Chelsea are embarking on a journey back to the top of domestic and European football following a gut-wrenching 12th-place finish in the Premier League last term.

Todd Boehly's scattergun approach in the transfer window clearly wasn't working while his two managerial appointments in Graham Potter and Frank Lampard failed to have the desired effect, with the latter producing just one win in his 12 matches in charge.

If the American businessman stood any chance of taking the west London giants back to the top, appointing the correct manager was imperative, and his decision to entrust Mauricio Pochettino with that task appears to be the correct one.

Putting a rocky start to their Premier League season aside, which saw the Blues only win one of their first six matches, the Argentine has orchestrated a 4-1 victory over rivals Tottenham and an impressive 4-4 draw against champions Manchester City.

While Chelsea are still in mid-table – ten points behind fourth-place Aston Villa – their last two performances offer fresh hope that a resurgence in the second half of the season could be on the cards.

During this mini turnaround, several of their summer signings – including Nicolas Jackson – have flourished, with the Senegalese striker taking his goal tally for the campaign to seven.

Prior to this hot streak, having scored a hat-trick against Tottenham, Jackson had only netted three goals in all competitions and many believed he was going to become the latest big-money striker to flop at Stamford Bridge, just as Alvaro Morata did during his time at the club.

Replacing Diego Costa

Chelsea captured Morata from Real Madrid for a club record £60m fee in 2017 and the 24-year-old instantly had big shoes to fill.

In the years that preceded his move to the club, Roman Abramovich had hit the jackpot on several occasions in the striker department, bringing in world-class talent, such as; Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Diego Costa.

It was the latter of that aforementioned trio whom Morata had to replace with Costa joining Atletico Madrid in September of that year.

The clinical hitman, who plundered 59 goals in 120 appearances for Chelsea, left a huge void at the top end of the pitch after spearheading their last two Premier League title triumphs.

Morata was accustomed to the pressures of playing for a big club having done so at Real and Juventus, but the pressure of replacing the monstrous talisman would supply a different type of expectation.

He was no longer the understudy, a fate he was consigned to at the Bernabeu with the immovable Karim Benzema ahead of him, having arrived in west London expecting to become the focal point under Antonio Conte.

Chelsea were so used to relying on a world-class operator at the forefront of their attack, meaning heaps of pressure were instantly applied onto the Spaniard, and he would either thrive or crumble.

Morata's goal record at Chelsea

Unfortunately, the pressure of replicating such a prolific goal record set Morata up to fail from the start.

Prior to his move to Stamford Bridge, the 6 foot 3 marksman had never broken the 15-goal mark in a single top-flight season while Costa posted 20 Premier League goals in both of those league triumphs.

The concerns surrounding his prolificacy were understandable, so it was no surprise to see him only produce a record of one goal every three games for the Blues – 24 in 72 appearances, despite beginning his time at the club in impressive fashion with an eye-watering nine goals in 14 appearances.

After failing to live up to his £60m price tag, he returned to his homeland in 2019 with Atleti snapping him up on a permanent deal.

Morata's goal record since leaving Chelsea

Speaking to Radioestadio Noche [via Football London], Morata recently opened up about his “bad” experience in England and the pressures that followed.

“I had a really bad time in England. I spoke with my wife and told her I might go to a club that I knew, where there was less pressure. I don’t look at social media; I don’t have time to beat myself up.”

Despite describing his time at Chelsea as the worst in his career, Morata hailed his time at Atletico as "the best", crediting Diego Simeone as a major influence in his resurgence.

The 31-year-old has oozed confidence under the Argentine's guidance and his goal record since returning to Madrid speaks volumes about the lethal edge he possesses in and around the box.

For Atletico, he's posted 49 goals and supplied 12 assists in 121 appearances, but it's at the start of this campaign that he's truly reached the pinnacle of his powers in front of goal.

Now with 81 goals to his name since departing Stamford Bridge – including a loan spell back at Juve – in 15 matches this season he's posted 12 goals in all competitions, with five of those coming in the Champions League.

During this purple patch in form, Simeone has waxed lyrical about his striker, labelling him as a "brilliant penalty box striker" and has even made a far-fetched comparison to Erling Haaland, claiming he's "on par" with the Manchester City goal machine in terms of statistics.

Speaking on Manu Carreno's podcast, El Larguero [via GOAL], he said: "Alvaro Morata is on par with Erling Haaland. In terms of goals and his numbers, he can certainly be compared to him."

Erling Haaland vs Alvaro Morata in 23/24

In his first season at Man City, Haaland produced a staggering 52 goals to help his side claim a historic treble, while Morata posted a respectable 15 in all competitions for Atletico.

The unstoppable Norwegian has continued that eye-watering form in 2023/24, although it may come as a surprise to see the Spaniard run his untouchable scoring powers close, having even scored more goals in Europe this season than his young counterpart.

Erling Haaland

Games / Goals

Alvaro Morata

Games / Goals

Premier League

12 games / 13 goals

LaLiga

11 games / 7 goals

Champions League

4 games / 4 goals

Champions League

4 games / 5 goals

All stats via Transfermarkt

Total – 16 games / 17 goals

All stats via Transfermarkt

Total – 15 games – 12 goals

Despite doing his best to challenge the 23-year-old, Haaland is just in a world of his own when it comes to finding the back of the net and although Morata's current rate of scoring is impressive, the table above suggests that Simeone has perhaps offered some hyperbole.

Even so, the oft-maligned striker has certainly proved the doubters wrong following his miserable stint in England.

Aston Villa have made an excellent start to the Premier League campaign and new information has now emerged about some potential transfer activity at Villa Park in January.

Aston Villa prepare for Manchester City…

Last weekend, Villa salvaged a point in a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth on the South Coast courtesy of a last-minute header from Ollie Watkins, leaving the Villans in the top four with 29 points from their 14 matches played so far.

Speaking in his post-match press conference, Villans boss Emery complimented his side's resilience at the Vitality Stadium and urged them to go again against Manchester City on Wednesday, saying:

"In 90 minutes with the way we played and the demands they made of us, I think it’s a good point. We have to accept it and continue trying to build a team. We are in our process and now we have 29 points. We were losing 2-1 at the end and we drew.

"It’s important to feel it’s a good point. We’re thankful to our supporters for being here with us, and now we’re excited to play again on Wednesday at home with them (Manchester City), trying to continue being strong like we are."

Emery now eyeing "extraordinary" ace for Aston Villa after previous interest

Aston Villa look to have identified a key target heading into the January transfer window…

BySean Markus Clifford Dec 5, 2023

Heading into their midweek clash against the Citizens, Emery's men are in a positive vein of form, winning four of their last five matches in all competitions. In all likelihood, Manchester City will provide the toughest test that the Villans have faced on home soil this campaign; nevertheless, they will leapfrog their opponents by taking maximum points from the affair.

Aston Villa's next five Premier League fixtures

Opponent

Venue

Manchester City (H)

Villa Park

Arsenal (H)

Villa Park

Brentford (A)

Gtech Community Stadium

Sheffield United (H)

Villa Park

Manchester United (A)

Old Trafford

Looking ahead to January, fresh information has come to light involving the future of one of Aston Villa's key players, according to a recent report.

Aston Villa set enormous Douglas Luiz asking price

According to FootballTransfers reporter Steve Kay, Aston Villa have now set a whopping £110 million price tag for midfielder Douglas Luiz amid interest in his services from elsewhere, with NSWE seemingly pulling no punches when it comes to the future of their star midfielder.

Arsenal have been keen admirers of the Brazil international for a long time and will once again attempt to firm up their attraction towards Luiz come January; nevertheless, they will now need to shell out more than the £105 million they paid to sign Declan Rice from West Ham United in the summer window.

This term, the 25-year-old has been in brilliant form for the Villans, registering six goals and four assists from 22 appearances in all competitions (Luiz statistics – Transfermarkt).

Pundit Paul Merson has clearly been impressed by his exploits at the heart of Emery's midfield, labelling him an "underrated" player on social media platform X.

Averaging a WhoScored match rating of 7.22/10 for his performances in the Premier League this campaign, Aston Villa are well within their rights to demand a colossal fee for Luiz due to his consistent form (Luiz statistics – WhoScored).

India believe they have enough runs on the board to be able to force a result even though they had to bat almost two days for their score of 443 for 7. Cheteshwar Pujara, who batted 319 balls and spent 116.5 overs at the wicket, has seen enough misbehaviour in the pitch to give him confidence.”It’s a tough pitch to score runs on,” Pujara said. “If we look at the first two days, the number of runs scored is [relatively small]. In a way, I would say that 200 in a day is a tough task so I think we have enough runs on the board.”As we saw today, the pitch has already started deteriorating and has variable bounce on it. When I was batting yesterday and today, I felt there was a difference, and I don’t think it’s easier to bat now. From tomorrow I think it will get difficult to bat, and our bowlers have been bowling well so I think we have enough runs on the board.”This has been a pitch that has strangely both met the expectations and also confounded. Everybody expected it to be low and slow, which it is, but nobody expected it to deteriorate so much in two days that balls pitched from an identical spot back of a length have hit Pujara’s fingers and also his stumps. As a result, it has been difficult to score quickly and to run through batsmen, but India are optimistic now.Cheteshwar Pujara walks out for the second session•Getty Images

“As batsmen it is tough to get used to this pace,” Pujara said. “You will feel it is slow, and then the odd ball kicks up, and I got hit on my finger three-four times. Those were not short balls. They were back of a length, and I got hit on my gloves. As a batsman there is always doubt when playing on such pitches, and I couldn’t have done anything about the ball that I got out to. So if it stays low, you have limited options.”I had to work really hard to get to my hundred. I had to bat almost more than four sessions to reach a hundred, which is hardly the [usual] case. Whenever I have batted I have got hundreds in three or four sessions, but in this game it looked I might have to bat more than four sessions to get to the hundred. It is a challenging pitch; as a batsman, I felt scoring was really difficult and, seeing the variable bounce, it will get tougher to bat on.”Aaron Finch, too, was left surprised by the deterioration. “This wicket is probably deteriorating more than we thought it would,” Finch said. “Even tonight it was skidding through, there were a couple that took off, so it’s still game on if we bat well and put India under pressure. I think all three results are still on the table, 100%. India, Australia and a draw.”An Australia win might be a touch optimistic to think of because they have a big batting innings to put in against bowlers who are good at attacking the stumps on a pitch keeping low.

MatériaMais Notícias

O presidente do São Paulo, Julio Casares, esteve na sede da CBF (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol), na última quarta-feira (13), para se reunir com o presidente da entidade, Rogério Caboclo,e o secretário-geral, Walter Feldman.

Veja os clubes tradicionais do Brasil que não estão nas Séries A e B

O mandatário do Tricolor foi acompanhado do presidente da Federação Paulista de Futebol, Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos.No encontro, os presidentes trataram de temas referentes ao desenvolvimento do futebol brasileiro e de suas competições.

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– É uma visita muito cordial, protocolar, acabei de ser eleito presidente do São Paulo, estou há uma semana na gestão. Estive aqui antes, durante a campanha também, mas quero reafirmar que o futebol brasileiro está no caminho certo, um caminho profissional, um caminho de um bom produto que o futebol é, de entretenimento, negócios e lazer, e a direção da CBF espelha os grandes clubes – afirmou Julio Casares ao site oficial do São Paulo.

Casares fez questão também de abordar sobre o tema da profissionalização da arbitragem no futebol brasileiro. O São Paulo teve algumas polêmicas no Campeonato Brasileiro, como um possível erro de direito no empate diante do Ceará e o gol anulado de Luciano, na derrota para o Atlético-MG.

– É preciso destacar não só a questão competitiva e a questão como produto, mas principalmente a questão da profissionalização da arbitragem, das Seleções, tanto de base como profissional, e a organização do Campeonato Brasileiro. Portanto, além de ser uma visita entre amigos, também é um reconhecimento que a instituição São Paulo vem abraçar a instituição CBF – finalizou Casares.

O São Paulo se prepara para encarar o Athletico, no próximo domingo (17), às 16h, na Arena da Baixada, pela 30ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. O time é o líder da competição, com 56 pontos, três a mais que o vice-líder Internacional.

Wrexham striker Paul Mullin posted two strikingly similar images as he revelled in back-to-back promotions for the Welsh club.

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Article continues below

Article continues below

• Mullin posts epic shots of promotion triumphs
• Makes 'first time so nice we had to do it twice' quip
• Reds wrap up promotion with two games to spare

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Red Dragons clinched promotion to League One after an emphatic 6-0 win over Forest Green Rovers on Saturday with jubilant fans spilling on to the STok Cae Ras pitch in celebration. One shot of the celebrations captured Mullin, arms aloft, taking in the supporters' adulation – a scene almost identical to that of last season when Wrexham won a historic promotion back to the Football League after a 15-year absence.

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• WHAT PAUL MULLIN SAID

  Posting on Instagram, Mullin said: "The first time was so nice. We had to do it twice."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Liverpudlian was slow to get into his stride this season as he recovered from a horrific injury sustained in Wrexham's pre-season tour of America.

  But the striker was back to his irrepressible best when the business end of the season arrived, rattling off 13 goals in 11 games, including a goal which owner Rob McElhenney picked out as his favourite Mullin strike.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR WREXHAM?

  With automatic promotion and the title in League Two already decided, Wrexham can play out their last two fixtures of a marathon season under no pressure whatsoever. The Red Dragons visit play-off contenders Crewe on Saturday before hosting champions Stockport County in their final game of the season the following weekend.

Tottenham Hotspur continued their dismal run of form in the Premier League as Ange Postecoglou's side ceded a winning position against West Ham United to fall to defeat.

Last weekend, Spurs had battled their way to a 3-3 draw at the Etihad Stadium against Manchester City, but there was to be no such joy in London, with the club now having lost their past three matches at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, winless in five in the top-flight.

Injuries, of course, have been a defining factor behind a recent bout of results that have been a bitter by-product of a lack of squad depth, exacerbated by the deluge of absences.

But there's no excuse for falling flat against David Moyes' men, and Postecoglou now has his work cut out to rekindle the fluency that surged his side into the ascendancy in the early months of the campaign.

While signing a new centre-forward is among the club's priorities, it's crystal clear that defenders are needed to stop the rot and allow Postecoglou to create a winning culture, eradicating the flimsiness that still pervades the squad.

Tottenham transfer news – Jarrad Branthwaite

According to Sky Sports, Tottenham are interested in signing Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite as Postecoglou looks to improve his backline.

The 21-year-old has been a revelation at the back for Sean Dyche's team since returning from a loan spell with PSV Eindhoven in the summer.

Swiping him away from Goodison Park will not be easy – especially in January – with the Toffees fighting against relegation after a ten-point deduction.

But Spurs desperately need reinforcements and could make a move for the £26m-rated starlet, as he has been valued by CIES Football Observatory, landing a player who could make a dramatic improvement on the current options.

Jarrad Branthwaite's season in numbers

Micky van de Ven and Cristian Romero are Tottenham's starting centre-back pairing and had proved to be a success across the opening months of the campaign, restoring the defensive mettle as Postecoglou engineered a rise to pole position in the Premier League.

But that has all fallen away over recent weeks, with £43m summer signing Van de Ven out injured until after the new year and Romero recently returning from a three-match suspension – such losses illuminated the squad's fragility.

Branthwaite would bring the perfect solution, with his exploits in the Premier League this term showcasing his skills and ability to thrive at an ambitious outfit such as Spurs – targeting a return to European competition and the gleaning of major silverware after an interminable drought.

Having chalked up 21 senior appearances for Everton, the 6 foot 5 colossus has finally cemented a starring role at the club after spending several seasons out on loan and on the periphery, still learning his trade.

Since sitting the first two league encounters on the bench this season, Branthwaite has been an unwavering rock in the rearguard henceforth, playing every minute of action across the past 13 fixtures.

As per Sofascore, the rising star has been immense in the Premier League this season, making 2.0 tackles, 1.7 interceptions, 7.1 ball recoveries (that's remarkable) and 5.2 clearances per game, also winning an impressive 65% of his duels.

But what is it that makes him such a coveted prospect? And why do Tottenham pursue his signature with fervour? Postecoglou's talent radar is first-class and Branthwaite boasts the attributes to succeed at the very highest level.

Jarrad Branthwaite's style of play

Tall and commanding, Branthwaite is viewed by those at Goodison Park as a modern, ball-playing defender, also quick and calculated, capable of tracking down attacking opponents before they reach the danger area.

His front-foot defending has been exemplary and left the likes of the Times' Henry Winter marvelling at his "superb" performances.

As per FBref, Branthwaite ranks within the top 25% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for tackles, interceptions, clearances, blocks and aerial wins per 90, highlighting his incredible defensive skills that would be a complement to any defence across Europe's divisions.

#

Player

Club

1

Lloyd Kelly

Bournemouth

2

Micky van de Ven

Tottenham Hotspur

3

Santiago Bueno

Wolverhampton Wanderers

4

Tim Ream

Fulham

5

Nathan Collins

Brentford

*Sourced via Football Transfers

It's worth noting that the table above lists Bournemouth's Lloyd Kelly – who has been pursued by Tottenham in 2023 – as his most comparable player, but it's even more eye-catching that he's so similar to Van de Ven, who has slotted into the Lilywhites' system like a dovetail joint.

Said to have "world-class potential" and "never seen" speed for a central defender by former head of Ajax talent development Ruben Jongkid, Van de Ven has been immense in front of Guglielmo Vicario's goal, sadly stifled by the hamstring injury he is currently nursing.

The two-cap Netherlands international ranks among the top 9% of centre-backs for progressive carries and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90 to emphasise his physical qualities.

Van de Ven has also been crisp in his passing – completing 95% of his balls this season – and has averaged 5.4 ball recoveries per game, really underpinning the athletic ability that Branthwaite could not only emulate, but match in its entirety with a transfer to London.

Based on the evidence from Van de Ven's start to life in north London, it may well be an excellent idea to seal a swoop for a talented young centre-back in Branthwaite, who is already proving that he has what it takes to cement a spot as one of the leading titan's in European football in the future.

Tottenham's desire to bolster at the back is clear, and with Branthwaite displaying athleticism, power and pace to rival Postecoglou's summer signing, all the stops must be pulled to get this one over the line.

Arsenal are in talks to sanction a loan move for one of their out of favour players in January, according to a fresh report that has emerged.

Arsenal's recent departures

Edu and Mikel Arteta sanctioned the sales of 14 players during the previous transfer window, with eight of those being on a permanent basis, while the remaining six were sent out on loan for the rest of the season to increase their experience and game time.

The Gunners also have Jorginho, Cedric Soares and Mohamed Elneny who will have reached the expiration of their deals at the end of the term (Arsenal contracts), so they could additionally soon be heading for the exit door should they not extend their stay.

Related "Extraordinary" Arsenal ace eyed for January move

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could be given some food for thought in the January transfer window…

Posts BySean Markus Clifford Nov 4, 2023

At the Emirates Stadium, Jakub Kiwior first put pen to paper from Spezia Calcio back in January, but having made just two starts and three substitute appearances in the Premier League this term (WhoScored – Kiwior statistics), the centre-back has fallen out of favour.

Back in November, Gazzetta Dello Sport reported that AC Milan were interested in signing the Poland international on an initial loan with an option to buy, and if the next update is to be believed, the 23-year-old’s admirers have stepped up their pursuit.

AC Milan in discussions to sign Jakub Kiwior

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato (via Sport Witness), Kiwior is a top target for AC Milan ahead of January. Arsenal’s defender is the “first name” on the list of Stefano Pioli and it’s believed that a “concrete attempt” will be made during the upcoming window.

The Serie A outfit’s technical director, Geoffrey Moncada, and sporting director, Antonio D’Ottavio, have been “working intensely for a few days”, and it’s stated that “discussions will continue” between the two clubs in the coming weeks.

Arsenal should sell "rusty and timid" Kiwior

Whilst Kiwior hasn’t been given a real opportunity to prove what he’s capable of this season, Arteta may well be aware that he currently ranks as his overall 21st best-performing player out of 23 squad members (WhoScored – Arsenal statistics), so it could be the right decision to get rid of him in January.

The Tychy native pockets £58k-per-week as it stands, earning more than the likes of Emile Smith Rowe and Fabio Vieira (Arsenal salaries), so Gunners chiefs may look to get him off the wage bill to free up extra cash that can be put towards recruiting fresh faces in the new year.

As described by Dennis M. Esser, Kiwior, who has played less minutes than Aaron Ramsdale, has become a “rusty and timid” player based on how much he’s fallen down the pecking order, so allowing him to move onto new pastures would surely be the best option for both parties to agree on.

Leeds United head coach Daniel Farke has paved the pathway for the current crop of academy stars to make their respective breakthrough at first-team level.

The German tactician was brought in over the summer to oversee a hopeful promotion-winning campaign back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

However, the pressure to mount a promotion push has not stopped the ex-Norwich City boss from leaning on the inexperienced youth within the Whites squad.

17-year-old gem Archie Gray has featured in 15 of their 16 league matches this season and his progression shows that the opportunities will be there for the U21 stars if they do enough to catch Farke's eyes.

With this in mind, one player whom Leeds and their supporters should be getting excited about is 19-year-old forward Luca Thomas, who has produced more goals and assists than first-team ace Wilfried Gnonto this season.

Luca Thomas' season in numbers

The teenage dynamo has caught the eye with his impressive performances for the U21s this season and could be a future star for the Whites.

Thomas, who can play down the middle as a centre-forward or out wide on either flank, has racked up three goals and one assist in six Premier League 2 appearances this term, along with one goal in one Premier League Cup outing.

This means that the young ace, whose "class" display was hailed by journalist Thomas Hill earlier this season, has been directly involved in five goals in seven matches across those two competitions.

The Thorp Arch academy starlet made the step up to the U21 squad this year after an eye-catching return of 23 goals and three assists in 32 matches at U18 level for the club.

Whilst there is no guarantee that the 19-year-old whiz will be able to translate those performances over to first-team level, Thomas' form is exciting due to the potential he has to become a senior option – particularly when you consider that the gem is outperforming Gnonto as it stands.

Gnonto's season in numbers

The Italy international, who handed in a transfer request and attempted to secure an exit from Elland Road over the summer, has not enjoyed the greatest of starts to the season.

He has only contributed with one goal and one assist in ten Championship appearances for Farke's side throughout the 2023/24 campaign so far.

The 20-year-old talent has been given plenty of opportunities to stake a claim for his place in the side with six starts but has not been able to produce consistent quality in the final third.

Gnonto also failed to provide a goal or an assist in his EFL Cup outing against Salford, which means that the young gem has been involved in two goals in 11 appearances in all competitions this term.

Therefore, Thomas has racked up three more goals and assists combined in four fewer appearances than the Italian prospect this season, albeit at U21 level in comparison to Championship and League Cup action, and Leeds should be excited by his potential as a goalscorer and creator.

Wellington overcame a middle-order collapse, and a threat from Otago seamers, to scramble to a three-wicket win with eight balls to spare in the final

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2018

Hamish Bennett’s early wickets cramped Otago•Getty Images

Wellington overcame a middle-order collapse, and a late threat from Otago seamers, to scramble to a three-wicket win with eight balls to spare in the final of the Ford Trophy in Dunedin.Wellington lost four wickets for 31 runs in the middle of their chase of 235, following which Malcolm Nofal and Peter Younghusband put on a 118-run stand to take Wellington closer to the finish. But their wickets within a space of 4.1 overs put them on the back seat again, and with 23 required off 22 balls from then, Lauchie Johns and Ollie Newton saw through the rest of the chase in the next 15 balls.Opting to bat, Otago lost their openers to medium-pacer Newton within the first seven overs. But it was captain Hamish Bennett (4 for 46) who caused the major damage in the ninth over, as he put himself on a hat-trick after dismissing Nathan Smith and Shawn Hicks off consecutive balls. Although Anaru Kitchen denied him the chance to become the first bowler in the team’s List A history to bag a hat-trick, Bennett bowled him off the very next ball, leaving Otago reeling at 39 for 5 by the 10th over.Michael Rippon then took charge and eased the nerves for Otago with a 112-ball 82. Christi Viljoen then joined him for an eighth-wicket stand of 146 before Bennett came back in the 48th over to dismiss Rippon. Viljoen and Jacob Duffy provided the final flourish with 29 runs in the last two overs, as the former finished on the highest score by a No. 9 batsman in Ford Trophy history.In reply, Wellington were put under pressure early in the chase, as they lost the big wickets of Andrew Fletcher and Michael Pollard inside the first 10 overs, following which Rippon and Duffy razed through the middle order. Despite losing Nofal on 73, and with Smith and Duffly stifling the scoring from both ends, the Wellington tail fought hard to take their team to their eighth Ford Trophy title.

Bayer Leverkusen name huge asking price for Florian Wirtz amid interest from Barcelona and Real Madrid.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Leverkusen slap a huge price on Wirtz
• Barcelona and Real Madrid are interested in signing him
• Integral part of Alonso's title-winning side

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro clearly stated that the club will be willing to sell the player in the upcoming summer transfer window provided the interested team pay a massive transfer fee of €150m (£128m). The 20-year-old, who made his professional debut for the Bundesliga side in 2020, has a contract valid until 2027.

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• Getty Images
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Germany international has performed consistently for Die Werkself and has been an important part of Xabi Alonso's team who lifted the club's first-ever Bundesliga title last week. Wirtz has appeared in 41 matches across all competitions where he has scored 17 times and provided 18 assists.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  In an interview with , the club CEO spoke about the attacker's future as he said, "No one is unsellable, but for less than €150m (£128m), Wirtz is not leaving."

  Regarding his future with the German side, the player's father and agent, Hans-Joachim Wirtz had earlier told , "That is roughly how long (2027) he will stay at Leverkusen. There's no answer to what will happen when. We should wait for the next two years and then we'll see what happens. Florian is very lucky to have Xabi Alonso, who brings a lot of qualities. He has a great relationship with the whole team. It's the right coach at the right time."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR FLORIAN WIRTZ?

  It remains to be seen if La Liga giants Barcelona and Real Madrid will match the demand of the newly crowned German champions. For now, Wirtz will be next seen in action on Thursday as Alonso's side take on West Ham in the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final fixture.