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Chelsea have had a summer to remember when it comes to signing players and it looks like fans could be treated to yet more spending, following a key update from journalist Simon Johnson.

Do Chelsea need more signings?

The Blues have made a disappointing start to life under Mauricio Pochettino, with their Premier League campaign flattering to deceive in the opening two matches.

While the 1-1 draw at home to Liverpool on the opening weekend was an adequate result, Sunday's 3-1 defeat away to West Ham was a shock to the system. Chelsea may have dominated chunks of proceedings, but they didn't create enough opportunities and their finishing wasn't good enough when chances did arrive.

The west Londoners may have spent big this summer, most notably signing the likes of Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Nicolas Jackson, but they still look short of elite quality currently, especially in attacking areas.

There is now less than two weeks of the summer transfer window remaining and failure to bring in one more wide option in the final third could ultimately prove costly.

Will Chelsea sign another attacker?

According to The Athletic's Johnson, Chelsea are still eyeing up another attacking signing this summer, although a new No.9 is out of the question, despite Christopher Nkunku's long-term injury after arriving from Borussia Dortmund:

"With the transfer window closing on September 1, there is still time for the chequebook to be used again. Chelsea have been looking at signing another attacking player anyway, but not a tried and tested No 9 as such.

"A move for Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise broke down last week, while Nottingham Forest’s Brennan Johnson was put on the wish list last month."

While rival fans may balk at Chelsea's need to bring in another attacker, given the money they have already spent since the end of last season, there is no question that they look short of reliable options in that area of the pitch.

Raheem Sterling was superb in a losing cause against West Ham, arguably producing his best performance yet in a Blues shirt, but he has been a disappointing signing so far, and his very best days could possibly be behind him.

Meanwhile, Mykhailo Mudryk continues to experience a torrid time of things, failing to score in 19 Chelsea appearances and missing a glorious opportunity late in the day at West Ham, while Noni Madueke also hasn't had the desired impact.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

A move for Michael Olise has fallen through after he signed a new deal with Crystal Palace, so signing him is out of the question, but someone of a similar ilk could be ideal, in terms of a young wide talent who can combine pace, trickery and a steady flow of end product.

It looks as though Rennes winger Jeremy Doku is a possible option to come in and ease the Blues' woes, and the Belgium international could be a brilliant addition, having scored 12 goals and chipped in with a further ten assists for the Ligue 1 side to date.

The 33-year old will leave his former team Melbourne Renegades, with whom he spent three seasons

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Nov-2017Callum Ferguson has signed up with Sydney Thunder for the next three seasons of the Big Bash League, ending his three-year term with the Melbourne Renegades.Ferguson, who celebrated his 33rd birthday on Tuesday, has played 76 T20s, scoring 1373 runs at an average of 22.50. He made his debut for Australia in 2009 but injury and poor form have kept him from being a regular in international cricket. Ferguson is a veteran of the domestic scene, though, and he has been in form this season. He assisted South Australia to the final of the JLT One-Day Cup, scoring 73 and 169 in the process, and, earlier this month, he struck 182 not out against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.Ferguson, who has also played for Adelaide Strikers as well in the BBL, joins a Thunder squad full of familiar faces. “I’ve played with Shane Watson, Ben Rohrer and Aiden Blizzard,” he said. “There’s a few guys who I’ve had a really good time playing with or against in the past and I’ve had really good dealings with all of them.”There’s a lot of things that attracted me to Sydney Thunder. It’s a great city and I’m looking forward to the experience of being a senior player in a young and talented group.”Michael Hussey, the franchise’s director of cricket, said that Ferguson had been on their radar for some time now and was “excited” to have the batsman on board. “He’s been one of our main targets throughout the off season,” Hussey said, “and we know that there was a lot of competition for his signature.”The Big Bash League kicks off with the Thunder playing the Sydney Sixers on December 19.Sydney Thunder Squad: Shane Watson (capt), Fawad Ahmed, Aiden Blizzard, Pat Cummins, Callum Ferguson, Ryan Gibson, Chris Green, Jay Lenton, Usman Khawaja, Mitchell McClenaghan, Arjun Nair, Clint McKay, Kurtis Patterson, Ben Rohrer, Gurinder Sandhu.

The largely simplified and smoothly codified new MoU is the first of its kind to include both men’s and women’s cricket

Daniel Brettig07-Sep-2017Australian cricket’s pay war has formally ended with the completion of the full MoU between Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricketers Association for the next five years.Negotiation and drafting of the full agreement took around two months, after a heads of agreement between the two warring parties was announced by the chief executives James Sutherland and Alistair Nicholson at the MCG on August 3. It is the first of its kind to include both women and men.After 20 years of collective bargaining agreements adapted and expanded from the original revenue sharing deal struck in 1998, ESPNcricinfo has learned that the new MoU has been largely simplified and more smoothly codified when compared to the labyrinthine deal reached in 2012.Its fundamentals include payment of 27.5% of agreed Australian Cricket Revenue to all players according to CA’s projections over the next five years, with players receiving 19% of revenue created above projections and grassroots levels of the game handed 8.5%. Should revenue exceed A$1.96 billion over the next five years, the players will receive 27.5% of that extra revenue. The use of the extra grassroots funding is to be decided upon by a joint committee featuring two representatives each from CA and the ACA.The ACA, meanwhile, will continue to be funded by CA, though the money will no longer be termed a “grant” to the players association but instead a payment for the players’ intellectual property as used by the board for broadcasting, promotion and sponsorship of the game. The commercial wing of the ACA announced during the dispute, the Cricketers Brand, will continue its operations.Pressure from commercial partners, and also the intervention of the federal government’s minister for sport, Greg Hunt, played a significant role in bringing the dispute to an end. Another factor was the looming possibility of CA not being able to send a touring team to Bangladesh for the ongoing Test series, after the players voted unanimously not to tour unless an agreement was reached. An Australia A tour of South Africa had already been cancelled for the same reason.CA had entered the dispute seeking to end the players’ claims to a fixed percentage of the game’s revenue, a principle at the core of all agreements that had been reached since 1998. The board argued that the model prevented it from investing more freely in numerous elements of the game, particularly funds for grassroots junior and club competitions.Also on Thursday, CA released its strategy document for the next five years, aiming among other things to make the WBBL the “undisputed leader of women’s sporting leagues in the world” by 2022. Also strongly prevalent throughout the strategy is the need for CA to provide the game’s fans with more of what they want, namely an increased amount of Twenty20, an aim that dovetails with Australia’s hosting of the women’s and men’s World T20 tournaments in 2020.On a team performance level, the strategy document speaks of a greater focus on the shortest format of the game by developing “the leading talent pathway with a paradigm shift in alignment to the T20 format” and also ensuring that cricket can “transform into the best high-performance model in Australian sport, with ground-breaking use of technology”. All state associations have set the goal of significantly upgrading their own training facilities over the next five years.The strategy also sets lofty goals for generating more money for the game, an aim thrown into sharp focus by looming negotiations for television rights deals both domestically – for international cricket and also the BBL and WBBL – and internationally, particularly the selling of rights to Australian cricket into the lucrative Indian market.”Significantly grow media, digital and commercial revenue and develop more socially responsible partnerships,” the document states. “Increase revenue from international markets through innovative content, new partnerships and by reaching more of the global cricket family. Unlock the rapidly growing commercial markets for women’s cricket.””Storytelling” was another element to be touched upon in the document, which stated: “Cricket has a modern, positive and progressive voice in Australian sport and around the world. Storytelling makes cricket the highest profile and preferred sport for children, parents and grassroots communities. Our stories are relevant for women and girls, reflecting a gender-neutral sport. Cricket has the most inclusive and compelling stories, making our elite players the most recognised and respected Australian athletes. Australian Cricket has a clear identity that connects and inspires employees, who are empowered and harnessed as sport’s best storytellers.”Sutherland declined to speak about the strategy, but last month indicated that this was likely to be his last MoU negotiation, having been chief executive since 2001. “We’re very pleased to be putting this one behind us and we’re looking forward to five years of stability,” he told , “That [the next one] might be someone else’s problem I think.”

The India opener was hopeful playing in the Tamil Nadu Premier League T20s could get him in the right frame of mind after a five-month layoff from international cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Aug-2017

India opener M Vijay was looking forward to ending a five-month period without any top-level cricket and though his first match back – in the Tamil Nadu Premier League – ended up a washout, he said the T20 tournament was an ideal way to regain match-fitness.”This is an excellent opportunity to start my second innings,” Vijay told reporters on Thursday after Lyca Kovai Kings and Madurai Super Giant had to share points. “It is an absolute pleasure to be back here. I’ve been waiting for this, and hopefully I can start it from here and build it there on.”I don’t feel a 100 percent, to be honest. But mentally, yes, I’m up there. And, format doesn’t matter to me. It’s just been injuries, which are not under my control. I just want to get myself fit and play cricket.”A wrist injury in March, during the Border-Gavaskar series, had forced Vijay out of the IPL. He underwent surgery in the UK and was expected to return to international cricket during the Tests against Sri Lanka, but recurrence of pain in his wrist forced him out of the squad again.Vijay also experienced problems with his left shoulder during the final Test against England in December. After five months out of international cricket, he was conscious of the need to manage himself better, especially because he intends to be more than a Test specialist. “As you’ve seen, my career has become one-dimensional at the moment. So, I obviously want to enhance it. Batting is never a problem for me. It’s just about mindset and injuries, which I want to manage properly now on. Any cricket is fantastic for me, because I enjoy playing.”

Everton have had a long-standing interest in Arnaut Danjuma and now a reliable source has revealed a fresh update on the club's pursuit of the player this summer.

Is Arnaut Danjuma joining Everton?

According to Italian journalist and transfer insider Fabrizio Romano, Everton are "closing in" on a deal for the Villarreal winger.

Romano took to Twitter on Thursday to reveal:

"Everton are closing in on Danjuma deal — understand bid has been accepted, here we go soon.

"Understand it’s gonna be loan move. Player believes Everton is best for his career. After January hijack the communication stayed open and now Everton have their player."

How good is Arnaut Danjuma?

Despite the controversy surrounding Danjuma's move to Tottenham Hospur in January, there is no doubt that his potential arrival at Goodison Park in the coming days wouldn't be a major coup for the Merseyside club.

Sean Dyche is in dire need of quality attacking reinforcements after another uninspiring and troubling Premier League season for the Toffees, with exits from Richarlison and Anthony Gordon considerably weakening the talent needed in the final third.

Not only that, Demarai Gray has now been attracting interest with Crystal Palace strengthening their pursuit of the winger over the past few days, according to reports from the Daily Mail, which would only contribute to Everton's concerns should the player depart.

As a result, the signing of Danjuma is exactly what Dyche needs to address his frustrating and uninspiring attacking threat, as well as facilitating a move for Gray which would ultimately boost the transfer funds available for the manager over the remainder of the transfer window.

The £45k-per-week wide man is no stranger to the Premier League of course, spending six months on loan in north London with Spurs, however, a lack of game-time made it difficult for Danjuma to hit the ground running.

During his stint at the London club, the Lagos-born ace only made nine appearances in the top flight, averaging just 19 minutes per performance, but did manage to score a league goal and also find the back of the net once in the FA Cup too.

The last six months with Spurs are not a true reflection of Danjuma's keen eye for goal, however, as the 5 foot 8 winger has proven that with consistent minutes he can be a force in the final third – scoring 22 goals and registering four assists over 51 appearances for the Spanish club, with a goal contribution every 122 minutes, an output that would be extremely valuable to Dyche.

Former Sunderland goal-scorer Kevin Phillips heaped praise on the versatile forward when speaking to Football Insider last year, highlighting qualities that could well make him a wonderful acquisition for Everton.

"On his day he is a nightmare for defenders. He can create and score goals. He can hurt any defence with his pace and directness.

"He’s shown that countless times. Players like him are a rarity in this day and age."

With that being said, Danjuma is an exciting prospect for Everton and with regular game-time at Goodison Park he could quickly become a fan favourite, while outperforming Gray in the process.

Liverpool are having "concrete" talks to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according to a key update from reliable journalist Florian Plettenberg.

How much does Romeo Lavia earn?

The 19-year-old is arguably one of the most talked-about young player in the country at the moment, having caught the eye with his performances for Saints last season, despite their relegation from the Premier League to the Championship, finishing bottom of the table in the process.

Lavia, who currently earns £38,000 per week at St Mary's Stadium, was a commanding presence in front of the defence, starting 26 league games and averaging 2.1 tackles per match, outperforming almost everyone around him, despite his tender years.

It seems clear that the Belgian will not be a Southampton player once the 2023/24 season gets underway, however, with a move to one of the biggest clubs in the Premier League clubs seemingly on the cards. Liverpool have emerged as one of the front-runners to snap up the teenager, but they are far from alone in expressing an interest, with rivals such as Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle all thought to be in the mix.

The Reds are perhaps still in need of signing one more midfielder this summer, despite Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai already arriving at Anfield, and it does look as though Lavia is now their primary target to add to the squad.

What's the latest on Romeo Lavia to Liverpool?

Reports over the weekend suggested talks had started between the Reds and Southampton, and now taking to Twitter, Sky Germany's Plettenberg has revealed the manager's personal desire to sign the player, confirming there are "ongoing" negotiations:

"Talks between Liverpool & Lavia are concrete and ongoing. Understand there is no agreement in terms of salary conditions yet.

"As reported: His price tag is around £50m. Klopp wants him! Very press resistant player – even in high pressure situations, he loses the ball only once out of 10 times."

This is a hugely encouraging update regarding Liverpool's pursuit of Lavia, with the player himself seemingly keen on the idea of moving to Merseyside, despite them missing out on Champions League qualification last season. The lure of working with Jurgen Klopp is certainly a massive positive for the Reds, given the German's reputation as one of the outstanding managers of his generation, and he seems keen on signing the Saints ace.

The one-time capped Belgium international is someone who could be viewed as Fabinho's long-term successor in the No.6 role, with the Brazilian turning 30 later this year and arguably being past his very best, so he could arrive at Anfield as a squad player, before eventually becoming one of the first names on the team sheet.

Pep Guardiola has called Lavia "incredible" in the recent past, with the midfielder leaving Manchester City last summer in order to enjoy regular football elsewhere, and he could give Liverpool's long-term midfield a perfect balance, sitting behind the likes of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, and combining a potent mix of tackling excellent and quality on the ball in defensive midfield to perfection, especially as he matures as a player.

Tottenham Hotspur seem to be closing in on yet another fine addition to bolster Ange Postecoglou's team…

What's the latest on Micky van de Ven to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to The Mirror's John Cross, who took to his Twitter to detail an update on their pursuit of Micky van de Ven.

The Dutch defender has been linked with a north London switch for a few weeks now, but only yesterday was a breakthrough seemingly reached.

Writing on Twitter, the journalist detailed the specifics: "Tottenham are set to sign Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven in a £30m deal."

How good is Micky van de Ven?

Although a relative unknown the 22-year-old has been a stalwart for Wolfsburg recently. In tempting this star from such a club, perhaps they will also mimic Manchester City's success when they acquired Kevin De Bruyne from the German outfit.

Having just won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League within one season, Pep Guardiola has once again written himself into the history books as a record-breaking manager who has completed a feat only done in England once before.

At the heart of that success was the Belgian creator, who has been an integral cog of the vast success earned at the Etihad in recent years.

Across all competitions last term he posted ten goals and a further 31 assists, adding even more silverware to his already sprawling cabinet. The 32-year-old has now won five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, five EFL Cups and that coveted European trophy too since moving.

It might seem unfathomable for anyone to match such success, but Postecoglou will surely have grand ambitions of forging a dynasty of his own in north London.

Van de Ven could mark the platform with which this success could be attained, as a defensive pillar with all the key attributes to hold down the Australian's back line for the next decade.

Last year in the Bundesliga, he would maintain a 6.85 average rating, upheld through his 88% pass accuracy, 70% dribble success rate, 1.4 tackles and 3.1 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

For comparison, the latter figure would have seen him rank as the third-best in that field within Spurs' squad, with his pass completion again making him joint third-best of those who have played more than five games.

However, it is not merely his technical assets that would allow him to shine. His physical attributes make him something of an anomaly, as despite standing at 6 foot 4 he also boasts frightening speed.

Marcel Schäfer, Wolfsburg’s managing director for sport, sought to detail this: "Left foot, extreme speed, plays every second. Micky [has performed] consistently very well throughout the season. He’s a player with huge potential and this season in particular has shown incredible development, playing himself into the spotlight with his performances."

The future is bright for this young defender, and perhaps a move to England under a coach that would help skyrocket his career would only bolster the fine foundations of this future star.

If he is to have half the success De Bruyne has earned in Manchester since moving from Wolfsburg, he would still be considered a wild success in north London.

Spider-Man actor and Tottenham Hotspur supporter Tom Holland has urged both Harry Kane and Son Heung-min to join Real Madrid this summer.

What’s the latest Harry Kane and Tottenham transfer news?

The England captain is entering the final 12 months of his contract this summer, so there has been plenty of talk about his future.

For instance, the likes of Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid have all been linked with his name in the press of late.

However, it remains to be seen if he will push for an exit and whether chairman Daniel Levy would even be open to selling the club’s prized assets.

Well, it appears that even Spurs’ own supporters would happily see their key men leave this summer if it meant they finally had the opportunity to go and win something.

Indeed, while speaking recently to the press (via @thfc_co on Twitter), Hollywood star Holland urged Kane and Son to both move to La Liga in order to fulfil their potential.

What did Tom Holland say about Spurs?

“Tottenham have never won anything, and supporting them is incredibly difficult,” he began.

He went on to explain what he’d tell Kane if he had the chance to speak to him, saying: “I’d say go to [Real] Madrid. Go and be the best football player in the world, that you deserve to be.”

On his favourite player Son, Holland added: “I’d say go with him, go together, go win the Champions League together, please.”

Evidently, the Spider-Man actor has had enough of his team’s persistent failures over the last number of years, and seeing as they haven’t won a major trophy since 2008, it’s not hard to see why.

This, of course, means both Kane and Son haven’t won anything for Tottenham. To make things worse, neither man has even won any domestic silverware during the course of their club careers.

Despite Holland’s warning, however, it at least seems that the South Korean will be sticking around in north London for the foreseeable future.

When quizzed about his future, he recently told the press: “I have many things to do in the Premier League and the pride of playing football, to play in my favourite league is important.

“I want to play more for Tottenham in the Premier League. I’ll prepare well when I’m back to Spurs.”

“Money doesn’t matter to me now.”

For a split-second, Umesh Yadav’s heart was in his mouth. He’d had the key wicket of England’s innings clasped in his hands but appeared to have tossed it away in a celebratory gesture reminiscent of Herschelle Gibbs’ infamous “dropping of the World Cup” at Headingley in 1999.This time, however, there was no reprieve for the opposition’s centurion. Whereas at Headingley 17 years ago, Steve Waugh went on to make a matchwinning 120 not out, in Rajkot Joe Root was sent on his way for 124, as Yadav ended a vital 179-run stand for England’s fourth wicket.The moment happened at blink-and-you-miss-it speed. Root, on the front foot, drove hard back towards Yadav’s knees, and in a single upwards motion, the bowler first wrapped his fingers round the ball then flung it skywards, but with less control than he might have desired.In a moment of panic, Yadav parried it over his head, peered back over his shoulder to locate the ball, then watched it flop to the turf near umpire Kumar Dharmasena. Root, understandably, stood his ground, but the batsman’s fate was effectively sealed from the moment that Dharmasena gave a soft signal to the third umpire, Rod Tucker, that he believed that Yadav had been in control of the ball for long enough, and therefore the catch was fair.The relevant part of the Law (19.4) states:”The act of making the catch, or of fielding the ball, shall start from the time when the ball first comes into contact with some part of a fielder’s person and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control both over the ball and over his own movement.””I think the on-field umpire’s soft signal was the key,” Fraser Stewart, of the MCC, told ESPNcricinfo. “If he’d given a not-out soft signal, there was probably enough doubt to keep it as not out. However, as the soft signal was out, the on-field umpires must have been happy with it as their gut reaction and, had it been in a game with no reviews or referrals, they would have given it out.”Did he have complete control over the ball? In slow-motion you would probably say ‘yes’, but in real time it’s less clear. It could easily be argued either way.”The soft signal was introduced in response to concerns that TV replays, for all the benefits that they offer, don’t always show the full picture as experienced live out in the middle. Low catches, in particular, have often fallen victim to the phenomenon of “foreshortening”, as 3D events are replayed on 2D screens. In November 2014, the ICC introduced the concept of broadcasting the discussions between on-field and third umpires, to further demystify the process for viewers.”Decision-making is an important skill and one that should be applied at the highest level of the game,” umpire Simon Taufel told the Times of India recently. “So, the soft signal maintains the premise that the decision-making happens on field and not just left to technology to provide an outcome.”Root himself was phlegmatic about the incident. “I was so disgusted with the shot that – giving it the Arsene Wenger approach – I didn’t really see what was happening.”But having seen the slow-motion replay, it does look out. When it’s sped up it looks a bit strange, but I was very lucky to get an umpire’s call with an lbw earlier on and you have to take the rough with the smooth sometimes and just get on with it.”Additional reporting by George Dobell

Australia’s pace depth will be tested during their ODI tour of South Africa, with none of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Nathan Coulter-Nile, James Faulkner, James Pattinson or Pat Cummins present

Brydon Coverdale22-Sep-2016Mitchell Starc was to be rested, and is now injured. Josh Hazlewood is being rested. James Faulkner is injured. Nathan Coulter-Nile is injured. Pat Cummins and James Pattinson are recovering from long-term injuries. John Hastings and Scott Boland are, remarkably, the senior frontline fast bowlers, such is the dearth of experience in Australia’s one-day attack in South Africa.The squad has arrived for their tour of five ODIs against South Africa and one against Ireland, but the locals could be forgiven for wondering if this was an Australia A tour. The presence of Steven Smith, David Warner, George Bailey and Aaron Finch at least provides Australia with an experienced batting order, but when it comes their turn in the field, Smith’s men could hardly be greener.Hastings, with 33 ODI wickets, and Scott Boland, with nine, are the only specialist fast men in this squad who have so much as a one-day cap, although allrounder Mitchell Marsh will also feature in the attack. The rest of the pace group is made up of Victoria’s Chris Tremain and the South Australia pair of Daniel Worrall and Joe Mennie, all of whom will debut over the next few weeks.But Australia’s selectors and team management are already looking ahead to the first Test of their home summer in Perth, also against South Africa, which is just six weeks away, and keeping Hazlewood and Starc fresh was a priority – until Starc gashed his leg at training. Coach Darren Lehmann said the absences provided wonderful opportunities for new men to shine.”We do turnover a bit in our one-day set-up because you’ve got to give the Test players a break somewhere,” Lehmann told reporters in Johannesburg upon the squad’s arrival. “So we get our one-day players to chop and change a little bit. They handle it very well.”The great thing is it gives them a chance at this next level, so we’ve had someone like Travis Head come in and do really well for us, and the bowlers chop and change a bit. Steve knows he’s got a lot of depth of bowlers in this format.”We’ve done that since the World Cup final, you can really chop and change, and making sure we’re giving everyone enough game time looking ahead to major tournaments – we’ve got the Champions Trophy next year and then looking ahead to 2019 [World Cup]. We’re always looking ahead. The players adapt really well when we do that.”There’s obviously good reasons we don’t bring Starc and Hazlewood here. We’re playing you in a Test series and we want to give them a break. It’s a great challenge for our young guys … They’re good young players and they’ll go well.”Remarkably, Hastings is the only specialist bowler in Australia’s attack who had so much as made his ODI debut when this year began. Boland first appeared against India in January and legspinner Adam Zampa debuted in New Zealand in February. At least one of Worrall, Mennie and Tremain – and potentially all three – will debut in the opening ODI against Ireland in Benoni next Tuesday.”We’ve got some good young fast bowlers,” Lehmann said. “We’ll only know that at the end of a series against a quality side. We’re hoping they step up and I’m sure they will. They’ve got some pace, they swing the ball and we’ve got some variations.”We’ve also got some good quality there with Hastings who has played really well for us, Boland did well last series [in Sri Lanka] and then you’ve got the three debutants who will play at some stage during the tournament.”