Celtic made their way through to the final of the SFA Cup on Saturday as they came out on top on penalties against Aberdeen at Hampden Park.

The Hoops made hard work of the match, as they went 1-0, 2-1, and 3-1 up at various points on the day, only to be pegged back each time by the Dons.

It then came down to spot-kicks and Joe Hart went from villain to hero with a missed penalty followed by a crucial save from the spot to send his team through to the final.

They will now face off against rivals Rangers in the final next month as they hope to end the season with at least one domestic cup, having been knocked out of the League Cup by Kilmarnock in August of last year.

The Glasgow giants look set to be without at least one player for the showpiece at Hampden and for the Scottish Premiership title run-in, though, as Daizen Maeda's season appears to be all-but-over.

What Brendan Rodgers has said about Daizen Maeda's injury

Brendan Rodgers revealed earlier this month that the Japan international is unlikely to feature much before the end of the 2023/24 campaign due to an injury.

The Northern Irish boss said that he was "not sure" that the attacker would be seen again this term, and that he does not expect the winger to play much as there is only a small window for him to recover and return to action over the next few weeks.

After the 3-0 win over St Mirren, it was confirmed that Maeda had suffered a hamstring injury and "unfortunately" – per Rodgers – it does not look like he will be able to play any more of a role on the pitch in Celtic's bid to land the SFA Cup and the Premiership title before the end of the season.

Appearances

25

Goals

5

Assists

2

Big chances missed

12

Key passes per game

0.5

Duel success rate

44%

As you can see in the table above, the 26-year-old whiz has struggled in front of goal with a staggering 12 'big chances' missed and just five goals scored.

This suggests that his finishing has been below par in the Premiership as he has been wasteful with the opportunities that have been created for him by his teammates.

However, Rodgers once claimed that Maeda has the "work rate of two players" on the pitch, which speaks to the work the Japanese ace puts in out of possession for the team.

The manager must now find a reliable performer to nail down the left wing slot as a replacement for the Japan international, and James Forrest could emerge as a surprise candidate to be a regular starter ahead of Hyun-jun Yang and Luis Palma.

Hyun-jun Yang and Luis Palma's performances this year

Yang was selected to start on the left wing against Aberdeen on Saturday and did not make the most of his chance to catch the eye for Celtic.

Football Insider's Sean Fisher handed him a dismal match rating of 2/10 and described the forward as 'invisible', whilst adding that groans could be heard from supporters after several mistakes on the ball from the winger.

The South Korean whiz, 21, has failed to make the most of his opportunities throughout the Premiership season as well, with one goal and three assists in 24 appearances and ten starts.

Palma, on the other hand, has produced one goal and two assists in his last 12 outings for the club in all competitions, and that one goal came against lower league outfit Buckie Thistle in the SFA Cup.

He has zero goals and one assist in his last nine Premiership games for the Scottish giants, after a fantastic return of six goals and eight assists in his first 15 league matches of the campaign – taking him to an overall tally of six goals and nine assists in 24 outings.

These statistics, however, show that both Yang and Palma have struggled at the top end of the pitch in 2024 as neither of them have provided consistent quality as a scorer or a creator.

This suggests that there is not an obvious contender to replace Maeda as the nailed on starter on the left, which is why Forrest could now emerge as a surprise option to start during the run-in.

Why James Forrest could be Daizen Maeda's replacement

At the age of 32, the Scottish whiz is the most experienced option in that area of the pitch for Rodgers, but also the most unlikely candidate due to his lack of minutes so far this season.

The £19k-per-week star has only started two league games for the Hoops and made just 18 appearances in the division so far, whilst Palma (17) and Yang (ten) have both hit double figures for league starts.

Despite his limited action on the pitch, Forrest has made an impact in the final third for Celtic with a return of four goals and one assist in 529 minutes across all competitions, which is one goal contribution every 106 minutes on average.

Appearances

16

Starts

5

Goals

4

Big chances missed

1

Assists

2

Key passes

14

As you can see in the table above, the experienced ace also caught the eye with six goal contributions in just six league starts under Ange Postecoglou last term.

These statistics show that the veteran forward still has the ability to make a difference at the top end of the pitch in the big moments when called upon, which was evident in his performance off the bench against Aberdeen at Hampden.

Forrest was brought on for Yang, ahead of Palma, in the second half and made an almost-instant impact with a terrific strike from the edge of the box, having cut inside onto his favoured right-foot, to find the far bottom corner.

After the game, Rodgers hailed his impact as "brilliant" and described the Hoops star as a "big-game player", which is why he could be the surprise replacement for Maeda on the left flank.

Forrest has the quality and the mentality to be exactly what Celtic need on the wing over the last few matches in the race for the title and the SFA Cup trophy, particularly with Yang and Palma struggling to find their best form.

Glasgow Rangers face a busy summer at Ibrox which will be filled with plenty of incomings and outgoings as Philippe Clement aims to assert his own influence on the side.

The Belgian inherited a mixed bad of a squad from Michael Beale and while he has worked wonders with this group of players, recent weeks have begun to expose the Glasgow side's fragilities.

This means a clear-out is required, especially as several of the senior players have failed to really cover themselves in glory since returning from the international break at the end of March.

John Lundstram hasn’t exactly been at his best as it appears he has eyes on a move away from Ibrox when his contract expires this summer, while James Tavernier hasn’t been the leader that Rangers have needed when the going got tough against Ross County and Dundee.

Tavernier will likely still be the captain next season, with Lundstram moving on to pastures new, but is it perhaps the future of Connor Goldson which is most debatable?

Why it could be the right time to sell Connor Goldson

The Englishman has been a rock at the heart of the Ibrox defence for over five years now, being reliable even among the worst injury crisis at the club.

This season, however, his form hasn’t quite been as good as in previous seasons. Could this be the beginning of his decline as a footballer?

He remained the first-choice centre-back during the early stages of the season under Beale, but the Light Blues suffered three Premiership defeats in their opening seven fixtures, making a title challenge seemingly impossible after just a few months.

Things began to turn under Clement as the 50-year-old coach steadied the ship, which saw the Gers grind out some vital results.

Goldson was still arguably the first name on the team sheet for the new boss, but his performances, particularly in recent weeks, have lacked some degree of leadership, with the odd mistake or two cropping into his game.

The defender has two years left on his contract, suggesting that this summer could be the ideal chance to move him on for a decent transfer fee.

Not only would this allow Clement to sell when it is clear he is approaching the final few years of his career, but it could also give him the licence to bring in someone much younger with a higher resale value. This, in turn, establishes a proper player trading programme at the club.

Additionally, the manager would also be freeing up a large chunk of the wage bill, as Goldson is currently the highest earner in the first team squad, earning £7k more per week than the next highest earner.

Connor Goldson's wage at Rangers

The 31-year-old defender is currently earning £37k-per-week at Rangers, with Tavernier trailing him in second place, earning £30k-per-week.

Of course, these salaries are the two highest in the squad, but one player has constantly delivered throughout the 2023/24 campaign, while the other one has not.

Metric

2022/23

2023/24

Accurate passes per game

69.4 (89%)

60.1 (86%)

Total duels won per game

5.4

6.1

Possession lost per game

9.5

10.8

Accurate long balls per game

5.5

5.6

Interceptions per game

0.8

0.3

Tavernier has enjoyed the greatest goalscoring season of his career to date, finding the back of the net on 24 occasions across all competitions. With four matches remaining, all he needs is six goals to hit 30 goals in a single campaign.

For a right-back, these numbers are simply incredible. While many will debate that many of his goals come from penalties and free kicks, the fact that he keeps getting into scoring positions while bursting up and down the right flank makes him one of the most dangerous attacking players in the starting XI.

Tavernier’s numbers are certainly irreplaceable. Could Goldson say the same, especially with his performances recently?

Connor Goldson’s statistics this season

Since the start of the campaign, Goldson has earned nearly £2m in wages. Judging by his experience, his presence in the heart of the defence was supposed to give Clement peace of mind, yet the opposite was true.

It was a far cry from the days under Steven Gerrard, with the former Liverpool icon praising Goldson during his first few months at Ibrox, saying:

"He is a leader and a huge player for us," said Gerrard. "He has been superb on and off the pitch, ever since the day he rolled in.”

With over 300 competitive appearances under his belt, his ability to command the backline should have been crucial in Rangers securing wins over Ross County and Dundee last month, yet the Gers took just one point from six.

Goldson and John Souttar were poor throughout as the Highland side scored three goals without reply in what was a display of schoolboy defending.

He completed just 73% of his attempted passes during the 3-2 defeat, along with delivering just four of his ten long ball attempts, proving that his distribution was extremely poor.

If this was a poor display, then his showing against Celtic the week prior was even worse. Again, his distribution from the heart of defence was dismal, finishing the game with an 80% pass success rate while succeeding with just five accurate long balls from 15 attempts, along with losing the ball 14 times.

He should have been in a better position to prevent Adam Idah from scoring Celtic’s third goal and was spared his blushes as Rabbi Matondo scored a sensational equaliser with minutes to go.

These are not isolated incidents. Goldson has been caught out with balls over the top in matches against Aberdeen, most notably the 1-1 draw in November, and the 2-1 win at Ibrox a few months later, with both of the Dons’ goals coming via his mistakes.

The defender will be 32 in December and while centre-backs tend to have a slightly longer playing career, after six years, it could very well be his final season at Ibrox – with rumours rife that Gerrard is seeking a reunion with the experienced figure in Saudi Arabia.

Philippe Clement confirms major Rangers injury setback in title race

The Gers boss admits that it is a “big blow”.

ByHenry Jackson May 4, 2024

Goldson will miss the remaining few matches due to injury, but if Clement receives a decent offer for the Englishman this summer, he should grab it with both hands.

MatériaMais Notícias

O São Paulo ficou no empate por 1 a 1 com o Racing (ARG), na noite desta terça-feira (13), no Morumbi, pelo jogo de ida as oitavas de final da Libertadores. O Tricolor saiu na frente, perdeu oportunidades de aumentar o placar e acabou cedendo a igualdade ainda na primeira etapa.

Os times voltam a se enfrentar na próxima terça-feira (20), às 21h30, no El Cilindro, em Avellaneda. Um empate por 0 a 0 é o suficiente para classificar os argentinos, devido ao critério de gols fora de casa. O Tricolor precisa vencer ou empatar por mais de dois gols para avançar. Um novo 1 a 1 forçará a decisão por pênaltis.

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CONFIRA AS PARTIDAS DAS OITAVAS DE FINAL DA LIBERTADORES DA AMÉRICA!

PARTIDA COMEÇA DISPUTADA, MAS COM POUCAS CHANCES DE GOL

Com uma escalação repleta de jovens jogadores, o São Paulo conseguiu equilibrar a questão física nos primeiros minutos de jogo. Contra um time que não jogava desde junho e, portanto, estava descansado, embora sem ritmo, os jogadores mais novos do Tricolor deram bastante ritmo ao meio de campo, deixando o jogo bem disputado nos minutos iniciais, com o Racing ocupando mais o campo de ataque.

Nos primeiros 20 minutos, ocorreram poucas chances claras. A melhor oportunidade foi dos donos da casa, quando Rodrigo Nestor recebeu a bola na área após erro da defesa do Racing. O meia, porém, escorregou, perdendo a chance de bater para o gol argentino. Do lado do Racing, um chute de Maurício Martínez, de fora da área, levou perigo, mas passou por cima do gol defendido por Volpi.

EDER DEIXA O CAMPO LESIONADO

Com apenas 27 minutos de jogo, Hernán Crespo precisou mexer na equipe. O atacante Eder levou a mão à parte posterior da coxa e pediu para que fosse substituído. Assim, Vitor Bueno entrou em seu lugar no campo de ataque. O atleta é mais um dos jogadores da equipe a integrar o departamento médico.

VITOR BUENO MARCA APÓS FALHA DE ARIAS

Aos 34 minutos do primeiro tempo, quando o jogo parecia ficar ainda mais travado no meio de campo, Welington fez jogada pelo lado esquerdo e cruzou na área. A bola chegou tranquila para o goleiro Arias, mas o chileno cometeu uma falha enorme e rebateu a bola para Vitor Bueno, que dominou com o gol aberto e abriu o placar sem dificuldades alguma

VITOR BUENO PERDE CHANCE INCRÍVEL

Logo na sequência do gol, o São Paulo armou um contra-ataque em que Welington ficou cara a cara com o goleiro, mas decidiu rolar a bola para Vitor Bueno finalizar com mais facilidade. O camisa 12, porém, bateu mal e viu, ainda, Arias fazer uma grande defesa e impedir que o Tricolor ampliasse a liderança no placar.

COPETTI EMPATA A PARTIDA NO ÚLTIMO LANCE DO PRIMEIRO TEMPO

No final da primeira etapa, o Racing se lançou ao ataque em busca do empate. A pressão deu certo e, aos 46 minutos de jogo, no último lance do primeiro tempo, Copetti recebeu passe no lado esquerdo do ataque e teve liberdade para ajeitar e bater da entrada da área e fazer o gol de empate. A bola entrou no canto direito de Volpi e os argentinos empataram o placar em 1 a 1.

FIM DE PRIMEIRO TEMPO

O primeiro tempo acabou com um placar que traduziu o equilíbrio do jogo. Os dois times marcaram quando procuraram mais o ataque. Entretanto, o empate puniu o Tricolor pela chance clara de gol não aproveitada quando o jogo ainda estava 1 a 0.

SEGUNDO TEMPO COMEÇA COM RACING FECHADO NA DEFESA

A segunda etapa começou sem nenhuma substituição nos dois lados. Porém, o Racing mudou sua estrutura dentro de campo, passando a se defender em linha de cinco jogadores, se protegendo mais. Os argentinos, assim, entraram na segunda etapa cautelosos para não perderem um empate que pode ser muito vantajoso para o jogo em Avellaneda. O São Paulo, porém, não se abriu muito, para não correr muitos riscos em eventuais contragolpes. Os argentinos controlaram o jogo no começo da segunda etapa.

CRESPO MEXE E SÃO PAULO VAI PARA CIMA

Aos 15 minutos do segundo tempo, o treinador Hernán Crespo fez alterações na equipe, promovendo a criação de jogo e a ofensividade do time. Com isso, Benítez e Gabriel Sara entraram no lugar de Liziero e Igor Gomes. Ao colocar em campo um dos principais criadores do time, Benítez, a articulação do time e o volume de jogo ofensivo cresceram. Com as infiltrações dos meias, o São Paulo chegou a levar perigo com uma finalização de Gabriel Sara, que pegou muito embaixo da bola e chutou por cima do gol.

RACING RESPONDE, LEVA PERIGO E COMANDA O SEGUDNO TEMPO

Durante o segundo tempo, a postura do Racing mudou e o time passou a se lançar o ataque, aproveitando espaços na defesa do Tricolor. Assim, o time criou chances perigosas em uma chegada de Piatti, afastada por Arboleda e no bom chute de Martínez, aproveitando o rebote e obrigando Volpi a fazer boa defesa em uma finalização de fora da área.

CRESPO APOSTA AINDA MAIS NA BASE

Com uma escalação inicial com seis jogadores formados em Cotia, o treinador colocou dois jovens atletas recém-promovidos da base em campo, Talles e Marquinhos. Apostando na leveza e velocidade da dupla, o treinador tentou fazer o Tricolor voltar a ter mais volume de jogo no ataque.

JOGO FICA LÁ E CÁ NOS MINUTOS FINAIS

O final do jogo foi disputado em ritmo alucinante. Com os dois times tentando ficar na frente no placar, chances perigosas foram criadas dos dois lados do campo. Aos 39 minutos da segunda etapa, Mena recebeu a bola sozinho na área para cabecear, mas mandou ela por cima do travessão. No lance seguinte, aos 40 minutos, Benítez arriscou de longe e obrigou Arias a fazer bela defesa.

FIM DE JOGO! AGORA É NA ARGENTINA

O Racing controlou as ações durante a maior parte do segundo tempo, levando perigo em algumas oportunidades e por pouco não virando o placar. O São Paulo caiu de produção e conseguiu levar perigo apenas em um chute de longa distância, já nos minutos finais do jogo. O Racing passou muito perto de sair do Morumbi com a vitória, enquanto o São Paulo pode pagar caro pelos vacilos cometidos no primeiro tempo, quando o jogo ainda estava 1 a 0.

Com o empate, o Racing entre em campo napróxima terça-feira (20), às 21h30, no El Cilindro, já classificado, obrigando o São Paulo a se lançar ao ataque para conseguir uma vitória inédita contra o Racing e passar para as quarta de final.

Agora, o Tricolor volta a campo no próximo sábado (17), às 17h, para enfrentar o Fortaleza, no Morumbi, pela 12ª rodada do Brasileirão. O Racing também joga no sábado, às 20h15 (de Brasília), contra o Vélez Sarsfield, fora de casa, pela primeira rodada do Campeonato Argentino.

SÃO PAULO 1 X 1 RACING
Local: Estádio do Morumbi, São Paulo (SP)
Data e horário: 12 de julho de 2021, às 21h30
Árbitro: Jhon Ospina (Colômbia)
Assistentes: Alexander Guzmán (Colômbia), John León (Colômbia) e Wilmar Roldán (Colômbia) (Quarto árbitro)
VAR: Julio Bascuñan (Chile)
Gols: Vitor Bueno (34’/1ºT) (1-0) e Enzo Copetti (46’/1ºT)
Cartões Amarelos: Diego Costa, Arboleda e Lucas Perri (SAO), Mena, Sigali, Correa e Rojas (RAC)
Cartões Vermelhos: –

SÃO PAULO
​Tiago Volpi; Arboleda, Diego Costa e Léo; Igor Vinícius, Luan, Liziero (Gabriel Sara, aos 15’/2ºT), Rodrigo Nestor (Talles Costa, aos 30’/2ºT) e Welington; Igor Gomes (Benítez, aos 15’/2ºT) e Eder (Vitor Bueno, aos 27’/1ºT) (Marquinhos, aos 30’/2ºT).
Técnico: Hernán Crespo

RACING
​Arias; Domínguez, Cáceres (Domínguez, aos 37’2ºT), Sigali e Mena; Martínez (Novillo, aos 23’/2ºT), Moreno e Miranda; Piatti (Rojas, aos 28’/2ºT), Chancalay (Lovera, aos 39’/2ºT) e Copetti (Correa, aos 29’/2ºT).
Técnico: Juan Antonio Pizzi

The start date for Manchester City’s 115-charge Financial Fair Play (FFP) case has been set, with the Premier League giants set to learn their fate.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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Blues accused of monetary mismanagementDeny all allegations of any wrongdoingFighting case before judgements are deliveredWHAT HAPPENED?

The reigning kings of English football discovered early in 2023, following a long-running investigation, that they would be charged with supposed monetary misdemeanours. The charges against them date back to 2009 – shortly after Sheikh Mansour completed his takeover of the club.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

City stand accused of failing to provide accurate information regarding their overall finances, as well as player and manager payments. Those at the Etihad Stadium – who made history last season when securing a fourth successive top-flight crown – deny any wrongdoing and are defending their case at an independent inquiry.

DID YOU KNOW?

It had been reported for some time that City’s FFP hearing would begin in September, and be completed by the end of the calendar year, and it has now been revealed that proceedings will be begin on Monday the 16th.

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Once all relevant evidence and arguments have been presented, heard and considered, a final judgement will be made. There has been talk of City being stung with points penalties – similar to those handed out to Everton and Nottingham Forest last season – hefty fines or even demotion out of the Premier League.

MatériaMais Notícias

Não foi a estreia dos sonhos para o técnico Enderson Moreira, mas o Botafogo fez o suficiente para voltar ao Rio de Janeiro com três pontos na bagagem. A vitória por 1 a 0 sobre o Confiança, no último sábado, pela 14ª rodada da Série B, foi o primeiro triunfo da equipe fora de casa neste Brasileirão.

+ Análise: Botafogo joga mal, mas pouco importa. Os três pontos eram necessários pelo momento

Esta, por si só, é uma marca que deve ser comemorada. O Alvinegro também deixou uma sequência de cinco jogos sem vencer – dois empates e três derrotas – para trás. A distância para o G4, contudo, ainda é considerável: sete pontos separam até o Goiás, primeiro clube na zona de classificação à elite brasileiro.

Contra o Confiança, o Botafogo sofreu mais do que o esperado, principalmente no segundo tempo. A expulsão de Warley – que fez bom jogo, apesar do cartão – foi determinante para tal: o Dragão pressionou demais pelo gol de empate, mas o goleiro Diego Loureiro estava em tarde inspirada.

+ ATUAÇÕES: Diego Loureiro e Romildo garantem vitória do Botafogo sobre o Confiança

Taticamente, ainda não deu para notar um grande impacto de Enderson Moreira, natural, já que o treinador chegou ao Alvinegro na quarta-feira. Com dias de atividades, a tendência era que muita coisa não mudasse.

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Dois pontos, porém, foram fundamentais: o técnico, quando tinha a bola no campo de defesa, optou por uma saída de três com Mezenga, Gilvan e o lateral-direito Daniel Borges. Com Chamusca, era Guilherme Santos, lateral do lado oposto, quem participava dessa parte do jogo, mas o camisa 88 apresentava dificuldade para sair jogando de forma curta.

+ Veja a tabela da Série B

O meio-campo formado por Barreto, Romildo e Marco Antônio, porém, não funcionou – o que colocou em xeque a formação da saída de bola. A trinca não se apresentou para receber a bola em uma posição recuada do campo, o que dificultou o Botafogo a dar prosseguimento em qualquer jogada.

Quando chegou ao ataque, o Botafogo buscou “isolar” Diego Gonçalves com apenas um marcador do Confiança – de preferência Marcelinho, o lateral-direito, para aproveitar a vantagem de altura do atleta alvinegro – que, por acaso, desperdiçou boa chance de cabeça. Para isso, o time ficava trocando passes pelo lado direito até atrair boa parte da defesa adversária e, então, rapidamente virava o jogo.

+ Enderson Moreira analisa partida do Botafogo e comemora: ‘O mais importante era garantir a vitória’

Dos males, o menor. O Botafogo não jogou bem, mas a avaliação, diante do contexto, passa inteiramente pelo resultado. A vitória foi importante para o time derrubar dois jejuns e tentar se recuperar na tabela.

It would probably be fair to say that Tottenham Hotspur have had mixed luck with transfers over the last five years or so.

Daniel Levy and Co have sometimes gotten it very right, such as with Cristian Romero, Micky van de Ven, and Destiny Udogie, but there have also been some significant blunders, such as Giovani Lo Celso, Tanguy Ndombele, and Emmerson Royal, just to name a few.

However, another miss is often forgotten: Ryan Sessegnon.

The Englishman, who was signed by Mauricio Pochettino, has seen his value plummet and is now worth nine times less than summer signing James Maddison.

Ryan Sessegnon's Spurs career

Pochettino's Lilywhites paid around £25m to sign the "incredible" Sessegnon, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, from Fulham in the summer of 2019 following an impressive season from the then-19-year-old in which he scored two goals and provided six assists in 35 Premier League games for the West Londoners.

Unfortunately for all involved, his first year in north London was a disaster. He made just 12 appearances all season, scoring one goal and providing one assist, and missed 33 games due to a hamstring injury.

The following year was a little better on the injury front as he only missed nine games, and a loan move to Bundesliga side Hoffenheim saw him make 29 first-team appearances, in which he scored twice and turned provider five times.

However, just when it looked like things had taken a turn for the better, the England U21 international was hit with more injury problems.

Over the next three seasons, these problems would see him miss 92 games, which limited him to 45 mostly substitute appearances in those three campaigns.

Sessegnon's career post-Spurs move

Season

Senior Appearances

G+A

Goal Involvements per Match

Games Missed Through Injury

2019/20

12

2

0.16

33

2020/21

29

5

0.17

9

2021/22

21

2

0.09

31

2022/23

23

3

0.13

22

2023/24

1

0

0.00

39

Total

86

12

0.13

134

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Ultimately, while the 23-year-old was once dubbed a "huge talent" by former teammate Stefan Johansen, half a decade of persistent injury problems and minimal game time has seriously taken a toll on Sessegnon's career and valuation.

Sessegnon's valuation in 2024

According to the CIES Football Observatory, Sessegnon is worth just €5m today, which converts to around £4m, or £21m less than the fee Spurs paid Fulham for the full-back almost five years ago.

Valuations of Spurs' Full-Backs

Place

Player

Valuation

Signed For

1

Destiny Udogie

€80m (£69m)

£15m

2

Pedro Porro

€60m (£51m)

£39m

3

Emerson Royal

€20m (£17m)

£26m

4

Ryan Sessegnon

€5M (£4m)

£25m

All Valuations via the CIES Football Observatory

This new price means that the Roehampton-born ace – who could be allowed to leave for free this summer – is the least valuable full-back at Tottenham, with Emerson Royal coming in just ahead of him with a price tag of €20m – £17m.

Another player worth considerably more is summer signing Maddison, whom the CIES price at €40m, or £34m, which works out to be about just under 9x more than the former Fulham man.

That said, it shouldn't come as a massive surprise as the 27-year-old has enjoyed a relatively successful first year in N17, racking up four goals and eight assists in 29 games, and even won the Premier League Player of the Month award in August.

Ultimately, while he has been extremely unlucky with injuries and hasn't had the chance to develop, it's probably time that Spurs moved on from Sessegnon this summer, as there is little to no evidence suggesting that he'll be a useful squad player next year, and his £55k-per-week wages could be better spent elsewhere.

Related Spurs hit gold with "incredible" Nuno signing who's worth 2x more than Son

The Lilywhites star has become an essential member of the team since signing.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 17, 2024

Australia’s leading spin bowling mentor, Craig Howard, has argued that the exit of the Dukes ball from Sheffield Shield matches cannot be the only fix if the game’s decision makers are serious about encouraging the use and development of spin bowlers in domestic ranks.Rather than focusing on the type of ball, as was the case with Cricket Australia’s announcement last week that the Kookaburra ball would be used in all domestic matches next summer after numerous seasons of the Dukes being used in the back half of the Shield competition, Howard told ESPNcricinfo that preparation of more spin-friendly pitches had to be considered in order to allow the likes of Mitchell Swepson, Ashton Agar, Adam Zampa, Lloyd Pope and new Victorian recruit Wil Parker to grow.While the durability of Nathan Lyon is not in question, there is a dearth of strongly performing spin bowlers behind him, particularly after the retirement of Steve O’Keefe from New South Wales. Howard said that CA should look to some of the more “creative” measures used elsewhere, notably by some counties in England, to encourage the use of spin in first-class matches. He echoed O’Keefe’s call for the practice of “scarifying” or raking surfaces on a good length for spin bowlers to make pitches more likely to turn early in games and break up later on.ALSO READ: The kings of the Dukes ball and how it wasn’t all bad for spin“I think the ball played its role in being able to develop other areas of the game, the batting component and also being able to bowl with it, but it’s more so that the wickets are playing a slightly larger role,” Howard said. “A lot of them probably don’t resemble too much of the Test wickets at the same venue, which I think is probably the thing that ideally would be looked at.”If you use Adelaide Oval as an example, from a frontline spin point of view, so that’s not including your guys picked to bat in the top six or seven to bowl a few handy part-time overs, we had just three overs out of every 100 were frontline spin. If you put that into context from a Test match point of view at Adelaide Oval, the last day Test match played there [against India in 2018] it was 41% of the overs bowled in that game were from spinners. There’s certainly some concerns there.”I know a few people have got some different ideas on how we go about it, and obviously it’s got to fit in line with the motivations of everyone. I don’t think they can go in and say ‘it’s all about spin so let’s just make spinning wickets’ because we want to have the ability to play against the swinging and seaming ball as well.”In England, the Taunton home of Somerset has become known as “Ciderabad” due to the preparation of pitches devised to aid the bowling of Jack Leach and Dom Bess, among others. While at times Somerset’s pitches have attracted criticism from opponents and disciplinary action from the ECB, it has undoubtedly aided the development of spin bowlers in terms of granting them a greater opportunity to be involved in matches – something seen far more often at Test level than in Shield fixtures in Australia.