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Fast bowler will bring up the cause when the team gets a chance to regroup

Firdose Moonda06-Jul-2020South Africa’s cricketers will discuss how they will join the Black Lives Matter movement when they have the opportunity to meet as a group according to Lungi Ngidi. The fast bowler, who was named Cricket South Africa’s T20 cricketer of the year on Saturday, indicated he would be in favour of supporting the anti-racism cause, especially given South Africa’s history of segregation.”As a nation, we have a past that is very difficult, with racial discrimination, so it’s definitely something we will be addressing as a team and if we are not, it’s something I will bring up,” Ngidi said, at a virtual press engagement on Monday afternoon. “It’s something that we need to take very seriously and like the rest of the world is doing, make the stand.”Issues of race are ever-present in South Africa, a country with a history of colonialism and Apartheid, and have been hot-button topics in sport since readmission in 1991. Prior to South Africa’s isolation in 1970, national sports teams were made up of white players only, effectively excluding people of colour from participating at the highest level. In the last 29 years, that has changed, but questions of representation remain. To date, only nine black Africans have played Test cricket for South Africa and Ngidi is the most recent. There remain concerns over the pace of transformation and especially the continued occupation of senior positions by white men.The national team has been largely silent on race, apart from Temba Bavuma, who found himself at the centre of a storm mid-season, when he was dropped from the Test squad. South Africa’s then-Test captain Faf du Plessis said the team does not “see colour,” and that Bavuma, who had been through a lean patch, needed to force his way back into the team through “weight of runs”. Du Plessis suffered from poor form himself, which earned the wrath of Bavuma supporters, and then stood down as captain. Bavuma was back in the team by the end of the summer and spoke openly about the pressures that came with his skin colour.For that reason, Ngidi asserted that the team is “well aware” of race dynamics but he explained that they have not had the opportunity to discuss recent events as a group. “I feel we are not together so it’s hard to discuss but once we get back to playing that is definitely something we have to address as a team,” he said.That may not be for a while with South Africa’s calendar shrouded in uncertainty as they await the ICC’s decision on the T20 World Cup and the rescheduling of their two-Test, five-T20 trip to the Caribbean, which was due to get underway this month. West Indies are currently in England for three Tests ending on July 29 (and both teams will wear the Black Lives Matter logo on their shirts) so the earliest South Africa could hope to play against them could be in August. However, with the Covid-19 pandemic expected to peak in South Africa around the same time, and the players having only just returned to training, it is likely the visit will be delayed further.A high-performance squad of 45 players was given the greenlight to resume training last week and are currently practicing in groups of no more than five players at their domestic franchise grounds. Next Saturday, 24 of them will play in an exhibition match featuring three teams in the same game, but Ngidi explained they have not had much time to connect, given the restrictions in place.”We have to book sessions now so there are certain groups of guys that come in at a certain time and when they are done, another group comes in,” Ngidi said. “As the bowlers, we each have our net. We each have our balls. There is no touching and hardly any communication as well. Before going to gym, you have to let them know so they can sanitise the area before you come in and sanitise once you leave for the next group. There’s temperature checks at the gate, there’s hand sanitisers, we fill out forms, it’s a whole process before you can actually bowl a cricket ball. It’s very frustrating but also very necessary at this point.”Much like England’s Mark Wood, who likened training to a “sci-fi movie,” Ngidi said the situation is taking some time to get used to, not least because he feels like he is playing a group sport, on his own. “It feels like some bio-hazard kind of event has happened. There’s no touching, you barely ever take your masks off other than when you are within a certain distance of people. We no longer go into the change rooms. You get changed in your car and you go straight to the field or straight to the indoor nets. We don’t gather in groups anymore and it feels weird since it’s a team sport. You’re playing by yourself but everyone is still there. It is very different.”And for bowlers, it will stay different as they are no longer allowed to use saliva to shine the ball. Ngidi and the rest of the pack have yet to strategise how they will counter that, but he has a few ideas. “Once they said there’s no saliva, a few of the batsmen posted on the group that now they are going to be driving on the up so already we can see what type of mentality the batsmen are coming with so now we have to find a game plan to get the ball to swing. Probably a damp towel is the best thing but you’ve got to find something somehow, to shine it.”

Rangers legend Ally McCoist has admitted that he has been left baffled by some of Rangers and Celtic's recent dealings in the transfer market.

Rangers and Celtic moving away from Scottish talent?

Neither Rangers nor Celtic are able to boast the same level of Scottish talent as they used to be able to, despite Scotland's national team success. This season, Brendan Rodgers' Scottish Premiership side contains just two Scots on a regular basis, in the shape of fullback Greg Taylor and skipper Callum McGregor in a first choice XI, while the likes of James Forrest and Anthony Ralston have had bit-part roles.

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At Rangers, John Souttar is the only Scot to have racked up more than 15 starts in the Premiership, though injury has hampered Ryan Jack. While Philippe Clement's squad boasts eight Scotsmen, three are reserve goalkeepers with another (Alex Lowry) having spent the first half of the season out on loan at Hearts.

SPL minutes played by Scots at Rangers and Celtic

Player

Club

Minutes

Callum McGregor

Celtic

2485

Greg Taylor

Celtic

2546

John Souttar

Rangers

2027

Anthony Ralston

Celtic

788

Scott Wright

Rangers

611

Stephen Welsh

Celtic

429

Ryan Jack

Rangers

446

James Forrest

Celtic

365

Scott Bain

Celtic

150

Leon King

Rangers

9

McCoist questions Old Firm transfer policies

Now, Rangers icon Ally McCoist has accused both Rangers and Celtic of letting too much talent slip past them, and pointed specifically to a pair of stars now shining outside of Scotland. McCoist racked up over 400 league appearances for Rangers during a 14 year spell at Ibrox, grabbing 251 goals in the process, and spent all but two seasons of his career in the Scottish top flight.

Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast on behalf of TalkSPORT BET, McCoist claimed he would never have let John McGinn leave Scotland, and pointed to Lewis Ferguson (who joined Bologna in the summer) as another who has slipped through the net.

"There's been a couple of players who have left Scotland that I think Rangers and Celtic will be absolutely kicking themselves with. I mean, John McGinn going to Aston Villa. And you know, Celtic, I dont care what anyone says, they'll regret that.

"For example, Lewis Ferguson going to Bologna. It baffles me how Rangers and Celtic never went in for him either."

It comes amid claims that Scottish talent has begun looking away from the SPL and towards the English leagues or abroad in a bid to get regular game time. And while McCoist admits the Scottish league is not as strong as it once was, he added that Celtic and Rangers in particular have to find better ways to get the most out of what is available.

"So I don't think there's any doubt, we can argue about is there as much talent as there once was in Scotland. We can argue about that all day but the fact that there is still talent in Scotland. I am not sure Rangers and Celtic are maximising that at this moment in time.

"There definitely is talent about you know, teams have good seasons, St Mirren have had a good season. Derek McInnes has done a fantastic job done at Kilmarnock, so I'm not sure, being honest with you, that Rangers or Celtic for that matter, have utilised the Scottish market just as well as they could have, and perhaps should have.

"History would tell me, certainly, it's worth the gamble [signing Scottish players]. If you're going to go and pay three, four or five million players from abroad, that's all very well. But if you're paying that kind of money, you need to be 110% sure that they're going to do you a turn.

"Sometimes players within Scotland know the Scottish game, know what Rangers and Celtic are all about, although they haven't played there yet. But they've got a fair idea idea what it's all about."

The worst collapse in BBL history saw the Heat lose 10 for 36 as Cameron Boyce conjured a remarkable Renegades comeback

Tristan Lavalette19-Jan-2020The Melbourne Renegades overcame an opening onslaught from Chris Lynn and Sam Heazlett to conjure a remarkable comeback 44-run victory over a stunned the Brisbane Heat, whose playoffs push crashed to a halt at the Gabba.Chasing 165, openers Heazlett (56) and Lynn (41 off 15) smashed 84 in the powerplay before the Heat lost three wickets in four deliveries out of nowhere. After Heazlett fell in the 13th over, the home side wilted further and lost 7 for 7 with hero Cameron Boyce finishing off one of the most astonishing comeback victories.Cameron Boyce gets mobbed by his team-mates•Getty Images

The Heat’s 10 for 36 collapse is the worst in BBL history and hard to fathom after they dominated the majority of the contest. After electing to bowl, the Heat restricted the Renegades to a seemingly under par 6 for 164 before enduring a batting meltdown.The Heat (5-6) remain in sixth spot, while the Renegades (2-9) have won consecutive matches.Heat claw back after strong Renegades startA struggling Marcus Harris has been reflective of the Renegades’ horror season. He shelved the big shots early in a bid to curtail the menacing bounce from a fired up James Pattinson, who was fresh off a five-wicket haul against the Adelaide Strikers.Pattinson continued to bowl short of a length and the out-of-sorts Harris succumbed to the pressure when he edged a short delivery.Ever reliable Shaun Marsh, in contrast, was in a belligerent mood. He may have, however, received an ounce of luck in the fourth over after appearing to be caught behind the wicket from an inside edge off Josh Lalor.Sam Harper hoped to support Marsh and attacked Mujeeb Ur Rahman at the backend of the powerplay. He blunted the spinner firstly by clubbing a six down the ground and then perfectly executed a clever paddle to the long-on boundary.The Renegades eyed a healthy total until Marsh threw his bat – literally after slipping from his grasp – but only succeeded in spooning a return catch to Ben Laughlin.The Heat’s fightback continued when Harper hit straight to short midwicket as the Renegades fell to 3 for 63 at the midpoint.Chris Lynn smashed five fours and three sixes in a 15-ball 41•Getty Images

Patel and Nabi rally at the deathThe Renegades were shackled in the middle overs until consecutive sixes by Will Sutherland in the 12th over relieved the pressure although the second was helped over the boundary by AB de Villiers, who uncharacteristically fumbled at long-off.Sutherland’s cavalier approach eventually backfired after holing out in the 14th over to negate the Renegades’ momentum.The Heat were fuelled by aggressive captaincy from Lynn, who brought spearhead Pattinson back on after the wickets of Harper and Sutherland. But Beau Webster superbly counterattacked in the 15th over with an astounding thump over the long-on boundary to sour Pattinson’s figures.Webster’s enterprising knock ended in the 17th but late fireworks from Samit Patel, who smacked a timely 23 from 10, and Mohammed Nabi revived the Renegades.Heazlett and Lynn plunder before Heat collapseThe Renegades’ momentum quickly evaporated after a loose Andrew Fekete leaked three boundaries in the first over. Patel’s spin didn’t fare any better, as a hot Heazlett whacked five boundaries from his first nine deliveries faced.An overshadowed Lynn luckily survived two inside edges, which both missed the stumps and rocketed to the boundary to continue the Heat’s soaring run rate. It wasn’t long until Lynn found his groove and he smacked Nabi’s first two deliveries for massive sixes to suddenly overtake Heazlett. Another boundary notched the 50-run stand off just 22 balls as Nabi’s hapless over cost 24 runs.The carnage continued until Lynn holed out on the last ball of the powerplay. De Villiers hoped to inflict more pain but was bowled second delivery by a flighted Boyce delivery to silence the Heat faithful, who were further stunned when Matthew Renshaw departed for a golden duck.Heazlett was forced to play cautiously but notched his first BBL half-century, as the Heat reached 3 for 103 after 10 overs.Boyce completes astonishing Renegades victoryAfter the earlier flurry, the Heat went six overs without a boundary as the pressure built and Heazlett cracked when he edged behind off Patel, who then claimed Jimmy Peirson next ball to flip the match once again.Joe Burns was then run out after a horrible mix up with Ben Cutting to continue the Heat’s stunning slide. Cutting couldn’t reprieve himself after being trapped unluckily lbw by Christian with replays indicating the ball was missing leg stump.The Heat spectacularly flamed out with Boyce fittingly finishing it off with wickets off successive deliveries to ensure the Renegades notched a win for the ages.

MS Dhoni is no longer a centrally contracted player with the BCCI. His name didn’t feature in the 27 contracts handed out by the Indian board on Thursday. He last played for India during the World Cup in 2019, following which there has been suspense over his future. In 2019, he had been awarded a Grade A contract, which brings a retainer of INR 5 crore (USD 700,000 approx). Top-order batsman KL Rahul made the jump from Grade B to A this time around, getting an increment of INR 2 crore (USD 280,000 approx).While Dhoni has not played any professional cricket since the World Cup, India coach Ravi Shastri has said more than once that Dhoni could come into contention for the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year if he does well in the IPL.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Others to lose contracts were Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik and Khaleel Ahmed. There weren’t many other massive changes from the contracts list from last year. Test opener Mayank Agarwal, who made his debut in Melbourne in a delicately poised series and immediately impressed, was the big gainer, entering the list at Grade B, which comes with a retainer of INR 3 crore (USD 420,000 approx). Test wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha, who had dropped to Grade C thanks to injuries, came back to join Agarwal in Grade B.Other new names in the contracts – as of now – included limited-overs specialists: Navdeep Saini, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Shreyas Iyer and Washington Sundar. They all entered the system at Grade C, which comes with a retainer of INR 1 crore (USD 140,000 approx).ALSO READ: ‘Good IPL, he puts himself into contention’ – Ravi Shastri reiterates Dhoni still in the mixThe A+ grade, which includes players who feature in all three formats, remained unchanged with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah retaining their INR 7 crore (USD 980,000 approx) fee. The injured Hardik Pandya, who has played only T20Is since the World Cup, retained his Grade B contract.These contracts are for October 2019 to September 2020. The total number of retainers has come down from 29 to 27. The recommendations for these contracts are made by national selectors based on a combination of performance in the previous year and the roles players are expected to play in the contract period. If someone outside of this list gets an India cap during the period, he becomes eligible gets Grade C contract. According to the BCCI rules, a player needs to play a minimum of two matches to be eligible to earn a Grade C contract.

Arsenal are apparently planning a £51 million bid for an "elite" player, with a new report suggesting that may well be enough to get him.

Arsenal set sights on new defender

The Gunners are set to try and strengthen across many areas of the pitch this summer. As manager Mikel Arteta tries to guide his side to their first league title in 20 years, sporting director Edu's preparation for the summer transfer window is already well and truly underway.

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“Well, I understand what the fans are asking for but we already have our targets,” the Brazilian said to TNT Sports. “We have planned a lot ahead and I will be worried if we don’t score a lot of goals and if we’re not creating chances, which is the opposite because we create a lot and score a lot of goals.

Arsenal's top scorers in the league this season

Goals

Bukayo Saka

13

Kai Havertz

8

Leandro Trossard

7

Declan Rice

6

Gabriel Martinelli

6

“The plan is to try to get better every year and I think we are in a good moment. Let's see if we can keep improving. Many times in certain conversations to recruit the players you don't see the character of the player or the character of the player does not fit well with what we are trying to do and then you have to move on and try to find what we’re really looking for.

“If you see all the signings we’ve made since we started together, everyone is almost the same, young, energetic and passionate, and good talents with big, beautiful futures ahead of them.”

Edu's line about bringing in younger, more energetic players is an interesting one. It falls in line with certain reports, with Arsenal reportedly planning a swoop for Sporting Lisbon sensation Ousmane Diomande.

The 20-year-old has emerged as one of Europe's most exciting defensive talents, and a report by Record revealed last week that Arsenal are planning to submit a £51 million offer for Diomande this summer.

£51 million Arsenal bid for Diomande could satisfy Sporting

Now, Record (via Sport Witness) have an update on the matter. Indeed, it is now believed that a potential £51 million bid from Arsenal to sign Diomande could be enough, as the outlet claims that amount may well tempt Sporting into a sale this summer – despite the value being below his actual release clause.

The towering centre-back and Ivory Coast international has been a regular at club level, with Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig calling him an "elite"-level talent.

It has been revealed that Liverpool were the Premier League side that Wrexham were due to face in a friendly prior to their North American tour.

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Article continues below

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• Red Dragons preparing to cross Atlantic
• Anfield giants heading in same direction
• Parkinson wants to get minutes into legs

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons are heading across the Atlantic for a second successive year. They will face Bournemouth and Chelsea while on the west coast of the United States, before heading north for a clash with MLS side the Vancouver Whitecaps in Ryan Reynolds’ home town.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT PARKINSON SAID

  Phil Parkinson is eager to get some minutes into his players prior to leaving the United Kingdom, with a clash with Northern Premier League Division One West side Hanley Town being hastily arranged. Wrexham’s boss has said: “We had a game organised against a Premier League club behind closed doors at their training ground which they pulled out of because of complications with their pre-season tour. We had to quickly arrange an alternative and we went to Hanley, looked at the pitch and spoke to the owner. They moved their fixtures around to accommodate us but the upside for them is that they are going to attract a fantastic crowd which can help them with the budget going forward. It is a good fixture which sets us on our way to America.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Hanley’s chairman has confirmed to the podcast that Liverpool were the team that Wrexham were supposed to play, but forced Reynolds and Rob McElhenney into a quick rethink when they decided to duck that fixture ahead of their own trip to the U.S.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  Wrexham have seen star striker Paul Mullin ruled out of their immediate plans, as he has undergone surgery, but pre-season dates will give them a chance to bed new recruits George Dobson and Lewis Brunt into the fold – with there the promise of more transfer business to come ahead of the 2024-25 campaign.

Whilst most of the focus is on the potential incomings at Arsenal this summer, reports suggest that a forgotten man will now be part of the departures at The Emirates in the coming months.

Arsenal transfer news

As the Gunners race towards potential Premier League glory, Mikel Arteta could be set to make some ruthless decisions on the transfer front with links to a clinical striker already stealing the headlines. Among those headlines have been Ivan Toney and Viktor Gyokeres, with the former returning from suspension in fine form and the latter standing tall as one of Europe's best strikers this season.

Before they welcome fresh faces, however, the North London giants may need to make some room and sanction a number of departures. The likes of Thomas Partey and Aaron Ramsdale have been linked with moves away in the last year or so and could now be among those to be shown the door this summer. Ramsdale certainly didn't help his case in his most recent Arsenal outing, of course, making a mistake in a 2-1 victory over Brentford.

The shot-stopper and Partey aren't the only ones who could leave The Emirates this summer either, it seems. According to Dean Jones for GiveMeSport, Arsenal "will sell" Kieran Tierney this summer in a deal worth at least £20m. The left-back has been on loan at Real Sociedad this season after losing his place in Arteta's starting XI to Oleksandr Zinchenko in the last campaign.

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Now, it seems as though the Gunners are ready to part ways with the former Celtic left-back, who takes up a reported £110k a week at the club. At £20m minimum, however, it remains to be seen where Tierney's future lies.

"Warrior" Tierney needs a fresh start

Whether it's been injuries or the arrival of Zinchenko, things just haven't worked out for Tierney at Arsenal, and now he may need a fresh start away from North London. Even at Real Sociedad, the Scot's injury problems haven't gone away, limiting him to just 13 appearances in La Liga this season in a frustrating campaign. The fact is, wherever his future lies, Tierney must fight to remain injury-free if he is to return to his best.

Hamstring injury

23/24

6

Hamstring injury

23/24

9

Knee surgery

21/22

10

Ankle problems

21/22

3

There may well be many disappointed fans of Tierney regarding the fact that things haven't worked out, and that includes Premier League legend Ashley Cole, who once said via The Metro:

"I think he would have liked to see more game time, he’s had a few injuries that hampered his season. When he’s in the team, they are a different team, he’s willing to defend, he’s that kind of leader and warrior they need in this team.

"There were those questions marks over him and his ability to come from Scottish football and adapt to the Premier League. But I think he’s adapted very well. He’s got those leadership qualities which are needed along with the younger players in there. When he doesn’t play they miss him on he left. For me, he can defend which is a plus."

Derby County will go into Saturday's home clash with Shrewsbury hoping that it's a straightforward victory come full-time, Paul Warne's Rams potentially clinching three wins on the trot in League One if the three points are secured.

Picking up a win at the expense of the Shrews would see Derby strengthen their grip on second spot in the division, the Rams already dreaming of a return to the Championship.

Despite everything going swimmingly at Pride Park now – after a dip in form saw Derby lose away at Reading in mid-January – this £8k per week homegrown Rams talent could well be dropped for his side's game on Saturday.

Louie Sibley is arguably now a victim of Derby's late business in the transfer window if he is dropped for the return to home soil for Warne's men, with the 50-year-old boss opting to put his faith in Corey Blackett-Taylor over Sibley if the new recruit is back fit in time.

Louie Sibley's season in numbers

In and around the furniture at Derby since joining as a schoolboy back in 2010, the now 22-year-old Sibley is an important presence in the Rams first-team.

The versatile midfielder can play down the wing and centrally as he has showcased this season, picked by Warne to start down the left-hand side versus Charlton last time out.

It was a forgettable display in truth from Sibley up against the then managerless hosts, only coming away from the contest with a weak 56% passing accuracy on top of managing to complete only one successful dribble attempt.

The decision to axe Sibley for Blackett-Taylor could look harsh from the outside in – the loyal Rams servant does have four goals and three assists next to his name from 28 appearances this season – but Warne will want to test out his new January recruit and see what havoc he can cause against a lowly Shrewsbury outfit.

Corey Blackett Taylor's season in numbers

Battling to be back to full sharpness for this Saturday's match, after missing a reunion at the Valley owing to an adductor injury, Blackett-Taylor will hope he gets the nod over an uninspiring Sibley if deemed to be at the races.

The 26-year-old attacker – who was formerly on the books at Aston Villa as a youngster – shone for another of his ex-clubs in Charlton this season before moving on to sign for Warne's Derby in the transfer window.

Blackett-Taylor's decorated time with Charlton even saw former Addicks boss Johnnie Jackson describe him as a "great" talent, who is "very difficult to defend against" due to his sublime trickery on the ball and eye for goal.

Amassing eight goals and seven assists this campaign for the underperforming Addicks, with 20 goals and 14 assists managed overall at the Valley from 97 games played, it was only a matter of time before a team higher up the league standings took a punt on the dynamic winger.

Derby did just that, landing the exciting attacker for £300k on an initial loan deal, but are yet to really see their new purchase sparkle wearing his new Rams strip.

Excelling playing in the lower depths of the EFL with Tranmere Rovers also, scoring eight times from 62 games in a short-lived stint at Prenton Park, the time could well be right to chuck Blackett-Taylor into the lineup again versus the Shrews to boost his confidence after such a major move.

Sibley will unfortunately be the casualty from the starting lineup, Warne wanting the strongest possible XI he can have at his disposal to pick up more victories with the Rams craving a return to the Championship.

It has been a campaign of ups and downs at Chelsea this season, although there have been more downs than ups in recent months.

Mauricio Pochettino saw his side blow Aston Villa away with a 3-1 win in the FA Cup on Wednesday evening, but in the two Premier League games prior, the Blues shipped a combined eight goals against Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, for as poor as the west Londoners have been throughout the season, there has been one shining light, a player who has often taken games by the scruff of the neck and fastened something out of nothing for his side.

Thanks to these impressive performances, the star in question has seen his value skyrocket, and he's now worth more than the team's most expensive signing ever, Moises Caicedo.

Palmer's Pre-Chelsea valuation

Unfortunately for Chelsea fans, the list of players at the club capable of winning games alone is currently concise, so the man in question is, of course, the spectacular Cole Palmer.

The Wythenshawe-born dynamo joined the Blues in the summer from Manchester City in a deal worth an initial £40m.

However, the Cityzens initially demanded more and reportedly valued their academy gem at around the £50m mark, rejecting the Pensioners' initial offer of around £35m.

While that might seem steep for a youngster with just 1481 minutes of senior football under his belt and eight-goal involvements to show for it, it wasn't.

The then-City-prospect had just played a key role in helping the England U21 side win the European Championship, scoring one goal and providing three assists in five appearances.

He was also highly thought of by Pep Guardiola, who described the Englishman as possessing "a special quality in front of the box that is difficult to find."

In all, while it looked like a lot of money, it was a fair price, and with how well he has done for the club since, Todd Boehly and Co must be delighted they sanctioned the signing.

Cole Palmer's valuation at Chelsea

It would probably be fair to describe Palmer's first season at Chelsea as a roaring success – on a personal level, that is.

In his 27 games for the club, he has scored 12 goals and provided seven assists, meaning he has been averaging 0.70 goal involvements per match, which is genuinely impressive for not only his first campaign with a new club but his first full season of top-flight senior football.

27

12

7

0.70

With the 21-year-old being one of the few players at the club who can be relied upon to put in regular top-draw performances, it's not surprising that talent scout Jacek Kulig described him as "The Leader of Chelsea."

He has also clearly left an impression on Premier League legend Alan Shearer, who described him as "absolutely sensational" and "magnificent" with the ball at his feet.

His explosive form, rave reviews and sky-high potential have all contributed to his valuation going through the roof over the last few months, with the CIES Football Observatory now valuing Palmer at an eyewatering €100m, which is about £85m, or around 113% more than what Chelsea paid for him.

This new valuation has also seen him overtake teammate Caicedo, who CIES now price at around €60m, which is about £51m, or less than half of what he cost in the summer.

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Now, that's obviously a much lower sum than Boehly and Co would ever accept for the Ecuadorian if they were to sell him, but his poor start to life at Stamford Bridge has certainly dented his value, and there is certainly an argument that he was never worth over £100m to start with.

Ultimately, Chelsea have done exceptionally well with Palmer, and while Caicedo might never quite be a nine-figure player again, the Englishman might already be at that level.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be aiming to carry on their good form of late when they take on Brentford in the Premier League tomorrow afternoon.

The Old Gold were unlucky to lose 4-3 to Manchester United last week, before securing a wonderful victory over Chelsea on the weekend as they completed the double over the Stamford Bridge side for the first time since the 1974/75 season.

Gary O’Neil is building something special at Molineux this season and if his side continue to impress, they could certainly secure a top-half finish in the top flight.

The former Bournemouth manager might not make too many changes to the side which won 4-2 in London a few days ago and with this in mind, here's a look at the starting XI which could take to the field at Molineux tomorrow.

1 GK – Jose Sa

During the January transfer window, Nottingham Forest were reportedly showing an interest in signing the Portuguese goalkeeper, yet nothing materialised, and he remains with Wolves until the summer at least.

While Wolves may be playing well, Sa has kept just three clean sheets in 21 league matches so far this season and grabbing his fourth tomorrow could go a long way to helping the side secure another crucial win.

2 RCB – Max Kilman

The captain has started every single league game this season so far and his presence in the back three is vital to how Wolves operate.

He has even chipped in with a couple of goals in recent weeks too, scoring in the win against Everton, while finding the back of the net in the last-gasp defeat to Manchester United, and it proves he is capable of coming up with the odd goal.

3 CB – Craig Dawson

The 33-year-old veteran has plenty of experience in the top flight and this has proven crucial this season as he has only missed two matches since the start of the term.

The former West Ham United defender is enjoying somewhat of an Indian summer to his career in the Midlands, and it is clear O’Neil can rely on him to perform every week.

4 LCB – Toti

The 25-year-old has really come into his own over the previous 12 months. He made 17 Premier League appearances last term and so far this season, the defender has already hit 20 games in the top flight, missing just three matches.

He will only continue to get better the more he plays and O’Neil has a settled back three which forms the foundation of his starting XI.

5 RM – Nelson Semedo

This season, the defender has been mainly utilised on the right side of the midfield to incorporate a back three, and it appears to be working well so far.

The former Barcelona gem could do with improving his goal involvement rate, however, as across 22 matches, the 30-year-old has registered zero assists.

6 CM – Tommy Doyle

Mario Lemina played OK against Chelsea, but he only managed 46 touches throughout the match while completing 86% of his passes and O’Neil could drop him to the bench in order to unleash Tommy Doyle.

The 5 foot 7 gem was hailed as “fantastic” by talent scout Jacek Kulig previously and when he came on against the Blues on the weekend, he completed 100% of his passes while winning his sole ground duel, and it could be time to unleash him in the starting XI against Brentford.

7 CM – Joao Gomes

The midfielder was solid against Chelsea, not only grabbing an assist but making six tackles and two interceptions during his spell on the field, which nullified the Blues.

The 22-year-old is certainly a player to watch out for in the coming years, but he is already gaining vital experience in the Premier League this season, playing 20 games for the Old Gold as they have performed well and expect to see him start against the Bees tomorrow.

8 LM – Rayan Ait-Nouri

Typically, a left-back, the French-born starlet has been operating in a more advanced role this season in order to allow O’Neil the chance to deploy a back three.

While he has played 20 league matches during 2023/24, the youngster has yet to score or register an assist and, like Semedo on the other flank, more must be shown in an attacking sense by the pair.

He has started five of their previous six top-flight matches and expect him to be unleashed again from the first whistle.

9 RF – Pablo Sarabia

The Spaniard may have only started ten of their 23 league matches so far this season, but he does have two goals and five assists to his name, proving that he is incredibly effective when he does play.

The 31-year-old has a wealth of experience, and it has clearly been on display in recent months and this could be vital if the Old Gold plan on taking three points against Brentford.

10 LF – Mathues Cunha

The Brazilian was in fine form against Chelsea, becoming just the fourth player in Premier League history, after Kanu, Robin van Persie and Sergio Aguero, to score a hat-trick at Stamford Bridge.

He also won a penalty, succeeded with two of his four dribble attempts, and made one key pass as the Old Gold were in dominant form against the Londoners last weekend.

If he carries this type of form into tomorrow’s clash, the Brentford defence will be run ragged.