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Everything you need to know about Alessandro Bastoni's salary details playing for Inter

Inter's strong centre-back Alessandro Bastoni has become a Nerazzurri mainstay since his move from Atalanta in 2017.

The Italian defender initially returned to Atalanta on loan the next season and then to Parma the following one, but things didn’t quite work out for him.

Since the arrival of Simone Inzaghi, however, Bastoni has become a stalwart in Inter's defence, handling everything thrown at him. He has developed into a reliable player under Inzaghi, leading the team's backline through every situation.

Bastoni is still relatively young for a centre-back and has the potential to enter the history books at Inter as one of their best ever.

Apart from being a dependable defender, Bastoni is also one of the top earners at the club under his current contract.

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology to found out exactly how much he earns at the Giuseppe Meazza side!

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Alessandro Bastoni's wages at Inter in numbers

Bastoni is currently the fourth-highest paid player at Inter. The Italian center-back earns £168,445 ($222,556) weekly with the Nerazzurri, and his annual salary is £8.7 million ($11.9 million).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Alessandro Bastoni

Italian

£168,445

$222,556

£8,759,161

$11,572,903

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTop earners at Inter

Lautaro Martinez, an Argentine striker, holds the highest position in Inter's wage bill.

Midfielders Nico Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu are in second and third places, respectively.

Bastoni is in fourth place, and former Napoli player Piotr Zielinski is fifth.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Lautaro Marinez

Argentine

£275,563

$364,083

£14,329,265

$18,932,316

Nicolo Barella

Italian

£199,027

$262,961

£10,349,391

$13,673,970

Hakan Calhanoglu

Turkish

£183,653

$242,649

£9,549,978

$12,617,758

Alessandro Bastoni

Italian

£168,445

$222,556

£8,759,161

$11,572,903

Piotr Zielinski

Polish

£137,699

$181,932

£7,160,335

$9,460,479

Top earners in Serie A

Juventus' Serbian striker Dusan Vlahovic is the highest paid player in Serie A. Three Inter players are in the top five: Lautaro Martinez is second, with Nicolo Barella and Hakan Calhanoglu in fourth and fifth. AS Roma's Paulo Dybala is third.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Dusan Vlahovic

Serbian

£321,352

$424,581

£16,710,313

$22,078,237

Lautaro Martinez

Argentine

£275,563

$364,083

£14,329,265

$18,932,316

Paulo Dybala

Argentine

£214,235

$283,054

£11,140,208

$14,718,825

Nicolo Barella

Italian

£199,027

$262,961

£10,349,391

$13,673,970

Hakan Calhanoglu

Turkish

£183,653

$242,649

£9,549,978

$12,617,758

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AFPHighest paid players in the world

Despite their substantial earnings, no Serie A players rank among the top five highest-paid footballers globally.

The top five are exclusively from the Saudi Pro League, with the legendary Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr commanding the highest salary.

His former Real Madrid teammate Karim Benzema is second, while ex-Manchester City winger and current Al-Ahli standout Riyad Mahrez holds third place.

Completing the list in fourth and fifth positions are Senegalese stars Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly, respectively.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,216,155

$4,210,425

£167,250,468

$218,942,120

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,608,178

$2,105,213

£83,625,234

$109,471,060

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£839,469

$1,098,921

£45,652,372

$57,43,893

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£643,271

$842,085

£33,450,094

$43,788,424

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£558,038

$730,509

£29,017,956

$37,986,458

Manchester City have become a real powerhouse of European football over the past 15 years or so. They have invested heavily in the best players, and have dominated European football as a result, led by the legendary Pep Guardiola.

The Spaniard has guided the Citizens to 18 major trophies throughout his time at the club, including six Premier League titles and one Champions League trophy, which came in the 2022/23 campaign. Of course, that season, City won their first treble, beating Inter in the Champions League final to seal it.

Over the years, some excellent players have represented the club and helped them achieve their glory. Not all of them still represent City, and there have been some surprising sales under Guardiola.

City’s worst sales under Guardiola

Undoubtedly one of the biggest mistakes City have made under legendary manager Guardiola when it comes to outgoings was to sell Cole Palmer. He joined Chelsea in 2023 for £42.5m and has gone on to become “the best player in the Premier League” according to Jamie Carragher, at least if he continues his form.

During his Chelsea career so far, Palmer has played 73 games, scoring 39 times and grabbing 21 assists. He has been a goal machine, scoring four times in a single match twice, including all goals in a 4-2 win over Brighton and Hove Albion earlier in the season.

Another player who City arguably should have kept at the club was Brahim Diaz. The Moroccan attacking midfielder played 15 times for the club but moved to Real Madrid in 2019 for a reported £15m.

He has since gone on to play 98 times for Los Blancos, scoring and assisting on 36 occasions. He recently broke City’s heart by scoring against them in the Champions League playoff round first leg at the Etihad Stadium, a tie the Spanish giants went on to win.

However, as bad as these sales were, they arguably do not come close to a departure last summer.

City’s bad sale from the 2024 summer window

Finding a replacement for Sergio Aguero was never going to be easy for the Citizens. However, in Julian Alvarez, they found someone who could have eventually become just as effective in front of goal. He was a player Aguero previously spoke highly of; Jolean Lescott said the former City star told him Alvarez is a “top talent”.

The East Mancunian side brought Alvarez to the club for just £14.1m in January 2022 from River Plate. However, he did not make the move to England until the summer, remaining at the Argentine giants on loan until the end of the season.

When he eventually did move to the Citizens, he was superb. Alvarez played 103 times for the club, scoring 36 goals and grabbing 17 assists. However, given he was competing with Erling Haaland for a spot in the team, he was not a guaranteed starter. His 6007 minutes for the club were the equivalent of just 66 full 90-minute games.

The striker, who was once described as a “clinical” player by Statman Dave, was incredibly versatile during his City days. He played in several positions, each to a great degree of success, showing his quality across the pitch.

Position

Games

Goals

Assists

Centre-forward

47

19

6

Second-striker

21

7

5

Attacking midfielder

16

6

4

Right-winger

4

3

1

Left-winger

2

1

1

Left midfielder

1

0

0

In the summer, City sold their former striker to Spanish giants Atletico Madrid. He cost Diego Simeone’s side £81.5m including add-ons, and has been impressive in that time. Alvarez has scored 17 times and grabbed four assists in 37 appearances so far, playing almost entirely as a centre-forward.

Given his impressive record for the Madrid outfit, it might not come as a surprise that his value has risen from the fee City sold him for. Alvarez is now worth up to €127m (£105m) according to CIES Football Observatory.

Looking back on it, perhaps selling Alvarez was a mistake from City. Not only was he clinical during his time at the Etihad Stadium, but he has continued that form away from the club. Given his value now, it might have been better for City to keep him and move him on for £100m or more, or just utilise his impressive skillset themselves.

High demand on franchise circuit persuades 21-year-old to withdraw from first-class game

Matt Roller14-Nov-2022Will Smeed has signed a white-ball-only contract at Somerset in a ground-breaking move that highlights the growing divide between formats in English cricket.Smeed is one of the most promising young batters in the English game and made his debut for the Lions earlier this year. He has impressed for Somerset in the T20 Blast across the last three seasons and in August became the first player to score a century in the Hundred, playing for Birmingham Phoenix.”I feel that my game is better suited to white-ball cricket,” Smeed said in Somerset’s press release. “After a huge amount of thorough and considered discussions, I feel that I need to solely focus my attention on the limited-overs formats in order to become the very best cricketer I can be.”I can assure people that this [is] not a decision that I’ve taken lightly, and I’ve spoken to a lot of people about it. I want to be the best player that I can be, and to do that I believe that this needs to be my focus.”Smeed first came to mainstream attention when, aged 16, he made a second-team hundred in the same innings as a 42-year-old Marcus Trescothick in a red-ball game, but he has never played a first-class game and averaged 15.57 in his five outings in the Second XI Championship this season.”I know how much our members love red-ball cricket, but unfortunately I haven’t been performing how I would like to in the longer form of the game,” Smeed added. “The easy option would have been to carry on playing red-ball cricket and try to fit everything in and reach a certain level across all formats, but I want to try to be the best that I can be.”To achieve this, I feel that I need to focus on excelling in one format. I’m certainly not saying that I’ll never play red-ball cricket again. I just feel that this is the right decision for me and Somerset at the current time.”It has become increasingly common for English players to sign white-ball deals with their counties since Adil Rashid and Alex Hales took that step in early 2018, but the vast majority of those players have been in their 30s and have already played a significant chunk of red-ball cricket. Smeed has made the decision weeks after his 21st birthday.Will Smeed celebrates reaching his century for Birmingham Phoenix in the Hundred•ECB/Getty Images”I still want to play everything,” Smeed insisted in an interview with ESPNcricinfo this summer but his exploits in short-form cricket have made him a sought-after player on the franchise circuit. He has already represented Quetta Gladiators in the PSL – who have retained him for the 2023 edition – and Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10, a tournament he will return to next week playing for Deccan Gladiators.Most significantly, he has a deal with MI Emirates – the franchise run by Mumbai Indians’ owners Reliance in the ILT20, the new UAE league – and he appears certain to put his name forward for December’s IPL auction. If selected, he would miss the first two months of the Championship season regardless of his Somerset contract.Andy Hurry, Somerset’s director of cricket, said that the club supported Smeed’s decision. “As a club we will continue to do everything we can to ensure that our players fulfil their aspirations, and we therefore support Will in this decision,” he said. “White-ball only contracts are not new in the game and are not new at Somerset. The game is developing all the time and I sense that we will see more contracts of this type emerging across the world.Related

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Star turn on Lions debut leaves England feeling the need for Will Smeed

Will Smeed hits the Hundred's first hundred to get Birmingham Phoenix off the mark

“Will is an exceptional talent and has the potential to have an incredibly successful career. At this stage he is not drawing a permanent line under his red-ball future, and this is currently the best way forward for both Will and the club.”He has all the attributes to become a very successful white-ball player and I am sure that our members and supporters will enjoy seeing him continue to improve. He has a very important role to play in limited-overs cricket for Somerset for many years to come.”Smeed had previously signed a one-year extension with Somerset earlier this year, which was due to expire at the end of the 2023 season. His new deal runs until the end of the 2024 season.

Bundesliga changed their rule to give special permission to Harry Kane for title celebrations during Bayern Munich's clash against RB Leipzig.

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Kane was on pitchside to celebrate Bundesliga titleDFL changed their rules for the strikerBayern were held to a 3-3 draw by RB LeipzigFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Kane was suspended in Leipzig but was watching the game from the stands as Bayern Munich took a 3-2 lead in the 83rd minute. It looked as though the England captain was finally about to secure the first major trophy of his career as he made his way pitchside to celebrate with his team-mates. However, Yussuf Poulsen spoiled the striker's party as he scored a last-gasp equaliser.

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Kane looked dejected on the pitchside after the last-minute equaliser, but as per Bundesliga rules, the star striker ideally should not have been on the pitchside immediately after the match. Per BILD, DFL laws suggest that a suspended player cannot be on the pitch 'half an hour before kickoff and half an hour after the final whistle'. However, an exception was made for the ex-Tottenham forward so he could celebrate his first-ever trophy in professional football.

DID YOU KNOW?

The Three Lions captain joined Bayern in 2023 to win trophies, having never won a single title during 10 seasons in Tottenham's first team, and then shockingly didn't collect any silverware during his debut campaign in Germany. In the 2025-25 campaign, the club was knocked out of the DFB-Pokal in December and fell at the quarter-final stage in the Champions League.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN MUNICH?

Vincent Kompany's side can still celebrate a title win on Sunday if the reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen drop points at SC Freiburg. Or else, they will get a chance to seal the title next weekend when they take on Borussia Mönchengladbach on May 10.

Mikel Arteta has been tipped to leave Arsenal if the Gunners miss out on silverware next season as Jamie Carragher hit out at his "excuses".

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Arsenal falter again in the final lap Remain trophyless for another season under Arteta FA Cup success in 2020 remains the only silverware Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Arsenal’s hopes of ending their long wait for silverware were dashed once again following their Champions League semi-final exit at the hands of Paris Saint-Germain. The defeat at Parc des Princes means the North London side will finish a fifth successive season without lifting a major trophy, their last success being the FA Cup triumph over Chelsea in 2020.

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Despite the defeat, Arteta maintained that his side had outperformed their French opponents across both legs. He insisted that Arsenal deserved a place in the final, arguing that the overall display was more deserving than the result suggested.

WHAT CARRAGHER SAID

Former Liverpool defender and pundit Jamie Carragher was among those who questioned Arteta’s reaction. Writing in Carragher criticised the Arsenal manager for what he described as "excuse-laden" remarks, likening them to fan reactions often seen on social media.

He wrote: "Some of Arteta’s most recent public comments have veered into that territory, making him sound more like a fan on social media perpetuating a series of complaints about injuries and refereeing decisions. His remarks about Arsenal deserving to beat Paris St-Germain over two legs in the Champions League semi-final left him open to ridicule. Luis Enrique’s side have been by far the best side in this year’s competition, and they showed their class in both games."

Carragher further noted that while injuries can derail a season, every title contender faces adversity. He cited Manchester City’s struggles during Rodri’s absence as an example, suggesting that Arteta’s focus on such incidents does little to justify the bigger picture.

"One club’s valid explanations for ‘failure’ are everyone else’s lame excuses. That is especially true with regard to injuries. We could go through many league seasons in which the runners-up could point to ‘if only’ moments," he wrote.

"Every neutral football supporter knows that the injury that truly transformed this season was Rodri’s against Arsenal last September – the first of many games Arteta’s side should have won but ended up drawing. Would a fit Rodri have altered the title race and prevented a Liverpool procession? We will never know. More importantly, when a season is reviewed, such facts become incidental, no matter how influential they were at the time."

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DID YOU KNOW?

Carragher stressed that Arteta’s tenure, although marked by substantial progress, is now at a crossroads. If Arsenal are to avoid a cycle of near misses, the upcoming season must yield tangible rewards.

"Arteta has so much credit in the bank, it is fair and right, there is more resistance to managerial change at Arsenal than desire for it," he said.

"But no one understands better than him that all the goodwill for creating an Arsenal team capable of winning is gone. Arteta must deliver next season, otherwise his legacy will be years of groundwork for the benefit of a successor who will be asked to add the finishing touches."

Mominul’s 84 the lone bright spot for Bangladesh after hosts chose to bat at the toss

Hemant Brar22-Dec-20222:34

Jaffer: In the end, choosing Unadkat over Kuldeep proved justified

Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin picked up four wickets each to put India on top despite Mominul Haque’s 84 on return. Batting first in the second Test in Mirpur, Bangladesh were 213 for 5 at one stage after tea but lost their last five wickets inside the next 14 runs to be all out for 227.Each of Bangladesh’s top seven batters reached 15 but apart from Mominul, no one could cross 26. Whenever a partnership seemed to be brewing, they lost a wicket. Five of the first six wickets featured a stand of 39 or more but the highest of them was only 48.India were left with 14 overs to face in the evening. The play went into the extra half hour but bad light allowed only eight of those to be bowled. In that short passage, KL Rahul looked circumspect against Taskin Ahmed and Shakib Al Hasan, and finished the day on 3 not out off 30 balls. Shubman Gill was keeping him company, his unbeaten 14 off 20 comprising a six and a four.In the morning, India went in with three seamers and two spinners on a grassy pitch, replacing Kuldeep Yadav, the Player of the Match in the last game, with Jaydev Unadkat. This was Unadkat’s first Test in 12 years and only his second overall. Between his two appearances India played 118 Tests, the second-most missed games for any Test cricketer.Umesh and Mohammed Siraj found movement with the new ball but neither really pitched it up to fully exploit the conditions. That resulted in a lot of plays-and-misses but the Bangladesh openers, Zakir Hasan and Najmul Hossain Shanto, survived their spells.Bowling first change, Unadkat, the slowest of the Indian seamers, didn’t find as much movement but his higher release point fetched him extra bounce. Soon, he was bowling with four slips, a gully and a short leg, and hitting batters on the gloves regularly.With Bangladesh on 39, Zakir decided to cut a short-of-length delivery from Unadkat, only to be done in by the extra bounce. The ball hit him on the glove and lobbed to fourth slip, giving Unadkat his maiden wicket in Test cricket.3:01

Jaffer on Shakib dismissal: If you are captain, you have to lead from the front

In the next over, Ashwin trapped Shanto lbw. The batter, playing for the turn, shouldered arms to a length ball that went with the arm from around the wicket and struck him on the pad. He was given out lbw on the field, and a review returned an umpire’s call verdict with ball-tracking showing the ball tickling off stump.Coming in at No. 4, Shakib took the aerial route against Ashwin even before he had reached double digits. He first hit Ashwin inside-out over extra cover before dancing down the track later in the work to deposit him beyond deep-midwicket boundary.Mominul and Shakib enjoyed slices of luck too. Mominul’s cut against Ashwin flew between the wicketkeeper and slip, and then in the last over before lunch, Rishabh Pant missed a difficult leg-side stumping when Shakib charged at Ashwin and the ball sneaked through his legs.The reprieve, though, didn’t prove costly as Umesh sent Shakib back on the first ball after the break. The Bangladesh captain tried to loft him over mid-off but didn’t get the timing right and ended up offering the simplest of chances.Mominul and Mushfiqur, starting slowly before hitting six fours in the space of ten balls, stitched together 48 for the fourth wicket before Unadkat broke the stand. Bowling around the wicket, he once again found the extra bounce, the ball taking the outside edge of Mushfiqur’s bat before settling into Pant’s gloves.Litton Das started positively, punching Siraj for four and following it with a pulled six on the next ball. He quickly moved to 25 but failed to keep a flick off Ashwin down and was taken at short midwicket.Mominul, meanwhile, kept pressing on and ramped two more fours off Unadkat to bring up his half-century. He and Mehidy Hasan Miraz ensured Bangladesh didn’t lose another wicket before tea despite some close calls.The pair added 41 for the sixth wicket but post tea, Mehidy felt unwell. The physio came out to check in on him, and the batter decided to continue. Umesh, though, removed him soon after, Mehidy trying to cut a ball that was too close to him and nicking it behind.Mehidy’s wicket triggered the collapse. In his next over, Umesh got one to reverse in to trap Nurul Hasan lbw. The on-field umpire deemed it not out but India got the decision changed on review. Taskin didn’t last long either, slicing one to Siraj at point who held onto the chance after a bit of juggling. Earlier, Siraj had put down Shanto off Umesh on the first ball of the second over of the day.All this while, Mominul was firm at one end. But he found himself in two minds against an Ashwin carrom ball. He looked to drive at it first before shouldering arms. It was too late as the ball brushed his gloves and Pant latched onto it. Ashwin wrapped up the innings two balls later when Khaled Ahmed hit a full toss straight to Unadkat at deep midwicket.

An “incredible” £50m attacker has now informed Manchester United he wants to join this summer, as he wants to play under Ruben Amorim, according to a report.

Amorim set to strengthen in attack

The lack of a reliable goalscorer has been a real issue for Man United this season, with defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire providing two of the goals in last night’s 3-2 victory against Ipswich Town.

As such, Amorim has set out to bolster his attacking options in the summer transfer window, and the manager could have a good opportunity to sign Napoli’s Victor Osimhen, as the Nigerian’s price tag is set to drop to £62m.

Viktor Gyokeres has also been on the list of targets for quite some time, with the Swedish striker enjoying a very impressive season in the Liga Portugal.

INEOS willing to sanction big-money Man Utd move for "unstoppable" £83m star

Ruben Amorim wants to strengthen his attacking options this summer, and the United board are prepared to back their manager.

ByDominic Lund Feb 26, 2025

Not only does Amorim want to bring in an out-and-out striker, but there have also been suggestions the manager could look to strengthen out wide, with AC Milan’s Rafael Leao being linked with a big-money move to Old Trafford.

Another winger on the Red Devils’ list of targets is Geovany Quenda, and there has now been a new update on the transfer pursuit, with The Boot Room revealing the 17-year-old has informed United he wants to join this summer.

The Sporting CP youngster is keen to link up with former manager Amorim once again, and his team are keen for an agreement to be struck soon, which explains why interest has been stepped up recently.

Talks have been ongoing for months, with Sporting eager to receive a fee of around £50m, but United could end up paying closer to £40m, around half of his £80m release clause.

The Red Devils believe they are leading the race for the young Portuguese winger, and his willingness to play under Amorim suggests a deal could be a real possibility this summer.

"Incredible" Quenda could be a fantastic signing

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has lauded the teenager as “incredible”, which is a fair assessment, given that he has already established himself as a key player for Sporting at a very young age.

The Portuguese starlet has made 40 appearances in all competitions this season, including 10 in the Champions League, picking up a total of two goals and seven assists.

One of the Bissau-born winger’s best qualities is his dribbling ability, ranking in the 94th percentile for successful take-ons per 90, and the 88th percentile for progressive carries, when compared to his positional peers over the past year.

Quenda is certainly one for the future, but his emergence as a first-team player for Sporting suggests he could make an instant impact at Old Trafford, so it is exciting news United believe they are leading the race for his signature.

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has spoken out after being hospitalised last week due to a 'mad virus' that left him fearing for his life.

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Ferdinand opens up on health scareWas rushed to hospital last weekMissed punditry duties for Arsenal's clash against PSGFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Manchester United star and TV pundit Ferdinand was supposed to be a part of TNT Sports' coverage of Arsenal's Champions League semi-final second leg clash against Paris Saint-Germain last week, but he missed the show after being rushed to the hospital. A couple of hours before kick-off, Ferdinand wrote on social media: "Gutted to be missing the Semi-Finals this week on @footballontnt!! Wishing the team all the best — I’ll be watching every minute from the iPad!"

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The 46-year-old has finally broken his silence on his health condition and revealed how he has endured a harrowing experience. Ferdinand claimed he even feared for his life at one point after being rushed to hospital with a serious illness.

WHAT RIO FERDINAND SAID

Speaking on the podcast, the Red Devils icon said: "I had a mad virus. I thought lights were out at some point, I thought it was gonna happen. I thought I was minutes away from lights out, seriously. I was in my house, I was in my bed like this [pained expression] and I couldn't even open my eyes. Then, the headache I had… I don't get migraines or nothing else so I don't know what they're like. I thought my head was in a vice and my eyes were going to pop out.

"Then, I was being sick, projectile vomiting in the toilet, I got back to bed and I was having vertigo. I was holding onto the sheets, I didn't know where I was. It was crazy."

He added: "I had to go to hospital and the doctor even said to me, 'Do you want an ambulance'? So that's when I knew. He went, 'We're going to get your brain scanned'. I thought it was a virus or a flu or something so when he mentioned brain scan and the ambulance, the panic was nuts. I went to hospital and I was in there for a few days. I couldn't even enjoy the hospital food. The soup and the ice cream normally does wonders."

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Ferdinand is now recovering and will no doubt hope to resume punditry duties soon. His former Manchester United team have endured a disastrous Premier League campaign but do have a Europa League final clash against Tottenham Hotspur to look forward to on May 21.

A 120-run stand between Blundell and Bracewell lifts New Zealand to 277, before Pakistan lose two wickets by stumps

Sreshth Shah05-Jan-2023Stumps Some enterprising batting after tea, a late declaration from Tim Southee, and two Pakistan wickets in the final ten minutes of the fourth day gave New Zealand a massive advantage going into day five.On the last day of the deadlocked Test series, New Zealand will need eight wickets to win while Pakistan need to either score 319 – a record target on Pakistan grounds – or survive a maximum of 90 overs.New Zealand won two of the three sessions, starting off by dismissing Pakistan’s overnight No. 11 inside the first over to take a 41-run lead. After that, Tom Latham (62), Kane Williamson (41), Tom Blundell (74) and Michael Bracewell (74*) made useful batting contributions to take their innings forward.The way Blundell and Bracewell batted in the third session would’ve deflated Pakistan, however. Pakistan took three top-order wickets in quick succession after lunch to dream of possibly chasing a lower target, but the Blundell-Bracewell duo put on 120 for the fifth wicket. That helped New Zealand eventually declare on 277 for 5 and set a target of 319.Then, Pakistan, left with three overs to bat before stumps, lived their worst-case scenario. Abdullah Shafique was bowled by Southee for a duck and Mir Hamza also went for zero courtesy an Ish Sodhi ripper. Pakistan ended the day at 0 for 2.The day had also begun for Pakistan poorly, lasting only one over with the bat on the fourth morning to be bowled for 408 and conceding a 41-run deficit. Even though Hamza dismissed Devon Conway with a first-ball duck, Latham and Williamson used their sweeps, and the latter his shots straight back, to put on a partnership of 109.Latham and Williamson then looked to extend New Zealand’s lead, but both were dismissed in a frenetic period of play. Latham, on 57, was caught on the back foot off Abrar Ahmed around the stumps, but survived an lbw dismissal since Pakistan, with only one review in hand, did not go up after umpire Alex Wharf turned it down.That decision from Babar Azam did not hurt Pakistan, though, since Latham was out for 62 next over trying to flick Naseem Shah off his hips, only to hit it to the left of a diving Abrar at short midwicket. The new batter Nicholls then survived a caught-behind decision from umpire Aleem Dar, but his review changed the decision after no edge was detected.Shan Masood at leg slip can’t hold on to a chance to get Michael Bracewell•APAbrar, now high on confidence after the Latham catch, then trapped Williamson going for the sweep. Williamson went up to review, and was deemed out by the faintest of margins with the ball clipping the outside half of leg stump. Blundell then was given out lbw by Wharf first ball courtesy an Abrar googly, but his review saved him, with a spike coming up on replay.Blundell made the most of that chance, and a dropped catch by the wicketkeeper and Agha Salman at first slip, to motor along to his ninth half-century. It was a forgettable day for Sarfaraz, who dropped a total of three chances.Bracewell, meanwhile, made a streaky start, genuinely struggling against the Abrar googly from around the stumps. But he hung in there and built on the longer the partnership grew in the final session.Bracewell really showed his wares after the 75th over when New Zealand’s lead had touched 270. At the time, he was on 45 in 99 balls, but then smacked Abrar for back-to-back fours to reach his maiden Test fifty. While Blundell fell for 74 trying to slog another boundary, Bracewell remained unbeaten on 74. New Zealand could’ve batted out the day, but with the light dying, they preferred to bowl three overs at Pakistan. That proved to be deadly for the hosts under trying conditions.

Things might have been a little ropey at Chelsea over the past few months, but there are still plenty of reasons for Blues fans to be excited.

Looking at Enzo Maresca’s squad, there is ample quality to hit new heights in the coming years. While Chelsea’s sole chance of silverware this season lies in the Conference League, it’s important to remember the Blues are making incremental gains after a turbulent period while sitting fifth in the Premier League, just two points away from third-placed Nottingham Forest.

Though Maresca hasn’t enjoyed a jaw-dropping addition in the same vein as Mauricio Pochettino did with Cole Palmer, his side is still brimming with exciting attacking talent, and one or two more signings could elevate the club to the next level for 2025/26.

Where Chelsea need to strengthen

Injuries to Nicolas Jackson and Marc Guiu have highlighted the need for a new centre-forward this summer, one who can jockey for the No 1 spot and provide a goal source fit for a title fight against the likes of Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal.

A young squad assembled with comparative rapidity was always going to encounter teething problems, but it’s clear Todd Boehly and co need to acknowledge – internally, at least – their mishaps since arriving and push for fresh faces.

Both Robert Sanchez and Filip Jorgensen have struggled to keep errors out of their games between the sticks, so don’t be surprised to see a new goalkeeper.

Defensive issues on the field and injury sufferings to the likes of Wesley Fofana and Benoit Badiashile may also see that area of the market perused. Indeed, according to insider Simon Phillips, a seven-man shortlist was compiled in January to improve the club’s all-round quality.

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However, Chelsea are rather well stocked on the attacking flanks. Jadon Sancho could improve but is a talented dribbler, while Noni Madueke continues to show plenty of promise.

There’s another winger at Chelsea who started slow but has been enjoying an uptick in performances in recent weeks, and may yet become a bona fide star under Maresca’s wing.

Chelsea's £100m star in the making

Chelsea’s scattergun spending under the new regime has produced undesirable results over the past few years, but there’s no question the Blues are making progress and might even be playing Champions League football next season – ahead of schedule, by Maresca’s account.

Pedro Neto, 24, will be crucial in achieving this, for he is starting to impress at a time when Palmer has, for the first time, faltered.

Chelsea signed Wolverhampton Wanderers’ talented forward for £54m in August, but he struggled to acclimatise in the early knockings of the campaign, only starting two of his opening seven Premier League games.

However, with four goal involvements in his last three league starts, there’s no question the “incredible” winger, as he has been called by Gary O’Neil, is coming into his own.

Journalist Tom Overend has been impressed by Neto’s recent performances, saying: “Pedro Neto being moved to the central forward position might just have launched his career at Chelsea.

“He immediately looks more threatening, positions better and is getting more goal and assist output as well.”

Right-winger

15

2

3

Left-winger

12

2

2

Centre-forward

2

1

2

Attacking midfield

1

0

0

His natural progressiveness and creativity are coming to fruition, and you can only imagine how impressive he might be with a clinical and powerful out-and-out No 9 alongside him.

As per FBref, Neto ranks among the top 26% of positional peers in the Premier League this season for assists (0.27) and the top 8% for progressive carries (5.66) per 90.

Such qualities have seen FBref record Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon as one of his most comparable players this term, with the Three Lions star averaging 0.31 assists and 4.69 progressive carries per 90 this season.

Like Neto, Gordon’s positional pliability has seen him play across the frontline this season, filling in up front when need be.

Chelsea were prepared to pay up to £60m for Everton’s academy star back in 2022, and given he’s now at St. James’ Park and thriving, they may kick themselves – not least because Newcastle transfer-listed their talent at a jaw-dropping £100m last summer when Liverpool were linked with him.

Neto’s got a way to go before he reaches his potential at Chelsea, but he’s making all the right moves and has the perfect playing style to do so, for he’s just like Gordon – a player the Stamford Bridge side profiled extensively

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