Phil Hay has relayed a big injury update on one Leeds United star ahead of the final two games of the Championship season.
Leeds back in Championship top two
It was a good evening for the Whites on Monday, picking up a crucial 4-3 victory at Middlesbrough to take them back into the automatic promotion spots ahead of Ipswich Town.
Two goals from Crysencio Summerville and one apiece from Patrick Bamford and Wilfried Gnonto meant Leeds came away with three vital points, with attention now turning to Friday’s trip to Queens Park Rangers.
However, the win at the Riverside came at a cost. Substitute Dan James helped the Whites close the game out but suffered an injury late on, unable to celebrate with the travelling supporters at full-time.
Now, an update has emerged from Elland Road on the £50,000-a-week winger.
Dan James injury update
Talking after the game, Farke was concerned that the injury was serious, describing James as a “key player”. He said: "Really unlucky, a key player for us, would be really bad news if he has a major injury. Let's hope and pray. We have to wait and assess."
Hay relayed the news from Leeds regarding James, posting the update on X.
Leeds’ official statement said that ‘James suffered a costal cartilage injury and an oblique abdominal muscle tear’. He’s out of the trip to Queens Park Rangers as Hay mentions, with the final game of the 46-game season at home to Southampton following eight days later.
James may be in a race against time to feature against the Saints, in what could be a dramatic final day of the Championship campaign.
Leeds now set to sell £40,000 p/w player in permanent transfer this summer
Ruthless from Farke…
ByTom Cunningham Apr 21, 2024
Providing Leeds win at Loftus Road on Friday, Ipswich will need to take three points at both Hull City and Coventry City to have promotion in their hands on the final day. Four points from those two games would leave both sides on 93 points, with Leeds having a superior goal difference, while there is a possibility that Leeds could go up before May 4th should Ipswich lose both games.
However, not having James, Leeds’ second top scorer this season with 13 goals, available for selection on Friday is a blow, but hopefully, Summerville and Gnonto can pick up where they left off on Monday, with Jaidon Anthony an option from the bench.
Jadeja and Shami likely to be in India squad for ODI series against South Africa
Hemant Brar04-Mar-2020Cheteshwar Pujara will be back for Saurashtra for the Ranji Trophy 2019-20 final against Bengal, to be held in Rajkot next week, but it’s not clear if Ravindra Jadeja will be available for the hosts as they take part in their fourth final in last eight seasons.”Cheteshwar will be back for sure, Ravindra I am not sure,” Saurashtra captain Jaydev Unadkat said after his side’s semi-final win over Gujarat. “We [Pujara and I] have been constantly in touch, he cares for the team as much as I do. Right now, he is in the flight back from New Zealand and I am sure he will be quite happy once he lands in Mumbai.”Having Cheteshwar back will play on their [Bengal’s] mind as well. Whenever he is around, our batting unit plays differently, they have this confidence that there is someone of his calibre in our team. Plus, he does take some sort of pressure off me when there are situations like this.”Like Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha will be in the mix for Bengal, who have now reached the Ranji final 14 times – winning the tournament twice – but never since the 2006-07 season. Both Pujara and Saha are the Test specialists and won’t be required for India duty for the ODI series against South Africa starting March 12, where Jadeja is expected to play a part.Similarly Mohammed Shami, who took a blow to the shoulder while batting in the last Test in New Zealand, will not be in the fray for the final. “Saha will play but not Shami as the South Africa series is there,” a Bengal support staffer told ESPNcricinfo.
Everton have made some questionable decisions with transfers over the last few years, which is one of the reasons the club have found themselves in hot water with the Premier League.
The Toffees have been hit with multiple points deductions this campaign, with Sean Dyche's side accumulating eight points for multiple breaches of PSR and FFP.
Everton's home stadium, Goodison Park.
Signings of players such as Jean-Philippe Gbamin and Yerry Mina cost the club over £50m, with the duo both departing Goodison Park on free transfers upon the end of their contracts.
However, the club can add another player to their list of talents who have failed to replicate their best form at the club, after he departed the Toffees a couple of years ago after an unsuccessful stint at the club.
Allan's stats at Everton
After arriving at Goodison Park for £21m during the summer of 2020, Brazilian midfielder Allan had high expectations of succeeding after his impressive five-year stint at Napoli.
He made 24 appearances in the 2020/21 Premier League campaign, starting all but one of Everton's first 13 matches of the campaign. However, a muscle issue would see him miss all of January and February before returning in March and enjoying another permanent place in the starting lineup.
Allan would keep his starting role throughout the following campaign, under the guidance of Rafa Benitez and Frank Lampard. The Brazilian would be a mainstay under the Spaniard but would fall down the pecking order under the former Chelsea boss.
He only started nine games under the Chelsea legend, before not playing in four of the five remaining Premier League games during the 2021/22 season.
Allan's stats at Everton
Statistics
Tally
Appearances
57
Goals
0
Assists
3
Yellow cards
13
Stats via Transfermarkt
His lack of minutes would see him depart Goodison during the summer of 2022, with the club doing a brilliant job of offloading the midfielder given his hefty weekly wage of £70k-per-week – equating to roughly £7.2m in total across the two seasons, as per Capology.
Allan's wage in 2024
Allan – who cost Everton around £28m when combining his total salary and initial transfer fee – departed the club for a move to the United Arab Emirates side Al Wahda for an undisclosed fee to play regular football after a stop-start period under Lampard.
He's since managed to appear 50 times for the club in just over 18 months, with the 33-year-old finding form in front of goal, scoring three times and creating four assists in 18 matches this campaign.
The Brazilian still earns a whopping £86k-per-week as per Salary Sport, with Everton having needed to shift his huge weekly earnings to create some wriggle room in their battle to comply with PSR rules.
Despite his immediate impact on the first-team squad, the club did the right thing by offloading the ageing talent, with the one-time Napoli man notably dubbed an "imposter" due to his dismal displays away from Goodison – as per broadcaster David Downie.
Also branded as a figure who "can't run" by talkSPORT pundit Harry Redknapp – while once also completing just two passes in 73 minutes of a Merseyside derby – Allan was certainly an unwanted and unneeded drain for those on Merseyside.
The Toffees arguably now have much better options in the middle of the park, thankfully, with the likes of Amadou Onana and James Garner far more influential than the veteran midfielder ever was.
Everton may have to sell "magnificent" ace to avoid further PSR woes
The club could still yet receive a further punishment.
No último domingo, diante do Fluminense, o Corinthians teve uma chance de ouro para somar sua segunda vitória consecutiva no Brasileirão. No entanto, acabou cedendo o empate na segunda etapa, quando tinha um jogador a mais em campo. Para Sylvinho, foi uma questão de jogo e não de aspecto físico.
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Em entrevista coletiva após a partida pela sexta rodada do campeonato, o treinador corintiano deu o mérito do resultado ao clube carioca, que conseguiu fazer os ajustes quando ficou com um homem a menos e pôde ser mais efetivo em sua proposta de contra-ataques, chegando ao gol de empate.
-O jogo normalmente no segundo tempo tem outro viés, com substituições, mudanças táticas, o que muitas vezes pode ofuscar performance e parte física. Também é bem realidade que o campeonato difícil, ciclo pequeno, menos de três dias entramos em campo, não é fácil dar o melhor para o atleta para performar em dois dias, quase três, não é simples – disse, antes de completar:
– O conteúdo pra mim, pego nesse jogo, foi um pouco com relação a mudança com um a menos do Fluminense, algumas mudanças feitas no jogo, um time que recuou as suas linhas e veio jogar em contra-ataques. Tivemos erros na construção, depois do 1 a 1, e isso resultou uma dificuldade pra controlar. Assim que eu vi o jogo, ou seja, uma aceleração na construção de jogo nosso, que fez com que os contra-ataques do Fluminense tivessem mais êxito.
Perguntado se haveria uma questão física que pudesse explicar a queda de desempenho, como já havia acontecido na vitória contra o Sport, Sylvinho descartou a possibilidade e insistiu nas mudanças trazidas pela partida, que exigiu que o Corinthians cedesse espaços no setor defensivo na busca pelo gol.
-Não coloco o aspecto físico, volto a dizer que o jogo muda nas posturas táticas, então ficamos expostos para buscar o gol e a vitória. Isso, de repente, dá uma sensação de que fisicamente poderíamos estar cedendo espaços, cedemos porque colocamos mais atletas no campo adversário e buscando o resultado, que não veio, o contra-ataque vem e ficamos exposto. Então não vejo uma questão física, mas de jogo, segundo tempo, de busca de resultado, alternâncias táticas – concluiu.
Para buscar soluções para o que ocorreu no último domingo, o Corinthians tem mais um dia de treinamento antes do clássico contra o São Paulo, na próxima quarta-feira. Atualmente o Timão está na 11º no Brasileirão com nove pontos.
Glasgow Rangers will be hoping they can head into the summer transfer window holding all three domestic trophies that are on offer.
This will mean Philippe Clement’s side qualify for the Champions League group stages, giving them the best chance to improve their squad with better quality players.
The 50-year-old Belgian may need to sell a few players in order to raise some funds for potential new arrivals. Judging by the size of the squad, he won't be short on players who will be seeking a move away from Ibrox.
Not every player who is attracting interest will be sold, however, especially following recent developments…
Rangers transfer news
According to the Daily Record, former Rangers manager Steven Gerrard is aiming to make a surprise double swoop for James Tavernier and Connor Goldson this summer.
Gerrard, who is currently in charge of Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ettfaq, wants to reunite with his two former defenders and could potentially make a swoop when the transfer window opens for business.
Both players are on the wrong side of 30, which suggests that if Clement receives a sizeable fee for the duo, he’d be made not to take it.
Goldson hasn’t quite been at his best this season, especially in recent weeks, and it is perhaps time to move him on to a prospective buyer sooner rather than later, as his contract still has another two years to run.
Tavernier, on the other hand, must be kept at the club. While the captain has endured his fair share of criticism recently as the Light Blues went three Premiership matches without victory, his goal contributions won't be replaced overnight, indicating that he is far too valuable to sell, at this current moment in time anyway.
James Tavernier’s statistics this season for Rangers
The right-back entered into the history books recently, becoming the highest-scoring defender in British football history after notching his 131st goal in senior football last month.
It is a stunning achievement, but Tavernier has been scoring for fun on a regular basis. This season, he currently has 24 goals across all competitions, adding another ten assists. The next person to come closest to the defender with regard to goal involvement is Cyriel Dessers on 28.
Metric
Premiership
Europa League
Goals
17
0
Assists
8
0
Key passes per game
3.2
1.1
Big chances created
17
0
Successful dribbles per game
1.1
0.3
While free kicks and penalties make up most of his goals, the former Newcastle United gem loves to break forward as often as possible on the right flank in order to support the attack.
This is evidenced by Tavernier creating 17 big chances in the top flight, along with averaging 3.2 key passes per game and succeeding with 1.1 dribbles per game – a success rate of 58% – certainly proving how important he is to the side.
James Tavernier
He will turn 33 in October, but Clement shouldn’t be in a rush to move him on anytime soon, especially with how much he offers the club.
If a price that is too good to turn down arrives, however, will the Belgian take it? According to Football Transfers, the right-back is currently valued at €6.3m (£5.4m), which means the club could potentially secure a solid transfer fee if they were to move him on.
James Tavernier for Rangers.
While this is a decent market value for someone his age, Rangers sold a player in 2001 for a fee nearly double that who had just turned 30 a few months prior – Jorg Albertz.
How much Rangers sold Jorg Albertz for
Ahead of the 1996/97 season, in which Rangers were chasing their ninth successive league title, Walter Smith sought to strengthen in order to make this dream a reality.
Erik Bo Anderson and Joachim Bjorklund arrived but the most exciting capture was that of Albertz from Hamburg.
During his first season, he would score 13 goals in all competitions as the Gers won the League Cup and the coveted nine-in-a-row title, ensuring his debut season was a success.
Over the next four seasons, Albertz would win another two titles, two Scottish Cups and a League Cup as the club enjoyed a period of success under Dick Advocaat.
Lauded as ‘the hammer’ for his ferocious left foot, Albertz netted some vital goals against Celtic, while ending his spell at the Ibrox side having scored 83 goals across just 228 matches, a sublime record for a midfielder.
He was sold back to Hamburg in the summer of 2001 as Advocaat was looking to go in a different direction, joining the German side for a fee of around £4.5m.
Jorg Albertz’s transfer value in 2024 money
In 2024 – with Totally Money having adjusted for inflation over the years – his £4.5m transfer which Rangers received for the German would now be worth an impressive £10.1m, which is nearly double that of Tavernier’s value in the current market.
Considering this occurred 23 years ago, it proves Advocaat hit the jackpot on the player who left a lasting impression among the Ibrox faithful during his five-year spell.
His second spell at Hamburg didn’t quite go as anticipated, playing only 28 games before moving to China in 2003. He came out of retirement towards the end of 2007/08 to assist his former teammate John Brown at Clyde in what was a surprising move.
Brown lauded Albertz as “fantastic” during his brief cameo at the Scottish club as he ended his career where he arguably made the biggest impact.
Tavernier hopefully won't be going anywhere soon as his goal contributions will be too hard to replace this summer, and he is still young enough to make an impression for the next couple of seasons at least.
Despite his performances of late, the captain is still valued less than Albertz was when he departed nearly 25 years ago, which proves the Dutchman was correct in moving him on when he did, even though the German probably could have remained at the club for another year or two.
Clement could kickstart new Rangers era by cashing in on £37k-p/w gem
Rangers could potentially sell one of their highest earners this summer…
It's a brilliant time to be a Crystal Palace fan at the moment, as new boss Oliver Glasner has overseen an incredibly dramatic transformation and led them to five wins out of their last six Premier League games.
The Austrian Eagles haven't just been scraping through, either. Earlier this month, they blew Manchester United away 4-0, and just a couple of weeks before, they dispatched West Ham United 5-2.
The south Londoners look a totally different proposition today than they did at the start of the season, and while that is in large part down to the manager, it's also thanks to the players, including winter arrival Adam Wharton.
And in good news for fans, based on recent reports, the club could be about to repeat the same move that landed them the Englishman once again in the summer.
Crystal Palace transfer news
According to a report earlier this week from journalist Bobby Manzi, Crystal Palace are currently "monitoring Norwich City's Gabriel Sara" ahead of the summer transfer window.
Norwich midfielder Gabriel Sara.
The Canaries, understandably keen to keep a hold of one of their key men, will "demand a fee in excess of £20 million," and that's just to open discussions.
It would undoubtedly represent a high-risk investment in a player unproven at the top level from the south Londoners.
Still, based on their previous experience buying players from the Championship, it might be an investment worth making.
Palace could repeat their Wharton trick
So if fans, or even the board, are feeling slightly hesitant about splashing the cash on a player from the Championship, they need not look any further than their previous purchase from the division, Wharton, as an example of when it can work.
Described as "one of the most exciting U21s in England" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 20-year-old's impact at Selhurst Park over the last few months has been remarkable, and it's shown in his underlying numbers.
According to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the former Blackburn Rovers ace sits in the top 4% of midfielders for tackles, the top 8% for assists, the top 11% for expected assists, the top 12% for interceptions, and the top 23% for clearances, all per 90.
He has understandably left an impression on Glasner, who claimed his "decision-making, his pre-orientation, and his solutions with one or two touches are amazing" and that he "will have a fantastic career."
So, with the Eagles having pedigree when it comes to plucking out talent from the second division, what could Sara bring to Selhurst Park next season?
Well, the Brazilian midfielder has an eye for a goal and an assist while also possessing "[Eberechi] Eze's dynamism and off the ball tenacity", per data analyst Ben Mattinson – a pleasing comparison considering Eze has contributed 14 goals and assists in 2023/24 in all competitions.
In 53 first-team appearances this season, the 24-year-old has scored 14 goals and provided 13 assists, meaning that he is averaging a goal involvement every 1.96 games.
Appearances
53
Goals
14
Assists
13
Goal Involvements per Match
0.51
Ultimately, while there is always going to be an element of risk with buying players from the Championship, Palace can rely on their experience in the market to make the right call, and based on his performances this season, signing Sara would be the right call.
Crystal Palace struck gold on "excellent" gem who's worth as much as Olise
The incredible talent has a brilliant career ahead of him and could help the Eagles make an awful lot of money.
The general consensus at Tottenham Hotspur heading into the last few weeks of Ange Postecoglou's first campaign at the helm speaks of promise and positivity, though there is uncertainty surrounding the prospect of Champions League qualification.
With Spurs sitting the previous Premier League match week out after their fixture with Manchester City was rescheduled given their opponents' participation in the FA Cup semi-finals, Aston Villa seized the initiative and won against Bournemouth to extend their lead in the top four to six points – Tottenham, however, hold two games in hand.
Tottenham players
With the fixtures drawing to a close and Tottenham preparing to face the three teams fighting for the Premier League title, it's going to be an interesting battle for a place in Europe's elite club competition.
Not least because Destiny Udogie has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign, having been so influential in his first season in England…
Why Destiny Udogie's injury is a massive blow
Spurs signed Udogie from Udinese for about £15m back in 2022 but loaned him straight back to the Italian club for the duration of the 2022/23 campaign, where he honed his craft and earned acclaim before linking up with Postecoglou's squad last summer.
As the north London outfit purred into life at the start of the campaign, Udogie quickly established himself as the unwavering starter at left-back, with journalist Hunter Godson even hailing his "sickeningly good" displays and proclaiming that he "gets into nearly every team in the world already."
He's barely stepped onto the major stage but he's already performing with seamless style in the English top flight, completing 28 matches this season, scoring two goals and adding three assists, completing 89% of his passes and averaging 2.4 tackles and clearances, six ball recoveries and 5.4 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore.
As per FBref, the 21-year-old ranks among the top 6% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 8% for progressive carries, the top 15% for successful take-ons and the top 11% for interceptions per 90.
With such noteworthy technical ability and a melange of qualities across both defensive and attacking points, Udogie is one of the finest in the division and it's no wonder that no Tottenham teammate boasts a market valuation above his – according to CIES Football Observatory's player valuation model, the Italian is worth £69m, level with Dejan Kulusevski.
Tottenham star Destiny Udogie.
This is all of an illustration of why the £75k-per-week starlet is so important, and why his season-ending injury could be detrimental to the synergy and energy of Postecoglou's Champions League-chasing side.
This isn't the first time Udogie has fallen to the sideline this term, with his replacement last time, Ben Davies, possibly not the answer given his lack of mobility and progression.
Ben Davies' season in numbers
Davies has been something of a stalwart for Tottenham, chalking up 329 fixtures for the club, but he has been a utility option this season – albeit performing admirably in central defence throughout Spurs' injury crisis in November and December.
However, he last started in his natural wide position when Spurs lost to Wolves in February, and having completed an average of 0.2 dribbles per game in the Premier League this season, he may not offer the robustness to keep the poise and potency that Postecoglou's set-up demands.
Micky van de Ven could also be an option out wide, as the analyst above states, but the Dutch defender's not accustomed to a full-back role and, while he is incredibly fast and athletic, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year, fans have witnessed the issues that can arise when he is not in the starting line-up at centre-back.
While it would be something of a bold call, Postecoglou could opt down the less-trodden path and promote Charlie Sayers to the senior squad, with the academy phenom possessing all the tools to forge a name for himself in Udoige's place.
How Charlie Sayers could perform for Postecoglou
Tottenham insider John Wenham remarked that Sayers is "probably the best academy defender at the club", and having played a key role in Wayne Burnett's table-topping side's progress in the Premier League 2 this season, featuring 11 times, it's clear to see why.
Superhotspur's scouting profile of the 19-year-old highlights notable strengths in ball-playing and pace, with the kind of top-level athleticism needed to fill boots such as Udogie's.
Charlie Sayers: Stats by Level
Club
Apps
Goals
Assists
Tottenham U21
26
1
1
Tottenham U18
13
2
0
Southend United
6
0
0
Tottenham YL
1
0
2
Stats via Transfermarkt
In the EFL Trophy this term, as per Sofascore, the young talent showcased the core qualities that have established him as one of Tottenham's most coveted prospects, averaging 1.3 key passes, two tackles and 7.3 ball recoveries per match across three fixtures, also completing 85% of his passes.
His rate of recovery is particularly eye-catching, speaking of his energy and eagerness to close down space and maintain high output – Udogie performs masterfully in this regard, whereas Davies, while a veteran, is averaging only 2.9 recoveries per match in the Premier League this season.
With an eye for goal too, there's no reason why Sayers can't develop into a rounded player to serve as Udogie's foil when regrettable scenarios such as his present conundrum surface.
Supporters need only hark back to the slump earlier in the campaign to serve as a poignant reminder of how this Postecoglou team can slump when knocked off balance.
Davies is not the answer at left-back, not with Spurs fighting for a place in the Champions League next season.
Ange could unleash Spurs star in brand new role to ease Udogie injury
Postecoglou has three different left-back options to choose from.
Everton have been in a state of ebb and flow for quite some time now, and while Sean Dyche's tenure has been far from seamless, there is a sense that the squad could enter the ascendency if cards are played right.
Of course, the plane of uncertainty that lies ahead for Everton is beyond the control of Dyche and the players, who have navigated through a tumultuous year to perch in 15th place in the Premier League with two fixtures still ahead, 11 points above the dreaded dotted line.
Having been stripped of eight points due to breaching Premier League Profit and Sustainability rules on separate occasions, the Toffees are in troubled waters, with the conundrum compounded by prospective buyers 777 Partners, a Miami-based investment firm, facing a lawsuit in the USA, facing allegations of fraud, facing the prospect of ruination.
But the unflappable fight from the Evertonian squad has instilled a sanguine sense of hope that this club could rise again. After all, points deduction aside, Everton would be just three points away from the top half of the division.
Only the top three teams have conceded fewer goals than Dyche's Blues, with the defensive axis of James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite working wonders.
Branthwaite's emergence, in particular, has come at the perfect time following Yerry Mina's departure on a free transfer last summer, ravaged by injuries that stopped his chances of succeeding at Goodison Park. It all could have been so different.
Yerry Mina's Everton career
Picture this: it's 2018, Marco Silva's Everton have just completed the £27m transfer of centre-back Mina from none other than Barcelona following the Colombian's terrific performances at the 2018 World Cup.
Everton had recorded successive top-eight finishes under Ronald Koeman and Sam Allardyce and would finish eighth again in Silva's only full term at the helm – Mina's first, in 2018/19 – but everything unravelled soon after, Everton started to sink toward the lower levels of the English top-flight, where they fight at present to free themselves from.
22/23
7
7
2
21/22
13
11
0
20/21
24
23
2
19/20
29
25
2
18/19
13
10
1
Unfortunately, the Colombia international managed to play only an intermittent role in the Toffees' campaign, starting just ten Premier League matches as he battled against foot and hamstring issues.
He enjoyed more frequent roles across his second and third campaigns on English shores, with Carlo Ancelotti at the helm since the 2019/20 term's midpoint.
But his niggling problems precluded him from ever finding a prolonged run of form to live up to the £27m price tag, with his wages rather hefty too.
1.
Jordan Pickford
£125k-per-week
2.
Yerry Mina
£120k-per-week
3.
Abdoulaye Doucoure
£120k-per-week
4.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin
£100k-per-week
4.
Amadou Onana
£100k-per-week
4.
James Tarkowski
£100k-per-week
The fact that he earned more than Dominic Calvert-Lewin highlights just how influential Mina was supposed to have been for the Merseysiders.
Calvert-Lewin has hardly been injury-free himself while on the Everton books but he has scored 68 goals and supplied 17 assists across 245 appearances, having been praised as a "monster" by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his success as the focal frontman.
In fairness, Mina has earned an effusive remark or two throughout his career too, with The Athletic's Patrick Boyland hailing the "absolute colossus" for one excellent Everton display.
At least the 6 foot 5 titan managed to play a pivotal part in Everton's closing stage last season, starting the final four Premier League fixtures and scoring an all-important, last-gasp equaliser in the campaign's penultimate fixture against Wolverhampton Wanderers.
He salvaged a draw, he might just have salvaged top-flight status, with the team then fuelled to beat Bournemouth on the final day – a game, by the way, that saw a Herculean defensive effort form Mina toward the 1-0 victory, playing the full 90 minutes and winning a whopping eight duels.
It's unfortunate that Mina has suffered such a tough time on the fitness front, with Silva speaking on his "unlucky" record back in 2019 – unaware of the mounds of problems yet to materialise, like a dark, infiltrating stain on his career.
Former Everton player Yerry Mina
But it can't be looked past, Mina failed to live up to the price tag at Everton and it's ultimately a move of bitter regret, with the funds probably better placed elsewhere back when he signed – had the powers that be got it right, the rot might just have been stopped before it spread.
Yerry Mina's transfer value in 2024
Oh to drift back to the halcyon days of 2018. Mina must certainly look back on this stage of his career with wistful longing, having now fallen by the wayside with damage that threatens to be irreparable.
The ball-playing defender has all the skills to be a high-level defender; his erstwhile stint with Barcelona proves his natural ability. But injuries have ravaged his chances of building a career of true prosperity, with his current market value a gloomy reflection of such issues.
According to Football Transfers' Player Valuation model, the South American is marked with a £1.7m worth in 2024, with his inability to put his time on Merseyside to bed after transferring to Fiorentina sending his career into more of a detrimental spin.
After ending his career with Everton last summer, the rangy defender's move to Florence was supposed to be beneficial, with the ostensibly slower pace of Italian football better suited to his athletic fragilities.
Former Everton star Yerry Mina celebrates for Cagliari
But after featuring just four times – all from the bench – in the opening half of the current Serie A campaign, La Viola's newly-promoted divisional rivals Cagliari canvassed a proposal and welcomed the injury-riddled giant to their ranks in January.
Admittedly, he has found a small measure of success over these past few months, starting 11 of 13 league fixtures since his cross-state switch, scoring in each of his past two matches and winning 69% of his duels, as per Sofascore.
Given that Jarrad Branthwait has won 67% of his duels in the Premier League this season, it's clear that a different tale would have been painted were Mina's injuries not so… incessant.
A talented defender, a wonderful player, a commanding leader. Mina's move to Everton can only go down as a failure but given the nature of his troubles, the Evertonian faithful would be all smiles if he could sustain a positive run of form over the coming campaigns.
6/10 Everton star who lost 100% duels might not play again after Luton
He produced a poor display during the draw last night.
With ten minutes remaining, Aston Villa were down and out against Liverpool as Jürgen Klopp looked set to mark his final ever away Premier League fixture with a win.
20 minutes later, Unai Emery’s men had scored twice courtesy of Jhon Duran, sealing a share of the spoils in the process.
The Colombian hasn’t been given a fair crack of the whip under the Spaniard this season. Might this change after his display against the Anfield side?
Not everyone performed well, however, as Lucas Digne endured yet another frustrating evening for the Villa Park side on the left side of the defence.
Lucas Digne’s game in numbers vs Liverpool
The Frenchman was given the task of keeping Mohamed Salah during the clash, which is as tough a job as it gets in the Premier League.
Defensively, the left-back was poor, losing possession 23 times in total, winning just seven of his 14 total duels contested while committing two fouls on the evening.
Keeping a lid on the Egyptian was clearly proving to be a tough task, but Digne could have combated this by offering something going forwards.
Lucas Digne's stats vs Liverpool
Assists
0
Key passes
1
Possession lost
23
Fouls committed
2
Total duels (won)
14 (7)
Via Sofascore
Despite attempting five dribbles, Digne succeeded with just two, along with making only one key pass and delivering two accurate crosses from five attempts.
For his performance, journalist John Townley gave him a match rating of 6/10. Considering the statistics and the fact a place in the Champions League next term was on the line, this was more than generous.
With the summer transfer window fast approaching, could Emery move him on ahead of the 2024/25 campaign?
Lucas Digne’s statistics this season
The former Everton defender will be 31 by the time next season kicks off and with two years remaining on his current deal, it could be the ideal chance to find a buyer.
The former France international may have played a part in 32 Premier League games this season, yet he has registered only four goal contributions – one goal and three assists – during those matches.
Not only that, but the 30-year-old has created four big chances, averaged 1.1 key passes per game along with succeeding with just 0.3 of his dribbles – a success rate of 36% – hardly figures which have contributed towards Villa’s excellent campaign.
The former Barcelona defender has been a decent option for Emery since the Spaniard took charge in 2022, but an upgrade is surely required if he wishes to take Villa to the next level, especially with tough Champions League fixtures to come next term.
When compared to his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, Digne ranks in the bottom 84% for successful take-ons per 90 (0.34) and the bottom 79% for progressive passes per 90 (2.96) over the previous 365 days.
This is yet more proof that he is on the decline as a player, especially from an attacking point of view, and Emery must cash in on him this summer, otherwise, he might be in a spot of bother.
Zampa, Swepson, Jonassen and Tye are among those who will now have to postpone their big day
Daniel Brettig03-Apr-2020
Getty Images
Since time immemorial, April has been wedding season for Australia’s cricketers, after the end of the season and before winter’s chill takes full effect.This year, however, the tally of delayed weddings provides yet another measure of the toll of the COVID19 pandemic, as best-laid plans are put off indefinitely, or at least until the end of next summer.No fewer than eight Cricket Australia or state contracted players have chosen to delay their nuptials due to strict restrictions on public gatherings, which in Australia limit the size of weddings to five people in total – the two participants, the pastor or celebrant, and their witnesses.Australian men’s wrist spinner Adam Zampa and women’s left-arm spinner Jess Jonassen are among the group, while Jackson Bird, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, D’Arcy Short, Katelyn Fryett and Alister McDermott are the others. All had scheduled their weddings for April or thereabouts, forcing postponements until such a time as they can enjoy their big days as originally planned.There are others not in quite the same company, having recently become engaged and now in planning for weddings to take place at a yet to be decided date. These include Glenn Maxwell and Pat Cummins, who said that he would now be far more involved in wedding plans on account of not having any cricket immediately in front of him.”First of all it means that I’ll have to be more involved with the plans because I am around more, which is good,” Cummins said. “No we’re lucky. Obviously just got engaged, so hopefully most of this would have blown over by the time our wedding comes around.”I really feel for a couple of close mates here like Adam Zampa who had to delay their weddings. It’s really tough times. So nothing’s hopefully changed too much from our point of view with that. Obviously bigger things at play.”Cummins’ fiancee Becky Boston is English, and he said his heart went out to all cricketers and families experiencing an even greater interruption than those to wedding plans – that of the start of the northern summer cricket season. He also noted the awful scenes in Italy and Spain, where coronavirus has taken a much harsher toll than that experienced so far in Australia.”It’s awful seeing things like – Italy and Spain, but now America and the UK in recent days – it’s just crazy how quickly it’s developed,” Cummins said. “Obviously got a lot of family over in England at the moment, speaking to them regularly – first of all making sure they’re staying indoors. But they’re all- it just seems like what we’re doing here but on an even more intense scale.”They’re really staying at home, trying to do all the right things. It’s obviously moving so quickly, so I think we’re scheduled to go over there in June I think it is. It’s still 3 months away, just have to wait and see. I know no call has been made on that either way, but I guess unless things improve, I can’t really see many tournaments going on anywhere in the world for a little while.”So just sit back and wait. Obviously wish everyone in England the best, especially from a cricketer’s point of view, speaking to a few close mates who play county cricket over there – they’ve gone through the whole pre-season and geared up for the start of their summer and they’re staring down the barrel of potentially their whole summer of cricket being over. So obviously the health risk is a big one, but those guys basically have to put their careers on hold.”Other nations, too, have seen wedding plans interrupted. In South Africa, the marriage of Lizelle Lee and Tanja Cronje was slated for April 10, but is now on hold.