Shakib wants World Cup-bound players to be rested for New Zealand ODIs

“We can’t afford injuries in that big tournament which involves practice matches and lots of travel,” says Bangladesh captain

Mohammad Isam10-Sep-2023Shakib Al Hasan feels Bangladesh should rest their ODI World Cup-bound players during the home series against New Zealand later this month to ensure that they are “fit and healthy.” The three-match ODI series begins on September 21 and concludes on 26 in Dhaka, with both teams set to travel to India the following day. Both New Zealand and Bangladesh have two warm-up matches each on September 29 and October 2, respectively.Shakib conceded that one of the reasons to ask for this short period of rest is because of “lots of travel” that the team would have during the tournament in India. Bangladesh’s home series against New Zealand could also be an opportunity to test their bench strength. They are yet to name the squad for the World Cup.”We will try a few things in the three ODIs against New Zealand,” Shakib said. “If we can get one or two players from there who can fit into the team [later], it will be better for the team. Everyone has a chance [to play]. I personally believe that those who played in the Asia Cup could be rested from the New Zealand series, especially those who are confirmed for the World Cup.Related

BCB president: Mahmudullah still in Bangladesh's World Cup plans

Ferguson to captain New Zealand in Bangladesh ODI series

“We cannot afford injuries in that big tournament which involves practice matches and lots of travel. We don’t have a lot of bench strength. It is very important for us that players are fit and healthy for the World Cup. I want all four of our fast bowlers to remain fit, now that Ebadot [Hossain] is out.”Bangladesh’s opponents, New Zealand, have picked a second-string squad led by Lockie Ferguson with Tom Latham among a group of senior players given a break before the World Cup.Meanwhile, Shakib suggested that the question about Mahmudullah’s return was “irrelevant” now, although BCB president Nazmul Hassan had stated twice since May that he was in contention. Mahmudullah has not played an ODI since March.”I don’t know if you mentioned Riyad [Mahmudullah] when he was missing from the last three series. Now you are saying it (laughs). I think it is very irrelevant. You have again asked the wrong question. Towhid Hridoy replaced Riyad .”

Desfalques? São Paulo atropela Inter de Limeira em noite de desencantos e golaços e encaminha vaga no Paulistão

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet nacional: Muito se falou no São Paulo após o clássico contra o Santos dos 16 prováveis desfalques da equipe, número de fato excessivo. Pois bem, nada como um adversário que não oferecia grandes resistências para que o técnico Rogério Ceni pudesse usar toda sua criatividade para superar os problemas. Deu certo. E o Tricolor amassou a Inter de Limeira por 5 a 1 na noite desta quarta-feira (15), no Morumbi, pelo Campeonato Paulista, em noite de desencantos, com dois jogadores marcando gols pela primeira vez, e golaços.

O resultado deixa o clube tricolor bem próximo de assegurar matematicamente a sua vaga nas quartas de final do Estadual. A equipe alcançou os 17 pontos, mantém a liderança no Grupo B e abre vantagem considerável para o Guarani, terceiro com 10. A Inter segue com 10 pontos, no terceiro lugar do Grupo A e, sem maiores preocupações com rebaixamento por hora, pode até sonhar com uma vaguinha no mata-mata. O Bragantino, segundo da chave, tem 14 pontos.

> ATUAÇÕES: Galoppo brilha, e São Paulo dá show em vitória com golaços no Morumbi

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da pinnacle
Com o Departamento Médico cheio e sem o titular Luciano, suspenso, Ceni foi pragmático na montagem do time. Apostou em um 4-4-2, com Gabriel Neves ganhando nova chance nos titulares, atuando ao lado de Méndez, enfim experimentado como o volante de saída, e Nestor e Galoppo de meias.

O primeiro tempo, contudo, foi de Wellington Rato. Foi dele a cobrança de escanteio para o primeiro gol são-paulino, de Caio, marcando pela primeira vez, na sua estreia como lateral-esquerdo titular.

Depois foi o próprio Rato que marcou, também pela primeira vez com a camisa são-paulina. No segundo tempo, Galoppo, agora artilheiro de fato do Paulistão, deixou o seu e Pedrinho selou o placar elástico com um verdadeiro golaço. Ainda teve tempo para Pablo Maia mandar a bomba de fora da área e fazer mais um golaço no Morumbi, em placar elástico há muito não visto.

O JOGO

A partida com um esvaziado Morumbi (pelo menos em comparação com jogos anteriores) começou com pressão mandante do Tricolor. Logo aos 4′, Wellington Rato cobrou escanteio na primeira trave e Beraldo desviou de cabeça com veneno para ótima defesa de Léo Vieira.

Em noite de Rato, o ponta cobrou outro escanteio com perigo na primeira trave e encontrou desta vez Alan Franco, que desviou de cabeça e deixou a bola na medida para Caio, pela primeira vez jogando como lateral desde o início, completar de primeira às redes e abrir o placar, aos 14′.

ACORDA TRICOLOR

O primeiro gol parece ter freado um pouco o ímpeto são-paulino. A equipe passou a privilegiar o toque de bola, sem tanta intensidade. O problema, óbvio, era a falta de ritmo de jogo de algumas peças, como Gabriel Neves, e a pouco desenvoltura principalmente pelo lado esquerdo, onde Caio ataca, mas não defende.

Melhor para os visitantes. Aos 23′, Bill recebeu justamente por aquele lado do campo, cortou por dentro, justamente no setor de Neves, e arriscou o chute, que saiu rente à trave. Três minutos depois, o São Paulo não teve a mesma sorte. Zé Mário cobrou escanteio, Douglas dividiu com Beraldo pelo alto, ganhou e desviou para João Paulo, livre na pequena área, aproveitar a sobra e empatar.

PROMESSA DE PASMACEIRA… SÓ QUE NÃO

As coisas seguiam uma monotonia irritante para as arquibancadas. Bola para Nestor ou Galoppo, tentativa de buscar Rato e nada acontece… Foram quase 20 minutos em que a única válvula de escape de um São Paulo com campo de jogo no setor defensivo, mas com uma Inter recuada, teve.

Até aos 42′. Foi quando Nestor recuperou a bola na entrada da área e acionou Calleri. O argentino fez o pivô muito bem executado e encontrou, adivinhem, Wellington Rato que desta vez ao invés de buscar um companheiro decidiu infiltrar e finalizar firme para marcar seu primeiro gol pelo clube e deixar o Tricolor de novo à frente do marcador.

> Confira jogos, classificação e simule os resultados do Paulistão-23

GOLEADA DESENHADA

Tudo o que levava a crer que a etapa final poderia ser até certo ponto monótona como o primeiro tempo foi para o ralo logo aos 3′, quando Galoppo acionou Nestor, viu o companheiro cortar a marcação, chutar e o goleiro Léo defender. Com faro afinado para o gol, o argentino conseguiu recuperar e só finalizar para marcar o terceiro do jogo, o seu sexto no Paulistão, assumindo de vez a artilharia.

A Inter até tentava uma coisa ou outra. Aos 13′, por exemplo, Bill recebeu cruzamento, limpou toda a marcação e chutou para bela defesa de Rafael. Mas a noite era tricolor. Aos 28′, Pedrinho, que entrara pouco antes, recebeu bola na ponta-direita, deu um elástico em Rael, passou como quis, invadiu a área e chutou para marcar um gol de placa no Morumbi e encaminhar a goleada.

MAIS UM GOLAÇO E PLACAR DEFINIDO

O São Paulo até conseguiu bons lances depois, como um gol perdido por Calleri, aos 30′.

Mas, foi aos 40′ que a noite são-paulino ficou perfeita por completa.Pablo Maia carregou a bola com liberdade e soltou uma bomba de muito longe, no ângulo do goleiro Léo Vieira. Golaço para selar de vez a vitória tricolor.

PRÓXIMOS JOGOS

O São Paulo volta a campo só no dia 21 (terça-feira), depois do Carnaval, quando enfrenta o São Bento, fora de casa, às 19h30 (de Brasília). Antes disso, no sábado (18), às 16h (de Brasília), a Inter recebe o Água Santa.

FICHA TÉCNICA
SÃO PAULO 5 x 1 FERROVIÁRIA
CAMPEONATO PAULISTA – PRIMEIRA FASE – NONA RODADA

Data e horário: 15/2/2023 (quarta-feira ), às 21h35 (de Brasília)
Local: Estádio do Morumbi, em São Paulo (SP)
Árbitro: Matheus Delgado Candançan
Auxiliares: Luiz Alberto Andrini Nogueira e Amanda Pinto Matias
VAR: Thiago Duarte Peixoto
Público e renda:16.422 torcedores/R$ 473.115,00

Cartões amarelos: Douglas (Inter de Limeira)

GOLS
Caio aos 14min do 1ºT (1-0), João Paulo aos 26min do 1ºT (1-1), Wellington Rato aos 42min do 1ºT (2-1), Galoppo aos 3min do 2ºT (3-1), Pedrinho aos 28min do 2ºT (4-1) e Pablo Maia aos 42min do 2ºT (5-1)

SÃO PAULO
Rafael; Natha, Beraldo, Alan Franco (Pablo Maia, 23/2)e Caio; Gabriel Neves (Talles Costa, 32/2), Méndez (Luan, 24/2), Galoppo (Marcos Paulo, 32/2) e Nestor; Wellington Rato (Pedrinho, 14/2) e Calleri
Técnico: Rogério Ceni

INTER DE LIMEIRA
Léo Vieira; Zé Mário (Bruno Menezes, 17min/2ºT), Douglas, Leandro Silva, João Paulo e Rael; Claudinei (Djalma, no intervalo), Jean Martim (Kaio César, 29min/2ºT) e Matheus Oliveira (Chrigor, no intervalo); Bill e Jonathas (Eliandro, 17min/2ºT)
Técnico: Pintado

Real Madrid's answer to Lamine Yamal! Nico Williams emerges as shock €58m transfer target for Los Blancos after Barcelona cool interest in Athletic Club winger

Nico Williams has emerged as a shock transfer target for Real Madrid this summer after Barcelona cooled their interest in the Spanish winger.

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  • Madrid want to sign Williams
  • Barcelona no longer interested in the winger
  • Los Blancos to face competition from Arsenal
Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱
  • WHAT HAPPENED?

    Per , Real Madrid are keen on signing Williams and are reportedly considering triggering his €58 million (£48m/$60m) release clause, which was added to his contract after he penned a new deal with Athletic Club last summer.

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    THE BIGGER PICTURE

    Williams was a key target for Madrid's rivals, Barcelona, last year, but the player eventually decided to stay in Bilbao. Despite his rejection, the 22-year-old remained a key target for the Blaugrana until as recently as this week, when club president Joan Laporta told : "He was one of the candidates last summer, we were evaluating [Dani] Olmo and Nico. We have a good profile of this player, who is an excellent player, but I think at this moment we are evaluating other options."

  • DID YOU KNOW?

    While Barcelona have cooled their interest in Williams, Madrid might still face competition from Premier League giants Arsenal, who are actively looking to bolster their attack in the upcoming summer transfer window and have long been linked with the Spain international.

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    WHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

    Los Blancos will play their final La Liga match of the 2024-25 campaign on Saturday as they host Real Sociedad in Carlo Ancelotti's farewell game.

ذا أثلتيك توضح موقف مانشستر يونايتد من رحيل برونو فرنانديز إلى اتحاد جدة

كشفت تقارير صحفية تطورات جديدة تخص مستقبل قائد فريق مانشستر يونايتد، برونو فرنانديز، بعدما ارتبط مؤخرًا بإمكانية الرحيل والانتقال إلى الدوري السعودي لكرة القدم، هذا الصيف.

وخاض مانشستر يونايتد، أمس الأحد، مباراته في الجولة الثانية من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز ضد فولهام، حيث تعادلا بهدف لمثله.

وأهدر برونو فرنانديز ضربة جزاء لصالح مانشستر يونايتد، في الشوط الأول، بعدما سددها بطريقة غريبة (لمطالعة التفاصيل من هنا).

من جهة أخرى، ذكرت تقارير صحفية خلال اليومين الماضيين أن برونو فرنانديز مطلوب من جانب نادِ في الدوري السعودي، رغم رفضه الانتقال إلى المملكة العربية السعودية قبل أشهر، وتحديدًا الهلال.

ولكن التقارير الجديدة أفادت بأن هناك اجتماع إيجابي قد تم بين برونو فرنانديز ووكيل أعماله، ومسؤولي الاتحاد، لبحث فكرة انتقاله إلى النادي.

وحسبما ذكرت شبكة “ذا أثلتيك” العالمية، فإن مانشستر يونايتد لا يتوقع رحيل برونو فرنانديز عن ملعب “الأولد ترافورد” قبل الموعد النهائي للميركاتو الصيفي، يوم الإثنين المقبل.

وأوضحت أن مصادر في السعودية تشكك كذلك في جدية تلك التقارير، التي تشير إلى إمكانية انتقال النجم البرتغالي لنادي الاتحاد في الميركاتو الصيفي الجاري.

 

No more Man Utd interest? Chelsea and Tottenham eye Jarrad Branthwaite as seismic Everton price tag revealed

Chelsea are reportedly considering a move for Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite but face competition from Tottenham for his services.

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Man Utd tried & failed to sign BranthwaiteChelsea & Tottenham now eye defenderEverton set seismic price tag againFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

TEAMtalk reports that the two London rivals are mulling over making an offer for the Everton centre-back, but the Blues' interest is more advanced. They claim the England international is high on Chelsea's transfer shortlist, alongside Ajax's Jorrel Hato.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Manchester United submitted repeated bids for Branthwaite last year but Everton knocked back each offer. And similar to last year, Everton value the 23-year-old at around £70-75 million ($95-101.6m) and won't budge on that as his contract runs until 2027.

DID YOU KNOW?

The report adds that Tottenham are less in need of a left-sided centre-back than Chelsea, although they are on the lookout for a successor to Welshman Ben Davies – who has been linked with Championship new boys Wrexham.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

With that price tag, it seems unlikely that any potential suitor will fork out that kind of fee for Branthwaite's services for now. But when his contract ticks closer to its expiration, bids may come the Everton star's way.

Renshaw released to play BBL finals leaving Australia without a spare batter for 24 hours

Australia will not have a concussion replacement if a batter were to suffer a head knock on day three of the Adelaide Test

Alex Malcolm17-Jan-2024Australia’s reserve batter Matt Renshaw will be released to play in the BBL qualifier for Brisbane Heat against Sydney Sixers on Friday night on the Gold Coast, which leaves Australia’s Test team without a concussion replacement for 24 hours if a batter were to suffer a head knock against West Indies on day three of the Adelaide Test.Renshaw was selected as the only spare batter in Australia’s 13-man squad for the first Test but was always going to carry the drinks with Steven Smith opening the batting in place of the retired David Warner, and Cameron Green coming into the side to bat at No. 4.Cricket Australia confirmed that Renshaw would fly from Adelaide to Gold Coast on Thursday night and return on Saturday morning.It is one of the rare times Australia will not have a batting concussion substitute available at the ground in recent years, but they are confident they can fly Renshaw back at short notice from Gold Coast in the unlikely event of a mishap.Previously, Australia have twice needed a concussion substitute in Tests but never at home. Marnus Labsuchagne was famously the first to fill the role in Test cricket at Lord’s in 2019. Labuschagne was also a concussion sub in ODI cricket last year when Cameron Green was hit in South Africa. Renshaw was Australia’s only other Test concussion sub when he came in for Warner during the second Test against India in Delhi last year.

Man City will rue selling "incredible" star who's worth more than Marmoush

da apostaganha: Manchester City are approaching the end of what has been the most glamourous era in their history.

da lvbet: Since 2017, the Etihad side have won six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups and of course, the Champions League in 2023.

Pep Guardiola has certainly left his legacy on English football and despite enduring the worst season of his managerial career, the Spaniard signed a new two-year extension to his City contract late last year.

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola andMatheusNunesreact

The FA Cup remains City’s only hope of claiming any silverware this season. Regardless of what happens, securing a top-five place in the league table – and Champions League qualification that goes with it – is clearly the priority for Guardiola.

During the winter transfer window, he spent around £190m on signing four players who could pave the way for a new era starting next season.

Omar Marmoush, Vitor Reis, Abdukodir Khusanov and Nico Gonzalez all arrived at the Etihad in what was the busiest winter transfer window since the former Barcelona manager took over the hotseat in 2016.

Reis and Khusanov are two extremely talented defenders who could become a key duo over the coming years. Gonzalez is a 23-year-old midfielder who has the qualities to replace Rodri, while Marmoush adds some competition in the attacking department for Guardiola.

It is the latter who is already beginning to repay the faith shown in him by the manager.

Omar Marmoush's Man City career in numbers so far

The Egyptian cost the club around £59m from German side Eintracht Frankfurt earlier this year.

While spending this much midway through the season is always seen as somewhat of a risky venture, Marmoush shone in the Bundesliga between August and January.

Marmoush

Across 25 games for Frankfurt, Marmoush found the back of the net on 20 occasions, chipping in with 14 assists in the process.

It didn’t take him long to make an impression at City. During their 4-0 win over Newcastle United last month, the 25-year-old scored his first Premier League hat-trick.

Operating on the left wing during that game, Marmoush also attempted two dribbles, delivered five crosses and completed 88% of his passes, showcasing his incredible talents.

Overall, in seven top-flight games for City, he has netted four times, created three big chances, averaged 1.1 key passes and has a 29% goal conversion rate, indicating that the player is taking to life in England with apparent ease.

The club were relying too heavily on Erling Haaland to provide the goals and when he suffered a dip in form, the club struggled.

Marmoush might well prove to be one of Guardiola’s most effective winter signings, especially if he maintains his current form.

Aged 25, Marmoush has arguably yet to hit his peak and this could see his valuation soar over the coming years.

At this moment in time, however, the former Frankfurt star is worth €60m (£50m) according to Transfermarkt, although this has been fixed in place since late December 2024 and doesn’t take into consideration his recent form.

There was one player who was sold by the club last summer that is currently worth double Marmoush’s valuation.

Man City star is worth more than Marmoush after leaving

Did Guardiola make a big mistake by selling Julian Alvarez to Atlético Madrid in 2024? Judging by his form and increase in value, it appears so.

Having shone for River Plate in his homeland, Alvarez was snapped up by City in January 2022 for a fee of just £14m, although he wouldn’t link up with the English side until the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

julian-alvarez-manchester-city-tottenham-hotspur-academy-postecoglou-mikey-moore

His maiden season at City saw the Argentinian score 17 goals in 49 appearances for the club, but only 23 of those came in the starting XI.

Nevertheless, he helped the club win a treble of Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, becoming the fifth player – after Cafu, Dida, Roque Junior and Ronaldinho – to win the World Cup, Copa Libertadores and Champions League in their careers.

Market Movers

Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club’s star player or biggest flop worth today?

His second season saw a marked improvement in output, netting 19 times while registering 13 assists on his way to being labelled as an “incredible” player by Guardiola.

Rather surprisingly, he was sold last summer to Atlético for a fee of £82m. They may have made a staggering profit, but at what cost?

His move to join the La Liga side, who are managed by his compatriot Diego Simeone, has given them a new lease of life this season.

Only a penalty shootout defeat to holders and rivals Real Madrid ended their chances of success in the Champions League, while the club are currently looking to reach the final of the Copa del Rey and are very much in a title chase.

Alvarez’s league statistics since August 2023

Metric

2023/24 (City)

2024/25 (Atleti)

Goals

11

11

Assists

9

2

Key passes per game

1.9

0.9

Big chances created

7

5

Shots per game

2.7

1.9

Via Sofascore

Alvarez has scored 23 goals in 44 matches for the club, an excellent return, and he is certainly living up to his lofty fee.

In the top flight, the 25-year-old ranks in the top 9% for successful take-on percentage (57.1%), in the top 9% for carries into the final third (1.78) and in the top 11% for shot-creating actions (3.42) per 90.

It seems that the 2022 World Cup winner has settled in nicely at Atlético, which has also seen his valuation rise over the previous few months.

Indeed, according to the CIES Football Observatory, Alvarez is now currently worth €125m (£105m) due to his recent form for the Spanish outfit.

Not only does this value mean he is worth double that of Marmoush, but it proves that Guardiola made a big mistake in selling the South American forward, even if it meant bringing in a huge profit.

Atletico Madrid'sJulianAlvarezscores a penalty during the penalty shootout wich is later disallowed after a VAR review

Of course, there is no way of telling whether his presence in the team could have prevented City from their struggles this season.

Given how well he has performed on the continent, however, losing him last summer could turn out to be one of the club’s worst pieces of transfer business in recent times.

Man City have already sold their own Adam Wharton for just £7m

As Man City continue their pursuit of Adam Wharton, they may regret having sold a “similar” talent

ByRobbie Walls Mar 13, 2025

Spurs must regret selling "the best CB outside the top 5 leagues" for £6m

They might not get the same attention as some of their rivals for it, but Tottenham Hotspur have an incredible academy.

In the here and now, Hotspur Way has produced some incredibly exciting talents who will surely be future stars like Mikey Moore and Luca Williams-Barnett.

Moreover, some of the best players in Premier League history have come through the North Londoners’ youth set-up, such as Harry Kane, Ledley King and even he who shan’t be named.

However, as well as the international superstars, the Lilywhites have produced several underrated players currently plying their trade around Europe, including one centre-back who’s one comparison to an incredibly valuable superstar.

Hotspur Way's underrated stars

One of Spurs’ former academy gems, who some might not know played for the club’s academy, is Noni Madueke.

The Barnet-born winger was a part of the club’s youth set-up for quite some time, but despite efforts to keep him in the capital, he decided to take a leap of faith in the summer of 2018 and moved to Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven.

It didn’t take long for the Englishman to establish himself in the Netherlands, and by the time he moved to Chelsea for £30m in January 2023, he had racked up a haul of 20 goals and 14 assists in just 80 first-team appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 2.35 games.

Madueke’s senior career

Team

PSV

Chelsea

Appearances

80

74

Goals

20

17

Assists

14

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.42

0.32

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Since returning to England, the dynamic attacker has scored 17 goals and provided seven assists in 74 games for the Blues.

However, a hamstring injury he picked up a couple of weeks ago has put a halt to what was looking like a promising campaign.

Another academy gem who left N17 for the Netherlands is Irish striker Troy Parrott, who, after spending last season on loan with Dutch side Excelsior, decided to make his move to the country permanent, signing with AZ Alkmaar.

The former Lilywhites’ gem has already found the back of the net on 17 occasions in just 36 appearances this season and has provided three assists to boot.

Troy Parrott scores for Ireland

So when Ange Postecoglou’s side lineup against him in the Europa League knockout rounds next week, they’ll have to be on top form, even if he failed to score in their league phase encounter.

However, it’s not just attacking talents who have gone on to have brilliant careers since leaving Spurs’ academy, as an international centre-back is thriving north of the border and has been compared to a Premier League titan worth an increible amount of money.

Parrott’s senior career

Team

Appearances

Goals

Assists

MK Dons

47

10

7

AZ Alkmaar

36

17

3

Preston North End

34

4

0

Excelsior

32

17

5

Ipswich Town

18

2

0

Millwall

14

0

1

Tottenham

4

0

0

All Stats via Transfermarkt

The Spurs academy gem who's a £69m star in the making

It’s been a brilliant campaign for Celtic this season, as they pushed Bayern Munich all the way in the Champions League play-offs and have a commanding lead over Rangers in the Scottish Premiership.

One of the Hoops’ most important players this year, and in the seasons prior, has been Cameron Carter-Vickers, who joined Tottenham as an 11-year-old in 2009.

The American international would go out on several loan moves over the years, including one to Celtic in 2021, before agreeing a permanent move to Parkhead a year later for around £6m.

Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers.

In all, the 27-year-old titan has made 148 appearances for the Glaswegian giants, scoring seven goals, providing two assists, and winning three league titles, three league cups, and two Scottish Cups.

During his time north of the border, the 18-capped international has won plenty of plaudits for his sensational displays, with The Athletic’s Alex Barker going as far as describing him as “the best centre-back outside of the top five leagues” last week.

Carter-Vickers & Dias

Statistics per 90

Carter-Vickers

Dias

Passing Accuracy

94.2%

93.6%

Key Passes

0.15

0.20

Interceptions

1.04

1.20

Carries

67.8

60.8

Dribblers Challenged

1.04

1.00

All Stats via FBref for the 24/25 UCL Season

On top of that, he’s also been likened to Manchester City’s Rúben Dias by FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Champions League, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and in this instance, has concluded that the Portuguese ace is the third most similar centre-back to the American.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, passing accuracy, key passes, carries, dribblers challenged, interceptions and more, all per 90.

On top of the prestige that should come with such a comparison, it could also potentially reflect Carter-Vivkers’ future price tag should he leave Scotland.

For example, according to Football Transfers, the City ace is worth up to €83m, which converts to about £69m, and if the former Lilywhites ace is so statistically similar, why shouldn’t his price tag also increase?

Celtic defender Cameron Carter-Vickers.

Ultimately, it was probably the right decision for his future at the time to sell Carter-Vickers, but we can’t help imagining just how useful he would have been to Postecoglou this season.

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Man City academy star was ahead of Cole Palmer, then Pep let him go for £0

da cassino: Over the last few years, Manchester City have let plenty of academy players leave who could have made a real name for themselves in the first team. Two of those players have actually scored against them this season, and are a couple of the more prominent examples.

da betsul: The first was Morgan Rogers, now at Aston Villa. He has been sensational under Unai Emery in recent weeks, with one of his highlights a goal against Pep Guardiola’s side in December. He never got the chance to show what he could do in City’s first team.

Morgan Rogers

The other player is Brahim Diaz. The Real Madrid and Morocco international was on the scoresheet at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the season in the Champions League after impressing for Los Blancos over the past 18 months in particular.

However, perhaps the most famous example in recent seasons is Cole Palmer.

Cole Palmer's staggering rise since leaving Man City

There might never be a more frustrating sale in City’s recent history than that of Palmer. He joined Chelsea in the summer of 2023 for a fee of £42.5m, which has proven to be a bargain for the West Londoners.

Chelsea star Cole Palmer

Palmer has played 78 times for the club, scoring 39 times and grabbing 21 assists. One of those goals also came against City, in November 2023.

The England international scored a last-minute penalty to earn Chelsea a point, in a game that ended as an extraordinary 4-4 draw.

There is certainly an argument to be said that City never really gave Palmer the chances he deserved for his boyhood club.

He only played 41 times across four full seasons, and his 1,483 minutes for the club only equated to 16 full 90-minute games.

Although his form has been shaky of late – not scoring or assisting across his last ten matches – City must surely regret losing Palmer, who was a treble-winner with Guardiola’s side in 2022/23, his final season at the club. His overall impact at Chelsea has been second to none.

Manchester City's Cole Palmer celebrates scoring their first goal

Incredibly, there was arguably an even more talented player than the Wythenshawe-born superstar in his age group.

The Man City academy star who was ahead of Palmer

City can boast a lot of academy talent who have gone on to do great things in professional football, either in the famous Sky Blue shirt or elsewhere.

Sadly, things haven’t quite worked out yet for Ben Knight.

The versatile attacker enjoyed several years in City’s academy and was part of a group filled with “exceptional talents”, as football talent scout Jacek Kulig described their U23s side back in 2021.

The Cambridge-born attacker left City in the summer, joining Spanish outfit Real Murcia on a free transfer. However, after playing just five times, he has since left the club and is now available on a free contract.

Knight represented City across age-group sides for several seasons. He arguably played his best football for their U21s, where he scored ten times and grabbed eight assists in 46 games, showing his versatility as an attacker, too. The former City academy star played right across the forward line.

Knight for Man City U21s

Position

Games

Goals

Assists

Right-wing

14

6

3

Centre-forward

7

1

0

Attacking midfield

5

1

0

Left-wing

2

1

1

Stats from Transfermarkt

The attacker played 16 minutes for City’s first team, with his sole appearance coming against Leicester City in the Community Shield in 2021. That was also the final time he was involved in the same matchday squad as Palmer.

The City academy pair played 30 games together in total for City’s academy and England youth sides. Perhaps surprisingly, they never managed to combine for a goal, despite their threat in attack.

While they were in the same age group, it was actually Knight who made his U21s bow first, appearing as a 16-year-old in a Premier League 2 clash in September 2019. Palmer didn’t make his Premier League 2 debut until a year later, aged 17.

Unlike Palmer, things haven’t really worked out for Knight so far since leaving the Etihad Stadium. He has previously impressed on a loan spell with Crewe Alexandra – involved in four goals in ten games – and he will be hoping to reignite that form at his next club and get his career back on track.

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WPL 2024: Gujarat Giants release more than half of their squad

Megan Schutt, Shabnim Ismail and Sophia Dunkley among the big overseas players not retained by their respective teams

ESPNcricinfo staff19-Oct-2023Delhi CapitalsDelhi Capitals have retained 15 of their 18 squad members. Among the three released are Tara Norris, who was the only Associate player across teams in the inaugural season, and Jasia Akhtar, the Jammu and Kashmir batter known for her power-hitting in India’s domestic circuit. Capitals will go into the 2024 auction with a purse of INR 2.25 crore to fill up to three slots.Squad: Alice Capsey*, Arundhati Reddy, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jess Jonassen*, Laura Harris*, Marizanne Kapp*, Meg Lanning*, Minnu Mani, Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav, Shafali Verma, Shikha Pandey, Sneha Deepthi, Taniya Bhatia, Titas SadhuReleased: Aparna Mondal, Jasia Akhtar, Tara Norris*Gujarat GiantsGujarat Giants, who finished at the bottom of the points table last season, have released more than half of their squad members, including four overseas players: Annabel Sutherland, Georgia Wareham, Kim Garth and Sophia Dunkley. Laura Wolvaardt, who was an injury replacement for Beth Mooney, has been retained, as is Mooney.That means they have ten vacancies now, and will have the biggest purse at the mini-auction – INR 5.95 crore – to fill those.Squad: Ashleigh Gardner*, Beth Mooney*, Dayalan Hemalatha, Harleen Deol, Laura Wolvaardt*, Shabnam Shakil, Sneh Rana, Tanuja KanwarReleased: Annabel Sutherland*, Ashwani Kumari, Georgia Wareham*, Hurley Gala, Kim Garth*, Mansi Joshi, Monica Patel, Parunika Sisodia, Sabbineni Meghana, Sophia Dunkley*, Sushma VermaESPNcricinfo LtdMumbai IndiansDefending champions Mumbai Indians released just four players, out of which only Dhara Gujjar had played any part last season. Since they had only 17 players last time, they have five slots available and a purse of INR 2.1 crore, the smallest among the five franchises.Squad: Amanjot Kaur, Amelia Kerr*, Chloe Tryon*, Harmanpreet Kaur, Hayley Matthews*, Humaira Kazi, Issy Wong*, Jintimani Kalita, Nat Sciver-Brunt*, Pooja Vastrakar, Priyanka Bala, Saika Ishaque, Yastika BhatiaReleased: Dhara Gujjar, Heather Graham*, Neelam Bisht, Sonam YadavRoyal Challengers BangaloreMegan Schutt, Dane van Niekerk and Erin Burns were the biggest names released by Royal Challengers Bangalore. Schutt played seven out of eight games last season but could pick up just four wickets at an economy of 8.46, while van Niekerk had spent the whole season on the bench. They have seven slots vacant, and INR 3.35 to fill them.Squad: Asha Shobana, Disha Kasat, Ellyse Perry*, Heather Knight*, Indrani Roy, Kanika Ahuja, Renuka Singh, Richa Ghosh, Shreyanka Patil, Smriti Mandhana, Sophie Devine*Released: Dane van Niekerk*, Erin Burns*, Komal Zanzad, Megan Schutt*, Poonam Khemnar, Preeti Bose, Sahana PawarUP WarriorzUP Warriorz retained their core; Shabnim Ismail, who played just three games last season because of the team combination, was the only overseas player released. Among Indians, the franchise let go of Devika Vaidya, Shivali Shinde and Simran Shaikh. Vaidya, who was signed at INR 1.4 crore, managed just 77 runs and one wicket in seven matches. Warriorz will have INR 4 crore at the auction to fill five slots.Squad: Alyssa Healy*, Anjali Sarvani, Deepti Sharma, Grace Harris*, Kiran Navgire, Lauren Bell*, Laxmi Yadav, Parshavi Chopra, Rajeshwari Gayakwad, S Yashasri, Shweta Sehrawat, Sophie Ecclestone*, Tahlia McGrath*Released: Devika Vaidya, Shabnim Ismail*, Shivali Shinde, Simran Shaikh

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