World Cup winner Branco has claimed Estevao Willian, who will join Chelsea in 2025, is the best player Brazil has produced since Neymar.
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Better than Vinicius Jr., Rodrygo & Endrick
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O São Caetano segue se reforçando para a temporada de 2021. Com uma nova gestão no clube, a equipe do ABC vem investindo e mesclando experiência com juventude para a chave do sucesso. E, após se reforçar com o atacante Walter, o Azulão acertou com o também atacante e promessa Guilherme Barbosa.
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> Veja classificação e simulador do Paulistão-2021 clicando aqui
GALERIA
> Veja 30 técnicos brasileiros sem clube atualmente
Após breve passagem pela Portuguesa, onde era visto como uma das grandes joias do clube, Guilherme Barbosa assinou seu primeiro contrato profissional na carreira com o São Caetano aos 18 anos. E o jogador mostra estar confiante e preparado para novo desafio:
– Estou muito feliz com essa oportunidade de defender a camisa do São Caetano. Sem dúvidas é um grande desafio e estou preparado e confiante para dar o meu melhor dentro de campo. Agradeço ao clube pela confiança e pode ter certeza que farei de tudo para representar muito bem a história do São Caetano – disse o jogador.
Guilherme Barbosa já vem treinando com equipe principal do Azulão. O atacante falou sobre primeiros trabalhos e projetou o ano de 2021.
– Temos uma equipe qualificada com grandes jogadores, uma ótima comissão técnica e uma gestão que traz todo o suporte para trabalharmos da melhor maneira possível. Então já estou me sentindo muito bem dentro do grupo e tenho certeza que temos tudo para fazermos uma grande temporada e buscarmos os nossos objetivos – relatou.
The January transfer window may only just have closed, but already Manchester United and their new minority shareholder Jim Ratcliffe appear to be hard at work on potential additions to the squad this summer.
One of those is Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, with recent reports suggesting that United are at the front of the queue, ahead of several Premier League sides, to sign him from Everton. Manager Erik ten Hag and his recruitment staff view him as a long-term target, but he's not the only one attracting their interest in the backline.
Over in Italy, it's been claimed that United are setting up a meeting with Juventus to discuss the availability of centre-back Gleison Bremer, a player Ten Hag views as an "ideal" fit, and now there's been an encouraging update on the Red Devils' chances of landing him.
United lead the way for £60m Bremer
According to Calciomercato, United are in pole position to sign Bremer this summer. They've been on the "trail" of the Brazilian "for some time now" as they pursue a "reliable centre-back" and there's a feeling that he'd "adapt perfectly" to the English top-flight.
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It was only a couple of months ago that Bremer signed a new deal that runs until the summer of 2028 and improves his earnings, but Juventus' policy is that any player can leave if the right offer is received. In the case of Bremer, they intend to drive a hard bargain, demanding a fixed fee of around £60m (which means United won't be able to reach their demands with add-ons).
Bremer would try to offer Varane upgrade
Bremer, described as an "animal" by former Torino team-mate Mergim Vojvoda, won Serie A's Best Defender award in 2021/22 and was named in the Team of the Season last year too, underlining his status as one of Europe's top players in his position.
However, what will really matter for United is whether he represents an upgrade on Raphael Varane, who's set to leave Old Trafford this summer after the club decided not to exercise their option to extend his contract by another 12 months.
It's difficult to compare the numbers of two different defenders, because the volume of their actions will depend upon how much they're being asked to do within certain matches. It shows us how busy they are rather than how good they are.
There are, however, a few metrics that are of use. As you can see in the table below, Varane is a more precise distributor than Bremer despite executing more progressive passes, although it should also be noted that the latter is attempting almost twice as many long balls per game.
Passing accuracy
86.2%
88.9%
Long passes attempted per 90
8.52
4.78
Progressive passes per 90
2.58
4.67
Dribblers tackled
66.7%
62.5%
Aerial duel success rate
63.6%
88.9%
As for the defensive fundamentals, Bremer has the edge when it comes to halting the runs of attackers, and while Varane would appear to have a big lead in the air, it should be noted that he's only contested 18 duels to his counterpart's 107. Already determined to move on from the Frenchman, we can expect United to watch the Juve star closely until the end of the campaign as they decide how much they're prepared to pay for his services.
Well, that feelgood factor didn’t last quite as long as intended for England. The miracle of Headingley – Ben Stokes’ glorious snatching of Ashes salvation from the jaws of ignominy – will live on for all who witnessed it, savoured it (and, yes, despaired of it). But now, thanks to the normality-restoring events at Old Trafford, it stands only as a snapshot of one-off Test glory, rather than a launchpad for that extraordinary series turnaround that England briefly envisioned.Posterity will still judge the events of that unforgettable afternoon kindly – by any criteria, it remains one of the greatest Tests ever played – but its overall impact must now be seen along the same lines of England’s three-run win in Melbourne in 1982-83, rather than the two-run triumph of Edgbaston 2005, let alone Ian Botham’s original Headingley heist in 1981.For Australia, however … the narrative is one of redemption, vindication and, over the course of the next five days, a shot at immortality. It has been 18 long years since the Ashes were retained in England, in that steamrolling summer of 2001, when Steve Waugh signed off a 4-1 series win with a one-legged hundred on this very ground at The Oval, and that is an achievement in itself that Tim Paine and his cohorts rightly celebrated long into the night at Old Trafford over the weekend.But, even allowing for the short turnaround between Tests, there will remain intense motivation in Australia’s ranks to finish what they have started, just as Andrew Strauss’ men achieved in very similar circumstances on England’s triumphant tour of Australia in 2010-11. Then, and now, a 3-1 series win would be a scoreline befitting the dominance that the visitors have exerted at the key moments of the series. A 2-2 draw, the first in an Ashes rubber since 1972, would provide England with welcome succour, but one that, if they are honest with themselves, they would scarcely have merited over the course of the five Tests.If that seems a harsh judgement on an England campaign that has featured Stokes at his superhuman best, Stuart Broad at his fullest and fastest for months, and moments of unforgettable fire and theatre from Jofra Archer, then it is hard to look at the rest of the England line-up and find any unequivocal success stories. Rory Burns has had his moments – certainly relative to any of the other opening batsmen on either side – but the middle order, Stokes aside, has been apologetically poor and showing next to no signs of a functional revival.To a large degree, of course, that is down to the relentless brilliance of Australia’s bowling attack – the most talented and tenacious pack of performers to have visited these shores since that 2001 summer of McGrath, Warne, Lee and Gillespie in his pomp. In Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood, Australia have a pair of spearheads who have at times seemed, well, possessed, as they have zeroed in on the top of that off stump time and time again and torment the techniques of an increasingly ragged set of England performers.It’s surprising, therefore, that the selectors named an unchanged 13-man squad for this match – although the impending departure of the coach, Trevor Bayliss, does mitigate that decision to a degree. It would arguably have placed the likes of Dom Sibley, Ollie Pope or Zak Crawley on a hiding to nothing to be drafted in at this stage of the series only to have to impress a brand-new regime when next month’s tour of New Zealand gets underway.Besides, it has always been Bayliss’ policy to give his players one chance too many to impress, rather than one too few. So, had it not been for Stokes’s shoulder problem, then Jason Roy (average: 13.75) would surely have been spared the axe. In his absence, the spotlight falls more squarely on Jonny Bairstow (25.42) and Jos Buttler (16.25) – the two other biggest guns who simply haven’t been at the races this series. If they cannot recapture their best in the coming days, there’s a case to be made to purge each of those white-ball heroes from the red-ball set-up, and start afresh with brand new ingredients.For this Oval Test is unlikely to witness any of its traditional farewell performances – certainly nothing to rank alongside Alastair Cook’s bowing-out against India last summer – but the coming five days are sure to resonate as a farewell to a remarkable English summer. The departure of Bayliss confirms the end of a four-year cycle for English cricket, one which delivered untold glory in white-ball cricket, but to the detriment of England’s proud standards in the Test game. No-one in their right minds would argue that the sacrifice wasn’t worth it, but the rebalancing of priorities must begin now. Because the Ashes still matter deeply to all who play and watch it. Perhaps more so than came to be believed in the 18 long years when England victories on home soil were taken for granted.England warm up at The Oval ahead of the fifth Test•Getty Images
England LWDLW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Australia WLDWW
How much more of a spotlight does Steven Smith need? After 671 runs in five innings – including three hundreds (one of them a double) and a lowest score of 82 – Australia’s greatest batsman for a generation has moved on to a higher plane this summer. He could even have been challenging the unchallengeable – Don Bradman’s 1930 tally of 974 runs in a single series – had it not been for the concussion injury that caused his absence at Headingley. As it is, he has a maximum of two more innings to complete a simply extraordinary body of work, and confirm beyond any remaining doubt that this series will be recalled as Smith’s Ashes.It’s a massive five days for England’s under-fire captain, Joe Root. Though Bayliss claimed that Root was under “no pressure” from any of the decision-makers within English cricket, the facts of his tenure are stark. His average since taking over as captain in 2017 has plummeted from 52 to 40, and no England captain since Archie MacLaren at the turn of the 20th century has survived the loss of consecutive Ashes series. The difference between 3-1 and 2-2 will be of huge personal relevance therefore, and Root will know that his own return to form would be the likeliest catalyst for an England win. So far this Ashes, he’s scored three fifties and a highest of 77 – tellingly, the most he’s made in any series since the 2017-18 Ashes – but three ducks too, two of them golden ones. It’s been more “nearly or nothing” than “all or nothing”, but if any England batsman has the pedigree to keep up with Smith, it has to be Root.
England’s balance has been dictated by Stokes’ inability to bowl his expected number of overs, having pulled up mid-over with a shoulder complaint at Old Trafford. He put in an energetic showing at nets on the eve of the game, batting, bowling and running around the outfield with his habitual vigour, but England have decided not to risk his long-term fitness. He plays as a batsman only, with Roy missing out on his home ground. Sam Curran’s all-round abilities will feature for the first time this series, alongside Chris Woakes, who slots back in at the expense of Craig Overton – the nearly man of England’s Old Trafford rearguard.England: 1 Rory Burns, 2 Joe Denly, 3 Joe Root (capt), 4 Ben Stokes, 5 Jonny Bairstow (wk), 6 Jos Buttler, 7 Sam Curran, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Stuart Broad, 11 Jack Leach.Mitchell Marsh has been drafted into the Australia XII at the expense of Travis Head, who has managed 191 runs at 27.28 in the four Tests. He will provide extra bowling options to a hard-worked four-man attack, albeit that the seamers have been rotated throughout the summer. That could yet continue in this game, with Justin Langer floating the possibility of Cummins being rested after leading the line with 24 wickets in the sharp end of the campaign. James Pattinson misses out, so Peter Siddle comes back into contention.Australia: 1 David Warner, 2 Marcus Harris, 3 Marnus Labuschagne, 4 Steven Smith, 5 Matthew Wade, 6 Mitchell Marsh, 7 Tim Paine (capt & wk), 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Peter Siddle/Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Nathan Lyon.
The pitch that’s been prepared for this fifth Test looks brown and flat in the truest Oval tradition – a fact that doubtless will not please the onlooking James Anderson, in the wake of his comments yesterday about the conditions not favouring the home side. Similarly, the weather is set to be unexpectedly clement for mid-September. Overcast on the first day, then giving way to sunny conditions heading into the weekend.
“It’s bitterly disappointing not to have the won the Ashes back, but we haven’t lost anything yet. We’re fully focussed on doing everything we can to finish the series 2-2.”
Joe Root, England’s captain, is focusing on the positives“There’s no such thing as dead rubbers and certainly against England, there’s never a dead rubber. We’re up for it. We’re ready.”
Tim Paine, Australia’s captain, is gunning to finish on a high
Supporters would be forgiven for having resigned themselves to the expectation that Liverpool's exciting season under Jurgen Klopp's tutelage – the esteemed German's last on Merseyside – would have been derailed over recent weeks following a spate of alarming injuries.
Against Southampton in the FA Cup on Wednesday night, the Anfield side was indeed nursing 14 absences to first-team members due to injury and illness, but Liverpool's able academy players sparkled once again, teenage forwards Lewis Koumas and Jayden Danns both netting to sink Russell Martin's wasteful side.
The latter's emphatic brace off the bench spoke of a prolific career yet to come while the deflection off professional debutant Koumas' opening goal must not detract from the slickness and spirit of the 18-year-old.
The ashes of a remarkable Carabao Cup final over Chelsea last weekend were still smouldering, a joyous contest that saw midfielders Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo fall as a by-product.
Neither are expected to spend extensive time in the medical room but the sheer gravity of Liverpool's injury crisis is belied by the unrelenting progress on the pitch, with James McConnell and Bobby Clark starting in midfield – anchored by the out-of-place Joe Gomez – and performing admirably.
Clark, aged 19, was particularly impressive once again, with his recent efforts proving that he is undoubtedly one of Liverpool's finest teenage talents, if not the Premier League's.
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ByAngus Sinclair Feb 29, 2024 Bobby Clark's season in numbers
Arriving from Newcastle United when he was 16 years old, Clark has grown into his skin considerably over the past few months, having supplied Koumas with the assist for Liverpool's first-half strike against Southampton.
A nice way to crown a noteworthy display, but certainly not the highlight of his performance, which saw the dynamic midfielder showcase his ball-playing aptitude, creativity and work rate in recycling possession and protecting his backline.
Minutes played
90'
Assists
1
Touches
70
Accurate passes
42/46 (91%)
Key passes
3
Dribble attempts
1/3
Possession lost
12x
Tackles
2
Clearances
2
Source: Sofascore
As the table above portrays, Clark completed a display of many facets, taking control in the absence of his senior peers and proving that he is deserving of a lasting role in Liverpool's system.
In total, the 5 foot 10 talent has made eight appearances for Klopp's team this term, featuring across four of Liverpool's past six Premier League matches and being hailed by The Athletic's James Pearce for his "impressive development."
A versatile player, conditioned into a central role after thriving as a free-scoring winger in his earlier days, Clark offers danger through his penetrative runs and energy that melds with a range of passing to open up; passages for his teammate – something that Koumas was the grateful recipient of last time out.
While Dominik Szoboszlai's return from injury is imminent, Endo's knock could see him return on Saturday to face Nottingham Forest at the City Ground and fears that Gravenberch had suffered long-term damage have been eased – Klopp said before the Southampton match, "it could have been worse, but it is bad enough to rule him out of this game and the next game" – Clark has demonstrated that he offers an ability that can be used and benefitted from over the coming weeks.
Another long-time absentee might find themself close to a comeback in Stefan Bajcetic, whose performances of great precocity last season have been stifled this year due to an abductor problem and growing pains that have consigned him to off-pitch development.
The Spaniard has only featured twice during the 2023/24 campaign, both showings coming in February, and while Klopp remarked that he is "pain-free", the 19-year-old has not returned to training and is unlikely to get the green light over the coming weeks.
Nonetheless, he's an immense talent and his return will be a huge lift, his quality perhaps even eclipsing that of Clark, and indeed the rest of Liverpool's talented Kirkby crop.
Liverpool have a bigger talent than Clark
This time last year, Bajcetic was the name on everyone's lips, with the all-action midfielder standing tall as Liverpool's shining light in a period of great trouble, Klopp's side slumping into mediocrity after many years of unrelenting output.
Described by Liverpool follower Zubin Daver as a "special" prospect, Bajcetic brought energy and skill and art to Liverpool's engine room and completed 21 appearances in all competitions, scoring off the bench to clinch an important Premier League victory in December 2022 on only his second appearance, gliding into the box and firing true against Aston Villa.
Across his 11 appearances in the Premier League last season, the Pontevedra prodigy completed 79% of his passes and succeeded with 64% of his dribbles, as per Sofascore, with much fanfare rising through the mists of Liverpool's demise: a future phenomenon had been born.
1.
Stefan Bajcetic
21
19 y/o
2.
Bobby Clark
10
19 y/o
3.
Ben Doak
10
18 y/o
4.
James McConnell
8
19 y/o
5.
Kaide Gordon
7
19 y/o
All stats via Transfermarkt
Despite being shackled to the sidelines this season, Bajcetic has completed more than double the senior appearances of any of his teenage teammates on Merseyside, speaking volumes for the sheer impression and trust that was placed in his skill as Liverpool fought to salvage something from their season.
Indeed, the 6 foot 1 star, nimble yet deceptively strong in his frame, would surely have been the first name on the teamsheet in midfield last night, had he been fit.
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His polished passing range and prodigious energy are exactly what is needed within a Klopp system, pumping life and mettle into the high-octane system, and while the iconic leader is draping the curtain on his tenure after the close of the campaign, Bajcetic has the attributes to succeed for many years.
An illustrious era might be drawing to a close but Klopp's legacy will endure for many years, with talented players such as Bajcetic and Clark having the makings of first-team regulars at Liverpool to contribute toward the success of the next chapter, whatever that might be.
There has been a new transfer update on Chelsea target Victor Osimhen involving Premier League rivals Manchester United.
Chelsea links to Osimhen
The Blues have splashed the cash under Todd Boehly, however, they actually remained quiet in the January window, despite plenty of speculation over a new forward. During the winter market, Armando Broja was sent out on loan to Fulham, leaving Nicolas Jackson as the only recognised senior striker available to Mauricio Pochettino for the remainder of the campaign.
Goals were a problem at Stamford Bridge earlier in the season, and currently, Chelsea have scored 44 league goals in 26 games, less than Brighton, Newcastle, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.
If the Blues are to get back to their best over the coming years, then perhaps that added firepower is required – something that Osimhen would help with.
The Nigeria international has been heavily linked with a move to London, with journalist Sacha Tavolieri saying at the end of January that Osimhen has chosen to join Chelsea in the summer.
Since then, there have been reports that Chelsea are also working on ‘a multi-year contract’ for Osimhen – possibly for seven years – with a slightly improved salary compared to the current one at Napoli. That could be worth more than £90m between 2024 to 2031 in London, however, it looks as if a move to Chelsea isn’t guaranteed following a new update.
Transfer update on Victor Osimhen
According to reliable reporter Miguel Delaney, writing for The Independent, Manchester United are now one ‘of the main contenders to land the signature’ of Osimhen alongside Paris Saint-Germain.
Victor Osimhen's goals in all competitions
2023/24
13
2022/23
31
2021/22
18
2020/21
10
2019/20
18
This will come as a blow for Chelsea, who are also named in the report as well as rivals Arsenal. The two still have an interest in the striker, ‘but changed situations at both PSG and United mean they are set to become big challengers’ Osimhen has a €110m release clause in his current Napoli contract, with the 25-year-old set to be the topic of one of the summer's major transfer sagas.
It looks as if Chelsea now have fierce competition for Osimhen after potentially thinking they were closing in on a deal in recent months.
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Whoever wins the race for Osimhen will be getting a proven forward who has scored goals for fun in recent years, including a career-best 26 in Serie A last season, helping Napoli to the title.
There may well be further twists and turns over the coming months before the summer market opens for business, but right now, it looks as if Chelsea are behind the eight ball when it comes to Osimhen’s signature.
كشفت تقارير صحفية إسبانية، عن شكوك حول مشاركة الدولي الفرنسي أوريلين تشواميني لاعب فريق كرة القدم الأول بنادي ريال مدريد في مواجهة بوروسيا دورتموند.
ريال مدريد يستضيف بوروسيا دورتموند غدًا الثلاثاء، ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة من مرحلة الدوري ببطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.
طالع أيضًا.. تقارير توضح موقف إريك جارسيا من المشاركة مع برشلونة أمام بايرن ميونخ وريال مدريد
برنامج “شيرينجيتو” الإسباني، أكد أن تشواميني أصيب في تدريبات ريال مدريد اليوم، وغادر المران ولم يستكمله بسبب معاناته من عضلات القدم اليمنى.
وأشارت التقارير إلى أن اللاعب يثير الشكوك بشأن مغادرته المران، حول مشاركته غدًا أمام بوروسيا دورتموند في دوري أبطال أوروبا.
وشهدت تدريبات ريال مدريد، عودة الدولي المغربي إبراهيم دياز، الذي يعاني خلال الفترة الماضية من إصابة أبعدته عن الفريق ومنتخب بلاده في فترة التوقف الدولي الأخيرة.
Arsenal are enjoying another brilliant season in the Premier League under former player Mikel Arteta, with the Gunners currently sitting just two points off leaders Liverpool.
Arteta's side have only lost four times in the league so far this campaign, with the Gunners boasting the best defensive record in the division – conceding just 22 times in the 25 league games so far this season.
However, in recent games, Arsenal have been just as impressive in the final third as they have been defensively. During the last two encounters, Arteta's side have kept two clean sheets but have also scored 11 times after a 6-0 win over West Ham and a 5-0 win against Burnley on Saturday.
Despite their impressive tally in front of goal, the club might've missed a trick with another attacking player who was at the club during his younger years; Michael Olise.
Unbeknownst to some, the dazzling Frenchman actually spent a brief period at the Hale End Academy as a youngster.
Telling the BBC, youth coach Sean Conlon stated: "It wasn't that he was particularly big or strong; it was the efficiency of his movements. He was very elegant, a graceful runner. He glided across the pitch. There was ease about the way he did things.
"At the time he was just in at Arsenal. Then in the U8s season he joined various development centres as well as us and he became more polished. He was so slight as a youngster, he needed game intelligence."
Olise subsequently joined Chelsea's academy, where he was until the age of 14 before making his name at Reading in the Championship.
Now aged 22, the French winger plays for Crystal Palace in the Premier League – with the attacker attracting interest from multiple other English sides.
Manchester United have been the side that have been linked with Olise most, with the Red Devils rumoured to be wanting to sign the Palace forward for a fee in the region of £60m.
Olise has made 82 appearances for Palace, scoring 12 times and assisting another 22 since his £8m move to Selhurst Park back in July 2021.
The right-sided forward has impressed with his ability to cut inside on his stronger left foot, with Olise's displays similar to that of current Arsenal star boy Bukayo Saka.
His performances for Roy Hodgson's side has seen his market value skyrocket, with the 22-year-old now worth £42.5m as per Transfermarkt, and more than capable of making the jump to being a first-team starter for a big six Premier League side.
Saka has taken his game to the next level under Arteta this campaign, scoring 12 times with eight assists in his 24 Premier League appearances – the highest total of anyone in the Arsenal side.
The Hale End Academy graduate has been crucial in the club's attempt to win a first league title since the invincible campaign, with Saka's market value now reaching an astronomical £102.5m.
When comparing Saka to Olise this season, the Crystal Palace winger beats the Arsenal man in multiple key areas as a similarly left-footed player cutting in off the right-hand side.
Olise has averaged 4.4 progressive passes per 90, with Saka unable to match his tally, with the Englishman trailing Palace's winger by 0.6 per game. Saka also trails Olise for successful take-ons per 90, with the Hale End Academy product averaging 1.8 compared to the Frenchman's tally of 2.4.
Whilst Saka blows Olise out of the water for goals this season, the Palace winger averages more assists per game with his tally of 0.42 per 90 ranking him within the top 4% of attackers in Europe's top five leagues.
Even though the youngster wouldn't play instead of Saka, he certainly would add to the quality of Arsenal's already impressive frontline – with the Gunners potentially missing a trick with the Frenchman when he was at the club as a youngster.
It does feel like it's all streamlining at Tottenham Hotspur this season, with Ange Postecoglou leading the charge toward European football once again.
Last year Spurs fell by the wayside in the Premier League and chairman Daniel Levy knew that, having dismissed Antonio Conte, he had to get it right, lest his outfit sink further into the mire of midtable.
Postecoglou had never managed in a top-five European league but his work in Scotland with Celtic with Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos spoke of his credentials and Tottenham made their move.
Tottenham remain a distance away from Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City, both literally and figuratively, but shrewd transfer recruitment and an entertaining and effective new playing style have rekindled the fires of belief in supporters' hearts.
That recruitment has seen improvements not only in the type of player but how deals have crossed the line, with James Maddison arriving from Leicester City for £40m, goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario moving from Empoli for an initial £17m fee and Pedro Porro and Dejan Kulusevski both completing permanent moves for relatively shrewd fees.
At first, Micky van de Ven's £43m transfer fee from Wolfsburg appeared to be somewhat steep; Liverpool were also interested in the Netherlands international but reportedly pulled out of the race in July with financial concerns.
But the 22-year-old has been a bona fide success and his acquisition looks to be more of a bargain each time he graces the Premier League with his athleticism and defensive strength.
Micky van de Ven's Spurs career in numbers
Van de Ven has unquestionably been one of the Premier League's best and most influential additions of recent years, with his singular defensive skill set, blended together with the elite aggression of Cristian Romero, elevating Tottenham's backline and putting the woes of the 2022/23 campaign into distant memory.
As per Sofascore, he has completed 95% of his passes and has come out on top in 66% of his ground duels, also averaging 1.7 tackles, 5.8 ball recoveries and 2.8 clearances per game.
Moreover, he ranks among the top 3% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 1% for successful take-ons and the top 16% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, highlighting how energetic and proactive he is in his duties.
His remarkable pace and innate ease in his defending have already eradicated any questions surrounding the £43m paid for his signature, and while that fee is large – though not inordinately so – the fact that his services were wrapped up with a weekly salary of £50k-per-week speaks volumes regarding the astute dealing from Levy and co.
Timo Werner (*loanee)
£165k-per-week
Radu Dragusin
£85k-per-week
Guglielmo Vicario
£75k-per-week
Brennan Johnson
£70k-per-week
Manor Solomon
£60k-per-week
Micky van de Ven
£50k-per-week
Believe it or not, the Dutchman actually pockets the measliest earnings of any of Tottenham's signings since Postecoglou's anointment last summer, and while he's only young this represents a promising and refreshing change of track.
Take, for example, Tottenham's £27m move for Steven Bergwijn back in January 2020. Van de Ven's fellow Dutchman left Ajax to head to the English capital with a weight of expectation, but he flattered to deceive and lasted just a season-and-a-half at the club.
Steven Bergwijn's earnings at Spurs
Bergwijn was 22 years old at the time of his arrival unlike Van de Ven he struggled to carry over the fine form in his homeland that had seen him post five goals and ten assists across his final 16 Eredivisie appearances.
Journalist Phil Casey – rather scathingly – called Bergwijn a "useless makeweight" for his inability to perform for Tottenham, with such remarks derived from the player's return of just eight goals from 83 fixtures in all competitions for the Lilywhites.
Despite some slick skills and fleet-footedness that caused English opposition problems, the 5 foot 10 forward really did flatter to deceive and started just four times in the 2021/22 Premier League campaign, ending Bergwijn's stay and allowing Ajax to swoop back in and re-sign him on a club record £26m deal.
Considering he earned a £75k-per-week wage with Spurs and indeed the same amount at Ajax – some £25k-per-week more than Van de Ven – it can only go down as a failed acquisition and one that is very much emblematic of the dismal few years following Mauricio Pochettino's tenure.
How Steven Bergwijn has performed since leaving Spurs
Last season, Bergwijn plundered 16 goals and six assists from 45 matches for Ajax but failed to stop Feyenoord from running away with the Eredivisie title. Still, his sublime ball-playing skills and electric movements returned and left Spurs questioning what had gone wrong.
And this year, while his outfit have been suffering with some dreadful performances, Bergwijn has taken his performances to a whole new level, scoring seven goals and adding four assists from just 16 top-flight games but, moreover, completing 87% of his passes and averaging 3.9 ball recoveries, 2.1 dribbles and 4.9 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.
The clip above shows a simple but noteworthy whipped cross into the path of his teammate Brian Brobbey; at his best, Bergwijn combines his natural attributes with polished technicality and selfless creativity to form the make-up of a Premier League star.
It didn't work out at Spurs but at 26 years old he may yet return to English shores and catch the eye, ranking among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across divisions similar to the Dutch Eredivisie for pass completion, the top 12% for shot-creating actions and the top 14% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, to showcase this point.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
Ultimately, Van de Ven and his fellow Postecoglou signings all look to be successes and this is a demonstration of the new approach at the club that might just sprout success. It's a new era and the Lilywhites must not look back.
What is it?The Hundred is the ECB’s new 100-ball tournament, which will be played in July-August 2020. It will be played by eight new teams, based in seven different cities (there are two London teams).Who are the new teams?Birmingham Phoenix (Edgbaston)
London Spirit (Lord’s)
Manchester Originals (Old Trafford)
Northern Superchargers (Leeds)
Oval Invincibles (The Oval)
Southern Brave (Ageas Bowl)
Trent Rockets (Trent Bridge)
Welsh Fire (Cardiff)Who’s making the picks?All the teams are owned by the ECB, so unlike in plenty of other leagues there will be no owners on the draft tables. Picks will be made by head coaches, but with plenty of behind-the-scenes inputs from the rest of their staff and their analysts.The head coaches are as follows:Birmingham Phoenix – Andrew McDonald
London Spirit – Shane Warne
Manchester Originals – Simon Katich
Northern Superchargers – Darren Lehmann
Oval Invincibles – Tom Moody
Southern Brave – Mahela Jayawardene
Trent Rockets – Stephen Fleming
Welsh Fire – Gary KirstenDo they have any players already?Yes. Each of the men’s sides has picked one England player. Teams could choose one Test-contracted player from their ‘catchment area’, meaning Northern Superchargers faced the choice between Ben Stokes, Jonny Bairstow, and Joe Root (they went for Stokes), while those players left over were allocated to a team without a Test player.Joe Root of Trent Rockets, one of the eight new teams that competing in The Hundred•Getty Images
Each team then picked two ‘local icons’, each of whom spent the 2019 season at a county in the new team’s catchment area. They were able to negotiate a salary with their new team, and ESPNcricinfo understands that some players were convinced to take lower salaries due to the security of being picked up before the main draft.That means that the majority of England’s one-day players have been picked already, though a handful – Joe Denly, Sam Billings, and Mark Wood, for example – will be available in the draft.How does the draft work?After a random draw, the order of picks for the first round was decided, with Stephen Fleming’s Trent Rockets set to pick the first player. The order of picks will then be reversed for the second round, and so on. Where a local icon has been picked, the team will skip that turn in the draft.Each team has 100 seconds to make their pick in each round. Salaries are pre-decided, and depend on how early a player is picked. First and second-round picks will earn £125,000 each, while round 13 or 14 picks earn £30,000.What about overseas players?As revealed by ESPNcricinfo, some 240 overseas players have registered for the draft, and with the exception of India’s white-ball stars and AB de Villiers, most of the big names are available.Each team will be permitted three overseas players, in both their squad and their XI.Can they sign anyone after the draft?Yes – each team will also be able to make a ‘wildcard’ pick after the conclusion of next season’s Vitality Blast, who will receive a £30,000 contract.What happens next season?Teams will be able to retain up to ten players in their squad for the 2021 edition of the tournament, and will mutually agree the salary band with the relevant player.What about the women’s competition?There’s no draft for the women’s competition, with players instead negotiating deals directly with head coaches. Each team has already signed two England-contracted players, and has until the end of May 2020 to complete their squad.When is the draft?The draft starts at 7pm local time in Sky’s London studios, and ESPNcricinfo will bring you live coverage throughout the evening to see who ends up where.