Tag Futebol

Ashley Giles says scheduling will be looked at for 2021 with a view to shifting priorities

George Dobell01-Nov-2019

The One-Day Cup is set to be played alongside the Hundred next season•Getty Images

A change of heart at the ECB could see the County Championship – rather than the One-Day Cup – played at the same time as the Hundred from 2021.Next summer the domestic one-day competition is scheduled to be played at the same time as the Hundred, meaning England’s best limited-overs players will not be available for 50-over cricket. But Ashley Giles, the managing director of England men’s cricket, has suggested that decision could be reviewed after the 2020 season.While he insisted the 50-over competition would provide an opportunity for “young guys to get exposure” in 2020, he did admit that, ahead of the 2023 World Cup in India, the ECB may look to ensure the domestic competition is of as high a standard as possible and not hit by absences.”It definitely will be 50-over alongside the Hundred next summer, but this will be consistently reviewed,” Giles told in an interview in their November edition. “You could then move your 50-over back to the start of the year.”Fifty-over cricket remains really important. But we have to prioritise slightly differently over the next few years. We have two T20 World Cups ahead of the 2023 50-over World Cup. We’ll still play 50-over.”Can I sit here and say it’s the most important thing when it’s being playing alongside the Hundred – no, I can’t. You’d laugh at me. It’s actually a really good competition for some young guys to get exposure. Then in 2021 we might have a look at the scheduling again.”One option likely to be discussed by the ECB cricket committee now chaired by Andrew Strauss is the possibility of staging Championship games – perhaps offering half the points of matches at other stages of the season when all players are available – during the window designed to accommodate the Hundred. That will not be a universally popular option and may lead to suggestions that the ECB is compromising the integrity of the first-class game and, as a consequence, the development of the Test side.But Giles feels the benefits, not least playing more first-class in the prime weeks of the summer when conditions should encourage spin bowling, are worth further consideration.”People will say the integrity of the Championship would be in question,” Giles said. “But you could view it slightly differently:play with a points system, and have a healthy mix of senior players who are not in the Hundred, alongside some 19 and 20-years-olds.”You could have four rounds of Championship cricket at the height of summer, on good pitches that might spin. A lot of county members like seeing the young players, at outgrounds. That would be great.”

Chelsea's habit of following up positive results with negative ones struck again over the weekend, as the Blues followed up on their 3-2 win over Leeds United in the FA Cup with a 2-2 draw away to Brentford in the Premier League.

Mauricio Pochettino's side certainly didn't go into the game as overwhelming favourites, but considering they're ten points above the Bees in the table, coming away with just a point is undeniably disappointing.

One of the few players who put in a good shift for the west Londoners was former Manchester City ace Cole Palmer, which is nothing new this year.

However, as crucial as the 21-year-old has become at the club, plenty of players earn more than him, with one attacker in particular earning substantially more for very little return.

Cole Palmer's salary at Chelsea

Chelsea signed Palmer from league rivals City in the summer for a fee of around £40m, with £2.5m in add-ons, and to say he has been a success in the capital would be an understatement.

He made his debut for Pochettino's side on September 2nd, against Nottingham Forest, provided his first assist on September 27th against Preston North End and scored his first goal a week later, against Burnley.

Since then, the Manchester-born gem has been electric and currently has 12 goals and ten assists to his name in 32 appearances for the Pensioners, which is a remarkable return given his age and the fact that this is his first season at the club.

Given the impact he has already had at the club and the talent he so evidently has, fans would be forgiven for assuming that Palmer was one of the best-paid players at the club, when the opposite is true.

In total, 15 players earn more than the young Englishman's £75k-per-week wages at the club, and that number will only increase when players out on loan come back to the side in the summer.

The main argument for his moderate wages is likely that the young "leader", as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, was relatively inexperienced when he signed his deal in the summer, and that would be a perfectly logical explanation if there wasn't another attacker who was arguably more inexperienced at the top level when he signed his higher paying deal last season.

Mykhailo Mudryk's wage at Chelsea

Yes, Ukrainian international Mykhailo Mudryk is earning more than Palmer at Chelsea, and by quite a considerable margin.

The "monster dribbler", as U23 scout Antonio Mango described him, joined the Blues in a shock £62m transfer last January after being touted for a move to cross-city rivals Arsenal in the weeks leading up to the announcement.

Chelsea also agreed to pay £27m in add-ons should the then-22-year-old reach certain milestones and performance targets, but with how his time in west London has gone thus far, it seems unlikely that the Blues would have had to pay said add-ons just yet.

In his 45 appearances for the Pensioners, the former Shakhtar Donetsk star has scored just five goals and provided just five assists, meaning that he has cost the club £6.2m per goal involvement when taking into account his base transfer fee alone.

Mudryk vs Palmer value for money

Mudryk

Stat

Palmer

£62m

Transfer Fee (Base)

£40m

£100k-p/w

Wages (Base)

£75k-p/w

£67.9m

Total Cost So Far

£41.9m

£13.5m

Cost per Goal

£3.4m

£13.5m

Cost per Assist

£4.1m

£6.7m

Cost per Goal Involvement

£1.9m

All Stats via Transfermarkt & Wages via Capology

However, alongside his hefty fee, the 23-year-old has also been earning a tidy wage of £100k-per-week for the 59 weeks he has been a Chelsea player, which means he has cost Todd Boehly and Co £5.9m in wages and a total of £67.9m without adding in the bonuses he might've earned in that period.

So, in total, he has cost around £13.5m per goal since signing his deal last January, while Palmer, when taking into account his £40m transfer fee and 26 weeks of wages, has cost the club £3.4m per goal, and that price is coming down almost weekly at this point.

Related Ex-Chelsea gem has made over £350m & outperformed Sterling in 22/23

The former Blues star has been raking it in since leaving Stamford Bridge.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 1, 2024

Ultimately, it's hard to view the money spent on Mudryk as anything other than a waste, and that is especially so when considering the wage of Palmer, who has been far and away the team's best player in 2023/24.

If any confirmation were needed that Jack Leach has become an England cult hero, it came on the third evening at The Oval. Leach had walked out to bat alongside Jofra Archer, with England eight down and sitting on a 374-run lead when people began to rise in their seats and join in with a booming chorus that echoed around the ground: “Stand up if you love Jack Leach!”Only those of a green-and-gold persuasion declined to join the choir. Leach’s fan club has grown steadily since the middle of summer, but largely because of his batting exploits rather than his spin bowling. First came the 92 as nightwatchman opener against Ireland at Lord’s, for which he was named Man of the Match; then the valiant 1 off 17 balls to accompany Ben Stokes into the history books at Headingley. In the first innings at The Oval, he held up his end while helping Jos Buttler to add 68 and lift England from trouble again.Then there is the endearing routine of cleaning his glasses between deliveries. In part it is Leach’s everyman appearance that chimes with the watching public – though the sight of fans at Old Trafford mimicking his bald pate and glasses prompted Kevin Pietersen to wonder in a column for a betting site whether Leach was becoming a “laughing stock”.On the final day of the series at The Oval, Leach made sure the talk would be about his bowling at last. He made key incisions to remove Marnus Labuschagne and Tim Paine before taking the last two wickets to fall for figures of 4 for 49 – his best in home Tests – in the process sharing all ten with Stuart Broad and his captain, Joe Root. “Today I just wanted to be patient and felt if I did my job well then the wickets would come,” he said. “I needed to put the ball in the right area and be patient. I got my rewards at the end, with some good catching from Rooty. Broady set the tone amazingly well earlier on, it was a real team effort. The Aussies fought hard but we did enough.”It was nice to get some wickets on the last day. The support for me has been something I didn’t think I’d ever experience. Maybe it’s because of my batting, but I think it’s mainly because I’m bald and have got glasses. The way the public have warmed to me is something very special and I don’t take for granted. I can’t thank them enough.”England were well on their way to drawing the series on Saturday evening, when Leach was warmly serenaded by the Oval crowd. Looking back, he was happy enough to acknowledge the moment of fortune at Headingley that saw Nathan Lyon drop the ball with a decisive run-out opportunity begging.”Yesterday, when I was batting at the end, over there they were singing ‘Stand up if you love Jack Leach’, and then they started over there as well. I just thought ‘What is going on?’ Nathan Lyon came over and said to me ‘How many beers do you owe me [for the run out]?’ I think I owe him a lot. Sport is fickle and I guess you have to enjoy the good moments and not get too down about the bad moments. I have had some luck as well. Hopefully you earn that luck through hard work, I will continue working hard.”Jack Leach claimed the key scalp of Tim Paine•Getty Images

Leach has been a hit on social media, as well as in the stands, with a video of his re-enactment of the single he scored at Headingley receiving more than 5000 likes on Twitter. After Australia had retained the urn by winning the next Test, at Old Trafford, there were suggestions that Steven Smith had donned a pair of glasses in mock tribute – though it was later clarified to be a joke at the expense of bespectacled former Australia opener Chris Rogers.”Smith came to me to let me know that it wasn’t about me,” Leach said. “I didn’t know whether it was or wasn’t. I was kind of hoping it was, and thought it was a good laugh. I was very embarrassed after Headingley when the video came out of me doing my one. I think I deserved that to be honest! That’s why we got a picture together after the game with him wearing my glasses!”Having made a low-key debut in Christchurch in March 2018, then missing out on the following Test summer through injury, it feels as though Leach has taken 18 months to become an overnight success. However, he does not intend to bask in his new status, and could well find himself involved in a momentous achievement of a different kind over the coming days, with Somerset closing in on the first-ever Championship title in their history.”Somerset-Essex next week, I don’t know if I’ll play yet. I’ve been part of that Somerset season as well so I don’t know. During this series it’s been pretty mentally and physically tiring. But I probably haven’t bowled too many overs, not a silly amount. It will be good to go back and try to win the Championship with Somerset because we’ve never won that.”

Josh Hazlewood has effectively dared England to prepare green, seaming pitches for the remaining four Ashes Tests, arguing that the balance of the visiting 2019 squad – featuring Pat Cummins, James Pattinson, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle, Michael Neser and himself – is far better than the combination chosen four years ago.In 2015, Hazlewood was part of a squad that toured England with a surfeit of fast men, featuring Mitchell Johnson, Starc and Cummins in addition to himself, following the forced retirement of Ryan Harris. But the bombing raid approach only worked for one of the five Tests at Lord’s, as slower, seam-and-swing friendly surfaces did not suit the attack elsewhere, leading finally to a belated recall for Siddle.Having taken 3 for 34 against Worcestershire at New Road, Hazlewood indicated that the bowlers were both content to be used as a flexible squad and confident the right combinations would be found irrespective of what surfaces are prepared at Lord’s, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval. The success of Siddle, Cummins and Pattinson in Birmingham, on a pitch that started out as seam-friendly but swiftly dried out into a haven for Nathan Lyon, will force England to look at other options for their pitches.”We’ve got three guys with proper air speed and we’ve got three guys who seam and swing it a little bit, so I think that’s what they’ve got six quicks for, to have all bases covered. And I guess it’s just who’s bowling the best at that particular time and who gets the nod,” Hazlewood said when asked if the balance of bowlers meant England would not be able to prepare pitches unsuited to the Australian bowlers this time around. “I think every quick really feels the pressure of the other five or vice versa, and it’s great competition to have within the squad.”It depends on what the wicket dishes up. If it’s a dry wicket that reverse swing might come into play [on] or very flat, then someone like Mitch Starc can come in to play. If it’s nice and green and seaming around, then it’s myself and Sidds. It just depends on what conditions are, to be honest. They’ve definitely gone a different way to 2015 and I think that’s because of how tight [together] the Tests are, that’s why we’ve got six here, and anyone can do a different job on a different day. It’s getting that balance in the attack.”I think there’ll be a little bit more in it [at Lord’s], but in saying that, probably their best exponent, Jimmy [James Anderson], is not going to play. So that might weigh up different options, but I think there’ll be more in it, maybe just to try to get [Steven] Smithy out. But him batting on those sort of tracks is very hard work. I think it suits us as much as them if there is more in the wicket, so we’ll weigh it up.”At Edgbaston, Hazlewood and Starc had the unusual experience of being left out of a Test match in which both would have been fit to play, something the former admitted he had not experienced since a combination of niggling injuries and declining performance saw him replaced by Siddle for the aforementioned Oval Test in 2015.”Yeah it would be, especially for a Test match – probably last time here I think at The Oval, maybe four years ago. So a while ago,” Hazlewood said. “Coming back from a pretty serious back injury, back-to-back stress fractures, it can take a while to get back in the swing of things, and I feel I’m getting better and better each bowl and last night and today felt really good, so if I can keep improving there and keep putting my hand up every time I get the chance then that’s all you can do.”Sidds has obviously been playing a lot of cricket and I think the other guys picked themselves. Jimmy [Pattinson] has been bowling fantastic for Nottinghamshire and on the Australia A tour and in Southampton as well bowled incredibly. So it’s pretty stiff competition at the moment, and we’ve got Mitch Starc and Michael Neser as well. It’s a great group of guys, we all want everyone else to do really well as a group, and try and win the Ashes as a group of six not just us and them playing.”Lord’s four years ago was arguably Hazlewood’s best match of the series, as he found better control with the Dukes ball and claimed key wickets in each innings in concert with Starc, Johnson and Mitchell Marsh. He is understandably eager for a recall at the home of the game.”I’ve just played the one Test there but thought I got used to the slope pretty quickly and felt pretty comfortable there,” he said. “I think the conditions have been quite bowler friendly there the last few Test matches, so I’d love an opportunity. Obviously I was quite young or inexperienced the first time I played there in a Test match, and it probably passed me by pretty quickly, but just playing at Lord’s in an Ashes Test it doesn’t get much better to be honest and I’m looking forward.”

Tickets to watch Cristiano Ronaldo train for Portugal ahead of Euro 2024's opening fixtures are on sale for the eye-watering price of €800.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Fans can watch Ronaldo in open trainingTickets on sale for exorbitant pricesPortugal start Euro 2024 on TuesdayWHAT HAPPENED?

Portugal are preparing for Euro 2024 and will face Czechia, Turkey, and Georgia in their group. Before that, on Friday, there will be an open training session, for which there were 6,000 free tickets allocated. Per ESPN, they are now being resold at immense cost.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

On the German ticketing website, kleinanzeigen, tickets are being advertised for as much as €800 (£674/$860). Ronaldo, of course, may be playing in his final ever international tournament at the age of 39, and it appears that supporters are desperate to get a final glimpse of the Al-Nassr star.

DID YOU KNOW?

Ronaldo has played in six European Championships, stretching back to 2004. He won the tournament in 2016, and in 25 games, he has scored 14 goals and registered nine assists.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

Portugal's open training session will be attended by fans who have some lighter wallets. After that, Portugal kick off their tournament next week against Czechia.

Arsenal are reportedly pushing to seal Benjamin Sesko's signing before Euro 2024 begins with Manchester United and Chelsea also in the race.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Arsenal keen to sign Sesko toFace competition from Man Utd & ChelseaStriker has €65m release clauseWHAT HAPPENED?

In their quest to fortify their attacking options ahead of the upcoming season, Arsenal have linked themselves to various potential signings. One standout name is Sesko, a promising young talent whose performances have already created waves in the Bundesliga. According to Florian Plettenberg, the Gunners are actively pushing to finalise the transfer of Sesko and will be quick to make a final decision as all parties want his future to be sorted before the European Championship kicks off in mid-June in Germany.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

While Arsenal are keen to bring Sesko to the Emirates, they are not alone in this pursuit. United have already made inquiries about the RB Leipzig star, and Chelsea are also closely monitoring the situation. Both clubs are prepared to activate the striker’s release clause, which stands at €65 million (£55m/$70m) and is set to expire at the end of June. Leipzig, on their part, are determined to retain Sesko and are working on extending his contract to remove the release clause.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite the intense competition, reports suggest that Arsenal are Sesko’s preferred destination if a move materialises. His decision may be influenced by the opportunity to work under Mikel Arteta and the prospect of playing in a squad competing for top honours in England and Europe.

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

Getty WHAT NEXT?

After joining Leipzig last summer, Sesko managed to score 14 goals in just 31 appearances, showcasing his goal-scoring prowess and rapid development. A strong showing in the upcoming Euro 2024, where Slovenia will face formidable opponents like England, Denmark and Serbia, could further elevate his market value and interest. He is contracted with Leipzig until 2028, but the current circumstances suggest a potential move is imminent if Arsenal decide to act swiftly on their interest.

Endrick admitted "it was not a choice" but a "dream" to sign for Real Madrid and opened up on his bond with Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Endrick set to move to Real Madrid
• Rebuffed approaches from Barcelona & PSG
• Wants Champions League glory with Real

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Endrick, whom the Spanish giants have pursued for nearly a year, is set to join the club in the summer of 2024. The move comes after Madrid paid a record fee of €60 million (£52m/$64m) to Palmeiras, to march ahead of competition from Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona.

Advertisement

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT ENDRICK SAID

  Despite interest from several top European clubs, Endrick was clear about his intentions.

  "It wasn't a choice," he stated in an interview with . "Madrid was always a dream. I didn't have to choose anything; I just realised a dream".

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Endrick looks to settle down quickly in Spain with the help of his compatriots Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and Eder Militao. The teenager already shares an incredible bond with the trio and hailed Vinicius and Rodrygo as his "inspiration".

  "It's very good," Endrick said of his relationship with them. "They are young people, also Brazilians, who adapted very well to both the city and the club. Their story, both Vini's and Rodrygo's, is an inspiration and they are going to help me a lot."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Endrick's ambition doesn't stop at joining the team. He is fully aware of the high expectations that come with playing for Real Madrid and is already hoping to be crowned a European champion after making his move to Real.

  "More than wanting, I know that it is mandatory to be European champion if you are in Madrid," he asserted. "The Champions League is a tournament that Madrid always thinks about, and the team should not start the season with any other objective than that."

MatériaMais Notícias

Com time misto, o Palmeiras sofreu um gol no final do jogo e perdeu para o Coritiba por 1 a 0 no Couto Pereira na noite desta quarta-feira (17). Após o resultado ruim, o técnico Abel Ferreira falou, novamente, sobre o alto número de jogos no calendário brasileiro:

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasVinicius Silvestre lamenta derrota no fim e diz que trocaria ‘retorno’ por vitóriaPalmeiras17/02/2021BrasileirãoKuscevic é expulso, Coritiba marca no final e vence o Palmeiras pelo BrasileirãoBrasileirão17/02/2021PalmeirasWillian, do Palmeiras, completa 300 jogos no Brasileirão e celebra: ‘Significa muito para mim’Palmeiras17/02/2021

>> Confira a classificação atualizada do Brasileirão e faça sua simulação
>>E se os clubes brasileiros fossem comparados com escolas de samba?

– Eu, enquanto treinador, sei que ficamos de fora da disputa do Brasileirão por várias razões. De fato, o calendário é extremamente apertado para nós continuarmos a sermos competitivos no campeonato nacional. Já é segunda vez que jogamos, recuperamos e jogamos no dia seguinte outra vez. Volto a dizer, isso não existe em lugar nenhum, só no Brasil – esbravejou o português.

Na sequência, o comandante comentou a possibilidade de disputar o Campeonato Paulista com a equipe Sub-20 a fim de que o elenco possa se preparar melhor para a próxima temporada:

– Tiveram a coragem de marcar de marcar um jogo no dia anterior ao primeiro duelo da final da Copa do Brasil (risos). É uma reflexão que nós (comissão técnica) e a estrutura de futebol teremos que fazer, para o presente e futuro. Somos pagos para isso, mas temos que perceber que estamos competindo há treze ou catorze meses. Alguma coisa está está errada por aqui e algo vai ter que mudar. Temos que saber se queremos ter sucesso só no presente ou no futuro – refletiu Abel.

O Palmeiras volta a campo na próxima sexta-feira (19) diante do São Paulo, às 21h30 (horário de Brasília), no Morumbi, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro.

continua após a publicidade

Arsenal will have a big task on their hands to improve the squad in the January transfer window.

Truth be told, the Gunners haven’t got a huge number of areas in which they can make improvements but Mikel Arteta must find a way to get over this line this time out.

Indeed, they only need to look at how the second half of the 2022/23 campaign played out to realise how not strengthening can plague a season’s hard work.

William Saliba sustained an ill-fated back injury and when Takehiro Tomiyasu also picked up an issue, it left Rob Holding to fill in for the pairing. The less said about that the better.

As a result, signing another defender, with Jurrien Timber still injury-stricken is a mighty fine idea.

Arsenal’s defensive targets – £34m star eyed up

One area in which the Gunners could look to improve is at full-back.

Oleksandr Zinchenko has been suspect at times this term, notably giving the ball away for Matheus Cunha’s goal against Wolves on Saturday.

Arteta shouldn't be pleased with 6/10 Arsenal star after Wolves

One Arsenal player was at fault during their 2-1 victory against Wolves.

By
Matt Dawson

Dec 3, 2023

Tomiyasu still has his own fitness issues and Ben White has not been without his complaints on the injury front this term.

Therefore, rumours linking Jeremie Frimpong with the club certainly make sense.

Speaking to Caught Offside recently, Fabrizio Romano stated:

“Arsenal have been scouting Jeremie Frimpong, as reported yesterday, and a new right-back is one of the positions they are exploring, for sure.

It’s not something imminent but they are keeping close eye on right-backs for 2024. We’ll have to see soon who the concrete names end up being.”

The defender is currently on the books of Bayer Leverkusen, a teammate of Granit Xhaka’s in the Bundesliga.

Frimpong previously had a spell at Celtic after coming up through Manchester City’s academy and could cost £34m owing to a release clause.

Why Arsenal must sign Jeremie Frimpong

Despite Arsenal’s injury issues at the back over the last year, you may well be wondering why they require another right back.

After all, this is a position that Tomiyasu, White and Timber are all capable of playing in.

However, the fact of the matter is that Arteta loves his versatility. In White, he has a member of the squad capable of playing at centre-back as well as at right-back. In Tomiyasu, meanwhile, he has a cultured defender who is able to feature in any position across the back line. The same could be said of former Ajax man, Timber.

Frimpong, though, offers something that those three options fail to possess, a consistent offensive threat.

That may well be harsh on Arsenal’s Japanese hero, who has registered three assists in his last two games, but the Leverkusen machine is the very definition of a marauding wing-back.

Described as a “monster” by some, the 22-year-old is one of the best young full-backs in Europe, largely going forward.

Over the last year of action, Frimpong ranks within the top 5% of positionally similar players in the big five leagues for non-penalty goals, shots and assists per 90 minutes. Unsurprisingly, the youngster is also within the top 10% for shot-creating actions and in the top 1% for progressive carries and touches in the opposition’s penalty area per 90 mins. Clearly, this is a talent who is an immense threat in the final third.

Frimpong vs White vs Tomiyasu
Stats (per 90)	Frimpong	White	Tomiyasu
Non-penalty goals	0.24	0.08	0.08
Total shots	1.50	0.34	0.99
Assists	0.26	0.08	0.30
Shot-creating actions	3.18	2.01	1.91
Progressive carries	4.99	1.46	2.21
Touches (Oppo penalty box)	5.31	1.59	2.36
Successful take-ons	2.31	0.29	0.53
Stats via FBRef.

Why this move would benefit Bukayo Saka

Such qualities could well be game-changing alongside the club’s star player and man of the moment in Bukayo Saka.

The England star hasn’t truly been in full gear this term – quite the statement considering no other player has registered more goal involvements in the Champions League. In total throughout 2023/24, the tricky winger has posted eight goals and 11 assists across 20 outings. Fine work indeed.

Unfortunately, there is one major stumbling block in his way- that Saka often finds himself double-teamed by the opposition, something the Hale End graduate has noticed himself.

Speaking of late, the 22-year-old remarked: "I feel like a lot of games I'm facing a double team with two guys on me and it's the same for Gabi [Martinelli]. It's happening in every game. I keep watching all my games back trying to find a solution, what I can do better.”

However, with a player such as Frimpong to divert attention, overlapping him with enormous regularity, it could just open up more space for Saka to wreak havoc.

That’s not to suggest Tomiyasu and White don’t do a good job of that already but Arsenal’s Dutch target is certainly a level above when it comes to attacking threat.

Incredibly rapid and agile, the former Celtic star is someone who would run defenders ragged down the right-hand side – consequently taking one of those markers away from the Arsenal no.7.

Combining him with Saka, therefore, is a deadly proposition, and one that could well propel the Englishman’s numbers to even greater heights. Watch this space.

Chelsea's affluent academy continuously churns out talented youngsters, but only so many can make the first-team grade, while others are told to find a future elsewhere.

When the Blues released a 14-year-old Declan Rice, they found out the harsh realities of what can happen when you let go of a talented youngster before they reach their potential.

Rice's departure, of course, serves as a timely reminder of the world-beating quality that can slip through the net when the ceiling of a player isn't taken into account.

In the case of 18-year-old Leo Castledine, who has shown early signs of developing into a quality attacking midfielder, Chelsea have a player on their hands that they must manage correctly.

Castledine is currently ripping it up in the U21s and the next stage of his development is either; opportunities to impress sporadically in the first-team or gaining a regular taste of senior football out on loan.

Much like what they did with Rice, the Blues must avoid letting go of his precocious talents and instead, watch him develop into the next sensational star unearthed from Cobham.

Leo Castledine's statistics this season

A modern midfield player, who can slot into a variety of positions when utilising several different systems, Castledine is most effective as an attacking midfielder, but he has also been deployed as a wide playmaker and a centre-back.

Chelsea's development coach, Mark Robinson, once likened his talents to former academy graduates, Mason Mount and Conor Gallagher, through his ability to ghost into the penalty area from deep and score goals.

He said: "In terms of energy, he is similar to Mount and Gallagher. I think he has more elements of Conor. He can be very dangerous when he arrives in the box. He is definitely going to be a goal-scoring midfielder."

The 18-year-old has certainly demonstrated the above description this term by plundering four goals and supplying five assists in eight Premier League 2 appearances.

Castledine's confidence and charisma on the ball – where he looks like he's going to produce a moment of class – is a unique trait that is normally prevalent in elite-level players.

Chelsea can land an ideal Palmer partner in swoop for £80m machine

Pochettino could use the January transfer window as a chance to bolster his side

ByRoss Kilvington Nov 18, 2023

Dubbed by one talent scout as a "joy to watch" having witnessed his precocious talent, the teenage sensation is matching the level of quality that first-team star Cole Palmer is serving up this season and the pair could form a frightening partnership in the near future.

Cole Palmer's statistics this season

Palmer has predominantly operated as a right winger this term, but similarly to Castledine, likes to operate in central areas and unlock defences with his incisive passing.

In the absence of a natural central attacking midfielder following the injury to Christopher Nkunku, Mauricio Pochettino has been forced into utilising Gallagher in that position.

Whilst the Englishman has performed admirably as a number 10, recording four assists and five big chances created in the top flight, Castledine has the potential to exceed Gallagher in the creative department and form an instrumental partnership with Palmer.

The former Manchester City man has been tremendous since arriving in the summer and in seven top-flight starts, he's produced four goals and two assists, which underscores how vital his contributions have been.

Goals

4

Assists

2

Big chances created

5

Key passes

1.4

Accurate passes per game %

84%

Shots per game

1.7

All stats via Sofascore

As an attacking midfielder, who enjoys drifting out to the right and left flank, the thought of watching Castledine and Palmer interchange on the pitch is a mouth-watering prospect and one that would give their opponents something to think about.

It's this sort of movement that Chelsea are crying out for in the final third and although Pochettino is unlikely to throw Castledine in at the deep end, other clubs have benefitted from showing faith in their youth stars.

18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo was given an opportunity to start for Manchester United against Everton on Sunday and put in an outstanding performance beyond his years.

If Castledine is given a similar chance to shine, the talented midfield maestro can provide the Blues with some much-needed creativity alongside the fleet-footed Palmer.