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Aston Villa are now looking at signing an experienced international midfielder on a free transfer, according to a new report.

Unai Emery wants more Champions League football with Aston Villa

The Villans secured a top-four finish in the Premier League during Unai Emery’s first full season at the club. The Spaniard is adamant that he wants to keep Villa in the Champions League over the coming years, saying he wants his Villa team to get even better.

"When I arrived here, my conversations with [owners] Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens were about winning trophies and getting Europe. To get there you have to be competitive. Even if we don’t have the budget, we have to be intelligent and clinical in our decisions. This is still my objective. We are in the Champions League and we want to keep it. It is our challenge.

"Those teams are amazing with consistency. I want to get better and I have my dreams and I believe in my dreams. Of course my objectives is to win the Premier League or the Champions League."

"One of the best" open to joining Aston Villa as NSWE plot £47m double bid

It could be the start of an exciting summer at Villa Park.

By
Ben Browning

May 20, 2024

To improve even further, additions in the upcoming summer transfer market could be required, and it looks as if NSWE and Villa are wasting no time in looking to bolster Emery’s squad.

Aston Villa transfer latest

For example, former loanee Ross Barkley is close to returning to Villa Park, this time on a permanent transfer after impressing with Luton Town, with talks at an advanced stage. Barkley could be joined by Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo, with the player someone who Emery and Monchi love. Alongside the pair, another target has emerged in Juventus midfielder Adrien Rabiot.

According to Tutto Juve, Villa are thinking of moving for Rabiot, who Emery considers ‘an exemplary professional and would always like to have a player of his quality in his team’.

At this moment in time, Rabiot will be a free agent at the end of June, although Juventus haven’t given up hope of agreeing new terms with the Frenchman, whereas Bayern Munich and Manchester United have also been interested.

The 29-year-old, on £190,000-a-week with bonuses in Turin, is valued at €40m by Transfermarkt, so securing his services for free could be a shrewd piece of business by Villa.

Rabiot can play as a holding, central or left midfielder and has played more than 400 games in total for PSG and Juventus during his career. He also has plenty of experience in the Champions League, something which could be needed for Villa next season.

Labelled as a “monster” by football writer Robin Bairner, Rabiot will have a decision to make on his future in the coming weeks, making a move to the Midlands one to watch.

Hansi Flick has suggested Ansu Fati could play an important role for Barcelona this season after he made his first appearance for them in over a year.

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Fati came off the bench in loss to MonacoHis first appearance since last AugustFlick spoke highly of Spain internationalWHAT HAPPENED?

The 21-year-old came off the bench late on as Barca lost 2-1 to Monaco in their opening Champions League game of the season, having been reduced to 10 men when Eric Garcia was sent off just 10 minutes into the contest.

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Fati spent last season on loan at Brighton, where he made 27 appearances, but has been struggling with an injury since his return. His 88-minute introduction on Thursday was his first game for the Spanish side since late-August 2023, and Flick has spoken of his admiration for the winger.

WHAT FLICK SAID

"I have congratulated Ansu on his return. I have a lot of appreciation for him and he is going to do very well," he said. "I have spoken to him and he sees himself more in the left wing position but he has great qualities to play in the centre as well. I saw him very different in July and brilliant in training. Now he needs time and we have to look after him.”

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR FATI?

The 10-time Spain international will hope to get a second appearance of the season under his belt on Sunday when the Catalan club, who sit top of La Liga, come up against Villarreal.

لا تخلو مباراة ليفربول وريال مدريد في الجولة الخامسة من بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا من الأحداث المهمة حتى بعد صافرة النهاية وفوز الريدز بهدفين نظيفين.

كانت الأجواء سعيدة داخل غرفة ملابس ليفربول عكس ريال مدريد، ولكن هذا لم يمنع لاعب وسط الملكي، جود بيلينجهام، من الانتظار لفترة من أجل الحصول على قميص أحد نجوم الريدز.

ونشرت قناة TNT الانجليزية فيديو يوضح وقوف بيلينجهام رفقة اثنين من ناشئي ريال مدريد خارج غرفة ملابس الريدز للحصول على القميص من أجل أحدهما، حسبما ظهر في الفيديو.

اقرأ أيضًا | ماركا: حافة الهاوية.. اجتماع عاجل بين أنشيلوتي وبيريز بعد سقوط ريال مدريد أمام ليفربول شاهد انتظار بيلينجهام للحصول على قميص نجم ليفربول

Jude Bellingham was passed Trent Alexander-Arnold’s shirt by Ryan Gravenberch after Real Madrid’s defeat to Liverpool 👀 pic.twitter.com/C5WBKMVYnB — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) November 27, 2024

وفي تلك اللحظة، تصادف مرور جرافنبيرش فطلب بيلينجهام منه الذهاب والحصول على قميص مواطنه، ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد، وانتظر الإنجليزي قليلًا خارج غرفة خلع الملابس قبل أن يعود ويمنح لاعب ريال مدريد القميص.

وغاب أرنولد عن مباراة ريال مدريد أمس، الأربعاء، بسبب إصابته في أوتار الركبة، لكن بيلينجهام تربطه علاقة صداقة قوية مع مواطنه في منتخب إنجلترا.

الجدير بالذكر أن أرنولد أيضًا أحد اللاعبين الذين يهتم ريال مدريد بضمهم في الميركاتو الصيفي المقبل، خاصة مع اقتراب عقده على الانتهاء.

Glasgow Rangers ran out 5-2 winners over Dundee in an exciting match at Ibrox in their penultimate Scottish Premiership clash of the season on Thursday night.

The Light Blues went into the game knowing that anything other than a win would see their fierce rivals confirmed as league winners.

They, unfortunately, found themselves 2-0 down by the 40th minute of the outing as Dundee struck twice within two minutes.

Philippe Clement's side, however, fought back thanks to goals from Ross McCausland, Cyriel Dessers, Todd Cantwell, and two from Scott Wright.

Whilst Cantwell was the star of the second half comeback but Ross McCausland also caught the eye and both players should now be considered undroppable ahead of the final day and the SFA Cup final later this month.

Todd Cantwell's 9.6/10 Dundee masterclass

The former Norwich City attacking midfielder put on a masterclass in the attacking midfield position on Tuesday night with his sublime attacking play.

He produced a fantastic cross from the left flank to set up Dessers for the equaliser to make it 2-2, with the Nigerian striker able to guide his header into the far bottom corner.

The 26-year-old star then stepped up with a sensational finish – albeit possibly intended as a cross – from the right flank into the far top left corner to make it 3-2 and complete the comeback.

Statistic

Cantwell (Vs Dundee)

Lawrence per game (23/24 Premiership)

Sofascore rating

9.6

7.06

Goals

1

0.09

Assists

1

0.13

Key passes

6

1.1

Big chances created

2

0.17

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Cantwell put on a show at Ibrox with a staggering six key passes and two 'big chances' created to go alongside his goal and assist.

The English star has offered far more than Tom Lawrence usually does in that position, as shown by the statistics in the table, and should now have nailed down his place in the XI moving into the last two matches.

Lawrence has only produced two goals and three assists in 23 Premiership matches across the entire season, and Cantwell racked up almost half as many goal involvements in one match on Tuesday night.

The former Canaries whiz has now scored six goals and provided five assists in 23 league starts for the Light Blues this term, which illustrates how much more he offers than his Welsh teammate at the top end of the pitch.

He had been an unused substitute against Celtic last weekend and just proved that Clement should not drop him again, as the Gers missed his creative presence in their 2-1 defeat at Parkhead.

The Scottish giants only mustered up one shot on target in that narrow loss and the attacking midfielder has proven time and again, including against Dundee, that he has the ability to make things happen in the final third as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

That is why Clement must not drop him down to the bench, barring a fitness issue, in either of the next two matches, and moving into the 2024/25 campaign.

Why 21-year-old Ross McCausland is now undroppable

McCausland should also now be considered undroppable for the Belgian head coach after he popped up with a fantastic performance down the right flank.

Dujon Sterling's absence provided the academy graduate with an opportunity to stake a claim for his place ahead of the final two matches, and for next season, and he grasped it with both hands.

Rangers were in desperate need of a spark after the crowd began to voice their displeasure at being 2-0 down to Dundee in the first half, and the young winger was the man to step up in their time of need.

McCausland showed great invention, determination, and skill to pull one back just before half time as he capitalised on lackadaisical defensive work to steal in and prod the ball into the back of the net after a clever touch around the corner.

The 21-year-old whiz registered an 8.1 Sofascore rating out of 10 for his performance on the night, as he also went on to assist Wright's second with a quick break through the middle and pass to the Scottish forward on the left.

He completed five of his eight attempted dribbles and won seven of his 11 ground duels on the night, which speaks to his exciting and direct play as well as his desire to track back and work hard for the team.

The dynamo, who created two chances for Rangers, got the crowd on their feet with his goal, his dribbles, his assist, and his infectious work rate, which is why he should now be undroppable for Rangers.

Ross McCausland's 23/24 season in numbers

The former B team star has struggled to nail down a regular place in the lineup in the Premiership this season, with only half of his appearances coming as a starter.

He has featured in 28 league matches for the Scottish giants and started 14 of those, which shows that Clement has not yet trusted him to start week-in-week-out yet.

In those 14 starts, the talented speedster has now racked up two goals and four assists for his electric efforts, to go along with 1.4 tackles and interceptions per game.

McCausland has offered glimpses of his quality in possession as a scorer and a creator as well as off the ball with his work rate to track back and cut out opposition attacks.

The Northern Irish wizard, who scored nine goals in 41 B team matches for the academy, needs to play regularly to continue his progress and develop consistency in his game.

It is hard to be a consistent performer if you are not playing consistent minutes, due to the fluctuating game time and situations that the forward has been thrown into, and that is another reason why the manager should make him undroppable over these next two games.

Allowing McCausland to start the last two matches, making it three straight starts in total, would also provide the manager with an insight into how the youngster could cope with being a regular starter next season.

Related Rangers could seal "superb" signing to be their next Bassey

Philippe Clement will be eyeing a few signings ahead of the summer transfer window opening

Posts ByRoss Kilvington May 13, 2024

This could then, therefore, be an opportunity for the former academy star to put his name forward to be considered a key part of the plans for the 2024/25 campaign and beyond as a starter, rather than as a back-up option.

West Ham United are faced with the possibility of missing out on European football next season, trailing unstoppable Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 after the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie, also failing to hit a vein of consistency in the Premier League.

The Hammers have been in and around contention for continental qualification for most of the campaign but after falling to defeat against Fulham at the London Stadium on Sunday, David Moyes resting several players ahead of the return fixture against Leverkusen, they have fallen to eighth in the standings.

While there is plenty of time to recover, Newcastle United thrashed Tottenham Hotspur to take sixth place, while Manchester United's poor form has not been poor enough to see them fall below the Hammers – Chelsea are also just one point behind in ninth, holding two games in hand.

It's going to be a thrilling if nail-biting finale and West Ham will need to bring about their richest performance level to ensure that a promising season does not fizz out.

While the squad triumphed in the Europa Conference League last season, the cracks of the domestic efforts were papered over following glory on the continent, and with Declan Rice sold to Arsenal in the summer, it's remarkable that United are fighting at the top end of the division after finishing 14th.

There are still issues, with one of the most concerning the defensive struggles that have seen the likes of Nayef Aguerd plummet.

The fee West Ham paid for Nayef Aguerd

Aguerd arrived with a weight of expectation, signing from French side Rennes in a £30m transfer in 2022 to improve a backline that had been so impressive under Moyes' tutelage for the past couple of seasons.

The Scottish manager hailed Aguerd's "attitude and character" following his signing, with his displays in Ligue 1 the campaign prior establishing him as one of the division's most exciting defenders.

He was awarded third place in West Ham's Player of the Season honours for the 2022/23 campaign, finishing behind Rice and Said Benrahma, having overcome an ankle injury suffered in pre-season to play 30 times in all competitions and win the Conference League.

He is endowed with aerial dominance and an aggressive approach that makes him a valuable option for his side, even heralded as a "superstar" by journalist Mohamed Salad.

That said, journalist Zach Lowy mused the year before his transfer to English shores that he had "had a good start to last season but still far too raw as a passer & often coughs up possession in dangerous areas", proving to be flaws that niggle at his displays to this day.

Nayef Aguerd's season in numbers

While Aguerd displayed plenty of promise throughout his first season at West Ham, he has failed to evoke the awe of supporters despite the club seeing a pleasing upswing on the domestic front.

The £50k-per-week defender has completed 21 Premier League fixtures this term but has only started twice across the past eight opportunities, as per Sofascore, having only completed 80% of his passes, made two errors leading to a shot and committing one penalty.

As such, it would appear that West Ham are willing to leave their Moroccan centre-half leave this summer, with Football Insider revealing that he could be one of the high-profile players the club ships on this summer.

Aguerd is still a talented centre-back but his error-streaked season has seen Moyes lose faith in his presence, as evidenced by his two Premier League starts from eight games – both of which, it must be said, left much to be desired, with West Ham drawing 2-2 against Burnley in one and slumping to defeat against Fulham, last time out, in the other.

With all this occurring, it's only natural that his market valuation would take a slide…

Nayef Aguerd's market value in 2024

According to Football Transfers' player valuation model, Aguerd is actually worth just £11m at present, a by-product of his seasonal slump and an illustration of the flaws that have been found out in the Premier League.

This depreciation actually marks a 63% decrease in valuation since arriving, and given that he has drifted in and out of Moyes' starting line-up in recent months, it's not looking to be the greatest of investments that the club have made.

Nayef Aguerd

£11m

£30m

Kurt Zouma

£14m

£30m

Kalvin Phillips

£13m

n/a

Konstantinos Mavropanos

£12m

£19m

Maxwel Cornet

£9m

£17.5m

It's worth noting that if Moyes – who is out of contract at West Ham this summer – does not renew his terms, the board may well seek to secure the services of a manager canvassing a more progressive, forward-flowing style of play, and given Aguerd's issues in regard to his ball-playing, this might not prove fruitful for him.

An effective attacking outlet and a robust challenger, Aguerd ranks among the top 9% of centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 19% for shots taken and the top 11% for blocks per 90, as per FBref.

However, he also ranks among the bottom 13% for pass completion, the bottom 38% for progressive passes and the bottom 36% for tackles per 90, highlighting the deficiencies that have alienated him from a regular starting berth over the past several months.

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The Hammers are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the prolific marksman this summer.

ByDan Emery Apr 15, 2024

Having struggled to impress this season, it's no wonder that his market value has plummeted £19m since joining his Premier League club less than two years ago.

He's got enough in his locker to produce a good performance in a West Ham shirt, but, ultimately, Aguerd is facing a meek departure from the club, who are unlikely to recuperate a figure nearing the initial outlay for his signature.

Celtic and Brendan Rodgers have a dream to sign a rather ambitious transfer target this summer, but face significant obstacles to make it become a reality ahead of the new season.

Celtic leave title in Rangers' hands

A bonkers 3-3 draw with Rangers at Ibrox over the weekend kept Celtic top of the Scottish Premiership for now, a point ahead of their Glasgow rivals but having played a game more than Philippe Clement's side, leaving the title in their rivals' hands.

The Scottish Premiership title race

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goal Difference

Points

Celtic

32

23

6

3

51

75

Rangers

31

24

2

5

50

74

It has been a tough season for Brendan Rodgers' side despite their success in Scotland's top flight, with a tough Champions League group stage seeing them concede a mammoth 15 goals and losing four of their six games. Winning just one, they finished bottom of their group with the second worst goal difference of anyone in the group stage.

Despite their struggles abroad, they could still claim a domestic double, with Rodgers' side in the semi-finals of the Scottish cup against Aberdeen, while Rangers take on Hearts in the other semi-final, potentially setting up another Old Firm derby in the final.

Celtic chiefs eyeing up swoop for 6ft 2 keeper who doesn't have a weak foot

The Hoops are eyeing up a replacement for current number one Joe Hart this summer.

ByDan Emery Apr 10, 2024

There are no shortage of question marks heading into the summer transfer window, with it set to be a busy one for Celtic and their transfer team Should they get their way, it could well be a record-breaking one too.

Hoops would "love" to sign Kieran Tierney

Now, they have been handed a boost in their dream to bring Kieran Tierney back to Celtic Park after it emerged that Arsenal have already told the defender he can leave the club this summer.

The North London side paid Celtic £25m in 2019 to take Tierney, then Celtic's captain, to the Emirates Stadium, where he currently earns £110,000 per week. After a strong start to his career with the Gunners he found himself down the pecking order and has spent this season on loan with Spanish side Real Sociedad.

Now, TeamTalk claim that Tierney has "already been informed that he will be available for sale" this summer and that the defender "intends to use the European Championships as a way to display his talents", with Scotland in a group with Germany, Switzerland and Hungary.

It is added that Arsenal value the defender at around £25m ahead of the summer transfer window, and while Celtic "would love to bring him back to Glasgow if they get the opportunity", that sort of fee is "thought to be beyond Celtic’s financial capabilities" amid reported interest from Aston Villa.

However, Villa are keeping tabs on several defenders as things stand and should their interest not materialise, there doesn't seem to be a long line of suitors for the 26-year-old Scot. With Arsenal having tried to sell him permanently last summer only to let him leave on loan, Celtic will be hoping a repeat will allow them to lure him back to Celtic Park either on loan or at a cut-price fee.

Joe Root “has the backing of everybody” in the England dressing room, according to Ben Stokes.Root has endured a tough few days. After experiencing perhaps his worst Test as captain – England suffered an innings defeat and he recorded his lowest return in any Test as leader where he has batted twice – questions about his position as captain have resurfaced. In particular, there are concerns over whether the leadership is compromising his ability to contribute with the bat. He now averages under 40 as captain and under 30 in 2019.But it is clear he retains the full support of his teammates. Certainly Stokes, who might be considered one of the few viable alternatives for the position and is now, at No. 9, two places above Root in the Test batting rankings, is unequivocal in his support. He believes that it is unfair to pin the failures of the whole team on one man and that there is “no one else to do” the job.”Joe knows that he’s got the backing of everybody in the changing room: players, backroom staff and management,” Stokes said. “That’s the main thing that counts for us as players in a very tightknit group. He knows that everybody in that changing room 100 percent backs him, as I do.”The pressures of being England Test captain is huge. It can be one of the most criticised jobs in England at times. And sometimes that criticism is unfair, I would say. There are 11 guys that contribute to a win or loss. It doesn’t all fall on the captain.”We put our hands up as players when we don’t perform. But unfortunately Joe cops most of that [criticsm]. But as a playing group, we stick together and we hold our hands up together as well.”He’s fine. He’s Joe Root. He is England captain and there’s no one else to do it.”There is unanimity within the England squad about where they went wrong in Mount Maunganui. Having squandered first use of the pitch, they then found themselves bowling on it at its best and were given a batting masterclass by BJ Watling. So, despite the scorecard, they know it was the batsmen, rather than the bowlers, who were most responsible for the defeat.”We fought as hard as we possibly could with the ball,” Stokes said. “I’m not quite sure what else we could have done. We spent 201 overs in the field and we left nothing out there. Scoring 350 in our first innings didn’t quite cut it. On a wicket like that, you have to get five or six hundred if you bat first. We knew we were under-par when we got bowled out.”Stokes was as disgusted as anyone by the comments directed at Jofra Archer towards the end of the first Test. As a man proud of his New Zealand and Maori heritage, he was at pains to point out how unrepresentative the incident was of the welcome England’s players – and supporters – receive in the country.”I’m obviously very proud of my heritage and where I’m from,” Stokes said. “I’ll always respect that. The tattoo on my arm just signifies where the family comes from.”Coming back to New Zealand, it’s not just a cricket tour for me. It’s also a great time to be able to catch up with family that I don’t get to see that often. I came out a week before the Test guys to stay with my mum and dad, which was awesome. I got to see brothers, sisters, cousins and everything like that. Every time I manage to come back it’s really good.”It wasn’t a nice way to end the Test match and it’s a shame because that doesn’t represent New Zealand is about as a country whatsoever. New Zealand is more accurately represented by how much support Jofra has had, not just from the New Zealand cricket team, but New Zealand in general after that incident.”That’s the main things for us now: making Jofra aware that we’ve got his back. It was a pretty horrific incident and something that shouldn’t happen in sport or in the world in general in 2019.”Archer was among the England seamers to return to training on Monday. While he didn’t have a long bowl, he appeared in no discomfort after his exertions in Mount Maunganui and is expected to play in the second Test. Indeed, England may well be unchanged.All the bowlers involved in the first Test bowled without issue on Wednesday though Matt Parkinson, the reserve spinner, took one ferocious blow to the thigh when Root thrashed one back at him. Parkinson will have a terrific bruise, but he was fine.Some of the fringe players have impressed, though. Saqib Mahmood continues to bowl well, while Zak Crawley is catching swallows in training and would appear to be a rare example of a county player reaching the England set-up with fitness levels to rival the very best in the squad.The 21-year-old scored a century in his only innings on the trip and is making a good case for his retention in the squad to tour South Africa despite the anticipated recall of Jonny Bairstow.

Newcastle United's poor season could see mass changes in the summer, and there are already plenty of plans on the incomings front.

Newcastle's disappointing summer window

After an impressive run to the top four last season, it has been a campaign to forget for Eddie Howe's side in the Premier League this time around, due in no small part to their business in the transfer market last year.

Finishing bottom of their Champions League group despite some impressive performances, they lost Sandro Tonali to a gambling ban early in the campaign, while Harvey Barnes has missed a huge chunk of time with injury and Lewis Hall has been unable to cement a regular place in the team.

With ten games left to play, they sit 10th and could drop another place should Chelsea win their game in hand on the Magpies. A strong end to the season could see them retain some form of European football for next season, but they certainly won't be making a Champions League return.

Newcastle's league run-in

Gameweek

Opponent

29

West Ham United (H)

30

Everton (H)

31

Fulham (A)

32

Tottenham Hotspur (H)

33

Manchester United (A)

34

Sheffield United (H)

35

Burnley (A)

36

Brighton (H)

37

Brentford (A)

38

Crystal Palace (A) – TBC

They do still harbour hopes of a first trophy under Howe, but face a tough FA Cup quarter final clash with Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, with a place at Wembley at stake. Despite the disappointing campaign, Howe's position remains safe and attention has already turned to the summer transfer window despite concerns over financial fair play.

Transfer planning leads PIF to Serie A midfielder

There could be plenty of change on Tyneside this summer, with Joelinton set to be out of contract and yet to pen fresh terms, while speculation continues to swirl around centre-piece Bruno Guimaraes after it emerged he had a £100m release clause in his contract, with Manchester City rumoured to be interested.

To that end, it is looking likely that further reinforcement in the middle of the pitch will be required, and Sport Witness report that the Magpies have identified Atalanta midfielder Ederson as the man to add to their ranks.

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The Brazilian has been a shining light alongside Teun Koopmeiners in the heart of Atalanta's midfield, starting 25 times in Serie A this season and grabbing five goals in the process. Juventus are thought to be tracking him, but reports suggest that it is Newcastle and Premier League rivals Tottenham that are in the lead thanks to their financial muscle.

The two clubs "are now seen as being ‘in the front row in the race’ to acquire Ederson this summer". That is because Atalanta will not sell him for less than 35m euros this summer (£30m), something that they believe Juve will struggle to stump up given the Old Lady are also keen to sign teammate Koopmeiners, valued at 60m euros.

The 24-year-old fits into the high energy mould that Newcastle fans have become accustomed to in recent seasons. Taking to X, U23 scout Antonio Mango told his followers that the then 23-year-old "gets better every time I watch him" and that he is "just everywhere when he plays", similar to Joelinton on Tyneside.

Should Newcastle be forced to part ways with either Joelinton or Guimaraes, they could well sign another Brazilian to fill that role, if they can fight off Tottenham's interest.

Inter Miami and Uruguay striker Luis Suarez has dropped another retirement hint, as he admits that “the flame of football is going out”.

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• Veteran frontman is now 37 years of age
• Has been struggling with knee problems
• Aware that end of career is approaching

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Veteran frontman Suarez is now 37 years of age and has been managing long-standing knee problems for some time. He shelved any plans to hang up his boots when being presented with the opportunity to reunite with former Barcelona team-mate Lionel Messi in MLS.

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• Getty Images
  

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  Suarez is, however, aware that the end of his distinguished career is approaching. He is currently on international duty at the 2024 Copa America, with an impressive haul of caps for his country being taken to 140 – with 68 goals recorded along the way.

• WHAT SUAREZ SAID

  He is not ready to call it quits just yet, with silverware to be chased down with club and country, but has said of the short-term future: “I am enjoying every moment very much. It's something that, as I get older, you enjoy more and more because you know that the flame of football is going out. I'm just one more player, you've seen that. Whether I play or not, I'm happy with the part I'm doing and trying to help in any way I can.”

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Suarez is no longer a guaranteed starter for Uruguay, but he has an important role to play in their squad – with his vast experience being put to good use. They are currently readying themselves for a Copa quarter-final clash with Brazil, which Real Madrid superstar Vinicius Junior will sit out through suspension.

India’s spearhead credits a fast bowling group always willing to help each other out for team’s success

Aishwarya Kumar at Sabina Park02-Sep-20191:49

Kohli’s confidence in me gives me self-belief – Bumrah

A back of a length ball darting into the batsman’s chest. A mean bouncer that sends the neck guard of the batsman’s helmet flying. A rapid delivery nearly brushing the outside half of the off stump.The secret behind Bumrah’s swing

Inswingers, outswingers, bouncers – they have all come naturally to Jasprit Bumrah on his way to decimating the West Indies batting-line up. When asked about this uncanny ability of his, the fast bowler pointed to the advantage of bowling with the Duke ball.
“I played a lot of cricket in England, we played a lot of Test matches, we bowled with the Duke ball. There is a lot of movement with the Duke ball, you get a lot of confidence in outswing, inswing, whatever you’re trying. So, that experience helped me out.”
When asked about setting himself targets for every day, Bumrah said he never approached his bowling that way. The team always came first, he said.
“If we win the match I am fine if I don’t get wickets as well. My aim is – how can I contribute towards the team’s success, be it taking wickets, creating pressure, however I can contribute, that is the way I go forward.”

Day three saw Jasprit Bumrah bowl from both ends – and mix it up. He didn’t pick up a wicket, but everything he did looked calculated, pre-planned, well thought out.After day two, during an interview with Virat Kohli, Bumrah had said that there had been a lot of communication between the India bowlers.”Ishant [Sharma] has played a lot more cricket than all of us, [Mohammed] Shami has played a lot of cricket, I am the new guy, so I try and ask questions,” Bumrah said on Sunday. “I ask them, they’ve played here before, so ‘what works in different conditions?’ ‘If the wicket is not doing anything what should we do?’ ‘What different plans are to be there?’ So all these different communication goes on including the captain and the vice-captain, everybody discusses, everybody has their own plans, so all of these things are going on when you play.”Though he has run through the West Indies line-up twice in this series, Bumrah predicted tougher times ahead.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“Now the wicket has gotten a little better. So movement has gotten less than the previous innings. We have to bowl well, create pressure from all ends, so that will help us to be in [a good position],” he said.That India have dominated this game is in no small part due to Bumrah’s hair-raising form. He took 6 for 16 in the first innings, including a hat-trick, which was a testament to his ability to assess conditions quickly.”So in bouncy wickets, you can be greedy and you look to bowl short but you should not do that – you should bowl in good areas, create pressure and try and bowl full, so that was the plan going into the first innings. We were just trying to assess the situation as soon as possible and try and bowl accordingly,” he explained.”First innings, I changed my end because the breeze was going from this end to that end and we wanted to use the inswinger and see how it goes. We tried to do that and it worked. We pitched the ball up.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd

At one point during the over in which Bumrah got his hat-trick, the stump mic picked up Kohli reacting to one of his deliveries with, ‘What a bowler, man! What a bowler.’ “The captain gives you a lot of confidence,” Bumrah said. “That gives you a lot of self-belief. When you bowl, you can express yourself, you can try whatever you want to do. That gives you a lot of confidence, not only me, but each and every bowler is being backed by him so much. As a bowling unit we are very happy and then we have the freedom to do what we want.”Looking ahead, he said the Indian bowling unit is in sync and working very well together – something he hopes will help them improve and bring more success as a team.”We have done a lot of hard work and last year we played a lot of away matches, so lot of camaraderie is there, a lot of backing is there, we back each other whenever things are not going well – even if things are going well we discuss what can we do better, so that was the plan going forward. We got a good relationship all of us, we want to get better every year. It’s a good relationship and we are working hard and hopefully these processes will bring more results.”