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Aston Villa know that next season, they will grace the Champions League with their presence, crowning an exciting new era with an achievement simply unthinkable only a few years ago.

What's more, with Unai Emery at the helm, a manager who has won four Europa League titles with Spanish sides Sevilla and Villarreal, there is a real chance that the talented squad can ruffle a few feathers and wade into the deeper phases of Europe's pre-eminent club competition.

Having overhauled the squad and seeming set to make further improvements over the coming months, Emery has been a revelation, though there are concerns about staying in line with Profit and Sustainability rules and, as such, players such as Diego Carlos and Jacob Ramsey have been linked with an exit.

But perhaps Emery should first turn to one of Aston Villa's biggest earners, Philippe Coutinho, who must surely be sold this summer.

Philippe Coutinho's Aston Villa career

When Aston Villa signed Coutinho from Barcelona for just £17m in May 2022 after welcoming him on loan the previous January, there was plenty of optimism surrounding a talented footballer who had suffered his struggles but was undoubtedly one of the most guileful, wondrous playmakers in Europe, with Thiago Alcantara even calling him a "phenomenon".

As the table shows, the Brazil international failed to replicate his initial performances at Villa and was unable to convince Emery that he deserved a place in the starting lineup, ousted from contention in February 2023 and not featuring again during the closing months of the 2022/23 campaign.

Loaned out to Al-Duhail in Qatar last summer, the 31-year-old is now set to return to his parent club but faces a premature exit after a disappointing return to English football.

Philippe Coutinho's market value in 2024

Once upon a time, Coutinho was one of the most coveted players in world football, joining Barcelona in a £142m deal in January 2018 following an incredible, talismanic career in Liverpool.

But he ultimately fell by the wayside in Catalonia and has failed to pick himself up at Villa Park, with his market value offering a poignant reflection of a career that perhaps failed to reach its possible zenith.

According to Football Transfers' player valuation model, Coutinho is now worth just £4.3m, which is actually slightly less than that of Carlos, with his fellow 31-year-old worth £4.4m.

Moreover, the playmaker's £125k-per-week salary towers over that of his countryman, who earns £100k-per-week and is deemed to be costing too much to keep at the club.

Given that GiveMeSport claim that Monchi and the powers that be at Villa are seeking a way to terminate Coutinho's contract, which runs until 2026, it paints a clear picture of how his stint at the team is viewed internally.

Villa must cash in on flop who’s earning more than Luiz & Ramsey

Monchi must ensure that this player is sold this summer.

By
Angus Sinclair

May 25, 2024

There's no question that Emery has stirred up something wonderful at Aston Villa, constructing a squad with immense talent that is buttressed by wealthy, ambitious ownership.

But Coutinho has flattered to deceive on his return to English football and is unlikely to offer the robustness and application to succeed. He must be axed this summer.

Ruben Amorim has confirmed that Manchester United will play mid-season friendlies to raise extra revenue and gave his backing to the prospect of playing extra games abroad. The coach's admission has raised the likelihood of United facing Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia in the near future. United have extra time to play the games due to missing out on European competition.

Getty Images/GOALUnited seeking more revenue streams

The Red Devils failed to qualify for any form of European football for the first time in 11 years after finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham and thus passing up a ticket back into the Champions League. Their failure to qualify for Europe's top competition has deprived the club of around £100m while the lack of games at Old Trafford also means they will not be receiving extra matchday revenue like last season, when they hosted seven Europa League games. 

It had been reported earlier in the week that the club were mulling playing a match in Saudi Arabia and Amorim confirmed the as-yet-unconfirmed plans in his press conference on Friday.

AdvertisementAmorim: We want to be with our fans around the world

Amorim said: "We have to do it. And you know, we knew that when we missed out on Europe, we have a lot of things to do. We have our fans, we have the budget, we have to to compensate for a lot of things. So we have to do it. We will do it. We want to be with our fans around the world. If you have to do it, you have to manage to find the space to do it."

AFPUnited set for third foreign jaunt in a year

If United go through with the plans to play friendlies abroad it will be their third continent-crossing excursion in 12 months. They went on a post-season tour of Asia in May, losing to ASEAN All-Stars in Malaysia and then beating a Hong Kong XI. They then conducted their usual summer tour of the United States, facing West Ham United, Bournemouth and Everton in the Premier League's Summer Series. Saudi Arabia has been mentioned as the most likely destination for United due to the financial benefits of playing in the gulf nation, which has gone all in on hosting sports events in the last few years, a move driven by crown prince Mohammed bin Salman.

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Ronaldo reunion on the cards

The most enticing match from a marketing point of view would see United face Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr. Ronaldo left United to join the Saudi giants in acrimonious circumstances in 2022 following his tell-all interview with Piers Morgan, in which he slammed the way the club had been run and hit out at coaches Erik ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick. 

The prospect of Ronaldo facing his former club in Riyadh would be a huge draw for fans and broadcasters and would likely be supported by Bin Salman, who is keen to draw tourists to the Kingdom.

While United have plenty of free weeks due to their lack of European football and being knocked out of the Carabao Cup, Al-Nassr have a busier schedule, competing in four separate competitions. 

Mikel Arteta has named Martin Odegaard on the Arsenal bench after he suffered an injury against Leeds, while Alexis Mac Allister starts for Liverpool.

• Odegaard returns after injury scare
• Will start on the bench at Anfield
• Mac Allister named in the XI after absence at Newcastle

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Both Liverpool and Arsenal have been handed huge boosts ahead of their blockbuster Premier League clash at Anfield on Sunday with key players returning. The starting lineups for both teams are out, with Mac Allister starting for Arne Slot's side and Odegaard being named on the bench.

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  Mac Allister was not named in the squad for last weekend's Premier League encounter against Newcastle United at St James' Park, although the Reds did not feel the Argentine's absence after beating Eddie Howe's side 3-2 courtesy a Rio Ngumoha injury-time winner. Mac Allister returned to training this week and has immediately returned to the XI.

  On the other hand, Odegaard had to be taken off against Leeds last week after falling awkwardly on his shoulder. Reports indicated that the Norwegian playmaker could miss the trip to Anfield on Saturday, with Gunners boss Arteta also claiming on Friday that the captain hadn't returned to full training. He was, however, named in the squad for the Liverpool game after completing training with the rest of the squad without any issues, prompting Arteta to include him among the nine substitutes.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Arsenal are without a number of first-team players heading into the Liverpool game. Arteta will be without the services of forwards Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, midfielder Christian Norgaard and defender Ben White. Perhaps the biggest blow, though, is the absence of Bukayo Saka, who suffered a hamstring injury in the game against Leeds. Arteta has already confirmed the winger "will be out for the next few weeks."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The winner between Liverpool and Arsenal could gain a handy advantage in the early stage of the season as they remain the only two sides with a perfect record following Spurs' 1-0 loss to Bournemouth on Saturday.

They’ll meet Hurricanes in title match after restricting Sixers to 151, and chasing the target down in scrappy Challenger

Andrew McGlashan24-Jan-2025David Warner will have the chance to lead Sydney Thunder to their first BBL title in nine years, a season after they finished with the wooden spoon, after his side held their nerve in a scrappy Challenger final derby against Sydney Sixers to win by four wickets, with seven balls to spare.The experience of Sam Billings proved vital in the outcome as he nursed Thunder to their target amid a regular loss of wickets. With another 18 runs needed off the remaining 13 balls, Billings broke the tension with a huge leg-side six off Hayden Kerr.Thunder had been excellent in the field, with only a sixth-wicket stand of 56 from 34 balls between Jordan Silk and Ben Dwarshuis hauling Sixers as far as 151. Although Tom Andrews was their only spinner in the wickets – his brace came in the space of three balls – Thunder’s spinners were otherwise again very effective. The ten overs between Andrews, Tanveer Sangha and Chris Green cost just 66 runs on a surface that offered assistance.In reply, young English legspinner Jafer Chohan was very impressive, but Sixers did not have the volume of spin overs they were able to turn to as Thunder set up a final showdown with Hobart Hurricanes on Monday.Jason Sangha opens upThunder have tried a variety of opening combinations this season, although some of it has been out of their hands due to injury to Cameron Bancroft, and a Test call-up for Sam Konstas. For the Challenger, they opted for Jason Sangha, alongside Warner. Jason Sangha was playing in just his second game of the season, and started with a bang by taking 14 runs off the first over.Warner then scooped his first ball from Kerr for six, and Thunder were off to a flyer. But he bunted a catch to mid-on in the third over. Jason Sangha, meanwhile, had reached 30 off 19 balls at the other end, when he slog-swept Chohan to deep midwicket, as the game really started to tighten up.Matthew Gilkes was run-out, although Jack Edwards thought he had broken the stumps with his hands•Cricket Australia/Getty ImagesA zing-bail run-outWhen on 3, Thunder’s Matthew Gilkes was given a life as he lofted Ben Manenti’s first ball to long-off, where Lachlan Shaw, who has produced some spectacular fielding in the competition, spilled a regulation catch in front of the Thunder dugout. From there, Gilkes built steadily, including landing a huge six into the Members Stand off Mitch Perry. But Gilkes was then at the centre of a borderline third-umpire decision.Coming back for a second run after playing towards deep third, Gilkes was beaten by a superb throw from Kerr. But Jack Edwards thought he had broken the stumps with his hands. However, after multiple replays, the third umpire Phillip Gillespie ruled that it was the ball that had fully dislodged the bail so Gilkes was ruled out for 26. The stump could be seen moving before the ball made contact, but, crucially, the zing bails had not lit up, so they had not been fully dislodged. Without zing bails, it was unlikely to have been given out.That is when Sixers put the squeeze on. Hugh Weibgen under-edged on to the stumps against Kerr, and Thunder couldn’t find the big over that would likely have killed the game off sooner. Chohan was superb, as he had been in the Qualifier final, and did not concede a boundary until the final delivery of his spell.Thunder held the power surge back until the 18th over, and though George Garton fell swinging across the line, Billings and Nathan McAndrew finished the job with some breathing space.Jordan Silk’s 43 took Sixers to 151•Getty ImagesTanveer’s fortune; Andrews’ doubleAmid the loss of Edwards and Kurtis Patterson inside the powerplay, which ended with Sixers just 23 for 2, it was a struggle for the hosts. Josh Philippe, who had been moved down to No. 3 after having not reached double figures in his last five innings, and Moises Henriques, were starting to engineer a platform when Henriques nailed a return catch to Tanveer, who dropped it, but deflected the ball on to the stumps with Philippe out of his ground.Then Andrews, who has had a huge impact on Thunder’s run to the finals, further dented Sixers’ middle order with two wickets in the 13th over. Firstly, Henriques was brilliant caught at cover by Garton, diving full length to his left. Then Shaw picked out Warner on the off side, with the Thunder captain rewarded for aggressive fielding placement. Somewhat surprisingly, that was Andrews’ last over of the innings.Silk’s forlorn finalsSilk was superb in Hobart on Monday, when he had nearly hauled Sixers over the line with 57. Against Sixers in the Challenger, he had to do another rebuilding job from 76 for 5. He broke the shackles with a sweep for six off Tanveer Sangha, and cleared the rope again in the power surge against Wes Agar.The surge brought 20 runs from the two overs, before Dwarshuis was able to find his range against McAndrew in the 18th over, which cost 19 runs. It gave Sixers something to defend, although it wasn’t quite enough in the end.

In the past few years, English clubs – including Newcastle United – have begun to produce a high-level crop of midfield players. Birmingham City can take credit for the development of perhaps the world’s best player at the moment, Jude Bellingham. The 20-year-old now plays for Real Madrid, having played for Borussia Dortmund in between.

Declan Rice, now an Arsenal player, was brought through by West Ham United, after originally being in Chelsea’s academy, and the likes of Conor Gallagher and Mason Mount were successful products of the same famous Cobham academy, with the former an integral player at the Blues and the latter now at Manchester United.

More recently, Kobbie Mainoo is the young midfielder breaking through and becoming one of the top talents in the world. It has been a rapid rise for 18-year-old Mainoo, who made his full debut for England’s senior side just five months after his first Premier League start for Manchester United.

Newcastle youngster Lewis Miley is another exciting up-and-coming midfielder and has already played 17 games in the Premier League before his 18th birthday. Aside from Miley, Newcastle have some talented youngsters coming through in midfield, including 21-year-old Joe White, who returned to St James’ Park in January after his loan spell at Crewe Alexandra ended.

However, the Magpies may have let another young talent in midfield slip through the cracks, and depart the club for a major Premier League rival, where he is now making waves and contributing to first-team success.

Newcastle let a talented teen leave for peanuts

It was August 2021 when exciting talent Bobby Clark left Newcastle to join Premier League rivals Liverpool. According to Lee Ryder of The Chronicle Live, the transfer was swiftly completed by the Reds, who convinced Clark to move to Anfield rather than sign a scholarship with the Magpies.

It will surely disappoint Newcastle fans, who would no doubt have wanted Clark to follow in his father’s footsteps and pull on the famous black and white stripes at St James’ Park. The youngster's father is Toon legend Lee Clark, who made 260 appearances for the club across two spells in both the 1990s and early 2000s.

The fee Liverpool paid for Clark is rumoured to be in the region of £1.5m, and whilst it may seem a lot on a young player, there is no denying his talent. After all, the aforementioned Ryder said he reminded the reporter of a "young Paul Gascoigne."

Sadly for those in the north east, according to Clark’s father, he decided to join the Merseyside club due to the amount of knowledge they already had about him as a footballer, and “because one day they believed he could be a first-team player for Liverpool”.

How Clark and Miley compare

It is fair to say that the opportunities Miley has had this season may have also befallen Clark had the Liverpool man decided to stay at St James’ Park all of those years ago.

Miley’s 17 games in the Premier League this term originally came due to an injury crisis, but have now been fully deserved. As Matthew Robson said on Newcastle Fan website The Mag, “No matter who he has been up against, Lewis Miley hasn’t looked out of place”.

Clark’s job is harder. He has to break into a settled Liverpool midfield with the likes of Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai all ahead of him. However, he has played 14 times for Liverpool so far and scored his first goal against Sparta Prague in the Europa League this season, as well as registering two assists, one in the Europa League and one in the FA Cup.

As a footballer, Miley and Clark are not too dissimilar. They are busy midfielders, of a similar profile, excelling in the final third although are both more than capable of playing in all phases, and are not afraid of getting on the ball and looking to impact the game.

Miley averages 50 touches per 90 minutes this season, as per Fbref, and in comparison, Clark averages 47 touches per 90 minutes in the Europa League, according to Sofascore. This shows impressive maturity and bravery in their game, which is rare in midfielders so young.

The pair look after the ball well when in possession, with Miley averaging a pass accuracy of 84% in the top-flight according to Sofascore, and Clark just slightly worse at 78%, although with a much smaller sample size. They enjoy getting on the ball in deeper areas, pulling the strings and kickstarting attacks, before crashing the box looking to get on the end of crosses.

It will certainly frustrate Newcastle that they failed to keep hold of 19-year-old Clark, who is now beginning to break into Liverpool’s first team and show similar levels of talent to Miley. If things had turned out differently, he could’ve helped Newcastle through their injury crisis this season, rather than becoming a breakout star at Anfield.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Uncertainty reigns after Paarl cancellation with possibility England party could face 10 days in quarantine

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Dec-2020What is the current state of the tour?
Having completed the three-match T20I series with relatively little drama, issues surfaced ahead of the first ODI, scheduled for Friday in Cape Town. The game was initially postponed, after a positive Covid-19 test in the South Africa squad, and the Newlands fixture pushed back. However, two more positive tests among staff at the Vineyard Hotel, where both teams are staying, led to Sunday’s ODI in Paarl being delayed and then cancelled.Have there been any further positive tests?
The England camp subsequently revealed that they had returned two “unconfirmed” positives after a round of retesting on Saturday evening. These are awaiting independent ratification, after which the ECB will consult with CSA about the fate of the tour – although no decisions are expected until Monday.Could the remaining ODIs still be played?
In theory, yes. The rearranged fixture at Newlands has already been moved again, and won’t now be played on Monday. But should England’s two unconfirmed positives come back negative, then it is possible the ODIs could be played as back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday.What happens if England’s two positive cases are confirmed?
The England players and staff are currently self-isolating in accordance with South African guidelines. Should the presence of Covid-19 be confirmed, those who tested positive would be required to remain quarantined at the hotel for a 10-day period, along with anyone deemed to have come into close contact with them. That would in turn mean missing the chartered flight that is due to take England home on Thursday.Would that have any knock-on effects?
Aside from unwanted stress and missing out on family time in the run-up to Christmas, some players might find deals to play in the Big Bash League at risk. Sam Billings, Tom Curran, Lewis Gregory, Liam Livingstone and Jason Roy are due to fly to Australia at the end of the series, but already face serving a 14-day quarantine period on arrival. With the BBL starting on Thursday and running through until early February, delays to their departure from South Africa could curtail availability for the tournament.For those players who are also likely to be in the England Test squad, there is also the looming prospect of a tour to Sri Lanka at the start of next year, scheduled to depart on January 2. If their return to the UK was put back until December 17, they would have little more than two weeks at home before being asked to travel to another bio-bubble for the two-Test series.How did individuals contract Covid-19 in a bio-secure environment?
This remains unclear. Although South Africa produced two positive tests ahead of the T20I series, those infections likely occurred before the squad came together. Thursday’s positive was “a more recent case that occurred within the bio-secure environment,” according to CSA medical officer, Dr Shuaib Manjra. CSA said subsequently it had investigated and discounted the possibility of a breach of protocol by the players. However, it is understood that not all of the hotel staff have been staying on site.What might be the implications for South Africa’s summer?
The whole tour was worth around US$4.2m in broadcasting money to CSA, and the loss of half of the fixtures would mean a significant financial hit. Equally damaging, confirmation of a bio-security breach could cast doubt on whether upcoming tours by Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Australia will go ahead as planned.Will there be any impact on the World Cup Super League?
If the series is cancelled due to the coronavirus, there is the potential for the three fixtures – worth 10 points each – to be rearranged (although few windows in which to squeeze another tour). In the case that the games go down as abandonments, then points would be shared, with South Africa and England taking 15 each.

These players would not be exempted from the cancellation of Kolpak registrations after this year

Matt Roller and Firdose Moonda29-Sep-2020

South African Dane Vilas and Cameron Delport’s hopes of continuing to play in county cricket as local players courtesy their ancestry visas have been dealt a terminal blow, after the ECB confirmed that they would not be exempted from the cancellation of Kolpak registrations when the UK’s transition period with the European Union (EU) ends on December 31, 2020.Alan Fordham, the ECB’s head of first-class cricket operations, sent a letter to the counties, the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA) and the relevant boards last week, setting out the changes that would be made to eligibility registrations following the end of the transition period. That included the long-anticipated cancellation of Kolpak registrations and confirmation that EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK would continue to qualify as local players.After lobbying from the PCA, the ECB had confirmed this July that counties would be able to field two overseas players rather than one in both the County Championship and the One-Day Cup in order to protect the jobs of players on Kolpak deals.ALSO READ: ECB clarifies player retention plans for postponed HundredBoth Vilas and Delport had appealed to the ECB in the hope that their ancestry visas would mean they remained eligible to play as non-overseas players for Lancashire and Essex respectively, and both remained optimistic when contacted by ESPNcricinfo last week.But Fordham’s letter, published on the ECB’s website, affirmed that the cancellation of Kolpak registrations would “apply regardless of whether such player currently holds, or is able to obtain, an ancestral or family visa giving them the right to work in the UK”.ESPNcricinfo understands that the changes have been approved by the ECB board and are not pending appeals. It is unclear, however, whether the ruling will face any legal challenge from players affected at this stage.Vilas, 35, is expected to stay at Lancashire next season despite the ruling. Since signing for the club in 2017, he has settled in London with his wife Pippa, whose ancestral visa means that he has – and would continue to have – the right to live and work in the UK. Lancashire have previously given him guarantees that he would stay on as an overseas player. That said, he is unlikely to retain his top-bracket contract in the Hundred with the Manchester Originals, competing for one of three overseas spots rather than being one of the better local players available.For Delport, meanwhile, the ruling could be the first step on his return to the international fold. He has previously held conversations with South Africa’s director of cricket Graeme Smith and head coach Mark Boucher about the possibility of playing for his native country in the 2021 T20 World Cup, and publicly revealed his intentions to represent them while speaking to ESPNcricinfo last month.In practice, many players on Kolpak registrations – including Simon Harmer, Duanne Olivier and Stiaan van Zyl – will become their respective counties’ overseas player next year, while a handful – like Fidel Edwards and David Wiese – are expected to be released at the end of the season.Confirmation that EU nationals would only be eligible if they have settled or pre-settled status came as a blow to Dutch cricket as well, seemingly ending the pathway for young players to gain experience at the county level – much like the now first-class-veteran Ryan ten Doeschate – unless they move to the UK on a permanent basis.

Arne Slot has explained why he substituted Trent Alexander-Arnold, much to the Liverpool star's disappointment, during the win against Brentford.

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Alexander-Arnold looked unhappy after substitutionLiverpool boss appeared to explain decision on benchSays he was trying to protect the right-backWHAT HAPPENED?

Alexander-Arnold was replaced by Conor Bradley with under 20 minutes left to play after the Reds had taken a 2-0 lead in Slot's first competitive home game since replacing Jurgen Klopp as coach. The Dutchman was then seen sitting beside the England international in the dugout, seemingly explaining why he took him off, though Alexander-Arnold did not look happy.

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The 25-year-old has recently been linked with a move away from Anfield, with Real Madrid said to be interested in signing him on a free transfer when his contract expires at the end of the season. Slot, though, insists that the right-back is a key figure as he explained he took him off to protect the academy graduate.

WHAT SLOT SAID

"I understand. Every player wants to play 90 minutes but I don’t think the players that were on the bench from the start were really happy with the choice I made," Slot said at a press conference. "Trent came back from the national team, where in the beginning of the tournament he played quite a lot and then he didn’t. He had a few weeks off, came back and it is only his third game and we have to take care of him. We need him for the whole season and not only for the first two games. The good thing for me is that I have a very good backup as well with Conor, that means we are taking care of Trent, but he played a good game."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Slot opted to play Alexander-Arnold at right-back, instead of using him in midfield where he has played on occasion for club and county. The ex-Feyenoord boss feels that he is more dangerous at full-back, explaining on : "I think Trent has many qualities, and one of them is the crosses from the side. If we only play him in the midfield he can only pass the ball, which he can of course do quite well. But I also want him in dangerous crossing positions.

"We try to influence players as much as we can before the game to say where could open gaps for you to come in. Nine times out of 10 the teams do something different than against other teams. He has the freedom to go anywhere. Trent is a difficult one to play against."

Bell returns from England bubble with 4-36 as Vipers defeat South East Stars, despite Chloe Brewer’s 79

Raf Nicholson19-Sep-2020

Lauren Bell’s return to Southern Vipers from the England training bubble proved a memorable one, as she claimed 4 for 36 to set up a four-wicket victory against South East Stars at The Kia Oval, leaving Vipers undefeated in the group stages of the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy and headed to next weekend’s final.Stars’ Chloe Brewer, making only her second appearance in the competition, hit an impressive 79 at the top of the order, but Stars squandered their solid start, collapsing from 145 for 3 to 227 all out in 48.3 overs.In what turned into a nail-biting run chase, it was the 72-run sixth-wicket partnership between Carla Rudd, who made 35, and Emily Windsor, with an unbeaten 47, which ultimately proved decisive for Vipers, Windsor hitting the winning runs in the 48th over with 16 balls to spare.Vipers had initially looked to be going steady at 70 for 1 after 15 overs, before back-to-back dismissals in the 16th and 17th gave them a wobble – captain Georgia Adams caught and bowled by Hannah Jones for 41, while Maia Bouchier fell lbw to leg-spinner Danielle Gregory for 10.With their captain and the leading competition run-scorer back in the dugout, Charlie Dean and Paige Scholfield began the necessary rescue work but could not see the job through, as Gregory and Jones struck in tandem again in their consecutive second spells, leaving Vipers five down.But Vipers’ experienced middle order eventually proved their mettle, ensuring they maintained their winning momentum going into the Trophy finalStars’ batting was expected to be buoyed in the last round by the return of England players Bryony Smith and Alice Davidson-Richards, but both fell for single figures – Smith the first wicket to fall, driving straight into the hands of Bouchier at extra cover in the fourth over.Instead it was two teenagers who did the heavy lifting for Stars, with 18-year-old Brewer well supported by 16-year-old Alice Capsey, as the pair shared a 77-run partnership for the third wicket. Coming together in the 12th over after Aylish Cranstone was lbw to Charlotte Taylor attempting a sweep, they remained at the crease until the 30th, moving the total along from 52 for 2 to 129 for 3.Both eventually fell in near-identical fashion, sending the ball up into the safe hands of Bouchier – the 21-year-old snaffling a total of four catches in her signature position at extra cover to leave her with a tally of 10 across the group stages, the highest of anyone in the competition.Bell’s reintroduction in the 33rd over helped further dent the Stars’ innings, with her victims including both top-scorer Brewer and Stars’ captain Tash Farrant, bowled by a brilliant yorker.Grace Gibbs attempted to salvage things with a rapid 19-ball 30 at the back end to take Stars past 200, including two beautifully struck sixes against the off-spin of Adams. However, two smart run-outs from Scholfield at midwicket finished the job, with Stars bowled out in the 49th – nine balls of their innings going unused.

It's been a wild seven days for Chelsea Football Club, seven days that have seen the team fall to an embarrassing 2-2 draw with a ten-man Burnley side and then win 4-3 against Manchester United in one of the best games of the season.

Mauricio Pochettino still looks as lost as ever in the hot seat, but Cole Palmer's sheer brilliance was enough to carry his team through Thursday night's game.

That said, there were still a number of dreadful performances from those in Blue, such as Moises Caicedo, and it looks like the club could already be looking for his replacement based on reports this week.

Chelsea transfer news

According to reports from Spain earlier this week (via Caught Offside), Chelsea could launch a 'surprise raid' for Real Madrid's supremely gifted midfielder, Aurélien Tchouaméni.

The report has revealed that while even though there have been talks of financial fair play complications surrounding the club in recent months, Todd Boehly and Co are still keen on signing 'elite' players and would even be willing to sell Conor Gallagher to free up funds for such a move.

No price has been mentioned yet, but considering Real paid an initial €80m – £69m – to get their man in June 2022, it will likely cost a lot more than that, especially as the CIES Football Observatory currently values him at €100m, which is about £86m.

It would certainly be difficult and costly to complete, but if Chelsea can convince the Frenchman to join the club, it could seriously improve their midfield, although it might not be so good for Caicedo's long-term future.

How Tchouameni compares to Caicedo

Now, it might seem absurd to think that Chelsea are already looking to replace their £115m summer signing, but after a debut season in which he has made several high-profile mistakes, such as giving the ball to Alejandro Garnacho for his opening goal on Thursday night, it might not be.

The Blues may be under different ownership these days, but with the pressure continuing to mount on Boehly and Co on a weekly basis, they might do something drastic, and with Tchouameni favouring the defensive midfield role the Ecuadorian plays, it feels ominous.

With that said, which midfielder is superior? Well, the first thing to consider is their respective experience, which, unfortunately for the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace, is an area he can't win.

In all, he has made just 91 appearances for a top-flight European side, 53 of which were for the Seagulls. In comparison, the Real ace has made 37 appearances for Bordeaux, 95 for AS Monaco, and 82 for Los Blancos, in which he has won a Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup, UEFA Super Cup, and Club World Cup.

Furthermore, he has won 31 caps for the French national team, including seven at the 2022 World Cup, where he played the full 120 minutes of the final.

Okay, so what about their underlying numbers? Is the comparison one-sided there? Well, it's more bad news for the Chelsea man, as in the vast majority of relevant metrics, he is second, and in some areas, by quite some way.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals + Assists

0.09

0.08

Non-Penalty Goals

0.10

0.00

Assists

0.05

0.04

Progressive Carries

1.15

0.52

Progressive Passes

5.29

5.11

Shots on Target

0.21

0.04

Passing Accuracy

90.8%

91.2%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.36

1.86

Goal-Creating Actions

0.47

0.35

Tackles Won

1.62

2.60

Interceptions

1.31

1.04

Clearances

2.20

1.39

Errors Leading to a Goal

0.05

0.13

Ball Recoveries

4.29

6.02

Aerial Duels Won

2.36

1.04

For example, Real's "one-man war machine," as talent scout Jacek Kulig described him, produces far better attacking and goalscoring numbers, wins significantly more aerial duels, makes more interceptions and clearances, makes fewer errors that lead to a goal, and completes far more progressive passes and carries per 90.

Poch must axe 5/10 Chelsea man who was saved by Palmer vs Man Utd

The Blues ace was bailed out by the young superstar.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Apr 5, 2024

Ultimately, if Chelsea can get their hands on Tchouaméni this summer, even for £86m plus, they should. However, that could very much spell the end of Caicedo's Blues career before it ever really got the chance to begin.