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It’s fair to say that Newcastle United haven’t always got it right in the transfer market, especially under Mike Ashley.

The Magpies have made enough mistakes to be in a better position when it comes to spending their new-found riches. Now in their first summer as one of the richest clubs in world football, they’ll be hoping to have learnt from previous mistakes.

With that said, we’ve ranked Newcastle United’s biggest flops of the Premier League era.

10) Sol Campbell 

Featuring one of the greatest Premier League centre-backs of all time on this list feels somewhat ludicrous, but here Sol Campbell is.

The idea of signing experience is always a harmless one; a helpful one, if you will.

But, the fact is, sometimes experience doesn’t necessarily bring a player in their prime and ready to perform, as Newcastle found out when signing a 35-year-old Campbell.

He made a total of eight appearances before slipping away into retirement.

9) Jean-Alain Boumsong

When a player’s former club are surprised to see a player attract interest for a fairly decent fee, then the buying club are in big trouble.

The scout who took the central defender to Rangers, Paul Montgomery, told Chronicle Live: “I said ‘he can’t play in the Premier League’.

“When we signed him, I told Alex, ‘he’ll be like Beckenbauer in Scotland but when we play the good teams in Europe, he’ll get found out’.” 

And, best believe, that’s exactly what happened.

8) Claudio Cacapa 

Claudio Cacapa’s time at Newcastle was summed up when Sam Allardyce subbed the Brazilian off with just 18 minutes on the clock against Portsmouth.

This was a player fresh off the back of six Ligue 1 titles.

Yet, come the end of his time at St James’ Park, this was a player destined for the ‘flop’ category of Premier League transfers.

In total, he played 29 times for the club and left to no fanfare whatsoever.

7) Hugo Viana 

Billed as one of the best young players in world football at 19, Newcastle mustn’t have believed their luck when they managed to sign Hugo Viana.

But that lucky feeling soon turned into incredible disappointment.

The midfielder scored just four goals in 61 appearances for Newcastle and he departed for Sporting Lisbon in 2004. 

He’s actually gone on to have a decent career, and played 29 times for Portugal; he just couldn’t adjust at Newcastle.

6) Siem de Jong 

The football gods just didn’t want Siem de Jong to star, or even consistently feature, for Newcastle.

The Dutchman arrived in 2014, before going through injury hell.

The former Ajax man even suffered a collapsed lung at St James’ Park. Say what you want about De Jong as a player, but the fact is, he didn’t exactly get the luck he needed at Newcastle.

In the end, he only managed to play 26 times for the club and only scored twice; he’s still going, and is now playing for De Graafschap in Holland’s second-tier.

5) Chancel Mbemba 

Since leaving Newcastle, Chancel Mbemba has flourished at Porto, hitting the form of his life.

So, what went wrong at Newcastle?

Well, for starters, in his final season at the club, the centre-back was forced to play out of position at full-back, which is not how you help a struggling central defender.

It’s also fair to say that Mbemba featured in a difficult era for Newcastle, making things even more difficult.

4) Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa 

Arriving as a Ligue 1-winning captain, Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa seemed to have all the potential to become a real asset for Newcastle.

He made just 46 appearances in 18 months, however, and fell victim to the Magpies’ habit of playing struggling centre-backs at full-back, before leaving the club.

Amazingly, he actually seemed to thrive after leaving the club, even playing in the Champions League for both Roma and Lyon.

Now, though, he’s without a club.

3) Seydou Doumbia 

Every Fifa player would have been excitedly rambling on about just how good Seydou Doumbia was in 2016 after seeing the forward join Newcastle on loan. 

And, in fairness, he wasn’t just a good player in the video game, his record at CSKA Moscow spoke for itself, as he netted 95 goals in 150 games for the club, before making just three appearances for Newcastle.

He just didn’t seem to fit in at the club and was not kept around; he later had spells at Basel, Sporting Lisbon, Girona and Sion before bringing the curtain down on his career at Maltese club Hamrun Spartans.

2) Florian Thauvin 

Florian Thauvin must be one of Newcastle’s biggest regrets when you look at how he’s done since leaving the club.

Of course, the Frenchman didn’t help himself, however, opting to do his best 007 impression by arriving dressed in a full tux in a home game against Watford.

But, he clearly had talent, given the fact that he has since starred for Marseille back in France.

During his time at Newcastle, though, he played just 16 times and only scored one goal. What a shame.

1) Remy Cabella 

Remy Cabella arrived at Newcastle United as a player meant to be the difference-maker; the man to take the Magpies out of mediocrity.

In the end, however, he was the exact opposite, making 34 appearances in one season for Newcastle and scoring just the one goal in what was an incredibly disappointing spell in England.

Having cost £12m from French club Montpellier, he was a bitter disappointment, and has since played for Marseille, Saint-Etienne, Krasnodar, Montpellier, again, and Lille.

So, there you have it, our list of Newcastle United’s biggest flops of the Premier League era. We’re sure that, if the Magpies spend their riches unwisely in the coming transfer windows, then this list will need a re-write. As of right now, however, their business deserves a bit of praise. The players that they have welcomed since the takeover have been nothing but smart acquisitions. 

Everton will make the short trip to Anfield tonight for the Merseyside Derby meeting in the Premier League against Liverpool and Sean Dyche will be hoping his team can carry their confidence from last weekend’s victory over Arsenal into the clash.

The Toffees could escape the relegation zone if they can snatch all three points from their bitter rivals which would be an incredible achievement considering it would only be their fifth win of the season, but not an impossible task considering Liverpool have suffered three defeats in their last four outings.

As a result, Dyche must put out his strongest attacking threat available which could be difficult considering Dominic Calvert-Lewin may be unavailable for selection following a hamstring concern this week.

However, the newly-appointed manager could have a secret weapon in Demarai Gray who could cause chaos for Liverpool with his undeniable pace and attacking talents.

Will Demarai Gray start against Liverpool?

Indeed, the experienced left winger was left on the bench in the 1-0 victory at Goodison Park over Arsenal but there is no doubt that Gray has been one of the better performers in the squad over the campaign so far.

Over 20 league appearances, Gray has scored three goals, registered one assist and created three big chances, as well as averaging 1.9 shots on goal, 1.3 key passes and 3.4 duels won per game, proving that despite Everton’s troubles he has been a reliable threat in front of goal.

The £25k-per-week dynamo – who was signed for just £1.7m in 2021 – has been the recipient of high praise from Premier League legend Rio Ferdinand who dubbed Gray “unbelievable” when reflecting on his displays so far this season:

“Demarai Gray’s the only one. Unbelievable find. He’s the one, in recent weeks anyway. He hasn’t done it over the course of the whole season, but in recent weeks, he’s been the one.”

Not only that, Gray has experienced a number of Merseyside Derby with a sound understanding of the heated outing – tallying up 10 appearances, three wins, two draws and one goal.

With that being said, unleashing the Everton forward could be a master move for Dyche tonight in his efforts to take the pressure off Everton in their battle for survival over the remainder of the season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers head into their clash against Liverpool this afternoon with a real chance of piling more misery on Jurgen Klopp’s men.

Julen Lopetegui has given the Old Gold a much-needed jolt since taking over from Bruno Lage, and he has not only injected some confidence into the team but has already started asserting his authority, as evidenced by a successful January transfer window.

The 56-year-old signed Pablo Sarabia, Mario Lemina, Joao Gomes, Craig Dawson, Matheus Cunha and Daniel Bentley last month, and this additional quality should be more than enough to ensure Premier League survival.

Against Liverpool, Wolves have the chance to exploit a shaky defence which has conceded ten goals since the turn of the year. The Reds are also missing Virgil van Dijk through injury, which should give the Molineux outfit further cause for optimism.

Lopetegui started Raul Jimenez against Manchester City in their last outing, but the Mexican didn’t offer much of a goal threat, failing to register a single shot. That is why Cunha must be unleashed against Liverpool this afternoon.

With the Reds likely going with a centre-back pairing of Joel Matip and Joe Gomez today, it could give the 23-year-old the perfect chance to open his Wolves goalscoring account, and he has all the necessary attributes to cause problems for Klopp’s team.

Cunha came on for Jimenez at half-time against City and showed glimpses of what he could offer going forward, making two key passes and winning both of his ground duels, showing that his physicality is clearly a big strength and could be used to bully Matip this afternoon.

The Brazilian has played just three Premier League games so far and, despite failing to score, he has taken one shot and made 0.7 key passes per game and completed 50% of his dribble attempts. Once he truly gets up to speed, he could be an excellent attacking option for Lopetegui.

Indeed, last season for Atletico Madrid, the 23-year-old registered ten goal contributions (six goals and four assists), created five big chances, took 1.3 shots per game and completed 58% of his dribble attempts.

The £65k-per-week machine could terrorise Matip today in exploiting a Liverpool team who are devoid of confidence at the moment and registering a famous victory for Wolves.

Cunha’s former Hertha Berlin manager Bruno Labbadia previously dubbed him “special”, and once he gets a regular run in the team, he could certainly justify that praise under Lopetegui.

Newcastle need to sign a holding midfielder in the January transfer window, Pete O’Rourke has claimed.

What’s the word?

The Magpies have had a stunning first half of the season, and look set to contend for a top-four spot, but may need some more squad depth to do so.

A lot of Eddie Howe’s signings have been successful, such as Sven Botman and Bruno Guimaraes, and the club could further increase the quality of the squad in the January transfer window.

Speaking exclusively to Football Fancast, O’Rourke claimed that a defensive midfielder should be the priority in the window, and that the club need extra bodies in the middle of the park.

“I think we need two midfielders in there, if I’m honest with you, but I think getting one holding midfielder in is crucial,” he stated of Newcastle.

“I think I think it would be a real mistake if they weren’t to add someone, and I don’t mean like a young kid coming through, like what they’re trying to do at right-back. I think they need to add someone with experience and then I think I think they know that.”

Necessary depth

With Jonjo Shelvey injured and Joelinton currently occupying a role on the left wing, Newcastle’s options in the middle of the park are fairly limited.

Bruno Guimaraes has been excellent as the deepest midfielder, but additional cover for him could help boost their chances as they hunt down a European spot, and a January signing could give Howe’s side an extra boost for the rest of the season.

Edson Alvarez has been linked, and if a natural defensive midfielder were to come in, they could even play alongside Guimaraes as well as providing cover for him.

The cogs are falling into place at Manchester United, with manager Erik ten Hag thus far succeeding in rectifying the wrongs that have plagued the club over the past several years and setting a course for success.

Indeed, the Red Devils currently reside in the third place after 18 matches, with 38 points and just two league losses since Ten Hag’s rocky start – the Dutch manager fell to both Brighton & Hove Albion and Brentford in a solemn introduction to English football.

And now, with the ship stabilising, the talismanic position at the club needs fortifying over the coming age at the distinguished club, and Borussia Dortmund’s prodigious striker Youssoufa Moukoko is one name to have been linked with a switch to the Theatre of Dreams in the not-too-distant future, with 90min stating that United are considering a bid.

According to the prominent publication, Dortmund have been desperately seeking to reach an agreement on a long-term contract for their latest budding superstar,

The “Wonder”, as lauded by his elder brother Borel, is quickly asserting himself as one of the standout prospects across the global game, and should he sign for United, an eminent club notably bringing many sublime talents through the youth ranks, he could continue this development on the richest soil, growing into one of the most feared attacking outlets on the European scene.

This season alone, Moukoko has scored six goals and assists apiece from only 12 starts, with a total of 11 goals and eight assists from 59 appearances since his professional debut.

The 18-year-old also ranks within the top 9% of forwards for rate of goals, the top 6% for rate of assists and the top 14% for tackles, as per FBref, which is a telling glimpse into the dynamic approach and devastating physicality that will leave opposition quaking.

Bearing these burgeoning skills in mind, there is no question that he could merge wondrously at Old Trafford with talisman Marcus Rashford, who is currently spearheading the emphatic Red Devil resurgence.

This season, the 51-cap England international has plundered 16 goals and six assists from 26 appearances, casting aside the cobwebs from a lacklustre preceding campaign where the forward clinched just five strikes across all competitions.

With Rashford indeed in the form of his career, riding a purple patch that is having devastating consequences on each and every opponent, Moukoko, who former teammate Erling Haaland dubbed “the biggest talent in the world”, would be a worthy addition, entering the Theatre of Dreams to thunderous applause, ready to adopt the esteemed striking role at the club and forge an immensely successful future.

Newcastle United could be set to strengthen their squad even further when the January transfer window opens tomorrow, and now a new update has emerged on a potential new transfer target.

What’s the latest?

According to journalist Hrach Khachatryan, Newcastle are one of three Premier League clubs interested in signing OGC Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram.

Khachatryan tweeted:

“Nice midfielder Khephren Thuram is linked with Premier League move. Chelsea, Newcastle, and Liverpool are interested.”

Howe could land his own Valverde

There is no doubt that Eddie Howe will be thrilled with his Tyneside squad after a phenomenal start to their Premier League season, however, the opportunity to continue to strengthen the squad will be a chance surely not missed by the club.

The Magpies are currently third in the top flight after drawing with Leeds United this afternoon – having only suffered one defeat over their first 17 outings so far, which is an extremely impressive feat considering 12 months ago they were battling relegation at the bottom of the table.

Not only that, Newcastle remain in contention to compete for both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup, so adding some depth in key positions on the pitch would be advantageous and Thuram – the brother of World Cup finalist Marcus Thuram and son of World Cup winner Lillian Thuram – could be the perfect signing to bolster Howe’s options in the centre of the pitch.

Over 16 Ligue One appearances, the 21-year-old Frenchman – who was dubbed “perfect” by journalist Alex Jaquin – has delivered two assists, created three big chances and completed 68% successful dribbles so far, as well as averaging 1.4 tackles, 34 accurate passes and 2.9 duels won per game.

Howe could even land his very own Federico Valverde as the Real Madrid talent has been named as one of the most comparable players to Thuram over the last 12 months, according to FBref.

The midfield positional peers share many similarities in their output this season so far including assists (two v two), pass completion rate (87.4% v 88%), dribblers tackled percentage (47.4% v 38.5%), blocks (10 v 11) and dribbles completed (65% v 63.2%).

With that being said, the signing of Thuram – who is expected to cost €20m (£17m) – could be a great piece of business for Howe as he attempts to retain Newcastle’s dominance inside the top four and secure Champions League qualification over the second half of the season.

Mikel Arteta will be hoping to strengthen his Arsenal side during the January transfer window ahead of a crucial second half of the campaign.

What’s the word?

The North London side are set to win the race for Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk according to recent reports and journalist Paul Brown believes Arsenal are “very keen” on adding the Ukrainian winger to their squad in the transfer window while speaking to GIVEMESPORT:

“They are very keen on this player. They’ve been looking at him for a long time. He’s been scouted extensively, and they’ve watched him again for several games this season. So he’s definitely one that they want. There’s definitely interest there.”

This suggests Arteta has done his homework on the player, and although it could cost the club around €100m (£86m) to secure his services, it could be money well spent.

Imagine him & Saka

The 21-year-old has arguably been one of the brightest young talents on the continent this season, registering a breathtaking 18 goal contributions (ten goals and eight assists) in just 18 matches across all competitions this term.

Compared to positional peers across Europe’s big five leagues, Mudryk ranks in the top 4% for non-penalty goals (0.48 per 90), assists (0.32), dribbles completed (1.93), and touches in the opposition penalty area (3.21), proving that he has been one of the finest performers in front of goal during the previous year.

Journalist Josh Bunting dubbed the Ukrainian as “frightening” and it’s easy to see why considering his recent performances, with a move to the Premier League clearly the next logical step for his development.

With Arsenal setting the pace in the title race, Arteta will want to hammer home his advantage and avoid any slip-ups. Adding someone with the quality of Mudryk to the team would signal a massive statement of intent and could give the whole team a boost.

The youngster could also form an exciting wing partnership with Bukayo Saka, especially considering how well the Englishman has been performing as of late.

He has scored five goals and notched six assists this season, using his pace and creativity not only to create chances for himself, but to set his teammates up, and with a similar playing style to Mudryk, the duo could cause absolute havoc for opposition defences.

This might be slightly harsh on Gabriel Martinelli, who has also caught the eye this term on the left wing, scoring five goals and grabbing two assists, form that even even led to World Cup selection for Brazil.

The club are in an excellent position right now. If the 40-year-old manages to lure the youngster to the Emirates in the coming weeks, it could be the catalyst they need to win their first league title in 19 years while forming a tremendous partnership with the lively Saka in the process.

It could just be the perfect recipe, especially with Gabriel Jesus now facing time on the sidelines too.

West Ham United continue to be linked with Brazilian midfielder Gerson.

What’s the latest?

As per French publication Jeunes Footeux, the Hammers’ interest remains, with a view to signing him in January.

Marseille are demanding a fee of €20m (£17m) for his services, although, with reported frustrations between the player and the club, David Moyes might hold out for a cheaper price.

That will depend on the level of interest Sevilla hold in the maestro, as they could spur the Irons into action. With Flamengo unable to afford his services, it seems like it is all set for a two-horse race for Gerson this winter.

Moyes could finally ditch Soucek

This move could be the catalyst for Moyes to finally ditch Tomas Soucek, who has arguably been underperforming for over a year now.

The Czech Republic international has been a mainstay beside Declan Rice ever since his 2020 signing, with his debut season seeing him boast a ten-goal haul.

However, since then he has offered little offensively and left his captain to shoulder the defensive burden.

In Gerson, Moyes could offer an added incentive for Soucek to perform, as the £67k-per-week midfielder ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, and the top 7% for total shots, via FBref.

Any worries about his transition over to English football can be somewhat quashed by his display against Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League, where he more than held his own against the talents of Rodrigo Bentancur and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg.

In just 50 minutes, the Brazilian boasted a 93% pass accuracy and won two of his three duels.

However, he was somewhat stifled creatively given the defensive tactics employed by his side. Over his career, he has scored 26 times alongside providing 30 assists, and given that he is just 25 years old, there is still a bright future for him.

Should he make the switch to the London Stadium, he could transform his career as he takes a huge step up from Ligue 1.

There is a space there for the taking alongside Rice, and he will feel confident that with his talents he could claim it.

Journalist Rudy Galetti has shared an update on Tottenham Hotspur and their proposed talks to extend manager Antonio Conte’s current contract.

The Lowdown: Conte inspires Spurs…

The Italian, since taking over from Nuno Espirito Santo last November, has ushered in a hugely promising era in north London.

Conte guided Spurs to a top-four Premier League finish last campaign, securing a £150 million equity increase from club owners ENIC in the process.

These funds were used to reinforce the 53-year-old’s squad with sporting director Fabio Paratici completing moves for Ivan Perisic, Fraser Forster, Yves Bissouma, Richarlison, Clement Lenglet, Djed Spence, Destiny Udogie and a permanent deal for Cristian Romero.

Fast forward to now, Conte’s side are currently third in the top-flight with only champions Man City and arch-rivals Arsenal winning more games.

Tottenham have also finished top of their Champions League group, sailing through to the Last 16, with chairman Daniel Levy wanting Conte to stay on.

The Latest: Galetti shares Conte contract update…

Now, writing on social media, Italian reporter Galetti has shared an update on Spurs and Conte’s potential new deal at Hotspur Way.

The former Inter Milan boss’ current contract is set to expire in 2023, yet in just weeks, the Lilywhites apparently plan to remedy that.

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Galetti claims both the north Londoners and Conte will discuss a contract renewal during the World Cup break – which starts imminently in 15 days.

He explained:

“During the World Cup break, #THFC and #Conte will discuss the renewal of the contract, expiring in June 2023. All parties involved want to reach an agreement, but #Tottenham, at the same time, are thinking about a possibile plan B.”

The Verdict: Get it done?

Conte has endured some criticism for his ‘ponderous’ approach when compared to more fluid attacking sides like Arsenal and City, but proof of his effective methods are in the numbers.

Only the Gunners and Pep Guardiola’s side have scored more goals than Spurs so far this season – thanks in part to the sensational form of striker Harry Kane.

Conte has seemingly instilled a winning mentality at Tottenham and Levy should do all he can to keep the ex-Chelsea head coach where he is.

Wanindu Hasaranga, Shardul Thakur, Nicholas Pooran, Harshal Patel, Kagiso Rabada, Shikhar Dhawan, Shahrukh Khan, Nitish Rana, Jason Holder among the other millionaires

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Feb-20220:13

Ishan Kishan: Really excited to be back again with Mumbai Indians

Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan were expected to be among the big draws at the IPL 2022 mega auction, and they were.Iyer became the first to cross the INR 10 crore barrier, a fervent bidding war between a number of teams ending with the middle-order batter and captaincy candidate going to Kolkata Knight Riders for INR 12.25 crore (USD 1.6 million). Later in the day, Mumbai Indians broke the bank for Kishan, making him the fourth-highest earner at any IPL auction at INR 15.25 crore (USD 2.03 million) after beating off competition from Punjab Kings, Gujarat Titans and Sunrisers Hyderabad. It was Mumbai’s first buy of the auction, and came well into the day’s proceedings.Related

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Roles plugged, holes to fill: How the 10 IPL franchises stack up

A few more Indian cricketers got in among the big leaguers when Deepak Chahar, who has been an integral part of Chennai Super Kings’ campaigns over the past few years, was bought by the same franchise after a scrap with many other teams, and Delhi Capitals fought off a determined Punjab Kings to get their hands on Shardul Thakur. Super Kings, in fact, entered the fray late for Chahar, after Capitals and Sunrisers had taken the price to INR 11 crore. Rajasthan Royals, too, got in the fight late, but eventually left the race, leaving Super Kings to take back their man for INR 14 crore (USD 1.86 million). That made Chahar the highest-paid Indian bowler at an IPL auction. Thakur went to Capitals for INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million). Avesh Khan also found a lot of takers, but eventually went to a visibly thrilled Lucknow Super Giants for INR 1 crore (USD 1.3 million).Earlier, in an unfortunate development, after 20 players had found their teams for the upcoming seasons to add to the players retained by the eight existing teams and acquired by the two new teams, the auction had to be paused when Hugh Edmeades, the auctioneer, collapsed on stage during a frenetic battle to buy Wanindu Hasaranga.A tweet from the IPL said Edmeades’ fall was caused by postural hypotension (a fall in blood pressure). He was quickly attended to by the medical team on site at the Bengaluru hotel where the auction is being held, and was understood to be fine. The auction resumed after a break of over an hour, at 3.45pm IST, with broadcaster Charu Sharma taking over proceedings for the remainder of the first day.When the auction action resumed, Hasaranga went to Royal Challengers Bangalore, his previous team, for INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million), the price at which the bidding had stopped.3:43

KKR CEO: Shreyas Iyer is a ‘long-term’ buy

Before the pause, some of the other pre-auction tips attracted big bids too. Among them were Jason Holder and Harshal Patel. Holder, starting at INR 1.5 crore, first attracted the attention of Mumbai and then Super Kings. Mumbai opted out first, and Royals joined in along with Super Giants, who finally got the allrounder at INR 8.75 crore (USD 1.16 million). That was the highest ever bid for a West Indian at IPL auctions. But the record didn’t last too long, with Sunrisers shelling out INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million) for Nicholas Pooran.Harshal, one of the stars of the last IPL, went back to the team he was part of, Royal Challengers, who fought off interest from Super Kings and Sunrisers to get the medium-pacer at INR 10.75 crore (USD 1.43 million).Punjab, who started the auction with the biggest purse of the ten teams, splurged straightaway as the marquee players went under the hammer. They bought Shikhar Dhawan and Kagiso Rabada for INR 8.25 crore (USD 1.1 million) and INR 9.25 crore (USD 1.23 million) respectively. Capitals were excited bidders early on, but dropped out of the race for Dhawan and Rabada, as well as Iyer and R Ashwin, all of whom had been part of their roster last season.In other early updates, Knight Riders kept the paddle up for Pat Cummins, buying back their pace spearhead for INR 7.25 crore (USD 966,000), while Ashwin was sold to Royals for INR 5 crore (USD 666,000), the team also holding firm to get hold of Trent Boult for INR 8 crore (USD 1 million).0:15

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Venky Mysore, the Knight Riders CEO, said the franchise had expected to “go higher” to get hold of Cummins, and while he called Iyer a part of the team’s “very long term in terms of our thinking”, the captaincy question was understandably left alone. “That’s a decision the coach and the think tank will take,” he said on the official broadcast during a break in proceedings. “I think we need to just digest the activity of today and tomorrow and take stock. Between Cummins and Shreyas, we have got solid options. But the think tank will take the decision.”Teams looking to bring back players they have had to let go was a theme early on. Mumbai went after Boult. Super Kings did the same with Faf du Plessis. Neither got their man. The former South Africa captain eventually went to Royal Challengers, their first acquisition of the day, for INR 7 crore (USD 933,000). Could he be their new captain, a position lying vacant after Virat Kohli stepped down in 2021?Kings bucked the trend and stayed away from the race for Mohammed Shami, who became Gujarat Titans’ first buy at an IPL auction, for INR 6.25 crore (USD 833,000). Mumbai entered the fray late for Quinton de Kock, but he was the first buy of the auction for Super Giants, who secured the South African keeper-batter for INR 6.75 crore (USD 900,000). Capitals did eventually open their account, right at the end of the round of marquee players, getting hold of former Sunrisers Hyderabad captain David Warner, who was a part of Delhi Daredevils once upon a time, for INR 6.25 crore (USD 833,000).Sunrisers, in fact, didn’t even enter the contest for Warner, who led the team to the title in 2016 but fell out of favour with the franchise more recently, first sacked as captain and then dropped altogether in 2021.From Kings’ point of view, they might have settled on their opening combination now, Dhawan joining Mayank Agarwal, who had been retained by the franchise. Similarly, de Kock going to Super Giants, who already had KL Rahul, should settle their top two. Capitals are also in the same boat with Warner added to a roster that already contained Prithvi Shaw.Devdutt Padikkal was another of the early millionaires, going to Royals for INR 7.75 crore (USD 1.03 million), but the list of unsold players got going in the second round of bidding, with veteran middle-order batters David Miller and Suresh Raina, Steven Smith and the allrounder Mohammad Nabi all failing to attract bidders. They, and other unsold players, can, of course, return to the auction if any of the teams express an interest in them.The acquisition of Padikkal gave Royals a strong top order, with the team also making Shimron Hetmyer a millionaire, spending INR 8.5 crore (USD 1.13 million) to add the West Indian to a retained set featuring Yashasvi Jaiswal, Jos Buttler and Sanju Samson.Jake Lush McCrum, the Royals CEO, said the franchise had “secured the targets we were looking for”. “To have a world-class spinner [Ashwin] was very important and to back it with a bowler who picks wickets up front [Boult] and a gun batter [Hetmyer], we are really happy with what we have done in the first few rounds.”3:58

Shahrukh Khan – ‘If you put the team first, the pressure reduces’

Sunrisers, who, along with Mumbai, hadn’t spent anything until the post-lunch session of the auction, finally got going when Washington Sundar’s name came up, and they left Titans, Capitals and Super Giants behind to snap the offspinning allrounder up for INR 8.75 crore (USD 1.16 million). And Krunal Pandya was the next big buy, missing out on joining his brother Hardik at Titans as Super Giants spent INR 8.25 crore (USD 1.1 million) on him.Though Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Dinesh Karthik and Ambati Rayudu, among others, went for relatively modest amounts, a couple of other players did rake in the moolah: Prasidh Krishna went to Royals for INR 10 crore (USD 1.3 million), Nitish Rana was bought back by Knight Riders for INR 8 crore (USD 1.06 million), and Josh Hazlewood was bought by Royal Challengers for INR 7.75 crore (USD 1.03 million).Abhinav Manohar, the hard-hitting 27-year-old batter from Karnataka invited a bit of a bidding war once the auction moved to uncapped batters, with Knight Riders and Capitals entering the fray to get hold of him before Titans bought him for INR 2.6 crore (USD 345,063). But the hot pick in that category was, as expected, South African batter Dewald Brevis, who enjoyed an impressive Under-19 World Cup recently. He was sold to Mumbai for INR 3 crore (USD 400,000).Meanwhile, Rahul Tripathi, a Knight Riders player until last season, became the fourth-highest uncapped earner ever in the IPL when Sunrisers bought him for INR 8.5 crore (USD 1.13 million), which placed him only behind K Gowtham (INR 9.25 crore to Super Kings in 2021), Krunal Pandya (INR 8.8 crore to Mumbai in 2018) and Pawan Negi (INR 8.5 crore to Capitals – then Daredevils – in 2016).Shahrukh Khan pushed Tripathi down to fifth place soon enough, though, as a hectic bidding battle, between Super Kings and Kings for the most part, ended with him going to Kings at INR 9 crore (USD 1.2 million). Rahul Tewatia didn’t do badly either, as Titans spent INR 9 crore (USD 1.2 million) for him.