Barcelona will collect a significant after West Ham's Premier League survival ensured they will have to buy Jean-Clair Todibo in a permanent deal.

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West Ham survive Premier League relegationTriggers obligation to buy Todibo from NiceBarca to receive a chunk of the transfer feeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Todibo joined the Hammers from Nice last summer in a loan deal that includes an obligation to buy him outright for €42.5 million (£36m/$48m) should the London side avoid relegation. Their survival was confirmed on Saturday when Ipswich lost to Newcastle to ensure they will go down to the Championship with Southampton and Leicester.

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Now that the London club must meet their obligation to buy Todibo from Nice, reports that Barcelona will receive 20 per cent of that fee, providing an extra €8.5m (£7m/$10m) for Hansi Flick's team. The Catalan side have already earned a significant amount for the 25-year-old, who joined the club in 2019. The centre-back failed to settle in at Barca and was loaned to Schalke and Benfica, seeing the Spanish side pocket €3.5m, before he was sold to Nice for a total fee worth up to €15.5m (£13m/$18m).

DID YOU KNOW?

Todibo has endured a few spells on the sidelines in a rocky season for West Ham, but has started 16 of the 23 Premier League matches in which he has featured. The France international managed just five senior appearances for Barcelona before his permanent sale in 2021.

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR TODIBO?

West Ham are 17th in the Premier League having lost four and drawn three of their last seven games. Todibo and his team-mates will hope to end that miserable run when they host rivals Tottenham on Sunday

The South Florida side was crushed on Wednesday as they squandered another trophy chance

Lionel Messi and Inter Miami's run in the CONCACAF Champions Cup has come to an end after an embarrassing 3-1 defeat (5-1 aggregate) to the Vancouver Whitecaps at home.

Inter Miami actually off to an inspired start. Down 2-0 from that first leg, Miami scored first through Jordi Alba, seemingly putting some doubt into the Canadian side. Going into halftime with a 1-0 advantage, it was all to play for in the final 45. Yet, there was a moment in the second half, somewhere between the 55th and 60th minute, where Inter Miami seemingly accepted their fate. Even as the Vancouver Whitecaps continued to run circles around them, had all but given up. They weren't tracking back anymore. They weren't fighting or brawling. There was time on the clock, but there was no doubt remaining: their CONCACAF Champions Cup hopes were over.

Miami's Champions Cup ambitions didn't end in Vancouver last week, when they fell 2-0 to the Whitecaps in the opening leg. No, run ended with a 10-minute second half blitz in Leg 2. Brian White, who has terrorized everyone in his path all season long, scored in the 51st minute to all but bury Miami due to the away goals rule. Pedro Vite's deflected finish two minutes later made the comeback impossible. Sebastian Berhalter then added a third in the 71st minute to put an exclamation point on this thing, sending a message to all who were watching that the Whitecaps were playing a different sort of game than the team opposite them.

While Inter Miami were expected to make the final prior to the semifinal matchup, the Whitecaps move on as the unquestioned better team. This wasn't luck, this was a shellacking.

Onto the final they go, while Miami will be left looking at another missed opportunity with a trophy on the line. This is a flawed team, one that is still nowhere near where it needs to be under new coach Javier Mascherano. Defensively, this group still has so many frailties, and the attack is still missing that certain something that showed up for large stretches of last season.

With the Club World Cup looming, have work to do.

GOAL rates Inter Miami's players from Chase Stadium…

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Oscar Ustari (5/10):

Was nowhere near White's opener and was caught out on the Vite deflection. Fine in the first half, but couldn't do anything to prevent the mess that opened the second.

Jordi Alba (7/10):

Provided one heck of a finish and helped set a physical tone throughout. Typical game from him, exactly what he has done for the last decade.

Noah Allen (6/10):

Pretty good on the ball and also had a goal-saving tackle in the first half to bail Miami out. Definitely the better of the two central defenders.

Maximiliano Falcon (4/10):

Got cooked a few times in the first half, which is how he earned a yellow card for a foul on White. Was taken off early in the second half, partly due to that yellow and partly due to his inability to prevent the Whitecaps flurry.

Marcelo Weigandt (4/10):

Targeted on all three of the Whitecaps goals, which is never good for a player's rating. His inability to clear on the Whitecaps' second, in particular, was damning for Miami.

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Sergio Busquets (5/10):

Generally did what he does best, but it wasn't even close to enough as the young Whitecaps midfield ran circles around their Inter Miami counterparts.

Federico Redondo (6/10):

Picked up a yellow card just before the half that essentially sealed his fate. He was clean on the ball, but was part of the mess for those first two Whitecaps goals before being taken out of the match.

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Telasco Segovia (5/10):

Good on the ball, but didn't offer nearly enough off of it as the Whitecaps were never really threatened down his side.

Tadeo Allende (6/10):

Hit the woodwork, which was a bit unlucky. Overall, offered some good things on that right-hand side, even if Miami struggled to make much of anything with it.

Lionel Messi (5/10):

By his standards, this is about as quiet as it gets. Created just one chance and didn't ever threaten the goal himself. Credit to the Whitecaps for silencing the Argentinian icon.

Luis Suarez (7/10):

Was credited with the assist on Alba's goal. Went on to do all of the little things needed to lead the line, completing all but two passes while leading the match in fouls drawn. He didn't offer much in terms of being dangerous in front of goal, though.

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Gonzalo Lujan (6/10):

Came on to replace Falcon and was almost certainly an upgrade in that position, but that's not saying much

Benja Cremaschi (6/10):

With the midfield needing more legs, Miami turned to Cremaschi early in the second half. By that point, though, it was too late.

Allen Obando (4/10):

Was just about anonymous, failing to do much of anything during his 30-ish minutes.

Hector Martinez (N/A):

Chucked on in defense late with the game totally out of hand.

Yannick Bright (N/A):

Same as above, although he was able to do significantly more than Obando did in less than half the time.

Javier Mascherano (5/10):

A tale of two halves, for sure, but Mascherano will get some criticism for personnel decisions here. The midfield and defense featured some calls that were certainly up for debate. A lesson for the first-year manager, who was second best on the day in his spot with both his tactics and lineup choices.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank says Bryan Mbeumo can leave for "the right price" but he is going to be "expensive" amid links with Arsenal and more.

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• Mbeumo can leave for "right place"
• Frank says he will be "expensive"
• Linked with Arsenal, Liverpool & more

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 25-year-old has been one of Brentford's standout performers in recent seasons and now he is being linked with Premier League winners Liverpool, Arsenal, Tottenham, and more. Frank says he would love to keep the versatile attacker, who is "very happy" at the Bees, but admits they are a "selling club".

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  WHAT FRANK SAID

  He told Sky Sports: "I'm the head coach, I want my best players to stay forever. I know that Bryan is very happy being here at Brentford, he's thriving, doing well and playing fantastic. What happens in the future? I don't know. I've said many times: we are a selling club. But at the same time we have to reinforce that there are 10 clubs in the world who aren't selling clubs. So, of course, if the right price – and that's going to be expensive – is coming, then I'm sure the club will be open for it. But I'm very happy he's here, and I'm convinced that Bryan will still be happy playing football here."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Cameroon international has scored 18 goals and bagged six assists in 33 Premier League games this season, and it seems just a matter of time before a big team launches a hefty bid for the attacker. Mbeumo has just over a year left on his contract, however, there is an option to extend that by 12 months. It seems likely he will be the subject of a bidding war this summer.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Mbeumo could add to his goal tally on Thursday when Brentford travel to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Liverpool are pushing toward the Premier League title. It’s far from over, but the Reds have a seven-point lead on Arsenal in second and are showing little sign of suffering the total collapse that would be required for something so significant.

And with the summer, comes the unknown. Arne Slot has worked wonders in reshaping Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool to his own design, willing it into a new and more controlled version. However, it’s a plain truth that he is also thriving through the brilliance of Mohamed Salah, the leadership of Virgil van Dijk, the matchless creativity of Trent Alexander-Arnold.

All three of these Anfield heavyweights could be plying their art elsewhere by the start of the 2025/26 season, for they are all entering the final few months of their contracts.

However, they aren’t the only Redmen touted for a summer move. One or two further first-team members could be sold – and for a pretty penny at that.

The player(s) Liverpool could sell in 2025

The coming summer will be one of investment, but that’s not to say that Liverpool won’t be open to cashing in on a superstar, should there be just cause.

Darwin Nunez, for example, is the roadblock between a free-scoring number nine and a fourth season of imbalanced output from an admittedly brilliant frontline. There was recent intrigue in the 25-year-old, who joined Liverpool for a fee rising to £85m in 2022, but FSG could not abide the loss of such an important member of the make-up at the season’s midpoint with it all on the line.

It’s understood that Saudi interest in Nunez was genuine this winter and that offers were even been prepared to exceed €75m (£62m). This would present Liverpool with a significant cash influx for a player who has never really lived up to the club-record price tag.

With Luis Diaz playing so much of the campaign as a patchwork centre-forward, it does feel like Slot and co are gearing up to part ways with Nunez. This is a shame.

Diaz, by the by, has also been linked with a transfer to the Gulf of late, with Barcelona also interested for a while now, and Liverpool would look to claim a whopping £67m fee for the Colombian’s sale.

However, Liverpool aren’t likely to be eclipsing their record transfer sale. Why don’t we take a moment to revisit the departure of Philippe Coutinho, a crushing blow at the time but, well, the spark for illustrious heights, in the end.

Why Liverpool sold Phil Coutinho

There was a time when Coutinho was the shining light in Liverpool’s team, one whose magic skills on the ball guided the club through dark post-Suarez days and into the Klopp era.

He shepherded Anfield’s lost denizens into a new beginning, with his ultimate moment that of his sale, leaving for a jaw-dropping £142m fee, enabling funds to be directed back into the market. Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker were the targets. They’ve done alright.

Liverpool actually signed Coutinho for a small sum, purchasing the little Brazilian from Inter Milan for £8.5m in January 2013. He played 201 times for the Reds and notched 97 goal contributions.

Liverpool remains the team that he has played the most football for and by some distance at that (Barcelona are second, having used Coutinho 106 times).

Matches (starts)

14 (13)

Goals

7

Assists

6

Shots (on target)*

3.9 (1.2)

Pass completion

79%

Key passes*

2.9

Dribbles*

2.8

Tackles*

1.2

Duels won*

5.6

Coutinho led a lengthy career on Merseyside, but it was the final six months of his stay that proved the most fruitful on the field. Of course, this may be because in August 2017 Coutinho handed in an official transfer request after Barcelona had a bid rebuffed.

When Liverpool doubled down on their stance, he remained a committed part of the project, not exactly frogmarched out onto the pitch, but Coutinho no doubt knew that La Blaugrana intrigue would persist and that he had to prove himself worthy of a place at Camp Nou.

In the end, as stated already, this mattered little to Klopp’s grand plans. Or rather, it mattered greatly but proved to be a watershed moment for a team that had rediscovered its identity and needed a sprinkling of quality across defensive positions to ascend to the next level.

Steven Gerrard once hailed Coutinho as a “world-class player” and it’s clear to see why. However, the South American’s determination to leave for pastures new in Spain may stand as a cautionary tale for those who wish to make such a move.

Coutinho’s never quite been the same, albeit winning hordes of silverware in Spain and out on loan with Bayern Munich, where he won the Champions League.

Liverpool cashed in at the perfect time, banking an absurd sum for a talented player, one that actually stands as a 1570% increase from that one-time package that was paid to Inter.

Football is built on variables, and had Coutinho decided to remain as the playmaking centre-point of Klopp’s system, things might have been so different for a side that went on to conquer the biggest prizes that Europe has to offer.

Harking back to the likes of Nunez, you can see why FSG might be tempted to cash in for big bucks once again on a coveted forward, with Michael Edwards’ track record in the market hardly something that leaves a lot to be desired.

Market Movers

In any case, given that Liverpool signed the attacking midfielder for a smart fee, enjoyed the finest football of his career and sent him off to La Liga for £142m, he can only go down as a comprehensive success.

He's outperforming Diaz: Liverpool will rue selling "world-class" star

Liverpool may be looking to invest in a new wideman in the coming transfer windows.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 11, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras teve mais uma rodada considerada favorável para suas pretensões no Brasileirão-2022. Com o empate do Corinthians por 1 a 1 com o Athletico-PR, o Verdão seguirá na liderança, a menos que seja derrotado pelo Atlético-GO por nove gols de diferença. E caso vença, o time de Abel Ferreira abrirá uma distância inédita para o segundo colocado na atual edição da disputa.

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GALERIA
> Confira os públicos do Palmeiras no Allianz Parque em 2022

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2022 clicando aqui

> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!

Com o empate na Arena da Baixada, o Timão foi a 22 pontos, igualando o Alviverde, mas ainda em desvantagem por conta do saldo de gols (14 a 6). Sendo assim, a liderança palmeirense permaneceu inalterada nesta rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro.

Ao enfrentar o Atlético-GO, no Allianz Parque, o Palmeiras tem a chance de abrir uma vantagem de pelo menos uma rodada em relação ao Corinthians, ou seja, três pontos (25 x 22). A vitória acaba por ser bastante crucial em meio a tanto equilíbrio na tabela.

A vantagem de três pontos na liderança não foi estabelecida em nenhuma das outras 11 rodadas do Brasileirão 2022. A distância máxima aberta até aqui foi de dois pontos, conquistada justamente pelo Corinthians após a quarta rodada.

É tão raro abrir vantagem neste Brasileirão que apenas duas posições na tabela atual distam três pontos uma para a outra: Internacional, em 4º (21 pontos), para o Athletico-PR, em 5º (18 pontos), e Juventude, em 19º (10 pontos), para o Fortaleza, em 20º (7 pontos), sendo que o time cearense ainda jogará na rodada.

What a performance it was from new Manchester City signing Omar Marmoush against Newcastle United. The Premier League champions thrashed Eddie Howe’s side 4-0 at the Etihad Stadium, with the Egyptian attacker getting a scintillating hattrick.

Marmoush scored his first goal in the 19th minute, and by the 33rd, he had three goals.

The former Eintracht Frankfurt man starred, helping his new club to an important win against a top-four rival. Simon Bajkowski, chief Manchester City writer for The Manchester Evening News, was certainly complimentary of Marmoush. He gave him a 9/10 rating and described his performance as ‘explosive’.

However, it was not just the new City number seven who was a standout player. There were plenty of impressive performances against Newcastle.

City’s standout players vs. Newcastle

Another of the best City players against the Magpies was someone who Pep Guardiola described as a “mini Rodri”, new signing Nico Gonzalez. The former FC Porto man looked right at home in their midfield.

The stats from the game, courtesy of Sofascore, show just how well the midfielder performed. He had 114 touches and completed 97% of his passes, with the influence from his time in Barcelona’s La Masia academy shining through. He also won four out of four ground duels.

Attacking midfielder James McAtee also impressed for the Citizens against Newcastle. Despite minimal opportunities in 2024/25, he has, on the whole, made it count. McAtee has scored six times this season, which includes two Premier League goals in his last three appearances.

It was an excellent performance against the Magpies from two of City’s new January signings and an academy player. One of their summer signings, Savinho, was a standout out, too. He has been superb since moving to the Etihad Stadium.

Savinho’s current market value

The Brazil international was on fire against Howe’s side. He registered an assist, creating the third goal for Marmoush, as well as completing three dribbles and winning six ground duels. It was a fantastic performance to build on his exploits this season.

Savinho has certainly impressed Guardiola during his time at City so far. After their most recent outing at the Etihad Stadium, he explained that he “wasn’t expecting this super impact” from the Brazilian to start his career in England.

The 20-year-old has managed two goals and nine assists in 33 appearances this season across all competitions. Of those, one goal and seven assists have come in the Premier League. It has been a superb start to life in the English top flight.

The City winger has got some impressive stats on Sofascore, too. In just 15 starts in the Premier League, Savinho has created ten big chances and averages 1.6 key passes per game. He is a creative machine.

Stat

Number

Starts

15

Expected goals

3.54xG

Assists

7

Big chances created

10

Key passes per game

1.6

Dribbles completed per game

2.1

Dribble success rate per game

58%

Signing the “electric” winger, as football analyst Ben Mattinson described him, has been a superb investment so far from the Citizens. They brought him into the club in the summer from French side Troyes, a sister club of City, for a fee of £30.8m.

It might be unsurprising to hear that, since his move, the Brazilian’s value has shot up. He is now deemed to be worth around £98m by CIES Football Observatory. That is an incredible rise of 218% from what they paid for him just months ago.

It does not seem like the 20-year-old will slow down any time soon, either. He has hit the ground running in the Premier League, and surely will only get better.

It seems unlikely City will sell him, at least for a while, but Savinho has been worth every penny so far, and will surely only increase in value.

Man City's 70-touch star was just as good as Marmoush vs Newcastle

Man City secured a wonderful victory against Newcastle in the Premier League.

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 16, 2025

Newcastle United have not struggled for goals in the Premier League this season because they have one of the most lethal forwards in the division.

Only Mohamed Salah (19) and Erling Haaland (18) have scored more goals than Alexander Isak (17) in the top-flight, which illustrates how prolific the Sweden international has been.

The Daily Mail recently reported that Arsenal are interested in the striker, who is valued at £120m, but he is expected to stay until the summer, at least.

Whilst Isak, who also scored 21 Premier League goals last term, has enjoyed another incredible season for the Magpies, it has not been a good time for the other senior centre-forward at the club – Callum Wilson.

Why it is time to move on from Callum Wilson

He has only made four appearances in all competitions this season, with zero goals and zero assists, due to back and hamstring injuries that have kept him out for 27 matches combined.

The England international has missed a staggering 112 games through injury since he moved to the club from Bournemouth in the summer of 2020.

Wilson has, simply, not been reliable enough with his availability to be a consistent option for Eddie Howe in the Premier League, as evidenced by his 24 Premier League appearances since the start of last season.

His contract at St. James’ Park is due to expire this summer and Newcastle should finally move on from the English centre-forward, due to his consistent injury issues, and they could do that by bringing in another striker to replace him in the current transfer window.

Transfer Focus

It was recently reported in Italy that Milan have offered Swiss forward Noah Okafor to both Newcastle and Tottenham Hotspur, which means that they could make a late swoop for him before the deadline.

Why Newcastle should sign Noah Okafor

Firstly, the Switzerland international has been available more frequently than Wilson over the last 18 months, with 39 appearances for Milan in the Serie A, which suggests that he would be more likely to be available to Howe week-in-week-out.

Okafor, who analyst Ben Mattinson once praised for having “electric” pace, is also a striker who has the potential to offer quality on the pitch if the Magpies boss can get him back to his best.

The 24-year-old speedster has only managed one goal in 11 league matches for Milan this season, but did show glimpses of his quality in front of goal last term.

Appearances (starts)

28 (6)

xG

3.81

Goals

6

Conversion rate

27%

Assists

2

As you can see in the table above, Okafor can provide quality as a super substitute for his side, as he was directly involved in eight goals and significantly outperformed his xG in limited starts last season.

This suggests that the striker, who scored seven goals in 11 starts in the Austrian Bundesliga for RB Salzburg in the 2022/23 campaign, could be the perfect signing to come in a back-up to Isak.

Way better than Schar: Newcastle eye up move for "dominant" £50m PL star

Newcastle United are reportedly eyeing up a move for the Premier League defender.

1 ByDan Emery Jan 29, 2025

He has proven that he can be effective coming off the bench in a major European league and has the availability to offer more to the team than Wilson has over the last 18 months, which is why Newcastle should take up this chance to bring him to the club in a late move.

Having Okafor and Isak in the squad would, then, allow the Magpies to finally part ways with Wilson in the summer when his contract expires, as Howe would have two senior, recognised, striker options.

كشف أحمد دياب رئيس رابطة الأندية، كواليس أزمة مباراة القمة بين الأهلي والزمالك والتي شهدت انسحاب القلعة الحمراء اعتراضًا على عدم تعيين حكام أجانب لإدارة اللقاء.

وقال أحمد دياب في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون أي: “لا لم أجامل الأهلي، والرابطة اشتغلت على تقدير الظروف وطبقًا لمواد اللائحة، والشيء الوحيد هو أن أمامنا هدف وهو الكرة المصرية وأن نصل بها للمكانة التي نتمناها”.

وبسؤاله من المسؤول عن أزمة مباراة 11 مارس وانسحاب الأهلي أمام الزمالك؟، أجاب: “إنها ظروف استثنائية وغير طبيعية، وهي بالفعل حالة طارئة، والقضية الآن منظورة أمام المحكمة الرياضية الدولية، وأنا بصفتي ممثلًا لرابطة الأندية، لا أستطيع مناقشة تفاصيلها، ولا أتهرب من السؤال، لكن بعد صدور القرار، سأوضح كافة الحيثيات”.

 أحمد دياب يوضح حقيقة الخلاف مع هاني أبو ريدة.. ونظام الدوري للموسم المقبل

وبسؤاله هل تشعر أنك تتحمل جزءًا من المسؤولية أم الاتحاد؟، أوضح: “لا أحد في المنظومة يمكنه القول إنه غير مسؤول عن جزء من الأزمة، وهذه هي طريقتي وأسلوبي؛ طالما نعمل في العمل العام، فإن أي ظرف يتحمله الجميع، والدوري هذا العام كان استثنائيًا، وعندما نُعد جدول المرحلة الأولى، لا يمكننا إعداد جدول المرحلة الثانية إلا بعد انتهاء مباريات المرحلة الأولى”.

وأكمل: “البعض زعم أن قرعة المرحلة الثانية أُجريت ليلًا دون حضور ممثلي الأندية، لكن الحقيقة أنه لم تكن هناك قرعة من الأساس، والدوري أُجريت له قرعة واحدة علنية بحضور ممثلي الأندية الثمانية عشر، وكانت مُذاعة، وشملت الموسم بأكمله”.

وبشأن لماذا لم نكن نعلم أن القرعة أوقعت الأهلي والزمالك في هذا الموعد في الدور الثاني؟، أجاب: “لأن نظام الدوري يعتمد على إجراء القرعة بالأرقام، وبعد انتهاء المرحلة الأولى، كانت آخر مباراة بين بتروجيت وغزل المحلة، وكنا في شهر رمضان”.

طالع | أحمد دياب يحسم جدل المادة 63 في لائحة الدوري.. ويصرح: شاهدنا حدثًا غاب عن الكرة المصرية

وأشار: “المباراة انتهت في الثانية عشرة إلا ثلث ليلًا، وعملت الرابطة على تسكين الأرقام على الأندية وفقًا للمراكز، وتم إعلان الجدول الساعة الثانية بعد منتصف الليل، حيث عملت إدارة المسابقات على تسكين الاستادات وإعداد الجدول في اليوم نفسه”.

وبسؤاله لماذا كانت أول مباراة بعد خمسة أيام فقط من إعلان جدول الدور الثاني؟، أوضح: “لأن الموسم كان مرتبطًا بموعد نهائي في 30 مايو، ولأن المنتخب المصري كان لديه ارتباطات في مارس، ولذلك كان لا بد من إقامة جولة قبل هذا الموعد”.

وواصل: “لو لم نلعب هذه الجولة، لما انتهى الدوري حتى الآن، ولما استطاع الأهلي السفر لكأس العالم للأندية، ولذا كان اختيار هذا التوقيت هو الأنسب لإنهاء الدوري في الموعد المحدد”.

واختتم: “بناءً على تسكين الأرقام وفقًا للقرعة التي أُجريت في بداية الموسم، جاءت مباراة الأهلي والزمالك بعد خمسة أيام من إعلان الجدول، ووفقًا للائحة يجب طلب حكام أجانب قبل المباراة بأربعة عشر يومًا، وتقدم الأهلي والرابطة بطلب لاستقدام حكام أجانب من اتحاد الكرة، لكن الاتحاد رد بأن الوقت لن يسمح بذلك”.

Ollie Pope only knew the day before that he would be captaining England in their warm-up match against the Lions in Abu Dhabi. While sitting at breakfast with Zak Crawley and Jack Leach at the team’s plush Ritz Carlton hotel, head coach Brendon McCullum casually sidled over and informed him he would be leading in Ben Stokes’ absence.”Classic Baz style,” Pope says. “He was like, ‘you’re gonna skipper this week – all good?’ And I was like, ‘absolutely, I’m looking forward to it’.”There are two things at play here. The first is that McCullum and Stokes want to challenge players to take on more responsibility and grow as voices in the dressing room. The second is Pope, beyond being an immensely talented batter, is identified as someone who can be coaxed a little more out of his shell for the benefit of himself and those around him.That Pope called up Stokes after his appointment as Test captain, and more or less demanded to bat at No.3, rather changed the perception of a boyish scamp who can’t help but have a go at anything outside off stump. And the management clearly believe there is more of this type of character within him. Putting him out of his comfort zone – he had only captained once before in professional cricket back in September 2021, for Surrey in a County Championship match against Glamorgan – was clearly their way of bringing it to the fore.Pope’s first day as deputy was spent largely at the crease, flaying the Lions for 146 as England posted 501 for 7 declared. Day two was one of chasing leather as the Lions kept their senior counterparts in the dirt with 411 for 9. Alas, there was no third day in the gig as England opted for a two-hour training session instead. So, how did he find it?”I enjoyed it actually,” Pope says. “I was curious as to what it would be like captaining someone like Jimmy [James Anderson] but I actually really enjoyed it. I wasn’t sure whether he’d want to set the field his own way but it was good and we bounced off ideas.”It was a pretty flat wicket so, on a pitch like that, it makes it a bit more difficult rather than Jimmy just getting four slips and he’s just going to nick everyone off. You had to find different ways to get batters out and it was good trying to be creative like that, but I enjoyed it and all the boys were top draw and brought into it.”Pope cedes he’d never really considered captaincy. Beyond doing the job for Cranleigh School and Surrey Under-17s, it was not something he coveted. The FEC (Future England Captain) tag was loosely affixed to him early in his career, simply because of his undoubted ability that saw him win the first of 30 caps against India in the 2018 summer, aged just 20.Four years on, and heading into a historic tour of Pakistan, he is a little bolder when addressing leadership – both in the long-term future for England, but also when it comes to tactical collaboration within the current team, on and off the field.Ollie Pope, standing in as captain, made an assured century in Abu Dhabi•ECB Images

“I don’t go ‘oh I’d love to be England captain’, but at the same time I believe I’ve got a good cricket brain. I think about cricket a lot and I think I see the game in a way where I don’t just think about my batting. Whether that be for Surrey or whoever, if an opportunity arose, it’s something I’d definitely be keen to do.”I mean, obviously, we’ve got the best captain in the world at the minute. Everyone’s loving playing under Stokesy but if it was something that happened in the near future, amazing. Something that I’d love but at the same time I realise I’ve got to score my runs. I don’t want to be looking too far ahead about that stuff. I want to keep concentrating on the No.3 spot. It’s also something that takes your mind off batting, so I enjoy thinking about the game like that. With Stokesy, there’s a lot of boys who bounce ideas while he’s skippering as well.”Pope is quick to point out he is not the vice-captain, officially or otherwise. Stokes has been reticent on the subject of his second-in-command, though Stuart Broad – not on this tour following the birth of his first child – was understood to be primed for the role over the summer.”No, I’m sure there’ll be a time if they ever want to announce someone, then they will, but it’s nothing like that,” Pope says. “I think everyone at the minute has as much say and, if there’s a conversation to be had and you want to give your ideas, then great, but there’s no tag on it. The natural leaders and the guys in the team who have got something to say will usually say something but, at the minute, it’s pretty much a level playing field on that front.”Shedding the “wunderkind” tag is still a work in progress for Pope. Beyond adopting a “grown-up” position at first drop, the raw numbers still need to develop. His career average is 31, and there are just two centuries to his name, the second coming this summer as his first in home conditions. He does, however, feel that little bit more mature, and that little bit more self-assured, thanks to a close-knit England environment that encourages individual growth.Related

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“I felt it a little bit in the summer,” he says of being regarded as a senior member of the group. “Playing at three for England in Test cricket is a big role to have and it’s an important role for the team. As soon as I was given that role, I saw myself as a bit more of a leader than when I was batting at six, which I really enjoyed.”It’s nothing that’s necessarily changed. I think it’s the way everyone’s feeling in the team at the moment. We’re feeling like it’s our team in a way, rather than boys feeling like they’re playing for their places. It’s more like ‘this is us, this our team, we can own it, we can dictate how we want to play’ and I think everyone’s probably feeling an aspect of that as well, which is great for the whole squad and the management as well.”Pope’s record last summer was solid: 456 runs at 38, with four fifty-plus scores. Perhaps most encouraging was the manner in which he overcame a poor start – 7 and 10 in the first Test against New Zealand – to make 145 in the next innings against the same opponents at Trent Bridge. His credentials at No.3 were questioned but he approached the issue with far more positivity than he usually would, seemingly deciding on a whim to worry less about a couple of low scores and more expressive. With distance, now, he reflects on the season with more clarity.”I was very happy with how the summer went, [but] it wasn’t necessarily the numbers,’ he says. “I averaged 38. That’s not amazing but at the same time I was happy with my contributions and on tougher wickets, finding different ways to negotiate bowler friendly conditions, which is what I was happy with.”Rather than scoring runs when everyone else is scoring runs, score runs when you can stand up and lead the innings,” he adds. “It might not be a 100, but even if it’s a 70 or an 80 or an 60, that’s probably what I was most pleased with from the summer. Hopefully the hundreds will come on better wickets, where I can maybe play a bit more conventionally, but I’m happy with how I went about this summer and I learnt some good lessons as well.”I learnt that you don’t need to hit a million balls a day in practice, and you don’t need to overtrain to find success. It’s about being full of energy and being confident on the day and almost trying to enjoy the week a bit more, rather than thinking ‘oh I need a score’. But there’s always room for improvement. If you turn those 5s into 30s and those 70s into 100s, then that’s the way you’re having an amazing summer, rather than a good summer.”Maturity will come in handy over the next month. Not just because of the challenges that Pakistan offer on the field, but with a return to constricted living day-to-day because of the level of security in place. Pope was open about the challenges of similar restrictions during the 2020 summer, with bio-secure bubbles during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic and how the lack of escape meant “you think about your failures a little more than normal”.”I was pretty new to international cricket at that point and my mood pretty much was dependant on how many runs I scored that day, rather than being at peace,” he says. “Not just watching a screen and playing Call of Duty but finding other ways to take your mind away from cricket and just enjoying each other’s company more.”More time together as a group, looking out for each other and focussing on three back-to-back Tests will ease that strain, somewhat. Pope, by all accounts, is wiser and more at ease about what is to come.”The boys are buzzing for it and I can’t wait to see the crowds out there,” he says. “Even with the levels of security, it’s going to be fingers crossed, a smooth operation. It’ll be great to be a part of and great to experience as a player, being the first English Test team to tour there in a long time. So we’re buzzing for that but it’s going to provide its challenges and we probably won’t be allowed out of our hotel much. We’ll find ways, whether that’s card games … I think Keats has got his coffee machine, so just doing small things like that.”The fact that we’ve had a bit of time in Abu Dhabi, we’ve been able to get out on the golf course and do a lot of training and have our warm-up game has been good, and once we’re out there, we’re pretty much straight into it. There’s not going to be too much downtime anyway.”

Despite already signing Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Omar Marmoush this month, Manchester City are now reportedly pushing to sign the first of three more targets before the end of the January transfer window.

Man City transfer news

After a quiet summer, Manchester City are finally splashing the cash again having been handed quite the reality check in the face of an injury crisis this season. Sat outside of the top four, the Premier League champions simply had no choice but to turn towards reinforcements and have since welcomed Khusanov, Reis and Marmosuh as a result.

Those at The Etihad have already had the chance to see Khusanov and Marmoush in action too, with both enduring contrasting debuts. The latter looked exciting, quick and confident against Chelsea. Khusanov, meanwhile, had a debut to forget after his short backpass attempt allowed the Blues to take the lead within three minutes, before he then gave the ball away twice more and received a yellow card in a nightmare first seven minutes in a City shirt.

To his credit, the young defender moved on well and completed a fine second-half before he was hooked midway through. But it’s a debut that the Citizens won’t want to see a repeat of, especially if they sign another defender.

According to GiveMeSport, Manchester City have now made progress in their push to sign Andrea Cambiaso from Juventus this month. In need of a right-back following Kyle Walker’s departure to AC Milan, the Premier League champions have turned towards the Italian giants.

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Whilst Juventus have remained stubborn in their demand for £68m to sell Cambiaso, City’s reported progress suggests that the right-back could yet complete a move to The Etihad before the deadline. That’s not to say he’s their final target, however, with GiveMeSport also indicating that the Citizens have their sights set on Douglas Luiz and getting a deal to sign Juma Bah over the line this month.

"Athletic" Cambiaso can replace Walker

£68m is, of course, a hefty price for any club to spend in the January transfer window but there’s no denying that Manchester City need to solve their right-back problem once and for all, which Cambiaso would certainly do given that he can play on both sides of the backline.

On top of Marmoush, Reis and Khusanov, the right-back’s arrival would take City’s spending over the £150m mark for the month in a throwback to the early days of Pep Guardiola’s tenure when, like now, he was desperate for additions.

The Juventus man has found himself at the centre of praise since completing a move to the Italian giants, including from analyst Ben Mattinson who dubbed Cambiaso “athletic” and “defensively solid this time last year.

Still just 24 years old, Cambiaso is entering the peak of his powers at the perfect time when Manchester City could benefit the most this month.