Ian Bell had a disastrous 2017, resigning from the Warwickshire captaincy and overlooked by England for the Ashes, but he began a new season in seductive fashion

George Dobell14-Apr-2018
ScorecardIt is centuries, not 70s, that grab the attention of selectors.But on a day when only one other man could reach 30, Ian Bell provided a reminder of his considerable qualities with an innings of charm and substance to help his side to the brink of a third batting point in testing conditions. For a side that managed only 19 such points in the 2017 season – the fewest in either division – it represents a decent effort.It is, you would have thought, too late for Bell to make a return to England’s Test side. He is 36 now and, while it is probably true that he has never been satisfactorily replaced, selectors tend to look to younger men for solutions. Whoever the new head selector turns out to be – it is understood Mick Newell is in the final two and a decision will be announced in the next few days – it will probably require a barrage of three-figure scores from Bell if he is to convince them to look beyond the likes of Joe Clarke and Liam Livingstone.But context is important. And, in conditions where the ball moved in the air and off the pitch, Bell demonstrated the technique and temperament to flourish against an attack containing India’s Ishant Sharma. Tim Ambrose, who was badly missed in the slips when he had five, was the only other man to pass 25.It is easy to be seduced by Bell in such form. The cover drives he unfurled off Stuart Whittingham, a fast bowler with a hint of Dale Steyn about him, and the on drives he pushed off Ollie Robinson were the sort to have spectators purring with pleasure. And while it is true he did not hit any of his 14 boundaries off Sharma (he took six off Robinson and five off Whittingham), Bell played him off relatively comfortably. As David Wiese put it: “He looked as if he was batting on a completely different wicket.”The selectors would have loved Bell to have given them an excuse to pick him for the Ashes tour. But a campaign that produced just 596 runs (at an average of 25.91), without a century, gave them little opportunity. He did look more fluent than at any time last year, however, and will have noted the struggles of James Vince to cement a position. It might also be noted that he started the first-class season with a century – albeit against Durham MCCU – which is more than he managed last year.Ian Bell steers through the covers•Getty ImagesPerhaps more pertinently, he also gave Warwickshire a strong platform in a game that, weather permitting, could yet prove intriguing. Despite all the talk of a new era at Edgbaston, it was notable that it was two men in their mid-30s who provide the bulk of the runs. Ambrose, out of form at the end of the season, also produced an innings of character against his old club, but was honest enough to admit afterwards that Bell’s innings was “a class above” anything else on show.But for Ambrose and Bell, Warwickshire would surely have struggled to register even a single bonus point. With Sharma bowling beautifully – hitting a nagging line and length and nipping the ball around – and Wiese jumping wide of the crease, angling the ball in and gaining sharp movement away, batting was desperately tough for the first half of the day. Will Rhodes shaped up nicely but edge to slip, Dominic Sibley was caught behind trying to withdraw the bat and Jonathan Trott was beaten by a beauty that drew the stroke and left him sharply. With Adam Hose playing across one, Sam Hain leaving another and Bell finally undone by one that drew the stroke but nipped away to take the edge, Warwickshire were 147 for six and in some trouble.But Sussex will kick themselves for their errors. Not only did the dropped chance – it was Harry Finch, at slip, who put down Ambrose off Wiese – prove crucial, but they donated 16 runs from no-balls and 12 from wides. In a low-scoring contest, that could prove defining. Both Chris Jordan, who helped bowl Warwickshire out for 87 here four years ago in similar conditions, and Jofra Archer, who are currently non-playing members of their IPL sides, were sorely missed.As it was, Ambrose led the way as Warwickshire added an unbroken 62 for the tenth-wicket with the obdurate Chris Wright. Now aged 35 and one of many Warwickshire men to find himself out of contract at the end of the season, this is a big year for Ambrose. But he has shown, again and again, that he relishes such situations and whoever Warwickshire bring in as his successor – they are sure to be in the market for another keeper – may face a year or two on the sidelines yet.

Aston Villa defender Pau Torres was slammed by the media for his performance against Liverpool in the Premier League this afternoon.

What was the Liverpool vs Aston Villa score?

Villa suffered their second defeat of the Premier League season this afternoon, and while they faced tough opposition in Liverpool, Unai Emery is still likely to be disappointed with his side's performance.

The Villans succumbed to a 3-0 loss at Anfield, with the hosts breaking the deadlock after just three minutes, through Dominik Szoboszlai, before Matty Cash doubled the Reds' lead by scoring an own-goal less than 20 minutes later.

Mohamed Salah added another in the second half, putting the game beyond doubt, with the visitors never posing much in the way of attacking threat, having recorded an XG of just 0.63 across the entire match.

A number of Aston Villa players were not at the races, including Cash, who scored an own-goal, and Diego Carlos, with the Brazilian receiving a Sofascore match rating of just 6.4.

However, Torres was the player singled out for criticism by sections of the media, with journalist Sam Tighe saying:

"What kind of mood did Pau Torres wake up in today? He’s doing some wild stuff."

Journalist Michael Akomeah also criticised the centre-back for his performance, saying:

"Someone tell Pau Torres , this is not la liga.., before also adding:

"He stays on the ball for too long".

How much did Aston Villa pay for Pau Torres?

The Spaniard arrived from Emery's former club, Villarreal, back in July, and set Villa back an initial fee of £33m, which was the second-highest fee paid in the club's history at the time, and it is expected to rise further.

The 26-year-old has had a mixed start to life in England, as he has looked impressive on the ball, completing 44 of the 47 passes he attempted against Burnley back in August, meaning he achieved a pass-completion rate of 94%.

Against Hibernian, the former Villarreal man was hailed by ESPN analyst Luis Miguel Echegaray for playing a "ball so magnificent you could marry it" in the build-up to Jhon Duran's goal, but he was not as impressive in possession against Liverpool today.

Across the 90 minutes, the Spain international lost the ball 16 times, the highest amount of any player on the pitch, receiving a Sofascore match rating of just 6.2 for his efforts, which was the joint-lowest alongside Cash.

It is still early days for Torres, and Emery will be hoping today's performance will be a learning curve for his new centre-back, ahead of Villa's next game at home against Crystal Palace after the upcoming international break.

Barcelona boss Xavi made a bizarre claim that his side would be top of the league if 'big data' was to be believed.

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Barcelona steal late winBeat Celta Vigo 2-1 with stoppage-time penaltyBarca sit seven points off MadridGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

Xavi spoke after the game and was critical of his side's wasted chances as they stole a narrow 2-1 victory over strugglers Celta Vigo. A resurgent Robert Lewandowski scored a brace, including a 97th minute penalty, to secure the three points. However, perhaps a little frustrated the Polish striker hasn't been able to be at his best all this season, Xavi bemoaned the number of opportunities to score they pass up.

AdvertisementWHAT XAVI SAID

Speaking after their victory, Xavi said: "We dominated. But we struggled to create in the final third. [Celta] worked so hard defensively. It's an agonising triumph, but it's welcome.

"They passed me a stat saying that, according to Big Data, we would be leaders [going] by chances created."

Getty ImagesDID YOU KNOW?

Xavi's side have a number of players capable of producing special moments out of nothing. No more so than Ilkay Gundogan who has created 67 chances for his team-mates this season, second only to Real Betis' Isco (68). Maybe the Spanish boss has a point.

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WHAT NEXT FOR XAVI AND BARCELONA?

Xavi has made the decision to leave Barcelona at the end of the season so will be dreaming of ending his spell in charge on a positive note. They sit seven points off league leaders Madrid, who have a game in hand, and begin their Champions League knockout stage run on Wednesday against Napoli.

ScorecardShabnim Ismail is congratulated on the wicket of Hayley Matthews•Getty Images

Seamer Shabnim Ismail’s three-for and opener Lizelle Lee’s 38-ball 46 helped South Africa beat Bangladesh by 17 runs and go 1-0 up in the three-match T20I series.Having elected to bat at the Diamond Oval in Kimberley, South Africa openers Lee and Laura Wolvaardt put together 77 by the 10th over. Wolvaardt’s wicket, however, sent them sliding as spinners Rumana Ahmed and Khadija Tul Kubra ran through the top order to pick up four wickets in the space of 20 deliveries.Sune Luus steered them to safety, making an unbeaten 28 off just 23 balls from No. 7 to lift them from 86 for 5 in the 13th over to 127 for 6 at the end of 20 overs.Bangladesh slipped to 14 for 2 in the fifth over, and from there on, South Africa didn’t look back. Ahmed and Fargana Hoque put together 72 off just 68 balls for the third wicket to keep Bangladesh in the hunt, before Ismail returned to rattle the middle order. She had Rumana caught by Mignon du Preez for 36 and then sent Nigar Sultana back for a first-ball duck to stifle them.Bangladesh needed 32 off two overs, but tight overs from Kapp and Ismail closed out the game.

Joe Clarke’s latest century will have alerted the new England selector Ed Smith, but would a call-up be too much, too soon?

Jon Culley at New Road12-May-20181:59

County round-up: Clarke century rattles champions Essex

ScorecardIf runs scored in a struggling team really do carry extra value, then Joe Clarke has done his statistics no harm in the last few days. After his 157 at The Oval last week helped Worcestershire end the losing run that had made for an unpromising return to Division One cricket, his 105 here was the difference between a hefty first-innings deficit against the defending champions and a workable lead.Both hundreds, incidentally, have come since Ed Smith was appointed as James Whitaker’s successor as national selector, charged with rebuilding the standing of England’s Test team after a depressing Ashes winter. Whether this is significant may become known on Tuesday, when the first England selection of Smith’s tenure is announced.,He is probably an outside bet to be named in the squad for the opening Test against Pakistan but, if Smith is minded to make a statement by stepping away from the usual suspects, then Clarke will surely be one of those whose form has been scrutinised with particular interest.Here at New Road opinion is divided, not on the matter of Clarke’s talent but over whether he is ready to be exposed to Test cricket. Clarke will not be 22 until later this month and with all young players there is a risk that a poor start under the pressure of international cricket will have a negative psychological impact.”Am I ready to step up? Until you play at that level I don’t think you can know,” he said afterwards. “But to show that I can perform in the higher league after a few seasons in Division Two is pleasing. I’ll just try to score as many runs as I can for Worcestershire and let the runs do the talking really.”These last two innings, the latest in particular, have shown a responsible side to his game. With only Daryl Mitchell able to stay with him more than briefly, drawing on his experience to steady a rocking boat after Brett D’Oliveira and Tom Fell had been dismissed within the first three overs of the day, the onus was largely on Clarke to make sure the previous day’s achievement in denying Essex any batting points was not wasted.In that respect, he succeeded impressively. There was a wobble or two at the beginning, but for the most part his judgment of which balls he should attack was sound. Against an attack of this calibre, with Peter Siddle looking to sign off his five-match stint with the county on a strong note, making the correct decisions was essential. Yet when he did put bat to ball he looked in good order. Three of his 14 fours came in one over against Jamie Porter, two with muscular pulls through midwicket, the third driven serenely into the boundary boards at long off.Only the end was disappointing, a push at a ball from Ravi Bopara that beat the bat and punished his tentative footwork. Bopara had also dismissed Mitchell is returning 3 for 30, although Siddle was the best of the bowlers, unlucky to claim only two wickets.Essex overhauled Worcestershire’s lead for only one loss but suffered an unexpected blow when Alastair Cook, looking ominously well set on 66, offered no shot to a ball from Steve Magoffin that came back sharply to clip his off stump.Bizarrely, Essex’s top three batsmen were all bowled by balls they opted to leave, which is an unusual occurrence to say the least. Little wonder that Bopara and Dan Lawrence chose to negotiate a gloomy last hour somewhat cautiously, although for not quite long enough in the case of Bopara, who was caught behind pushing at one from an impressive Josh Tongue just before seven o’clock, with 12 balls left in the day.

Manchester United pondered a move for four-time Champions League winner Sergio Ramos in the summer, but passed on the opportunity to make an offer, according to reports.

What's the latest news involving Manchester United?

The Red Devils were on the wrong side of a 3-1 defeat to Arsenal last weekend after Marcus Rashford's opening strike was cancelled out by goals from Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus.

Manchester United boss Erik Ten Hag made his frustrations known following a controversial affair that saw Alejandro Garnacho denied an 89th-minute strike to put the Red Devils 2-1 ahead on 89 minutes. Speaking to Sky Sports, Ten Hag stated: "The performance was alright from us. I thought we played a very good game but everything went against us – then you don't win the game. We needed a little bit more luck to win the game. It was not offside [for Alejandro Garnacho goal]. It was the wrong angle."

Now, Manchester United will be left to stew over an unfortunate defeat at the Emirates Stadium before returning to competitive action after the international break against Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on September 16th.

Jadon Sancho has risked disciplinary action after taking to social media platform X to hit back at criticism from Ten Hag regarding his level of performance in training, as per The Guardian. An internal meeting is set to be held between Manchester United management staff and Sancho to determine the best way to move forward from the incident, as per 90min.

Turkish clubs have enquired about the availability of Sancho as their transfer window remains open until September 15th; nevertheless, it is believed that Manchester United would not entertain any departure for the England international that would involve paying a portion of his wages.

Did Manchester United come close to signing Sergio Ramos?

According to 90min, veteran free agent Sergio Ramos was offered to Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayern Munich before eventually deciding to sign for boyhood club Sevilla.

It is believed that all three clubs kept Ramos in their thoughts; however, his large salary demands curtailed any possibility of a deal being done to bring the four-time Champions League winner to Old Trafford and the Glazers never stumped up an offer.

Before returning to Sevilla, Ramos was most recently of Paris Saint-Germain and went on to register six goals and one assist at the club across 58 appearances in all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.

Labelled "different level" by former Spain coach Luis Enrique, Ramos also turned down a remarkable £17.1 million per year proposal from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad, according to The Sun.

The outlet even sensationally claim that Ramos knocked back a one-year contract at Manchester United reported to be worth around £73,000 per week, which was offered in the aftermath of Raphael Varane being ruled out due to injury.

Northern Ireland international Jonny Evans has since rejoined Manchester United on a one-year contract and made his second debut for the Red Devils against Arsenal last weekend.

Sheffield United may not be the biggest club in Yorkshire but they certainly boast a notable number of celebrity supporters. It’s a club that generates local passion, after all – and that’s seen in those who grew up there.

Athletes, actors, musicians, and one Argentinian footballer all feature on a list of those struck by the Blades. Here is our pick of the bunch for Sheffield United’s most famous supporters.

8 Juan Sebastián Verón

Let’s get the strangest one out of the way first. Former Argentina international Juan Sebastián Verón was a Sheffield United fan in childhood and openly admitted wanting to play for them.

There’s a good reason for it, too. Verón’s uncle, Pedro Verde, spent time there at the tail-end of his career and it sparked interest in the young footballer-to-be.

“I was a fan of Sheffield United but I sadly never had the chance to play for them, but I would have wanted to!” Verón went on to say. Oh what could have been…

7 Jessica Ennis-Hill

An Olympic champion and a three-time World champion – Jessica Ennis-Hill is one of the most successful individual athletes to come out of Britain in recent years. She’s also born and raised in Sheffield.

Ennis-Hill is a Blades fan, too, and even had a stand named after her post-Olympic gold. However, that did change in 2015 when it was instead named after a sponsor.

6 Kell Brook

Sticking on the wildly successful athlete theme, Kell Brook is a Sheffield native who went on to hold the IBF Welterweight title for nearly three years between 2014 and 2017.

Brook is a lifelong fan of the Blades, as with just about everyone on this list, and even fought at Bramall Lane back in 2017.

“I’ve imagined this for weeks and I’ve dreamt about this since being a young kid,” he said ahead of that fight.

“I never thought I’d see a boxing ring on the pitch at Bramall Lane, but I’m ready and I’m determined and I’m excited. I’ve got a lot of memories of watching the Blades, my uncle used to throw me up in the air when we scored and at the weekend I want to be throwing my belt above my head once again.”

5 Joe Elliott

Joe Elliott, as the lead singer of Def Leppard, is in the discussion for the most successful person on this list. The band was formed in Sheffield back in 1976. Elliott is from the city and has called United his team all his life.

Sheffield has had more than their fair share of world-renowned music acts and Def Leppard are arguably the biggest. That other group that has an argument are all Wednesday fans, if you’re wondering.

4 Paul Heaton

Paul Heaton was born on the Wirral but moved to Sheffield when he was very young. He and his brothers all struck up an interest in football but while they all went with Wednesday, Paul followed United.

Heaton would go on to form the Housemartins and The Beautiful South, with massive success in the ’80s and early ’90s. And in terms of Blades fans, he might be one of the biggest on this list.

3 Joe Root

Former England Test Cricket captain Joe Root is another from Sheffield and has made no secret of his love for United. In fact, Root has appeared on the club’s social media channels several times, while one of the first interviews he gave after receiving the captaincy was at Bramall Lane.

His support runs through the family, too, it seems. “I’ve always been a Blade,” Root told the Athletic in 2020. “There were three generations of Roots there when I watched my first game. Myself and my brother, dad and grandad.”

Root, of course, will go down as an all-time great Test batsman – yet one more wildly successful name on this list, then.

2 Michael Palin

Michael Palin might be a bit of a controversial one on this list as he’s very openly talked about also wanting Wednesday to do well. The comedy legend is from Sheffield and grew up supporting the Blades – but he’s a little bit more about the city doing well than his club.

Here’s what he told When Saturday Comes back in 2000:

“United were the club I supported when I was growing up, mainly because their ground was the nearest to our house. I used to see Wednesday supp­orters as a different type of person, just… deeply dis­turbed. But then I was always excited when either club was involved in a big game and Wednesday tended to be involved in bigger games. When I first came to London, it was 1966 and Wednesday were in the Cup final, so I couldn’t say I wasn’t interested because they were from my city. Eric Idle was a big Chelsea fan and I used to go there to see either Sheffield team play. I found myself being sucked in as a sort of associate Wednesday fan, though I would have been disem­boweled in Sheffield if they’d known that.”

Fans can make their own minds up whether they’re accepting that one or not.

1 Sean Bean

We thought we’d save the most famous Sheffield United fan until last. Sean Bean isn’t just the most famous person on this list, after all, but he’s also incredibly public with his love for them.

Bean has tattooed his support on his shoulder, while he’s also competed in charity matches and above all, served on the club’s board in the 2000s. He als, chewed-out manager Neil Warnock after the club were relegated from the Premier League back in 2007 – though, Bean claims this wasn’t as aggressive as the manager claimed in his book.

“Yes, I was looking for him after we were relegated – and I wasn’t the only one,” he said, per the Mirror. “We were all devastated. But I didn’t storm into Warnock’s office and confront his wife as he claims in his book. I was outside in the corridor when I told her what I thought of him.

“What I didn’t know was that his kid was behind the door and when someone pointed that out to me, I immediately apologised.”

Nottingham Forest have enjoyed an impressive start to the season, sitting in 9th place on six points from the first four games and being only merely beaten in visits to Arsenal and Manchester United.

Another busy summer saw the Reds make 13 new signings, including seven on deadline day, where they announced the signing of Ivorian midfielder, Ibrahim Sangare for £30 million – a new club record.

Perhaps a more underrated piece of business, however, was the signing of Anthony Elanga, who joined from Manchester United for a fee of around £15m.

What did Rio Ferdinand say about Antony Elanga?

Speaking on his YouTube channel FIVE, Ferdinand was full of praise for the former United dynamo.

He said:

“[Chelsea] got smoked by Elanga, one of the players [United] let go.

“Elanga has looked red-hot by the way, did you see what he did to Mudryk?

"He’s done well man, every game he’s had an impact since he’s been at Forest. He came on against [Arsenal] and set up the goal, then he scored against Chelsea and got the winner.

"This kid looks electric.”

Seemingly disagreeing with United’s decision to let the winger leave the club, Ferdinand has no doubt about Elanga’s “application and desire” to succeed in his new endeavours.

How did Elanga sign for Forest?

The Swedish whiz made his first-team debut for Manchester United in May 2021 and would score his first senior goal less than two weeks later against Wolves in the Premier League.

Elanga became a regular for United under Ralf Rangnick for the second half of the 2021/22 season, making 27 appearances and scoring three goals, including an unforgettable equaliser against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League knockout stages.

When Erik Ten Hag took over ahead of the 2022/23 season, Elanga lost his position in the starting eleven and made only five league starts over the season.

With his place in the national team at risk, the 21-year-old decided he needed to leave for a club that could offer him more game time, with the Daily Mail reporting in May that over 12 clubs around Europe were interested.

Eventually, Nottingham Forest announced the signing of Elanga in July, becoming their second signing of the summer.

How has Elanga performed for Forest so far?

Without having started in the league yet, the 21-year-old dynamo's impact has been instant.

He got his first assist after only two minutes of coming off the bench against Arsenal on the opening day.

This past weekend when Forest faced Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Elanga was introduced ahead of the second half with the scores level.

Within three minutes, he found space in behind the defence and placed the ball past Robert Sanchez, which would be the winning goal in a huge 1-0 win.

Just as Ferdinand said, he gave Mudryk – who cost a whopping £89m – a torrid afternoon in west London, as seen by the following clip that shows the Ukraine star getting beaten all ends up by an exceptional piece of skill.

Meanwhile, as per Sofascore, the Sweden international registered the second-highest rating in the match (7.7), having contributed three shots on target, three successful dribbles and a total of four duels won in just 45 minutes on the pitch.

Tricky Trees boss Steve Cooper will be looking for more of the same after the international break when his Forest outfit return to action with a clash to basement boys Burnley at the City Ground on September 18th.

Spain forward Jenni Hermoso has spoken out in a first press conference since Luis Rubiales' non-consensual kiss at the Women's World Cup.

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• Hermoso takes press conference for Spain
• Speaks amid ongoing Rubiales controversy
• Forward says football "continues to give her life"

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Hermoso was involved in a scandal with the now disgraced former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president, after he forcefully kissed her following Spain's World Cup triumph in the summer. Hermoso has since testified in a case that will now go to trial, which also sees ex-La Roja coach Jorge Vilda implicated. And during such a trying time, the Tigres forward admits playing football has been a form of escapism.

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• WHAT HERMOSO SAID

  Hermoso told reporters on Tuesday: "My last press conference was before the semi-final, a lot of time has passed, a lot of things. I wouldn't know what to say to this team because I'm sure that anything I say to them would be wrong. I'm happy, I feel good. Football continues to give me the life I need. I want to keep enjoying the national team, Tigres and I'm working to keep enjoying this sport. It has changed a lot of things for me. Football-wise and personally I've been able to change a lot, but it has made me a stronger girl. I'm proud of everything I've done and will continue to do. It's been a long, hard process, of understanding a lot of things, of getting to know others."

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hermoso was one of three players on the scoresheet as Spain cruised to the Nations League final with a 3-0 win against the Netherlands on Friday. On the opportunity to add to their World Cup crown in Wednesday's final against France, the Tigres forward added: "We are making a lot of history in a short time. What better for a team to feel like world champions. We have a beautiful ambition and tomorrow we have the chance to win another title. The team is getting better and better. We have a clear idea of what we want to do and the players enjoy it, they want the ball and are more aware of what they can become. Maybe that's where we've changed. Before we didn't believe in it as much as we do now. We have evolved individually and as a group we have managed to become world champions."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR HERMOSO?

  Hermoso's words about football as a form of escapism echo her recent statements thanking the support of "thousands of players" during a testing personal situation. She will try to put that controversy behind her and do the talking on the pitch – as she did on Friday – when Spain come up against France in the Nations League final on Wednesday.

Newcastle United have splashed the cash this summer after qualifying for the Champions League last term with an impressive fourth-placed finish in the Premier League, but the core of talent at Eddie Howe's disposal has largely remained the same.

Having been purchased in an affluent and highly-anticipated PIF club takeover in October 2021, Newcastle are now poised for lasting success at the forefront of the game after spending so many years languishing below expectations.

And while money was spent this summer, business, in the new trademark fashion, was calculated and measured, with some astute additions enriching a cohesive and thriving outfit.

£425m

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With a net spend over the summer window that sits just eighth in the league chart, the Magpies' transfer model is one set to last, and the emblematic figurehead of the burgeoning success of this exciting era is none other than Bruno Guimaraes, who has been the midfield centrepiece from the maiden phase of Newcastle's new chapter under Howe's management.

How much did Newcastle pay for Bruno Guimaraes?

When Howe penned a contract with Newcastle in November 2021, replacing Steve Bruce at the helm, the club were winless and facing a relegation scrap, fighting to remain in the division.

If the Toon thought Howe's management could start the new era with a flourish, they were bang on the money and swiftly asserted themselves as one of the Premier League's most resurgent outfits, with a tremendous run of form after Christmas resulting in an 11th-placed finish, 14 points ahead of relegated Burnley.

The cogs clicked together on the pitch, but it was the shrewd business in the winter market that charged an almighty rise in form, and Guimaraes, who completed a £40m transfer from French side Lyon, was the catalyst in midfield.

Hailed as an "exciting talent" and a "standout" performer in France by Howe after he joined the fold, the Brazilian scored five goals and supplied an assist across 11 Premier League starts in the 2021/22 campaign, providing newfound quality and technical ability to demonstrate his ability.

It was the largest acquisition during a winter that saw Kieran Trippier, Chris Wood and Dan Burn all arrive to revitalise the foundering St. James' Park side, but amid the maelstrom of expensive activity that dictates the contemporary transfer business in football, it looks to be a shrewder signing by the month.

How much is Bruno Guimaraes worth now?

Having now chalked up 62 appearances for Newcastle, posting ten goals and six assists, the 14-cap Brazil star is unequivocally one of the best midfielders plying their trade on English shores.

Calm and composed, energetic and enterprising, Guimaraes is now regarded as a "world-class" component of a team imminently awaiting a two-decade-long wait for Champions League football, as has been said by teammate Burn.

Such is illustrated by the vested interest of first-rate European outfits such as Paris-Saint Germain and Barcelona, who have been eyeing up the £87m-rated midfielder, with separate reports also linking Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool with a transfer.

Such a towering valuation might look to dissuade the sides from furthering their intrigue in his services, but such is the 5 foot 11 ace's profound talent that it appears that that had not dissuaded them from retaining their position as suitors at the very least.

That £87m value actually represents a 117% rise in less than two years on Tyneside, and considering that he was purchased for no small sum of £40m, that is quite an impressive feat.

Newcastle are now actively working on a contract extension, hoping to rebuff the lucrative advances and tie down a staple of the new prosperity with a fresh bumper package, with transfer guru Fabrizio Romano claiming last week that talks are "at an advanced stage".

Why is Bruno Guimaraes worth that much?

So what's the secret in the sauce? Well, the 25-year-old has transformed a midfield and serves as the perfect counterweight to the likes of resurgent Joelinton, creative Joe Willock and energetic Sean Longstaff.

Once referring to himself as a "piano carrier" – a term coined in his homeland for someone doing the unseen work – the £120k-per-week phenom is both robust and reliable in the centre, orchestrating the play with his delightful range of passing and tenacity in the tackle – recycling possession and then swiftly initiating effective transition.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 21% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 18% for shot-creating actions, and the top 15% for progressive passes and successful take-ons per 90.

This highlights both his creative flair and control with the ball at his feet, capable of beating his man to advance into promising openings in the central third.

An "absolutely magnificent" star, as noted by Toon and Premier League icon Alan Shearer, Guimaraes' supreme control and intelligence has proved to be the difference-maker for United in decisive moments, and it is a very real possibility that the rise might not have been quite so impressive had he not joined the club at the start of the exciting new chapter.

While Guimaraes' £40m fee was by no means paltry, it's a testament to his meteoric rise that the likes of Liverpool, PSG and Barcelona are interested in his signature, and that's despite the somewhat exorbitant £87m price tag.

However, his future looks set to remain on Tyneside, and with the talks over a new contract progressing, albeit slowly, there is little doubt that Howe and Ashworth hit the jackpot in sealing a deal for a man who is now one of the hottest commodities in Europe.