Rafael van der Vaart has lamented Harry Kane's luck after his trophyless season at Bayern Munich, but revealed his relief at the star leaving England.

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• Van der Vaart glad Kane didn't join English rival
• Striker is yet to win a trophy with Bayern
• Kane also lost the Euro 2024 final to Spain

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Kane moved to Bayern during the summer of 2023, seemingly looking to finally end his career trophy drought. However, Bayer Leverkusen's remarkable unbeaten season, and England's defeat to Spain at Euro 2024, meant that Kane did not get his hands on a winner's medal in the 2023-24 season.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Van der Vaart, who played for Kane's former club Tottenham between 2010 and 2012, has bemoaned the striker's luck but did reveal his relief at the England man heading to Germany, instead of staying in the Premier League. The Dutchman also painted a nightmare scenario of Spurs conceding a goal to the 31-year-old and claimed that having come through the club's academy, Kane "is Tottenham".

• WHAT VAN DER VAART SAID

  Van der Vaart told GOAL: “I'm happy that he didn’t move inside England. I think that Harry is Tottenham, you know what I mean? And when you're from your own youth system and you grew up at Tottenham, they gave you everything they could but then you play for Man United and score against them? It's normal, but for Harry, no. Harry is Tottenham, and so it was a good move (to Bayern). And of course, he wants to win something, and Bayern Munich wins the title every year. And he goes there, scoring again, 40 goals, and then there is one club Leverkusen, out of the blue. How unlucky is he? I’m so sorry for him."

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Bayern have begun the season with two wins from two, and Kane has already found the net. They face Holstein Kiel this weekend in the Bundesliga.

Chelsea took another step on the road to securing European football next season with an emphatic 5-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday in the Premier League.

The Blues were rampant winners at Stamford Bridge on the weekend as they swept the Hammers aside with ease, scoring three goals in the first half and two in the second.

Cole Palmer, Conor Gallagher, who scored a terrific volley, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson, who scored twice, were the scorers for Mauricio Pochettino.

Whilst Madueke and Jackson, in particular, caught the eye with their attacking contributions, Moises Caicedo was also unplayable against West Ham.

Noni Madueke and Nicolas Jackson's contributions against West Ham

The forward duo were directly involved in four of the five Chelsea goals, starting with the striker's assist for Palmer's opening goal in the first half.

Madueke, who had a deflected touch land to Gallagher for the second and did not officially get awarded the assist, then scored a close range header for the third.

The pair linked up for the fourth Chelsea goal as Madueke raced clear through on goal and opted to unselfishly roll a pass across to Jackson to tap into an empty net.

Sofascore rating

9.3

9.7

Goals

1

2

Assists

1

1

xG

0.66

1.75

Key passes

6

4

As you can see in the table above, they were both fantastic in the final third throughout the game as they overperformed their xG and created ten chances for their teammates between them.

The last goal of the match was then scored by Jackson with a composed finish into the bottom corner, after Caicedo had set him away with a well-timed pass.

Moises Caicedo's unplayable performance

The Ecuador international quietly went about his business in the middle of the park whilst his more flashy teammates put on a show in the final third.

That does not, however, mean that Caicedo was not sensational in his own right, though, as the midfielder was unstoppable throughout the game, showcasing his quality in and out of possession.

His defensive and offensive work was encapsulated in the assist for the fifth goal. The former Brighton star pressed his opponent quickly, made a perfect challenge, and baited two defenders with a feint before playing a perfectly weighted ball for Jackson to then score.

Across the 90 minutes, he had a whopping 118 touches of the ball – more than any other player on the pitch – and that speaks to the control the Blues star had over the game, with his constant desire to get on the ball and dictate the flow of play.

Caicedo, who completed 100% (4/4) of his attempted dribbles, enjoyed a pass accuracy of 92% (94/102) as he rarely gave possession away to the Hammers.

The Chelsea maestro also won three tackles and made one block, as part of his seven duels won, to cut out the threat from the likes of Lucas Paqueta and Mohammed Kudus.

He was, therefore, unplayable for the Blues in the middle of the park due to his fantastic play in and out of possession to help his team dominate the game, which allowed the likes of Madueke and Jackson to thrive in the final third.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Botafogo buscou um “reforço” na base. Matheus Nascimento voltou a atuar no profissional do Alvinegro após mais de dois meses focados na equipe sub-20. O atacante de 17 anos jogou por 45 minutos diante do Goiás, na última terça-feira, pela Série B do Brasileirão.

+ Gerente base do Botafogo elogia Matheus Nascimento: ‘É espetacular’

A última vez que Matheus havia aparecido junto ao time principal foi no primeiro jogo da final da Taça Rio, diante do Vasco, ainda em maio. Desde então, voltou a ficar no dia a dia e rotina da equipe de base.

+ Desempenhos recentes do Botafogo apontam os desafios que Enderson Moreira terá pela frente

Durante este período, Matheus Nascimento atuou em 12 partidas pelo sub-20, entre o Carioca, Brasileiro e Copa do Brasil da categoria. O atacante marcou quatro gols – ele é o artilheiro do Alvinegro do Botafogo no Brasileirão, com três bolas na rede.

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Matheus Nascimento voltou a ser relacionado na derrota por 2 a 1 para o Brusque, no último fim de semana, mas não saiu do banco. Diante do Goiás, entrou em campo após o intervalo. Nas duas partidas, vale lembrar, o Glorioso foi comandado por Ricardo Resende, técnico do sub-20.

+ Veja a tabela da Série B

O camisa 90, inclusive, treinou com a equipe principal na última quarta-feira, na primeira atividade comandada por Enderson Moreira, novo treinador do clube de General Severiano.

Ange Postecoglou’s first season as Tottenham Hotspur manager ended in a frustrating manner, failing to secure a Champions League spot ahead of Aston Villa. That is largely down to the 2-0 defeat at home to Manchester City, a game which, had they won, Spurs would have snuck into fourth.

With that being said, it is still a season in which Spurs can be happy, with fifth place lining up with many fans’ and neutral’s expectations. They had an incredible start to the season; their first ten games saw them win eight and draw two. Not only that, the 26 points Postecoglou’s side accumulated is the most by a manager in their first ten fixtures in charge in the Premier League, as per Opta Joe.

This season has certainly given Spurs and Postecoglou a platform from which they can launch next season. Of course, the demands of European football, a Thursday to Sunday schedule specifically, will return in 2024/25.

With that in mind, the summer transfer window in 2024 will be crucial for the Lilywhites. According to ESPN’s senior writer James Olley, Postecoglou has “asked the club for at least three new signings in the summer transfer window”, with several players on the way out of the club.

There is one player whom Spurs have been linked with in recent weeks, who could kickstart Postecoglou’s spending spree this summer.

Spurs looking to sign Premier League striker

The player in question here is Bournemouth striker Dominic Solanke. The 26-year-old has been somewhat of a journeyman during his career so far but has found a home at Bournemouth, and after a wonderful season in the Premier League, is attracting interest from elsewhere.

According to Alex Crook of talkSPORT, Spurs are one of the clubs who are interested in signing the Englishman this summer and are contemplating a swoop. Despite the fact that it would take a “hefty bid” to purchase Solanke, Bournemouth owner Bill Foley knows that a deal could be struck this summer.

Indeed, Spurs will not be the only Premier League club interested in signing Solanke once the transfer window opens. As per reports, Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side are also strikingly interested in purchasing the 26-year-old.

It could cost Newcastle £60m to persuade the Cherries to sell Solanke, so it is safe to assume it will be a similar fee for Spurs, too. We could well be about to witness a big transfer saga surrounding the former Chelsea and Liverpool man.

How Solanke and Harry Kane compare

This season in Solanke’s game, there has been a certain likeness to former Spurs talisman Harry Kane.

The Bournemouth centre-forward bagged 19 goals in the Premier League this term and was only behind Erling Haaland with 27 goals, Cole Palmer with 22 goals and Alexander Isak with 21 goals for the Golden Boot.

This was also comfortably Solanke’s best return in the Premier League. In six previous top-flight campaigns so far in his career, the attacker has not scored anywhere close to 19 goals combined.

Of course, Solanke’s numbers are not close to those that Kane put up in the Premier League; the England captain is “the best striker in the world” according to international teammate Harry Maguire. However, the Cherries striker's 19 goals outscored Kane in three of his ten full Premier League years, showing he can keep up at that goalscoring rate Spurs lost when he left.

Solanke vs Kane season by season in the Premier League

Season

Solanke games

Solanke goals

Kane games

Kane goals

2013/14

N/A

N/A

10

3

2014/15

N/A

N/A

34

21

2015/16

N/A

N/A

38

25

2016/17

N/A

N/A

30

29

2017/18

21

1

37

20

2018/19

10

0

28

17

2019/20

32

3

29

18

2020/21

N/A

N/A

35

23

2021/22

N/A

N/A

37

17

2022/23

33

6

38

30

2023/24

38

19

N/A

N/A

Stats from Transfermarkt

Aside from his impressive record in front of goal this season, Solanke has previously been slathered with comparisons to England's skipper. Former Bournemouth player Charlie Daniels explained that he is “a bit like Harry Kane” in the way he “combines the role” of a nine and 10, before explaining the fact that “his movement’s the same as Harry’s and they’ve the same intelligence”.

Comparisons with their creativity and link-up play can certainly be drawn when looking closer at the stats, too. Both players average one key pass per 90 minutes, according to Sofascore, although Kane did create 13 big chances compared to Solanke’s three in 2023/24.

With that being said, perhaps Spurs should look no further than Solanke as they hunt down a Kane replacement this summer. There is certainly merit to say Spurs should pursue this deal, and as Daniels points out, could have a striker in the ilk of their record scorer once more.

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Posts ByRobbie Walls May 22, 2024

When Aston Villa sold Jack Grealish to Manchester City in a record £100m package back in August 2021, Villans feared that their enjoyable purple patch would pale back into obscurity, like an etiolated plant failing to find sunlight.

But that was not the case. The England star might have won hordes of trophies and been praised for his "incredible contribution" by manager Pep Guardiola, but Villa Park has also gone from strength to strength and now waits for the 2024/25 campaign and the advent of Champions League football.

It's a product of Unai Emery's masterclass. The Spanish tactician's shrewd player management and sharp on-pitch assembling has seen Villa clinch fourth place in the Premier League. Some might call it a miracle but the reality is that Emery's worth his salt and carefully crafted a formidable outfit.

Aston Villa's Most Brilliant Wins (2023/24)

Fixture

Date

Result

Chelsea (A)

24/09/23

0-1

Brighton (H)

30/09/23

6-1

Man City (H)

06/12/23

1-0

Arsenal (H)

09/12/23

1-0

Arsenal (A)

14/04/24

2-0

Sourced via BBC Sport

Grealish's one-time sale might linger with poignancy in some cloistered area of a Lions supporter's mind but the feats of the present have dispelled any malaise and charted a course to heights unseen in generations. Now, Emery wants to bolster his pack and ensure that further success is on the cards.

Aston Villa eyeing Premier League star

According to reporter Ben Jacobs – speaking to GiveMeSport – this week, Villa have expressed interest in signing Emile Smith Rowe this summer, with the Arsenal star afflicted by injuries over the past two years and falling down Mikel Arteta's pecking order.

Villa offered £30m for Smith Rowe back in 2021, after Grealish's sale, but given that the 23-year-old has completed just four starts across the past two seasons, it might be time for him to revive his career away from the Emirates.

Last year, Arsenal were adamant that Smith Rowe would cost £60m to transfer away from the club – using Manchester United's £55m move for Mason Mount as a yardstick – but whether any suitor would part with such a lofty outlay is now questionable.

Emile Smith Rowe's season in numbers

During the 2022/23 campaign, Smith Rowe underwent groin surgery after just two months, which ravaged his season and left him scraping for substitute appearances, featuring 15 times in all competitions and placing two assists but failing to register a single start.

The three-cap England international, let's not forget, was previously touted as one of the finest youngsters in the Premier League, with pundit Jamie Carragher even proclaiming him to be the "best player in the Premier League running with the ball" in the early days of the 2021/22 term, continuing to name him a "special talent".

But his personal woes were carried into the recently-concluded campaign, with his lacklustre match action inversely proportional to the superabundance of quality that could be reignited at Aston Villa, under Emery's guidance.

He enjoyed slightly more promise throughout, starting four times in all competitions but still spending far too much time on the fringe, also sidelined with a knee injury during the later months of 2023.

Emile Smith Rowe: Starting Appearances 23/24

Fixture

Date

Result

G/A

Player Rating

Brentford (A)

27/09/23

1-0 win

n/a

7/10

Sheffield United (H)

28/10/23

5-0 win

1 assist

6/10

Nottingham Forest (A)

30/01/24

2-1 win

n/a

7/10

Luton Town (H)

03/04/24

2-0 win

1 assist

8/10

Sourced via Transfermarkt & football.london

But his meagre opportunity on the pitch showcased a skill set that would be perfect for a team like Villa, where he could find a promising place in the squad.

Why Smith Rowe would be perfect at Aston Villa

Smith Rowe, to further the argument, scored three goals from nine appearances under Emery at Arsenal while in the early stage of his career, and now the 52-year-old – who lauded Smith Rowe's "quality" as a teenager – has a vested interest in restoring the bond, in bringing him to a new home with pledges of prominence and prosperity.

Optical assessment reveals that recent issues do not nullify a wonderful ability with a football that simply needs some new life, some confidence and belief that, yes, he can thrive at the highest level.

Let's not forget, the £40k-per-week talent has proven himself across the duration of a Premier League campaign, scoring ten goals and adding two assists during 2021/22 (Sofascore), his last taste of sustained success, despite earning only 21 starts, also completing 87% of his passes and 60% of his dribbles.

Affectionately nicknamed 'the Croydon De Bruyne' by those close to him, Smith Rowe certainly offers qualities that could make him one of the Premier League's leading playmakers in the future, with real stylistic similarities to Manchester City's creative talisman.

Kevin De Bruyne is 33 this month but remains one of the most influential and immense players in Europe, scoring six goals and supplying a staggering 18 assists from 26 matches in all competitions, hailed as an "all-time great" by Carragher.

The Sky Sports pundit clearly knows a top-class player when he sees one and given that he has sung Smith Rowe's praises, whose ball-playing expertise and silkiness when shifting through the gears bears the hallmark of a high-level star, there's a real chance that, at Villa, he could kickstart his career triumphantly.

Arsenal have risen to an elite position on the European stage. A by-product of this is the talented peripheral players that get left behind, ousted for the greater good of the machine. Smith Rowe's issues over the past few years leave him in an almost untenable position, with Kai Havertz, Martin Odegaard, Fabio Vieira and Leandro Trossard all capable of performing in his favoured central or left-tilted attacking midfield roles.

He's also out of contract in 2026, and so if Arsenal wish to receive bang for their buck it might be wise to cash in swiftly for maximum value: he's not going to renew, lest he spend a career performing below his potential.

Villa can bring him back to the fore; Emery can make him a major player in a squad that now perches among Europe's elite.

Smith Rowe, for his part, has so much talent and would be a real creative asset to one of the Premier League's most exciting projects.

Related Aston Villa set to prioritise signing £2k-p/w gem Emery is a massive fan of

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Posts ByBen Browning May 31, 2024

Erik ten Hag has explained why he is "not celebrating" after seeing Manchester United hit seven past Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.

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Man Utd registered massive victory over BarnsleyFour different goalscorers for the teamTen Hag refuses to get carried awayWHAT HAPPENED?

United registered a resounding 7-0 win in the Carabao Cup in what was Ten Hag's biggest victory since taking over at Old Trafford. The victory tasted even sweeter for the Red Devils faithful as they are showing signs of recovery with two consecutive victories after a 3-0 loss to Liverpool before the international break, which was a tough pill to swallow.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The match saw several standout performances, including two-goal hauls from Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Christian Eriksen. Antony also got on the scoresheet after Rashford was generous enough to hand the spot-kick to the Brazilian, who has been struggling for form since making a big-money move from Ajax to Manchester.

WHAT TEN HAG SAID

Despite the brilliant performance, Ten Hag remained grounded and said: "I think we could do everything what we planned to do. I think how we win, next round, scored some great goals, entertained the fans, we worked on our game model, so we are happy. I was not devastated after Liverpool (3-0 defeat). I am not now celebrating. We are in a journey and we will see where we are in May because then we have to be good, and then you have to be at your best and, in the meantime, every time progress the team.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

One of the biggest positives for United in recent matches has been the return to form of Rashford. The 26-year-old forward had a career-best season during Ten Hag’s first year at the club, scoring 30 goals. However, his form dipped last term and he was subsequently left out of England’s squad for Euro 2024. However, he is getting back his mojo in front of goal as he broke his scoring drought in United’s 3-0 win over Southampton and followed it up with two more against Barnsley.

“Confidence is a big part of it. It’s not everything, there are also other parts, but confidence is a big part," Ten Hag said. “And I think Rashford is a big guy. He’s scored so many goals, he’s one in the list of (current) United goalscorers, he is on top of it, so he is a big guy. But you are as good as your last game and every time you have to prove it. But I have even seen the biggest guys, the biggest football players, when they are not performing and when strikers are not scoring, then they drop in confidence. It doesn’t matter who.”

After parting ways with Gary Rowett after an unsuccessful interim period in charge, Birmingham City have reportedly added a fresh face to their managerial shortlist in case Tony Mowbray does not take the reigns next season.

Birmingham manager news

Birmingham's season ultimately ended in Championship relegation in what represents a disaster considering where they found themselves earlier in the campaign. Under John Eustace, they were on course to compete for a place in the play-offs, but opted to hire Wayne Rooney nonetheless in a decision they quickly regretted.

Then turning to Mowbray after Rooney's disaster, the former Sunderland boss was forced to make way for Rowett, so the Blues find themselves back at square one.

Left in search of a new manager, Birmingham have already been linked with the likes of former boss Steve Bruce, who has more than enough experience to guide them back to the Championship at the first time of asking. But now it seems as though the club are aiming for a younger candidate.

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According to Wayne Veysey of Football Insider, Birmingham have shortlisted Liam Rosenior for their managerial role following his shock departure from Hull City. Rosenior was nominated for the Championship's Manager of Season award but, ultimately, his failure to secure a place in the play-offs led to Hull's decision to sack him much to the surprise of many.

The 39-year-old would have to get off to a quick start at St Andrew's to avoid any Rooney comparisons, however, especially after claiming to have learned from the Manchester United legend during their time in the Derby County dugout together.

Rosenior told Derby's official website: “Wayne is intelligent with people. He cares about them as well and he has been able to show that side to him in such a difficult time.

"He doesn’t change when he’s doing a press conference, when he is doing a team talk or when he is addressing the staff in terms of a tough moment when the club went into administration. I have learnt so much from Wayne in terms of how he has dealt with the pressure of the situation we are in.”

Birmingham must act swiftly to land "superb" Rosenior

The surprise over Hull's decision to part ways with Rosenior paints the picture of the job he was doing for the Tigers, which very nearly led them into the Championship's top six. Sacked nonetheless, Birmingham can now take full advantage to land the type of young manager they believed they were getting when Rooney arrived.

It was during his time at Hull that Rosenior earned plenty of praise, including from former player and Arsenal legend Ray Parlour, who heaped praise on the former full back: "Liam Rosenior is doing a superb job at Hull.

"I actually think he is underrated as a coach – he is certainly getting the best out of the players. You could see last season the players believed in him, but this season they have shown more consistency and quality, and they are now right in the mix to get a play-off spot at the end of this season."

Sheffield Wednesday will still be drinking in their unbelievable escape from the Championship drop-zone but will know next season could be a bumpy ride when reality kicks back in with a number of rumours linking players and even Danny Rohl with a move away from Hillsborough.

Josh Windass is one name being touted for a major move away from South Yorkshire, with the likes of Hull City and Stoke City interested in his services, whilst the German boss in the dug-out for Wednesday is being frequently linked with managerical vacancies left, right and centre including the Tigers job.

Di'Shon Bernard is also another face that could walk away from the heroic camp in the summer, with Wednesday more tempted to offload the ex-Manchester United centre-back than others when considering his bumped-up transfer value.

It's been a sterling season in truth for the 23-year-old, with Bernard allowing Rohl's men to shut up shop in key wins, and so the Owls will look to tie him down to a new deal in the off-season before potentially letting him go for a handsome fee soon.

Di'Shon Bernard's transfer to Sheffield Wednesday

Wednesday will view signing the former Red Devil on a free transfer last summer as an unbelievable piece of business, especially if they go on to rake in millions when selling him on further down the line.

Previously on the books at Salford City, Hull City and Portsmouth on loan – with his spell at the MKM Stadium seeing then Hull boss Grant McCann praise the 23-year-old's "aggressive" nature as a defender – Bernard has come on leaps and bounds for the Owls even during a tense and turbulent season.

Going on to make just one senior appearance at Man United, with his minutes at the Theatre of Dreams restricted to just youth football mainly, the Jamaica international has found a home in Hillsborough this season after walking out of his boyhood club.

Yet, even if Bernard has settled in swimmingly to his new environment, his new employers wouldn't be able to resist a bumper offer for his services if reports are correct.

Excelling alongside experienced figures such as Michael Ihiewke in the heart of defence this season just gone, Bernard's efforts were as invaluable as the attacking players in South Yorkshire stealing the spotlight in ensuring another campaign in the Championship was eventually secured.

Di'Shon Bernard's season in numbers

Missing large portions of the end of the season owing to injury setbacks, Bernard still managed to feature 36 times in total for the valiant Owls over the full campaign.

The ex-Man United youngster's bravery didn't go unnoticed when he was called into action for Wednesday's last two crunch clashes of the gruelling season, putting in top-drawer displays against both West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland to help his side clinch back-to-back wins and clean sheets.

Bernard's numbers vs Sunderland
Minutes played	90
Touches	58
Accurate passes	43/46 (93%)
Clearances	5
Blocked shots	2
Interceptions	2
Tackles	1
Stats by Sofascore

An accomplished yet authoritative performance from Bernard meant his side strolled to a 2-0 victory on the final day at the Stadium of Light to survive, with the maturing 23-year-old calm and measured on the ball but also aggressive and showing bite when necessary.

This wasn't just a one-off for the imposing centre-back, however, with Bernard averaging 4.4 ball recoveries per match as a tireless option in the back-four this season on top of creating five big chances in total for the campaign when venturing forward away from his rock-solid defensive duties.

This well-rounded game from the 6 foot 2 defender could well be why so many clubs are actively looking at his services, cursing their luck that they couldn't swoop in and sign him right after Man United had released him like the Owls pulled off.

Wednesday will know they can't lose their Jamaican star for nothing like the Red Devils, eager to get a new deal in the works for Bernard to avoid that dreaded possibility from happening.

Yet, even if a new deal is secured to nip that nightmare in the bud, that doesn't mean the Owls wouldn't still be open to mega-money offers for their 6 foot 2 colossus with his value now standing at a very healthy amount just a year into his impactful stay in South Yorkshire.

The in-demand gem is worth even more than Anthony Musaba, according to Football Transfers, despite the Dutchman's dazzling tricks down the right-hand flank for the Owls proving to be a useful calling card in huge matches alongside his goalscoring ability.

Bernard's transfer value in 2024

Bernard's valuation now stands at a handsome £1.29m, reinforcing Wednesday's ingenious thinking in the transfer market gambling on the free agent when they did.

It also shows how foolish Man United were for offloading their former homegrown product for nothing, with his value standing at an even heftier £2.1m back in 2022 before Bernard and the Red Devils went their separate ways.

Still, Erik ten Hag's men have bigger fish to fry in the Premier League away from their former defender.

Sheffield Wednesday – current highest valued assets (permanent)
1. Callum Paterson	£1.3m
2. Di'Shon Bernard	£1.29m
3. Anthony Musaba	£1.2m
4. Barry Bannan	£946k
5. Michael Smith	£946k
Sourced by Football Transfers

Bernard is currently rated as the second most valuable asset in Rohl's camp when looking at the permanent members of the Wednesday squad, with Musaba following closely behind with a £1.2m valuation.

Wednesday will hope both of these key squad members do stay put over the summer and aren't tempted by major moves away, with Musaba proving his worth to Rohl's troops with seven goals and five assists from 43 Championship contests which included the opening goal against West Brom on the penultimate match-day.

Even if Wednesday would like to keep the core of this heroic squad rooted in South Yorkshire, football doesn't always work like that and there will be plenty of activity in and out of the building this summer that will both damage and enhance the Owls.

Bernard might want to test himself higher up the Championship instead of settling for another potential basement battle, however, with this situation brewing into a tussle for his services consequently.

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By
Kelan Sarson

May 12, 2024

Manchester City will don their fourth kit, inspired by Oasis, in their Champions League opener against Inter on Wednesday.

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• City to don fourth kit against Inter
• Co-designed by Oasis singer Gallagher
• New kit dedicated to Oasis' album Definitely Maybe

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The reigning Premier League champions are set to host Inter at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday in their Champions League 2024-25 opener. Despite being a home match for the Cityzens, the team will wear their newly launched fourth kit instead of their traditional Sky Blue home shirt. The new kit is an ensemble of cream and white strips and has been co-designed by British musician, singer, and songwriter Noel Gallagher, who is a Manchester City fan.

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• THE EXPLANATION

  The new Puma fourth kit has been launched to commemorate the 30th anniversary of British band Oasis' famous album 'Definitely Maybe'. The kit was launched last week in the presence of several first-team stars and manager Pep Guardiola alongside Gallagher.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Gallagher designed the fonts on the shirt and his handwriting has been included on the kits. City will don the fourth kit in selected Champions League fixtures this season.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MANCHESTER CITY?

  After facing Inter in midweek, Guardiola's men will be back in action in the Premier League on Sunday as they take on rivals Arsenal in a mega clash at home.

23-year-old allrounder falls short of maiden ton after Bairstow manages only five

Paul Edwards at Trent Bridge08-Aug-2020

Jordan Thompson fends into the leg side•MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Jonny Bairstow’s is sometimes so well-concealed that only someone whose eyesight has been sharpened in Barnard Castle can detect it. Nonetheless, even Yorkshire’s sometimes stony-faced wicketkeeper might allow himself a wry smile at the ironies of this game. For one thing, the day on which he had been expected to prove his case for an England recall was instead dominated by one of his country’s finer Test wins, a victory in which Jos Buttler, his rival for the gloves, made 75.And what was even more piquant, any attention paid to Bairstow’s 22-ball five against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge was quickly overshadowed by Jordan Thompson, a 23-year-old from Leeds, who fell two runs short of his maiden first-class century, yet was still responsible for Yorkshire making what seems a competitive 264 on the opening day of their Bob Willis Trophy match. Moreover, any satisfaction Steve Patterson felt near the end of the day’s play was increased when the skipper induced Chris Nash to play on in the final over of the evening session.Instead of the scarred battlefield it normally resembles by early August, Trent Bridge’s square is still largely untrampled lawn but Nottinghamshire still chose to play this game on the pitch they used when losing to Derbyshire by three wickets in a classic four-day match on Tuesday. This was not, as some thought, an attempt to imitate tight Yorkshiremen – “we’re not made of bloody pitches tha’ knows” – but rather, one imagines, an attempt to provide the most suitable surface for Samit Patel and Matt Carter, the two specialist spinners they had selected. Such a strategy would have been further justified by Steven Mullaney winning the toss, something he failed to do. So that, we reckoned, in the manner of Dr Bickleigh in “put paid to their little game”.Nottinghamshire’s side, though, is packed with ambitious cricketers who are hurting after that defeat to Derbyshire on Tuesday and their response to bowling first was to take four wickets in the first session. Not just any wickets either, to use a categorisation the Headingley coaches probably despise, but those of three Test batsmen and an England Lion. The most notable dismissal was that of Bairstow, who returned to four-day cricket with the intention of proving why he should be in the England side but instead showed why he isn’t.Bairstow strode to the wicket in the third over after Adam Lyth’s attempted nudge to leg off Jake Ball had resulted only in his lbw. And then, with more than a few lenses focused upon him… nothing much happened. Bairstow let most of his first 17 balls from Ball and Zak Chappell go by, sometimes investing even that behaviour with a trace of contempt, before cover-driving his 18th for four. Next over, though, Chappell had his man when Bairstow cut a steeply bouncing delivery head-high to Patel. It was a stroke he didn’t need to play and, more culpably, one he couldn’t control.The dismissal prompted much rejoicing among Mullaney’s men and not only because they had removed Bairstow at a cost of five runs. Poor Chappell played six games in three formats for Nottinghamshire’s first team last season without taking a single wicket. Six balls later he had two in 2020 when Dawid Malan flirted with one outside the off stump and edged a catch to Tom Moores. And the home side’s joyous morning was completed half an hour before lunch when Tom Kohler-Cadmore tried to sweep Carter’s offspin but only lobbed a catch off the glove to Mullaney at slip.Yet while international batsmen of various descriptions had been coming and going, Harry Brook was playing with quiet assurance, reinforcing the fine impression made by his innings of 41 and 66 not out at the Riverside in Yorkshire’s previous match. Unbeaten on just five at lunch, Brook hit Chappell for five fours in two overs after lunch, twice pulling him to leg with pleasing violence and straight driving him to the pavilion, a shot for the aesthetes. Mullaney’s response to this assault was to put his trust in spin and 36 of the 63 overs bowled by tea had been delivered by the twirlers.It worked for the Nottinghamshire skipper, too, although not in the way he had envisaged. Jonny Tattersall’s dismissal, lbw to Patel for 31 when sweeping, was conventional enough but Nash’s delight was surely mixed with incredulity when he gated Brook with the first ball of one of those faintly jocular pre-tea overs that can be trusted to either to spinners or occasional bowlers. Nash, of course, is both – this was his fourth wicket in five seasons – and he was even given five more overs after tea until Mullaney decided, rather in the manner of Mr Bennet, that he had entertained everybody long enough.In that time the off-spinner had dismissed Patterson for 11 but also seen Thompson reach his fifty with successive slashed fours through the slips off Chappell. Though we didn’t know it, the fun was still to come.Both Duanne Olivier and Jack Shutt were leg before to the frontline Nottinghamshire twirlers very cheaply and Yorkshire were 232 for 9 when Dominic Leech walked out to play his maiden first-class innings. Realising this was no time for nudged singles the left-handed Thompson twice launched Patel high in the direction of West Bridgford and levied a couple of other boundaries in the same over.Ball replaced Patel and Thompson clipped the England bowler off his hip for a third six, which was followed a few balls later by the mightiest clump of the lot. Now there was some point in a bit of push and run – Leech was defending competently – but the young man tried to reach the landmark in the grand manner… and edged Nash to Mullaney at slip. No doubt Bairstow enjoyed the chutzpah behind the stroke. No doubt he congratulated his young colleague. As ever, tomorrow awaits. There will be more opportunities.