Carlo Ancelotti has revealed his Brazil plans with Neymar Jr. after the Selecao captain was dropped by the Italian coach for his first squad.

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Neymar dropped by Ancelotti in Brazil squadAncelotti says he counts on him to returnWants Neymar to be fully fit for comebackFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Ancelotti was named as the Brazilian national team head coach earlier this week after his departure from Real Madrid at the end of the season. The Selecao announced their first squad under the Italian for their World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Brazil captain Neymar was the surprise exclusion from Ancelotti's squad as the Santos star's continued lack of form amid injury issues. However, the Italian coach has revealed that Neymar is still a key part of Brazil's plans for the World Cup as he continues to 'count on him'.

WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

Speaking to the media, Ancelotti said: “In this call-up, I selected the players who are doing well. Neymar has just returned from injury, everyone knows his quality and we are counting on him”

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR NEYMAR?

The former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain superstar continues to work on his fitness and form with Santos. With the 2026 World Cup coming up, the winger will be hoping to show any sort of form heading into 2026.

Arsenal are now determined to complete deals for two international teammates this summer, having prepared a package worth a total of £99m, according to a report.

Arsenal planning for the summer

There have been widespread calls for the Gunners to sign a striker in the summer, having decided not to bring in a new forward during the January transfer window, which may have gone some way to derailing their Premier League title bid.

As such, work has started on bringing a new striker to the Emirates Stadium, and an exciting new update has revealed the north Londoners are now leading Manchester United in the race to sign Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.

Alexander Isak is another name on Mikel Arteta’s list of targets, but a move for the Newcastle United man could prove to be very expensive, so FC Porto’s Samu Aghehowa has now been identified as a potential cheaper alternative.

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Striker is not the only position in which Arteta is keen to strengthen, however, with the manager also looking at a new winger and central midfielder, and a report from Spain has now revealed a move could be made for two international teammates.

According to a report from Spain, Arsenal are now preparing a €120m (£99m) package to sign Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi and Athletic Club’s Nico Williams, with £49.5m being allocated to each player.

However, there may have to be some departures to fund the moves, given that it could be a costly operation, with attacking duo Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli reportedly among the main candidates to leave.

Arsenal need attacking depth

In truth, it is a little strange for the report to suggest Martinelli or Trossard could depart, given that Arteta clearly needs attacking depth next season if his side are to finally go all the way and win the Premier League title.

Bukayo Saka’s absence has hit hard, with 17-year-old Ethan Nwaneri being called upon to fill in for the England international, while the injuries suffered by Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz have left the Gunners without a striker during a title run-in.

Man Utd (a)

March 9th

Chelsea (h)

March 16th

Fulham (h)

April 1st

Everton (a)

April 5th

Brentford (h)

April 12th

As such, while there are clear signs Williams could be a solid signing, having been lauded as “world-class” by journalist Zach Lowy, Arteta shouldn’t sell any of his current forwards to fund a move.

Kieran Tierney has also lauded Zubimendi as “world-class”, indicating that Arsenal are lining up moves for two top players, which will be exciting news, however signing a new striker has to be a priority.

Osimhen’s release clause dropping to £62m has presented the Gunners with an excellent opportunity to bring in an out-and-out forward without completely breaking the bank, and the Nigerian’s fantastic goal record indicates he could be the final piece of the jigsaw.

Mishra and Bishnoi also played their part in strangling Sunrisers on a slow, low Ekana surface

Hemant Brar07-Apr-2023On a slow, low and dying black-soil surface at the Ekana Cricket Stadium, Lucknow Super Giants’ spinners starved Sunrisers Hyderabad of runs to set up a five-wicket win.After winning the toss, Aiden Markram opted to bat but his side could post only 121 for 8. Super Giants were without Mark Wood (flu) and Avesh Khan (injured) but Krunal Pandya, Ravi Bishnoi and Amit Mishra ensured their absence wasn’t felt. The trio picked up 6 for 57 in their combined 12 overs, with Krunal inflicting the most damage with the wickets of Mayank Agarwal, Anmolpreet Singh and Markram.KL Rahul and Kyle Mayers kicked off the chase by adding 35 in 4.3 overs. Mayers and Deepak Hooda fell in back-to-back overs but Krunal hit a 23-ball 34 to kill the game. When Nicholas Pooran hit the winning six, Super Giants still had four overs left.KL Rahul top-scored for Super Giants with 35•BCCIImpact Player strategySunrisers started with three overseas players – Markram, Harry Brook and Adil Rashid – giving themselves the option to use either Heinrich Klaasen in case of a collapse, or one of Marco Jansen or Fazalhaq Farooqi to beef up their bowling in the second half. At 55 for 4 after nine overs, it looked like they would have to bring in Klaasen. He was padded up in the dugout but Sunrisers didn’t lose another wicket until the 18th over. Eventually, Farooqi replaced Rahul Tripathi at the start of the chase.Super Giants followed a more straightforward route, swapping Mishra with Ayush Badoni after the 19th over of the first innings.Krunal’s three-for dents SunrisersJust after two overs of seam, it was clear that this pitch was tailormade for spinners. Rahul duly brought Krunal on in the third over, and the left-arm spinner had Mayank Agarwal chipping one to extra-cover. Anmolpreet Singh and Rahul Tripathi took some time to get used to the slowness of the surface, and then hit four fours in eight balls to take the side to 43 for 1 at the end of the powerplay.Krunal, though, dragged them back by dismissing Anmolpreet and Markram off successive balls. Anmolpreet was trapped lbw by a quicker one and Markram done in by turn. Playing his first game of the season, Markram looked to drive a full ball only to get beaten and have his off stump uprooted.In the next over, the ninth of the innings, Bishnoi set Brook up nicely. After bowling two googlies, he anticipated Brook’s advance down the track and slipped in a wide legbreak. Brook did exactly what the bowler anticipated, ended up nowhere near the pitch of the ball, and was stumped by some distance.ESPNcricinfo LtdSunrisers struggle to break awayWhile Tripathi and Washington Sundar ensured Sunrisers didn’t lose another wicket for the next seven overs, the scoreboard moved at a glacial pace – just two boundaries came from overs 7 to 16. Tripathi tried to ramp Yash Thakur in the 18th over but failed to clear Mishra, who dived full-length to his left at short third to take the catch. Mishra picked up two himself in the next over, tossing the ball up to Washington and Rashid and having them caught down the ground. Only Abdul Samad’s unbeaten 21 off 10, which included two sixes off Jaydev Unadkat in the 20th over, took Sunrisers past a run a ball.Rahul, Krunal boss the chaseWith Quinton de Kock available, there was some intrigue over whether he or Mayers would open the innings alongside Rahul. But Super Giants stuck with the same batting line-up, leaving de Kock out to the surprise of many. And even if Mayers couldn’t repeat his heroics of the previous two games, he and Rahul gave the side a breezy start.Farooqi had Mayers pulling one straight to deep square leg in the fifth over, and from the other end, Bhuvneshwar Kumar took a low, one-handed return catch to his left to send Hooda back. But Super Giants had the advantage of knowing their target.Krunal joined Rahul at the end of the powerplay, and without taking much risk, the pair picked up a boundary in each of the next five overs. Krunal was the aggressor during the third-wicket stand of 55 in 6.2 overs, scoring at a strike rate of 147.82. Super Giants reached 100 in the 13th over before Krunal nicked Umran Malik behind. Rashid then had Rahul and Romario Shepherd lbw off successive deliveries, but the result was a formality by then.

Chelsea went into the last international break of the 2024/25 campaign off the back of a disappointing 1-0 defeat to London rivals Arsenal at The Emirates.

The Blues were beaten by a first-half header by Mikel Merino from a corner, which turned out to be the only goal of the game, but still went into the break in fourth place in the Premier League table.

Enzo Maresca’s side are fighting to secure Champions League qualification for next season, whilst they are also still in the Conference League after their win over Copenhagen.

The Chelsea head coach, who arrived from Leicester City to replace Mauricio Pochettino last summer, has not been afraid to make big decisions and try bold tactical moves during his short time at Stamford Bridge to date.

In the 1-0 defeat to Arsenal, captain Reece James was selected as one of the two deep-lying central midfield players, rather than being deployed in his usual berth at right-back.

However, the England international won just one duel in 82 minutes, whilst failing to create any chances for his teammates, and it remains to be seen where his long-term future is.

Where Reece James' best position is

His struggles against Arsenal last weekend suggest that a long-term future in midfield may not be the best use of James’ talents, albeit on a small sample size.

One of the English star’s best attributes as a player is his athleticism on the pitch. Whilst you could argue that suits playing in midfield, his ability to get up and down the pitch with powerful runs is what makes him such an effective and dangerous full-back.

As you can see in the clip above, James has the quality to be a difference-maker in the final third when he makes runs from full-back to arrive in the box.

The 25-year-old defender has racked up 13 goals and 23 assists in 172 first-team appearances for the club to date, with the vast majority of those matches coming at right-back.

Therefore, playing as a right-sided defender could be the ideal position for James because of his ability to make lung-busting runs down the right to deliver goals and crosses from wide positions, which he cannot do in a central role.

However, there should also be concerns over his long-term fitness as a right-back because he has suffered from injury problems throughout his time in the first-team with the Blues.

24/25

3

22

23/24

2

38

22/23

6

25

21/22

4

20

20/21

2

9

19/20

4

18

As you can see in the table above, James has only missed fewer than 18 competitive games for club and country in one of his six seasons at Stamford Bridge to date.

Chelsea may, therefore, have to look at the future of their right-back position and find another player to fit their role, and that is reportedly what they are doing.

Chelsea want to sign Premier League right-back

According to The Boot Room, Chelsea are ‘working’ on a deal to sign Nottingham Forest right-back Ola Aina in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that there are several sides interested in signing the Nigeria international from the Tricky Trees in the summer, and that the Blues are one of those teams vying to secure his signature ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Aina started his career at Cobham, spending 12 years in the academy system, before they sold him to Torino for a fee of £8.7m in the summer of 2019.

The Boot Room adds that Liverpool, Chelsea, and Manchester City have all been keeping tabs on the defender’s performances in the Premier League this season, with a view to making a move for him in the summer.

Forest have an option to extend Aina’s contract by 12 months and that would leave him with just one year left on his deal in the summer unless they can strike an agreement with him, which could open the door for the Blues to swoop in for his services.

Why Chelsea need sign Ola Aina

Maresca must push the board to complete a deal to bring the Nigerian defender back to Stamford Bridge in the upcoming summer transfer window because he could be an upgrade on James.

Availability is the best ability because, quite simply, a player has no use to the manager on the pitch if they are unable to take part on the field most weeks.

Aina has only missed more than six games through injury in one season in his entire senior career, and has only missed six matches through injury since the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

This suggests that he could, immediately, be an upgrade on James by simply being more available to Maresca throughout the campaign, due to his impressive fitness record in comparison to the England international’s.

The 28-year-old star, as illustrated by the incredible statistic above, could also be an upgrade on the Chelsea skipper through his performances on the pitch.

Former Nigerian international Julius Aghahowa recently described Aina as “the best right-back in the Premier League” due to his effectiveness in and out of possession, which is backed up by that stat from TNT as he has been the best defender in Europe’s top leagues at winning the ball back.

Appearances

29

11

Goals

2

1

Big chances created

2

0

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.8

1.3

Ball recoveries per game

5.4

3.0

Duels won per game

5.3

3.7

Ground duel success rate

56%

55%

As you can see in the table above, he has outperformed James in a host of statistical categories from a defensive perspective, which suggests that he could improve Chelsea’s defence by arriving this summer.

Notably, Aina has also played almost three times as many matches in the Premier League this season, and that is the big selling point for the Nigerian star.

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He is a consistent and brilliant performer who can also be relied upon to be available week-in-week-out without breaking down due to injuries, which is why Chelsea must swoop to sign him as an upgrade on the unreliable James.

MatériaMais Notícias

Adryelson foi apresentado oficialmente pelo Botafogo na tarde desta terça-feira no Estádio Nilton Santos. O zagueiro, último reforço anunciado pelo Glorioso após rescindir contrato com o Sport, destacou o desafio.

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+Botafogo chega a valor pedido por Martín Ojeda, mas Godoy Cruz quer ‘prazo’ para liberação

– Agradeço muito primeiro a Deus, segundamente ao staff do Botafogo pela confiança ao meu trabalho. Estou muito feliz de estar aqui nesse grande clube, estou muito reparado pra essa grande oportunidade que apareceu na minha carreira – afirmou.

O zagueiro também tinha uma proposta do São Paulo e até estava perto do Tricolor, mas o Botafogo chegou “de última hora” e fechou com o jogador. O defensor explicou que o projeto foi um diferencial pelo desfecho positivo.

– Estava no carro com a minha esposa, a gente sempre conversa sobre as propostas que aparecem. Meu empresário ligou sobre o Botafogo e o projeto que foi apresentado. Nós chegamos e oramos em casa se seria esse caminho e para que Deus mostrasse um caminho. Conversamos e resolvi vir para cá porque o projeto é muito bom. Não pensei duas vezes em aceitar esse proposta e vir para cá – explicou.

– O projeto em si não é a curto prazo, é a longo prazo, como todos sabem. A gente já vai tentar colocar em campo para ganhar, buscar títulos. Queremos colocar tudo em campo para já buscar vencer e ganhar – completou.

MAIS DECLARAÇÕES DE ADRYELSON

Recepção
– O primeiro que recebeu na minha chegada foi o Carli, me perguntou se eu estava me perguntando de alguma coisa. Conheci o Cuesta agora, no vestiário, me recebeu muito bem também. Todo o resto do elenco foi assim também, agradeço por isso, torço para que podemos ser felizes juntos.

Torcida
– Gostei bastante, é uma torcida que está sempre apoiando o nosso elenco. Espero dar sempre alegria para todos eles, quero dar sempre o meu melhor.

Jogo contra o Corinthians
– Desde o meu primeiro dia já venho treinando bem, eu não vinha parado. Se surgir a oportunidade estarei 100% preparado. Se surgir a oportunidade vou estar preparado.

Jogos contra Carlos Eduardo e Victor Sá no Mundo Árabe
– Joguei contra o Edu e o Victor, contra o Carlos ganhei e o Victor eu perdi. O Carlos já veio me cumprimentar e eu agradeci pela força que ele me deu lá, lá sempre contamos com a força dos brasileiros. São duas pessoas que me acolheram muito.

Objetivos
– Eu sempre tenho um sonho, uma meta. Sei que não vou desistir nunca dele. Minha meta é ser campeão. Não entro para perder, todos os campeonatos que eu jogar eu vou entrar para ganhar. Minhas metas são individuais, são minhas, mas eu vou jogar para ganhar, ser campeão.

Liverpool could allow an “outstanding” player to leave the club in the summer transfer window, with Real Madrid circling for his £50m signature.

Liverpool fail to turn up in EFL Cup final against Newcastle

After the disappointment of Champions League elimination last week, the Reds lost 2-1 to Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final on Sunday afternoon.

Arne Slot’s side produced a flat performance throughout at Wembley, with too many players looking jaded, so Liverpool could have few qualms about the eventual result. For the boss, it was a failed opportunity to win silverware at his maiden attempt in his first season at Anfield.

It’s now a case of the Reds knuckling down and getting the job done in the Premier League title race, and thankfully, a 16-day break before their next game could be a blessing in disguise. That is still the main aim for the season, and always has been.

The defeat to Newcastle highlighted the need for additions to Liverpool’s squad when the summer window rolls around, though, with a new centre forward vital and fresh legs needed in defence, too. Now, a key current player who started against Newcastle has been linked with a move away.

"Outstanding" Liverpool ace linked with exit as Real Madrid circle

According to a report from Spain, Liverpool may entertain offers of £50m for Ibrahima Konate at the end of the season, with Real Madrid interested in snapping him up.

It is claimed that the Frenchman’s “contractual situation, in addition to potential negotiation deadlock, has set a scenario where the club would not frown upon his departure if a suitable offer arises.”

Selling Konate could ultimately be the wrong decision by Liverpool, considering he is an important starter who could lead the defence once Virgil van Dijk has eventually moved on. The Dutchman hasn’t yet signed a new deal, though, so there is no guarantee that he will still be at Anfield beyond June.

The 25-year-old is such an imposing centre-back when he is fit and firing, with Van Dijk hailing his quality after the 1-0 win at Wolves earlier this season:

“He is a fantastic player who still can be better. As you saw, he is important with the goal, he is defensively solid, a bit unlucky with the goal we conceded, but obviously the qualities he has are outstanding in my opinion. He is learning, growing, getting better and looking after himself much better in order to be ready every three days as that’s what asked.”

The only issue with Konate is injuries, but he has already started 22 Premier League games this season – the most for Liverpool in the competition in any campaign for the club – which suggests he has hopefully overcome that problem.

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If Van Dijk stays and Konate goes, it wouldn’t necessarily be a disaster for the Reds, assuming a top-quality replacement came in, but keeping hold of him is still the preferred outcome.

CSK can inch closer to the playoffs with a win, while Capitals will join the mid-table huddle if they can add two points to their kitty

Ashish Pant09-May-20235:40

Is Ruturaj doing the job for CSK as an opener?

Big picture: Can Delhi Capitals breach Chepauk fortress?A campaign that seemed to have fizzled out even before taking off has suddenly found life. Delhi Capitals lost their first five games on the bounce, but have won four of five games after that and are now in with a shot of joining the mid-table jam in IPL 2023. Capitals are still placed last on the points table, but as things stand, there is only a three-point difference between them and third-placed Lucknow Super Giants.To keep their chances alive, though, Capitals must first get past Chennai Super Kings, something they have failed to do more often than they have over the years. Capitals have beaten CSK in Chennai only on two occasions in eight attempts, the last being in 2010, and the head-to-head record is also skewed in CSK’s favour: they have won 17 of the 27 games over the years. CSK’s run at Chepauk this year, though, has been patchy. They have won three and lost two so far.Related

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Both sides come into his game on the back of confident wins. While CSK steamrolled Mumbai Indians by six wickets on Saturday evening, Capitals took down a 188-run target against Royal Challengers Bangalore in 16.4 overs the same night.A big reason behind Capitals’ revival has been their spinners – Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel, mainly – who have restricted the opposition to sub-140 totals in three of their last five matches. Their spinners have been the most economical amongst all teams in the competition going at 6.9 an over, which might come in handy on a Chepauk surface that showed signs of slowing down last time around.It won’t, however, be easy against a rampaging CSK top order, led by, Devon Conway (458 runs at a strike rate of 139.20), Ruturaj Gaikwad (384 at 148.26), Shivam Dube (290 at 156.75) and Ajinkya Rahane (245 at 181.48). They have the joint-best powerplay scoring rate of 9.5 this season, and have recorded 50-plus scores in eight out of ten innings in that phase this IPL.CSK currently sit second on the points table with 13 points, and a win will push them closer to a playoff spot.Team news: Will CSK field Stokes even if he’s fit?Ben Stokes has been batting and bowling in the nets, but even if he is fit, it will be tough for CSK to slot him, considering their overseas players – Conway, Moeen Ali, Matheesha Pathirana and Maheesh Theekshana/Mitchell Santner – have been doing well. “I’m pretty sure Stokes is available for selection but it comes down to the balance of the squad” Mike Hussey, the CSK batting coach, said on the subject on the eve of the game.And guess who has the best average and best strike rate of the CSK batters? Yup, MS Dhoni has 76 runs in 38 balls this season, his average is 76.00 (one dismissal in seven innings) and strike rate is 200.00.Anrich Nortje had to fly back to South Africa following a personal emergency and missed Capitals’ last game. He is unavailable for the game against CSK as well on Wednesday. Shane Watson, Capitals’ assistant coach, expects Nortje to return to the IPL for the back end of the tournament.The big questionForm guide: Capitals look to make it three in threeChennai Super Kings WNRLLW
Delhi Capitals WWLWWImpact Player strategyAmbati Rayudu has consistently been CSK’s Impact Player this season, replacing one of the bowlers when they chase, and that trend is likely to continue. If they bat first, Rayudu will likely start, with Tushar Deshpande or Theekshana coming in as the sub in the second innings.CSK probable XII: 1 Devon Conway, 2 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 3 Ajinkya Rahane, 4 , 5 Shivam Dube, 6 Moeen Ali, 7 Ravindra Jadeja, 8 MS Dhoni (capt, wk), 9 Deepak Chahar, 10 Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Matheesha Pathirana, 12 Capitals have followed a straightforward batter-for-bowler swap as far as the impact-sub rule is concerned. If they bat first, Ripal Patel or Sarfaraz Khan will likely start, with Ishant Sharma coming in the second innings, and vice-versa. Depending on the surface, Capitals might also look to bring in offspinner Lalit Yadav into the mix for a quick.Capitals probable XII: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 David Warner (capt), 3 Mitchell Marsh 4 Rilee Rossouw, 5 Aman Hakim Khan, 6 Manish Pandey, 7 Axar Patel, 8 , 9 Khaleel Ahmed/Lalit Yadav, 10 Kuldeep Yadav, 11 Mukesh Kumar 12 1:10

Ruturaj: I don’t want to face Pathirana in the nets

Numbers that matter: Warner vs Theekshana Kuldeep should be kept away from Conway and Moeen. While Conway strikes at 268.42 against Kuldeep in T20s, Moeen has a strike rate of 287.5 against him. David Warner and Axar have never fallen to Ravindra Jadeja in T20s. Warner has struck Jadeja for 92 runs in 55 balls across seven innings, while Axar has scored 66 off 38 in nine innings. But Warner has fallen to Theekshana three times in six innings and averages 18.66 against him.Capitals have hit the least number of sixes in the tournament so far – 42.Pitch and conditionsScores of 200 have been breached four times this season in Chennai in ten innings. The surface did show signs of slowing down last time, but there was not much turn on offer for the spinners. The surface should be better for batters in the night game and dew might also come into play. It has been cloudy in Chennai for the last few days, but rain isn’t forecast for Wednesday.

Deepti Sharma, the allrounder, is a new entrant to BCCI’s highest bracket of annual retainers – Grade A worth INR 50 lakh – alongside Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur for 2022-23.Poonam Yadav, the legspinner, who had previously been placed in the highest bracket when the central contracts were last made public in May 2021 (for the period October 2020-September 2021), drops out altogether along with the now-retired pair of Mithali Raj and Jhulan Goswami, who had both been placed in Grade B (worth INR 30 lakh).Raj retired after last year’s 50-overs World Cup in New Zealand while Goswami made her final appearance during a historic ODI-series win over England at Lord’s last September.Related

• Upping her power game and getting the finishing skills right – Deepti eyes a higher gear

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Shikha Pandey, the allrounder, who earned a recall after 15 months ahead of this year’s T20 World Cup in South Africa has been left out altogether. She had previously been in Grade B which had 10 players. That list has now been pruned to five, with Renuka Singh and Richa Ghosh, who was earlier handed a Grade C retainer, being the new entrants. The others include Jemimah Rodrigues, Shafali Verma and Rajeshwari Gayakwad.Renuka enjoyed a breakthrough 2022, where she played a stellar role in India’s run to a silver-medal finish at Commonwealth Games in Birmingham last year and has since emerged as the leader of India’s seam attack after Goswami’s retirement. Ghosh, meanwhile, has emerged as the frontline wicketkeeper and the team’s designated finisher.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Grade C, which is worth INR 10 lakh, has nine players from six previously. Among the first timers are fast bowlers Meghna Singh and Anjali Sarvani, allrounders Pooja Vastrakar, Sneh Rana and Devika Vaidya and batters S Meghana, Yastika Bhatia and Harleen Deol. Allrounder Radha Yadav is also part of this group, having earlier been given a Grade B contract.The formal announcement of annual retainers comes six months after the BCCI announced a pay parity, under which the women – like the men – stood to earn INR 15 lakh for a Test, INR 6 lakh for an ODI and INR 3 lakh for a T20I. These amounts are significantly higher than the flat INR 1 lakh that India women players earned for an ODI or T20I appearance, and INR 2.5 lakh for a Test match prior to that.The Indian team’s next assignment is a tour to Bangladesh in June. Earlier this month, board secretary Jay Shah said it was “imperative we have a dedicated, full-fledged support staff to drive the team forward” while also saying the “best coaches will be roped in to help players realise full potential and achieve excellence on and off the field.”The national team is currently without a full-time head coach since former India offspinner Ramesh Powar was asked to step away as part of a restructuring process. Since then, former India batter Hrishikesh Kanitkar has been in charge and led the team to a semi-final finish at the T20 World Cup.Applications for various positions, including head coach, will be announced soon before BCCI’s three-member Cricket Advisory Committee will conduct interviews to identify the new coaches.

Liverpool are now targeting a “flamboyant” forward who was unearthed by Jürgen Klopp as a youngster, and he could be available for a fee of just £21m, according to a report.

Reds eyeing forwards amid Salah uncertainty

Of course, every Liverpool fan will be hoping Mohamed Salah puts the rumours to bed and signs a new contract, but for now the Egyptian’s future remains in doubt, which means potential replacements are being identified ahead of the summer transfer window.

FSG have recently sent scouts to watch Juventus’ Kenan Yildiz, with a £50m offer being prepared for the versatile forward, but the Italian side are said to be seeking around £84m, meaning the two clubs could be some way apart in negotiations.

Interestingly, the Reds have also been handed the opportunity to sign former Manchester City winger Leroy Sane, who is now at Bayern Munich, with the German set to be available on a free transfer upon the expiration of his contract at the end of the season.

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Sane is proven in the Premier League, but an intriguing alternative option from the Bundesliga is also entering the equation, with a report from Caught Offside revealing Liverpool are now eyeing a move for Eintracht Frankfurt’s Ansgar Knauff.

Although not available on a free transfer like Sane, Knauff would also be a relatively inexpensive addition, with the German club looking to hold out for a fee of around €25m (£21m).

The 23-year-old has impressed Frankfurt manager Dino Toppmoller this season, and he also once caught the eye of Klopp at a very young age, with the legendary former Reds boss watching him in action in a youth tournament at just 12-years-old.

Klopp invited the winger for a trial at Borussia Dortmund, and he later went on to make 16 appearances for the Bundesliga giants before making the move to Frankfurt.

"Flamboyant" Knauff proving his worth at Frankfurt

The former Dortmund man never managed to establish himself as a first-team regular at Signal Iduna Park, but he has since gone on to prove his worth at Frankfurt.

The Gottingen-born winger’s output has been steadily increasing, with six goals and four assists to his name in all competitions this season, and he places in the 97th percentile for assists per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers across the big five leagues.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has previously described the Frankfurt star as “flamboyant”, and he is also a very impressive dribbler, placing in the 95th percentile for progressive carries and the 88th percentile for successful take-ons.

As such, there are clear signs Knauff could be an exciting acquisition for Liverpool, who should continue to monitor his performances, and his potential availability for the very affordable fee of just £21m is a real added bonus.

تقدم فريق الأهلي بالهدف الأول أمام بورتو البرتغالي بالمباراة التي تجمع بينهما الآن ضمن منافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

وتُلعب المباراة بين الأهلي وبورتو، على أرضية ملعب “ميت لايف” بمدينة نيويورك الأمريكية، في الجولة الثالثة والأخيرة من مباريات المجموعة الأولى لمنافسات بطولة كأس العالم للأندية 2025.

ويتواجد الأهلي في المجموعة الأولى من كأس العالم للأندية، إلى جانب بالميراس البرازيلي وإنتر ميامي الأمريكي وبورتو البرتغالي.

طالع | ترتيب مجموعة الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية (مباشر)

وسجل وسام أبو علي الهدف الأول لصالح الأهلي بالدقيقة 16 من عمر اللقاء، بعدما استلم الكرة من حمدي فتحي ليصوبها مباشرة في مرمى بورتو. هدف الأهلي الأول أمام بورتو في كأس العالم للأندية 

15' GOAL! Abou Ali lights it up for Al Ahly's first goal in the tournament! 🔥

The Egyptian giants take the lead—what a FINISH! 🔴🙌

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— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 24, 2025