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In the first fortnight of the transfer window being open, Arsenal seemed to be doing very little to no business, but over the last week or so, the North Londoners have sprung into life.

The Premier League runners-up kicked things off by signing 18-year-old goalkeeper Lucas Nygaard last week before confirming the permanent signing of David Raya on Thursday.

Since then, attention has firmly swung to the future of Bologna and Italy star Riccardo Calafiori, with recent reports suggesting that his transfer is mere days away from completion.

However, based on recent reports, Edu Gaspar and Co aren't quite done there. The latest name touted for a move following Calafiori's is a player who's been compared to Nico Williams and could be the perfect Reiss Nelson replacement.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Arsenal are interested in and have been 'closely monitoring' LOSC Lille's star winger, Edon Zhegrova.

The report claims that there have not been any formal talks between the two clubs, and while his contract is set to run until 2026, the player wants to leave in 2024.

The report does not reveal how much the French side wants for the dynamic attacker, but Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg claimed that his price was between €17m and €20m in January this year, which converts to between £14m and £17m.

Overall, it looks like a relatively straightforward and affordable transfer to get over the line, and with Nelson's exit looking increasingly likely this summer, one the Gunners should not pass up on – the comparisons to Williams are just a bonus.

How Zhegrova compares to Nelson and Williams

Now, before we look at how Zhegrova compares to Nelson, let's look at this comparison to Athletic Bilbao's Williams.

The comparison itself stems from FBref, which looks at players in every position across Europe's top five leagues and then creates a list of the ten most similar players for each player in those competitions based on their positions, and they have concluded that the Spaniard is the second most similar winger to the Kosovan.

This can be seen best in some of their underlying numbers, as they rank closely for non-penalty expected goals and assists, actual non-penalty goals, progressive passes received, key passes, crosses, shot-creating actions and successful take-ons, all per 90.

Zhegrova & Williams

Stats per 90

Zhegrova

Williams

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.49

0.46

Non-Penalty Goals

0.24

0.20

Progressive Passes Received

12.70

12.00

Key Passes

1.81

1.87

Crosses

6.85

6.10

Shot-Creating Actions

4.84

4.81

Successful Take-Ons

3.54

3.43

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 League Season

So, with his similarities to the Bilbao ace quite clear, how does he stack up to the player he may replace at the Emirates?

Well, from a pure output perspective, it's not a competition as last season, the Lille sensation, whom content creator Zach Lowy described as "magnificent", racked up 12 goals and ten assists in 47 first-team appearances, equating to a goal involvement every 2.13 games on average.

In contrast, the Hale End graduate has only scored 19 goals and provided 17 assists in all 150 senior appearances he has made across his career.

Now, he has obviously been limited for game time in recent seasons, but that is just another sign that Arteta does not trust him enough and another reason he should be moved on.

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Ultimately, Nelson has shown glimpses of his ability as a player, but he's never been able to put together a campaign like Zhegrova did last season. Therefore, for the money being mentioned, signing the Kosovan star seems like a fantastic idea.

Leeds United really would have been fearing the worst in the direct aftermath of their crushing Championship play-off final defeat at the hands of Southampton, unsure what the true complexion of another season in the second tier looked like.

There have been suggestions that the Whites would need to have an almighty fire sale in order to balance the books correctly and although the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Wilfried Gnonto and others do still look unlikely to stay rooted in West Yorkshire past this summer, the mood around Elland Road has at least gotten less sour with more recent developments.

Red Bull acquiring a minor ownership stake in the club will no doubt allow Leeds to still bring in notable incomings through the door despite their failure to win promotion obviously hurting them, with Whites chairman Paraag Marathe stating that this lucrative deal will allow the West Yorkshire outfit to "reach its full competitive potential."

That could mean the play-off final losers are now able to keep a sublime loanee around permanently, even as other clubs begin to eye up a move after the defender was imperious for Daniel Farke's nearly-men all campaign long.

Leeds looking atr "outstanding" star

A recent report by TEAMTalk indicates that current Tottenham Hotspur defender Joe Rodon has been given free rein over his immediate future at the Premier League side, with a permanent deal on the table from Leeds if he wants to stay situated at Elland Road, even as the club prepares for another season in the second-tier.

Leeds will obviously want the Welshman to stick it out at the Whites ahead of next campaign, with the ex-Swansea City centre-back making 50 appearances in total under Farke as an everpresent member of his near-miss squad, who no doubt will feel strange that his successful loan stint didn't conclude with any promotion celebrations.

It won't be a foregone conclusion that he does just end up relocating back up to Yorkshire, however, with Southampton also circling for his services, who denied Leeds at Wembley a spot in the Premier League.

TEAMTalk also states that Rodon's current price tag stands between £12-15m, which could be easier for the Saints to pay up with this promotion success fresh in the bag, although Red Bull's new injection of cash could swing the deal in Leeds' favour.

Alongside this new influx of money, Rodon's successful loan spell could see him want to stay put, entering into the hearts of the Leeds fanbase with powerful and imposing displays becoming commonplace, leading to former Leeds defender Jon Newsome – on BBC Radio Leeds – calling the defender "outstanding" for his contributions at the back.

With the Welshman almost viewing Elland Road as home now over his parent North London employers, stating that it already feels like a "second home" to him during his stint, a move back for good could be on the cards very soon.

Nobody at Leeds would say no to this becoming a reality, with Farke understandably overjoyed if such a move did come to fruition.

Rodon's numbers for Leeds

Only missing three total games in the league, Rodon was arguably the glue that held together the back four for the club alongside Ampadu, when the German manager experimented with the full-back slots.

Stat – per 90 mins

Rodon

Ampadu

Games played

43

46

Average touches

83.7

84.0

Big chances created

0

6

Accurate *

66.0 (91%)

63.3 (89%)

Balls recovered *

4.2

6.9

Tackles *

1.1

1.5

Clearances *

4.5

2.2

Total duels won

4.7

4.0

Stats by Sofascore. * = per game

Gelling well at the back with the ex-Chelsea man, Rodon was the more physical of the two centre-backs as well as being a measured passer of the ball. The current Leeds boss would love to have this partnership back at his disposal ahead of next campaign, with that then being a solid foundation to build a somewhat new-look team around.

Even in that soul-destroying 1-0 defeat to Russell Martin's Saints at Wembley, Rodon didn't put in an underwhelming display, with a 91% passing accuracy managed, but he will no doubt still be troubled by the lax marking that allowed Adam Armstrong acres of space to fire home the decisive match-winning goal on the biggest stage.

He could well right the wrongs of that fateful day by returning for £15m this summer, having collected an impressive 17 clean sheets himself, before his side were unfortunately breached in that stinging defeat.

Rodon might well not be the only new addition to the ranks at Elland Road if this new Red Bull deal does inject hefty millions into the club's bank account, which could sway the 26-year-old even more towards returning to Leeds instead of fighting for an unlikely first-team spot stuck on the periphery at Spurs.

Leeds' other business this summer

Away from multiple different news outlets speculating on the futures of Gnonto, Summerville and Archie Gray to name a few, Leeds are also in the running for various new incomings into the building.

Rodon could even be joined by Ben Johnson, with none of the newly acquired Red Bull money needed to tempt the current West Ham United man to make the switch to Elland Road, as a deal for the versatile defender could be clinched for free owing to his Hammers contract running down.

Farke will feel less grim about his side's chances in the division, therefore, with plenty of fresh recruits coming in to re-energise the downtrodden troops who missed out on promotion glory just, with an out-there swoop for Ao Tanaka also reportedly on the agenda.

Leeds have been here before when it comes to notable departures and have bounced back, cheering on Ilia Gruev's excellence in the play-off semi-finals in the position Kalvin Phillips used to dazzle in.

But, being able to keep a firm grip on such a fan favourite in Rodon permanently would be such a boost for a side very much down their luck after Wembley heartbreak, ahead of battling away near the top of the division all over again when next season gradually begins to comes into view.

Leeds eyeing "unbelievable" Rodon repeat this summer

Leeds United could look to replicate the success of Joe Rodon’s loan with this summer buy.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 3, 2024

Manchester United are in the final stages of agreeing a contract extension, it has been revealed, with a deal 90% done.

Red Devils set for summer of change

The arrival of Sir Jim Ratciffe and INEOS has promised plenty of change at Old Trafford this summer, with cuts being made across the board ahead of the new Premier League season. Keen to reduce the wage bill, Raphael Varane and Anthony Martial have already left on free transfers, while Casemiro remains a target for Saudi Arabia.

Beyond that, almost all of the squad is up for sale, with reports claiming that only Rasmus Hojlund, Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo are deemed untouchable, with the trio a young core that the club wish to build around.

They will add to that this summer, with a centre-back, central midfielder, winger and fullback among the positions that they are keen to strengthen ahead of the new season.

Man Utd in strong position to sign "monster" Neves alternative

The Man Utd target has been described as a “game-changer.”

ByTom Lever Jun 12, 2024

Now, in a bid to secure their own ranks before they venture into the transfer market, the club have moved to tie down a key part of their future with a fresh deal, and talks are progressing.

"Important" deal to be agreed

Now, it has emerged that Erik ten Hag is closing in on a new deal at Old Trafford after a decision was made on his future. Seemingly against all the odds, the Dutchman avoided the sack after last season, despite the club holding talks with several other managers about the position, including the likes of Mauricio Pochettino, Thomas Frank, Gareth Southgate and Thomas Tuchel.

Ten Hag's Manchester United record

Games

114

Wins

68

Win %

59.6%

Goals conceded per 90

1.37

Goals scored per 90

1.82

And stranger still, he is set to be handed a new bumper deal at the Theatre of Dreams, with an agreement close over a three year extension to his current deal, as per Fabrizio Romano (via Give Me Sport).

“Ten Hag knows now that he’s staying at Manchester United, and he will be involved in discussions for the future, but now it’s about discussing his contract, and from what I’m hearing a potential new deal until 2027 is really concrete.

“It’s 90% confirmed, both parties want to make it happen, with Ten Hag happy to have a long-term vision together with the owners and directors, and also to avoid potential media problems after the first few games of the season.

“Sometimes a few bad results can lead to reports that a manager’s job is already in danger, and so Man United want to protect Ten Hag as he’s considered a really important part of their project.”

Despite two trophies in two seasons at the club, Ten Hag will have plenty of work to do over the summer to prevent a repeat of last season's disaster, which saw them finish eighth and bottom of their Champions League group.

However, he is set to have less control over transfers and instead focus more on coaching, which United will be hoping will allow him to flourish.

From when the squad flies out to if players can train straightaway after reaching England, we answer all your queries

Andrew McGlashan14-Aug-2020

Mitchell Starc prepares to bowl during an Australia nets session for NSW-based players•Getty Images

When does the squad fly out?The 21-man squad, along with coaches and support staff will come from around Australia and link up in Perth for a direct chartered flight to London on August 23 which avoids the need for any international stopovers on route which may have complicated the journey. They will arrive in London the following day and immediately transfer to the County Ground at Derby which will be their first biosecure base for the tour. The ground has been used by Pakistan and the England Women’s team this season.How have the players been getting ready?The Australia selectors named a 26-man squad last month so that those in the frame could start to prepare. However, things have differed state-to-state because of the various levels of Covid-19 restrictions in place around Australia. Melbourne is currently in a Stage 4 lockdown after a spike in number of cases, which has made things more challenging for Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell. The New South Wales-based Australia players have trained away from their state team-mates and been told to avoid public places – such as cafes and restaurants – in recent weeks to minimise the risks. In other states it’s been more like normal pre-season. South Australia had nets in Adelaide on Friday and Marnus Labuschagne, the only Queensland player in the squad, made 92 when the state players trialled the Hundred format recently.Can Australia train straightaway?Yes, once they shake off the jetlag, they’ll be straight into preparing for the internationals. Because they are moving into a biosecure environment, plus the fact there is an approved air bridge between Australia and the UK, it means they won’t be confined to their rooms for a quarantine period on arrival. The reason they won’t go straight to the Ageas Bowl, which hosts the T20Is, is that England’s Test series against Pakistan isn’t due to finish until August 25. That tour then returns to Old Trafford, the other major biosecure venue, for the T20Is so Australia need a base for a few days before heading to the Ageas Bowl on August 27.ALSO READ: Warner, Smith, Maxwell, Cummins set to miss start of IPL 2020How will Australia prepare?Like West Indies and Pakistan, it will be with intra-squad matches (only Ireland, who played England Lions, have faced genuine opposition). Australia are due to play three T20 and one 50-over warm-up before facing England. They are taking 21 players with them which isn’t quite enough for a proper 11-a-side match, so there will need to be some creativity in the games themselves, but if the intra-squad match before last year’s Ashes is any indication, they could still be lively with established players up against those looking to make an impression.So what about the internationals?They will come in two batches, beginning with the T20Is on September 4, 6 and 8 before the squads relocate to Manchester for the ODIs, which are part of the World Cup Super League, at Old Trafford on September 11, 13 and 16. That journey between the venues will be under strict biosecure protocols as well, which is where Jofra Archer found himself in trouble earlier in the season after a detour home. The fact the two grounds have hotels onsite has been a key factor in the ECB managing to pull together this season.Remind me, when did Australia last play?The men were last in action on March 13 when the world was already changing. They played a behind-closed-doors ODI against New Zealand at the SCG – so were the first team to experience what has become the norm, for now at least – before that series was called off the next day when New Zealand had to return home due to borders being closed. Although they reached the World Cup semi-finals a little over a year ago, Australia’s ODI form has been very patchy with just two wins in seven matches since then. However, they have had much more success in T20Is and were shaping as one of the favourites for the now-postponed T20 World Cup. Going back to February 2019, they have won nine of their last 11 T20Is.What happens after the tour?This is where things get a bit complicated again and there are still some aspects to be confirmed. The players who take up their IPL deals will be dropped off in the UAE (Australia and England players will share the same flight) from which point on they come under the umbrella of the IPL’s protocols. The remaining Australia players and staff will continue back to Perth where, under Australia government regulations, they will have to quarantine for 14 days. CA hopes they will be able to negotiate that players will be able to train during that period but that’s an ongoing negotiation with the Western Australia government. It would be especially problematic for the pacemen if they weren’t able to keep their bowling loads up. After that period, they will be able to rejoin their states but it is likely they will miss some early-season games if the summer gets up and running on schedule.

Coaches in the Hundred have raised questions about how squads in the competition will look next year, suggesting that a partial re-draft of squads will be necessary ahead of the tournament’s delayed launch in 2021.Players’ contracts were terminated on Monday through a ‘force majeure’ clause following the tournament’s postponement and the ECB has opened discussions with the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and other stakeholders in the past few days to work out what will happen to squads.And while there seems to be little appetite for a total re-draft, question marks over Kolpak players, overseas availability, and possible retirements mean that freezing the squads would prove close to impossible.ALSO READ: Hundred delay a knock for women’s game – LevickUnder the competition’s planned retention rules, teams were able to keep up to ten players from their initial squad for the 2021 edition of a tournament, at a salary band negotiated with the player. Another draft would then follow for teams to fill the gaps in their squads during the winter, with the lower number of players to pick allowing a shorter and more focused programme for TV. A modified version of this system seems – at an early stage – to be the most likely solution.Speaking on a Sky Sports podcast, Shane Warne and Tom Moody – coaches of London Spirit and Oval Invincibles respectively – said that there would be issues with keeping the same squads for 2021.”It’ll be two years basically when the Hundred starts from when we did the auction [draft],” Warne said. “There’ll be different players, some players might retire, so I’m not sure how they’re going to – will they start from scratch again, where you have to put together different squads? Will they have a ten-player core of that squad and then you can only pick ten players?”It’ll be interesting to see what the ECB come up with about the rules and whether they say ‘you know what, we’re going to start again’ or another alternative. I think everyone was pretty happy with the squad they had but two years later from when the auction [draft] is, there’s a lot of time passed as to how players develop in that time. It’d be interesting to see how it affects them. People might be playing international cricket then, might have got elevated so they’re not available as much, so you might have chosen a different squad.”In the London Spirit squad Warne picked, there are four players who would be 35 or older at the start of next year’s competition: Joe Denly, Jade Dernbach, Mohammad Nabi, and Roelof van der Merwe. Kyle Abbott, initially selected as a local player thanks to his Kolpak registration, would have to be picked as an overseas player. Moody’s Invincibles squad has fewer issues in terms of age, but he has a similar problem with Kolpak players having signed Rilee Rossouw and Hardus Viljoen for £75,000 and £60,000 respectively.”I think most teams would be pretty comfortable with the squads they’ve got. Not only did most teams plan to have a squad that was capable of winning in the first year, I think they had also a long-term eye as well with regards to making sure that they had players they wanted to be part of their franchise for years to come,” Moody said.”I think there are some tricky little hurdles that the organisers will have to get their head around. One of the ones that really stands out for me is the Kolpak player situation – it [the loophole] is due to expire at the end of December this year, so teams that had picked Kolpak players knowing that they had them for the first year but then would have had to make a decision with them the following year, with regards to whether they keep them on board as an overseas or let them go back into pasture.”Jason Roy models the Oval Invincibles’ kit•Getty Images

PCA chairman Daryl Mitchell has taken the lead in discussions and has led multiple calls with county representatives and other senior players since the tournament was officially postponed last Thursday. Of the 21 county reps (three counties have two), six have contracts in the Hundred: Ben Cox, Luke Fletcher, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, David Payne, Max Waller and Chris Wood. Others, such as Jake Ball and Jack Taylor, would have been well-placed to win selection as a ‘wildcard’ through performances in the T20 Blast.ALSO READ: Where now for the Hundred following ECB postponement?Both men’s and women’s players were notified via a letter on Monday that their contracts had been terminated. An ECB spokesperson said: “This letter is necessary paperwork to legally update and inform players of the situation, which follows a notification last week around the launch of the new competition being moved to 2021. We are currently working with the PCA and other key stakeholders with regard to player selection and retention for the first edition of the Hundred in 2021.”Selection and retention for the women’s competition is less likely to raise concerns, with players signed by teams partly based on location via an informal recruitment process rather than a draft. Charlotte Edwards, the former England captain and Southern Brave head coach, said on Sunday it was a “worrying time” for the women’s game following the tournament’s postponement, with several players set to miss out on deals in the short term.While the Hundred’s postponement has been confirmed, the ECB has downplayed reports that a revised schedule for the summer could include no women’s cricket. “We’re working alongside all international boards whose men’s or women’s teams are due to come here this summer,” said a spokesperson.

Tottenham Hotspur have not had a great deal of luck when it comes to managers in recent history, at least before the arrival of Ange Postecoglou, that is.

Following the departure of Mauricio Pochettino, Daniel Levy turned to José Mourinho, but within less than two years, it was clear that the Special One wasn't quite so special anymore, and after an interim stint from Ryan Mason, fellow Portuguese coach Nunu Espírito Santo was brought in.

Now, while the former Chelsea boss was far from a success in N17, he lasted for at least two seasons.

Whereas, after just a few disastrous months in the job, Nuno was handed his P45; although he did get at least one decision right, as a player he brought in during his short tenure has seen his value soar over the last couple of years.

Pape Matar Sarr's Spurs career

Yes, the player in question is Senegalese midfielder Pape Matar Sarr, who joined Nuno's Lilywhites side in August 2021 for around £15m from Ligue 1 side FC Metz.

The then-18-year-old spent the following season on loan with the French side, where he made 34 first-team appearances, scoring one goal and providing three assists, before joining up with Antonio Conte's Spurs for the 22/23 campaign.

Unfortunately, the incredibly talented midfielder would have to wait until January 1st to make his first-team debut under the Italian's watch.

He came off the bench in a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, but just two weeks later, he would make his full debut, starting at the base of midfield in the North London Derby.

In all, he ended the campaign with 14 appearances for the senior side, in which he registered his first assist, and while the club were in a sorry state off the back of Conte's sacking, he was a glimmer of hope for fans to hang onto.

Sarr's Spurs career

Season

22/23

23/24

Appearances

14

34

Goals

0

3

Assists

1

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.07

0.17

All Stats via Transfermarkt

This year, under the progressive tutelage of Postecoglou, the 21-year-old has become a far more regular fixture in the team. With one game left this season, he has made 34 appearances for the Australian, in which he has scored three goals and registered three assists.

The club were so impressed with the youngster's ability that they offered him a brand new £70k-per-week contract in January that'll keep him in N17 until June 2030.

So, thus far, the Thiaroye-born gem is proving U23 scout Antonio Mango correct in his assertion that he's "so good at football it's frightening."

Understandably, this incredible form and promise have seen the midfielder's valuation balloon recently, and as things stand, he's worth more than some outstanding players.

Pape Matar Sarr's valuation in 2024

According to CIES Football Observatory, Sarr is now worth €50m, which is around £43m, or £28m more than he cost Spurs in 2021.

Tottenham's most valuable midfielders

Place

Player

Valuation

Signed for

1

Pape Matar Sarr

€50m

£15m

2

James Maddison

€40m

£40m

3

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

€30m

£15m

4

Rodrigo Bentancur

€20m

£21m

4

Oliver Skipp

€20m

Academy

5

Yves Bissouma

€15m

£25m

5

Giovani Lo Celso

€15m

£42m

All Valuations via CIES Football Observatory

If that wasn't good enough, his new valuation also makes him the club's most valuable midfielder and means, notably, he is worth more than Son Heung-min and Leandro Trossard.

The Lilywhites captain is currently priced at €30m – £26m – by CIES, while the Gunners' Belgian goalscorer is valued slightly higher at €40m, which is £34m or still £9m less than the Senegalese international.

Son & Trossard in 23/24

Player

Son

Trossard

Appearances

35

45

Goals

17

17

Assists

9

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.74

0.42

All Stats via Transfermarkt

This price discrepancy likely isn't down to the wingers' performance this season, as the South Korean has racked up 17 goals and nine assists in 35 games, while the former Brighton & Hove Albion man has 17 goals and two assists in 45 matches, but more about their ages.

For example, Son is currently 31, and Trossard is set to turn 30 this year, so regardless of how effective they currently are, they lack much resale value as, within a few years, their output will start to drop noticeably, as explained by The Athletic's dive into the age players peak depending on position, and for wingers, it's 26.

Ultimately, Spurs have a real diamond of a player in Sarr, and while he isn't quite having the impact on games that his captain is at the moment, his importance to Postecoglou's system is only likely to grow, and his soaring valuation is just a reflection of that.

Related Spurs eyeing dream Son partner who's 'one of the best players in the PL'

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MatériaMais Notícias

A preocupação da Seleção Brasileira com a qualidade dos gramados na Copa América teve novo desdobramento. Nesta terça-feira (6), o técnico Tite, o coordenador de seleções Juninho Paulista e integrantes da comissão técnica fizeram pela manhã uma vistoria pela manhã para saber em quais condições está o campo do Maracanã. As informações são do “GE”.

Passados 12 dias de tratamento, o campo Maracanã progrediu para a decisão deste sábado (10), na qual o Brasil enfrentará Argentina ou Colômbia. Passadas tantas críticas aos gramados, a comissão técnica, que foi formada pelo auxiliar César Sampaio e pelos preparadores de goleiros Taffarel e Marquinho se surpreenderam com as condições.

Nesta quarta-feira, o gramado será liberado para o cerimonial da Conmebol realizar testes, como colocar palco para entrega de medalhas e troféus. Também está prevista a gravação do evento de encerramento da Copa América.

O engenheiro agrônomo Lucas Pedrosa, que coordenou a operação de troca de quase metade dos gramados do Maraca, detalhou os desafios com os quais o país lida. Somente nesta temporada, houve 34 jogos no local.

-O intervalo ideal para uma competição como esta seria em torno de 25 a 30 dias para a sua total recuperação, como aconteceu na Copa das Confederações (2013) e Copa do Mundo (2014).Última partida foi dia 23 de junho, pelo Brasileiro e então ficou liberado para nosso tratamento intensivo. Utilizamos essa janela para fazer a troca de 40%do gramado já a partir daquela noite.Essa troca parcial da grama já foi preparada em um tipo turf farm, disponibilizada pelo Flamengo, o que nos possibilitou essa troca de aproximadamente de 3.800m². São áreas desgastadas que sofreram com os jogos e aquecimentos nas partidas que foram realizadas antes da paralisação – disse.

De acordo com o funcionário da Greenleaf, para melhorar o campo, foram feitoscortes verticais para limpeza de palhas e resíduos de desgaste do gramado, além de cortes para uniformização e rebaixamento da altura do campo, da oxigenação do solo e sistema radicular (para melhor absorção de produtos e para deixar o gramado “respirando melhor”).

-Também fizemos o top dressing, que é a cobertura de areia em área total para proteção das folhas novas e correção do micro desnivelamento. Porque em cada partida o gramado sofre algumas injúrias, que são os “divots”, ou seja, os buracos que as travas da chuteira causam em uma partida. Além da nutrição do campo, o que é de extrema importância. A grama se alimenta e assim tem seu crescimento e desenvolvimento tanto para a parte vegetativa e produtiva – declarou.

Pedrosa garantiu que o gramado terá plenas condições na decisão.

-Tem as adversidades de clima no Rio de Janeiro, com temperatura amena e muita chuva nessa época do ano, o que faz com que a grama do tipo Bermudas Celebration tenha seu crescimento reduzido. Mas usamos de todos recursos que poderíamos ter para esses 16 dias até a final. O gramado chegará com ótimas condições de jogabilidade e estará à altura do espetáculo de uma final da Copa América – disse.

A comissão técnica da Seleção Brasileira, em seguida, partiu para Teresópolis, onde a delegação está concentrada.

Imposing defender Dan Scarr has left Championship side Plymouth Argyle to sign for Wrexham, a move that sees him move down a league in the pyramid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Defender leaves Plymouth to join Wrexham
• Spent three seasons at the Championship side
• Signs three-year deal with Parkinson's men

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The 28-year-old centre-back has left Wayne Rooney's side to play for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Red Dragons in League One, dropping down a division after helping Plymouth survive relegation from the Championship last term. He has put pen to paper on a three-year deal that will run until the end of the 2026-27 season.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Sarr, who joined Plymouth in 2021, was part of the squad that gained promotion to the Championship in 2023. Last season he appeared in 31 matches across all competitions, including 28 in the league, while he scored one goal for Argyle.

• WHAT DAN SARR SAID

  After signing for the Welsh club, the defender told their official website: "It’s a unique club for this day and age, but the main thing that drew me in was that I want to get another promotion and be a part of history. I’ve had good experiences that put me in good stead to go and help the team and help the players around me. I got promoted out of League One with Plymouth, and those sorts of experiences I hope will help me have a good season here too."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Phil Parkinson's men had a successful pre-season in the United States where they remained unbeaten, including an impressive draw against Premier League side Chelsea. They will play their final friendly match on Saturday against Fleetwood Town at SToK Cae Ras before their League One campaign begins with a home clash against Wycombe on August 10.

Despite spending an exorbitant sum of money, it has been a tough couple of years for Chelsea fans.

The west Londoners went through four managers last season only to end up 12th in the Premier League, whereas this year, they have stuck with Mauricio Pochettino – for now – and are currently 11th.

So far, Todd Boehly and Co's plan to spend big on youngsters has not worked out, and while it could still come good in the end, there are several players on big wages at the club who probably shouldn't be.

In fact, one signing from last year is on substantially more than Conor Gallagher despite making little to no impact since joining.

How much Conor Gallagher earns at Chelsea

Gallagher, a boyhood Chelsea fan, has been with the club for his entire footballing journey. He fought his way through the various youth sides and impressed out on loan before finally taking his chance and staking a claim for a spot in the first team.

The Epsom-born gem made his full debut for the club against Leeds United on the 21st of August 2022 in the Premier League, although it wasn't quite the introduction to the team that he would've hoped for as the Peacocks beat them 3-0.

GK – Edouard Mendy

RB – Reece James

CB – Thiago Silva

CB – Kalidou Koulibaly

LB – Marc Cucurella

CM – Jorginho

CM – Conor Gallagher

RM – Ruben Loftus-Cheek

LM – Mason Mount

ST – Kai Havertz

ST – Raheem Sterling

In fact, the Englishman's first season in the team probably didn't go quite as well as he was hoping it would as, after making 45 appearances, he had just three goals and one assist to his name, although considering he played just 2022 minutes, it isn't as a poor a return as it first looks.

However, the 24-year-old has dramatically improved this season, scoring four goals and providing six assists in just 36 appearances while also captaining the side on 17 occasions in the absence of Reece James and Ben Chilwell.

In all, it would be quite hard to argue that the "heart" of the club, as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, isn't deserving of his £50k-per-week wages, especially as there's another player in the team earning substantially more than that while making comparatively little impact.

How much Benoît Badiashile earns at Chelsea

There are quite a few players who earn more than Gallagher in Chelsea's current squad – 18 to be exact – including Robert Sanchez, Nicolas Jackson, and Axel Disasi, but perhaps the most surprising is Benoît Badiashile.

The French centre-back is currently bringing home a healthy pay packet of £90k-per-week, which is £40k-per-week more than the stand-in captain, or almost double.

Now, while a wage of £90k-per-week is unimaginable for the vast majority of people, it is not terribly abnormal in the Premier League, and so, if Badiashile was regularly playing for Chelsea, it might be easier to understand, but he's not.

Appearances

23

Cost per Appearance

£1.7m

Minutes

1791'

Cost per Minute

£22k-per-minute

Goals

2

Assists

1

In all, the former AS Monaco man has made 23 appearances since completing his £35m move last January, and while a large part of that is due to the 25 games he has missed through injury, it's also been down to a slew of less-than-ideal performances.

For example, when he was selected to start at Anfield in January, he looked utterly hopeless, putting in a display that Gabby Agbonlahor described as "dreadful" and "the worst centre-half performance I've seen in the Premier League."

He was also directly responsible for Newcastle United's opening goal in the club's League Cup tie in December, only avoiding serious criticism thanks to the 92nd-minute equaliser from Mykhailo Mudryk.

Considering his 60 weeks of wages, which amount to £5.4m, and the £35m transfer fee he originally cost the club, it is hard not to look at that £40m as money wasted, at least for now.

Chelsea played a blinder selling £34m gem who's worth less than Sterling

The Cobham star has had a rough couple of years away from Stamford Bridge.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 6, 2024

Ultimately, the young Frenchman is only 22 years old, and he could well come good for Chelsea, but given his consistent injury problems and less-than-stellar performances when he is fit, the signs aren't great.

CA will meet with ICC CEO just before Christmas to discuss number of global tournaments over the next events’ cycle

Daniel Brettig04-Dec-2019

GCV via Getty Images

Australia’s first Boxing Day Test with New Zealand in 32 years will take place in the wake of critical talks between Cricket Australia and the ICC, aimed at resolving an impasse over global events for the next international cycle.Financial woes among the majority of Full Member countries have caused them to be increasingly reliant upon cash distributions from ICC events, pushing the global body’s new chief executive Manu Sawhney to lobby for the return of an extra event in the next cycle so that there is a men’s tournament – either a Twenty20 World Cup, 50-over World Cup or shorter, Champions Trophy style 50-over competition – every year.New Zealand’s presence on Boxing Day will be poignant to the moment, for their finances stand as a signal example. Shifting ICC distributions have caused one of cricket’s smaller boards to return financial losses of NZD 1.3 million (USD 846,000 approx) for 2018-19 (as against a projected profit of NZD 1 million) after deficits of $3.5 million in 2018 and $9.3 million in 2017. The most recent loss was all the more troubling for the fact that the 2018-19 season featured an inbound India tour.However CA, the BCCI and the ECB, cricket’s three richest boards, have indicated their hesitance about placing the extra event in the next cycle, already crushed as it is by domestic Twenty20 tournaments and the advent of Test and ODI leagues. These reservations have been expressed by the BCCI’s leadership, the ECB’s chairman Colin Graves, and CA’s chairman Earl Eddings and chief executive Kevin Roberts.”We’ve got Manu Sawhney, the ICC CEO, coming out in a couple of weeks to work through it,” Eddings told ESPNcricinfo. “We’ve got a responsibility as one of the leading countries to make the ICC strong and the countries who are part of the ICC. But we’ve also got to balance that with our own requirements around bilateral cricket. One of the challenges we have is Australia relies more on bilateral cricket than the ICC, where for a lot of countries it is the other way round. So just trying to find the balance.”You’ve got more T20 competitions spreading around the world, you’ve got the burgeoning IPL and you’ve got our bilateral cricket. More importantly, what does that mean to the players and from a player welfare perspective. So you’ve got all these challenges to try to work through. I think there’s a solution there, I don’t know what it is yet, but we’ll keep talking to the ICC and other countries to find a way to one, maximise the opportunities for the ICC and its members but also look after the needs of bilateral cricket and most importantly protect the sanctity of Test cricket.”We’re working through it with the ICC at the moment, that’s why Manu’s coming down, let’s sit down and work out what the options are, put some of the minutiae around it, so people can make a more informed decision. The ICC in concept approved it, subject to making sure it doesn’t impact on bilateral cricket, where you play, how you play it, how you bid for it.”Eddings, who has operated on a relational and trust-building platform since becoming CA chairman in 2018, is conscious of the problems affecting other boards and has proposed, among other things, that the ICC and member countries adopt a four-year financial cycle to smooth out year-on-year financial distributions to reduce cashflow issues.”During the last cycle of ICC events, there was last year (2018) when they didn’t have an event, and that had massive implications for distributions back to all of the countries,” he said. “Where that isn’t a problem for Australia, it is for others. So we’re trying to make sure you’ve got that cycle with an event every year so there’s consistency of revenue. But the challenge we have is the number of days – compared to the previous cycle when they did have an event every year, the events themselves didn’t run that long, but now the events have got bigger.”So you’ve got a lot more ICC content to fit into a smaller calendar, with all the T20 leagues around the world. So that’s the challenge now, trying to squeeze too much content into too little time.”We’ve certainly made that recommendation [for a four-year cycle] to the ICC. We’ve got the same problem [as other Full Members] only on a smaller scale, some years we make a lot of money, other years we lose a lot of money, depending on who’s travelling and your media rights. You don’t want to be up and down with your cash flows, particularly back to [CA’s member] states who rely on your funding. So we smooth it out, we look at how much money we’ve made over the four-year cycle as opposed to an up and down cycle of year by year.”The talks with Sawhney are aimed at working towards a solution before there is any danger of the game again being split along financial lines, as occurred during the infamous “big three” takeover of the ICC by the boards of India, England and Australia in 2014-15.”Not yet, it’s still early days,” Eddings said when asked about any additional details around the proposed extra tournament. “Still got to work out its context, player welfare is really important – you can’t just keep putting in more games to play, I think it’s unfair – and still need to work out where it fits in the calendar. So as a concept it’s up there, but a lot of work has got to be done on what type of event it is, how it plays out. That’s all still a work in progress.”Most of the Test playing countries play in the same season, which makes it more challenging. You’ve got a lot more time in the northern summer, so a whole range of factors need to be considered. A lot of water’s going to go under the bridge before we get that far.”We’re a long way off – this [extra event] is post 2023, so we’ve got a number of years to work through it, but you can’t do one thing without the other. To be able to work on your future tours programme, you need to know where that fits in with an ICC schedule, so you can’t just look at an ICC schedule in isolation, just as you can’t look at a bilateral or future tours programme in isolation.”