Shastri was coach of the Virat Kohli-led Test team in England, for the World Test Championship final as well as the Test series that followed.With barely a week between the end of the South Africa T20Is and the start of the games in Ireland, it remains to be seen if the selectors pick the same squad for the shortest format.India’s Test specialists are likely to leave for England on June 15. The Birmingham Test was pushed back following a Covid-19 outbreak in the Indian camp last year. India, who currently lead the series 2-1, will look to seal their first Test series win in the country since 2007. Incidentally, that series was won under Dravid’s captaincy.

Wrexham and Birmingham City – with famous investors on board – have been told they stand "as good a chance as any" of reaching the Premier League.

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Both teams pushing for promotion in League OneIntention is to rub shoulders with the eliteFamous faces helping to make that quest possibleFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The race is on between two current League One rivals to secure themselves a standing among the elite of English football. Both have spent big while piecing together the most ambitious of projects, with neither shying away from lofty ultimate goals.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Birmingham are slightly better placed at present to bounce through the Championship, as a more established EFL outfit in recent times, but Wrexham have enjoyed a meteoric rise under the ownership of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney – with a historic third-successive promotion on the cards.

DID YOU KNOW?

Birmingham boast NFL legend Tom Brady among their investors and are closing in on the third-tier title this season. The obvious question is, with the Red Dragons and Blues aiming high, who will reach the Premier League first?

Getty/GOALWHAT FORMER EFL STAR TURNED PUNDIT SAID

Quizzed on whether either will be at that level by 2030, former EFL star turned pundit David Prutton told : "I have absolutely no idea! Five years ago we were walking round in masks and not able to talk to people, so who knows where we are going to be.

"These two teams… Birmingham are seemingly on course to get into the Championship, Wrexham are not too far behind, but nowhere near as certain at this moment in time.

"Both have as decent a chance as any other team they are going to come up against in the Championship. Both are on financially sound footing with the take-overs, both look to be ambitious, highly-motivated clubs. Show me a team who is not exactly the same as that in the Championship! Yes, some are in less sound financial states, some will have better players, some will have a deeper history at the very top level.

"So going into that, the prediction for future is that I have absolutely no idea, but they have as good a chance as any of the multitude of very good football clubs that stand between them and the Premier League right now."

Arne Slot has organised Liverpool’s talented squad into something capable of titles. Tottenham Hotspur were put to the sword in north London on Sunday and the Reds are now belted into the driving seat with Christmas nigh.

Liverpool’s rise this term has perhaps been reflective of the shift in the managerial mood. Jurgen Klopp was larger than life, infectious in his demeanour and booming laugh. Slot, conversely, is all business.

And Anfield has adhered to that switch, almost as if the persona in the dugout has consumed the club and made subtle changes that are bearing dividends and then some.

Ah, but of course there is that one brooding cloud. Three clouds, more precisely. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are just over a week away from being able to discuss pre-contract deals with clubs overseas.

Liverpool's potential transfer exits

It’s a concerning situation. The three superstars played blinders at Tottenham, have been exceptional all year. All three could leave for free, and though reports have downplayed any mutinous mindsets, the Redmen would be within their rights to entertain suitors in January.

However, as per The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Van Dijk, 33, and the 32-year-old Salah have received proposals and talks are progressing positively, albeit at a snail’s pace.

Alexander-Arnold’s future is more nebulous, with Real Madrid bearing a vested interest in Liverpool’s all-powerful right-back. At 26, the Scouser is entering his prime and bringing the facets of his remarkable skillset together to a new degree.

If the vice-captain were to leave on a Bosman in 2025, Liverpool’s adoring fanbase would undoubtedly be incensed, dismayed and dejected. But Los Blancos’ pull is strong and turning them down would be an agonising decision for any top-class player across the globe.

Away from Liverpool’s non-committal superstars, further exit activity could be on the cards at the end of the campaign. Liverpool need to make some signings but FSG are already resigned to losing another core Liverpool member in Caoimhin Kelleher.

Transfer Focus

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

Caoimhin Kelleher's Liverpool future

Last week, retired goalkeeper Paul Robinson revealed to Football Insider that Tottenham could look to sign Kelleher at the end of the season, with Fraser Forster’s recent woes making a conclusive comment on the 36-year-old’s Premier League future.

Kelleher has risen to fame as Alisson Becker’s capable understudy over the past few years, but he’s playing out the penultimate year of his contract and will not sign a new deal given his second-fiddle status.

Compounding his situation, in August, Reds sporting director Richard Hughes signed Giorgio Mamardashvili in a deal rising to £29m, with the Euro 2024 sensation scheduled to arrive from Valencia next summer.

In fairness, Kelleher has earned his flowers, covering the injury-prone Alisson with regularity and proving to be an indispensable part of the Liverpool make-up.

But allowing the 26-year-old to foster his qualities further with a divisional rival could be damaging for the Reds, even if FSG are looking to claim about £35m for their homegrown sensation.

Why Liverpool shouldn't sell him to a rival

Kelleher has been immense in recent years, chalking up 61 senior appearances for Liverpool in total, lifting two Carabao Cup trophies and performing with high and layered quality. Van Dijk has even gone as far as to describe the Irishman as “world-class.”

With Alisson missing separate chunks of the current season, Kelleher has notched 13 outings across all competitions, with his 71% save percentage only marginally behind that of his Brazilian peer (72%), as per FBref.

Of course, the real chatter around the shot-stopper’s skills comes from his consistency and ability to perform on the biggest stages, for he was incredible as injury-hit Liverpool kept Chelsea at bay in the Carabao Cup final last term.

Van Dijk’s claim that he’s one of the finest across the globe might feel somewhat hyperbolic but Kelleher has demonstrated over several seasons that he is good enough to start for one of the biggest outfits in Europe.

Liverpool have been pretty accurate in the transfer market but there have been times when players have been sold before their time and have gone on to forge successful Premier League careers elsewhere.

Dominic Solanke, who scored against Liverpool on Sunday, would be one, but perhaps Raheem Sterling would be a more accurate case, for the England international wanted to leave in 2015 and got his wish when pre-Pep Manchester City paid £49m for the prodigious winger’s services.

It was an acrimonious exit but Sterling will hardly look back at the Anfield exit with regret, going on to win hordes of silverware with the Citizens. Of course, he’s not doing so well now.

Sterling was only 21 when he left Merseyside for pastures new but in goalkeeper terms, Kelleher is also only at the end of his early years and has yet to hit the prime of his career.

Surely this serves as a cautionary tale for a Liverpool side that could make good use of Kelleher’s qualities over the coming years. Allison is probably the best goalkeeper in the world but his fitness levels are a problem.

24/25

11

15

23/24

32

18

22/23

47

1

21/22

54

2

20/21

42

9

19/20

37

14

18/19

51

0

17/18

49

1

That, of course, is a major factor behind the deal to sign Mamardashvili, but you can’t help but feel Kelleher might be a little aggrieved after such impressive exploits in recent years. He’s well within his rights to want first-choice football, but it’s a shame that probably won’t be at Liverpool.

After all, Alisson has missed so much football across his distinguished Liverpool career.

FSG are usually prudent and savvy when it comes to the transfer market, but you can’t dispute the negligent undertones of Liverpool’s contractual quandary.

The goalkeeping department presents a different problem: with Mamardashvili arriving to rival Alisson in 2025, Slot’s squad will be stocked for an age.

But might it be that Kelleher should remain put? Last season, Klopp pronounced him as “the best number two in the world.” With Alisson routinely picking up fitness knocks, surely he could have stayed on and continued to build himself up.

Instead, it might be a Premier League rival such as Tottenhamb who pick the fruits of Kelleher’s labours over the coming years.

Slot now has a Liverpool star who's playing like the "Firmino of old"

Liverpool ran out 6-3 winners over Tottenham Hotspur in a seriously captivating contest.

ByKelan Sarson Dec 22, 2024

Everything you need to know about explosive forward Rodrygo's wages playing for Real Madrid

Rodrygo is one of the three Brazilian gems in Real Madrid's attack and he has a habit of scoring crucial goals for Los Blancos, especially in the Champions League, making him a decisive player for the club.

Rodrygo arrived in the Spanish capital back in 2019 after playing for Brazilian side Santos for two seasons.

The Brazil international earns a substantial salary at Real Madrid, but exactly how much does he earn?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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Rodrygo’s wages at Real Madrid in numbers

Having played for Real Madrid for a while now, Rodrygo makes about £202,717 ($261,975) on a weekly basis.

Meanwhile, his annual salary scale a little over £10 million ($13m).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Rodrygo

Brazilian

  £202,717

$261,975

£10,541,294

$13,322,722

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at Real Madrid

Despite his substantial earnings at the club, Rodrygo fails to make the top five when it comes to the highest-paid players at Real Madrid.

The number one spot currently belongs to former PSG superstar Kylian Mbappé, followed by Austrian defender David Alaba.

Taking the third and fourth spots are Vinicius Jr. and Jude Bellingham, who earn identical wages, while Uruguayan midfielder Fede Valverde rounds off the list at number five.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Kylian Mbappe

French

£498,248

$629,355

£25,908,917

$32,726,459

David Alaba

Austrian

£356,659

455,608

£18,546,242 

$ 23,691,627

Jude Bellingham

English

£330,187

$ 421,792

£17,169,698

$ 21,933,182

Vinicius Jr.

Brazilian

£330,187

$ 421,792

£17,169,698

$ 21,933,182

Fede Valverde

Uruguayan

£264,244

$337,555

£ 13,740,704 

$17,552,863

Top earners in La Liga

When it comes to the top five earners in the league, Barcelona's veteran striker Robert Lewandowski tops the list.

Meanwhile, three Real Madrid players in Mbappé, Alaba, and Bellingham also make the top five.

The only Atlético Madrid player to make the cut is Slovenian goalkeeper Jan Oblak.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual  wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Robert Lewandowski

Polish

£528,330

$ 674,908

£27,473,166

$35,095,197

Kylian Mbappe

French

£498,248

$629,355

£25,908,917

$32,726,459

David Alaba

Austrian

£356,659

£455,608

£18,546,242

$23,691,627

Jan Oblak

Slovenian

£330,187

$421,792

£17,169,698

$21,933,182

Jude Bellingham

English

£330,187

$421,792

£17,169,698

$21,933,182

Getty ImagesHighest paid players in the world

Although it may seem like players in La Liga earn incredible wages, their salaries don't even come close when compared to the top earners worldwide.

Currently, all the players in the top five highest earners globally play in the Saudi Pro League.

Ranking first and second on the list are former Real Madrid attackers Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, respectively, while Riyad Mahrez takes the third spot. Finally, rounding off the top five are Senegalese internationals Sadio Mané and Kalidou Koulibaly

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,224,935

$4,166,513

£167,696,622

$215,658,680

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,612,468

$2,083,257

£83,848,311

$108,329,340

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£841,708

$1,087,460

£43,768,818

$56,547,915

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£644,987

$833,033

£33,539,324

$43,331,736

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£559,526

$722,890

£29,095,364

$37,590,281

The left-arm spinner had been battling a brain tumour

Mohammad Isam19-Apr-2022Mosharraf Hossain, the former Bangladesh left-arm spinner, has died aged 40 in Dhaka. He was suffering from brain cancer, which was diagnosed in March 2019. He had recovered after undergoing treatment, but the tumour relapsed in November 2020.Nicknamed Rubel, Mosharraf had been in hospital over the last couple of weeks, but went home after another bout of chemotherapy recently.Related

Bangladesh cricketer Mosharraf Hossain diagnosed with brain tumour

Mosharraf was one of seven cricketers to score 3000 runs and take 300 wickets in first-class cricket in Bangladesh. Among the highlights of his career was winning the Player-of-the-Match award in the 2013 Bangladesh Premier League final. He was the first of three Bangladeshi cricketers to win the award in a BPL final, the others being Tamim Iqbal (2019) and Alok Kapali (2015).Mosharraf is also the Bangladesh cricketer with the longest gap between international appearances. After playing his debut series in 2008, his next call-up came in 2016 when he was picked for an ODI series against Afghanistan. He also played an ODI against England, which turned out to be his final international match. Although short, the comeback was testament to Mosharraf’s consistent domestic form, rare for Bangladesh cricketers.Mosharraf made his first-class debut in 2001-02 season, while he was a Dhaka University student. He grew to be a domestic giant, and a regular among the top five wicket-takers in competitions like the National Cricket League and Dhaka Premier League.He is survived by his wife and one child.

Leeds United may look at their 1-1 draw with Preston North End in the Championship as two points dropped, despite their last-gasp equaliser.

They conceded a sloppy goal to go 1-0 down, as Pascal Struijk was easily beaten down the channel and Illan Meslier appeared to parry the ball into the corner of his own net.

Mateo Joseph helped to force a late own goal through Jack Whatmough but the result has now left the Whites three points behind Sheffield United in the table.

During the match, however, it was revealed that the West Yorkshire side have had an interest in one of the players from the opposition line-up.

Leeds United's interest in Preston star

Sky Sports commentator Gary Weaver was speaking during the first-half about Leeds’ search for a number ten to bolster their squad ahead of the January transfer window, and mentioned their interest in Gus Hamer, Emi Buendia, and James McAtee.

The Whites were linked with all three over the summer, including having a bid of £13m rejected for Sheffield United star Hamer, but a new attacking midfielder has been thrown into the mix.

Weaver claims that Leeds “have had a look at” Preston star Mads Frokjaer-Jensen in the past, with regards to their attempts to land a new playmaker.

There was no further mention of whether or not they remain keen on him or how much North End would want to allow one of their key players to depart from Deepdale next month.

Transfer Focus

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

Daniel Farke should, however, push to secure a deal for the Danish wizard in January because the German head coach could unearth his own version of Pablo Hernandez.

Why Frokjaer-Jensen could be Farke's Hernandez

Firstly, Frokjaer-Jensen is similar to the former Leeds star in the sense that he is a right-footed playmaker who can operate centrally or on the right flank.

Hernandez played 66 times for the Whites on the right flank, drifting inside into central areas to affect the play, and the Preston whiz started on the right wing on Saturday – creating one ‘big chance’ for his team.

Preston have averaged 47.1% possession in the Championship this season, which means that the Dane is in a team that does not create plenty of opportunities for him to thrive at the top end of the pitch. Whereas, Leeds average 62.1% possession and could provide him with more chances to showcase his quality.

Starts

29

13

Goals

3

2

Big chances created

4

3

xA

3.82

1.68

Assists

8

0

As you can see in the table above, the creative potential is there for Frokjaer-Jensen to improve his output in a team that has significantly more of the ball.

The 25-year-old star, who produced eight goals and three assists in 28 league games for Odense in the 2022/23 campaign, could operate as a right-footed playmaker on the right flank, or as a number ten, like Hernandez.

Leeds’ former Spanish magician created 41 goals in 175 matches for the club, which shows that it would take a lot for the Preston man to emulate his success, but his creative quality in a low-possession Preston team suggests that Farke could unearth his own Hernandez by singing him in January.

Farke could drop Solomon in Leeds swoop for "incredible" 15-goal star

Leeds United have been linked with an interest in the impressive young attacker.

ByDan Emery Dec 13, 2024