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Another significant report has emerged regarding the potential takeover of Everton Football Club on Monday, with yet more concerning news coming the club's way.

Everton off-field latest

On the pitch, Sean Dyche's side picked up a welcome 2-0 victory at home to Nottingham Forest on Sunday afternoon, acting as a huge shot in the arm in the Premier League relegation battle. It was a massive step in the right direction, not to mention a welcome boost during a season that has seen so many obstacles to overcome.

Away from the action, Everton have had to deal with points deductions drama, initially seeing 10 points taken away, only to see that amount drop to six. Since then, another two points have been lopped off their tally in the league, although they are appealing that decision with the hope it will be reduced or erased.

If that wasn't bad enough, the ongoing saga surrounding 777 Partners' purchase of the Blues has also acted as an unwelcome distraction to on-field matters, with Everton's proposed next owners continually seeing their credentials called into doubt.

While the majority of supporters want to see Farhad Moshiri leave as the current owner, it would also be foolish to accept whichever buyer comes along. The longer the situation surrounding 777 Partners goes on, the more of a concern it feels, and a new update will do little to change that feeling.

Fresh Everton takeover blow

Taking to X on Monday, journalist David Hellier admitted that the takeover of Everton is in danger of falling through, with Deliotte struggling to find new financial backers: "The latest on Everton's 777 deal: Everton FC’s main financial adviser is scrambling to find new backers to save a takeover of the club by US investment firm 777 Partners amid fears that the deal could collapse, sources say."

In his article for Bloomberg, Hellier says that "Deloitte has been seeking fresh funding from sports-focused investors and lenders to get 777’s deal over the line", adding that behind scenes sources believe the "current preference is to attract a partner for 777 instead of getting an entirely different bidder".

This really does sum up Everton this season, with so little to shout about even when a positive result is picked up in the Premier League. It feels like one negative after another for anyone associated with the club, and at this point, many may simply wish to see the back of 777.

Even if their takeover does go through, there have been too many worrying updates regarding them to instill genuine confidence in the fanbase, but then there is the issue of having to go all the way back to square one if a different buyer is found.

Everton hit jackpot offloading Silva signing who cost them £19m in wages

He made 84 appearances for the Toffees.

By
Ethan Lamb

Apr 22, 2024

One day, the hope is that all these points deduction and takeover issues will have blown over, with Everton in a shiny new stadium and still in the Premier League, but for now, that still feels a long way off.

وجه محمد جمال عضو مجلس إدارة نادي الإسماعيلي، رسالة إلى جماهير الدراويش بشأن الأزمات التي يواجها النادي في الفترة الأخيرة مما يترتب عليه سوء الأداء والنتائج في المباريات.

وقال محمد جمال في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورت”: “الأمور لدينا مستقرة إلى حد كبير، وخلال الفترة الحالية نُجهز 25% من عقود اللاعبين وفي يناير سنكون وصلنا لـ 50% وسيكون هناك مدخلات من الرعاية في الفترة القادمة، ومجلس الإدارة من وقت أن تولى المسؤولية لم يخذل اللاعبين”.

وأضاف: “الناس لا بد أن تعرف التزاماتنا، معظم الأموال التي نحصل عليها من بيع اللاعبين نسدد بها الغرامات، الإسماعيلي كان مديوناً بمبالغ رهيبة، لاعب تم تسديد غرامته 48 مليون وكارميلو لم يلعب وسددنا له 24 مليونا، ولاعب آخر 18 مليونا، و12 قضية مع أندية مختلفة”.

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وأوضح: “هناك أقساط نسددها، التزامات كثيرة، هناك موظفون وقطاع الناشئين، نحن نحتاج ليس أقل من 250 مليونا في السنة لو في الظروف الطبيعية ولا توجد غرامات، ونشتري لاعبين نصنع منهم نجوما، لكن لا نملك أن نشتري لاعبين مثلما يشتري غزل المحلة”.

وأفاد: “المجالس السابقة كانت تلقى دعمًا من الوزارة والمحافظة، لكن منذ أن تولينا المسؤولية لم يساعدنا أحد بجنيه واحد، المحافظ السابق خذلنا ولم يساعدنا بأي شيء رغم أن الموظفين كانت لهم رواتب متأخرة 10 أشهر”.

وأتم: “الراحل إيهاب جلال قدم أداء محترماً، وكنا نقدم أداء كبيرا لا يناسب النتائج، اللاعبون رجال وتحملوا ويعرفون أن المجلس الحالي يُحاول من أجلهم، وأشكرهم على تحملهم الصعاب ونعدهم بأنهم سيحصلون على مستحقاتهم”.

In what was built up as a tense clash between two neighbouring countries, Pakistan’s all-round bowling effort combined with a solid batting performance helped them set up a semi-final clash against defending champions India. Afghanistan, meanwhile, can at best hope to finish fifth if they beat Australia in a play-off fixture,Pakistan’s efforts were led by half-centurion Mohammad Huraira, who ensured they didn’t have any hiccups in their chase of 190. They crossed the line with plenty to spare.ALSO READ: Noor Ahmad mankads Mohammad Huraira in Under-19 World CupAlthough the win was straightforward, it featured a moment of quick-thinking from Afghanistan’s left-arm spinner Noor Ahmad, who ran out opener Huraira for 64 in the 28th over for walking out of his crease at the non-strikers’ end.However, that dismissal did not alter the result. The unbeaten fourth-wicket stand between Qasim Ahmed (25) and Mohammad Haris (29) took Pakistan to victory in the 42nd over.”Our batsmen did not take the responsibility today, and that’s where we lost,” Afghanistan captain Farhan Zakhil told ESPNcricinfo after the match. “We want to congratulate Pakistan on the way they controlled the game. They deserved to win today.””I had self-belief that whenever I get a chance for the team, I’ll try to do my best,” Huraira, the Player of the Match, said. “The coaches told us to not go for the big shots against the spinners. When they bowled bad, only then did we go for the boundary shots. The pacers were wayward and we waited for the bad ball. When it came, we banged them away.”Afghanistan, opting to bat first, were bowled out for 189. Pakistani right-arm pacer Mohammad Amir Khan led the way, taking 3 for 58. Afghanistan had begun their innings well, putting on 41 runs for their first wicket in quick time, but Ibrahim Zadran’s dismissal to left-arm quick Tahir Hussain opened the gates for a middle-order collapse.The score of 41 for 1 soon became 99 for 4 as Pakistan’s bowlers upped the pressure by their tidy bowling in the middle overs. If it wasn’t for No. 9 Abdul Rahman’s 41-ball 30 towards the end, Afghanistan could have been bowled out for much less. Each of Pakistan’s six bowlers picked up at least one wicket, with Fahad Munir taking 2 for 29 in his seven overs.Pakistan’s chase began smoothly, as their openers struck exquisite drives and hearty pulls off the Afghanistan pacers in the first Powerplay. Haider Ali was the first man dismissed, run out in the 12th over, but by then they had already put on 61.Pakistan captain Rohail Nazir then struck 22 in the company of Huraira to take them past 100, and despite Noor’s efforts of taking two wickets plus the run-out of Huraira, they eventually had too few runs to defend.Huraira was the best batsman on the day. He struck eight fours and a six, peppering most of his boundaries through the covers and even holding his pose for the cameras on a few occasions.
Half-centuries from George Hill and Jordan Cox helped England Under-19 to a 75-run victory against Zimbabwe in the ninth-place playoff. England posted 286 for 9, buoyed by an 83-run fourth-wicket stand between Cox and Hill, who made 59 and 90 respectively.After Cox’s dismissal, Hill anchored the best part of the innings, peppering six fours and six in his 119-ball knock. By the time Wesley Madhevere had him caught in the 48th over, England already had 260 on the board.Hill was ably supported by captain George Balderson, who chipped in with a quickfire 30-ball 45 not out. Madhevere shone for Zimbabwe, finishing with 4 for 42.With the bat, too, Madhevere, stood out, smashing a 45-ball 52 in the opening position. While he kept the scoreboard ticking, the opposition kept chipping away at Zimbabwe’s top order. By the close of the 14th over, Zimbabwe had lost their top four, Madhevere among the only batsmen to notch a double-digit score.Emannuel Bawa and Taurayi Tugwete led the repair task thereafter, adding 70 for the fifth wicket, but fell for 31 and 58 within two overs of each other. With 118 needed off 17 overs, Zimbabwe folded for 211 inside 41 overs. Balderson took 3 for 29, while Scott Currie and Lewis Goldworthy bagged two wickets each.

Whilst the majority of their focus will undoubtedly be on the Premier League title race with just eight games to go, reports suggest that Arsenal also have one eye on the summer transfer window and landing a player who is likely to be a champion himself come May.

Arsenal transfer news

The only guarantee of the Premier League title race seems to be that it's destined to go down to the final kick to create one of the most intense finishes to a campaign in recent history. After suffering heartbreak against a dominant Manchester City side last season, Arsenal are now on course to fall victim to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool farewell tour, but just one bad result for the Merseysiders could change that.

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The brilliant ace won nine duels on the night.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 4, 2024

Away from the action, with or without silverware, Arsenal have set their sights on improvements this summer. Reports have mainly been centred around strikers with that killer instinct Gabriel Jesus so desperately lacks, with Viktor Gyokeres among those linked with a move to The Emirates. There's no doubt that he would add that clinical nature in front of goal after an incredible season at Sporting CP.

It's not just strikers being linked, however. According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Arsenal are eyeing a move to sign Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen alongside Liverpool and Manchester United this summer following the right-back's impressive campaign.

Available for just £35m due to his release clause, Arsenal would be getting a player that clubs chiefs reportedly believe is a "bargain" this summer and giving current right-back Ben White plenty to think about in North London, despite his solid season. Frimpong, of course, has played a vital part in Xabi Alonso's unbeaten Leverkusen side and is on course to finally dethrone Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, only adding to the reasons why he's attracting the likes of Arsenal ahead of this summer.

"Incredible" Frimpong would add elements White lacks

Whilst there's little doubt about White's defensive ability, some questions can be asked about his capabilities going forward. After all, it's easy to forget that he is a centre-back by trade due to the incredible job he's done on the flank so far this season. But then the question should come the way of Frimpong. Is the Leverkusen man good enough defensively to step into Mikel Arteta's system and away from a back five in Germany? There's truly only one way to find out, though Frimpong's stats compared to White's still paint quite the picture.

Assists

7

4

Progressive Carries

130

29

Tackles Won

12

19

Interceptions

7

24

Frimpong's rise has been coming for some time too, with former Celtic boss Neil Lennon previously singing his praises. He said via the official Bundesliga website: "I've never seen a better kid than him. The quality of his play, the pace of his play, the end product. His fitness levels are incredible, I think that the fans have really taken to him."

Plans to make the start of the second Test as dramatic as possible are in place in Kolkata

Varun Shetty in Indore17-Nov-2019After a three-day finish to the first Test, India and Bangladesh stayed back in Indore to train with the pink ball before heading to Kolkata for the second and final Test, also the maiden day-night Test for the two teams.On Sunday, an optional training session for both teams, six Indian players and ten Bangladesh players showed up. The focus for India seemed to be on batting, with only Hanuma Vihari bowling the odd ball. The batting practice was reliant on net bowlers and throwdowns. From the XI that played in the first Test, only Cheteshwar Pujara, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja trained on Sunday. Bangladesh had a bigger mix, with senior batsmen Mushfiqur Rahim, Imrul Kayes, and Mominul Haque having long sessions.The Eden Gardens Test will start on November 22, which gives the players just under a week for full-fledged preparation. At the moment, only a handful of players from the two teams have trained with the pink ball, mostly in small pockets during their regular training sessions before the start of the series.ALSO READ: ‘The lateral movement is big’ – Rahane’s pink-ball experience”I hadn’t played with the pink ball before,” Virat Kohli had said on Tuesday, before the first Test began. “I was given an opportunity to try and I wanted to, so that was my mindset behind playing with the pink ball. I think everyone else did it as well. You require extra concentration to pick the pink ball suddenly when you’re playing with the red ball.”It [the alternating] was to work on the reflexes a little bit as well. Because when you play with the red ball in the net and you arrive at the pink ball, it gets very difficult to pick it up, which can be the case in the game as well. It sort of gives you the match scenario and how it might be difficult to pick it early on. To get into that zone was the reason behind it.”

It’s a new experience, and as we go on, we’ll understand bowling with the pink ballIndia bowling coach Bharat Arun

There are various other factors that the players will have to take a look at.The few players in the Indian team who have played matches with pink balls have only played with the Kookaburra ball, whereas the Kolkata Test will be played with SG balls, the same brand as the ones used in regular Test and domestic cricket in the country.Also in the discussions, no doubt, will be catching. India dropped at least five clear catching chances across two innings in the first Test, and Bangladesh dropped two. And while a lot of talk around the pink ball so far has focused on swing, the spinners in the two teams will also have to figure their way around long spells in the dew that is expected at the ground in the evenings.ALSO READ: Sachin Tendulkar expects dew to affect pink-ball Test”Actually, it is a new experience for us, the pink ball,” bowling coach Bharat Arun said after India sealed the win on Saturday. “The spinners that we have are No. 1 and No. 2 in the world [among spinners, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, respectively]. They come with a lot of experience. My job is to give them the right feedback so that they can connect with what they know better and use that. It’s a new experience, and as we go on, we’ll understand bowling with the pink ball.”The players will also welcome the extra time to train in the relative calm of Indore as Kolkata prepares for what looks like it will be a grand affair under the direct guardianship of new BCCI president Sourav Ganguly at his home ground. Tickets for the first three days have been sold out and the Test could have a dramatic start, with the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) reportedly looking to enlist paratroopers to deliver pink balls to the two captains at the start.”The paratroopers will fly into the wicket with two pink balls. We have discussed the plans with the army (Eastern Command),” CAB secretary Abhishek Dalmiya was quoted as saying by on Friday. The army, it is believed, will also play both teams’ national anthems before the start of the game.The paratrooper delivery is only one element of a lavish plan, which includes the ceremonial ringing of the Eden Gardens bell by Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, laps along the boundary by sporting greats of the two nations, and a feature programme with five players who were part of India’s famous 2001 come-from-behind win against Australia in Kolkata.GMT 1445 The story was updated with details of the two teams’ training sessions on Sunday evening.

Hosts’ 291-run victory barely keeps faint promotion hopes alive

ECB Reporters Network19-Sep-2019

Michael Hogan sends down a delivery•Cricket Australia/Getty Images

Glamorgan 435 (Cooke 96*, Patel 66, Lloyd 66, Wright 5-64) and 251 for 5 dec (Brathwaite 103*) beat Leicestershire 263 (Wright 60, Patel 4-58) and 132 (Salter 3-6) trail by 291 runsGlamorgan gained the maximum 24 points by defeating Leicestershire by 291 runs to keep their slim hopes of promotion alive, but they will need to beat Durham by a similarly resounding margin at Chester-le-Street next week and hope that Gloucestershire or Northants- who play each other in the final game – drop sufficient points.Leicestershire’s only hope was to battle for a draw, but apart from Mark Cosgrove, who faced 158 balls for his 28, no one could master an accurate Glamorgan attack, where both seam and spin triumphed.The visitors, who required a massive 424 to win, resumed on 33 for 2 on a glorious final day of the season at Sophia Gardens, were soon in trouble against Michael Hogan, who took two wickets in his opening spell.Hassan Azad was the first to go, when he was undone by a perfect yorker from Hogan that left the batsman on his hands and knees, then four overs later George Rhodes was bowled by a beauty that pitched middle and hit the off stump.Harry Dearden then joined Cosgrove, and he played some handsome strokes through the offside, but was out shortly before lunch when he played down the wrong line at Andrew Salter and was adjudged leg before for 37.Leicestershire were 101 for 5 at lunch, but the end came quickly after the interval as they lost their last five wickets for 31 runs in 23.4 overs .Harry Swindells was caught at slip when he edged one that turned from Samit Patel, and was followed by Cosgrove, whose vigil ended when he was run out. He pushed the ball to short leg, and although Billy Root had the ball in his hands, Cosgrove set off, realised his mistake, but by then Root had underhanded the ball onto the stumps.Chris Wright, who had top scored in the first innings did not last long, also edging a catch to slip off Salter, then from the next ball Will Davis, sensing that were six men crouched around the bat, tried to launch the ball into Cathedral Road, only to spoon a catch to cover point.When Gavin Griffiths gave David Lloyd his third catch at slip for Patel’s second wicket, and Salter, at the other end, had finished with 3 for 6 from 10 overs, Glamorgan had won with ample time to spare.

The win over Sri Lanka, and the upcoming WBBL, will prime the players for the T20 World Cup, says Alyssa Healy

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Oct-2019Australia women’s nine-wicket win in the final ODI over Sri Lanka women at Allan Border Field in Brisbane on Wednesday was a world record – their 18th win in a row in the format, surpassing the run by the team led by Belinda Clark between 1997 and 1999. Meg Lanning, the captain of the record-setting team, was modest at the post-match press interaction, but conceded that it was a “very special” achievement.”It’s a special group to be a part of, especially over the last couple of years, probably since that 2017 World Cup [they lost in the semi-final to India] – it was a turning point for our group and we really did change a few things around, and we needed to, to be in the position we are now,” Lanning said. “Everyone’s put in a lot of hard work to get to this point, and to be able to get the record off the Belinda Clark team is certainly very special because there have been some amazing cricketers who have come before us.”We speak a lot about making sure we look back at the past and understand what has come before us, because they certainly laid the foundation for where we are today. It’s important that we recognise that.”

The WBBL prepares you extremely well for international cricket, it gets you in front of crowds, on TV, and the style of cricket is great as well. I’ve got no doubt that that’s lifted the ability within our teamAlyssa Healy

The latest win was as commanding as you’d expect from this team. First, Nicola Carey and Jess Jonassen kept things tight and Georgia Wareham and Megan Schutt picked up a couple of wickets each to keep Sri Lanka to 8 for 195 despite Chamari Atapattu’s 103. Then Alyssa Healy came out to bash an unbeaten 76-ball 112 and, with Rachael Haynes hitting 63 and Lanning 20 not out in 11 balls, the target was crossed in 26.5 overs. The series was wrapped up 3-0, and the lead at the top of the Women’s Championship table over England has now stretched to eight points (from one fewer game).”It’s something we have made a bit of a habit of, of finishing off series really well,” Lanning said. “I know there’s been a lot of talk in the media about the record, but I can honestly say that within our group, we haven’t really spoken about it. We go into every game to try to win it. So it was no different today. So to finish it off in style was a great effort. We spoke about making sure we do that because we do sort of split up now as a group [for the Women’s Big Bash League]. I thought everyone did a great job, the bowlers especially, and Midge [Healy] and Rach with the bat.”Adding a bit of flavour to the record-breaking win was Clark’s presence at the Field. Healy joked, “She just turns up at the opportune times! It’s the end of the series, and hey, there’s Belinda!” Lanning, meanwhile, pointed out that Clark had set yet another target for the team: “She sent me a message saying that her team only lost two games out of 33, so we need to keep going. So we’ve got one record, but we need to make sure we keep going. So we’re under strict instructions.”Not just that, there’s one more record up for the Australians to target: the most ODI wins in a row, irrespective of gender, which currently stands at 21 in the name of the Australia men’s team, achieved between January and May 2003 under Ricky Ponting. That has to wait, though, because of the WBBL, as Australia next play ODI cricket in March in South Africa. “We’ll give it a crack,” Lanning promised.Belinda Clark with the World Cup•AFPIt’s over to the WBBL then. And Healy, for one, is sure that the tournament will give the Australians the perfect way to prepare for the 2020 T20 World Cup, to be played at home in February-March next year.”World Cups are extremely difficult to win, and we’ve experienced the highs and lows of World Cups over the last four-five years, so we’ve obviously got a bit of a chance to go into a different environment and keep improving our games and adding things to our game and that sort of thing,” she said. “Our group is hungry as ever to keep improving, and keep being successful. Once we get back together as a group [after the WBBL], hopefully [we will] continue to be successful.”I think the WBBL prepares you extremely well for international cricket, it gets you on the big stage in front of crowds, on TV, and the style of cricket is great as well; the world’s best players from overseas and Australia playing, and it’s a great standard. I’ve got no doubt that that’s lifted the ability within our team and, as we have seen over the last two tours, we have brought players in who have been playing state cricket for a while and WBBL, and they have fitted in seamlessly and have looked at home on the international stage.”And Healy has built up nicely to the WBBL, doing one of the things in the last game she hasn’t always managed to despite her staggering form: finish an ODI chase.”I guess a little bit of a mental thing [getting out],” she said in response to a question. “I was saying to Meg today, often when I get to 60-odd I hit one in the air, so it’s all a bit weird. But to be able to be clinical and finish off the series really well, and be not out, is probably not something I have done a lot. So to do it today was obviously pleasing.”

Kylian Mbappe could feature for France against the Netherlands despite a broken nose, as the Real Madrid superstar teased his imminent return.

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Mbappe suffered a broken nose against AustriaCould still play against the NetherlandsHowever, France have a few other injury concernsWHAT HAPPENED?

The forward had to undergo further tests on Wednesday on his broken nose to determine the real extent of his injury after Didier Deschamps revealed that he would have to undergo surgery. However, Mbappe was back for the Les Bleus' training session on Wednesday, according to although he did an individual routineMoreover, Mbappe himself and the official French national team posted on social media to tease that the 2018 World Cup winner might be available for the crucial match against the Dutch on Friday.

AdvertisementWHAT MBAPPE SAID

Mbappe shared two pictures on Instagram with a caption that read: "Without risks there are no victories."

Meanwhile, the French national team also put out a tweet with an hourglass emoji and a picture of Mbappe sitting in the middle of the pitch.

THE BIGGER PICTURE

According to Theo Hernandez, the 26-year-old AC Milan left-back, missed Wednesday's training session due to muscle pain in his gluteal region. Hernandez has been training separately from the rest of the squad, focusing on his fitness by working on a bike. This development raises questions about his availability for France’s upcoming match against the Netherlands.

If he is unable to recover in time for the match against the Netherlands, Deschamps has a couple of options. Ferland Mendy, the Real Madrid left-back, is a likely candidate to step into the starting line-up. Additionally, Deschamps could consider Eduardo Camavinga, another Real Madrid player, who has been deployed at left-back on occasion despite being primarily a midfielder.

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Hernandez is not the only player under an injury cloud. Reports from indicate that both William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, who played pivotal roles in France’s 1-0 victory over Austria, also missed training due to muscular pain. Saliba, 23, who earned his first major tournament start, has quickly become a crucial component of the French defence, partnering effectively with Upamecano. The absence of these two central defenders from training just days before a crucial match is a significant concern for Deschamps. In a piece of positive news for the French camp, veteran striker Olivier Giroud has returned to training after missing Tuesday’s session due to a minor injury.

The bad news is seemingly never-ending for Newcastle United, who remain on course to miss out on a European place in the Premier League with injuries continuing to pile up and their hopes of landing a defensive reinforcement significantly decreasing.

Joelinton adds to Newcastle's injury list

Eddie Howe came ever so close to enjoying the perfect afternoon when his side eased past rivals Sunderland to advance in the FA Cup, but Joelinton's injury quickly marred an otherwise successful day. The joy of derby day victory has since taken a step back in the headlines after updates emerged on the extent of the Brazilian's injury, which will keep him sidelined for six weeks.

Howe told the media, via Fabrizio Romano: “He’s set to miss a minimum of six weeks, it is a real blow for us. He has a problem with his tendon in his quad. He is very disappointed."

This will see the midfielder miss a number of important Newcastle fixtures, including games against Manchester City, Aston Villa and potentially even Arsenal in what are all crucial days in the Magpies' bid to mount a comeback in the race to secure a European spot. The bad news doesn't end there either, with reports now suggesting that a European club have dealt Newcastle a transfer blow.

Newcastle given brutal answer in Araujo pursuit

According to HITC, Barcelona will refuse to sell Ronald Araujo in the current transfer window, the summer transfer window or even any future window as they stand firm on their decisions to keep hold of the star defender.

This comes amid reported interest from Bayern Munich as well as Premier League sides Newcastle, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal. It's a particular blow for Newcastle, who so desperately need defensive reinforcements, given their lack of centre-back depth.

Araujo's stats show that he'd instantly become Newcastle's best defender and would likely play a crucial role in helping the Magpies to reach their ambitious Champions League goals once again. PIF will have to look elsewhere for a leading defender it seems, however, after Barcelona's staunch verdict amid interest in their centre-back.

Domestic League Stats 2023-24	Progressive Carries per 90	Progressive Passes per 90	Tackles Won per 90	Aerial Duels Won per 90
Ronald Araujo	1.67	5.88	0.88	2.89
Sven Botman	0	2.53	0.93	2.27
Fabian Schar	0.79	3.98	0.84	1.78

Looking at the numbers, it's no real shock that Araujo has been at the centre of praise during his time in Spain, including from Barcelona manager Xavi, who told the pressure via the club's official X account: “I’m very happy to have Ronald on the team. He has such a great personality. He celebrates everything and to have that type of profile as a defender, to be so engaged with the team, and celebrate everything is hard to find. We welcome him with open arms because it’s spectacular to see him train, he’s so positive, he has an excellent character and that’s fundamental to us.”

Bowler adds two wickets to first-innings five-for in 65-run victory

ECB Reporters Network30-May-2019Derbyshire’s seamers needed less than a session to take the six wickets needed to wrap up a 65-run win in their Specsavers County Championship match against Leicestershire at the Fischer County Ground.Leicestershire resumed their second innings on 110 for 4, needing another 124 runs to win. Hassan Azad and Harry Dearden played solidly enough in the first half hour to give the home dressing room hope, although Azad did not add to his overnight score of 44 before he was dismissed.With the score on 123, Derbyshire captain Billy Godleman asked for the ball to be changed. It was a risk, given it was his second, and therefore under the new rules this season, final such request, but the ball was changed and Luis Reece immediately obtained a little more swing, the left-armer finding the edge of Azad’s bat and Wayne Madsen taking the catch. Reece then picked up the wicket of Dearden, winning a leg before decision with a full delivery into the pads.Matt Critchley, at third slip to the bowling of Logan van Beek, juggled an edge from Dieter Klein four times before eventually hanging on. Lewis Hill and Will Davis edged Ravi Rampaul out-swingers to wicketkeeper Harvey Hosein, and last man Mohammad Abbas was bowled by Tony Palladino. It was the second wicket for the innings for Palladino, who turns 36 next month, and his seventh for the match as he added 2 for 30 to his first-innings 5 for 29.Madsen, who made 47 in Derbyshire’s first innings was the highest scorer for the match with his 51 in the second.