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Leeds United will aim to leapfrog Ipswich Town on Friday night into second spot in the Championship, before the Tractor Boys then face off against Cardiff City the day after.

Still, Leeds will be confident they can break into the automatic promotion picture regardless of Kieran McKenna's men continuing to pick up big results – Daniel Farke's men just keeping their fingers crossed that the Suffolk-based overachievers can slip up again soon, whilst the Whites continue to soar.

Beating Stoke City 1-0 in an unconvincing manner last match could see Farke change up the Leeds lineup though regardless of the victories not yet drying up, with Patrick Bamford's spot in the side potentially up for grabs.

The German boss could make two changes from the side that just about got over the line against Steven Schumacher's Potters for the trip to Sheffield Wednesday, with one 'immense' Leeds star being lined up for a return to the XI…

1 GK – Illan Meslier

Illan Meslier will keep his spot in-between the sticks for Leeds' on Friday night away at Wednesday, with the French shot-stopper coming to the rescue against Stoke last match.

Meslier made six saves in total to shut out Schumacher's visitors, enabling Leeds to pick up a hard-fought 1-0 win.

2 RB – Connor Roberts

Connor Roberts would come into the Leeds team for the 1-0 victory versus the Potters, with Archie Gray dropping out for the Burnley loanee to come into the XI.

It proved to be a smart move by Farke to bring the 28-year-old defender into the line-up, the Whites number 33 winning all but one of his duels at Elland Road in the narrow win whilst also notching up two key passes as a creator playing out from the back.

3 CB – Joe Rodon

Roberts' fellow Welsh compatriot in Joe Rodon also excelled versus Stoke, calmly orchestrating moves from deep, coming away from his 90 minutes on the Elland Road turf with 88 touches amassed and 64 accurate passes pulled off.

Likewise, the Tottenham Hotspur loanee also battled bravely to ensure Leeds kept a clean sheet even when Stoke showed signs of confidence in the second 45 minutes – winning 100% of his aerial duels in the 1-0 win, whilst also completing two tackles.

4 CB – Ethan Ampadu

Ethan Ampadu will be retained for the awkward test away at Wednesday, forming a frightening centre-back duo with Rodon in the heart of defence.

The imposing Leeds number four has even been handed the captain's armband by Farke this season, with the former Chelsea man playing like a leader against the Potters.

Making seven clearances in total to completely kill Stoke going forward, the confident 23-year-old also misplaced just five of his 74 passes as a calm head.

5 LB – Junior Firpo

The first change to Farke's lineup could come in the form of Junior Firpo being thrown back into the XI, with Sam Byram sacrificed for the ex-Barcelona man to come back in.

The 30-year-old left-back didn't let himself down whatsoever in the Stoke win – winning ten duels overall in the contest – but Farke could well want to protect his injury-prone defender with games coming thick and fast.

Firpo, who was once described as "immense" by Conor McGilligan of the One Leeds Fan Channel, is a worthy replacement for the ex-Norwich City man having notched up four assists this season from the left-back spot.

6 CM – Ilia Gruev

Ilia Gruev won't be having restless nights in the build-up to the clash away at the Owls about his position in Farke's side however, with the former Werder Bremen man making one of the two holding spots his own in recent weeks.

The Bulgarian midfielder was as cool as ever on the ball against Stoke, making just seven stray passes from his measured 90 minutes.

With Danny Rohl's side wanting the Hillsborough masses to be loud and intimidating to potentially throw off the visiting Whites, Gruev's focused and level-headed approach could be key.

7 CM – Glen Kamara

Glen Kamara will line up alongside Gruev for the tricky test of beating the Owls on their own patch, the former Rangers man competent again in the Stoke win as an unflashy presence.

The 28-year-old midfielder would make a combined four interceptions and tackles to thwart the Potters foraying forward, whilst also completing 45 accurate passes to push his team up the field.

8 RM – Daniel James

Leeds would have been relieved to have Daniel James back in their ranks in the narrow win over Stoke, the former Manchester United winger electric in the match and ultimately was the goalscoring hero that sealed the three points.

The Welsh attacker will want to catch out Rohl's hosts tomorrow, potentially adding another goal to his ever-increasing season tally which currently stands at 11.

9 CAM – Georginio Rutter

Georginio Rutter will stick it out in the position just behind the lone striker for the clash at Hillsborough, the dynamic Leeds number 25 teeing up James to score his sublime winner last time out.

Accumulating four key passes in total as a creative force against the Potters, Wednesday will have to be switched on from minute one to contain the brilliance of Leeds' standout Frenchman.

10 LM – Crysencio Summerville

Rutter and James being on their A-Game meant Crysencio Summerville's quiet showing wasn't as obvious or impactful to the Whites clinching another win, the former Feyenoord youngster having a rare off-day last time out.

Still, with the 22-year-old bagging 15 strikes this season in total, there's no chance that Farke ditches his explosive Dutchman especially with Jaidon Anthony remaining unavailable for selection.

Bowling coach expects team to adopt a ‘horses for courses’ approach to choose between Ashwin and Jadeja

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2019Jasprit Bumrah’s injured back might not require surgery “as of now”, according to India bowling coach Bharat Arun. India’s fast bowling spearhead is, however, unlikely to play a part in the remainder of India’s home season, which features limited-overs series against Bangladesh, West Indies and Sri Lanka over the next three months.Earlier in October, Bumrah visited the UK with the National Cricket Academy’s chief physiotherapist Ashish Kaushik, and consulted specialists to treat the back problem. The BCCI hasn’t made public the nature of Bumrah’s problem, except saying in a press release that the injury was “minor”.ALSO READ: ‘Is it Ashwin and Jadeja or Jadeja and Ashwin?'”Fast bowling is an unnatural activity. Despite our best efforts there can be no guarantees. We expect Bumrah to be back sooner than later, hopefully in time for the New Zealand Test series that is our next big challenge,” Arun told the . “As of now, he doesn’t need surgery.”Bumrah’s absence hasn’t affected the performance of India’s fast bowling group, though, with Umesh Yadav stepping up to join Mohammed Shami and Ishant Sharma to form a solid combine against South Africa in the recent Test series.Arun, who has been working with the bowlers since 2015, was particularly impressed with Umesh’s comeback – he picked up 11 wickets in two Tests, a majority of those a reward for attacking the stumps.”He’s strong and quick and now he is bowling in better channels, making the batsman play around the off stump,” Arun said. “He’s got reverse swing, has a nasty short ball. He and Shami, who is fast, accurate and dangerous, are a potent combination.”Arun also conceded that there might be no immediate end in sight to the battle between R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja to be the No. 1 Test spinner. Chances are the team management will go in for a “horses for courses” approach should they have to pick just one of the two.While their performances have been neck-and-neck with the ball, the team management has in the past considered Jadeja’s batting and fielding contributions as a valuable add-on, especially overseas.”He’s among the best spinners in the world, top class, and is approaching 400 Test wickets,” Arun said of Ashwin. “In fact, Ashwin went to England and Australia as our No. 1 spinner and then ran into fitness issues. Ravindra Jadeja grabbed his chance, giving us control with the ball, solidity with the bat and fielding brilliantly.”Away from home, if we have to pick one of the two in the eleven, it will be horses for courses looking at the conditions and the opposition. Then we have Kuldeep Yadav who picked five with his wrist spin in his last Test, in Sydney. We have an embarrassment of riches.”

England captain Leah Williamson revealed that the Lionesses were not happy with their performance in the Euro 2025 qualifiers.

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Williamson unsatisfied with Lionesses performanceEngland held to a goalless draw by SwedenWiegman's side qualify for Euro 2025WHAT HAPPENED?

The Lionesses ended their Euro 2025 qualifying campaign with a nervy goalless draw against Sweden away from home on Tuesday as they secured a berth in the main competition next year. Despite booking a spot in the Euros, captain Williamson was unhappy with the team's overall performance throughout the qualifying campaign.

AdvertisementWHAT LEAH WILLIAMSON SAID

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the Arsenal star said, "I've worked hard to be back here. This team knows how to fight, we've proved that over and over. But now we need to get back to our top level, there is a new top-level and we need to be able to find and get to it. The campaign has tested us but we have come through it. We were not able to top the group, which we are not happy about, but we qualified and that gives us a year to literally squeeze everything we can out of ourselves.

"High stakes games make players but you can't always work on what you need to. You have to play the game in front of you to get what you need. It is good preparation for us to have the friendlies in place, we know what is ahead of us next summer. We are reigning champions so we know we should qualify but we take pride in the fact that we have."

Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Manager Sarina Wiegman was also left disappointed with England's performance, especially against Sweden as they narrowly avoided defeat. The Dutch manager also outlined the areas where her team needs to improve to defend their title in Switzerland.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LEAH WILLIAMSON?

The 27-year-old is likely to take a short vacation before joining her club for pre-season. They are set for two friendly matches in August against NWSL side Washington Spirit and WSL rivals Chelsea.

West Ham United could be about to lose one of their own after refusing to meet his wage demands, it has been revealed.

Moyes no longer the man for West Ham

There has been no shortage of discontent at the London Stadium this season, despite what from the outside appears to have been a reasonable Premier League campaign for the Hammers.

Seventh in the Premier League, the east London side fell to a 1-0 defeat in Germany against Freiburg but remain very much in their Europa League last 16 tie as they look to win successive European competitions, which would in turn hand them Champions League football for next season.

Earlier in the campaign, David Moyes revealed that he had been offered a new contract, but there has been increasing discontent around his position, and it is unclear whether he will continue beyond this summer, when his current deal expires.

West Ham under David Moyes

Premier League 22/23

Premier League 23/24

Wins

11

12

Losses

20

9

Points per game

1.05

1.56

Goals per game

1.11

1.6

Goals conceded per game

1.45

1.74

"I've had really good conversations with the owners, with David Sullivan and Karren Brady," he said in February. "There's a contract there for me and I'm the one deciding I want to wait until the end of the season."

But that has not stopped speculation that he may leave, and sections of the Hammers fanbase believe that Moyes has taken them as far as he can, with the utilisation of the likes of Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus, in particular, being questioned.

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There’s been lots of talk about staff shake ups, but this wasn’t it.

ByEmilio Galantini Mar 8, 2024

And Moyes may not be the only one leaving the London Stadium this summer according to the latest reports.

Johnson contract talks stall

Also heading away from east London at the end of the campaign will be Ben Johnson, with the West Ham man out of contract as it stands and the club unwilling to match his wage demands.

The 24-year-old defender has appeared nine times in the Premier League this season, and appears to have fallen down the pecking order at the Olympic Stadium despite having made over 100 appearances for the club, with his last start coming in the 6-0 thrashing at the hands of Arsenal.

However, with his deal expiring in the summer, West Ham insiders Claret and Hugh claim that the Englishman is demanding around £50,000 per week to pen a new contract with the Hammers, something that the club are not going to sanction.

“We won’t pay that sort of money so sadly if he leaves, he leaves”, one club source is thought to have told the site, who dub the news as 'disappointing', and accuse Sullivan and co of handing higher wages to others 'who have done far less for the club than Ben Johnson'.

Johnson has risen through the ranks at West Ham United but may well have to look for another club for the first time in his senior career, with several clubs thought to be interested in adding the experienced Englishman to their ranks should he be available on a free transfer as rumoured.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his family have been joined by Manchester United star Diogo Dalot for a private concert from singer Richie Campbell.

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Summer break is being enjoyedDisappointing showing at Euro 2024Family time before new season startsWHAT HAPPENED?

Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo is enjoying a summer break with his children and partner Georgina Rodriguez ahead of the new Saudi Pro League season. The 39-year-old is in the process of recovering from a disappointing showing at Euro 2024.

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United defender Dalot also formed part of the Portugal squad at that tournament, which ended in a quarter-final penalty shootout defeat to France. The Red Devils full-back is a close friend of CR7 and was the man to comfort the all-time great when he broke down in tears after missing a European Championship penalty against Slovenia.

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DID YOU KNOW?

They have been reunited during the off-season, as Dalot linked up with the Ronaldo clan for a show put on by Portuguese musician Campbell. They were treated to a unique performance before posing for group photos.

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Ange Postecoglou has certainly been backed throughout the first season of his Tottenham Hotspur tenure and that looks set to be the case once again this summer, when the Lilywhites could make their move to sign another defensive target.

Tottenham transfer news

The headlines were centred around Harry Kane and his departure to Bayern Munich last summer, but this time around, Spurs will be hoping to grab the spotlight for their incomings. With that said, the North London club have already been linked with several impressive moves, including for the likes of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, who has starred in the Championship this season with Leicester City, and Joshua Zirkzee, who has enjoyed a recent rise at Bologna.

A number of moves may well depend on Spurs' ability to attract players, especially if they fail to qualify for the Champions League this season. As things stand, they sit three points behind Aston Villa with a game in hand. With 10 games to go, Postecoglou's summer ambitions hang in the balance, as he looks to finish his first season in North London on the biggest high possible.

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This erstwhile phenomenon was sold for £6m, but that would be much more in the modern market…

ByAngus Sinclair Mar 24, 2024

One move that is unlikely to depend on Champions League football, however, is one for Gleison Bremer, who Spurs were linked with earlier this season. According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Spurs have now been offered the chance to sign Bremer this summer, having been contacted via intermediaries in what is a boost for Postecoglou and co.

The Juventus man is reportedly keen on a fresh start in English football after struggling to continue his rise since moving to Juventus in 2022.

Any deal won't come cheap though, with Bremer's release clause sitting in excess of £50m and with Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle all offered the same chance as Spurs ahead of the summer window. So, it certainly looks likely to be a busy race for the defender's signature this summer.

"Complete" Bremer needs Juventus exit

Winning Serie A's defender of the year in 2022, Bremer more than earned his move to Juventus from Torino. But since then, he has struggled to make the same impact. Now 27 years old, the Brazilian may need a summer move to get back to his best and Spurs could represent the perfect option to do just that.

Given Micky van de Ven's injury struggles and Cristian Romero's occasional moment of madness, the Lilywhites would be wise to sign another central defender this summer and Bremer has proved that he has more than enough ability to keep up with the aforementioned duo.

Progressive Passes

90

69

126

Blocks

30

12

30

Interceptions

35

13

34

Tackles Won

34

22

32

Aerial Duels Won

81

24

53

Whilst £50m+ is a hefty deal to finance, Spurs need to keep up with the rest of the Premier League's top six, meaning they could be pursuing such deals this summer for Postecoglou. It's a move that Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig will be keeping an eye on, that's for sure, having dubbed Bremer the "complete package" back in 2021. Now, we could soon see that "complete package" in the Premier League.

An investigation into his actions is expected soon

Firdose Moonda06-Dec-2019Thabang Moroe, the chief executive of Cricket South Africa, has been suspended with immediate effect – with full pay – following allegations of misconduct. An investigation into his actions, which will include an independent forensic audit, is expected to be conducted soon.Chris Nenzani, the CSA president, has been tasked with appointing an acting chief executive for the duration of Moroe’s suspension. Nenzani has been mandated to look at all options, including holding discussions with David Richardson, the former South Africa cricketer who was ICC chief executive till recently, to gauge his interest in getting involved with the CSA.ESPNcricinfo understands that former chief executive Haroon Lorgat, Moroe’s predecessor, and former acting CEO Jacques Faul, have already been approached by several provincial presidents, but neither has heard from Nenzani yet.ALSO READ: Crisis in South African cricket – full coverageMoroe’s suspension comes after five days of mounting pressure on CSA’s administration. There have been calls from several quarters for Moroe and the CSA Board to step down in the wake of a full-blown crisis spanning management, player and media relations, and financial affairs.The catalyst for the recent sequence of events was the revoking of accreditation of five journalists on Sunday during the Mzansi Super League. No reason was given for the sanction but on Monday morning, Moroe told a national radio station that the board was unhappy with the reporters’ coverage of CSA.The reports ranged from CSA’s disputes with SACA, including a court case over a proposed restructure of domestic cricket, the delay in appointing a director of cricket, which former captain Graeme Smith was being lined up for, the non-existence of a selection panel just weeks before a series against England, and CSA’s mounting expenses – and debts – including that of running the MSL.Taken together, this has left South African cricket in a state of turmoil, which will be discussed at a special sitting of the Board on Saturday, where it is hoped that clarity will be offered on key positions ahead of England’s visit.ALSO READ: ‘The CEO is out of his depth’ – Ali Bacher on CSA issuesOf particular concern is the position of director of cricket. Smith’s initial reluctance, and eventual withdrawal, was understood to be largely due to Moroe’s presence, and with Moroe suspended, Smith may be more willing to reconsider. However, there are less than three weeks before the Boxing Day Test against England, so decisions need to be taken swiftly.CSA has also interviewed former national selector Hussein Manack and suspended interim director of cricket Corrie van Zyl for the director of cricket position, and former selection convener Linda Zondi, former international Monde Zondeki, and current Jozi Stars selections convener Patrick Moroney for the role of convener of selectors.Those interviews were conducted with Moroe at the helm, and including members of the Board who have since resigned such as Dawn Makhobo, who walked away from CSA on Friday morning.A whirlwind of events this morning also revealed that CSA has suspended three other members of staff – financial manager Ziyanda Nkuta, procurement manager Lundi Maja, and administrator Dalene Nolan.Graeme Smith shares a laugh with Faf du Plessis•Getty ImagesThat brought the total number of suspended employees to seven, with van Zyl, chief operating officer Naasei Appiah, and head of sales and sponsorship Clive Eksteen sidelined last month for alleged dereliction of duty relating to a delayed payment of commercial rights fees to SACA, from last year’s MSL.Support for van Zyl, Appiah and Eksteen has been widespread, particularly from SACA, which claimed Moroe was privy to communication over the MSL payment and complicit in its delay. SACA has since said that there has been a second commercial rights violation, this time concerning a fantasy game for this year’s MSL, for which CSA had used players’ images they did not have rights to.On Wednesday, SACA said its members would consider a players’ strike in response to CSA’s lack of engagement, and while industrial action remains a possibility, it will not take place during the series against England.”SACA re-iterates however that industrial action by the players should be viewed only as a very last resort. We also wish to reassure cricket fans, and other cricket stakeholders, that SACA will not embark on industrial action with the players during the upcoming England series. We are very aware of the importance of this series to the Proteas and to England, to the many fans from both countries and to the media and commercial partners,” Tony Irish, SACA’s outgoing CEO, said in a statement.At a board meeting on Friday, SACA also called for Moroe and the CSA Board to step, an independent investigation into the crisis to be conducted, and an interim committee to be put in place to perform Board duties until a new Board is in place.”It is abundantly clear that there is no confidence, from any quarter amongst cricket stakeholders, in the CSA Board,” Irish said. “No one on the Board can say that he, or she, was unaware of what has been unfolding over at least the last year. It has all been happening, in many respects even publicly under the Board’s very nose, and in some instances with Board support.”Three independent board directors, Professor Shirley Zinn, Iqbal Khan and Mokhobo have resigned, leaving two more – Steve Cornelius and Marius Schoeman – as well as the six presidents from the affiliated provinces – Beresford Williams, Zola Thamae, Tebogo Siko, Donovan May, Jack Madiseng and Angelo Carolissen. Their futures could well be decided on Saturday.

Football fans have reacted with shock and amazement at reports Manchester City's Julian Alvarez could join Atletico Madrid for at least £70 million.

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Alvarez linked with Man City exitAtletico close to possible £70m+ dealFootball fans shocked by moveWHAT HAPPENED?

According to The Athletic, Atletico are close to striking a deal for City forward Alvarez. The report adds the final price and payment structure are being discussed and the fee is expected to be at least five times the £14m ($17.8m) they paid River Plate for the Argentina international in January 2022. After news broke about the possible £70m exit ($89.4m) for the 24-year-old, football fans took to social media to express a vast array of different opinions on the topic.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT THE FANS ARE SAYING

@TheSecretScout_ tweeted: "Didn’t he look at Aguero, he’s going the wrong way," while @TolzyBets wrote on X: "Wow. Atletico are cooking."

@DJ___129 commented: "£70m for Alvarez is one of the worst deals I’ve seen in a long time. I actually think he’ll do well at Atleti but that fee is stupid – [Eddie] Nketiah is literally there for £30m smh (shake my head)."

@garnacho_fc posted: "He has to leave for the good cause as he won't start ahead of [Erling] Haaland anyway. Good that he realized it!"

Finally, @granville_cw put: "PSG and City will be pushing hard for CFs (centre forwards) now. Things just got even more interesting," and @CallMeHabeeb added: "Atletico Madrid will turn him into a monster striker💯."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

An Alvarez exit may have been on the cards ever since the striker said it hurt he wasn't playing in City's biggest matches last season, with prolific attacker Erling Haaland often preferred up front. This prompted a blunt response from manager Pep Guardiola, leading Alvarez to defend his remarks. While Guardiola said he "counts" on the Argentine, making a huge profit on the forward may cushion the blow of a potential exit.

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GOAL AR / GettyDID YOU KNOW?

According to the report, Alvarez is keen on an Atletico move and personal terms are said to not be a problem. Since signing for Guardiola's City, he has helped them win two Premier League titles, one Champions League, and the FA Cup – but he has largely been behind Haaland in the pecking order.

The difference between Tottenham Hotspur this season compared to the 2022/23 campaign is absolutely crystal clear.

From the playstyle and approach of the team to the entire atmosphere surrounding the club, it’s an exciting time to be a Spurs fan.

The introduction of Ange Postecoglou is one of the main reasons for this development as a whole, utilising his entire squad to put them in the driving seat of a Champions League spot for next season.

However, the Lilywhites missed out on Europe all together last campaign, with certain individuals costing the club millions despite barely playing.

What Spurs paid for Lucas Moura

During the 2016/17 campaign, Lucas Moura was on fire for French outfit Paris Saint-Germain, scoring 12 goals and providing four assists in 29 starts.

With those performances fresh on the mind, Spurs selected the Brazilian as the best choice winger to cement himself as a key player for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, forking out £25m to acquire his services in January 2018.

It took the speedy ace a while to settle in the Premier League, playing only six times for Spurs in his first campaign. However, Lucas really began to show his true ability in his first full season, scoring ten times across 25 league starts.

Unfortunately, that would go on to be the versatile attacker’s best record in a Spurs shirt, despite giving the club their most memorable moment in recent years.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

Lucas Moura’s salary in his final season at Spurs

The 8th of May 2019 will be a date that both Lucas and the Spurs faithful will never forget, with the former PSG ace becoming a “superhero,” as per Pochettino, for his second-half hat-trick, which saw Spurs beat Ajax in the Champions League to send them to the final.

Lucas’ career at Tottenham well and truly peaked at this moment, and because of that match he will always be remembered as a hero at the club, but his final years at Spurs failed to match the standards set after that tie.

The “ridiculous” ace, as dubbed by journalist Josh Bunting, dealt with a few injuries over the past two seasons in particular, missing five games in the 2021/22 campaign and eight matches last term due to a calf injury.

This meant that during his final season at the club, before moving to São Paulo last year, Lucas didn’t start a single Premier League game, picking up the same number of red cards as goals, which certainly doesn’t justify being paid £90k-per-week.

Harry Kane

£200k

Heung-min Son

£190k

Ivan Perisic

£180k

Cristian Romero

£165k

Clement Lenglet

£145k

Dejan Kulusevski

£110k

Lloris, Hojbjerg

£100k

Lucas Moura

£90k

Across the campaign, Lucas earned a whopping £4.7m according to Capology, which is nowhere near the highest at the club, but it’s a rather hefty amount for a player who failed to have any positive impact on the team, especially in his final spell.

Despite that famous night in Amsterdam, it’s clear to see that Lucas cost Spurs a great deal more than they hoped for his overall output, especially during last season. Indeed, it was a rather disappointing ending for a player who provided one of Tottenham’s best moments in recent years.

He powered Perth Scorchers to their highest BBL score with an unbeaten 93 as Brisbane Heat fell short by 34 runs

Tristan Lavalette11-Jan-2020A belligerent Mitchell Marsh powered Perth Scorchers to their highest BBL score and an important 34-run victory over Brisbane Heat at Perth Stadium.After electing to bat, the Scorchers captain took advantage of a batting paradise with an astounding 41-ball unbeaten 93 highlighted by eight sixes to energise the Scorchers faithful. Marsh, who notched his highest BBL score, dominated a 124-run partnership with Cameron Bancroft (41*) to lift the home side to a mighty 3 for 213.In reply, Tom Banton hit a rapid 55 but lacked support as the Scorchers easily won for just the fourth time from 12 attempts at Perth Stadium. It was their second straight victory over Heat in as many weeks.Pattinson struggles amid Scorchers flurryAustralian Test fast bowler James Pattinson had a tough BBL season debut when a pumped-up Josh Inglis cracked his first ball to the boundary in a sign of things to come. Pattinson’s struggles forced captain Chris Lynn to turn to in-form spinner Zahir Khan in the third over, but Inglis – who hit six boundaries in his first 12 deliveries – was unperturbed as he pounced on uncharacteristically loose bowling.Inglis looked unstoppable until he tamely chipped back to Josh Lalor. Inglis’ exit meant a return of Pattinson, but his horror start continued when Max Bryant dropped a sharp chance at backward point to reprieve Sam Whiteman in the fifth over.After a sedate start, Liam Livingstone found his groove and attacked Zahir in the sixth over to cap off an outstanding Powerplay for the Scorchers, where they amassed 63 runs.Ben Laughlin deceived Whiteman with a slower delivery as Heat dried the runs. But with big-hitters Livingstone and Marsh at the crease, Scorchers appeared well poised at 2 for 87 in ten overs.Marsh eviscerates HeatHeat clawed back when a frustrated Livingstone ungainly fell to a Zahir full toss, as the contest tightened in the middle overs. Scorchers failed to score a boundary for six overs with Marsh and Bancroft content on knocking the ball around on the wide expanses of Perth Stadium.Marsh ended the drought in the 14th over when he clubbed a Laughlin short delivery into the crowd to signal his intentions. He set his sights on a returning Pattinson in the 16th over with two sixes to further dent the big quick’s grim figures. He finished with figures of 0 for 52 from 4 overs.Bancroft joined the party with several lusty blows to expose Heat’s lack of bowling depth. Marsh was dropped by Banton on 54 and made them pay with an outrageous flick into the crowd off Lalor in the 19th over, followed by another six.Marsh then outdid himself with three successive sixes off Laughlin to complete the innings in style and ensure Scorchers easily beat their previous highest BBL score of 7 for 203.Heat lose wickets around aggressive BantonHeat needed a flyer and Banton got them rolling with a slew of boundaries off Scorchers’ fast bowlers. His most astounding shot was a premeditated ramp shot off Jhye Richardson in the fourth over to fuel hope. But his partner Bryant couldn’t get going and holed out moments later to bring Lynn to the crease.Marsh unsuccessfully tried Fawad Ahmed inside the Powerplay with the spinner leaking 19 runs, marked by a towering six from Lynn over long-off. The partnership menaced until Lynn holed out to a brilliant catch from a sliding Livingstone to put the onus on Banton.Straight after the Powerplay, Joel Paris, who replaced youngster Matthew Kelly in the team, claimed Matt Renshaw as Scorchers continued to chip away. Banton proved a thorn and brought up his half-century with a crunching straight drive off Marsh, but fell shortly after when he skied a return catch to Chris Jordan. His dismissal left Heat 4 for 89 at the halfway point with their faint hopes slipping away.Party time for ScorchersAfter his tough start, Ahmed bowled much better in the middle overs to shackle Heat, who did not score a boundary for five overs. Ben Cutting needed to hit top gear immediately but couldn’t get going.He had a reprieve in the 15th over when Cameron Green dropped a sitter and then smashed a six next ball. But Cutting’s luck ended when he hit straight to backward square leg to effectively end the contest.The back-end was party time for Scorchers on the disco themed night at Perth Stadium, as the Heat’s three-game winning streak ended.