Manchester United's Tyrell Malacia has revealed that teammate Casemiro handed him his FA Cup winner's medal last season after beating Manchester City.
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Malacia reveals heartwarming Casemiro incident
The Brazilian handed Malacia his FA Cup medal
Malacia set to return after 17-month layoff
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WHAT HAPPENED?
The 24-year-old defender, who signed for United from Feyenoord in 2022 for around £15 million, hasn't played for the Premier League giants since having knee surgery in the summer of 2023. Although Malacia was hardly visible during the previous season as he worked on his recovery, he was present at Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup final in May, where goals from Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho in the first half clinched an unforgettable victory for the Red Devils as they overcame the odds to beat Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Malacia, unfortunately, wasn't handed an FA Cup winners' medal on the night as he had been unavailable throughout the competition. However, the Dutch left-back has now revealed that Casemiro urged him to join the Manchester United squad's trophy celebration on the field, and even handed him his own FA Cup medal as a token of his hard work.
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WHAT MALACIA SAID
Speaking to The Athletic, Malacia said: “Of course, I wanted to be there to support everyone but, for me, the most difficult part was to be up there with the guys (for the trophy presentation), because I wasn’t part of the team during the whole process.
"I was like, ‘I’m staying down here and you guys just enjoy it, then I’ll see you in the dressing room’. He was like, ‘Nah, you have to go up there as well’. And if someone with that kind of experience tells you that, you’re listening.
"They [the squad] said, 'At the end of the day, you’re still part of the team'. I’ve been in a dressing room the whole season and seen everything. They know how hard I’ve been working every day to come back to the team and everything, so they said you deserve it as much as we do."
Malacia then revealed that Casemiro also handed him his medal and refused to take it back, he said: "Like I said before: if he gives you that, you just listen!"
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WHAT NEXT FOR MALACIA?
After having missed out on well over a year's worth of football, Malacia is finally edging towards his full comeback from the injury. The Dutchman played for Manchester United's U-21 side earlier this side, and could potentially be ready for first team action before the end of 2024.
Jess Park scored a stunning goal as Manchester City waltzed to victory over Crystal Palace in the Women's Super League on Sunday.
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City rarely let Palace leave their own half
Park opens the scoring with a stunner
Roord and Shaw extend visitors' lead
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Manchester City knew that a win against Crystal Palace would ensure they remain top of the Women's Super League, and they came out looking to stamp their authority.
The away team suffocated Palace from the off, and didn't allow a single attempt on their goal in the first period. Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp provided their customary threat, and both narrowly missed good openings as Palace held firm thanks in no small part to goalkeeper Shae Yanez, who made several key saves throughout.
However, the pressure eventually told, as four minute before the break, Jessica Park saw an opening from 25 yards, and caressed the ball over Yanez and into the top corner for the most sumptuous of opening goals. Shaw saw a point blank header sail over before half time, but City went into the break with the lead and looking confident.
They started the second half as they ended the first, and Jill Roord saw a close range header brilliantly saved by Yanez to keep the deficit down. A minute later, though, the ball fell back to Roord and she made no mistake as she rolled the ball home to double their lead.
The second goal seemed to liven up what had been a fairly rigid Palace performance up to that point. The Eagles missed chances to half City's lead as Blanchard fired over an open goal from a narrow angle before striker Katie Stengel agonisingly hit the post from a Shanade Hopcroft cross.
City punished Palace for their profligacy, as Shaw nodded home the third and final goal from Park's cross. The Jamaican striker deserved a goal for her all action performance, and ensured City are sitting pretty at the top of the table heading into Sunday evening.
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THE MVP
Park was the best player in the pitch at Selhurst Park. She scored a stunning strike from distance that found the top corner with unerring precision, but also ran the show from midfield, dictating the tempo and restricting Crystal Palace to counter-attacks and long balls. She topped her performance off with an assist, setting up a goal on a silver platter for Shaw, and was a key cog in City's maintenance of their unbeaten start to the season.
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THE BIG LOSER
While City deserved the win, Palace's attack let them down against the league leaders. Such is City's quality in defence, the Eagles could only manage four shots throughout the entire game, with just one of those being on target. Stengel was isolated up top, and wingers Indiah-Paige Riley and Hopcroft were barged out of the game by cities possession of the ball.
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WHAT COMES NEXT?
On Friday, Man City will host Tottenham in what promises to be an action-packed game of football.
Out of all the clubs in the Premier League, Manchester City have the most players competing in the final at Euro 2024. This may not come as much of a surprise, given their prestigiousness when it comes to reaching, and winning, major finals in recent seasons, nor the fact they had the most players in the tournament in the whole of the Premier League.
The Cityzens’ representative for Spain is, of course, one of the world’s best midfielders, Rodri. The Spanish number 16 has been a key feature of the La Roja midfield and has even taken the captain’s armband when Alvrao Morata has not been on the pitch.
City’s three England players are all first-choice for Gareth Southgate; Kyle Walker, John Stones and Phil Foden.
The trio have started all of England’s games during the tournament and were particularly impressive against the Netherlands as the Three Lions stormed into their second consecutive European Championship final.
Unsurprisingly, the tournament has created several transfer links for some of the best-performing players to elite clubs across Europe. City themselves have recently been linked with one player who could switch to the Etihad Stadium once the tournament has finished, and it would see one of Rodri’s teammates join him at the Premier League champions.
Man City target Bundesliga midfielder
The player in question here is RB Leipzig’s Spanish midfielder Dani Olmo. The 26-year-old has lit up the European Championships so far this summer and has now been linked with a move away from Leipzig.
According to a report from Sky Germany, City are one of two clubs said to be “specifically interested” in signing Olmo this summer. However, the Premier League champions might find it easier to do a deal given the fact they have “completely different financial circumstances” to their competition.
The other club in for Olmo this summer are one of Europe’s biggest sides, Spanish giants Barcelona. The Catalan club are “still recovering” from the financial hits they have taken in recent years, before explaining that City could be “more comfortable” with the price for Olmo.
Whilst there is no price stated in the report, it explains that Leipzig will not sell their star man for less than his market value.
Why Olmo would be a good signing
Despite a tough season with injury issues, Olmo still had reasonably good output for Leipzig when he did feature. In all competitions for club and country, the Spaniard missed a whopping 29 games last term, the most he has missed in a single campaign.
However, the 26-year-old still featured 25 times in all competitions for his side. It was a season where he scored eight goals and registered five assists, including a hat-trick against Bayern Munich in the German Supercup.
Dani Olmo for RB Leipzig
However, it is his performances in Euro 2024 that Olmo has really attracted interest this summer. Against France in the semi-final, the Leipzig midfielder started as a replacement for the injured Pedri and was rated an 8/10 by Sky Sports journalist Lewis Jones.
The reporter was full of praise for Olmo and explained his goal against Les Bleus was “a thing of beauty”.
Indeed, his tournament so far has been phenomenal. According to Sofascore, no player has scored more goals than the Spaniard, with countryman Lamine Yamal and Dutch star Xavi Simons the only players to register more assists than Olmo’s two. However, he leads the way when it comes to combined goal involvement, sitting outright top with five.
Olmo Euro 2024 stats ranked
Stat
Number
Tournament rank
Games
5
N/A
Goals
3
=1st
Assists
2
=2nd
Goals & assists
5
1st
Stats from Sofascore
Should Pep Guardiola add his fellow Spaniard to the Citizens squad, we would see Olmo link up with Rodri for club football as well as together with the national team.
It would no doubt be a similar partnership, with Olmo having a licence to roam all over the final third, knowing he has the security of Rodri behind him.
Rodri celebrates scoring for Manchester City.
If there is one thing that can be said about Olmo, it is that he is a fantastic ball-carrier. Last season, as per FBref, in the Bundesliga, the 26-year-old averaged 3.79 progressive carries per 90 minutes but really excelled with those carries into the final third, in which he averaged 3.04 each game, ranking him in the top 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the German top-flight.
The exciting Spaniard also averaged 4.47 attempted take-ons in the Bundesliga last season, completing an average of 1.93 per game. Olmo has silky footwork, and glides with the ball at his feet, able to slalom in and out of defenders.
Dani Olmo playing for Spain
The midfielder is also a superb creative passer, as he has shown at the Euros. He averages 4.22 progressive passes each game, and an impressive 3.73 passes into the final third each game, a figure which places him in the top 4% of Bundesliga attacking midfielders and wingers. Not only that, Olmo plays an average of 1.99 key passes per 90, showing his creative spark with the ball at his feet.
The 26-year-old is clearly a player who Guardiola rates highly. Back in 2019, when the creative maestro scored for Dinamo Zagreb against City in the Champions League, the legendary Spanish manager called the midfielder a “top player”, before explaining he “has a bright future” ahead of him. With that in mind, it is not really a surprise to see City interested in signing him.
Should City sign the Spaniard, it could be a genius acquisition from Guardiola’s side. Imagine how good he and Rodri would be together, reigniting that connection they have at international level. He would be given a license to roam and get forward, looking to link up with City’s stars in the final third and show off his dangerous ball-carrying ability.
Whilst the price is currently unclear, it could be a masterstroke from Guardiola, and Olmo would only add to the quality City have going forward.
Doku upgrade: Man City register interest in £75m PL "menace"
The Cityzens are reportedly keen on a deal to sign the England international this summer.
Chelsea are now weighing up the possibility of a player-plus-cash bid, involving two members of Enzo Maresca's squad, in a move for one £50 million player.
Chelsea on verge of Guiu and Anselmino signings in busy summer window
It's been a very busy summer window at Stamford Bridge so far, and it's still pretty early doors.
£325,000-per-week Chelsea player has agreed to join big European club
He’s given his green-light.
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Todd Boehly, assisted by co-sporting directors Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, has already sealed deals for Tosin Adarabioyo on a free transfer from Fulham, Brazilian starlet Estevao Willian and 18-year-old Aston Villa midfielder Omari Kellyman in a £19 million move (Fabrizio Romano).
The latter makes his transfer from the Midlands with left-back Ian Maatsen going the other way to Villa in a separate exchange. In the process, Chelsea have added another promising talent to their roster, whilst also shipping out a surplus player for a fee north of £34 million.
Following on from these pieces of business, it is also widely reported that Chelsea are set to sign Marc Guiu from Barcelona, but it doesn't end there. As claimed elsewhere, after Chelsea entered talks over signing Aaron Anselmino, the Blues are also on the verge of sealing a cut-price move for the Boca Juniors defender in a £17 million deal – below his £20 million release clause (Nick Purewal).
Chelsea's best-performing players in the Premier League last season
Average match rating (WhoScored)
Cole Palmer
7.48
Conor Gallagher
7.13
Nicolas Jackson
7.07
Moises Caicedo
6.85
Noni Madueke
6.84
Maresca's side have wasted no time in upgrading their squad with key additions, whilst also investing in their future, by acquiring more of world football's most exciting youngsters. This has been a key theme of Chelsea's since Boehly's takeover from Roman Abramovich in 2022, but reports this week have claimed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall is a player of interest to bolster Maresca's senior team.
Leicester midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
Another Premier League star who's been linked in the last few days is highly-rated Nottingham Forest defender Murillo, who the west Londoners are apparently chasing despite already signing Tosin.
Chelsea consider offering two players in swap deal bid for Murillo
The Brazilian started 32 top-flight games for Forest last season, impressing under both Steve Cooper and Nuno Espirito Santo. They only signed him for around £15 million last summer, but the Brazilian's performances have seen his value increase to around £50 million.
That is according to UOL, who also claim that Chelsea are now thinking about offering two players in a player-plus-cash bid for Murillo. Boehly and co don't intend to pay Murillo's value of around £50m and are therefore considering the possibility of a player exchange, plus a lesser amount of money, to get a potential deal done.
Following winger Jack Harrison's agreement to make a return to Everton on loan next season, more Leeds United exits are expected after their failure to clinch promotion from the Championship.
Everton reach agreement to re-sign Harrison on loan from Leeds
The 27-year-old enjoyed a productive spell at Goodison Park last term, helping Sean Dyche's side avoid a drop to England's second tier with three goals and three assists over 29 Premier League outings.
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This form convinced the Toffees to have him back on Merseyside for next campaign, with both Everton and Leeds reaching an agreement for Harrison to rejoin Dyche on another season-long temporary deal.
It is unclear whether Everton will cover the entirety of Harrison's £90,000-per-week salary, but if so, it'll be a small financial relief to Leeds who are under some pressure to sell players this summer.
Daniel Farke couldn't quite guide the Whites back to England's top tier, narrowly losing the Championship play-off final to Southampton at Wembley, and it is believed a few stars could follow Harrison out the door.
£15 million midfielder Ilia Gruev is apparently ready to quit Leeds and Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund have even been tipped to give him a way out of Elland Road.
Appearances
36
Goals
1
Assists
1
Bookings
8
Minutes played
2,347
Crysenio Summerville is being monitored by Premier League teams as well, following the Dutchman's exceptional Championship season. He racked up an impressive 21 goals and 10 assists over 49 appearances in all competitions, alerting a host of elite English teams in their pursuit for top attacking talent.
Another Leeds star who could well attract attention is Wilfried Gnonto. The Italian, who racked up eight goals and three assists in 39 Championship appearances last term, is highly regarded as an exciting talent at 20-years-old.
Gnonto could well leave Leeds United
Journalist Beren Cross, in a line for Leeds Live, writes that Gnonto could well be on the move from Leeds this summer and is likely to attract real interest this summer. The winger is contracted until 2027, so Leeds have some power in negotiations, but it could also be influenced by the player himself and whether he decides to push for a move.
“He’s a great lad, he’s a special player,” said former Leeds caretaker boss Michael Skubala. “He’s a credit to Leeds, he’s a credit to himself and he’s a really nice player to work with.”
Gnonto is apparently valued at around £20-£30 million by Leeds if Farke is to sanction a sale in the coming weeks.
قال آرني سلوت مدرب ليفربول، إنه سعيد لسماع طموحات لاعبه ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد في “ترك إرث”.
وينتهي عقد أرنولد في الصيف بنهاية الموسم الحالي، والمحادثات جارية، لكن لم يتم التوصل إلى اتفاق بعد لتأمين مستقبله مع ليفربول.
وتستمر التكهنات حول مستقبل ألكسندر أرنولد، وعندما سُئل الظهير الأيمن عما يريد تحقيقه قبل الإعتزال، تحدث عن ترك إرث شخصي: “بالطبع الفوز بمزيد من الألقاب في المستقبل، ولكن أعتقد أنه على المستوى الشخصي هناك إرث، وبناء إرث”.
مضيفًا: “لذا أعتقد أنه بعد 10 أو 15 عامًا، إذا تم الحديث عني باعتباري أحد أفضل لاعبي مركز الظهير الأيمن أو أفضل ظهير أيمن، فهذا ما ألعب من أجله الآن، على ما أعتقد واستخدامه كحافز”.
وعندما سُئل سلوت عن رأيه في تعليقات ألكسندر أرنولد، قال إنه يريد سماعها من لاعبيه وهم يسعون جاهدين ليكونوا الأفضل.
وجاء حديث سلوت خلال مؤتمر صحفي قبل مباراة ليفربول وتوتنهام في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، والمقرر خوضها يوم الأحد.
اقرأ أيضًا | سلوت يؤكد غياب ثنائي ليفربول عن مباراة توتنهام
وقال سلوت: “أحب هذا في اللاعب! يجب أن يتمتع الجميع بهذه الميزة إذا كنت تلعب على هذا المستوى، وإذا لم تكن تمتلكها فلن تلعب على هذا المستوى”.
وأشار: “ولكن طالما أنهم كأفراد يدركون أنهم بحاجة إلى أن يكون الفريق مميزًا، ضع الفريق في المقام الأول، ونتيجة لذلك كن مميزًا”.
وأكمل: “جميعم يفعلون ذلك، بما في ذلك ترينت، يتمتع جميع اللاعبين الكبار بهذه الصفة؛ فهم يريدون أن يكونوا مميزين وأن يكونوا الأفضل، وإذا لم يكن هذا ما لديك، فسيكون من الصعب جدًا بذل الجهد للحفاظ على لياقتك، وأن تكون جيدًا كل ثلاثة أيام”.
وأتم: “يتمتع اللاعبون بحياة رائعة ولكن يتعين عليهم بذل الكثير من العمل ليكونوا في أفضل حالاتهم كل ثلاثة أيام وهذه هي عقلية اللاعب الكبير، وجزء من هذا هو ما تحتاجه لتكون أفضل لاعب في مركزك في العالم”.
Aston Villa have enjoyed a superb campaign which could result in them securing Champions League qualification for the first time.
Unai Emery could be forced to sell one or two of his prized assets this summer, however, especially if bigger clubs come calling.
This wouldn’t be the first time something like this has happened, as Ashley Young was sold to Manchester United ahead of the 2011/12 campaign.
How much Aston Villa sold Ashley Young for in 2024 money
The Englishman had joined Villa from Watford in January 2007 for a fee of just under £10m, and it proved to be a very shrewd signing indeed.
Over the next four and a half seasons, Young would make 190 appearances for the Midlands side as they enjoyed some success with Martin O’Neil at the helm.
In the summer of 2011, Sir Alex Ferguson was looking to bolster his squad and targeted the Villa star.
As per Totally Money, Young signed for the Old Trafford side for a fee in the region of £16.2m. As per Totally Money’s index, this transfer fee 13 years ago would now be worth a staggering £43m if judged by inflation.
Not only does this mean the club hit the jackpot by selling the defender for such a lavish sum, but he is also worth more than several of the current first team squad, most notably starting right back Matty Cash, who is currently valued at €29.4m (£25.3m) according to Football Transfers, nearly £20m less than Young.
What Ashley Young did after leaving Aston Villa
The former Watford starlet emerged as a key player during Ferguson’s final two seasons in charge of the Red Devils, and he even won a Premier League winners medal during the 2012/23 campaign.
In total, he spent eight and a half years in Manchester, making over 250 appearances for the club, winning everything minus the Champions League during his productive spell under a series of managers.
He also won a Serie A title whilst at Inter Milan, before returning to Villa ahead of the 2021/22 campaign. Steven Gerrard lauded the defender whilst he was back in the Midlands for his second spell, saying:
“I know Ashley extremely well and he’s been absolutely outstanding since we walked through the door. Not just on the training pitch but his leadership and standard setting.”
At 38-years-old, Young is still going strong with Everton in the top flight, playing a total of 32 games across all competitions this season and is showing no signs of slowing down as he enters the twilight period of his successful playing career.
While he was one of Villa’s prized assets between 2007 and 2011, the decision to sell him was certainly a profitable one, absolutely no doubt about that.
They banked nearly £50m in today’s money after selling him to United back in 2011, going on to enjoy plenty of success in Manchester. It was clear the Villa Park side hit the jackpot with the defender nearly 13 years ago now.
Villa struck gold on £19.8m ace who'd be worth more than Luiz in 2024 money
Aston Villa hit the jackpot on a player they sold in 2010 for a sizeable sum
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is ready to splash the cash to bring a major name to Manchester United this summer to compete with young striker Rasmus Højlund.
Man Utd transfer rumours
It has been a season of disappointment for new Manchester United part owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Erik ten Hag guided the Red Devils to a top-four finish and League Cup triumph in 2022/23, with the boyhood United fan no doubt expecting something similar from the Dutchman this time around. However, United have failed to secure any silverware barring a miraculous result in the FA Cup final, and have missed out on Europe's elite competitions in the Premier League.
While questions will be asked of Ten Hag, it is clear United's current squad is simply not good enough to compete at the highest level. This is something Ratcliffe seems eager to change after taking over the footballing side of the operation earlier this year.
The summer transfer window is not yet open, but United are already been tipped to make some big moves. Manchester United are said to be "looking into the constraints" of a deal for Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella, and while "there are no active talks ongoing at the moment", his situation is "one to keep an eye on in the coming months".
Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella.
In midfield, the Red Devils reportedly want to sign Benfica ace Joao Neves, as they look to offload Casemiro at the same time. It has also been claimed that those at Old Trafford are set for a major squad clearout this summer, and Al-Nassr are keen to take advantage of that by making a move for Bruno Fernandes.
Now, fresh reports have linked United with another big name as Ratcliffe's revival of the Red Devils gets underway.
Ratcliffe to bid near €70m for “remarkable” star
According to a report from Spain, as cited by TEAMtalk, Manchester United have launched an initial bid to lure Ivan Toney away from Brentford. It is claimed the Manchester outfit have “presented an initial offer close to €70m” to Brentford for the striker, with the bid said to be part of a strategy by Ratcliffe to make a splash in the transfer market.
Brentford striker Ivan Toney
Toney has been a key figure at Brentford during their rise to the Premier League. In 140 games for the club, he has scored 72 goals and assisted 22, which is more goals and assists for the Bees alone than Højlund has in his entire career to date, suggesting the young Dane could benefit from Toney's experience.
The England international has also received high praise from long-time manager Thomas Frank: “Ivan is amazing in many, many aspects. The way he copes with pressure and distractions is amazing.
“He’s been scoring goals, performing for the team and driving the team. He’s remarkable. I can only talk about the Ivan that I see every day around the place and he’s a fantastic person around the group. He’s got that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of all the players, and every staff member. Ivan trains well and he’s clearly the number two striker in England, that’s proven by his goals and performances."
Southampton will be pleased that they're entering into the luck-of-the-draw of the playoffs off the back of a victory at Elland Road, getting the better of a nervous Leeds United side 2-1 to stop their poor run of form from getting out of hand.
Before this victory in West Yorkshire, Russell Martin's Saints had lost their last three second-tier games on the spin which included a humbling 5-0 loss to Championship title-winners Leicester City on the road.
Kyle Walker-Peters stood out in the contest against Daniel Farke's Whites by assisting Will Smallbone's winner, a crucial player for Martin throughout the season as a whole too who even has had admirers from the Premier League watching on.
Casting an eye over the left-back position away from Walker-Peters' trusty right-hand flank, the Saints aren't quite as secure with this costly dud really struggling to ever make an impact in this position since joining in 2022.
Juan Larios' transfer to Southampton
Joining for a bumper £6m two years ago, which would have undoubtedly raised a few eyebrows with zero senior appearances under his belt anywhere, Juan Larios was expected to be a similar star like Gavin Bazunu when entering the South Coasts ranks from the Manchester City academy.
However, the big move to the Saints for the Spaniard has, arguably, been too much too soon, as he is now a forgotten background figure at St. Mary's after suffering wretched luck with injuries.
Videoed back in training this March on social media, Larios has been out of action for the Saints since pulling up with an injury at home to Newcastle United in October of 2022 and will want to make up for lost time when fully back up to fitness.
In total, the unlucky left-back has only made five appearances across two full seasons with Southampton cursing their luck now that they dropped £6m without even flinching to get him into the building from the Etihad in the first place.
Larios' worth has fallen off a cliff as a result of his constant presence in the St. Mary's treatment room, with the promising youngster now worth less than Ryan Manning who has struggled at points this season as a first-teamer under Martin.
Larios' transfer value in 2024
Formerly on the books at Barcelona as an up-and-coming starlet before moving to England, Larios will be disappointed that his valuation, according to Football Transfers, now stands at a lesser £1.1m.
Manning's worth is superior to the injury-prone Spaniard's now, coming in at a hefty £4.2m after joining Martin's men on a free transfer just last year after he let his contract at Swansea City run down.
May 2024
£1.1m
October 2023
£1.8m
December 2022
£3.4m
September 2022
£6m
Still, even with the Saints number three's worth being high compared to Larios' falling value, Martin will want to upgrade on Manning if his team leap back up to the top flight at the end of the playoffs owing to his shaky displays throughout the campaign.
The Irishman, away in the 5-0 defeat to the Foxes, had a shocker from a 30-minute cameo off the bench with Enzo Maresca's men scoring four of their five goals on the night after the poor 27-year-old was introduced.
It will be intriguing to see if Martin does bolster this spot if Southampton clinch promotion at Wembley at the end of the month, knowing that he cannot rely on Larios to be adequate backup to Manning whilst the ex-Man City youngster remains troubled by injuries.
Describing the unpleasant events at the close of Bangladesh’s successful chase at the Under-19 World Cup final on Sunday as “unedifying”, the ICC has heavily sanctioned three Bangladesh and two India players for breaching the governing body’s Code of Conduct. India legspinner Ravi Bishnoi, the leading wicket-taker in the tournament, was found guilty on two counts, while fast bowler Akash Singh and the Bangladesh trio of Towhid Hridoy, Shamim Hossain and Rakibul Hasan were charged with violating one article of the code.ALSO READ: Under-19 World Cup takeaways: Asian dominance and spin to winWhile all five players were held guilty of breaching Article 2.21 of the ICC’s Code of Conduct, which deals with bringing the game into disrepute, Bishnoi was also found guilty of violating Article 2.5, which pertains to the use of “language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batter upon his/her dismissal.”All five players were slapped with varying suspension points, with Hridoy bearing the stiffest penalty of 10 suspension points, which equates to six demerit points. Both Hossain and Singh were handed eight suspension points (six demerit) while Hasan was given four suspension points (five demerit). Bishnoi was handed a total of seven demerit points: five for breaching Article 2.21 and another two for the manner in which he celebrated the dismissal of Avishek Das in the 23rd over of the Bangladesh innings, which breached Article 2.5.All the above points will remain on the players’ records for two years and apply to upcoming international matches – at the Under-19 or senior level – they are likely to participate in. One suspension point equals to a player being ineligible for one ODI or T20I, Under-19 or A team international match.Match officials, including on-field umpires Sam Nogajski and Adrian Holdstock, third umpire Ravindra Wimalasiri and fourth umpire Patrick Bongni Jele, levelled the charges against the players, with the final penalty proposed by the match referee, Graeme Labrooy.Job done – Akbar Ali and Rakibul Hasan celebrate•ICC via Getty
There was a lot of aggression on both sides through the final, a low-scoring thriller in which Bangladesh chased down a revised target of 170 with only three wickets left. Players engaged in several short exchanges since the second over of the match that culminated in some players from both sides being involved in pushing and shoving and, in the process, causing damage to a Bangladesh flag.ALSO READ: Report – Akbar Ali, Shoriful Islam lead Bangladesh to Under-19 World Cup gloryBoth captains condemned the behaviour on their players’ part. Priyam Garg, the India captain, said the opposition’s reaction was “dirty” while his opposite number, Akbar Ali, was “sorry” on behalf of his team, admitting that emotions needed to be kept in check without spoiling the fabric of the “gentleman’s game”.Geoff Allardice, the ICC general manager cricket, said it was “disappointing” to see a final that was “hard fought” and ended with players being sanctioned.”The match was hard fought, as you would expect in an ICC U-19 Cricket World Cup Final, but the elation and disappointment experienced by some players after the game spilled over into unedifying scenes that have no place in our sport,” he said in an ICC release issued on Monday. “Respect is at the very heart of the spirit of cricket, and players are expected to show self-discipline, congratulate the opposition on their successes and enjoy the success of their own team.”It is disappointing that Code of Conduct charges needed to be laid after such a closely contested match, but it is important to reinforce the standard of behavior that will be expected of these young players should they transition to senior international cricket.”