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BCCI informs franchises, no fresh window finalised

Nagraj Gollapudi14-Apr-2020

BCCI

The BCCI has suspended the 2020 edition of the IPL until further notice because of the Covid-19 pandemic. It is understood that the BCCI has not set a new window yet for the tournament, which was to be held between March 29 and May 24 originally.In a statement signed by secretary Jay Shah on Thursday**, the BCCI said, “the IPL Governing Council of the BCCI has decided that the IPL 2020 Season will be suspended till further notice.”On Wednesday morning*, all the eight franchises were informed of the decision by Hemang Amin, the IPL’s chief operating officer. Amin told the franchises that, following the extension of the nationwide lockdown until May 3 by the Indian government, there was no possibility of hosting the event in the regular summer window.The decision follows a meeting among the BCCI’s top brass over a conference call on Tuesday evening. Among those involved in the discussions were BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, secretary Jay Shah, treasurer Arun Dhumal, IPL chairman Brijesh Patel, and Amin.This is the second time the BCCI has been forced to defer the IPL. Last month, just before the government put the country in a three-week lockdown, the board had pushed the start date of the tournament back to April 15.On Tuesday, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi announced an extension of the lockdown until May 3, even as all domestic and international travel in and out of the country remained blocked. This made it apparent that there would be no chance of hosting the IPL in the foreseeable future.Although it was preparing for this scenario for some time, the BCCI had also been optimistic about conducting a month-long IPL with the final scheduled in the first week of June. Also, as part of its contingency planning, the BCCI was looking at staging all the matches behind closed doors in limited centres.All those plans had to be pushed to the backburner after a spike in Covid-19 infections around the country. As of Wednesday, over 11,000 people have tested positive in India with deaths inching towards the 400 mark. With several restrictions put in place by the government in terms of social distancing and travel bans, and overseas players unable to participate with their own countries in lockdown, the BCCI was left with little choice but to put off the IPL.Whil this leaves the tournament’s stakeholders, including the players, facing a big setback, the BCCI said all affected parties were supportive of the decision to postpone the IPL.”The health and safety of the nation and everyone involved in our great sport remains our top priority and as such, the BCCI along with the franchise owners, broadcaster, sponsors and all the stakeholders acknowledge that the IPL 2020 season will only commence when it is safe and appropriate to do so,” the BCCI said. “BCCI will continue to monitor and review the situation regarding a potential start date in close partnership with all of its stakeholders and will continue to take guidance from the government of India, state governments and other state regulatory bodies.”At the auction last December, a total 62 players were bought by the eight franchises, who spent INR 140.30 crore [USD 18.4 million approx.] overall. Australian fast bowler Pat Cummins became the most expensive overseas buy in IPL’s history after Kolkata Knight Riders bought him for INR 15.5 crore [USD 2 million approx.].None of the IPL players will receive any money until the tournament actually takes place. As per the norm, franchises make payments in two instalments: the first a week before the tournament starts and the rest after the season is over. The franchises, too, will feel the pinch as they rely heavily on the IPL’s commercial revenue, which also includes broadcast rights which were bought by Star India for a record sum for a five-year period in 2017. Every franchise, since then, was assured a minimum share worth INR 150 crore [USD 19.7 million approx.].

MatériaMais Notícias

O Caxias se prepara para enfrentar a reta final da primeira fase da Série D. O clube, que é terceiro colocado do grupo A8 da competição, joga em casa, neste final de semana, contra um adversário direto, o quarto colocado Marcílio Dias. Para manter a regularidade jogando em Caxias do Sul – são duas vitórias em duas partidas -, o clube grená conta com o reforço do zagueiro Lucas Rocha, de 26 anos, que chegou ao clube no começo de junho

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> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão da Série D-2021 clicando aqui

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– O objetivo desse grupo é estar lá em cima brigando para se classificar bem na competição. A meta é buscar o acesso para a Série C. O Caxias é um clube gigante – declarou o zagueiro.

Anunciado em 5 de junho para a disputa da competição, Lucas estreou com a camisa grená no último sábado, na derrota de 2 a 0 para o Joinville. Na oportunidade, o camisa 14 entrou no segundo tempo para recompor o sistema defensivo, após expulsão do zagueiro Henrique na primeira etapa da partida.

– Foi um jogo difícil para uma estreia. Apesar disso, me senti bem. Já estou 100% para o andamento da competição. Trabalhamos forte todos os dias para entrar e corresponder – disse Lucas.

Terceiro lugar do grupo A8, o Caxias faz confronto direto contra o Marcílio Dias, neste domingo, às 15h, no Estádio Centenário, em Caxias do Sul. A partida é válida pela 7ª rodada da 1ª fase da Série D, com transmissão do Eleven Sports.

It's been a rough few weeks for Tottenham Hotspur as four Premier League defeats in a row have left them seven points off Aston Villa in the final Champions League spot.

Ange Postecoglou's team looks entirely different from the one that went ten games unbeaten at the start of the campaign. Still, considering it's the Australian's first season in charge, it would be unfair to chastise him too much.

Moreover, with the summer transfer window just around the corner, he'll have another opportunity to further shape the team into one he wants to manage, and based on recent reports, he could soon have an upgrade on the injury-prone Richarlison.

Tottenham transfer news

According to a report from German publication BILD (via TEAMtalk), Tottenham Hotspur are positioning themselves to hijack Liverpool's pursuit of Egypt international Omar Marmoush this summer.

The report has revealed that the Eintracht Frankfurt striker has caught the attention of both the Lilywhites and Merseysiders following his successful season in Germany's top flight, and as such, his side are preparing for his departure in the coming months.

While this is great news for the North Londoners, it won't be a cheap signing to complete, with the report claiming that Frankfurt won't authorise the sale unless offers of around €50m – £43m – are made.

It would undoubtedly represent a sizeable investment in the team from Daniel Levy and Co, but with goals seriously drying up in recent weeks, it looks like it would be one worth making.

How Marmoush compares to Richarlison

Now, if Spurs were to get ahead of the Reds and sign Marmoush in the summer, the fact that his primary and most effective, position in the team is as the central number nine would certainly threaten Richarlison's standing in the side, but how do the pair stack up against one another?

Well, from a straightforward goals and assists perspective, it's the Frankfurt ace who comes out ahead with 16 goals and six assists in 39 games, meaning he averages a goal involvement every 1.7 games.

In comparison, the former Everton star has scored 12 goals and provided four assists in 31 games so far this term, averaging a goal involvement every 1.9 games for Postecoglou's Lilywhites.

Marmoush vs Richarlison

Players

Marmoush

Richarlison

Appearances

39

31

Goals

16

12

Assists

6

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.56

0.51

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Unfortunately for the Brazilian, while putting up a bit more of a fight, he falls even further behind his potential replacement when comparing their underlying numbers.

The positives are that he produces a higher non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, scores more non-penalty goals, provides more assists, and takes more shots per 90, but in all other relevant metrics, he comes out a clear second-best.

Marmoush vs Richarlison

Stats per 90

Marmoush

Richarlison

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.57

0.70

Non-Penalty Goals

0.51

0.62

Assists

0.19

0.21

Shots

2.96

3.47

Shots on Target %

42.4%

41.8%

Passing Accuracy

71.7%

68.1%

Shot-Creating Action

3.08

2.05

Goal-Creating Action

0.54

0.30

Progressive Passes

2.31

2.29

Progressive Passes Received

6.61

6.39

Progressive Carries

3.08

1.57

Successful Take-Ons

1.32

0.60

Dispossessed

2.00

2.41

Ball Recoveries

3.22

2.53

All Stats via FBref for the 23/24 Season

For example, the Egyptian produces more progressive passes and carries, maintains a better passing accuracy, produces more shot and goal-creating actions, completes significantly more take-ons, is dispossessed less often, makes more ball recoveries, and a higher percentage of his shots are on target, all per 90.

Another crucial factor to consider is the players' injury records. While the Spurs forward has missed 31 games through injury in the last three seasons, the "tireless" Marmoush, as described by Eintracht boss Dino Toppmoller, has missed just 11 games in the same time, suggesting he'd be a far more reliable option over the course of a campaign.

Ultimately, Richarlison is a talented striker who could continue to be useful for Tottenham, but with a better injury record, a more productive season behind him, and underlying numbers that show the level of his all-round game, Levy should sign Marmoush as an upgrade in the summer.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 4, 2024

أصدر الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة، رسميًا اليوم السبت، عدة قرارات بشأن ما حدث بعد نهاية مبارة الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري في كأس السوبر المصري المقام في دولة البحرين.

وتوج فريق الاتحاد السكندري بكأس السوبر المصري البحريني لكرة السلة، بعد الفوز على المنامة البحريني.

وانطلقت بطولة السوبر المصري البحريني خلال الفترة من 28 وحتى 30 نوفمبر الجاري، بمشاركة الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري من مصر، الأهلي والمنامة من البحرين.

طالع أيضاً.. الاتحاد السكندري يفوز على المنامة ويتوج بـ كأس السوبر المصري البحريني لكرة السلة

وشهدت مباراة الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري، مشادة بين أحد اللاعبين، وسوء سلوك من لاعب زعيم الثغر علي محمد أحمد، ولاعب الأحمر مصطفى محمد أحمد. عقوبات مباراة الأهلي والاتحاد السكندري في كأس السوبر المصري لكرة السلة

بناء على الأحداث التي وقعت خلال مباراة السوبر المصري للرجال يوم الخميس الموافق 28 نوفمبر 2024 بين فريقي نادي الاتحاد السكندري والنادي الأهلي، قرر مجلس ادارة الاتحاد المصري لكرة السلة الآتي:

1- ايقاف اللاعب علي محمد أحمد من نادي الاتحاد السكندري مبارتان في الدوري وتوقيع غرامة مالية قدرها 50000 جنيه فقط خمسون ألف جنيها مصريا لاغير، وذلك لما بدر منه أثناء المباراة من سوء سلوك.

2- لفت نظر وإنذار اللاعب مصطفى محمد أحمد من النادي الأهلي نظير الأحداث التي وقعت في نفس المباراة.

There is an interesting debate in the footballing world; who has the best academy? Arsenal’s Hale End is one that is often mentioned. They have produced some exceptional talent over the years, including the likes of Tony Adams, Cesc Fabregas, and more recently Bukayo Saka.

Manchester United’s esteemed Carrington Academy is another which has a superb production line. In recent years, graduates have included the likes of Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, but those two don’t even begin to scratch the surface of iconic names. The legendary Busby Babes from the 1950s and 1960s was littered with academy stars, as was the famous Class of ‘92.

Chelsea’s Cobham Academy is also one that is favourably looked upon, with several graduates winning the Champions League in 2021. Phil Foden, a Manchester City academy graduate, also won the Champions League with his boyhood club in 2023.

Outside of England, Barcelona’s La Masia academy is widely regarded as the best in mainland Europe. That was where Lionel Messi came through, as well as the likes of Xavi and Iniesta. It has produced some legendary players.

There is one exciting young player, who received much of his football education in La Masia, who has been in fine form this season and is now linked with a big move at the end of the season.

Arsenal target young attacker

The youngster in question here is former Barcelona academy player, and current PSG attacker Xavi Simons. The youngster has spent the 2023/24 season on loan at RB Leipzig, his second loan move in as many years, and has been sublime in Germany.

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, Simons is now of interest to Arsenal, and several of their Premier League rivals this summer, should PSG decide to move him on permanently. Aston Villa, Chelsea and City are also interested in signing the Dutchman in the summer.

With that being said, Simons’ preferred move is back to where it all began, in Barcelona. Bailey reports that “the Camp Nou is Xavi’s preferred destination”. That would see him link up with former Barca midfielder Xavi, whom the talented youngster was named after.

In terms of a fee, Simons may come cheaper than expected given his performances on loan at PSV and Leipzig. PSG reportedly value Xavi at £50m, which is certainly a deal Arsenal could afford to do, given Mikel Arteta will likely be backed this summer.

Why Xavi Simons would be a good signing for Arsenal

Over his two loan spells in his native Netherlands, and Germany, Simons has been electric. The Dutchman scored 19 goals and registered nine Eredivisie assists in 2022/23, sharing the Golden Boot, and has scored eight times and registered 13 assists for Leipzig this season in the Bundesliga. He also has four goal involvements in eight Champions League games.

Xavi Simons domestic league record over the last two seasons

Club

Games

Goals

Assists

PSV

34

19

9

Leipzig

32

8

12

Total

66

27

21

Simons’ sparkling performances over the past two seasons have not gone unnoticed. In fact, Arsenal legend Ian Wright was left spellbound by the 21-year-old’s performance against Real Madrid in the Champions League round of 16 this season. On his podcast ‘Wrighty’s House’, the former Arsenal striker said on Simons: “He was brilliant to watch. Unbelievable”.

As far as a creative midfielder goes, Simons is as good as they get, which is reflected in his Fbref numbers. He averages 6.04 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 11%, 2.19 passes into the penalty area per 90 minutes, ranking him in the top 12%, and 2.71 key passes per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 8%. As the numbers show, he is a creative genius.

Slotting into the midfield alongside Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, Simons could be superb for Arsenal. As football analyst Ben Mattinson described the signing on X, it could be a “game-changing signing”.

With the defensive security of Rice behind him, the 21-year-old could simply roam free in the final third, impacting the game and flexing his creative muscles in and around the opposition penalty box. He can score, assist, and has the potential to change a game at the drop of a hat. He could help provide the difference between Arsenal winning and losing the Premier League next season.

Mattinson further described Simons as a “superstar”, and it is clear to see why. At just 21 years old, he is one of the most sought-after youngsters in the world, and, should Arsenal acquire his services this summer, he can take their side to the next level.

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Posts ByMatt Dawson May 23, 2024

Both players set to be named in white-ball squad in coming days

Alan Gardner04-Jul-2020

Jonny Bairstow has been unable to force his way back into Test contention•Stu Forster/Getty Images

The omission of Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali from England’s 21-man Test party to take on West Indies was in part a reflection of their importance in white-ball cricket, rather than a statement on the current pecking order, according to Ed Smith, the ECB’s national selector. Smith confirmed that both players would move over to the “white-ball bubble” in the coming days, suggesting it made sense to do so once it was deemed neither was likely to make the first Test playing XI.With England’s rearranged summer schedule largely dictated by the protocols around Covid-19 and bio-security, and an ODI series against Ireland expected to begin two days after the end of the third West Indies Test, the selectors were always going to be faced with making difficult choices about which formats to prioritise for certain players.ALSO READ: England stick with Denly, no room for Bairstow, Ali in Test squadBairstow is currently behind Jos Buttler and Ben Foakes in the queue to keep wicket, and has had little opportunity to burnish his first-class batting record since being dropped last year, while Ali was unable to put pressure on Dom Bess as the incumbent spinner during this week’s warm-up game. Rather than be retained among the reserves – staying with the 13-man squad in case of the need to make Covid-19 substitutions – they will instead begin limited-overs preparations, with a white-ball group expected to be named in the coming week or so.”With Moeen and Jonny, part of the calculation is that they have been in the white-ball squad and been very good performers in white-ball cricket,” Smith said. “You know if they’re not in the eleven here, obviously it’s good that they’re playing cricket in the white-ball team.”Bairstow and Ali have been on the periphery of the Test side since last summer’s Ashes. Bairstow lost the gloves to Buttler at the conclusion of the series, and was left out of the Test squad for tours of New Zealand and Sri Lanka, while Ali opted not to make himself available for England’s winter Test commitments after losing his central contract, citing a desire for rest.England chose to pick Essex’s Dan Lawrence and Gloucestershire’s James Bracey as batting back-up at the Ageas Bowl, after both impressed during the three-day intra-squad game. But Smith reiterated the suggestion he made at the end of last summer that there was still scope for Bairstow to come again as a Test force.”A couple of things with Jonny. No one doubts he’s a very good cricketer across formats for England. No doors are closed for Jonny. We’re fully aware of what he can do in Test cricket, and of course we’re fully aware of his talent in all forms of the game. It’s also the case that we are where we were. When Covid-19 caused a suspension of cricket, Jos Buttler was the man in possession – still is the man in possession – and has our full support as England’s wicketkeeper-batsman. And Ben Foakes was the deputy on the tour of Sri Lanka. That’s where it is today.”It’s also the case that Jonny is in the white-ball team, and has had an exceptional spell of form in white-ball cricket. There’s cricket to be played there. It seemed the best arrangement for Jonny to move over to the white-ball bubble and to stick with the consistency of where we were.”I wouldn’t make any presumptions, in terms of anything being blocked for Jonny. There’s a wide understanding of how good Jonny is when he’s at his best, and that’s not going to be forgotten. Jonny’s a very talented player, and has played some very fine innings across England formats.”Similarly, with Somerset pair Bess and Jack Leach competing for the berth of No. 1 Test spinner, Ali was overlooked for a Test recall. Smith again characterised Bess as the man “in possession”, with Leach included among the reserves.”We’re very glad that Moeen is available for Test cricket,” Smith said. “Moeen is a trusted and valuable England cricketer, and as a selection panel we’ve always wanted to select from the widest available talent pool. Moeen being available is good news for the talent in the spin department. It’s also the case that Dom Bess did very well in South Africa, and Jack Leach has had spells in recent months when he’s been England’s spinner, and illness and injury have been very unfortunate for Jack. But we’re glad that Moeen is available again.”The other topic for deliberation was the shape of England’s top order, with Rory Burns returning from injury after missing three Tests in South Africa. The selectors opted to stick with Joe Denly – a decision eased by the absence of Joe Root while he attends the birth of his child – rather than look at an uncapped option such as Lawrence.Smith pointed to England’s 3-1 success in South Africa, and a renewed emphasis under Chris Silverwood on the top order looking to bat time in order to set up big scores; Denly has faced 100-plus balls in nine of his last 15 innings, although he hasn’t converted any of his six Test fifties into a hundred. Smith also said that he expected Denly to keep his place at No. 3, meaning Zak Crawley, an opener who deputised for Burns in South Africa, is likely to have to fill Root’s spot at No. 4.”The first thing to say is to look at the player and look at the team. England have come off the back off three consecutive Test match victories, a 3-1 victory in South Africa. There is also clearly an emerging Test plan by Chris Silverwood and Joe Root, supported by the selectors, about how they are setting up the team. There has been a real emphasis on solidity at the top of the order and getting first-innings runs. Enough runs for the bowling attack to really have a bank of runs behind them to bowl as a unit to win games. That’s the plan.”What we have seen is that since moving to a slight shift of plan for this winter, the England team has batted with more solidity and consistency throughout the order and Joe Denly has been a big part of that. Obviously, sometimes, the standout performances might have come lower down the order at four, five or six but the platform has been laid by the top order. What we are trying to do as selectors is to give the strongest possible options so England can execute the Test plan that they want to and that’s what we are doing.”

كشف سمير عثمان الخبير التحكيمي، مدى صحة قرارات محمد الحنفي حكم مباراة الأهلي والبنك الأهلي، التي جمعت بينهما ببطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

الأهلي واجه البنك الأهلي، على استاد السلام، في إطار مواجهات الجولة الرابعة من عمر منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز، وانتهى اللقاء بالتعادل السلبي.

وأوضح سمير مدى أحقية الأهلي في ركلة جزاء لصالح ياسر إبراهيم، وذلك في تصريحات عبر قناة “أون تايم سبورتس”: “هناك شد متبادل ثم شد من مدافع البنك الأهلي، ولا توجد صورة واضحة تؤكد إن هناك ركلة جزاء، لذلك سأوافق الحكم بعدم احتسابها، وأحيي حكم الفيديو على عدم استدعاء حكم الساحة، والفار لا يصح أن يتدخل لأنه لا يمتلك صورة واضحة للحالة”.

طالع أيضاً..جهاد جريشة: الڤار ارتكب خطأ غير مقبول في مباراة الأهلي والبنك الأهلي

وعن هدف رامي ربيعة أفاد: “لو الكرة لمست يد رامي ربيعة بدون تعمد وسجل هدفاً لا يُحتسب ويتم إلغائه، وكذلك لو فيها تعمد لا تحتسب، لكن هذه الحالة سواء فيها تعمد أو غير متعمد فإن لاعب البنك الأهلي استحوذ على الكرة بعد لمسة اليد وأصبحت لعبة جديدة، وبالتالي الهدف سليم ولم يتم احتسابه للنادي الأهلي”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Dois jogos sob o comando de Enderson Moreira e duas vitórias. O Botafogo está em um momento de evolução na temporada 2021 e se aproximou do G4 da Série B do Brasileirão: a diferença, que já foi de dez pontos, atualmente é de cinco. O zagueiro Gilvan valorizou, ao site oficial do clube, o momento.

+ Gilvan elogia Lucas Mezenga, zagueiro do Botafogo: ‘O vejo futuramente na Seleção Brasileira’

– Estamos evoluindo com a chegada do professor, um cara que cobra bastante e a filosofia do trabalho dele é muito boa. O grupo está assimilando bem, mas é claro que temos muito a melhorar. Acho que nosso momento está melhor, mas temos que manter os pés no chão. Não ganhamos nada ainda e estamos só com 19 pontos. Poderíamos estar melhor. Houve uma oscilação no começo, mas espero que agora venham só coisas boas para o nosso grupo – afirmou.

O próximo compromisso, contudo, não promete ser fácil: o Botafogo mede forças com o Vasco no sábado, às 21h, pela 15ª rodada do Brasileirão, no Estádio Nilton Santos.

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– É trabalhar forte para no sábado fazermos um grande jogo. Sabemos que será muito difícil, o Vasco tem uma equipe qualificada com bons jogadores. O Lisca também é um bom treinador, já trabalhei com ele e sei que cobra bastante as equipes que trabalha. Estamos atentos a tudo isso para fazermos um grande jogo e buscarmos o resultado – confessou.

+ Confira a classificação da Série B

O Botafogo está em uma sequência de dois jogos seguidos sem levar gol na Série B – justamente desde que Enderson chegou. O camisa 4 valorizou o empenho da equipe desde o campo ofensivo, o que acaba refletindo no terço inicial.

– Acho que a melhor defesa começa do ataque. Com o Navarro, o Diego e o Marco Antônio, que nos ajudou bastante nesse último jogo. Isso é muito importante, a mentalidade é essa. Tentar não sofrer gol que nossos atacantes vão fazer. É treinar forte para chegar no jogo e saber o que vai fazer. Isso o professor nos cobra muito e é isso que está acontecendo. Todo mundo com o mesmo pensamento de sempre vencer e isso é fundamental para crescermos na competição – valorizou.

For one final time, Manchester United took the pitch with a centre-back pairing of Lisandro Martinez and Raphael Varane at Wembley, with the World Cup-winning duo making a much-needed return to action following their respective injury-hit campaigns.

With Varane already confirmed to be on his way this summer, the Frenchman ensured it was to be a perfect send-off after putting in a statement showing in the FA Cup showpiece, helping to keep a muted Erling Haaland at bay after recording seven clearances and enjoying a stunning 95% pass accuracy.

Such a performance has not been seen enough during the 31-year-old's three-year stint in Manchester due to his repeated spells on the sidelines, yet it remains the case that there will be a sizeable void to be filled ahead of next season…

Man Utd's search for a centre-back

With the likes of Jonny Evans, Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof all facing uncertain futures at Old Trafford, the defensive ranks are seemingly a particular priority, with recent reports indicating that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co have identified Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite as a leading target.

The 21-year-old is not the only young English talent on United's radar, however, with the Daily Star revealing that the club are also considering Chelsea's Levi Colwill as a possible alternative, with Branthwaite likely to require an offer of around £80m.

While no price tag is suggested for Colwill, the former Brighton and Hove Albion loanee is valued at €50m (£43m) by CIES Football Observatory, with the Red Devils perhaps hoping they can capitalise on the Blues need to sell, amid PSR fears.

Why Levi Colwill would be perfect for Man Utd

A promising, fellow left-footer like Branthwaite, the 21-year-old Chelsea starlet could present the dream alternative in United's search for a central defender, with Colwill also boasting the benefit of being able to slot in at left-back – a huge bonus considering Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw's injury woes this season.

While the one-cap England international has endured setbacks of his own this term – not featuring in the league since early March – he particularly shone during his time at the Amex in 2022/23, as Roberto De Zerbi's side qualified for the Europa League.

In 17 league outings that season, the emerging talent notably won 71% of his aerial duels and 65% of his total duels, all while enjoying a pass accuracy of 89% – Martinez, for instance, won 51% of his aerial duels and 60% of his total duels, all with a pass accuracy rate of 87% from his 27 league appearances in 2022/23.

Branthwaite vs Colwill – Last 365 days

Stats (per 90)

Branthwaite

Colwill

Non-penalty goals

0.09

0.05

Assists

0.00

0.05

Pass completion

79.8%

82.9%

Progressive passes

2.14

3.77

Progressive carries

0.06

1.10

Successful take-ons

0.14

0.34

Tackles

1.91

2.34

Interceptions

1.44

1.24

Aerial duels won

2.72

2.24

Stats via FBref

Although Colwill still needs to showcase that talent consistently across an entire season, he has certainly earned rave reviews when he has featured, with now former Blues boss Mauricio Pochettino tipping him to "be one of the greatest centre-backs in England" in the future.

Such praise has also come in the form of comparison to United legend, Rio Ferdinand, with his brother Anton having previously stated: "He's very good on the ball, very calm on the ball and collected. He's assertive with his passes and can start attacks, so when you look at a modern-day centre-back, he has everything to go back to the top. The word Rolls Royce was associated with Rio, and he has similar attributes to Rio."

A six-time title winner at the Theatre of Dreams, Ferdinand enjoyed a glittering 12-year stint at the club, heralded as 'as one of the greatest ball-playing central defenders of his era', as per the Premier League's official website.

Much like the ex-Leeds United man, Colwill would be making a somewhat controversial move from a rival early in his career, if he was to choose the Red Devils, although the hope would be that he could form the bedrock of the defence for the next decade or so – as Ferdinand did before him.

It may be Euro 2024 hopeful, Branthwaite, who is the name on everybody's lips at present, yet it would be foolish to ignore Colwill's undoubted, Ferdinand-esque talents.

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In other news, they have hired a sports psychologist with an emphasis on mental conditioning

Shashank Kishore26-Aug-2020

“We’ve got a few team activities in our sort of team room, a tennis court downstairs,” Simon Katich said of RCB’s plans outside of cricket•Getty Images

According to Royal Challengers Bangalore head coach Simon Katich, retaining the faith in young Indian players and wanting to get the right balance with respect to their overseas contingent are two aspects captain Virat Kohli has emphasised on.The Royal Challengers have three uncapped Indian players in batsmen Devdutt Padikkal, Pavan Deshpande and allrounder Shahbaz Ahmed. Twenty-year old Padikkal, who was retained ahead of the auction, is also the youngest of the lot. Both him and Ahmed are coming off breakthrough domestic seasons and could potentially lend the kind of balance that Kohli is looking for.”Once you see him [Kohli] up close and in person, you realise how calm and measured he is in terms of his thoughts to us with respect to the group [and] his knowledge of this group,” Katich said. “That’s the beauty from our point of view. Coming into this group with a fresh set of eyes, we had our own opinions on the squad. Being able to get his insight and information on the squad was great.”The other thing he’s got is passion and energy for this group, a real affinity. If you look back at the auction, we retained a lot of players despite the last few seasons not going to plan. The biggest change we’ve made is more so from the overseas contingent to try and balance the team. From that point of view, there’s a real belief from Virat that’s directed to this group and his backing of the local boys. That’s probably been the stand out thing for me.”On its part, the franchise has for the first time hired a sports psychologist, who is also part of the travelling contingent in the UAE. While there has been a lot of emphasis on mental conditioning for the overall squad, there has been a conscious effort to involve a lot with the younger players in particular. The Royal Challengers have also set up a digital platform for players, coaches and support staff to be in constant communication right through the pandemic.ALSO READ: AB de Villiers, Dale Steyn, Chris Morris link up with Virat Kohli & Co. in Dubai”We actually identified the need to have some mental skills within our support staff well before the pandemic happened,” team director Mike Hesson said. “We’re sort of ahead of the curve in respect to that with Dr. Chaitanya Sridhar coming onboard in January. We identified this would be something we needed to work on even in a normal IPL. We are well covered in that space. Yes, it’s not just players, it is [also] the support staff being away from their loved ones for such a long time [that] it is challenging for families. We are very fortunate these days with respect to Zoom and so forth. People at home are supportive of the fact that we are here to do a job. We need to help each other along the way over the next three months – it’ll be challenging times for everybody.”With the players completing their quarantine on Thursday, the team has a variety of net sessions, open wickets, match scenarios and intra-squad matches planned•BCCI

Katich, meanwhile, stressed on the need for players to continue to embrace the uncertainties, while being able to prepare in the best possible way. “It’s a balancing act when you have a normal IPL in April-May,” Katich said. “This season presents a different challenge because the guys are jumping out of their skins, get out there, train and do their best after six months off. A number of overseas players have been training regularly in different parts of the world depending on the severity of lockdown.”But this challenge is more mental because cricketers aren’t used to having this much time off between games. The challenge is with younger players who are still learning their way and finding their routines. We have had to spend extra time over the last couple of months with them, using Dr Chaitanya Sridhar’s expertise.”With the players completing their week-long quarantine on Thursday, the team has a variety of net sessions, open wickets, match scenarios and intra-squad matches planned over the next three weeks at the ICC Academy. Outside of their training routine, and within the biobubble, Royal Challengers have also included tennis and basketball challenges as part of the “fun activities”, apart from dedicating a team room for indoor games and playstation.”Yeah, we’ve got some very creative people at RCB. So it all starts tomorrow night (Thursday) once we are released from quarantine,” Katich laughed. “We’ve got a few team activities in our sort of team room, a tennis court downstairs. There’s going to be some football and table tennis, so a bit of a competition created.”Obviously throughout the competition, we’ll have our social groups and units to keep the camaraderie in the group together. Obviously being in a bubble will be a challenge. At the same time, we’re also going to give the players the opportunity to make their own decision about how they socialise and things like that.At the end of the day, it is a long time to be together and sometimes, it is important for people to have time to themselves to gather their thoughts and prepare for games. We’ll have a mixture, it’ll be a good balance.”