Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was unavailable as he continues his rehabilitation from an injury that kept him out of the series against Afghanistan; West Indies are unchanged
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Jun-20170:44
A squad with only two centurions
West Indies have named an unchanged 13-man squad for the first two ODIs of a five-match series against India, opting for continuity after the 1-1 result against Afghanistan earlier in June.Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel was unavailable as he continues his rehabilitation from an injury that kept him out of the series against Afghanistan, meaning the hosts will be without their premier fast bowler for their most important series this season. The reasons for its importance are not just pragmatic – India brings the most lucrative TV revenues – but also cricketing. West Indies are ranked ninth in the ICC ODI table, with only the top eight guaranteed qualification for the World Cup in 2019. The drawn series against Afghanistan did not help, and this series could represent their last realistic chance to avoid playing a potentially awkward qualifying tournament, where the top two teams will go through to the tournament in England.India arrive in the Caribbean off the back of a Champions Trophy run to the final, where they finished runners-up to Pakistan. The first ODI is on Friday (June 23) at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago.West Indies squad: Jason Holder (capt), Devendra Bishoo, Jonathan Carter, Roston Chase, Miguel Cummins, Shai Hope (wk), Alzarri Joseph, Evin Lewis, Jason Mohammad, Ashley Nurse, Kieran Powell, Rovman Powell, Kesrick Williams
Moises Henriques was chosen ahead of batsmen including Usman Khawaja, Peter Handscomb, George Bailey and Cameron White – plus the allrounder James Faulkner – in an Australian Champions Trophy squad that also features recalls for James Pattinson and John Hastings.The omission of Faulkner from an Australian ICC event squad for the first time since 2011 marks a major change for the selectors, who have also determined that Henriques is worth his place for his batting alongside the likes of Marcus Stoinis and Hastings.Khawaja and Handscomb were both part of the ODI team over the summer, and the latter’s performance with the bat suffered notably when asked to keep wicket in New Zealand in place of the injured Matthew Wade.Chris Lynn, who injured his shoulder in the IPL this week, and Mitchell Starc have been chosen subject to fitness assessments, meaning Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Pattinson all appear in a pace-laden squad six months out from a home Ashes series.Trevor Hohns, the chairman of the selection panel, said Australia’s medical staff would monitor the fitness of Lynn and Starc – who has been out of action since he flew home halfway through Australia’s Test series in India with a stress fracture in his right foot – and hoped both would be fit by the time the team departed on May 18.Pattinson, who last played an ODI in September 2015, has been in roaring form since his return from a long-term injury, taking 24 wickets at 17.41 for Victoria in the Sheffield Shield and carrying that form into the County Championship for Nottinghamshire, taking 13 wickets in two matches at 12.92. His inclusion gives Australia a wealth of genuine pace options, with Hastings’ return a nod to early English summer conditions.”Both James and John have made very good returns from injury and are bowling well for their respective teams in the English County competition as well as both contributing well with the bat,” Hohns said.”When you also add Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to the fast bowling artillery it becomes a very exciting proposition for Australian cricket.”ESPNcricinfo Ltd
Henriques has been an irregular member of Australia’s ODI squad, playing only eight matches between his debut in 2009 and his last match in August 2016. He has scored 46 runs at 6.57 and taken six wickets with his medium-pace at 40.83.Faulkner has greater ODI experience – 67 matches, with averages of 34.06 and 30.08 with bat and ball – and was Player of the Match in the final of the 2015 World Cup. Since then, while his left-arm seam has remained an effective weapon, his batting returns have fallen away, with his last 17 innings yielding a high score of 36 and an average of 17.40.It is also possible that a lack of recent match practice has gone against Faulkner, who has not featured in a competitive game since playing for Tasmania against Queensland in the Sheffield Shield in early March. He is yet to play a match for his IPL team, Gujarat Lions, this season. Henriques, on the other hand, has featured in all but one of Sunrisers Hyderabad’s six matches, scoring 138 runs at an average of 46.00 and a strike rate of 127.77, and taking one wicket in 10 overs.”Moises finished off the domestic season very well and has had a great start in the Indian Premier League,” Hohns said. “We believe Moises’ batting has improved significantly in the past six months and he will provide us with a strong option should he be selected.”James has been a consistent performer for the one-day squad for several years, however with players such as Pattinson, Cummins and Hastings coming back to full fitness and the emergence of Marcus Stoinis, James was squeezed out of the squad and an unlucky omission.”Stoinis and Hastings are the two other seam-bowling allrounders in Australia’s squad, with Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head providing part-time offspin back-up to Adam Zampa’s legspin.
Manchester United are willing to listen to offers for midfielder Fred this summer despite the player still being considered as "important" at Old Trafford, according to Fabrizio Romano.
Is Fred leaving Manchester United?
Fred has never quite managed to completely win over Man United supporters since his arrival from Shakthar Donetsk in 2018. Despite his best efforts, the midfielder has struggled to show the consistency and quality that many expected of him following his approximately £52m transfer.
Despite having made 213 appearances for the Red Devils and earning 32 caps for the Brazil national team, Fred has often flattered to deceive.
It is therefore unsurprising that the 30-year-old may be moved on this summer as Erik ten Hag aims to mould this United team in his image off the back of a successful debut season at Old Trafford.
According to transfer expert Romano, Fred could well be on his way out of Man United this summer, despite still being held in high regard at the club.
Romano said: "Fred is still considered as an important player by Man United but the reality is that they are open to listening to proposals and negotiating for Fred. So, Fred could be on the move this summer. This is a concrete possibility."
The Italian also lists fellow midfielder Donny van de Beek as a potential summer outgoing, with the Dutchman desperate for more regular minutes, meaning that United may have to reinforce the centre of the pitch this summer.
Mason Mount is on his way to Old Trafford and will be seen as a good upgrade on some of the current midfield options, but more numbers may be required ahead of a season which includes Champions League football.
Fred has been linked with a potential move to Fulham, but also reportedly has other offers on the table. Having spent so highly on the expected arrival of Mount, this could be an opportunity for United to reclaim some of their expenses.
Which midfielders could replace Fred?
One man that Ten Hag and his squad already know intimately is Marcel Sabitzer, who spent the second half of last season on loan at Old Trafford from Bayern Munich.
The 29-year-old featured 18 times for United last term, netting on three occasions, and the Red Devils are reportedly keeping their options open despite Bayern's willingness to sell the Austrian this summer.
There have been some links to Brighton's Moises Caicedo and Southampton's Romeo Lavia too, although respective moves to Chelsea and Liverpool look more likely at this stage.
United's takeover uncertainty means that Ten Hag may be limited in what he can spend, certainly in the opening part of the window, and with a new goalkeeper and centre-forward potentially taking priority, the Red Devils may want to keep Fred around after all.
The Big Bash League will look to “innovate” with punishment for slow over-rates in order to avoid situations like the banning of the Brisbane Heat captain Brendon McCullum for Tuesday’s win over the Melbourne Stars
Will Macpherson18-Jan-2017
Brendon McCullum sat out the Brisbane Heat’s match against the Melbourne Stars to serve an over-rate ban•Getty Images
The Big Bash League will look to “innovate” with punishment for slow over-rates in order to avoid situations like the banning of the Brisbane Heat captain Brendon McCullum, one of the tournament’s biggest drawcards, for Tuesday’s win over the Melbourne Stars.At the MCG, Joe Burns stood in for McCullum, who was suspended for one game after his team were six minutes behind the prescribed 90 they had in which to bowl 20 overs in the defeat to the Perth Scorchers last week. It was the Heat’s second offence of the season, so McCullum was banned and each player fined $500, reduced from $1000 as no appeal was lodged. McCullum joked that his team had been “penalised for taking wickets”.A sea change appears to be taking place in attitudes towards the problem, however, with an acknowledgement that while the fielding captain plays an important role in keeping the game moving, he or she is not solely responsible for the pace of play, and the batting team is able to slow the game down too. Furthermore, bans are seen as counterproductive in that they rob the competition of its best players.”Ideally we want to see all the best cricketers on the park at all times,” Anthony Everard, the head of the BBL, told ESPNcricinfo. “The challenge is balancing that against the other objective of keeping the game moving. There’s a set of rules in place at the start of the season and for the integrity of the competition, it’s important we enforce those rules, which we did with Brendon.”The BBL’s playing committee will meet at the end of the season and over-rates will be on the agenda. Among the options available to CA is replacing fines and bans with the docking of net run-rate points. The benefits of such a system would be that it harms the whole squad and its chances of making the finals, as well as allowing a sliding scale whereby punishments could be proportionate to the slowness of play.”This is not the first time that we have considered innovating in this department,” Everard said. “We have a playing-conditions meeting every year where a whole lot of things are put on the table for discussion and over-rates and the speed of the game are almost an annual agenda item.”Given the complexity of a BBL game these days in terms of the additional demands of the broadcaster, the additional demands at the match and the fan experience, there are so many moving parts now, I think the role of the fielding captain in keeping the game moving forward is important, but it’s not the only thing.”The playing committee is comprised of a broad cross-section of people involved in the BBL, from a current player, umpire and their union, the ACA, to CA’s high performance director Pat Howard and Ben Amarfio, CA’s executive general manager of media, communications and marketing. “It’s not just a purist cricket perspective, otherwise we would never move the game forward,” Everard said. “We try to get a commercial, broadcast perspective and others too.”CA would not have to have a change to the playing conditions rubber-stamped by the ICC, but, Everard said, “as a courtesy we would always consult and give them a heads-up as to what we were doing, but it’s unlikely we would find something so radical as to offend anyone.”We see the BBL as the R&D department, but that’s not to say we want to get too funky with the integrity of the game,” Everard said. “We have struck a good balance of that in the past but we do feel there is an opportunity to innovate and this is the right forum to do that in.”
The Supreme Court of India has allowed the BCCI to release INR 1.33 crore per Test and INR 25 lakh per match to the state associations for hosting the final two Tests and the three ODIs and T20s next year
Nagraj Gollapudi07-Dec-2016The Supreme Court of India has allowed the BCCI to release INR 1.33 crore to the state associations of Mumbai and Tamil Nadu for hosting the final two Tests of the England series. The fourth Test starts in Mumbai on Thursday and the final match is scheduled from December 16.On Wednesday morning the BCCI filed a plea seeking funds to host the remaining matches of the England series after the court in its interim order of October 21 had curtailed the boards’s financial freedom by asking to “cease and desist” from disbursing any money to the state associations till they complied with the Lodha Committee’s recommendations. In November, the court had granted an amount of INR 58.66 lakh (USD 86,000 approx) for each of the first three Tests of the England series.On Wednesday, TS Thakur, the chief justice of India, told the BCCI that it would need to provide an elaborate list of expenses incurred during the five Tests, which he said would be audited. Thakur also rejected the BCCI’s request to release an amount of INR 3.79 crore as advance money for the limited-overs leg of the tour. Instead, the court allowed a maximum of INR 25 lakh per match for the three ODIs and three T20Is that will be played between January 15 and February 1.”We allow this application to the extent that the BCCI shall be free to incur an expenditure of Rs. 133.82 lakhs in connection with two test matches scheduled to be played with the English team. We also permit the BCCI to incur an expenditure up to Rs. 25 lakhs per 3 match for six matches scheduled to be played with the English team in the month of January and February, 2017,” the court order said.The BCCI had also asked the court to allow it to release funds to cater to expenses incurred by state associations hosting various domestic tournaments, but Thakur did not permit that.During the hearing, Lodha Committee secretary Gopal Sankaranarayanan observed that all the state associations hosting the England matches had incidentally refused to comply with the court’s order to implement the reforms in toto. Aksed if that would benefit these state associations, Sankaranarayanan said it would, considering the venues were getting ticket money and sponsorships.”We further direct that the BCCI shall file an affidavit indicating the total receipts on all counts in connection with the matches already played and those scheduled to be played and the share of receipts which has fallen to BCCI’s lot out of the total,” the court order said. “We make it clear that no part of the amount which we have authorised shall be handed over to the cricket associations whose stadia are used for playing the matches and that the amount shall be disbursed only by Account Payee’s cheque. Needless to say that proper accounts of the expenditure so incurred shall be maintained by the BCCI.”
Arsenal are thought to be closing in on a deal for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice, according to reports.
What’s the latest on Declan Rice signing for Arsenal?
The Gunners have made Rice their top transfer target this summer and have already reached a verbal agreement with the player ahead of a move to the Emirates.
Rice, who recently helped West Ham win the Europa Conference League, is expected to leave the Hammers over the coming months, something which was recently confirmed by co-owner David Sullivan.
Arsenal aren’t the only side keen on the England international, though, with three or four clubs interested, however, it looks as if the Gunners are in a good position to seal a deal.
Now, according to The Guardian, ‘Arsenal are close to agreeing a fee with West Ham for Rice and are expected to pay more than £100m for the midfielder if certain add-ons are achieved.’ A bid is yet to be made, but talks are progressing smoothly and there is confidence an agreement will be reached.
The report adds that ‘Mikel Arteta is a huge admirer’ of Rice and feels he will be key to helping Arsenal to mount another challenge for the Premier League title.
Rice is also a fan of Arteta’s football in north London, with Arsenal also eyeing Brighton’s Moises Caicedo and Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan as further midfield additions alongside a move for the West Ham star.
Rice has made a total of 245 appearances for West Ham after coming through their academy, scoring 15 goals and registering 13 assists. The 24-year-old's first Hammers strike was actually a winner against Arsenal back in 2019, and he now looks on course to make the move to the Gunners.
When it comes to salary, Rice has gone from being on £100-a-week back in 2015 to £62,000-a-week as of today and actually rejected a £200,000-a-week deal to stay with West Ham. Therefore, you’d expect that Arsenal would be willing to make the midfielder one of their top earners alongside the likes of Thomas Partey and Martin Odegaard.
All the signs ahead of a transfer are certainly exciting, and by the looks of it, a record transfer is close to materialising. Arsenal’s current record transfer was set back in 2019 on a €80m deal for Nicolas Pepe, and should Arsenal get the green light, Rice, hailed as a "special talent" by David Moyes, will surpass that figure ahead of the 2023/24 season.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is interested in signing Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher, and has received a boost in his pursuit following fresh reports.
What's the latest on Conor Gallagher to Newcastle?
According to talkSPORT's Alex Crook, the beleaguered Blues are set to sell up to five homegrown stars this summer to finance the summer rebuild and trim the inflated squad.
The Magpies are said to have been 'alerted' to the possibility of signing the £40m-rated midfielder this summer, with technical director Dan Ashworth eyeing multiple signings to bolster the ranks on Tyneside after Newcastle qualified for next season's Champions League.
Everton lodged a £45m bid for the 23-year-old in January but failed to ensnare their man, though Newcastle boast the affluence and allure to get a deal over the line and fortify their ranks with an industrious new engine.
Should Newcastle sign Conor Gallagher?
Gallagher burst into prominence in the Premier League after dazzling out on loan with Crystal Palace in 2021/22; he had played the previous campaign with West Bromwich Albion but found his feet resoundingly at Selhurst Park.
As per Sofascore, the six-cap England international recorded an impressive average rating of 7.08 with the Eagles, making 33 appearances, scoring eight goals and supplying three assists, completing 81% of his passes and averaging two tackles per match.
That unsurprisingly saw him lavished with praise by NBC Sports journalist Joe Prince-Wright, who said he's "like peak Frank Lampard and Steven Gerrard rolled into one".
While such a claim sets lofty heights, Gallagher is indeed an assiduous midfielder with a knack for encompassing the full scope of a box-to-box midfielder's work in his approach on the pitch, and while he has enjoyed a somewhat unsuccessful season at Stamford Bridge, this is largely down to the disarray that Chelsea have been embroiled in this term, finishing 12th in the Premier League after spending £600m across two transfer windows under Todd Boehly's ownership.
Despite his team's woes, the "relentless" Gallagher – as he has been praised by one journalist – still ranks among the top 24% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues for rate of non-penalty goals, the top 22% for rate of tackles, the top 19% for progressive carries and the top 21% for successful take-ons per 90, illustrating his dynamism that Howe would engulf in a heartbeat.
The £50k-per-week conductor would be the dream upgrade on Sean Longstaff, who has been a success story at St. James' Park and is beloved by the Toon faithful as a hometown talent, but he is hardly indispensable.
Rising through the youth ranks at Newcastle, Longstaff has played 41 matches across all competitions this season and has been hailed as his side's "unsung hero" by pundit Paul Merson, completing 83% of his passes in the top-flight this year, creating six big chances and averaging 1.3 tackles per game.
Compared to the Chelsea man, he ranks as low down as the bottom 22% for progressive carries per 90 and the bottom 18% for tackles per 90; not promising signs when pitting the pair together.
The £50k-per-week Magpie has even been touted as high as £50m by Sky Sports journalist Keith Downie for his feats this season, and while such a staggering sum might not be an apt reflection of his true market value, he is unequivocally resurgent under Howe's wing.
Gallagher, however, would be a better fit in the squad, and the club must ensure that his signature is procured this summer as the ascent continues.
Chelsea were an extremely busy force in the transfer market last summer, bringing in multiple new additions in what seemed to be a new dawn for everyone involved at Stamford Bridge under new ownership.
One of their most high-profile signings was Marc Cucurella, who arrived to much excitement from Blues' supporters for a fee in excess of £60 million, as per Sky Sports.
Nevertheless, he, like many of Chelsea's players have flattered to deceive this campaign, leaving the west London-based outfit sitting 11th in the Premier League table with just three fixtures left to play alongside being dumped out of all cup competitions.
Undoubtedly, Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly has a lot to answer for this season and the American businessman may live to regret making such an expensive signing with little to show for it in return.
What's the latest news involving Marc Cucurella?
Cucurella has come under fire for his performances at Chelsea this season and was criticised by talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara after the Blues' Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie against Real Madrid, as the pundit said: “Cucurella is a disgrace, absolutely killed Chelsea.”
Daily Mail journalist Kieran Gill also delivered a crushing verdict of the Spaniard in early February and questioned his willingness to try and be progressive on the ball, writing: "Cucurella looks like a footballer devoid of confidence, as if he’s too scared to take the risky option.
One compilation of his ‘highlights’ against West Ham showed a series of moments when, instead of passing to Mykhailo Mudryk on the left wing, he chose safety."
In his time at Stamford Bridge, Cucurella has been an underwhelming presence on the left-hand side of defence, making 33 appearances in all competitions and registering two assists, as per Transfermarkt.
Chelsea left-back Marc Cucurella.
WhoScored notes that Cucurella has earned an average match rating of 6.55/10 for his exploits on the pitch this term, ranking him 13th out of Chelsea's 32-man squad in terms of the consistency of his displays, demonstrating room for improvement.
Gill's assessment of Cucurella not being brave enough on the ball also stands up to scrutiny, as FBRef details that the 24-year-old ranks in the bottom 10% of full-backs across Europe's top five divisions for successful take-ons completed over the last 365 days, as he has managed just 0.29 per 90 minutes.
Former Chelsea ace Frank Leboeuf even slammed the transfer as he called it a "crazy" decision.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Paul Brown thinks that Boehly and company may have paid over the odds to sign Cucurella.
Brown told FFC: "I think the only regret that Chelsea should have over Cucurella is the price they paid. I think there's clearly a good player there who still has time to make an impact for the club, but it's clear they just paid a figure that was way above his market value to get him. I mean, I think everyone went a bit wide-eyed at the time when those figures came out."
Of course, Cucurella still has time to turn things round at the Blues and can be an exceptionally effective player when on form. As per The Evening Standard, UEFA’s Technical Observer Panel praised him in the aftermath of Chelsea's 2-0 triumph in the Champions League last-16, stating: “Cucurella was fantastic, claiming numerous turnovers in the first half and reading the game intelligently as well as showing aerial strength and an accuracy of distribution which underpinned the victory for Chelsea.”
Nevertheless, a return to consistency needs to be a priority for the former Seagulls ace heading into next campaign as Chelsea look to wash away their memory of a dismal 2022/23.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta could look to sign two midfielders at the Emirates this summer to strengthen his squad, according to journalist Dharmesh Sheth.
What's the latest transfer news surrounding Arsenal's hunt for midfield additions?
As per Sky Sports News, West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, who is a target for Arsenal, will be allowed to leave the London Stadium this summer if the Hammers receive a bid of £120 million for his services.
Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United have also shown interest in the England international ahead of the forthcoming transfer window and it is thought that West Ham may also entertain a bid of £100 million alongside a player in exchange.
90min also claim that Brighton & Hove Albion enforcer Moises Caicedo 'remains an option' for Arteta this summer as he looks to bolster his engine room, with the Seagulls reportedly open to discussing the future of the Ecuadorian if a fee of £80 million is put on the table.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea tried to sign Caicedo in January and were knocked back in their advances before he eventually penned an extension at the Amex Stadium until 2027.
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Sheth believes that Arsenal will at least try to sign one midfielder this summer; however, he wouldn't be surprised if they entered the market to strengthen the middle of the park with a couple of additions.
Sheth said: “There’s every chance. We know that Rice is the priority target, but you've got to remember that in January, we knew of the interest in Declan Rice, but we also knew that they'd made two or three bids for Moises Caicedo at Brighton as well.
“Was it one or the other? Or were they being ambitious and thinking ‘Let's try and get both of these players?’I think they will definitely try and get one in that area in the summer.”
What other midfielders have Arsenal been linked with ahead of the summer?
Arsenal have been linked with several other midfield options ahead of the summer transfer window as they aim to beef up their pool of players to pick from heading into 2023/24.
As per GOAL, Chelsea midfielder Mason Mount has been 'discussed' as someone the Gunners could pursue in the off-season amid his continuous contract stand-off at Stamford Bridge.
Premier League, Liverpool, Liverpool news, Liverpool latest news, Liverpool update, Liverpool transfers, Liverpool transfer news, Jurgen Klopp, FSG, Manuel Ugarte
O Jogo via Sport Witness claim that Sporting Lisbon ace Manuel Ugarte has been scouted by Arsenal recently and the Gunners have been 'captivated' by his 'great level' of performances.
One report from Spain details that Real Sociedad playmaker Martin Zubimendi is said to be 'very close' to accepting an offer to join Arsenal; however, we will wait and see what transpires upon the conclusion of this campaign when the window opens.
Liverpool have registered their interest in a summer deal for West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice, according to reports.
What's the latest on Rice to Liverpool?
The Irons captain's contract in the capital is set to expire at the end of next season meaning that the upcoming window is likely to be David Moyes' side's final big opportunity to cash in on their prized asset, and being their overall best-performing player with a WhoScored match rating of 7.05, he won't be short of suitors in the Premier League.
The London Stadium manager has admitted that the 24-year-old is likely to bring in a "British transfer record" should he be sold ahead of the start of the new campaign, but money aside, the Reds aren't allowing themselves to be put off by his exponential price tag.
Journalist Florian Plettenberg revealed in April that the Merseyside outfit have added the England international to their "shortlist" of midfield options, with him being just one of several candidates to have been internally "discussed" with Jurgen Klopp, and it would appear that they have now made their admiration known to all parties.
According to Sky Sports, Liverpool, alongside top-flight rivals Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, have all "shown an interest" in a summer move for Rice. West Ham will "allow" their skipper to leave should they receive an offer of £120m from a club in the Champions League, though they would also "accept" £100m in cash plus a player being sent the opposite way as part of a swap deal.
The Irons will "not stand in the way" of letting him go if a suitable proposal was to arrive as a mark of "respect" and "recognition" for everything he's done for the E20 outfit over the years.
West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice.
Should Liverpool splash the cash on Rice?
Liverpool are desperately in need of central reinforcements as a result of having four of their players out of contract at the end of the season, and having been dubbed a “midfield general” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Rice would be a perfect candidate to put pen to paper.
The Irons talisman, who’s sponsored by Adidas, incredibly ranks in the 97th percentile for interceptions across Europe's top leagues and sits in the top half of midfielders for every single defensive metric. He has also tackled 78 players since the start of the term, which is higher than any other member of his squad, as per FBRef.
The World Cup participant, who is a versatile operator with his ability to play in five different positions across the field, also has the capability to contribute to his team’s efforts in the final third having posted 27 senior goal involvements for his boyhood club, so FSG would certainly be getting their money’s worth if they were to empty their pockets.