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Derby County have gone about their business in a steady manner since emerging back up to the Championship after a few seasons stuck in the League One wilderness, adding experience and quality to the ranks ahead of the challenge in front of them.

Only Ebou Adams and Kenzo Goudjmin have cost the newly promoted Rams a fee so far, however, as the likes of Kayden Jackson and Ben Osborn both joined on free transfers, with the first of those buys a relative coup, considering Jackson was a background figure in Ipswich Town's unbelievable promotion success story up to the Premier League.

Derby will aim to take the second tier by storm like the Tractor Boys managed if they can, swimmingly moving back up a division with ease, as dependable figures like Eiran Cashin and Nathaniel Mendez-Laing are expected to shine again in the first-team week in week out.

Jumping back up to the Championship will also see Derby face off against a number of old faces potentially, with Paul Warne's men set to take on an old fan's favourite.

Jayden Bogle's time at Derby

Before Cashin first began to make waves in the first-team mix in Derbyshire, and long before Mendez-Laing fired in goal after goal for Warne's men to triumphantly return to the Championship, Jayden Bogle was making an impression on supporters at Pride Park as a young gem fresh off the Academy production line.

Starring at youth level for the Rams as an attack-oriented defender, with nine goals and four assists picked up from 45 total clashes for the U18s and U21s, the now 23-year-old would initially take to the men's game like a duck to water when still on the books at Derby.

The expansive full-back would take the Championship by storm during his first full season bumped up to the senior group, picking up nine assists from 40 games under the guidance of then Rams boss Frank Lampard, alongside firing in two strikes of his own.

The former Derby homegrown product would also deliver a sucker punch to Aston Villa in the Championship playoff final that same season, assisting the only goal of the final that swung in the favour of Derby courtesy of Jack Marriott firing home, but it would be to no avail unfortunately for his side, as they would stay put in the second tier after losing 2-1.

The slick 5 foot 10 defender wouldn't have to wait long to get his wish of playing in the Premier League, however, only lasting one more full campaign at Pride Park before Sheffield United came knocking.

Bogle would sign out from his boyhood club with a further goal and six assists added to his overall Derby haul, with the Blades then winning the services of the ex-Rams number 37 ahead of returning to the top flight.

The rest has ended up being history from the perspective of the new bumper Leeds United signing, who would go on to become a feared attacker for defenders to keep tabs on in the top flight after cutting his teeth with Derby, even when operating as a right-back capable of digging deep in moments of tension.

Bogle's time at Sheffield United

There's many a reason why Daniel Farke's Whites decided to go all in and splash the cash on a deal for Bogle this summer, with the 23-year-old shining last season under Chris Wilder even when the mood was routinely bleak at Bramall Lane.

The Blades would finish bottom of the pile in the Premier League with a dire 104 goals leaked, yet Bogle still managed to give the leaky South Yorkshire outfit a spark venturing forward, with three goals bagged from 34 games.

Games played

34

Goals scored

3

Assists

0

Shots*

0.9

Touches*

42.8

Interceptions*

0.9

Tackles*

1.9

Ball recoveries*

4.1

Clearances*

2.5

Total duels won*

4.8

Bogle tried his hardest to give his team some desperately needed steel at the back, with 4.8 total duels won on average per contest, but the Blades just couldn't keep the ball out of the back of their net across a dismal campaign.

That could well be why Bogle jumped at the opportunity to move over to West Yorkshire away from his fixed South Yorkshire location this summer, with Leeds aware that the 23-year-old can be a reliable defender in the second tier, having amassed 115 games at the level now both for United and with Derby.

Bogle's transfer value in 2024

This could well be a fresh start for Bogle to impress away from the damage caused by being part of such a porous side, and he will be expected to perform, considering his reported price tag came in at £5m.

Derby will rake in some of that money, as per other reports, with Bogle likely to face off against the likes of Cashin and Mendez-Laing next season, who he is now worth more than when considering his new excessive value.

As per Football Transfers, Bogle was only worth in the region of £1.2m when he first begun to make waves in the Derby first-team in 2018, before now going on to be an asset worth four times more than that.

Derby might well have wished they'd driven a harder bargain out of the Blades when selling him on in 2020 now, but they still managed to get a bumper £3.2m out of their former star-man as per the site, before now going on to receive a fraction of the £5m Leeds forked out.

2024

£5m

2023

£2m

2022

£3m

2021

£6m

2020

£3m

2018

£1m

Bogle will hope, if he can star again in the Championship, that his value can rise all the way back up to the £6m figure he was worth back in 2021 when looking at the table above.

His new value makes him a more expensive player than both Cashin and Mendez-Laing, who are worth just £1.5m and £842k comparatively, despite the Derby pairing being crucial for Warne's men in winning promotion back up to the Championship, having amassed a ridiculous 90 League One games between them.

Moving back to the ex-Rams man, however, and his exploits when still on the books in South Yorkshire even saw Wilder describe Bogle as "outstanding", with the Blades manager no doubt gutted by the news he won't be lining up for his team this coming season.

There's no guarantee he will be as loved in his new Elland Road location, with the pressure very much on Leeds to win promotion, whilst Derby attempt to keep their heads above water at the opposite end of the table.

Derby hit gold on incredible gem who's now worth more than the entire squad

Derby County could be set to gain some cash from this former youth star moving on.

ByKelan Sarson Jul 14, 2024

Rizwan and Ashraf stemmed a top order collapse after Maharaj and Linde had given the home team an opening

Firdose Moonda06-Feb-2021Stumps Mohammad Rizwan and Faheem Ashraf put on 52 for the sixth-wicket to push Pakistan’s lead to 200 after South Africa’s spinners bowled them back into the game. Keshav Maharaj and George Linde shared five wickets between them to leave Pakistan 76 for 5, ahead by 147 runs, but three dropped catches undermined a disciplined effort by the attack and will mean South Africa face a tough chase.The Rawalpindi surface continues to show signs of variable bounce and keep low, and while South Africa’s seamers did not get any reverse swing, Pakistan’s attack had it in significant supply. They forced a collapse of the South African lower order, who lost five wickets for 37 runs, and bowled them out for 201, 71 runs behind Pakistan’s first innings score. That lead, as well South Africa’s mistakes in the field, could prove decisive in the series outcome.Faheem was dropped on 0, by Dean Elgar at slip off Linde, when he got a thick outside edge. Linde bowled nine overs, more than his 5.5 in the first innings, when he lacerated the little finger on his bowling hand. With substantial dressing on the injury, he has managed to find a way to continue to play a part in the game.The very next ball saw Rizwan put down on 4 as he inside-edged Maharaj to Rassie van der Dussen at silly point. The ball was dying on van der Dussen, who moved forward quickly, but could not quite reach it. South Africa’s also gave a chance to Azhar Ali, who was on 28 when Temba Bavuma could not hold on to a chance at legslip. Azhar went on to make 33 so the damage was not as severe as the other two missed opportunities.Kagiso Rabada sent Imran Butt back early•PCBThe fielding lapses will sting for South Africa, both because of their reputation in the field and because Pakistan were much more effective. Shaheen Shah Afridi and Abid Ali ran out Wiaan Mulder and Kagiso Rabada respectively, to take Pakistan’s total run-outs in the series to four.Mulder was part of the most accomplished partnership South Africa posted, 50 runs for the sixth-wicket with Temba Bavuma, who was left stranded on 44 not out. Bavuma built his innings slowly after he successfully reviewed being given out lbw to Hasan Ali in the fourth over of the morning. By then, Quinton de Kock had been bowled by Afridi, driving away from his body after adding just five runs to his overnight score. Bavuma scored just five runs off two scoring shots off the first 42 balls he faced on the third morning, and allowed Mulder to play the more proactive role.Mulder was confident against both pace and spin but his boldness in taking on Afridi’s arm was his undoing. He flicked Hasan to fine leg and pushed for a second run but Afridi fired in a strong throw right over the bails for Mohammed Rizwan to collect and catch Mulder short of his ground.Linde should have been out off the fourth ball he faced when he gloved a Hasan short ball, but Babar Azam opted not to review. Hasan got his revenge, though, and bowled Linde after a breezy run-a-ball 21. He then muscled through Maharaj’s defence with an inswinger to take out middle-stump and knocked the top of Anrich Nortje’s offstump as the No.11 shouldered arms.While South Africa’s batting was careless at times, their bowling was the exact opposite and, as they have done throughout the Test, the bowlers kept Pakistan’s scoring rate in check. Rabada and Nortje started the innings with 25 dot balls, which included a wicket, Rabada’s first in the match. He trapped Imran Butt lbw in front of middle stump to end a challenging series for the new opener. Butt has scored 36 runs in four innings and Pakistan’s first-wicket pair has shared a highest stand of 22, underlining the problems they have at the top of the order.The first run came off the 26th ball, from Azhar, who held firm against Nortje’s pace. Nortje was used in two short spells of three overs each, delivered a fastest ball of 149kph, and mixed attacking the body with fuller balls. However, he has yet to add his five wickets from the first innings.Instead, it was Maharaj, introduced in the eighth over, who troubled the Pakistan batsmen more. He had Abid caught behind off the sweep and then removed Azam for the third time in four innings as the home captain failed to defend a delivery that drifted in and struck him on the front pad.With Maharaj building pressure on one end, de Kock installed Linde at the other and in his third over, he beat Azhar’s inside edge to trap him lbw. Azhar reviewed but replays showed the ball would have hit leg-stump. Four overs later, Linde got one to spin into Fawad Alam and the edge popped onto his pad and up to Aiden Markram at short leg.Sensing an opportunity to burrow through the lower-order, de Kock went back to Nortje, but Rizwan was comfortable against the short ball and Ashraf strong on the offside, and the tactic did not work. It was only when Linde was brought back that Ashraf was lured into a loose drive and offered Nortje a catch at backward point. By then, Ashraf, who could have been dismissed for a duck had scored 29 runs and shared in a partnership with Rizwan that could be the difference between these two teams.

After failing in their first approach, Aston Villa have reportedly made a second attempt to convince one of their summer targets into a Premier League switch ahead of next season.

Aston Villa transfer news

The Villans have been one of the busiest sides in the transfer market so far this summer, especially in the Premier League. In total, they've welcomed five fresh faces with Amadou Onana reportedly on his way to make it a sixth. The Belgian's arrrival, alongside Ian Maatsen's, stands out amongst the crowd as the most impressive business that Villa have so far completed.

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With so many incomings, however, departures always seemed likely as those in the Midlands have already seen with the exit of Douglas Luiz to Juventus and as they may see with Moussa Diaby. The former Bayer Leverkusen star has reportedly agreed personal terms with Saudi Pro League club Al Ittihad and could now be on his way out of Villa Park just one year on from arriving.

The winger's exit would undoubtedly deal Unai Emery a frustrating blow this summer, but Villa could at least make up for Diaby's potential departure by reversing the trend of Saudi clubs signing European stars.

According to TEAMtalk, Aston Villa have made a new approach to sign Saud Abdulhamid from Al-Hilal, having already made an initial approach at the start of the transfer window. The right-back reportedly believes that now is the best time to move into European football after impressing in Saudi as a standout defender. Despite approaching Abdulhamid's representatives though, Villa are yet to open negotiations with Al-Hilal.

It could be quite the way to break the trend by luring a player who is regarded as one of the best right-backs in the Saudi Pro League to English football after the likes of Ruben Neves and now perhaps even Diaby chose to move in the opposite direction.

"Incredible" Abdulhamid has earned Aston Villa interest

A Saudi champion and one of the best defenders in the country, Abdulhamid has more than earned the interest of Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest, AS Roma and others in a busy race for his signature. Villa, of course, after their new approach, will be hoping to take the lead in that race, but it remains to be seen whether they can reach an agreement on both personal terms and on a fee with Al-Hilal.

The 24-year-old ended last season with four goals and nine assists – eclipsing Matty Cash's five goals and three assists in the process – and could now make his biggest move yet to Villa Park. Dubbed "incredible" by Arab News, Abdulhamid could be a shrewd coup by those in the Midlands this summer.

Strength in depth could be key for Villa if they want to repeat last season's success in the Premier League whilst causing even greater upsets in the Champions League, and adding Abdulhamid to compete with Cash would bring exactly that.

After losing Douglas Luiz to Juventus, Aston Villa are now set to lose another senior player, with a medical already booked and the deal now reportedly progressing "quickly".

Aston Villa transfer news

So far, the Villans can judge this summer as a success. Even as Luiz swapped the Midlands for Italy and Juventus, those at Villa Park welcomed both Ezno Barrenechea and Samuel Iling-Junior in quite the swap deal in between the arrivals of Ian Maatsen, Lewin Dobbin and Ross Barkley. Villa may not be done there with incomings either, having been linked to both Joao Felix and Ivan Toney.

Toney, of course, is currently busy preparing for the final of Euro 2024 with England after Villa's Ollie Watkins scored a last-gasp winner to defeat the Netherlands and secure a spot in Berlin for the Three Lions, where they will play Spain.

Before the likes of Toney and Felix potentially arrive, however, Unai Emery is reportedly set to bid farewell to an experienced member of his current squad. According to Glen Williams, Calum Chambers is close to joining Cardiff City and is set to undergo a medical at the Championship club in a move that "progressed quickly".

The former Arsenal man looks set to leave after just two years at Aston Villa, in which he featured just 36 times. Left benefitting, however, is a Cardiff side desperately hoping to enjoy a season away from the Championship's relegation battle.

"Amazing" Chambers needs move

The fact that he's made 36 appearances in two years paints a fairly accurate picture of what Chambers' role became at Villa Park and now that their ambitions are set on maintaining their Champions League status, all parties are best suited to moving on.

That's not to say that Emery doesn't appreciate the experience and versatility of the defender, however, having praised Chambers during their time together at Arsenal. Emery told the club's official website: "He helped. He helped us in the training, in the dressing room and when you need him to play right back, centre back, left back like tonight, and we can use him in the midfield also. His performance is starting with his attitude and his attitude is amazing.

"After that is his best position, but tonight for example I was telling him, when he was playing left back, be calm here, help and support Bukayo, give the ball to Dani Ceballos and he was overlapping a lot of times with Bukayo! He did one very good pass for the goal with Nelson.”

Cardiff now seemingly waits nonetheless and the chance for Chambers to play week in week out in a vital role under Bluebirds boss Erol Bulut.

Ipswich Town are yet to flex their muscles in the transfer market, knowing they will have to get some major deals over the line soon to boost the squad ahead of a tough season in the Premier League to follow.

Kieran McKenna won't want to sign a whole host of new players for the sake of it though, prioritising players that will genuinely improve the squad, as opposed to stockpiling various new talents akin to Nottingham Forest when they secured promotion.

This summer transfer window could even see Ipswich go back in for a hero who played a key role in the Suffolk side's unbelievable promotion story, but it will be a costly signing to get done.

Ipswich could break their transfer record with this signing

According to a recent report by Football.London, Chelsea are expecting an imminent bid from the newly promoted side regarding Omari Hutchinson, who shone last campaign for the Tractor Boys, on the way to automatic promotion being clinched.

The mega-rich Blues won't just gift Hutchinson back to Portman Road for cheap, however, with the report further stating that an excessive £30m price-tag will be placed above his head, as the likes of VFB Stuttgart and Ajax also circle for his services.

Ipswich were believed to be offering around the region of £20m for their former loan star's services, so it will be intriguing to see if Chelsea and the Tractor Boys can meet in the middle over a possible deal.

Either way, this deal would smash the transfer record for a purchase in through the door at Portman Road, which has been kept intact since the early noughties by Matteo Sereni, who joined for far less at £4.75m.

How Hutchinson would fit back in at Ipswich

Whether Ipswich have to fork out £30m, or Chelsea are lenient and accept a still high £20m, Hutchinson, arguably, demands such an extortionate fee after shining for his temporary employers in the Championship.

The 20-year-old attacker would pick up 17 goal contributions in total across 50 appearances, switching between playing down the flank or through the centre as an attacking midfielder, depending on where McKenna saw fit to play him.

RW

25

2

3

AM

14

3

3

LW

9

6

0

RM

2

0

0

It was a masterstroke, as can be seen looking at the table above, to utilise the Chelsea youngster down the left wing towards the back-end of the challenging second-tier campaign, with Hutchinson netting six goals from just nine games patrolling this flank.

Half of those strikes would come in Ipswich's last three Championship clashes, with Hutchinson's calm strike on the final day against Huddersfield Town helping his team comfortably confirm their progression up to the Premier League.

Therefore, McKenna – who undoubtedly already loves the player – will hope Hutchinson can be as much of a big-game player moving up to the top-flight, with the Chelsea youngster wanting to excel in the elite division himself having been given limited chances in the spotlight at the Stamford Bridge in the senior mix.

Referred to as being "dazzling" last season by football analyst Statman Dave on social media, this could be a very fruitful reunion if Hutchinson can be a hero in the league above for McKenna's men, with the 20-year-old's potential efforts helping to stave off relegation justifying that lavish price-tag alone.

Ipswich will have their work cut out to keep their heads above water, but signing familiar faces such as Hutchinson could prove to be a great bit of business, with the manager fully aware of what he's capable of already, over gambling on other expensive talents to come good and fit in.

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Misbah-ul-Haq says cricketers who have lost livelihoods shouldn’t be left “deserted” by the PCB and the government

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Sep-2020Umar Gul and Misbah-ul-Haq have added their voices to the motion to revive department cricket in Pakistan. A year after the entire structure was revamped, there are now voices from within the Pakistan Cricket Board seeking a re-evaluation, with Gul being a PCB cricket committee member and Misbah the head coach and chief selector of the senior men’s team.The PCB has been criticised for the move to abolish departmental cricket, with the move having rendered hundreds of cricketers jobless at a stroke, and both Gul and Misbah have urged the board and the government to set up a plan for players whose livelihoods have been affected. In its new structure, the PCB had constituted six associations from each province in Pakistan, with 192 cricketers given an annual contract. Replacing the old structure with the new one was a decision driven by the current prime minister Imran Khan, who is also the patron-in-chief of the PCB, and who had rejected an earlier domestic model the board proposed that included departments.”The salary I used to receive from the department was sufficient to cover my monthly expenses. But now, honestly speaking, what we are earning from domestic matches, which includes match fees and a monthly retainer, is not enough to cover the needs of my family,” Gul told .”The players felt secured in departmental cricket but that is no longer the case. We need departmental cricket back, even if it is in grade two, and I will continue to raise my voice in this regard as a member of the cricket committee.”Elaborating on the shape department cricket could take, Gul said, “Even if it’s a grade two tournament, it can be with three-day cricket for 10 to 12 departments. In previous meetings, we talked about finding a window for it so that players who lost their livelihoods can get back to their lives.”There had been a possibility of departmental teams returning to Pakistan’s domestic circuit earlier this year when the Iqbal Qasim-led PCB cricket committee tasked the then director of cricket, Haroon Rasheed, to try and find a window to potentially squeeze in a new tournament. But the idea never materialised, leading Qasim to resign from his post in protest and calling the committee toothless.Most departments have already suspended contracts they had with cricketers. Those who were permanent employees were asked to pick desk jobs, effectively ending their cricketing aspirations. These were players hired mainly for their cricketing skills, and given their lack of qualifications for other jobs, they have had to pick non-executive jobs with lesser pay.Earlier this week, after the national side’s return from England, Misbah had also stressed on the livelihoods that had been affected.”The cricket board is trying to have an alternative for the players,” Misbah said. “You obviously don’t want cricketers playing in the system to have their livelihoods fully abolished, or have a shortage of players, or that they face financial losses. We have spoken about this, but unfortunately, this issue hasn’t progressed properly. One of the reasons are circumstances around Covid-19 when everything was shut down and it took over three months [to normalise]. And now the season is upon us and the board didn’t get time to do much about it. But in my opinion, I think they should think about this. I did tell the PCB and the government and they should make a thorough plan on how to involve these cricketers and not leave them deserted.”Domestic cricket in Pakistan has been played among departments and regions since the early 1970s, when Abdul Hafeez Kardar, Pakistan’s first Test captain and later the PCB chairman, encouraged organisations like HBL, Sui Southern Gas Corporation, WAPDA and others to provide employment opportunities for players. Since then, top players have been contracted by the departments in question and been given full-time jobs. The role of these departments in helping Pakistan cricket and cricketers has been significant, but it also ended up depriving regional sides of their top players.

Ipswich Town have not been in England’s top flight since 2002, with the Tractor Boys becoming Championship regulars over the last two decades.

Things hit a new low in 2019 when they sank to the third tier for the first time in nearly 30 years. Paul Lambert’s side finished rock bottom of the Championship and spent four years in League One before Kieran McKenna took them up in his first full season at the helm.

And rather than focus on consolidating their second-tier status like Plymouth Argyle, who beat them to the League One title last year, Ipswich sought even bigger dreams, with the team securing a return to the Premier League after defeating Huddersfield Town on the final day of the Championship season.

It has been a remarkable campaign from all those involved at Portman Road. But who are the players that have taken the Tractor Boys this far, and who could shine for them in the Premier League next season?

Football FanCast takes a look at their current squad to have featured in at least one game, ranked by their Championship goal involvement during the 2023/24 season, with the help of stats from WhoScored.

Ipswich Town players: 2023/24 Championship
Player	Joined club	Apps	Goals	Assists
Conor Chaplin	Jul 2021	44	13	8
Leif Davis	Jul 2022	43	2	18
Nathan Broadhead	Jan 2023	38	13	3
Omari Hutchinson	Jul 2023	44	10	5
George Hirst	Jul 2023	26	7	6
Wes Burns	Jul 2021	35	6	4
Sam Morsy	Aug 2021	42	3	6
Kieffer Moore	Feb 2024	18	7	1
Kayden Jackson	Aug 2018	29	3	3
Marcus Harness	Jul 2022	34	4	1
Jeremy Sarmiento	Jan 2024	20	3	1
Ali Al-Hamadi	Jan 2024	14	4	0
Massimo Luongo	Jan 2023	43	3	0
Jack Taylor	Jul 2023	33	2	1
Cameron Burgess	Aug 2021	39	2	1
Luke Woolfenden	Jul 2017	41	1	1
Harry Clarke	Jan 2023	35	1	1
George Edmundson	Jul 2021	10	0	2
Brandon Williams	Aug 2023	15	2	0
Axel Tuanzebe	Sep 2023	18	0	1
Cameron Humphreys	Jul 2022	3	0	1
Vaclav Hladky	Jul 2021	46	0	0
Lewis Travis	Jan 2024	9	0	0
Janoi Donacien	Jan 2019	3	0	0
Dominic Ball	Jul 2022	10	0	0
Gerrard Buabo	Jul 2021	1	0	0
Sone Aluko	Aug 2021	1	0	0
Christian Walton	Jan 2022	1	0	0

All data correct as of 5th May 2024.

Christian Walton

Goalkeeper

Christian Walton was gifted the last few moments of Ipswich's promotion campaign, having spent the league season looking on from the subs' bench after recovering from injury early on. He can now say he played his part on the pitch, though whether he can truly claim to have gone the whole year without conceding might take some convincing.

Sone Aluko

Forward

Sone Aluko is one of Ipswich’s more experienced players, and although he played a minimal part in their promotion push with just one league appearance off the bench, he remains an important figure for the team off the pitch.

He also scored in the Tractor Boys’ EFL Cup victory over Bristol Rovers back in August.

Gerrard Buabo

Forward

With just three Championship minutes to his name this term, Gerrard Buabo has been firmly on the fringes of the first team in recent months. But given he was also handed runouts in Ipswich’s FA Cup run, the 18-year-old could yet be in McKenna’s long-term plans.

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Dominic Ball

Midfielder

Dominic Ball found minutes hard to come by this season, but remains a trusted member of the squad after helping the club to promotion from League One.

Ball has struggled with injuries which have restricted his time in Ipswich colours, though he is an experienced player at this level, having previously turned out for QPR and Rotherham United, as well as Rangers when the Scottish giants were in the Championship.

Janoi Donacien

Defender

St Lucia international Janoi Donacien is another who has been unlucky with injury, as a groin problem has severely derailed his campaign, having been a mainstay as Ipswich won promotion from League One. He started each of Ipswich’s opening three games but has not featured for the first team since November.

Lewis Travis

Midfielder

Lewis Travis became a useful option for McKenna’s side since joining on loan in January from Championship rivals Blackburn Rovers.

Yet to lose in Ipswich colours, Travis’ highlight arguably came on his debut when his defence-splitting pass helped Kayden Jackson to score a vital equaliser in their comeback win over Sunderland.

Vaclav Hladky

Goalkeeper

Vaclav Hladky clocked up more minutes under his belt than any other Ipswich player, with the Czech shot-stopper playing all bar the final seconds of their final-day victory.

A vital component of the team’s success this year, Hladky is also no stranger to a yellow card – he picked up three in Ipswich’s opening six games. However, he has also been impressive in penalty shootouts at his previous clubs, so could be worth considering as a budget goalkeeper in next season’s Fantasy League.

Cameron Humphreys

Midfielder

Cameron Humphreys became a key player in last year’s promotion run, but had to be patient for opportunities this term, having mainly featured in Ipswich’s cup fixtures.

Humphreys’ best moment in his limited Championship minutes this year came in the dramatic 2-2 draw at Birmingham City in November, when he kept Omari Hutchinson’s cross alive before Marcus Harness superbly volleyed home.

Axel Tuanzebe

Defender

Axel Tuanzebe made his name at Manchester United, and via loan spells in the Championship and Italy’s Serie A, the DR Congo defender joined Ipswich’s promotion push after finding himself without a club in the summer.

His versatility has come to the fore in more recent months, with the defender filling in at right-back in 12 of Ipswich’s last 14 games, of which they lost just one.

Brandon Williams

Defender

Another talent from Man Utd’s production line is Brandon Williams, who has spent the current season on loan at Portman Road. Unfortunately for the 23-year-old, he has suffered multiple injury setbacks this term.

He had started the season in impressive fashion, too, having grabbed an important equaliser at Huddersfield Town before scoring again in Ipswich’s win over Preston in October, all while ending on the winning side in eight of his first ten matches.

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Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca has explained how he plans to get Jadon Sancho back to his best following a forgettable stint at Manchester United.

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Sancho impresses on Chelsea debutMaresca takes dig at Ten HagSays Sancho 'needs love' to return to formGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED?

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca showered Jadon Sancho with plaudits following his match-winning debut against Bournemouth. The England winger has joined Chelsea on loan from Manchester United, where he had fallen out of favour with boss Erik ten Hag. The Italian has now disclosed his strategy for getting Sancho to perform at his peak, something the Dutch manager failed to do.

AdvertisementWHAT MARESCA SAID

Speaking about Sancho’s performance, the Chelsea boss said: "Very happy, very happy for him. He was very good, I think Joao [Felix] was very good and Christopher [Nkunku] scored but was also very good.

“I said already when we brought in Jadon that the reason why is because we were looking for another winger like Noni [Madueke]. Noni is doing that on the right side, winning one-on-one, creating chances, scoring goals and we were looking for the same on our left side with Jadon."

When asked how important it could be for Sancho to have a good rapport with the staff and fans, Maresca replied: “It's very important. I have a feeling that Jadon is a guy that needs love.

“This is what I think when I spoke with him before he joined us. Also, I know he has the desire to show the player he is, but for me, it is just to enjoy football. This is the reason why they play. They are happy and want to play football, they want to enjoy football and then because they are good, they are going to do good things.”

Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Sancho moved to Manchester United in the summer of 2021 from Borussia Dortmund for a reported fee of €85m (£71.7m/$94.2m). However, it never seemed to work out for the winger, who left on loan to Borussia Dortmund last season. He has now joined Chelsea, with the Blues holding an obligation to buy next summer.

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WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?

The 24-year-old will now be in line to get his first start for Chelsea next weekend when they take on West Ham on Saturday, September 21.

Manchester United are ready to part ways with Erik ten Hag this summer, and have already found their no.1 target ahead of the new season, according to a fresh report.

Ten Hag fighting a losing battle

Marooned in eighth, conceding record numbers of goals and having slim prospects of European football next season. You'd be forgiven for assuming that this sentence was about West Ham, Newcastle or Tottenham, but it is Premier League giants Manchester United that find themselves in this predicament, with a coach in Ten Hag who appears to blame everyone but himself.

It could have been worse too, with Manchester United's near-18 shots faced per game the fourth highest in the division and the club outperforming both its expected goals and expected goals against. Were they both to form, United would be 15th rather than 8th.

Ten Hag's dreadful season

Losses

13

Goals conceded per game

1.57

Goal difference

-3

Shots faced per game

17.7

There are undoubtedly mitigating circumstances surrounding the performances, but the general trend is not a good one at Old Trafford, and it seems increasingly likely that new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe will look for change this summer, despite Ten Hag insisting he is the right man for the job.

Time is running out for the Dutchman though, and change seems inevitable. Now, it appears United have identified their top target to replace Ten Hag.

Southgate you're the one

That comes in the form of Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate. The England coach is widely expected to leave his post following the 2024 European Championships, having taken England to the past three tournaments and having reached a semi-final and a final.

Now, it has been reported by Foot Mercato's Santi Aouna that the Red Devils have made Southgate their "top target" as they hunt for a new coach this summer.

Though it is added that nothing is agreed yet, he reveals that the situation is "expected to develop soon" and that ideally Sir Jim Ratcliffe and United would like to do a deal quickly so they can complete the announcement after the European Championships, which end in the middle of July.

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Despite having been out of club management for several years, it is added that the Manchester United bosses are "convinced Southgate is the right coach for the overhaul", something that is likely to go down well with some of the players.

He already has the support of one of the Manchester United camp in the form of Harry Maguire, with the defender dubbing him a "brilliant" coach over the most recent international break.

"Listen, being the England manager is so tough, it’s one of the most scrutinised jobs in the world. Every time he picks a squad there is a massive debate – he’s done something wrong every time. But all you can look at is where we were before he took over and where we are now.

"Everyone will say, 'Yeah, but we’ve got great talent coming through, better players now'. But in previous years we have also had great talent and we haven’t been successful.

"So, I think he does deserve a lot of credit. He has taken us a long way and he fully gets the respect from all the players. If you speak to anyone they will speak highly of Gareth and his management tactically, but also his man-management as well. He’s brilliant."

With the links around Southgate refusing to go away, could he be the man to rescue United from their awful spot?

The Premier League title might still be out of their hands, but Arsenal put in a performance to be proud of on Sunday afternoon as they ran out 3-2 winners away to Tottenham Hotspur.

Mikel Arteta's men, seemingly intent on giving their fans heart attacks, came dangerously close to letting their three-goal lead slip in the second half, but a steely backs-to-the-wall performance saw them through. While things looked a little ropey in the end, their team deserves all the praise they are getting, especially Kai Havertz.

The German, once mocked by rival fans, is now one of the Gunners' most dangerous stars, and he showed that again on Sunday, putting in a performance that could spell trouble for another Arsenal ace.

Kai Havertz's performance vs Tottenham Hotspur

The yardstick often used to gauge how successful big-money signings are is how they perform in the biggest games, and after a week in which Havertz scored two goals against Chelsea and scored and assisted against Tottenham, it would be hard to describe his summer move as anything other than a success.

There is no more sure way of winning over the fans than putting in big performances against rivals, and it feels as if the former Bayer Leverkusen star has now firmly established himself as a fan favourite among the Arsenal faithful.

His display on Sunday impressed more than just his travelling support, though, as the Standard's Simon Collings gave the 24-year-old a 9/10 on the day, writing that he put in 'one of his best performances in an Arsenal shirt', an opinion that's hard to disagree with.

Minutes

96'

Goals

1

Assists

1

Shots on Target

1

Touches

46

Key Passes

2

Big Chances Created

1

Aerial Duels (Won)

10 (8)

Fouls Won

2

Clearances

4

Tackles

1

That said, if anyone needed any more convincing, they'd just have to take a look at the striker's numbers from the game. In his 96 minutes of action, the Aachen-born ace scored one goal, provided one assist, took 46 touches, made two key passes, created one big chance, eight out of ten aerial duels, won two fouls and made one tackle.

In all, it was a genuinely impressive showing from a player who had, up until this week, split opinion, and while he's likely cemented his place in the starting lineup for the season's remaining games, his brilliant form might just have signalled the beginning of the end for one of his teammates.

Havertz's excellent form is bad news for Gabriel Jesus

Yes, while Leandro Trossard was comfortably Arsenal's worst attacker on the day – picking up a 4/10 from Football FanCast for his efforts – the player who could be at risk of losing his spot in the team thanks to Havertz's form is Gabriel Jesus.

Now, the former Manchester City ace is an incredibly talented player and one who should be playing for a Champions League side – his record of 32 goals in 46 games in the competition is evidence enough of that – but his time as an Arsenal player may well be coming to a close, at least if the Gunners bring in another quality number nine in the summer, that is.

The North Londoners have been linked to a plethora of frontmen already this year, such as Ivan Toney, Viktor Gyokeres, Joshua Zirkzee, and Victor Osimhen. If they do bring any of them through the door in the summer, it seems incredibly unlikely that they would also keep both Jesus and Havertz.

So, with that in mind, how do the pair stack up with one another? Well, when it comes to pure output, it's the recent arrival who comes out ahead, with 13 goals and six assists in 48 appearances – 32 of which were in midfield – to the Brazilian's eight goals and seven assists in 33 appearances.

Non-Penalty Goals + Assists

0.51

0.61

Non-Penalty Goals

0.42

0.25

Assists

0.23

0.25

Progressive Carries

1.79

2.24

Progressive Passes

3.65

2.48

Goals per Shot on Target

0.46

0.21

Passing Accuracy

81.1%

78.4%

Shot-Creating Actions

3.43

3.47

Goal-Creating Actions

0.72

0.43

Miscontrols

1.83

3.66

Dispossessed

1.22

2.24

Ball Recoveries

4.22

3.48

Aerial Duels Won

3.35

0.93

What about their underlying numbers, then? Does the São Paulo-born ace come out on top there? Unfortunately for the 27-year-old, while he comes out better in certain metrics such as non-penalty expected goals and assists, progressive carries and assists all per 90, he is once again second-best overall, per FBref.

For example, while the "magnificent" German, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, registers a lower non-penalty expected goal and assists figure, he scores more often, produces more progressive passes, has a far better goal-to-shots-on-target ratio, maintains a better passing accuracy, produces more goal-creating actions, recovers more balls and wins far more aerial duels, all per 90.

Ultimately, while Jesus is an undeniably gifted forward, if Arsenal can get anywhere near his €80m – £68m – valuation from the CIES Football Observatory this summer, they should consider selling him as if another striker is signed, it seems unlikely that he would be able to displace them and Havertz as well.

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