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The left-arm wristspinner, who became the seventh bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul in all three formats, says Test cricket is “very close to my heart”

Alagappan Muthu in Rajkot06-Oct-20181:58

‘I want to have a long Test career’ – Kuldeep

Kuldeep Yadav became only the seventh bowler to pick up a five-wicket haul in all three formats of the game. The 23-year-old left-arm wristspinner wants to belong in Test cricket, badly. He’s fast becoming one of the most lethal bowlers in ODIs and T20Is but craves success in the format “everyone wants to feature in”.His debut was memorable – a four-wicket haul against Australia, and he picked up those wickets at a time when Australia were trying to dominate – but he had a much tougher time in his most recent outing, at Lord’s, where India misread a seamer-friendly pitch.Since then, Kuldeep has been in a desperate rush to get better at red-ball cricket. “I went to my coach after returning from England, I bowled a lot with the red ball for 3-4 days. It was difficult for me since after playing with the white ball, you tend to lose the rhythm (for red-ball cricket). I was with my sir [coach] for 4-5 days, concentrated a lot on bowling around the wicket as well as over the wicket, on my release, and also on the pace since in one-day cricket your pace increases. But when you play Test cricket, you have to ‘air’ the ball hoping that the batsman would take his chance.”Kuldeep was sent home from India with specific instructions that he would link up with the A team that was playing first-class matches in Bengaluru.”The red-ball cricket is very close to my (heart) and I want to play red-ball cricket for long. That’s the whole focus. In England, the conditions were different, maybe I could have bowled well there, but it did not happen that way. Then after coming here, played two matches with India A, it was a good comeback.”Australia had sent their A team to India with several Test players so that they can prepare for the series against Pakistan in the UAE. Kuldeep played two matches against them and picked up 12 wickets including a five-for in the second game.The thing he struggles with when switching formats appears to be centred around the two different balls.”Coming back to the red ball from the white ball is very difficult and also challenging. For a wristspinner, it is challenging because it takes time to get used to it. The white ball is a bit hard and is easier to grip. But the red ball, after a few overs, it gets softer, so it takes time to adjust.”Kuldeep was coming into this series after a spell with the India ODI side at the Asia Cup. And as he keeps saying, it took a while for him to adjust. In the first innings, he picked up one wicket from his ten overs while conceding 62 runs, being swept by the lower-order batsman Keemo Paul continuously. In the second innings, things changed.”Every time I gave the ball flight, runs were leaking. So when I came back for the second innings, I thought of putting a lid on the scoring rate, and [felt] as a result, wickets would come. So that was the plan – I had to guard against that extra flight because these West Indies batsmen have the power game, they can score freely. So I kept it in mind, used the variations and plugged the scoring rate.”The change of tactic worked. Kuldeep had his beloved five-for and India completed their biggest ever win.

The International break came at the wrong time for Chelsea who had just recorded a 4-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur and played out a captivating 4-4 draw against the reigning champions, Manchester City.

Once they return to action against Newcastle United next weekend, the Blues will be hoping to carry on the recent momentum garnered, especially in the final third.

Prior to scoring eight goals in two matches, Mauricio Pochettino's side were scoring at a rate of 1.18 goals per game with that figure now bumped up to 1.61.

A large reason for that change in output has been down to Cole Palmer executing brilliance and Nicolas Jackson discovering his shooting boots – the pair scoring 11 goals between them this season in all competitions.

Despite this turnaround in fortunes, Pochettino is still on the lookout for more attacking talent in the transfer window, with 18-year-old Roony Bardghji popping onto their radar.

Chelsea transfer news – Roony Bardghji

As confirmed by Danish outlet Tipsbladet earlier this month, Chelsea 'have been crazy' about FC Copenhagen's sensational winger and are considering making an offer for the teenager to steal a march on other top European clubs.

Bardghji is one of Europe's most promising talents and set the world alight following his display against Manchester United in the Champions League.

Making just his second appearance in the competition when he came off the bench against the Red Devils, the 18-year-old made an instant impression and caused several big clubs to salivate over his talents.

With 87 minutes on the clock and the score tied at 3-3, Bardghji popped up at the back post to lash home a well-struck effort to beat Andre Onana.

It was enough to snatch all three points for the Danish outfit, keeping their hopes of qualifying alive while condemning Erik ten Hag's side to a gut-wrenching defeat.

If Chelsea were to capture the youngster, who is valued at £19.7m (€22.5m) as per Football Transfers, he would be the latest emerging star captured under Todd Boehly's reign and could rival Raheem Sterling for a first-team spot.

Raheem Sterling's 23/24 statistics

Chelsea's decision to capture the best-emerging talent from across the globe demonstrates their forward-thinking direction as a club.

At the age of 28, Sterling doesn't fit the profile of someone they see as being a part of their long-term project and although the experience he can pass onto the youngsters is crucial, the average age of players used by Pochettino this season is 23.7.

That being said, despite being one of few outliers in the Blues squad in that regard, the Englishman has still impressed by showing glimpses of his previous form, especially in the performance against Man City, where he recorded his name on the scoresheet.

Sterling has posted five goals and two assists in 14 matches in all competitions this term, placing him in second for goals scored in the Chelsea squad, behind only Jackson.

Whilst this underscores his importance to the side, the fact he ranks in the top 4% for touches in the attacking box against his Premier League positional peers, top 7% for progressive carries and top 13% for successful take-ons, as per FBref, suggests he's back to his explosive best.

Although Sterling is undeniably a crucial piece of Pochettino's attack, the capture of the "Swedish Messi", a comparison drawn to the Argentine great for his ability to drop the shoulder and outfox defenders with his fleet-footed dribbling, could become the latest revelation at Stamford Bridge.

With 11 goals in all competitions this season, Bardghji – who is having a "superb" campaign, according to talent scout Jacek Kulig, is ushering the goalscoring responsibility at a young age, as Messi did for Barcelona, while he's already posting better metrics in most departments than Sterling.

Roony Bardghji vs Raheem Sterling 23/24 statistics

Statistic

Roony Bardghji (Danish Super Liga)

Raheem Sterling (Premier League)

Goals

7

4

Successful dribbles per game

50%

43%

Passing accuracy

19.1 (86%)

21.6 (78%)

Goal conversion

29%

17%

Key passes

1.1

1.3

Accurate crosses

0.6 (50%)

0.5 (18%)

Big chances missed

0

4

All stats via Sofascore

Although Bardghji is operating in a much weaker league in terms of quality, the wonderkid is still posting better quality in the attacking third than Sterling, who can only beat his rival winger for key passes completed.

It is therefore imperative that Pochettino does everything he can to lure the Swede to Stamford Bridge in January.

MatériaMais Notícias

A quarta-feira promete muita emoção no Morumbi. Após vencer o São Paulo por 1 a 0, o Grêmio precisa de pelo menos um empate para avançar na Copa do Brasil e promete fazer jogo duro fora e casa.

+ TABELA DE CLASSIFICAÇÃO DA COPA DO BRASIL

Além de toda a tensão do confronto, o Imortal está atento ao apito e a pressão que o São Paulo pode exercer dentro de casa.

Na visão de Diego Souza, alguns jogadores comandados por Fernando Diniz gostam ‘ apitar o duelo’ e o Grêmio não pode deixar que isso aconteça.

‘É uma decisão, não dá para esperar menos, e os nervos ficam a flor da pele, tem que ter concentração total, mas é que a equipe do São Paulo pressiona a arbitragem o tempo inteiro, muito chata dentro de campo e a gente tem que estar ligado porque se deixar eles acabam apitando o jogo. Isso é notório, a gente vê nas partidas’, afirmou na coletiva de imprensa.

São Paulo e Grêmio se enfrentam na noite de quarta-feira, a partir das 21h30 (Horário de Brasília), no Morumbi.

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There was a fifty for Moeen Ali, too, but Joe Denly and Keaton Jennings were less convincing in their stints at the crease

The Report by George Dobell in Colombo31-Oct-2018Moeen Ali congratulates Joe Root on his century•Getty Images

A sickening blow to the head to Pathum Nissanka overshadowed the final day of England’s warm-up match against a Sri Lanka Board side.Thankfully the player appears to have avoided serious injury, but play still was suspended for around 20 minutes after he was struck on the crown of his helmet by a fierce pull shot from Jos Buttler.The initial response to the incident was amusement – the ball ballooned into the air and was caught by Angelo Mathews at leg slip to end Buttler’s innings – but the mood soon changed as Nissanka fell to the ground clutching his head and the players realised the potential seriousness of the situation.Within moments the England team doctor, Moiz Moghal, ran on to the pitch to assess the situation. Nissanka remained motionless for around 20 minutes before he was taken, on a stretcher and in a neck brace, to a waiting ambulance. It is understood he did not lose consciousness but was complaining of pain in his neck. An MRI scan later confirmed that he was “out of danger” but he will be kept in hospital for 24 hours for observation.Buttler relieved after short leg scare

Jos Buttler admitted he feared the worst after his thumping pull shot crashed into the head of Pathum Nissanka.
Buttler was dismissed in the incident as the ball rebounded off Nissanka’s helmet to Angelo Mathews at leg slip, but insisted that was of little consideration.
“You always fear the worst,” Buttler said. “I hit him very hard and straight in the middle of the helmet. I knew I had hit it pretty hard and straightaway you’re worried about the guy.
“Luckily the medics rushed straight on and treated him. We’ve got a great doctor and physio here and they did a good job. I’m glad to hear he’s doing better.
“You don’t really care about getting out. You just hope the lad is okay.
“You’re just worried. You don’t mean to cause injury. It was just a really unfortunate accident.”

England had an injury worry, too, albeit a far less serious one. Ben Stokes was obliged to retire hurt, on 10, having sustained a blow just above the elbow after missing an attempted pull shot off Lahiru Kumara. He was able to resume later, however, and is not thought to be a serious injury doubt ahead of the first Test in Galle that starts on Tuesday.The highlight of the day from an England perspective was a fluent century from their captain, Joe Root. Completely untroubled against pace or spin, Root showed his game was in fine order in reaching his hundred off 117 deliveries before retiring to allow other players an opportunity.Almost as impressive was the performance of Rory Burns. Having seen off the seamers without fuss or trouble, Burns then took to the spinners with encouraging success. Whether skipping down the pitch to drive or rocking back to cut, he looked both solid and fluent, while he also played the reverse-sweep effectively. There was also a half-century for Moeen Ali, who timed the ball beautifully, and an increasingly fluent 44 from Buttler before his freakish dismissal.Pathum Nissanka is taken off the field after being hit on the head•Getty Images

Joe Denly was less convincing. After surviving a leg before appeal first ball to the seamer Kasun Rajitha, he almost played on to his second, appearing hurried on both occasions despite the sedate pace of the wicket. He then edged one within an ace of leg slip before he missed a full, straight ball. He was also involved in the run-out of Burns as he called him through for an optimistic single. Suffice to say that, having had a tough day with the ball on Tuesday, he didn’t especially strengthen his claims for a Test debut next week.Keaton Jennings didn’t enjoy an especially good day, either. After getting on the mark with a thinly edged hook, he played on off the inside edge as he attempted to run one down to third man.There was slightly more encouraging news of Jonny Bairstow, too. Although it appears the first Test may come a bit soon for him, he was able to resume light training and was seen undertaking some keeping drills and batting in the nets. The fact that Ben Foakes came in to bat after Ollie Pope underlined the impression that England are more likely to give the gloves to Buttler if Bairstow is unable to play in Galle.Nishan Peiris, the offspinner, was probably the most impressive of the bowlers. He finished with three wickets having Stokes caught at slip as he attempted a reverse-sweep – Stokes’ reaction suggested he did not think it was much of a decision – before Moeen was beaten by a hint of turn and edged to the keeper.England start another two-day warm-up game on Thursday at the Cricket Club of Colombo’s ground just across the road from Nondescripts’ where this match has been played. While no team has yet been named, both Jack Leach and Olly Stone will play while it is possible Bairstow could be included at some stage. The match is again likely to see 13 or 14 players involved on the England side.

رفض المدير الفني للفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد، كارلو أنشيلوتي، الاهتمام كثيرًا بالخسارة في مباراة الكلاسيكو أمام الغريم برشلونة وديًا بنتيجة 2-1.

والتقى ريال مدريد وبرشلونة صباح اليوم، الأحد، في الولايات المتحدة الأمريكية ولكن خسر الملكي أمام كتيبة المدرب، هانز فليك.

اقرأ أيضًا.. هانز فليك عن فوز برشلونة على ريال مدريد وديًا: أرى تحسنًا

ولكن رد فعل أنشيلوتي كان مختلفًا خلال تصريحات بعد المباراة والتي نقلتها صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الكتالونية: “نحن لا نفكر في التكتيكات الآن، نريد منح الدقائق لجميع اللاعبين”.

وأضاف مدرب ريال مدريد: “كنا نرغب في رؤية أداء اللاعبين العائدين ومدى قدرتهم البدنية ليكونوا في حالة جيدة، على المستوى التكتيكي سنبدأ العمل على ذلك بداية من 7 أغسطس”.

واستمر: “لقد عاد فينيسيوس في حالة جيدة كذلك كورتوا وميليتاو ولم يشارك رودريجو لأنه كان متعبًا بعض الشيء، نأمل أن يلعب أمام تشيلسي لمدة 45 دقيقة”.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em meio a campanha bastante ruim no Brasileirão e iniciando uma nova gestão sob o comando do presidente Renato Follador, o Coritiba tem feito uma verdadeira “revolução” não apenas de nomes, mas também na forma de administrar o futebol do clube.

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Agora, ao invés de existir uma figura centralizadora de decisões relacionadas ao futebol como era o caso de Paulo Pelaipe, a ideia é fazer uma divisão de trabalhos concentrada em três nomes: Paulo Thomaz de Aquino, Rodrigo Pignataro e Thiago Gasparino.

Dos citados, o único que já conhece bem os bastidores do Coxa é Paulo Thomaz. Na época em que Vilson Ribeiro de Andrade era o presidente do clube, entre 2014 e 2017, Paulo foi o seu vice-presidente. Agora, a ideia é novamente dar um cargo de maior foco na parte administrativa com a gerência de preparação esportiva.

Os outros dois nomes citados chegam com a expertise de terem realizado bons trabalhos no que se refere a observação e captação de novos talentos além de todo o processo de formação de atletas. Enquanto Pignataro tem larga experiência no período mais bem sucedido da história da Chapecoense, Gasparino acumulou seus conhecimentos usando a estrutura justamente do grande rival, o Athletico.

Apesar dessas medidas, existirá uma figura de ligação entre os executivos citados e a área da presidência que ficará sob a tutela do CEO José Carlos Brunoro. Algo que, segundo informação do portal ‘ge’, se traduzirá em atuação tanto gerencial como também em decisões práticas que envolvam o futebol.

تحدث محمد إبراهيم كيشو لاعب منتخب مصر في المصارعة الرومانية، أول مرة بعد براءته من قبل الشرطة الفرنسية اليوم السبت، من التهمة الموجهة إليه بالتحرش بإحدى الفتيات خلال مشاركته في دورة الألعاب الأولمبية باريس 2024.

وأعلنت اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية، في بيان رسمي لها اليوم، عن براءة محمد إبراهيم كيشو، لعدم ثبوت تهمة التحرش على الفتاة الفرنسية، وذلك بعد مراجعة الكاميرات.

طالع | بعد تفريغ الكاميرات.. اللجنة الأولمبية تعلن براءة كيشو من تهمة التحرش في أولمبياد باريس

وكان اللاعب محمد إبراهيم كيشو، قد تم القبض عليه أمس الجمعة، باتهامه من قبل إحدى الفتيات الفرنسيات بالتحرش بها.

وقال كيشو خلال تصريحات صحيفة نقلها مراسل “بطولات”: “تعرضت للظلم في تلك الأزمة، أنا ذهبت لمشاهدة منافسات المصارعة وبعد نهاية اليوم تواجدت في أحد الكافيهات ولم أكن في حالة سكر كما ردد البعض”.

طالع | “كان في حالة سكر”.. القبض على لاعب مصري بـ باريس بتهمة جنسية.

وأضاف: “أنا مظلوم ومستعد للخضوع للتحاليل الطبيعة لمعرفة صحة كلامي من عدمها، والفتاة الفرنسية قالت للشرطة إنني تحرشت بها وهذا الأمر لم يحدث نهائيًا”.

وتابع: “الفتاة الفرنسية تحدثت معي باللغة الفرنسية وأنا لا أعرف اللغة الفرنسية، وتدخل صديق لي للترجمة وحدثت مشادة، ومع تواجد الشرطة قالت لها إنني تحرشت بها”.

وأكمل: “طلبت تفريغ الكاميرات في حضور المحامية والسفير المصري وبعد مشاهدة الفيديوهات تم إثبات موقفي وخرجت وأنا (مش مترحل من فرنسا)، متواجد بشكل طبيعي وسأسافر إلى مصر في موعدي المحدد”.

وأتم: “أشكر أشرف صبحي وزير الشباب والرياضة وعلاء يوسف سفير جمهورية مصر في فرنسا والمهندس ياسر إدريس رئيس اللجنة الأولمبية المصرية على كل الدعم والمجهودات الكبيرة في الساعات الأخيرة”.

Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers is keen to add some new firepower to his squad in January and is now said to be hot on the tail of an in-form player, according to a report.

Brendan Rodgers seeks Celtic arrivals…

Since returning to Celtic in the summer, Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add further quality to his side as they look to retain their Scottish Premiership title for the third successive campaign.

Undoubtedly, there has been a common theme emerging at the Glasgow giants in recent years. In short, the Hoops are usually dominant from a domestic footballing perspective; however, they routinely struggle to compete against sides with far more financial capability in the Champions League.

This campaign, Celtic have been eliminated from the Champions League with a game to spare and have no avenue to gain European football after Christmas by dropping into the Europa League by virtue of a third place finish.

Acutely aware of his side's standing in comparison to their continental peers, Rodgers has vowed to streamline his squad to help improve their long-term chances of success on the elite stage. Speaking after the Hoops' 2-0 defeat to Lazio at the Stadio Olimpico last week, Rodgers said:

"There’s no doubt now that, one, the squad will come down in numbers and obviously we need to add quality. There is no dressing it up, the group lost real quality players in the summer. That’s something that over the coming windows we will look to improve on."

Looking ahead to January, Celtic could lose the services of Kyogo Furuhashi, Oh Hyeon-gyu and Daizen Maeda, who may all be called up to represent their respective nations in the Asian Cup. In light of this, Rodgers looks to have identified a key target to strengthen his forward line as he prepares for a crucial clutch of matches without some of his star attackers, according to a report.

Celtic line up record-breaking Bojan Miovski deal

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are lining up a move for in-form Aberdeen striker Bojan Miovski and have sent scouts to watch the North Macedonia star in action at every one of his matches this campaign. The report claims that Rodgers is an admirer of the Dons' hitman and is desperate to bolster his attacking options ahead of the second portion of the campaign.

Bojan Miovski statistics in 2023/24 – all competitions (Transfermarkt)

Appearances

23

Goals

11

Assists

3

However, Aberdeen will demand a record fee between the Scottish clubs if they were to sanction his exit, signifying that the Hoops would need to pay more than the £4.4 million they shelled out to sign former club captain Scott Brown from Hibernian in 2007.

Labelled "brilliant" by teammate Kelle Roos, Miovski is a potent offensive threat and has illustrated his capacity to efficiently spearhead Aberdeen's attack this campaign, averaging around 2.5 shots per Scottish Premiership fixture (Miovski statistics – WhoScored).

Celtic may need to add more depth in the final third in the New Year, and Miovski is someone who could help add another dimension to their attack, making this one to watch.

Diana Edulji, one half of the CoA, revealed that the BCCI had “broken rules” while appointing Ravi Shastri as a replacement for former India coach Anil Kumble

Nagraj Gollapudi and Sidharth Monga11-Dec-2018

Virat Kohli and Anil Kumble address the media on the final day of the Indian team’s preparatory camp at the NCA•Getty Images

The controversial chapter in Indian cricket concerning Anil Kumble stepping down last year as the head coach has been reopened with Diana Edulji, one half of the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA), saying the BCCI had “broken rules” while appointing Ravi Shastri as a replacement. Edulji said that Virat Kohli, the India captain, constantly sent messages to BCCI CEO Rahul Johri about Kumble, which eventually lead to Kumble’s resignation.Kumble stepped down as India head coach a year into the job after he was told by the BCCI that Kohli had “reservations” with his style of coaching and over him continuing in the role.Kumble’s contract was a year-long one, till the 2017 Champions Trophy. The BCCI had already advertised the job in late May, just as India landed in England for the Champions Trophy. Kumble was one of the six applicants after the BCCI said he would be a “direct entry”. The entire process was overseen by the CoA and the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman. At the behest of the CoA, the CAC met Kohli to patch up the differences amicably, but failed.Nonetheless, the CAC informed the BCCI that Kumble was its preferred choice. Consequently, the BCCI extended the deadline and that is when Shastri applied and was finalised as the head coach till 2019 World Cup.Edulji has now said that the entire selection process was fraught. Edulji’s revelations come as part of her disagreement with Vinod Rai over the appointment of an ad-hoc committee to pick the India women’s team head coach. While senior players like the T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur and vice-captain Smriti Mandhana requested the CoA and BCCI to continue with the interim coach Ramesh Powar, Rai said players cannot pick coaching staff through votes.Miffed at that comment, Edulji pointed to the example of Kohli playing the decision-maker during Kumble’s standing down. “Virat did not accede to Kumble continuing in spite of CAC saying so then why not these two players get what they feel is best for the team,” Edulji wrote to Rai in an email sent on Monday. The email, seen by ESPNcricinfo, was also marked to the three BCCI office-bearers along with several BCCI top management. “I see nothing wrong in women cricketers writing emails reg the coach,” Edulji wrote. “They were truthful in expressing their views unlike Virat who frequently sent sms’s to the CEO on which you acted and there was a change in the Coach.”There also I had objected and my dissent is recorded when the timelines were extended for someone to apply as he didn’t apply in time. Mr. Kumble a legend in his own right was subjected to loss of face and made to look like a villain, he was gracious enough to move on for which I respect him. There also rules were broken and I had raised objections back then.”In his response, Rai admitted Kohli’s hand. “Yes- there were differences between Virat and Kumble. As a consequence of that Kumble stepped back.”

Glasgow Rangers may not have enjoyed the best of starts to the current season, yet they secured victory in the League Cup final on Sunday to secure Philippe Clement his first trophy in charge of the Ibrox side.

It marks a stunning turnaround from where the club were in late September and the onus is for the Belgian to further strengthen his squad when the January transfer window opens.

Not only will he hope to bring a few players to Glasgow, but the 49-year-old coach will also be looking to build a sustainable player trading model in the process.

Related Rangers titan was their "best player" alongside Balogun in League Cup final

Rangers won their 28th League Cup after defeating Aberdeen at Hampden

Posts ByRoss Kilvington Dec 18, 2023

Michael Beale may have sold a few players during the summer, yet they weren’t the fees that Giovanni van Bronckhorst managed to rake in during his spell in charge of the club.

Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s transfer record at Rangers

The Dutchman perhaps didn’t enjoy the best record with regards to incomings, as many of his signings failed to really make an impression in Glasgow.

The likes of Aaron Ramsey and Amad Diallo failed to really get going at Ibrox during their six-month loan spells – the former notably missing a decisive spot kick in the Europa League final – while money was spent on Ben Davies, Ridvan Yilmaz and Antonio Colak; the less said about those the better.

The two defenders are still trying to make a name for themselves at the Light Blues, while Colak was sold after just a solitary season in Scotland.

With regard to player sales, however, the Dutchman managed to sell a few players for big profits.

Nathan Patterson was the first to leave, moving to Everton for a transfer fee in the region of £16m and it was the record fee received by the Scottish club at the time.

Van Bronckhorst's most expensive signings at Rangers

Player signed

Value of transfer

#1 Ben Davies

£4m

#2 Ridvan Yilmaz

£3.4m

#3 Rabbi Matondo

£2.5m

#4 Antonio Colak

£2.1m

#5 Aaron Ramsey

£675k loan fee

Data via Transfermarkt.

During the summer transfer window in 2022, Van Bronckhorst managed to sell another two players for big fees. Joe Aribo joined Southampton for £10m before defender Calvin Bassey moved abroad to sign for Ajax.

The Nigerian defender had enjoyed a breakthrough campaign and the Dutch side paid a fee of £23m, a price that obliterated the record Patterson had set just a few months prior.

It looks as though the Gers hit the jackpot with this sale, as the current Fulham gem has seen his market value decrease since leaving Scotland.

Calvin Bassey’s statistics at Rangers

Following another failure to secure the Premiership title during the 2019/20 season, Steven Gerrard spent that summer bolstering his squad and one young talent to arrive was Bassey.

Aged just 19, he arrived from Leicester City and was looked upon as a solid backup option to Borna Barisic. Throughout the title-winning campaign, the defender made 15 appearances across all competitions and the onus was for him to establish himself as part of the starting XI during 2021/22.

The “explosive” starlet – as so dubbed by his U23 coach at Leicester, Steve Beaglehole – may have required an injury crisis during his second season to forge his way into the starting XI, but he took full advantage.

He made fleeting appearances at left-back under Gerrard during the early stages of the season, but it wasn’t until Van Bronckhorst arrived combined with an injury crisis that saw him move to the centre of the defence.

Overall, he played in 50 matches during the whole campaign and he forged a solid partnership alongside Connor Goldson as the Light Blues came so close to securing Europa League glory.

These displays on the continental stage clearly attracted interest from afar, and it was Ajax who were the most attractive proposition for the player.

Having shone when given a consistent run in the team, Bassey had certainly earned his big move, yet he hasn’t quite enjoyed the same sort of success since leaving Rangers 18 months ago.

Calvin Bassey's performances since leaving Rangers

During his spell at Ajax, Bassey struggled to cope with the pressure as he made 39 appearances in all competitions yet failed to inspire the team to any sort of silverware.

Criticism for his displays was led by former midfielder Rafael van der Vaart, who said: "How is someone who played for Glasgow Rangers like Calvin Bassey going to be able to lead the defence at Ajax?

"Where was the Ajax youth system? Was there no one there better than him? Because if there isn't then you have a major problem. Sometimes it's better if you don't have any money because then you don't do crazy things. Then you wait for the right moment and occasionally take a chance. Instead, they spent 23 million Euros on Bassey.”

Harsh words indeed, and he lasted just a single season before joining Fulham this summer.

Calvin Bassey's domestic statistics since leaving Rangers

Ajax

Fulham

Accurate passes per game

52.4

43.3

Tackles per game

1.6

1.4

Total duels won per game

4.4

3.3

Interceptions won per game

0.9

1.5

Possession lost per game

9.2

9.3

Stats via Sofascore

Bassey currently ranks just sixth in the Cottagers squad for tackles per game (1.4) in the Premier League, while also ranking in the same position for clearances (two) and interceptions (1.5) per game.

Not only that, but the defender loses possession on average 9.3 times per game along with keeping just two clean sheets during his 12 league appearances so far.

Calvin Bassey's market value in 2023

It appears as though Bassey is struggling to get to grips with Premier League football and this is evidenced by his market value decreasing.

Having cost Ajax £23m when they signed him from Rangers, the 23-year-old is now worth €16.2m (£14m) according to Football Transfers, which represents a 40% decrease from the fee the Dutch side splashed out on him.

In reality, the Gers would have loved to have kept a talent like Bassey at the club, especially as he could have continued his development in the centre-back position.

They couldn’t turn down an offer such as the one presented by the Eredivisie side and the club have clearly struck gold by selling the 6 foot 1 brute for such a lavish profit.

Clement will be hoping to do the same once he gets into his first transfer window as manager of the Gers and, by building an effective player trading model, he will be able to lure talented starlets to the club with the premise of developing them into future stars.

This in turn will allow the Belgian to sell them on for a profit which can then be reinvested back into the playing squad.