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When Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal in October 1996, the club was in a mess. They hadn’t won a trophy since 1994 and had endured Premier League finishes of 12th and fifth in the subsequent two seasons prior to the Frenchman arriving in London.

His appointment not only changed the course of Arsenal’s modern history, but also changed English football as a whole, establishing the top flight as one of the finest leagues on the continent.

The former AS Monaco manager didn’t take long to make an impact, securing the double during the 1997/98 season, becoming Manchester United’s first proper challenger in the Premier League era.

Further titles were won in 2002 and 2004 – the latter being dubbed the ‘invincible’ season due to Arsenal remaining unbeaten across the 38 game campaign – while he also added another seven FA Cup trophies to the Gunners’ trophy cabinet.

This success was made possible by his diligence in the transfer market, often signing young talent for a low price before developing them into true world-class players.

Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, and Robert Pires are just but a few examples of this, and they all contributed heavily to this golden era for the club between 1998 and 2006.

That’s not to say Wenger didn’t have the odd transfer mishap and these were more prevalent as his stint at Arsenal wore on.

When did Arsene Wenger leave Arsenal?

The Frenchman departed the club following the 2017/18 season after 20 full seasons managing the north Londoners, yet his final few years were marred by poor results and even poorer signings.

The likes of Lucas Perez, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Danny Welbeck failed to leave any real impact during their spell at the club and this drop in stature meant Wenger failed to realistically challenge for another Premier League title during his final few years.

One of his worst signings however was that of defender Rob Holding, who arrived at the club in the summer of 2016, and it was hardly a signing which inspired confidence amongst the Arsenal support.

How much did Arsenal sign Rob Holding for?

Having finished the 2015/16 season in second place, failing to overtake surprise winners Leicester City during the final few months, the Frenchman aimed to bolster his squad ahead of another potential challenge.

His transfer business wasn’t exactly exciting and Holding was perhaps the most unflattering signing of the lot during that transfer window, costing just £2m and the 20-year-old was viewed as a signing for the near future rather than challenging for a first-team spot straight away.

Over the next seven years, Holding rinsed the club for millions without offering any real contribution on the pitch and proved to be yet another flop signed by Wenger.

How much did Rob Holding earn at Arsenal?

During his spell in north London, Holding began by earning a modest £13k-per-week during his first season before this rose to £23k-per-week during his second and third years at the club.

From his fourth season to when he departed the Gunners this summer under Mikel Arteta, the former Bolton Wanderers man earned £38k-per-week, which represented a decent rise from his first contract and signified his position in the senior team.

Over the course of his Arsenal career, he made 162 appearances for the club, yet made only 20 Premier League appearances during a single campaign only once, missing 54 games through injury during his time at the Gunners.

Did Rob Holding deserve to earn this amount?

Although the defender probably exceeded expectations at Arsenal following his arrival as a youngster in 2016, going on to win two FA Cups with the club, he wasn’t exactly the most consistent performer.

Indeed, he made just 60 appearances across his first three seasons, and it wasn’t until the 2020/21 campaign that he firmly established himself as a regular in the starting XI, especially in the Premier League, making 30 appearances.

This represented his peak as a player for the club, ranking fifth across the squad for accurate passes per game (52.3), first for clearances per game (3.9) and fourth for overall Sofascore rating (seven), indicating he was a reliable performer on the big stage, yet it proved to be a one-off.

The following season, he dropped to a lowly 19th in the squad with regard to Sofascore rating (6.79), while ranking 17th for tackles (0.9) and 12th for accurate passes (27.5) per game, showcasing just how big a drop-off he endured.

The former England U21 international was even criticised by Gary Neville after he was sent off against Tottenham Hotspur in May 2022, who said: "What is he doing? What is he doing?! Oh my goodness. I’m watching the run from Son and he [Holding] has a jab with his elbow, it comes away from his body. He’s been erratic, rash, he’s lacked composure.

"It’s madness. Mikel Arteta has big problems now. His centre-back has caused him huge issues in the first 35 minutes of this match. We spoke about Holding earlier in the game. Son played him. He played him and played him, like a little boy. Sometimes as a defender your head goes, you’re emotional and you do rash things. Son was in his head."

The centre-back lasted just one more season at the Emirates before joining Crystal Palace for a fee of £4m this summer as Mikel Arteta looked to ship out some deadwood in the squad.

Over the course of his 371 weeks at the Gunners, Holding rinsed the club of £13m, which combines his £2m transfer fee along with the £11m he earned in wages during that spell.

On the surface, this figure doesn’t appear to be a lot, especially for a club the size of Arsenal, yet Holding was just one of a few players signed by Wenger who ended up rinsing the club dry.

Arteta has turned the Gunners around and now has them challenging for honours, both domestically and on the continent, and hopefully expensive flops like Holding are a thing of the past as the Spaniard attempts to take the club into the future and secure glory of some sort in the next few years.

Carlo Ancelotti swiftly came to Jude Bellingham's defence over his red card against Valencia, insisting the midfielder "did not insult" the referee.

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Bellingham found the net just seconds after final whistleReferee ended match while ball was still in playAncelotti defended player after straight redGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Bellingham ran towards the corner flag to celebrate with Brahim Diaz after heading home in the dying seconds of the match. The Valencia defenders were distraught, thinking that Madrid had completed another 'remontada'from being 2-0 down. But Gil Manzano, the man with the whistle, had other ideas. Just as Diaz crossed into the box, the referee blew the final whistle to stop play with the scoreline at 2-2!

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Chaos & pandemonium broke out at the Mestalla as Madrid players started reasoning with the referee. Bellingham couldn't keep his calm and then allegedly said: "It’s a f*cking goal, the ball is in the air. What the f*ck is that!" Manzano didn't like what he heard and reached for his back pocket, flashing a red card in the direction of the England international.

WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

Speaking to reporters after the match, Ancelotti defended his player and opened up on the chaos of the situation, stating: "What to say, there is not much to say. Something unprecedented has happened. I think the game had to end when Valencia had possession. Then Bellingham's red card bothered us because he didn't insult [the referee]. Bellingham told him 'it's a f*king goal', he didn't insult him. We will see what the referee writes in the act. The players are angry. We all have to calm down. We have an important game on Wednesday."

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Getty Images WHAT NEXT?

Bellingham will be suspended for his post-match reaction to the referee when Real Madrid play Celta Vigo in La Liga next Sunday, barring a successful appeal. However, the 20-year-old will be available when Los Blancos host RB Leipzig in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday evening.

Pakistan batsmen in line for stints at Somerset and Surrey as replacements for Matt Renshaw and Virat Kohli

Osman Samiuddin04-Jun-20181:23

Pakistan ‘surrendered’ at Headingley – Arthur

Azhar Ali and Asad Shafiq are looking to stints in county cricket as Pakistan attempt to find ways to ensure their Test specialists play regular higher quality cricket.Somerset and Surrey were believed to be the two counties the duo are in talks with as they try and replace Matt Renshaw and Virat Kohli respectively, although a Surrey spokesman has since denied that this was the case, Either way, that stint would not have been a long one, though a Somerset deal could potentially be for the summer.Both are likely to find out within a day or so, and the PCB is actively encouraging their search.”Our chosen players, we’re hoping to get Azhar and Asad to play some county cricket,” Mickey Arthur, the Pakistan coach, said. “There is a little bit of interest at the moment, for a short period of time. Because those guys don’t go to these [T20] leagues and stuff, if they were to play county cricket we’d certainly encourage that.”Azhar and Shafiq had mixed returns from Pakistan’s tour of Ireland and England and neither had the kind of tour expected from a senior player. Shafiq made two fifties across three Tests though he did look in form at both Lord’s and Headingley and was removed twice by unplayable deliveries. He also had a big hundred in the warm-up game against Northamptonshire.Azhar, Pakistan’s most successful Test batsman over the last couple of years, had a poor tour outright, averaging a shade over 12 across the three Tests.Part of the problem was that neither had played an international match since October last year – and they will now not play another Test till the coming October. An odd year apart, that has been the nature of Pakistan’s Test schedule for a number of years – their home season followed by a long gap before the odd summer tour and another gap till the following winter.Azhar Ali anchored Pakistan’s batting on the second morning•Getty Images”Yeah that’s always the challenge,” Arthur said. “You sort of don’t know what they go back to. We have player plans for everybody so I’d know where everybody is at any given time.”But I know Azhar Ali, I know Asad Shafiq, I know their work ethic. Everybody knows the standards they have to meet. When they arrive to the team, they will be there physically, mentally and technically because they have to be. That is the criteria we set for them.”I’d love to see them do county cricket. It is more time for them playing cricket and that’s got to be beneficial to us.”I thought Asad played well this tour. Azhar will tell you himself he was a little short this tour. But he is a quality player – Azhar playing well is in the top 10 Test batsmen in the world.”The other senior to have a mixed tour was the captain Sarfraz Ahmed. It began badly with a poor personal Test in the win at Malahide. His wicketkeeping improved thereafter, though the runs are still not coming. In eight Tests since the start of 2017, he is averaging 22.78 with the bat.”Sarfraz has been disappointing this tour and he knows that,” Arthur said. “I’m talking only with the bat – his keeping has been very good in the last two Tests.”I’m very comfortable and I know he’ll come right. What he needs to work out is the balance between keeping, batting six and captaincy. That’s got to be his challenge going forward. I know he can handle that. He’s determined, he’s very passionate for this team and he’s a skilled batsman. Hopefully runs are around the corner for him.”

West Ham United are looking to continue their impressive start to the season and clinch European qualification for a fourth successive year, having struggled in the Premier League last term but triumphed in the Europa Conference League.

David Moyes' outfit have made a confident start to the domestic season while winning both of their matches in the Europa League, but despite this, Michail Antonio's recent injury has raised a few question marks regarding the club's centre-forward position.

Gianluca Scamacca was signed for £35.5m last summer with a weight of expectation but failed to acclimatise and was described as "miserable" by pundit Chris Sutton, sold back to his Italian homeland in a £27m deal to Atalanta.

Danny Ings was only signed in January in a £15m transfer from divisional rivals Aston Villa, but he is not performing at the requisite standard and, as such, will likely have Moyes questioning his role in the first-team going forward.

Should West Ham ditch Danny Ings?

Once hailed as a "lethal" goalscorer by Sutton, Ings has been a salient name on the Premier League scene for some time now, having started with Burnley before earning a transfer to Liverpool in 2015, though his time at Anfield was hindered by injury, scoring four times from just 25 appearances.

He completed a £20m move to Southampton in 2019 after finishing a season-long loan deal, scoring seven times from 24 outings.

He would enjoy his most fruitful fortunes on the south coast, bagging 46 goals from 100 displays in total and notably netting 25 strikes during the 2019/20 campaign.

At West Ham, he has not been at the races, leading The Athletic's Roshane Thomas to remark, "I don't think this system works for Danny Ings. He's often too isolated up front."

This may well be the case, with the three-cap England international only scoring three times from 30 matches for the Hammers, and having only made five substitute showings in the Premier League this season, yet to start and yet to score, the 31-year-old's time might be running out.

On £125k-per-week, he is not living up to the wage and is a shadow of the man who was once so 'lethal' in the final third; a force to be reckoned with and a destructive centre-forward.

With Antonio out injured for the recent victory over Freiburg in the Europa League, many might've thought that it was the perfect opportunity for Ings to step up the plate, but with Moyes refraining from offering him a starting berth, there is little doubt regarding where he stands in his manager's mind at present.

It might be best for all parties that he moves on as soon as possible; with West Ham surely poised to move for an established centre-forward sooner rather than later, he will only see his role further hampered and may even be detrimental to rising stars such as Divin Mubama, who is striving for a starting spot at the front of the ship himself.

Who could replace Danny Ings?

While the obvious heir to the centre-forward position at West Ham right now is Mubama, the teenage forward is still only in his fledgling phase and must not be thrown into the deep end before learning to tread water.

He has already scored his first goal and supplied his first assist for the Irons' senior set-up, but remains an untested prospect and must be nurtured with care – as, to be fair, Moyes is doing.

Jarrod Bowen impressed as the focal frontman against Freiburg on Thursday night after teeing up Lucas Paqueta for the game's opening goal, but he is undoubtedly best served down the right channel, and, as such, the club's Scottish manager could look to provide the under-fire Maxwel Cornet with a new lease of life at the front of the ship.

Signing from relegated Burnley in 2022 for £17.5m on a five-year contract, the Ivorian winger hasn't hit the ground running by any stretch of the imagination, having only made 25 appearances across all competitions, yet to score and registering five assists.

During the 2021/22 campaign with the Clarets, he previously hit nine Premier League goals from only 21 starting showings, capturing the awe of supporters and leading Alan Shearer to describe him as “dangerous”.

While his maiden season in east London was blighted by an injury that ruled him out from October until March, he didn't prove himself at all on the pitch and only made two starts in the top-flight.

Having only played one minute in the Premier League this season, he has not been entrusted with a prominent role but could now be reborn in a central striking role, replacing the out-of-sorts Ings.

He scored three times when used in the position under Sean Dyche's wing at Burnley, and would certainly offer a different dimension to the side's frontal efforts while allowing Bowen to remain in his preferred role down the right.

As per Sofascore, Cornet offered 1.8 shots and 0.6 key passes per game while at Turf Moor, which surpasses Ings' 1.2 shots and 0.4 key passes per game in the Premier League last season.

He also offers a sense of dynamism that could prove invaluable when looking to shift with Antonio, who is a powerful and brutish striker, and while he offers different skills, he still holds a knack for some "fantastic" finishing, as has been previously noted by Dyche.

The £65k-per-week ace is only 27 years old and is ostensibly suffering from a stark decline in confidence, but with a fresh slate in a new role, he could be transformed and finally start exuding the class that Moyes knows is at his disposal.

And while Ings is still capable of finding the back of the net, his days appear numbered at the London Stadium and a tactical tweak could be vital for sustaining the fluidity over the duration of the campaign.

It would be a bold move, but handing a third Premier League start of his West Ham career to Cornet could be a wise move as far as Moyes is concerned.

All things considered, it’s been a pretty good seven days for Arsenal.

Despite being in the midst of an injury crisis, Mikel Arteta’s side managed to pick up all three points away to Leicester City on Saturday, and then former-boss Unai Emery did them a massive favour by taking two off of Liverpool last night.

That result at Villa Park means the Reds now have an eight-point lead in the Premier League, but the Gunners have a game in hand at home to struggling West Ham United.

However, to ensure that gap falls to just five points, Arteta must unleash another of his players in place of Raheem Sterling on Saturday, which could, in turn, end his Premier League career.

Sterling's dreadful season for Arsenal

“You’re about to see the best of me.”

That was what Sterling told the fans when he joined Arsenal on loan on deadline day, but as yet, they haven’t seen anything close.

The Chelsea loanee was a goalscoring dynamo when he played for Manchester City, racking up a sensational tally of 131 goals and 73 assists in 339 games, but in North London, he has looked a shadow of his former self.

In 19 appearances for the Gunners, the 30-year-old winger has found the back of the net just once – against Bolton Wanderers – and provided two assists, so to say he’s underwhelmed would be a dramatic understatement.

Moreover, when he was called upon to start against Leicester on the weekend, amid the injuries to Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka, all he did was reaffirm the idea that he can no longer hack it in this league.

In 69 minutes against a promoted side who look destined to go back down, the former Liverpool star mustered a combined expected goal and assist figure of 0.08, had a single blocked shot, failed in 100% of his dribbles, made just 19 passes, lost all of his ground duels, lost the ball 13 times and was offside twice.

It was nothing short of shambolic, made to look more so by the fact that a 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri on the other flank was a constant threat. Oh, and that it was his replacement that eventually won the game for Arsenal.

Miutes

69′

Exepcetced Goals

0.02

Goals

0

Expected Assists

0.06

Assists

0

Shots on Target

0

Shots Blocked

0

Dribbles (Successful)

2 (0)

Touches

36

Passing Accuracy

19/24 (79%)

Crosses (Accurate)

1 (0)

Ground Duels (Won)

5 (0)

Lost Possession

13

Offsides

2

The Arsenal star who has to start over Sterling

So, with the absurd number of attacking injuries Arsenal are currently dealing with and the manner in which Saturday’s game was won, it’ll come as no surprise that we think Mikel Merino simply has to start over Sterling against West Ham.

Now, the Spanish international is no striker and was only told that he may have to play up front on the morning of the game, but the way he scored his two goals suggests that he might have what it takes to hold down the position until the likes of Martinelli and Saka return.

For example, his first goal came thanks to a sensational cross from Nwaneri and the Spaniard’s ability to get between two defenders and make the perfect connection with his head. The second came from a well-timed run and a perfectly placed first-time finish.

Moreover, having the 6 foot 2 “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, down the middle might help those around him get into the game more, as, according to Squawka, he was the only player in Europe’s top seven leagues to win over 300 duels last season.

Just imagine Martin Odegaard or Declan Rice sending it long for the former Real Sociedad star to bring it down and play in Nwaneri or Trossard.

Ultimately, there is no perfect solution at the moment, but based on what we saw of him on the weekend and Sterling’s performances all season, Arteta simply has to start Merino in his place on Saturday.

He's outperforming Odegaard & Trossard: Arsenal must rue axing "superstar"

The exceptional talent would be a star for Arsenal today.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 19, 2025

Lancashire reduced the home side to 1 for 3 at one stage – Ross Taylor bagging a pair – after Keaton Jennings’ century built a big lead

David Hopps at Trent Bridge12-May-2018
ScorecardOne minute, Saturday afternoon at Trent Bridge is a little docile and there is little more pressing in life than to study the intricacies of Keaton Jennings’ wagon wheel (not much down the ground since you ask, which has not harmed one record-breaking England opening batsman who is preparing for yet another international season).A few minutes later, and Nottinghamshire, having started their second innings 205 behind, are 1 for 3 and the air is rent with the cacophony of jubilant cries from Lancashire fielders, the soundtrack for the first month of the season, all whoops and hollers and gerrin theres. Lancashire have got in – and should win by Sunday lunchtime, arresting Nottinghamshire’s table-topping start to the season in the process.To turn round such a predicament would need something spectacular. Notts gave few indications that they will manage it as they trimmed the defiicit to 99 by the close of the second day. Samit Patel crashed four fours then drove James Anderson to point and, after a fifth-wicket stand of 68, Riki Wessels became another Graham Onions lbw victim to leave Lancashire relatively unconcerned by the rain that clipped 11 overs from the day.Peter Moores, Notts’ coach, put the blame on the bowlers, saying: “Sport is funny, we prepped well for this game, we went into it as the last of a mini-series of five matches with a chance to really push on and cement our place at the top of the division but we just haven’t bowled well enough.”There was not much rhyme or reason to Notts’ concession of three wickets for one run in 10 balls: Steven Mullaney dragged on as he tried to carve Anderson square on the off side, Onions squeezed one through the tiniest gap between bat and pad to bowl Chris Nash and Ross Taylor fell first ball, Onions slanting one back to have him lbw. That was a pair for Taylor, lbw to Onions on both occasions. He fell in the same way against Onions at Old Trafford, too, which is a bit of a pattern.As for Nash, he is 115 for 9 for the season – his move from Sussex so far not reaping dividends as he becomes the latest batsman to fail to solve Notts’ ever-present top-order frailties. You have to go back to Chris Broad and Tim Robinson a generation ago to find Notts’ last truly established opening pair: highly successful and occasionally crotchety with it. Since then, they always seem to be signing opening batsmen, but have never remotely found a duo like that.RT Robinson is officiating here. Imperturbable and not given to excess, he probably finds such regular finger raising more attention-seeking than he would wish. As for Broad, his son Stuart was in situ, his 4 for 41 suggesting he was in good rhythm ahead of the Test series against Pakistan (the same is true of Anderson but then it usually is). Broad’s showiest moment was a sharp return catch, diving to his left in his follow-through, to dismiss Dane Vilas.Another Notts seamer hoping to attract England’s attention returned less impressive figures. Jake Ball remains Division One’s leading wicket-taker, but he could have chosen better days to disappear at five an over. His two wickets included a frustrated short delivery which Jordan Clark, who had played enterprisingly, uppercut to third man.If England talk should be banned when it comes to Haseeb Hameed, whose task is properly to recalibrate his Lancashire career, it is also premature in the case of Jennings, as fondly as the likes of Andy Flower look upon his upstanding and diligent ways, but he has back-to-back hundreds now on exacting pitches and his game is clearly coming together again. He was shrewd and selective in a match where not too many have been able to claim that distinction.He had a fifty bagged overnight and, in the second phase of his innings, only the introduction of Patel’s left-arm slows when he was in the 90s disturbed his equanimity. He went from 91 to 95 with a reverse whip, but two balls later edged suspiciously out of his crease and survived a missed stumping. The shot that brought up his hundred was more in keeping as he methodically worked Mullaney into the leg side. His demise came on 126 when he left a straight one from Broad and his off stump whistled out of the ground with the crispness of a stick of celery.”Different gravy,” Lancashire’s captain Liam Livingstone said of Jennings’ innings. Enough praise perhaps to send him rushing to his urban dictionary to discover exactly what his captain was talking about.

The 2024/25 campaign has been one to forget for Manchester United, with the Red Devils constantly falling well below the levels expected by the fanbase.

Ruben Amorim joined the club in November, trying to provide an upturn in results after Erik ten Hag’s dismissal, but so far has done so to no avail, still sitting closer to the drop zone than the top four.

His side have already exited the Carabao Cup, with their 15th placed standing in the Premier League all but ruling out automatic qualification for a European spot ahead of next season.

However, they’re still in with a chance of winning the FA Cup and the Europa League, with the new manager having the opportunity to end the disappointing season on a positive note.

If he is to do so, he may be reliant on one player who’s often been the man to dig the side out of trouble since his big-money move to Old Trafford a handful of years ago.

Bruno Fernandes’ time at Man Utd

Attacking midfielder Bruno Fernandes joined United back in January 2020, making himself an integral part of the first-team setup after his move which totalled £68m.

The Portuguese international has nearly racked up 300 appearances for the Red Devils, even taking the reins as captain, showcasing how pivotal he’s been to the club despite their lack of success.

He’s registered double figures in combined goals and assists in every season he’s spent as a player in the North West, with his best season undoubtedly being in 2020/21 – notching 28 goals and 18 assists across all competitions.

The 30-year-old has often been the creative spark under Amorim, registering 21 combined goal contributions throughout the current season, undoubtedly the shining light through what has been a year to forget for supporters.

However, despite his impressive form at United, he’s now valued lower than one player who was prematurely offloaded under the former management team.

The former United star who’s now worth more than Bruno

United’s academy has been highly influential in recent years, often producing a catalogue of high-quality talent that have made the transition into first-team stars.

Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are just two examples within Amorim’s current side who have developed through the youth setup before seamlessly making the jump into the professional game.

Anthony Elanga was another player who appeared to make the jump, breaking through into the first team under Ralph Rangnick, registering four goals and four assists, including a crucial strike against Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

However, he was sold in the summer of 2023 by Ten Hag, joining Nottingham Forest for just £15m – a move that would transform his career in the Premier League, with United undoubtedly ruing his departure a few years on.

The Swedish international has registered 25 combined goals and assists over the last two seasons, playing a huge role in the Reds’ unexpected push for a Champions League spot this season.

Elanga endured a run that saw him provide a goal contribution in six consecutive matches in the league, before notching a hat-trick of assists in the 7-0 thrashing of Brighton and Hove Albion at the City Ground.

He’s subsequently matched or bettered Bruno in various key areas throughout 2024/25, further showcasing how much he’s developed since departing the Red Devils.

Games played

25

24

Goals & assists

11

11

Progressive carries

3.6

2.3

Carries into final third

1.7

0.4

Shot-on-target accuracy

43%

24%

Take-ons completed

0.9

0.7

Aerials won

1

0.8

At the age of just 22, Elanga, who’s previously been dubbed “phenomenal” by journalist Zach Lowy, still has bags of time to develop further, but he’s already seen a steep upturn in his value after Forest rejected a £50m bid for his services from Newcastle United in the summer.

His subsequent value is higher than that of current star Fernandes who’s only valued at £45.5m by Transfermarkt despite his own impressive form at Old Trafford.

Given the numbers produced by the attacker, coupled with the lack of attacking threat currently at Amorim’s disposal, it certainly was a mistake for the hierarchy to approve of Ten Hag’s decision to sell the forward.

However, United’s loss is Forest’s gain, with Elanga potentially able to provide the goods over the next couple of months to help complete what would be a fairytale season for the Reds – adding insult to injury given the Red Devils’ current standing.

Ten Hag axed "ice-cold" Man Utd man, now he's outscoring Garnacho & Hojlund

Man Utd may wish they had his goals this season

3 ByJoe Nuttall Feb 19, 2025

The understanding in the BCCI is that if Kohli gets enough opportunity in his first two Surrey games, the priority for him will be the two T20Is in Ireland

Sidharth Monga10-May-2018Virat Kohli is likely to choose the two-T20I series in Ireland over his third county match for Surrey, after the India selectors named him the captain for the games even though the dates clash with his Surrey stint.Surrey had announced Kohli would play for them for the whole of June – India’s T20Is in Ireland are on June 27 and 29 and Surrey’s match against Yorkshire is from June 25 to 28. The BCCI, however, said there was no commitment from Kohli to play all three games for Surrey.It is understood that BCCI officials are in talks with concerned authorities in England to resolve the issue amicably. It might not be that difficult to convince Surrey because they are already believed to be under fire from former England players for providing Kohli match-practice ahead of India’s tour of England in July.The understanding in the BCCI is that if Kohli gets enough opportunity in his first two Surrey games, the priority for him will be the two T20Is in Ireland. Should weather or other factors deny him adequate time to bat in the first two matches, Kohli might stay back and play in Scarborough. Surrey, however, are of the view that Kohli will miss the first T20I against Ireland, play in Scarborough, and then make it for India’s second T20I the next day.India are understood to be flexible with their preparation plans for the Test series. An India A tour of England has been organised in June before the Tests, and though no Test players were named in the A squad, the option remains open to them – even for Kohli – should they want more time to acclimatise. India’s chairman of selectors MSK Prasad said they had a discussion with the team management and India A coach Rahul Dravid.”Some of the Test specialists like [Wriddhiman] Saha, [Murali] Vijay, [Mohammed] Shami will play the third India A Test against West Indies A before playing the warm-up game against Essex and then the England Tests,” Prasad said.ESPNcricinfo, however, understands, that this plan is not limited to just the three players. Some of the all-formats players could hop over to the unofficial Test against England Lions, scheduled from July 16 to 19 in Worcester. That match might also be rescheduled because it clashes with the third ODI against England.

David Warner was involved in a heated exchange with a spectator as he walked off the ground after his dismissal by Kagiso Rabada on day two of the third Test in Cape Town

Daniel Brettig at Newlands23-Mar-2018Australia’s vice-captain David Warner was involved in a heated exchange with a spectator as he walked off the ground after his dismissal by Kagiso Rabada on day two of the third Test in Cape Town.In the latest unsavoury episode of an eventful tour, Warner responded to his individual baiting from the spectator in scenes reminiscent of Merv Hughes’ infamous confrontation with a fan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg in 1994, for which he was given a suspended fine by the then Australian Cricket Board after bashing his bat against the barrier the spectator was behind.Warner’s exchange was less violent but more prolonged, immediately after he had lost a gladiatorial bout with Rabada. Bowled by Rabada after a frenetic innings of 30 from 14 balls in which he struck the Proteas spearhead for 4-4-4-6-4 in the five balls before his dismissal, Warner found the middle-aged male spectator waiting for him as he commenced his walk from the boundary to the Australian dressing room, greeting him with sarcastic applause and plenty of words.As the verbal barbs continued, Warner stopped to respond to the spectator, who was seated in the Members enclosure of the Western Province Cricket Club, before a security guard moved to intervene. Nevertheless the pair kept on exchanging words as they made their way up the stairs on either side of the fence separating the players from spectators – the incoming batsman Usman Khawaja walked past the two adversaries on his way to the middle.Australia’s security manager, Frank Dimasi, subsequently made his way down to the area and spoke with both the security guard and the spectator. Warner’s “baiter”, who was the guest of a member of WPCC, was later ejected from the ground. Several fans were also kicked out of Newlands for singing songs about Sonny Bill Williams. Numerous members of the Australian side, in addition to Warner, had been subjected to abuse from spectators concerning their wives and partners while in the field at Newlands during South Africa’s first innings.Australian touring teams have long acknowledged that they receive some of their harshest treatment from spectators in South Africa, although up to this point Warner’s tour had involved more exchanges with opponents than fans.In Durban he was captured on CCTV cameras exchanging words with Quinton de Kock, then responding angrily to the response from the South Africa wicketkeeper and needing to be physically restrained by team-mates as he climbed the stairwell at Kingsmead. That incident saw Warner fined and handed three demerit points under the ICC code of conduct, meaning he is one further disciplinary infraction away from a ban. De Kock was also fined over the episode, albeit on a lesser charge.Warner has alleged that his aggression was sparked by de Kock making personal remarks about his wife Candice. Between first two Test matches, offensive masks were distributed by fans in reference to her brief bathroom encounter with the rugby league player Sonny Bill Williams years before she and Warner became a couple. Two Cricket South Africa officials, Clive Eksteen and Altaaf Kazi, have been suspended by the home board after allowing fans wearing the masks to be admitted to St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth and then posing with them for a photograph.

Jurgen Klopp has built his legacy at Liverpool by being extremely diligent in the transfer market, signing players who are on the verge of a major breakthrough for fees far lower than expected.

The likes of Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Sadio Mane all arrived at the cusp of greatness and grew into three of the finest players in the Premier League under the leadership of the German.

Of course, these three are just a few of the players signed by Klopp who have gone on to form the best Liverpool squad in their recent history as they challenged Manchester City’s hegemony of the English game.

Signing promising players for low values while turning them into prospective superstars is not something which is new at Anfield, with Rafa Benitez enjoying success with Xabi Alonso and Fernando Torres while Brendan Rodgers even had a few hits in the transfer market.

Roberto Firmino cost the club just £21.3m in 2015 and over the course of the next eight years, he scored 111 goals for the Anfield side across 362 matches, winning practically all there was to win in the process.

The Northern Irishman even signed someone during the latter stages of his stint at Liverpool who is still a key part of the first-team squad – Joe Gomez.

How much did Joe Gomez cost Liverpool?

Following a tough 2014/15 campaign in which the Reds finished in a disappointing sixth place, Rodgers looked like he was building a squad which could challenge for trophies.

In came Firmino, Christian Benteke and Danny Ings among others, while Gomez joined from Charlton Athletic for a fee in the region of £3.5m and considering he had played just 24 senior matches, he was earmarked as a future star.

The defender was clearly excited to be joining one of the biggest teams in the country, saying: "It's a dream come true. It's a bit surreal and it hasn't really hit me yet. But I'm buzzing and just excited to get started.

"The club has got great history, it's a great club and one that I've always been following from when I was young.

"Here was somewhere I wanted to go and get better and learn, and play good football. It was an easy decision."

Little did anyone think at the time he would still be playing in the first team eight years later, having won both the Champions League and Premier League during his Anfield career.

What is Joe Gomez’s market value now?

Eight years since joining, the Englishman has seen his transfer value rise and the gamble of signing a relatively unknown defender back in 2015 appears to have paid off.

According to Football Transfers, Gomez is now currently valued at €26.1m (£22.5m) which currently represents a rise of 542% from his initial £3.5m transfer fee, a staggering increase.

His highest value was achieved back in January 2021, where he was valued even higher at €33.7m (£29m) and although this has dipped recently, if he can continue to perform for Klopp and be consistent enough, this could see his value rise to this type of figure again.

Why is Joe Gomez worth so much?

His first two seasons at Anfield saw the centre-back make only ten appearances for the senior side in all competitions, and it looked as though Klopp was looking to settle him in gently, allowing the player to get a taste for action rather than throw him in at the deep end unnecessarily.

During the 2017/18 season, Gomez soon began to make his presence known, featuring in 31 games for the club as they narrowly missed out on Champions League glory, losing to Real Madrid in the final.

With Klopp finally leading the Reds to glory in Europe’s premier club competition the following season, Gomez played an integral part in the Anfield side claiming their first league title in 30 years during the 2019/20 campaign.

Across 28 matches, he ranked second in the squad for accurate passes per game (62.5) and interceptions per game (1.4), while even winning four duels per game – a success rate of 56% – showcasing his defensive abilities as the club conceded just 33 goals throughout the whole season, the lowest total in the top flight.

Klopp even hailed the defender, saying: “He is a sensational footballer, which is good.

“He has outstanding speed, which helps us a lot to keep our last line high; he is a really good challenger; good in one-on-one situations; football-wise, I said already, good.

“The package is really nice. It was always clear in the moment he starts playing and can get rhythm again, everything will be fine – and that’s how it is.”

However, what should have been a catalyst for the 26-year-old to kick on and cement his place in the starting XI soon turned into an injury-hit few seasons, missing 39 matches due to a knee problem while struggling to get back into the team upon his return.

The £85k-per-week brute forced his way back into the starting XI last term, and he certainly showcased his forward-thinking attributes.

According to FBref, when compared to positional peers across Europe, Gomez ranked in the top 7% for shot-creating actions per 90 (1.31), the best 8% for progressive passes per 90 (5.28) and the top 15% for progressive carries per 90 (1.14), demonstrating that he can also move the ball forward often in order to begin attacks from the defence.

Gomez is still only 26-years-old, and he arguably hasn’t even hit his peak years yet, which is remarkable considering it feels like the defender has been at Liverpool forever.

There is no doubt the club struck gold on him, despite some challenging times across the previous eight years. Gomez has risen to the occasion numerous times and displayed the correct attitude which has allowed him to flourish under the German.

With four years left on his current contract, it doesn’t look like he will be departing anytime soon, but if he does fall out of favour or decides to move on, the Anfield side will make a bumper profit on him in the process.