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The semi-pro Blues, largely owned by locals, are one of the best-attended franchises in lower league soccer

For most soccer clubs, the season ends with some kind of festivity. Real Betis, famously, throw stuffed animals onto the pitch. Fans across England stay behind to sing. In Argentina, that pre-match asado might last just a little bit longer.

In Annapolis, Maryland, they throw water balloons at each other.

Before the final fixture of the season, Annapolis Blues fans showed up to toss burstable balloons at each other in the parking lot of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on the edge of the Chesapeake Bay. Absurd? Perhaps. Silly? Almost definitely. But for the Blues, its tradition, the third season in a row of what has now become the annual water balloon fight to mark the final day of the USL League Two campaign.

The Blues are semi-professional. They play fourth division soccer in the United States at a field that doesn't belong to them. But they also boast attendance that eclipses some USL Championship sides. This is a tiny club that has the atmosphere, following and vibe of a massive one.

It is also deeply embedded in the community of Maryland's state capital, the humble side project turned main event of a number of vets of the area, who have headed back to something resembling their roots to flesh out the ultimate proof of concept of what lower league U.S. soccer can be at its very best.

"Annapolis happens to be a soccer savvy, really great community," owner Michael "Hitch" Hitchcock, told GOAL. "And I think when you take the right approach and you execute the playbook, if you will, great communities respond, and that's what we're seeing."

• Annapolis Blues
  

  'What I really need is a general manager'

  Fred Matthes was all-but retired when he found out about Annapolis Blues. He had served his time at the highest levels of professional soccer that the U.S. has to offer. His resume, in fact, is glittering, complete with front office positions and operations gigs pretty much everywhere: the 1994 World Cup, the 1996 Olympics, MLS Playoffs, MLS Cups, two women's World Cups and a long tenure at D.C. United – to name a few.

  By the start of the 2020s, he was in a "semi-retired state'" and doing consulting, helping soccer get started here and there. He reached out to Hitchcock almost out of boredom. An MLS vet in his own right – with behind-the-scenes stints at Colorado Rapids, LA Galaxy and FC Dallas – his time in the top flight had also come to an end.

  Hitchcock was the owner of Playbook Management International, a company that helps lower league soccer teams get off the ground. His clientele is impressive, with involvement in NPSL teams around the country. He was brought aboard to help establish the Annapolis side in 2021.

  "As the owner of the club, I feel like I'm the caretaker," he says. "I'm the crazy guy who's willing to take the risk and put the money in to get it started. This is the community's club that, you know, if it works, I look like a visionary, not crazy – and it will live beyond me. And so we always take the approach that we want this to be transformational for the sport of soccer in whatever community that we're investing in."

  Matthes simply sent a hello and casually mentioned that he would be willing to help out.

  "I reached out to him. I said, 'Look, I'm close by. I live about an hour and a half away, over in Northern Virginia from Annapolis.' I said, 'Anything you need help with, just give me a holler. I'm kind of in between teams down. I've been doing this consulting thing, kind of almost in a semi-retired state.'," Matthes told GOAL.

  The two had a few conversations, and Matthes started to chip in. And then, the real offer came in.

  "Hitch goes, 'What I really need is a general manager'," Matthes said.

  Matthes was reluctant. He was well beyond the days of a full-time soccer role. But Hitch convinced him, on the condition that he wouldn't be on board for more than a year. Three years later, Matthes is showing no signs of slowing down.

  It helped, of course, that the team had assembled a real collegiality among investors. Former USMNT player Kyle Beckerman is among them, while a collective of local small business owners, broadcasters and entrepreneurs have all invested. It is a remarkable, hyper-local group – all of which were either born, raised, or spent a significant portion of their lives in the area.

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  'Let's make it about Annapolis'

  The first question for startup soccer clubs is simply, why? There is never a singular reason that a certain area needs a team. Clubs pop up all over the U.S. at an accelerated rate, penetrating small markets nationwide. That is the byproduct of the growing soccer culture in the country – there are hundreds of cities to which the gospel can be spread.

  As for Annapolis, the reason, in the owners' minds, was simple – there was no one else.

  "There's never been a team in any sport or club that's called itself Annapolis," Matthes said. "You have the Naval Academy, obviously that's in Annapolis. But you know the lacrosse teams, the Bayhawks, the baseball teams around the area are the Bay Sox… everybody that's ever played in Annapolis in all these other sports has always gone by a different name. And we said 'Why not make it Annapolis? Let's make it about Annapolis. Annapolis is a cool place.' "

  It always figured to be difficult. With no professional teams, there wasn't an established sporting culture in the town. But there were some sporting touchpoints. Proximity to Baltimore and Washington D.C., both sports strongholds, certainly helped, as did the fact that Annapolis has always embraced soccer.

  "You draw from D.C., you draw from Baltimore. Anybody in Baltimore that wants to see some level of semi or professional soccer, rather than trying to come into DC and figure out parking or metro or anything like that, you just kind of veer out and you go and you park in this big lot, and it's cheaper," Brendan Hartlove, the Blues' broadcaster who was raised in nearby Howard County, told GOAL.

  At first, Matthes and Hitch were unsure about the buy-in from the community. Yes, there was Annapolis pride. But with no proof of concept outside of Navy college sports, their expectations were tempered. But there were early signs that the fans would care. They left the team name up to a public vote, allowing fans to choose between four options and crests. More 1,200 votes were cast – and Blues came out the winner.

• Annapolis Blues
  

  'This is your summertime party for your community'

  Still, anxieties remained. Annapolis was set to play their home matches at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, a cavernous 37,000-seater field that usually hosts college football games. Fan attendance was largely an unknown. But then, the community started to listen.

  "We were expecting maybe 3000 or 4000 when we started out, but we just kept selling more season tickets and more season ticket – and people started asking about when's the schedule coming out, when's the first game?" Matthes said.

  By the time the home opener on June 3, 2023, the Blues front office was looking up NPSL attendance records. Information was scarce, and the team didn't exactly have a fleshed-out operations staff. The best they could find was Detroit City, now in the USL Championship, who had drawn out more than 7,000 to their opening game. That, they thought, was just about within reach.

  Their attendance exceeded all expectations, with 8,368 fans at the debut. If Matthes and Hitch were surprised, Dave Johnson – a minority owner who has voiced D.C. United's radio and TV broadcasts since 1996 – wasn't.

  "This is your summertime party for your community," he explained.

  Fan support has only grown, with 8,840 watching the Blues beat the Alexandria Reds on penalties in the Mid-Atlantic conference final on July 15, 2023. For the home opener the following year, 11,171 showed up. By the end of that campaign, the Blues held the top eight attendance marks in NPSL history, and 10 of the top 11. The scale and interest grew far bigger than any of them could have imagined.

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  'There's a lot of groundwork that goes into it'

  But it was also a hyper-targeted effort. Annapolis is not a major metropolitan area. It has expansive suburbs and a recognizable downtown, as well as a fine history. It was briefly the nation's capital. Walk around the cobblestoned streets of Annapolis proper, and it really does feel genuinely colonial. It is historic, charming.

  The backbone of the local economy is the small businesses: coffee shops, breweries, restaurants, art and music galleries, independent stores. This is not a place with a massive corporate footprint or billionaire sponsors.

  The owners realized that early on, and made their efforts people-facing. They got out into the local community to spread the word, and partnered with targeted small businesses. They worked with youth soccer clubs and nearby charities. Even the team logo – the iconic Annapolis blue crab – is a carefully curated homage to the area.

  "With successful clubs, there's a lot of groundwork that goes into it," Hitch said. "A lot of work went in early on identifying key influencers in the market, those important stakeholders, and getting buy in over cups of coffee and great local beer. And making sure that a lot of people in the community want this to be successful."

  Johnson, given his local hero status, was also something of a pull.

  "I've been so heartened by people who have come up to me either sponsors or ticket buyers and say 'Well if you were involved, it had to be good.' I'm not bragging about that, but to me, that is a validation or vindication, whatever word you want to use," he said.

After placing sporting director Dan Ashworth on gardening leave amid links with Manchester United, Newcastle United have turned their attention towards a potential replacement.

Newcastle's next sporting director

Ashworth spent just two years at St James' Park before seemingly being lured away by Manchester United. The Red Devils and Newcastle are now reportedly working on a hefty compensation package, as the Magpies prepare to lose one of the highest-rated sporting directors around.

CEO Darren Eales confirmed the departure of Ashworth, saying via the club's official website: "We are naturally disappointed that Dan has chosen to leave, however our exciting journey doesn't stop and the process to recruit a new sporting director will begin immediately. We thank Dan for his efforts at Newcastle United and we wish him and his family well for the future."

£60,000-p/w Newcastle star to return from injury earlier than Howe expected

Relief for the Magpies…

By
Tom Cunningham

Mar 14, 2024

Without him, PIF must turn elsewhere at a crucial stage of their project, having seen Eddie Howe's side fall away in the current campaign after qualifying for the Champions League last season. Hoping to ensure a swift return to European football next season, Newcastle are reportedly looking to speed up Ashworth's exit before naming his replacement.

According to The Telegraph, Newcastle have held internal talks over Monaco transfer chief Paul Mitchell, having worked with recruitment firm Odgers Berndtson to act as an agent to reach out to options, with Steve Nickson leading that search. Mitchell is reportedly keen on a Premier League return after previous stints at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur.

Now a board member at AS Monaco, Mitchell doesn't have the same gardening leave as Ashworth in what would be a welcomed boost for PIF and Newcastle, should they decide to appoint the 42-year-old. With a busy summer ahead, Newcastle must get their next decision right in the hunt to replace the Old Trafford-bound Ashworth.

Paul Mitchell's best signings

Mitchell's best work arguably came at Southampton, when the Saints enjoyed their best moments in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman. As the Saints' head of scouting, Mitchell played a large role in the recruitment behind that rise, as shown by some of Southampton's best signings from 2012 to 2014.

At a time when Newcastle need to get their summer recruitment right after failing in that department last summer, Mitchell has a proven track record of finding top players for bargain prices. And as the Magpies look to stay in line with Financial Fair Play rules, bargains will be the name of a game that their top target has become an expert at.

Replacing someone of Ashworth's expertise is no easy task, and that will become apparent in the coming months for PIF, but Mitchell isn't exactly an inexperienced man, himself. With Monaco, Southampton, Spurs and RB Leipzig under his belt, the role at St James' Park would simply be the latest impressive string to his bow.

The series was to be played in June as part of the World Test Championship cycle

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Apr-2020The Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) and Cricket Australia (CA) have mutually agreed to postpone the two-Test series that was scheduled for June, due to the persisting Covid-19 threat. The boards took the decision with the welfare of their players and communities in mind, and will work together to find a suitable date to play the series once the situation becomes clearer.The series was to be played between June 11 and June 23 in Chattogram and Dhaka, and is part of the World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. It becomes the third WTC series to affected after the Sri Lanka-England series scheduled for March, and the second Test of Bangladesh’s staggered tour of Pakistan, which was scheduled to begin on April 5.BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said, “This is understandably disappointing for players and fans of both sides. However, in the current global scenario of the Covid-19 outbreak and considering the nature of the health emergency, the BCB and CA are in agreement that this is the most sensible and practical decision. We hope that the situation will improve soon and we are able to hold this series at a convenient time in the near future. To that end, the BCB will continue to work closely with CA with whom we share a history of support and cooperation.”The series is among two WTC series that are scheduled for June, with England scheduled to host West Indies around the same time. It was also to be Australia’s first visit to Bangladesh since their 1-1 series draw in 2017 – and, in fact, their first meeting in a bilateral setting since that one. Australia had, in 2018, called off hosting Bangladesh for two Tests and three ODIs because broadcasters were understood to have been uninterested in televising the series in the middle of the football season.”Postponing the tour is regrettable,” CA chief Kevin Roberts said through a statement, “but I would like to thank the Bangladesh Cricket Board for the open, honest and responsible discussions that led us to this mutually-agreed position. The health of our people and communities is the number one priority for both Boards and that is reflected in the action we have taken in postponing the two Test matches. As we know, the global cricket calendar is very busy but we will do everything we can to honour our commitment to Bangladesh and will continue to work with the BCB on an agreed date.”Australia are currently second in the WTC table with 296 points, having won two of their three series, while Bangladesh sit at the bottom, in ninth place with no points after one completed series.

Ralf Rangnick aimed a fresh dig at Manchester United as he claimed to be right about the club needing "open-heart surgery" two years on from his exit.

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• Rangnick was in charge of Man Utd in 2021-22
• Claimed the club needed a complete structural overhaul
• Ten Hag's struggles make him feel vindicated

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Rangnick took charge of United on an interim basis during the 2021-22 season following the sacking of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Although his tenure lasted just six months, Rangnick's brief spell was marked by a candid and controversial assessment of the club's internal struggles. Following a 4-0 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, the manager said: "The good thing, one of the few, is it's crystal clear. You don't even need glasses to see the problems. Now it's only about how you can solve them. Not minor cosmetic things. This is an open-heart operation. If everyone realises this has to happen and works together, it doesn't need to take years."

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Erik ten Hag has also been struggling to bring back the glory days at United, but a surprise victory over Manchester City in the FA Cup final ultimately led to him being given a new contract. However, with United losing two of their opening three Premier League fixtures in 2024-25, including a demoralising 3-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool at Old Trafford, Ten Hag finds himself back under intense pressure, which has led Rangnick to validate his earlier critique of the club.

• WHAT RANGNICK SAID

  Speaking to, the former Red Devils boss reaffirmed his belief that drastic changes were needed at United.

  "I probably made that statement when the season was almost over about two years ago," Rangnick recalled.

  "It is probably only two or three weeks since Erik ten Hag was asked the same thing. Then he said that I was right in my analysis. I don't know how many players they have signed since, but it looks like I was right."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  After his interim period ended, Rangnick had been due to stay on at Old Trafford in a consultancy capacity. However, his relationship with United came to an abrupt end in April 2022, when it was mutually agreed that Rangnick would not take up the new role. The German instead took over as the manager of Austria's national team.

Fabrizio Romano has shared an intriguing transfer update out of Tottenham, as speculation surrounding technical director Johan Lange's summer plans continue to evolve.

Spurs eyeing major summer signing in new forward

Recent reports suggest that Spurs are eyeing a new winger as their "major summer signing" for manager Ange Postecoglou, despite the abundance of wide players already in the Australian's squad.

Suggestion Ange doesn't want player with attitude problem at Tottenham

He doesn’t seem to have a future at the club.

By
Emilio Galantini

Mar 5, 2024

Brennan Johnson, Dejan Kulusevski, Son Heung-min, Bryan Gil, Manor Solomon and Timo Werner can all play out wide in Postecoglou's system, but a fair few may not be at the club next season.

Indeed, Gil has been tipped to leave Tottenham this summer as he continues to waste away on the bench, while journalist Dan Kilpatrick of The Evening Standard claimed last week that Solomon could make way if Spurs sign two wingers.

There is also the curious case of Werner. The German's loan deal from RB Leipzig in January is thought to include an option to sign him permanently in the summer, but there has been no definitive claims as to whether Tottenham will trigger the clause.

Werner scored his first goal for Spurs against Crystal Palace last weekend, but also spurned a glorious chance to round Eagles keeper Sam Johnstone in what was a big wasted opportunity.

The former Chelsea forward has garnered a reputation for being somewhat wasteful in front of goal, and that is perhaps something Tottenham are taking into account as they reportedly look to add more quality out wide.

Technical director Lange, who is tasked with overseeing the club's transfer activity, is set for his second transfer window at N17 later this year with Romano now sharing an update on one of his proposed targets.

Romano "hearing" Spurs could sign Neto for one key reason

As per the respected reporter, speaking on the 'Here We Go' podcast (via TBR), Tottenham are contenders to sign Wolves star Pedro Neto for one key reason.

It is believed "someone at the club", with no mention as to who, is a big fan of the Portuguese with Spurs now included in the race to sign Neto this summer as a result.

"Wolves have not communicated any price tag for Pedro Neto but the feeling, speaking to sources, is that in the summer he is expected to join a very important club," said Romano on Neto.

“He has been in the list of many clubs in recent years, a few years ago he was really appreciated by Arsenal, and then Liverpool and also other clubs started following him.

“So a lot of interest so let’s see what happens there, but the Portuguese winger is absolutely going to be one of the names of the summer.”

The 23-year-old "beast", as proclaimed by Diogo Jota, has been in fine form this campaign – starring under Gary O'Neil with nine assists and two goals in the top flight so far.

The outgoing captain says ‘there’s one less thing to worry about’ now

Mohammad Isam07-Mar-2020In his last ODI as captain of Bangladesh, Mashrafe Mortaza wanted to make sure he did not slip up even once, being aware that players are “vulnerable” to mistakes when they are ending a stint. Mortaza signed off as captain in style, leading Bangladesh to their 50th win under him in ODIs with a 3-0 whitewash over Zimbabwe in Sylhet. After Liton Das and Tamim Iqbal amassed big hundreds, Mortaza provided the first breakthrough in Bangladesh’s defence of 322 and remained in control of his emotions throughout the game.At one point he even allowed Mustafizur Rahman to keep a slip in the dying stages of the game, resulting in a catch the next ball. His open faith in his players, young and old, was one of the hallmarks of his captaincy.After the game ended, Iqbal picked him up on his shoulders for a lap of honour. The Bangladesh players wore special jerseys with his name and number at the back, and “thank you captain” written in the front. They presented him with a special edition jersey as well as a commemorative plaque. There are also strong rumours that Mortaza’s jersey may be retired by the BCB soon.After all the formalities, Mortaza cut a relaxed figure in the press conference, particularly candid when speaking about his experience as one of the most important figures in Bangladesh, for more than five years.”Now I am feeling relaxed,” he said. “There’s one less thing to worry about. It was a big responsibility. Usually at this time, some feel good some feel bad. I have mixed feelings too. To be honest, I am happy that I could finish well as a captain. I also ended on a win.”Our main focus was winning the game. We planned and thought about the match. We knew that everything would have been spoiled had we lost. We had a big score but I didn’t want to make a mistake today. When a person announces that something has ended, he is vulnerable to making mistakes. He knows there’s no one to answer to afterwards. I was really focused on not making any mistakes. Everyone assumed that this was a straightforward win, but I wanted to finish well.”Mortaza took four wickets in the three ODIs against Zimbabwe, a stark improvement from his last campaign – the 2019 World Cup – when he took just one wicket in 56 overs across eight matches. He said that wickets have obviously given him some confidence, and he wants to keep performing.Raton Gomes/BCB

“I had a really bad World Cup, and the team struggled too,” he said. “I have turned around a bit. It is about time that I regained the confidence. Bowlers get confidence through wickets, notwithstanding how we bowl.”I have to perform. It will be up to the selectors. A player has to play well, and then he becomes the captain, which itself is a huge pressure. But now as a player, I have a lot of time to think about myself which will help me a lot.”Mortaza downplayed his performance as a captain and said that a Bangladesh captain has to deal with a lot more off-the-field issues with players. “I never evaluated myself, I think I am an average captain,” he said. “I have never given it any thought. For a captain in Bangladesh, though, there’s a lot more work off the field with players. Once you are in the field, there isn’t as much to do.”But players are disturbed in many ways: personal problems, being out of form, not going on well with the coach, fitness problems. Everyone has a different struggle. The captain has to be with the player during those times. The captain has to take responsibility of the whole team, regardless of the team’s result.”Mortaza also reiterated that a senior player should be given the ODI captaincy now, as he would have the prerequisite experience to handle high-pressure situations on and off the field.”Captaincy was a big responsibility but whoever comes in next, he has to be three times more sensible and thoughtful. It will be easy when he wins, but when you lose there is a lot of pressure from the media, board and spectators.”I have done it for six years, so I feel relaxed now. Which is why I said that one of the senior cricketers should take over the captaincy. They can face the media, and have played for a long time. They can better handle pressure.”Mortaza was hopeful that Bangladesh will keep improving beyond his stint as the ODI captain. He repeated what he had said at his last press conference in the 2019 World Cup, that with many of the current young players reaching a peak in four years time, Bangladesh could make it to the last four of the next World Cup.”It is hard to say but I believe Bangladesh will do well in the 2023 World Cup. I think I said it in the last press conference in England, after the Pakistan game, that we will play in the semi-final of the next World Cup. Most of the young players will have the peak of their career during that time, so there’s no reason that we cannot reach that far in Asia.”

Marc Cucurella says Cole Palmer has had to smooth things over with Erling Haaland as he didn't take kindly to the Chelsea man's song about him.

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• Cucurella's song angers striker
• Palmer speaks to former team-mate
• Spaniard admits he would do it again

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After Cucurella helped Spain win Euro 2024 this summer, the left-back fired a warning at Manchester City striker Haaland in song form. The Norwegian international was reportedly not happy about the chant, with Cucurella subsequently revealing that Chelsea team-mate and ex-City player Palmer has tried to act as a mediator. Now, the 26-year-old has said "world star" Haaland took it "personally", and the Spaniard was taken out of context – but he would do it all over again if he could.

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  WHAT MARC CUCURELLA SAID

  He told Efe: "Yes, in England too, a lot of attention was given to that and these things happen. I am very happy and I think that if someone has a song sung with his name it is because he is a top player or a world star, the name of a player who is not known would not be used. Everyone is happy because he scored and I am still just as happy to win the Euro. I would do it again, these things happen and that is all.

  "In the end, in England they took it a little out of context and I don't think he [Haaland] understood it either. He read what they said and took it a little personally. Nowadays people take things very personally, but then they had some awards and my colleague [Cole] Palmer asked him about me and that was it. It was just an anecdote."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Cucurella and Haaland did cross paths on the opening Premier League game of the season, with the latter shrugging off the ex-Brighton ace en route to opening the scoring in a 2-0 win against Chelsea last month. The former Borussia Dortmund man was certainly not "trembling" as he got the better of the Spaniard at Stamford Bridge.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  While both Haaland and Cucurella are on international duty for their respective countries over the next week or so, they may lock horns with one another for the return Premier League clash at the Etihad in January 2025.

Simply put, Manchester United are on fire at the moment.

Erik ten Hag's team is one of three in the Premier League to have not tasted defeat in the new year, and they've won all of their last four league games.

The latest of those was against Luton Town on Sunday, where they narrowly won 2-1, despite having the opportunity to hit at least five.

However, there was one player who cut out a frustrated figure while sitting on the bench at the weekend, with his Red Devils career not exactly going to plan.

Amad Diallo's start to life in Manchester

Ivorian wonderkid Amad Diallo announced himself to the world as a 17-year-old for Atalanta in 2019, coming off the bench to score on his debut in a 7-1 win over Udinese.

In January 2021, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally got his man, as United secured the signature of the young winger in a whopping £37m deal, despite only playing five games for Atalanta's first team.

He immediately joined the academy upon his arrival, where he proved to be levels above those both on his team and the opposition, scoring twice against Liverpool U21s and registering four goal contributions against Blackburn Rovers U21s.

Amad's first real taste of action at United came in the Europa League against AC Milan, when he replaced Anthony Martial at halftime to take on a false nine role. Just minutes after his introduction, he already had the ball in the back of the net after making a darting run in behind and finishing with an excellent instinctive header.

Unfortunately, this has been the pinnacle of his United career so far.

Amad Diallo's record in 2024

The 5 foot 8 gem's first loan spell away from the Red Devils was to Rangers, yet that move wasn't exactly successful, with Diallo starting just four league games and featuring on the bench in every game on their run to the Europa League final.

Luckily, his second loan spell was far more fruitful, as last season he was one of the most influential players in the Championship, where he was dubbed "unplayable" by journalist Graham Falk. His time at Sunderland ended with a record of 13 goals and three assists in 27 league starts.

The left-footed whizz has seen his development and momentum from last season come to a complete stop, with an injury in pre-season keeping him out of action until December, and since then, Ten Hag has prevented him from going out on loan for the rest of the season. The former Black Cats ace has played just 36 minutes all campaign.

To this day, Diallo is still regarded as one of the most exciting talents at the club, and if it weren't for Alejandro Garnacho arguably being one of their most dangerous players in the team and playing in the 21-year-old's position, he may have had more chances to work his magic on the field.

However, his lack of action in the United first team has caused his value to drop significantly, with the gem now estimated to be worth around £4m, according to CIES Football Observatory, which is £33m less than what Solskjaer and co paid for him in 2021.

Although United did massively overpay for Diallo, he is still an exciting prospect with bags of potential. All he needs is an opportunity to showcase what he's really about.

If not, it looks set to be another expensive mistake of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Starc is scheduled to leave South Africa on Friday and miss the third ODI

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Mar-2020Mitchell Starc is set to leave Australia’s tour of South Africa early and miss the third ODI in Potchefstroom on Saturday to watch his wife Alyssa Healy play the Women’s T20 World Cup final against India at the MCG on Sunday. Starc is scheduled to leave South Africa on Friday, and coach Justin Langer said that the arrangement would also give Starc a chance to “refresh” ahead of the series against New Zealand.”It’s a once-in-a-lifetime chance for Mitch to watch Alyssa in a home World Cup final and so we were happy to allow him to return home to support his wife and be part of a fantastic occasion,” Langer said. “It is something we have been talking about for a while and, given Mitch has had a considerable workload in all three formats this summer, his heading home a couple of days ahead of the rest of the squad means he will have a chance to refresh ahead of our home and away one-day internationals and Twenty20 internationals against New Zealand that will wrap up our season.”We have plenty of fast-bowling options with us here in South Africa with Josh Hazlewood, Jhye Richardson and Kane Richardson all sitting out our previous match in Bloemfontein, and Mitch’s absence will offer one of them an opportunity to impress in Saturday’s match.”Starc took figures of 1 for 53 and 2 for 59 as Australia lost the first two games of their ODI series in South Africa.As for Healy, she bounced back from a poor run of scores in the lead up to the World Cup to score 51 against India and 83 against Bangladesh, and will be one of the key cogs in the wheel for Australia in Sunday’s final at the MCG.

Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili, with the Valencia goalkeeper arriving in 2025.

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• Georgian starred at Euro 2024
• 23-year-old will arrive in 2025
• Becomes Arne Slot's first signing

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool have reached an agreement to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, with the goalkeeper set to spend the 2024-25 season with the La Liga club before arriving at Anfield ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mamardashvili earned widespread attention for his performances for Georgia at Euro 2024, with his display in the 1-1 draw against Czechia a particular standout. Liverpool's desire to sign a new goalkeeper this summer was increased by Saudi interest in current number one Alisson, though the Brazilian eventually rejected a proposal.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Mamardashvili has been imperious since joining Valencia from Dinamo Tbilisi in 2021, keeping 31 clean sheets in 102 appearances. Liverpool have reportedly paid £29 million (€34m/$38m) for the shot-stopper.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAMARDASHVILI

  The stopper will be looking to put together a strong season for Valencia in the hopes of providing Alisson with a genuine threat to the No.1 spot at Anfield upon his arrival next year.