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Three-judge bench, led by the Chief Justice of India, appoints senior lawyer Maninder Singh new amicus curiae

Nagraj Gollapudi21-Jul-2022The Supreme Court of India will now hear the BCCI’s petition seeking amendments to its constitution on July 28, after a hearing on Thursday. The amendments sought could allow Sourav Ganguly and Jay Shah, the BCCI president and secretary respectively, and other office bearers to stay in power until 2025 through a relaxing of the mandatory cooling-off period.The three-judge bench, led by the Chief Justice of India NV Ramana, also appointed senior lawyer Maninder Singh the new amicus curiae in the case.What is an amicus curiae?

An amicus curiae, meaning “a friend of the court”, is a person not related to a matter at hand who offers information or a point of law that assists the court in deciding on that matter.

Are the amicus curiae’s findings binding on the court?
No. But given the court has asked for his assistance, it is likely his input will be taken seriously.

Singh takes the amicus position vacated last year by PS Narasimha, who in 2021 was elevated to the position of Supreme Court judge. Justice Narasimha was appointed amicus in 2019 by the court to help the Committee of Administrators (CoA) finalise the BCCI’s new constitution and facilitate board elections, which eventually took place on October 23, 2019. That ended a 30-month vigil by the court-appointed CoA, which had drafted the BCCI’s new constitution using the RM Lodha Committee recommendations that were mandated by the court in a landmark judgement in July 2016.Then, in August 2018, Justice DY Chandrachud passed a judgement approving the new BCCI constitution. However, immediately upon taking office, the current BCCI administration led by former India captain Ganguly filed a plea in the court seeking amendments to the board constitution which, if approved, would roll back significant reforms put in place by the Lodha Committee.The BCCI filed a second application in April 2020 where it argued that the mandatory cooling-off period (three years) that an office bearer had to face upon completing two consecutive terms (six years) needed to be reviewed.Justice Chandrachud had already tweaked the cooling-off period clause (from three years to six) in his 2018 judgement, while retaining the basis of the Lodha Committee recommendation. His judgement allowed an office bearer to serve two consecutive terms (six years) separately at the state association or the board or a combination of both, while retaining the maximum tenure of nine years (broken up by the mandatory cooling-off period after six years).The BCCI instead wants this specification changed to allow an office bearer to serve six years at one go at one place (either BCCI or state association), instead of the cap also including a combination of roles at the state and BCCI levels.As things stand, all the five office bearers in the board – including president Ganguly, secretary Shah, Arun Dhumal (treasurer), Jayesh George (joint-secretary) and Rajiv Shukla (vice-president) – have already completed six years in office through a combination of positions at their respective state associations and the BCCI. However, having sought legal advice, the Ganguly administration has continued in position and wants the court to rule on the amendments sought.The outcome could have significant impact at various levels for the BCCI, including on the board elections scheduled later in the year when Ganguly’s administration will complete its first term of three years.

A misfiring frontline might not be the crux of Tottenham Hotspur’s mounting problems, but Ange Postecoglou will be sure to recognise the pressing need for something more up top.

Defensively, Spurs are in a bit of a rut, not least because Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven are spending a second successive winter sidelined with injuries.

If the right opportunity comes along during the January transfer window, Tottenham will be sure to pounce. Well, a talented striker might just be up for grabs.

Spurs eyeing new centre-forward

As per The Independent’s Miguel Delaney, Tottenham and Everton are set to join Fulham in the race for Evan Ferguson this winter, with Brighton & Hove Albion’s talented striker available on loan.

Ferguson, valued as high as £100m last summer, has struggled for game time this term due to the success of Joao Pedro and Danny Welbeck. Aged 20, he’s got so much room for growth and already boasts a stunning ball-striking ability.

Tottenham aren’t the only team in for Ferguson’s touted signature, however, with Chelsea considering a move of their own. Daniel Levy needs to act quickly and with conviction.

What Evan Ferguson would bring to Spurs

Signing Ferguson on loan might be a move that benefits all parties, should Tottenham accelerate their interest over the coming weeks.

He’s only started two Premier League matches this season, scoring one goal, but is endowed with strength and speed and has been hailed as “one of the most exciting strikers” around by content creator Ryan Adsett.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

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Let’s not forget, Ferguson has already demonstrated his capabilities in the top flight, notching six goals from 15 starts as a teenager last year, only missing four big chances, as per Sofascore.

The 6-foot centre-forward might even shape into one of English football’s most potent forces, with his style of play even drawing comparisons to one Harry Kane.

Former Premier League striker John Aldridge has even said that Ferguson could become “an Irish version of Harry Kane” and that he reminds him of the Three Lions captain “in so many ways.”

Premier League All-time Top Scorers

#

Player

Apps

Goals

Strike rate

1

Alan Shearer

441

260

0.59

2

Harry Kane

320

213

0.67

3

Wayne Rooney

491

208

0.42

4

Andy Cole

414

187

0.45

5

Sergio Aguero

275

184

0.67

Source: Premier League

Tottenham’s record scorer with 280 goals from 435 appearances as a senior Lilywhite, Kane is a modern great, one of the finest Premier League strikers in history, so Ferguson could do worse than draw comparisons with the Tottenham legend.

Kane, 31, may be tearing it up in the German Bundesliga but his standing in the English game remains firmly intact. He’s one of the very best to do it, and so perhaps it’s not all that surprising that Ferguson has actually admitted that he idolises the goal machine.

Given that Alan Shearer, another iconic marksman, has praised Ferguson for having the full package, it’s quite clear that Tottenham could be on to something if they were to complete the signing this winter.

Former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi once said that Ferguson’s “improvement has been incredible” after his transition from the Irish game to the Premier League, and he still has so much left to offer.

His raw striking ability certainly offers shades of a young Kane; Spurs must welcome him to the fold and allow him to join a free-scoring team that perhaps needs something to complement and tussle with Dominic Solanke at number nine.

Related Spurs open talks for lightning-quick Dragusin upgrade in £25m "warrior"

The impressive talent could make Spurs far harder to play against.

Posts 1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Jan 1, 2025

Sophia Dunkley’s dogged 67, her 72-run stand with Amy Jones, and three-fors from Sophie Ecclestone and Charlie Dean took defending champions England into the 2022 ODI World Cup semi-final with a 100-run win over debutants Bangladesh in Wellington.Nat Sciver’s 40 and Katherine Brunt’s lower-order cameo, too, played a pivotal part in England’s final league-stage victory as 234 proved well beyond the reach of Bangladesh, who were bowled out for 134 in 48 overs.

Line-up for the semi-finals

March 30: Australia vs West Indies in Wellington
March 31: South Africa vs England in Christchurch

With a fourth successive win to rebound from three consecutive losses that rocked the start of their campaign, England will face South Africa in the semi-final next week; South Africa knocked out India in a last-ball finish in the final group-stage match later in the day*.Bangladesh’s canny performance with the ball, a standout feature throughout their maiden ODI World Cup campaign, was the high point of their final game of the tournament, too. what was the first meeting between the two teams in the format, Bangladesh, the only bowling side in the tournament that didn’t conceded 250 or more against any opposition, left England reeling 96 for 4 after England opted to bat on the used Basin Reserve surface.On the slightly two-paced pitch, under a light cloud cover, England copped two big blows in the 37-run powerplay: medium-pacer Jahanara Alam dimissed Danni Wyatt before wicketkeeper and captain Nigar Sultana had the on-field not-out decision of her having caught Heather Knight’s edge off Salma Khatun overturned.Bangladesh kept England on a leash with miserly opening spells from double-change Nahida Akter and Ritu Moni who were introduced after the 11th over. Sciver then led a rebuild with a 101-ball 60 stand with opener Tammy Beaumont, who struggled against spinners and medium-pacers alike.After hobbling to a scratchy 69-ball 33, Beaumont chipped a fullish ball from pacer Moni to Fahima Khatun in the 25th over. England went from 86 for 3 to 96 for 4 in the space of 11 balls as a second successful review overturned a decision in Bangladesh’s favour: Sciver trapped lbw by Fahima.At 112 for 4 with 20 overs to go, England required a steady hand from both Jones and Dunkley, who were on 11 and 10 from 16 balls each at the time. To a great measure, they played their part to perfection, putting on 72 for the fifth wicket.Sophie Ecclestone was among the wickets again, returning 3 for 15 this time•ICC via Getty Images

Dunkley and Jones carted Alam for 12 in the 41st over upon her return for a second spell. Nigar dropped Jones on 30 off Akter soon after but the England No. 5 could add only one more run to her name before driving an easy catch to Salma at extra cover. With Lata Mondal providing the breakthrough, England slumped to 178 for 5.Dunkley took calculated risks with her power-packed aerial strokes to complement her strike rotation with a gallery of easy-on-the-eye shots along the ground. She struck her fifth four before nudging Akter into the off side to reach her maiden World Cup fifty.Brunt’s arrival at the crease injected urgency in England’s run-scoring. She ran hard for her two threes in the 14-run 46th over by Akter. England’s fastest block of 50 runs in the game came off 44 balls, taking them to 200. Dunkley’s stumping off Salma, however, somewhat pegged England in their bid to find a flourish in the closing overs.The tally of 79 in the final 10 overs could have been much higher had Dunkley been in the middle longer. But the final-ball six – the first of the match – from Ecclestone ensured England took the momentum into their dressing room and firmly plonked a foot on the door leading to the knockouts.The chase, as expected, suffered from the want of firepower in Bangladesh’s batting ranks. They started off slow, but denied England, who missed a run-out opportunity against Shamima Sultana thanks to a poor throw from Dunkley first ball, any inroads in the 24-run powerplay.During the first ten overs, Akhter’s back-to-back fours broke a six-over boundary-less spell. Shamima Sultana, too, showed aggression in flashes in her 63-ball 23. But after lofting top-ranked ODI bowler Ecclestone, who had bowled Akhter, for a four, she picked out Kate Cross at mid-off. Ecclestone rounded out that over, the 20th one in the innings, with a wicket maiden.Bangladesh had no answers for Ecclestone, who finished with 3 for 15, and remained atop the wicket-taking charts of this World Cup with 14 strikes from seven league games. The 22-year-old left-arm spinner applied the squeeze in the middle overs, her high point of release and ability to vary pace at will too good for Bangladesh to get a hold on.Dean, who replaced Emma Lamb in the XI, removed No. 3 Fargana Hoque and then chipped away at the lower order. Freya Davies, the World Cup debutant, slotted in in place of Anya Shrubsole, who was rested, struck twice and sealed the win with Moni’s wicket.

Injury cloud over Washington Sundar who split his webbing again and didn’t bowl against CSK

Himanshu Agrawal04-May-2022Big pictureDelhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad haven’t met this season yet. Capitals are currently placed seventh and Sunrisers fourth, with only two points separating the two sides. In fact, Sunrisers are fourth only because of a superior net run-rate over two other teams with the same points. Capitals, on the other hand, have the best net run-rate among all teams but can do nothing with it for now.There is a pattern in their journey so far this season too: Sunrisers lost two, won five and lost two again, while Capitals have struggled to win two in a row despite nine matches into the league stage. However, their captains are as contrasting as fire and ice, with their strike rates this year speaking as much: Rishabh Pant’s 149 is as many as 50 rungs ahead of Kane Williamson’s.Capitals’ openers have often led the way this year, and when they both failed to fire in their previous match – against Lucknow Super Giants – their middle order fell seven short of completing the job, as Pant mustered 44, only his joint-highest score this season having got into the 40s thrice.But if Capitals were to note the positives, Pant’s middle-order colleagues responded fairly well – Mitchell Marsh, Rovman Powell and Axar Patel all made handy contributions – while Shardul Thakur was among wickets with the ball.And while Pant’s counterpart Williamson made 47 against Chennai Super Kings, he will be worried with his side losing back-to-back matches: first failing to defend 195 in a last-ball thriller, and then falling 14 short of chasing 203, another near-miss despite a late assault, as their usually-dependable bowling unit couldn’t deliver.With time running out and points more challenging to come by, the tournament is heading towards its business end, where a fine line could separate the sides and decide their fate. Sunrisers know they can’t afford to fall even excruciatingly short at this stage; Capitals are aware that one win could put them into serious consideration for the playoffs.There are exciting times ahead.In the newsT Natarajan was suspected to have a niggle against Super Kings, although what the injury was wasn’t clear as he left the field after bowling one over in the early exchanges and then returned to bowl three at the death. Also, Washington Sundar split his webbing for the second time this season, forcing him off the field too. However, no official update about their availability has been heard since from Sunrisers’ camp.Sunrisers have signed Sushant Mishra as replacement for the injured Saurabh Dubey.Likely XIs Delhi Capitals: 1 Prithvi Shaw, 2 David Warner, 3 Mitchell Marsh, 4 Rishabh Pant (capt& wk), 5 Lalit Yadav, 6 Rovman Powell, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Shardul Thakur, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mustafizur Rahman, 11 Chetan SakariyaSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Kane Williamson (capt), 2 Abhishek Sharma, 3 Rahul Tripathi, 4 Aiden Markram, 5 Nicholas Pooran (wk), 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Washington Sundar/J Suchith, 8 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 9 Marco Jansen, 10 Umran Malik, 11 T Natarajan/Kartik TyagiStrategy punt Sunrisers’ veteran new-ball bowler Bhuvneshwar Kumar holds a clear advantage over Capitals’ in-form opening pair of David Warner and Prithvi Shaw. Bhuvneshwar has dismissed Warner once while restricting him to just 13 runs in 19 balls in all T20 cricket. He has got Shaw twice while giving away only 35 runs off as many deliveries to him.Warner and Shaw are Capitals’ top-two run-getters for the season. In fact, their partnership has averaged more than 48 in seven innings at a brilliant average run rate of 10.23. So the battle between Bhuvneshwar and the left-right pair could turn out to be intriguing, especially in the powerplay. Rahul Tripathi has batted at a strike rate of 172 this season, the highest among all Sunrisers’ batters with a minimum of 180 runs. But Capitals have a number of options to keep him quiet. First is Axar Patel, who has given just seven off 11 deliveries; next comes Mustafizur Rahman, who has kept Tripathi to a strike rate of 40; Chetan Sakariya limits him to 83; and finally Shardul Thakur, who has restricted Tripathi to a strike rate of 117.But Tripathi has had more success against Kuldeep Yadav, Capitals’ highest wicket-taker this season, having cracked 34 off 14 deliveries against him. So if Sunrisers’ No. 3 can see off some potentially nervous moments early, he might then choose to attack the left-arm wristspinner later.Stats that matter Ironically, Capitals’ opener Warner is the highest run-getter for Sunrisers in IPL history, with 4014 runs at an average of 49.6. Umran Malik has never played against Delhi Capitals. Rather, he has not dismissed any of their top eight batters from Capitals’ previous match this season even in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. What adds more intrigue is the fact that all 26 of Malik’s T20 wickets have been of different batters. Pant has 466 runs, has hit 22 sixes and smashed 128* against Sunrisers, all of them the most for him against any IPL opposition. Abhishek Sharma can jump from fifth to third among the highest run-getters this season if he manages to score 46 or more against Capitals.

Latest update comes following sequence of meetings between the allrounder and BCB boss Nazmul Hassan

Mohammad Isam12-Mar-2022In yet another dramatic turn of events, Shakib Al Hasan has decided to tour South Africa with the Bangladesh team. He will now fly out from Dhaka on Sunday, in time for the ODI series that begins on March 18.”I spoke to [BCB president Nazmul Hassan] Papon for the last two days, when we planned the entire year. I am available for all three formats,” Shakib said in a joint press conference with Hassan and other board members on Saturday. “The board will decide when to give me rest, that includes the South Africa series. I am available for the SA series.”Hassan explained that after the BCB had reacted to Shakib’s request for rest, because he was “physically and mentally fatigued”, by leaving him out of international cricket till April 30, the two of them met a couple of times to discuss the situation.

“Shakib is available for all the formats for the South Africa tour. If he skips a match in this series, please accept it. He wants to play. That is the most important thing”BCB president Nazmul Hassan

“After reaching Dubai [for a personal engagement], Shakib told me he would make the final decision after speaking to me. Then he told us that he didn’t want to go to South Africa,” Hassan said. “We granted him leave, which was later announced to the media (on Thursday). Then, the day before yesterday, he told me he was mentally tired. It can happen to anyone at any time.”He was having trouble making up his mind, so we supported him during this time. The board is always with them [the players].”At that point, Hassan said, Shakib decided to make himself available. “Shakib is available for all the formats for the South Africa tour. He will travel to South Africa tomorrow. If he skips a match in this series, please accept it. He wants to play. That is the most important thing.”Related

Domingo wants to do what 'no Bangladesh team has done before' in South Africa

Shakib among five Bangladesh players to be handed all-format contracts by BCB

BCB president questions Shakib Al Hasan's commitment

BCB rests Shakib from international cricket till April 30

Jaded Shakib asks for break from international cricket

The situation started to develop late last month when Hassan said, after Bangladesh’s third ODI against Afghanistan, that he had directed Shakib to tour South Africa to play both Tests and ODIs. This came in the wake of Shakib informing the BCB that he wanted to skip Tests for six months this year. After Hassan made his statement on February 28, the selectors named Shakib in both the ODI and Test squads for South Africa.Shakib subsequently said that he was mentally and physically drained, and wasn’t in a position to tour South Africa. He told the media that he had appraised Jalal Yunus, the BCB’s cricket operations committee chairman, of his decision. After that, Hassan, as well as Bangladesh men’s team director Khaled Mahmud, responded by questioning Shakib’s commitment to the Bangladesh team, and on Thursday, Yunus announced that Shakib has been rested till April 30, which meant he would miss the South Africa tour altogether as well as the Dhaka Premier League.Then, just yesterday, in perhaps a sign of things to come, Shakib, along with four other players, was handed an all-format central contract by the BCB.The series in South Africa starts on March 18 with the first of three ODIs, and will be followed by two Test matches.

Pakistan were provided a peek into their middle order future in the absence of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik. Haider Ali showed why he’s the next big thing, overcoming a slow start before springing the innings to life with a robust 39-ball 68 to set the tone for a dominant batting display. Pakistan’s 200 for 6 was more than sufficient as West Indies unravelled easily against spin. The Karachi faithful went home perhaps wishing for a more even contest.An eventful start
Babar Azam was out second ball after West Indies elected to bowl. Left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein got one to spin sharply to take the edge to Shai Hope, the wicketkeeper. Then, Fakhar Zaman fell to Romario Shepherd’s change of pace as he toe-ended a slog to long-on. Inside the powerplay, Pakistan were two down and sputtering like a two-stroke engine running on kerosene.Rizwan and Haider’s recovery
Mohammad Rizwan kept the runs ticking along with timely boundaries, extremely quick on the pull. His picking of lengths against pace was immaculate as he raised a 34-ball half-century. However, he had to hold his end of the bargain against spin, especially off Hosein, who finished his four overs with 1 for 19 by the 11th over. At that stage, Haider was on 12 off 14, looking for the big hits without being able to hit them clean. Then, like a flick of a switch, it all turned around.Off the 12th over, he climbed into Odean Smith’s medium pace, hitting him for three fours and six to get his innings going. It proved to be the trigger for a run-surge from there. Under his bus were debutant Dominic Drakes, who also struggled for consistency, as Haider raised his half-century with an 83-metre six. It had come off just 28 balls, with Pakistan at 140 for 2 at the 15-over mark. Off the first ball of the 16th, Rizwan was out as Odean’s running catch around the ropes at deep midwicket sent him back for 78. A 105-run third-wicket stand had been broken.Nawaz’s finish
Rizwan’s exit gave six-hitter Asif Ali the platform to launch into an inexperienced attack, but he managed just 1. With Iftikhar Ahmed too failing, Pakistan needed someone to side with Haider. As it turned out, Mohammad Nawaz did more. His three fours and two sixes blindsided the visitors, who until then were hoping to restrict Pakistan to 180. That was to change, however, as the 19th over by Romario Shepherd went for 21, thereby allowing for a massive finish.Wasim’s rip-roaring spell
First ball: a glorious cover drive on the up. Third ball: a short-arm jab for six. Enough to demoralise a rookie 20-year old wanting to impress the team management? Not Mohammad Wasim. He responded with pin-point yorker to flatten Nicholas Pooran’s off-stump as he was late on the shot. Perhaps he underestimated Wasim’s pace. Then, off the second legitimate delivery off his next over, the sixth of the innings, he struck comeback man Devon Thomas flush on his boot. Gone, he didn’t even bother reviewing. West Indies were 46 for 3 inside the Powerplay.Nawaz, Shadab apply the choke
With the target already looking beyond reach and the asking rate spiralling by the minute, Nawaz and Shadab Khan spun a web around the batters, using the crease and variations in length superbly to tie the batters down. Hope was out lbw sweeping, Shamarh Brooks bowled trying to heave into the leg side and Rovman Powell caught brilliantly by a diving Nawaz at long-on. At 88 for 7, West Indies were in danger of being bowled out well inside 20 overs. However, Odean (24 off 16) and Shepherd (21 off 16) got together to swing their bats for some powerful blows. although they merely served to reduce the margin of defeat.

Ashley Young borrowed words from Jose Mourinho's famous quote while reacting to overturned penalty decision against Manchester United.

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Young quotes Mourinho on XReacted to overturned last-minute penaltyEverton and Man Utd played out a 2-2 drawFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱AFPWHAT HAPPENED?

The former United star was shoved by Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt inside the penalty box in the 93rd minute after Andre Onana saved a shot from Idrissa Gueye. The on-field referee initially awarded Everton a spot-kick but after a thorough VAR check, the decision was overturned. The Toffees eventually settled for a 2-2 draw despite taking a two-goal lead in the first half.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After the game, Young took to social media to share his reaction to the incident as he used former Red Devils boss Jose Mourinho's quote from 11 years ago. While answering a media question back in 2014, after Chelsea's defeat to Aston Villa in the Premier League, the then-Blues boss had famously told Sky Sports: "I prefer not to speak. If I speak, I am in big trouble. In big trouble. And I don’t want to be in big trouble.”

WHAT ASHLEY YOUNG SAID

Taking to X, the former England international wrote: "A point’s a point, onwards and upwards! Decisions, Angles “I prefer not to speak, if I speak I am in big trouble“ UTFT."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR EVERTON?

The Merseyside club, who are on a roll in the Premier League since David Moyes returned to Goodison Park, will be next seen in action on Wednesday as they take on Brentford in a league clash.

Sunderland have long been on the hunt for a new prolific striker to call their own, with their recent activity in the transfer market involving a centre-forward joining the ranks very mixed to say the least.

Last season, the Black Cats really struggled in the striker department as the likes of Mason Burstow and Nazariy Rusyn regularly fired blanks for the Championship club as new recruits, with the Ukranian only managing a pitiful two goals all season long in the second tier.

Now, however, Regis Le Bris will feel he’s found a solution to Sunderland’s woes up top in Wilson Isidor, who is setting the Championship alight on loan from Zenit St. Petersburg.

Isidor's form this season

The Wearside outfit had to be patient in their attempts to snap up the Frenchman in the summer transfer window, with a loan deal not agreed until near the tail-end of August.

But, their patience has more than been justified now, as their new star attacker has bagged four strikes from ten Championship appearances to date, including a wonderfully taken first-time strike rippling the back of the net against Oxford United last month.

There will be a concern that Isidor won’t put pen to paper on a permanent stay, however, leaving Sunderland back at square one again when it comes to lacking a potent finisher in their camp.

Arguably, Isidor has been the first bright spark up top Sunderland have managed to uncover since the exit of Ross Stewart, which hit the Black Cats hard at the time but could now be seen as a sale that was worthwhile after all.

Ross Stewart's transfer value in 2024

The Scotsman was a man possessed at points when leading the line for Sunderland, with the 28-year-old renowned for being a deadly goal machine at the Stadium of Light by the time of his departure last year.

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In total, the ex-Ross County man would bag a mightily impressive 40 goals from 80 games situated on Wearside, which included firing home the decisive winner in Sunderland’s 2-0 play-off final win over Wycombe in 2022, which saw second-tier football return to the beleaguered side.

23/24

Muscle injury

152 days

22/23

Achilles tendon surgery

282 days

22/23

Hamstring injury

93 days

19/20

Hamstring injury

62 days

As a result of his reputation growing as a clinical finisher in the EFL, Southampton purchased Stewart for £8m last summer after he bowed out from the club with ten goals during his final second-tier campaign, but injury issues also got in his way as can be seen glancing at the table above.

The Saints should have operated more cautiously when splashing the cash on the 28-year-old with hindsight on their side, with Stewart in and out of the St. Mary’s treatment room throughout his cursed time on the South Coast to date, with only four league games coming his way last season as his fitness problems began to take over.

Across nine appearances when he has been fit, he hasn’t exactly found his goalscoring mojo either, with Stewart yet to break his goalscoring duck for Southampton.

Consequently, Transfermarkt now values the one-time £8m buy in and around the £3.7m ballpark, as the Black Cats are now made to look smart for selling on their star striker when they did.

Still, Sunderland won’t take great pride in the fact their former “unbelievable” talisman – as he was once labelled by teammate Alex Pritchard – has struggled since moving to Southampton.

Rather, they’ll just hope Isidor can be the second coming of their prolific Scotsman, as promotion back up to the Premier League remains the ultimate goal for Le Bris’ men.

Sunderland had the original Chris Rigg but he ended up leaving for £0

Sunderland let their original version of Chris Rigg depart the Stadium of Light for nothing.

1 ByKelan Sarson Nov 1, 2024

Despite the amount of talent West Ham United have produced over the years, they only have one departure over the £30m mark, that, of course, being their record sale, Declan Rice who joined Arsenal last summer.

Some big names that come after Rice are Dimitri Payet, Carlos Tevez, and Rio Ferdinand, who were all sold between £21.7m and £24.5m.

West Ham’s top ten player sales

Player

Price (£)

Declan Rice

£97.5m

Dimitri Payet

£24.5m

Carlos Tevez

£24.2m

Rio Ferdinand

£21.7m

Gianluca Scamacca

£21.4m

Marko Arnautovic

£20.9m

Andre Ayew

£19m

Sebastian Haller

£18.8m

Javier Mascherano

£18.8m

Flynn Downes

£14.9m

Valuations taken from Transfermarkt

One of their top ten sales has even been compared to the great Cristiano Ronaldo…

Cristiano Ronaldo's career in numbers

Ronaldo has played 1022 competitive games in his career (not including international appearances), spread out across the likes of Sporting CP, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Juventus, and Al-Nassr FC.

438 of these games were for Real Madrid where he became a true icon of the game, scoring 450 goals, providing 131 assists, and totalling a mammoth 37,835 minutes played.

346 of his career games were for Manchester United, split across two spells at the club, scoring 145 goals and providing 64 assists while he made 134 appearances for Juventus, scoring 101 times and supplying 22 assists.

The 39-year-old’s other appearances have come for Sporting as a youngster where he featured on 31 occasions, scoring five goals, and providing six assists, and now, his current club, Al-Nassr, where he has has scored 66 goals out in Saudi Arabia.

So, who was West Ham’s very own Ronaldo, and what went wrong?

West Ham's very own Cristiano Ronaldo

West Ham’s sixth-highest sale of all time (£20.9m), made 65 appearances for the club, scoring 22 goals, and providing 12 assists. During this time, Austrian Marko Arnautovic was converted from a wide player to more of a number nine.

It was at this time (2017) that Gary Neville compared him to the legendary Portuguese figure Ronaldo, although not in a good way, slating his terrible work rate on the field of play.

It was hardly a surprise, therefore, when the Irons decided to let him leave, swallowing up £22.4m for the ‘disruptive’ talent who moved to China.

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Arnautovic is now playing for Inter Milan, having played a role in their Serie A triumph last season, scoring five goals and providing three assists in 27 Serie A appearances. He also got two goals in the Champions League, in just 192 minutes played.

Comparing the two players when Neville made this comment, it remarkably turns out that Arnautovic was more clinical at the time with his goals per shot, having a ratio of 0.14 per 90, compared to the 0.13 of Ronaldo.

Arnautovic vs Ronaldo comparison (2017/18)

Stats (per 90 mins)

Arnautovic

Ronaldo

Goals

0.40

1.09

Assists

0.29

0.18

xG

0.33

1.04

Progressive Carries

2.96

4.74

Progressive Passes

2.02

3.41

Shots Total

2.81

6.66

Shots on Target

1.24

2.68

Goals/Shot

0.14

0.13

Key Passes

1.36

1.38

Shot-Creating Actions

3.11

3.85

Aerials Won

0.86

1.46

Stats taken from FBref

Now, of course, this has a lot to do with the 6.66 shots per 90 Ronaldo was taking, as he is an extremely high-volume shooter, but maybe Neville’s comparison wasn’t too far adrift, and not just from a work-rate point of either.

Both players are on the tall side, Arnautovic standing at 6 foot 3, whilst Ronaldo stands at 6 foot 2, but has one of the biggest leaps in football.

This allows them to dominate the box, make clever movements to provide options from crosses, and provide the finishing touch for their side.

Now, of course, this comparison wasn’t meant to be taken seriously, as Neville used it as criticism, but it does have to be said, in his few years at the club, although an arrogant figure, Arnautovic did offer the Hammers a significant goal threat, and they could do with a striker of that sort right about now.

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Posts 1 ByAngus Sinclair Oct 16, 2024

A player praised for his lightning-quick speed is said to have been in “constant contact” over potentially joining Arsenal via his representatives, with transfer chief Edu Gaspar and co casting their eyes on the January window after a productive summer.

Arsenal planning for 2025 after £100 million summer transfer window

In their bid to usurp Man City and win their first Premier League title in over two decades, Mikel Arteta’s side splashed just over £100 million on five new recruits before summer deadline day on August 30.

Arsenal in talks with "exciting" £84m player and his reps ahead of January

The Gunners have reached out for discussions.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 19, 2024

David Raya, Riccardo Calafiori, Mikel Merino, Neto and Raheem Sterling all put pen to paper on moves to north London, with the latter making his debut off the bench in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Tottenham last Sunday.

Merino fractured his shoulder in training, and will have to wait for his first appearance in an Arsenal jersey. Meanwhile, Calafiori is back from a calf injury and could play against Atalanta in the Champions League this evening.

However, Arsenal’s injury crisis of late has highlighted the fact that Arteta could still do with extra bodies in key areas. The club is reportedly putting transfer plans in motion ahead of 2025 as a result, with a few interesting names linked in the past fortnight.

Lille striker Jonathan David is a target for Arsenal heading into January, as Edu contemplates a cut-price deal for the clinical forward who is out of contract next summer as things stand.

While Kai Havertz has continued to shine in a makeshift centre-forward role this season, already bagging two goals and an assist over his first four Premier League games, Arsenal continue to be linked with strikers in particular.

Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres’ agents have held talks with Arsenal, following the Swede’s electric start to 2024/2025, and the same can be said for RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko.

Benjamin Sesko in "constant contact" over joining Arsenal

As per TEAMtalk, it is believed Sesko has been in “constant contact” over joining Arsenal, via his agents, with the Slovenia international having a gentleman’s agreement to leave Leipzig next year or in 2026 (Fabrizio Romano).

The 21-year-old scored 18 goals in all competitions for Leipzig last season, attracting attention from Arsenal, Chelsea and Man United, but Sesko snubbed all of their summer proposals in favour of staying at his current club for another campaign (Fabrizio Romano).

It appears the £92,000-per-week ace chose to further his development in the Bundesliga before deciding on a possible Premier League move in future. If or when Sesko does decide the time is right to go, it looks as if Arsenal will be at the front of the queue for his services.

“Benjamin Šeško is among the game’s top young talents and has enormous potential to become a top player,” said Leipzig technical director Christopher Vivell.

“He has all the qualities to do that. He’s extremely quick, has a great jump on him and is strong in the air. Benjamin is a real goalscorer, who despite his 1.95m (6’4″) is mobile and technically strong. His abilities make him a special player with a special profile.”