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Saini, Swepson also sign contracts as County Championship returns

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-2023

Dan Moriarty has found opportunities at Surrey limited this season•Getty Images

Dan Moriarty has joined Yorkshire on loan for four County Championship games, after struggling for opportunities at Surrey.Moriarty, 24, is one of the most promising young spinners in English cricket but has found himself playing second-team cricket this summer. Surrey have relied heavily on their seamers in the Championship and have picked allrounder Will Jacks and Cameron Steel ahead of their specialists.Yorkshire have brought Moriarty in for their next four Championship fixtures, including Sunday’s home game against Gloucestershire, and their managing director Darren Gough said he was “a brilliant addition”.Gough added: “With Yorkshire’s focus shortly turning to Championship cricket again, alongside the busy Blast schedule, it was important to add another addition to our bowling resources.”Related

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It remains to be seen if he will play straightaway, though Yorkshire’s main spinner, Dom Bess, has struggled this season, taking 12 wickets at 51.33 in five appearances.Moriarty has only played two Championship games in the last 18 months, but Alec Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, said he could still play a role in the title run-in later this season.”This is a really good opportunity for Dan to play a number of first-class games over the next month or so,” Stewart said. “Hopefully he’ll put in some really good performances which will prepare him well should he get selected in the Championship run-in during September.”Elsewhere, Glamorgan have brought in Mitchell Swepson, the Australian legspinner, as overseas cover for his Queensland team-mate Michael Neser, who is with Australia’s Ashes squad. He is set to make his debut against Sussex on Sunday.Worcestershire also announced an overseas signing on Friday morning, but their four-match arrangement with Navdeep Saini will be limited by his inclusion in India’s Test squad to play West Indies next month. He is expected to play against Derbyshire on Sunday before leaving for the Caribbean.

Arsenal are now keen on signing a record-breaking wonderkid, who has been left impressed by Mikel Arteta’s project, but there could be competition for his services from Real Madrid and Barcelona, according to a report.

Gunners looking to strengthen in multiple areas

The Gunners have set their sights on targets in a number of key areas ahead of the summer transfer window, but it appears as though signing a new striker could be the first port of call for Arteta, given the widespread links to some top forwards.

Alexander Isak’s stock is likely to have risen once again after scoring for Newcastle United in the EFL Cup final yesterday, helping the Magpies end their 70-year trophy drought with a 2-1 victory over Liverpool, and Arteta remains keen on the Sweden international.

In the same report it is detailed that Liverpool’s Darwin Nunez is also now emerging as a surprise option, while targets in other positions include Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia and Real Sociedad central midfielder Martin Zubimendi.

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Arteta is already relatively well-stocked at left-back, with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Oleksandr Zinchenko to choose from, but it appears as though the manager could be keen on bringing in a long-term replacement for the latter player.

That is according to a report from Football Transfers, which states Arsenal are now seriously considering a move for Dinamo Tbilisi left-back Saba Kharebashvili, having already made an enquiry about the possibility of a deal.

Arteta is eventually planning to move Lewis-Skelly back into midfield, meaning Kharebashvili could slot in at left-back, although it is unlikely to be any time soon, given that he is just 16 years old and unable to move to the Emirates Stadium until 2027.

A transfer could still be agreed in the summer, however, the Gunners may face fierce competition for the youngster’s signature, given that Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have also been linked with a move, alongside Liverpool.

"Phenomenon" Kharebashvili is one for the future

The teenager is unable to complete a move to north London in the near future, but there are indications he could be a fantastic long-term addition to the squad, given that he has already started to break records.

The report states the Dinamo Tbilisi starlet became the youngest player to feature in a UEFA club competition last season, doing so at just 15-years-old, while he has also received high praise from football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who described him as a “phenomenon.”

Having also been described as a “leader” of the Georgia U17 team, which he captains, there are plenty of indications the starlet could have the requisite qualities to be a success in the Premier League.

As such, Arsenal will be hoping they can beat Barcelona and Real Madrid to the Georgian’s signature, and the fact he is impressed by Arteta’s project could potentially give them the edge in negotiations.

“The constitution has to be robust,” Ramiz says about the constant tweaking of the guidelines

Umar Farooq27-Dec-2022Ramiz Raja has called the Pakistan government’s move to remove him as PCB chair after just one year into a three-year term “political interference”.”Politics should not be mixed up in cricket,” Ramiz said on his YouTube channel. “This is a game of cricketers and a playing field for them. Some people come from outside the circle, and to adjust one person [Sethi], they had to change the entire constitution. I have not seen this anywhere in the world.”There is etiquette to do things and it has been done in the middle of the season when teams are visiting Pakistan. Then you have changed the chief selector [Mohammad Wasim] regardless of him doing good or bad. He has played Test cricket for Pakistan, and you should make them leave with respect.Related

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“And then he [Sethi] tweets late in the night at 2.15am that Ramiz is gone. It hurts because I have played for Pakistan. It has been made out as if a messiah [Sethi] has come, who will take the game to new heights. We know what are the motives behind it. They love the entitlement and want the limelight otherwise they have nothing to do with cricket, and they have never lifted a bat. They have changed the set-up in the middle of the season, they are bringing back Micky Arthur. Saqlain Mushtaq’s tenure was ending anyway in January. Saqlain has played over 50 [49] Tests, he is a legend. This is no way to treat cricketers.”Ramiz and other PCB board members were replaced by a 14-member management committee, led by former board head Najam Sethi, by Shahbaz Sharif, who recently replaced Imran Khan as Pakistan’s prime minister. The committee has 120 days to change the PCB’s constitution, bringing back the 2014 version, which was replaced in 2019.The PCB constitution – whether of 2014 or 2019 – gives the patron the right to name two direct nominees in the PCB Board of which one is elected as the chair. With the change of government usually comes a change of chairmanship and board administration, almost immediately. But as the new government – with a coalition of several political parties – worked its way through more pressing matters in the country, Ramiz stayed under the radar and continued in the position. But his exit was inevitable sooner or later.Ramiz: ‘I would say it’s political interference’
“It’s frustrating when you are told to step aside after 12 months when you were given a term of three years,” Ramiz said. “I would say it’s political interference because you want to recruit someone politically. It will not help cricket and it won’t help with the [lack of] continuity. It leads to pressure on the cricket board, the system, the national team and the captain. The constitution has to be robust. It happens only in Pakistan. I will continue to raise the subject on international platforms. It has become a joke.”Najam Sethi at his first meeting after returning to the PCB•PCBUnder Sethi, in under a week, the PCB has terminated the contract of chief selector Wasim and disbanded all committees formed under the now-defunct 2019 constitution. This was the first decision the new board took after formally taking charge last Thursday, while also naming Shahid Afridi as interim chief selector for the ongoing New Zealand series. The committee is also expected to bring in foreign coaches in both men’s and women’s teams.The Test squad picked for the New Zealand series was also reviewed; three players were later added to the original Test squad, while Sarfaraz Ahmed was elevated from the bench to replace Mohammad Rizwan in the playing XI.The Pakistan government has already revoked the 2019 constitution the PCB was operating under and has given Sethi’s committee full executive powers to revive the constitution of 2014. Apart from the changes in the board and its structure, that constitution will also bring department sides back into domestic cricket – they had been removed in 2019 after Imran became the prime minister [the PM automatically becomes the PCB’s patron].After his exit from the PCB, Ramiz could go back to broadcasting, and Sethi confirmed that the PCB woouldn’t have any issues with that.”I have great respect for him [Ramiz] and let me make it clear that he will not be barred from commentary,” Sethi said. “I am aware how much pressure he was under from the top [Imran] about me and that’s not his fault. Ramiz is a free man and if he is selected for commentary, he will not be stopped at any stage.”

Action shifts to Mount Maunganui with the series now a two-match contest

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Nov-2022India’s white-ball tour of New Zealand began with the first T20I in Wellington being washed out without a toss.Both sides were consigned indoors due to continuous rain. Barring a very short dry spell, it was wet throughout.That was disappointing news for the fans in attendance at the Sky Stadium, which was set to host its first men’s T20I match in 20 months.Even while it was drizzling, on-field umpires Chris Brown and Wayne Knights seemed to be inspecting the outfield to gauge the earliest time a match could start once the rain stopped.However, that never happened, with the game called off at 8.52pm local time, roughly 54 minutes before the cut-off time for a five-over shootout.The T20I series now moves to Mount Maunganui for the second match on Sunday, after which the teams will move to Napier for the third T20I on Tuesday.A young India squad is being led by Hardik Pandya for the T20I series with many senior players rested. New Zealand are competing without Martin Guptill and Trent Boult with both sides looking to move on from their respective semi-final defeats at the T20 World Cup in Australia.

Liverpool have been here before. Winter has passed, and the biggest prizes lie tantalisingly ahead.

Having overcome Tottenham Hotspur over two legs, Liverpool have reached the Carabao Cup final, which will be played against Newcastle United next month.

Arne Slot’s side also won the Champions League group phase and bypassed the pesky added knockout round, straight into the last 16.

But it’s the Premier League that Anfield covets most. In its modern version, Liverpool have only lifted the trophy once, in 2020, and the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, two of the greatest players of their generation, are desperate to consolidate their quality with a second triumph.

You feel that were either of these veterans, both out of contract this summer, absent this season, Liverpool would be swimming deeper. Up front especially, Liverpool’s frontline needs to be doing more as a collective, with Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz’s performances raising speculation about their future at the club.

The future of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez

Liverpool have one of the most dangerous strike forces in Europe, but that’s not to say that every player is performing at the top of their game.

Mohamed Salah

35 (33)

27

19

Cody Gakpo

36 (25)

16

5

Luis Diaz

34 (25)

12

3

Diogo Jota

22 (12)

8

2

Darwin Nunez

33 (16)

6

4

Federico Chiesa

10 (3)

1

2

Salah has absurdly clinched 27 goals and 19 assists from 35 matches in all competitions, driving Liverpool to titles and, perhaps, himself to Ballon d’Or gold.

On the left, Cody Gakpo is also riding the crest of a prolific wave, but Diaz and Nunez are beginning to frustrate, with their combined goal involvements in 2024/25 – 25 – a steep distance below Salah’s haul of 46 contributions.

It may be that FSG decides to cash in this summer, especially since Fabrizio Romano confirmed that Nunez was close to joining Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr in January before they signed Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran.

Meanwhile, TEAMtalk revealed that while the Reds are keen to tie their Colombian left winger down to a new contract, there was intrigue from the Saudi Pro League in the summer, and Liverpool would entertain bids worth £67m.

Theoretically, Liverpool could bank more than £120m for their South American forwards this summer, something that could be redirected toward, say, transfer target Alexander Isak.

Both Diaz, 28, and the 25-year-old Nunez are talented players and contribute effectively to Slot’s project, but given that their goalscoring records leave plenty to be desired, it wouldn’t be right to say they’re indispensable.

Especially when former Liverpool sensation Luis Suarez managed to outscore the pair of them in 2024.

Liverpool must rue losing Luis Suarez

When Suarez was 24, he left Ajax and joined Liverpool in a deal worth £23m. It was an exciting transfer, though dwarfed by the signing of Andy Carroll, who arrived concurrently in January 2011.

Registering 123 goal contributions from 132 matches for the Merseysiders, it’s fair to say that Suarez is one of the greatest forwards in Liverpool’s modern history, almost singlehandedly winning the club their first Premier League title in 2013/14.

Who could forget that season? There are similarities between Salah’s unrelenting drive under Slot’s wing and Liverpool’s former all-powerful talisman, who plundered 31 goals and 13 assists from 33 top-flight matches that year but still came up short.

Unfortunately, Anfield was in a very different state back then, with Brendan Rodgers’ outfit lacking the same degree of evenly spread and high-class talent.

He’s been hailed as a “legend” of the game by talent scout Jacek Kulig, having forced his way out of Liverpool after that agonising title miss, signing for Barcelona in a deal worth £75m – a package that fell short of only Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale’s transfers to Real Madrid at the time.

Of course, the experienced marksman will have no regrets, not least because he went on to win the Champions League and five La Liga titles (one with Atletico Madrid) before leaving Europe and journeying across the pond. The greatest testament to Suarez’s skill set is that he wasn’t minnowed next to Lionel Messi, scoring 195 goals and providing 113 assists over 283 appearances.

Suarez now plies his trade in the MLS with Inter Miami, alongside former Barcelona teammates Messi, Sergio Busquets, and Jordi Alba, with the US campaigns typically starting in February and running until October.

He may be in the twilight phase of his storied career, but the Uruguayan still managed to chalk up some spectacular numbers, scoring 25 goals and adding 12 assists across 37 matches in all competitions.

That haul of 37 goal contributions is a distance more than both Nunez (24) and Diaz (27) registered for Liverpool across the calendar year 2024.

He’s still got it, and though English football’s fitness demands would represent an insurmountable hurdle for the ageing player, it’s pertinent to note that he’s still got it in front of goal, something that both Diaz, who has been deployed as a makeshift number nine this year, and Nunez have struggled to produce consistently.

Sure, you’d probably be right in supposing that the 38-year-old striker is past his Premier League sell-by date, and would not be a useful option in Slot’s high-energy Liverpool team, but Suarez went on to achieve greatness with Barcelona and could have become a true Anfield legend had he stayed.

The failure to effectively replace him only added insult to injury, with Ricky Lambert and Mario Balotelli tasked with replicating his offensive threat. Redmen supporters (and FSG) must count their lucky stars that Klopp was the man who replaced the beleaguered Rodgers at the helm.

However, it’s difficult to imagine a world where Rodgers would have remained instated in the dugout for many years past his dismissal, even had Suarez been retained. Perhaps we would be looking at a world where Klopp’s project would have been fronted by the iconic centre-forward.

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One of the most successful loan spells in recent years for Aston Villa has been that of Tammy Abraham, who joined the club for a season-long loan from Chelsea. He was a pivotal figure in their promotion success back in the 2018/19 campaign, helping the Villans return to the Premier League after three years in the Championship.

That season, Abraham scored 26 goals and grabbed three assists in 40 appearances across all competitions. That included a crucial goal in the playoff semi-final first leg against West Bromwich Albion from the penalty spot, which was vital in helping Villa to reach the final.

Now, Villa could be potentially cashing another Chelsea attacker on loan, who would be hoping he can be as successful as Abraham was during his time at Villa Park.

Aston Villa targeting Chelsea star

The player in question here is Chelsea’s Portuguese forward Joao Felix. It has not quite been the return to Stamford Bridge he might have expected, and there is now a chance he could leave the club during the January transfer window.

According to a report from Fabrizio Romano, the Villans are believed to be “monitoring” the former Benfica star’s situation. As per talkSPORT, the West Midlands outfit could swoop in and attempt to sign him on loan.

However, they are not the only side across Europe aiming to sign the forward on loan before next week’s transfer deadline. Reports in Italy also claim that Serie A giants AC Milan are considering a late move for the Portuguese star on a temporary deal.

Why Felix would be a good signing

Interestingly, Felix is not the only Chelsea player who Villa are looking to bring in on loan. In a separate report, Romano states that the Villans have agreed personal terms with defender Axel Disasi, who ‘insists on joining’ the club. This is a deal that could affect the transfer of Felix.

It has not been a smooth ride for Disasi since joining the club in 2023 from Ligue 1 side AS Monaco for £38.8m. He has played 61 times but has been in and out of the team this season. In fact, talkSPORT presenter Andy Jacobs described his time at Stamford Bridge so far as a “disaster”.

Well, with that in mind, is it really worth Villa singing the Frenchman instead of bringing Felix to the club? The Portuguese star has long been a “dream target” for Villans boss Unai Emery, and there is no doubt he possesses quality.

He made a return to Stamford Bridge after a loan spell in the second half of the 2022/23 campaign. Chelsea paid Atletico Madrid £46.3m, with Conor Gallagher joining the La Liga side as part of the deal.

It has certainly not been an easy campaign for Felix, yet he has still shown flashes of brilliance for the Blues. He has seven goals and two assists in 20 appearances for the club, including a strike on his second debut for the club against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Competing against Cole Palmer for a spot in the side is not easy, and Felix has not been given much of a chance in the Premier League. The Englishman has 14 goals and six assists in 23 Premier League games this season. With that being said, the former Atleti star can be a “joy to watch” when in full flow, as football statistician Statman Dave put it.

One thing Felix will bring to Stamford Bridge is versatility. The Portuguese star can play in a multitude of positions, perhaps excelling as a second striker but also being able to play out wide. That has certainly been on show this season.

Position

Games

Goals

Assists

Second striker

7

1

0

Attacking midfield

5

4

1

Left-wing

3

0

1

Centre forward

2

2

0

Right-wing

1

0

0

Perhaps cancelling the loan move for Disasi, who has struggled to adapt to Engish football, and making a move for Felix, is a smart thing to do for Villa. The Portugal international has shown just how good he can be at the highest level.

Felix could be a huge difference-maker for Emery this season, and given he is a player the Spaniard loves, at least looking at a loan move surely makes sense.

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Nurul Hasan, Mustafizur Rahman also sidelined with injuries; Bangladesh call up Mohammad Naim and Ebadot Hossain as replacements

Mohammad Isam05-Aug-2022

Litton Das had to be stretchered off due to a hamstring injury•AFP/Getty Images

Litton Das has been ruled out for a month after suffering a hamstring injury during the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare. He was on 81 when he complained of pain while completing a single and had to be stretchered out.”Litton Das hurt his hamstring while batting in the first ODI. We sent him for a scan during the match,” Muzadded Alpha Sany, Bangladesh physio, said after their five-wicket loss. “He has a grade 2 muscle strain. It takes three to four weeks to recover from this type of injury. So we are not getting Litton [back] during this series.”Bangladesh have called up Mohammad Naim and Ebadot Hossain as replacements for the remainder of the series, the latter because lead quick Mustafizur Rahman is also carrying an injury.”The players will depart from Dhaka later today and reach Harare ahead of the second ODI of the three- match series on Sunday,” a BCB statement* said.Related

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Litton’s layoff could affect his appearance in the Asia Cup in the end of August. Bangladesh’s group stage matches against Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are on August 30 and September 1.Two other players also had injury concerns during the game on Friday. Mushfiqur Rahim didn’t field after suffering a thumb injury during batting, while the ball struck Shoriful Islam flush on the knee after he missed a return catch from Innocent Kaia. Shoriful did come back to field, and even tried to bowl but had to leave mid-way through his ninth over.”Mushfiq also hurt his thumb while batting, but it is nothing major,” Sany said “He can hopefully play in the next game. Shoriful felt numb where the ball struck him but we are hopeful of good news regarding him tomorrow.”Bangladesh were already without Nurul Hasan, whose finger injury ruled him out of the Zimbabwe tour last week, and put him in the concerned list for the Asia Cup too.

Former Manchester United player and flop Bebe has revealed the first conversations he had with Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

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• Bebe reveals first conversation with Ferguson
• Winger struggled at Old Trafford
• Man Utd host Man City on Sunday

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Bebe never truly established himself at United and, after leaving, had permanent moves to Benfica, Eibar and Rayo Vallecano amongst a series of loans across Spain, Portugal and Turkey. He switched national allegiance from Portugal to Cape Verde and shone at the African Cup of Nations. Now currently playing for UD Ibiza, Bebe has reflected on a disappointing career that once promised so much – including revealing to the extent of his early conversations with the legendary United manager.

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  WHAT BEBE SAID

  Bebe revealed: "I remember meeting Sir Alex Ferguson for the first time. He came into the dressing room and the first words he said to me were, ‘I am going to take care of you' and 'go and get a haircut.’ I had long hair at the time, so I shaved it off for the second day of training.

  "I learned a lot from him. I always had to have a translator, so he could explain things to me, but we shared a close relationship. I felt he had a lot of affection towards me. He looked out for me, and that meant a lot.

  "I was in a completely new country and he went above and beyond. I lived in his apartment in Wilmslow for the first year, so I was a little closer to training. He joked with me, and I joked with him. The truth is, he is a person I care a lot about. I would love to see him again and have a chat, like old times."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Bebe made just seven appearances for the Red Devils, scoring two goals, before departing for the Portuguese capital via Benfica. He later described leaving the club as the "best moment of his life". He enjoyed best spell at Rayo Vallecano where he made 187 appearances, scoring 24 goals and registering 17 assists.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR BEBE AND MANCHESTER UNITED?

  Bebe recently joined Ibiza in Primera Federacion as he looks to wind down his career in the lower Spanish divisions; they take on Marbella next weekend. As for Manchester United, they host Manchester City at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon. They are looking to do the double over their local rivals after their shock 2-1 win away at the Etihad in December.

Kinrara Academy Oval, Malaysia’s premier cricket ground, will host its last games this June as Malaysia Cricket (MC)’s agreement with the landowners runs down after 18 years. Over the past few years, the two parties had disputes over tariffs and the matter went to court, with the ruling earlier this year in favour of the landowners.MC said in a statement that the outstanding payments had been made, and an “amicable settlement” had been arrived at ahead of the ground’s curtain call.To sign off, the ground will host the ICC Under-19 Women’s Asia Qualifiers – a pathway tournament to the inaugural Women’s U-19 World Cup – from June 1 to 10, and then the Asian Cricket Council’s Women’s T20 Asia Cup from June 15 to 25. In between the two international events, MC’s domestic members have been invited to play a T10 Curtain Call Championship Masters from June 10 to 12. MC will vacate Kinrara on June 30.”We are pleased to announce that Malaysian Cricket has reached an amicable settlement with Perumahan Kinrara Berhad. By the settlement, Malaysian Cricket has fulfilled its obligation to pay Perumahan Kinrara Berhad,” MC’s statement, signed by president Mohammed Iqbal Ali Kassim Ali, read.”We place on record that Malaysian Cricket is truly grateful to the Kinrara Landowners for affording us this property the past eighteen years, giving us the ability to work the ground, bringing it to that of an international standard. At present, Kinrara Oval is one of two grounds with ODI status in South East Asia. The other ground being Bayuemas Oval.”Kinrara Oval has played host to numerous international and national tournaments – majestic and Iconic, it was ‘Home of Malaysian Cricket’. Given the history and legacy tied to cricket at Kinrara Oval, sentiments are strong and the reason for which the cricket fraternity had hoped to stay on. Nonetheless, we bow out gracefully, with gratitude, taking with us some of the best cricket memories.”Kinrara Academy Oval came together in 2003 with a team from New Zealand working on the turf and square, and the BCCI contributing USD 465,000 towards the floodlights. Since then, the ground has hosted ten men’s ODIs, 18 men’s T20Is, six Women’s ODIs, 25 Women’s T20Is and 25 youth ODIs.Some of the highest-profile games here came in the ground’s early years: a men’s tri-series in September 2006 featuring West Indies, Australia and India, in which Sachin Tendulkar topped the runs charts with 222 runs at 74, including an unbeaten 141. Then, in March 2008, Virat Kohli’s India Under-19 team won the World Cup at Kinrara.MC’s statement said the board will now “utilise YSD-UKM Oval – the ground at University Kebangsaan Malaysia – Selangor Turf Club, and Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar (KTJ), albeit work is needed to [elevate] the standard of the grounds. Moving forward, we are confident of finding a permanent ground to call our own”.An earlier statement from MC, from March 31 this year, had said of its dispute with the landowners: “Our position was that as a non-profit organisation and the national sporting association, with Kinrara Oval as the home of cricket in Malaysia, we strongly believe that the Majlis Bandaraya Subang Jaya (MBSJ) tariff for assessment should have been based on sports and recreation instead of commercial rate.”It was for this reason we had disputed the tariff and were taken to court, on which the judgement came against us.”

Stockport County manager Dave Challinor has admitted he may lose his star player and top goalscorer next month, with Leeds United among the teams interested in a deal. The Whites missed the opportunity to keep up with Sheffield United at the top of the table over the weekend, as they drew 1-1 with Preston.

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Leeds United are reportedly eyeing up a January swoop for the young midfielder.

1 ByDan Emery Dec 16, 2024 Leeds United keen on signing Louie Barry

It has been a good season for Daniel Farke’s men so far, but the January transfer window is an opportunity for clubs like Leeds to strengthen their side for the second half of the campaign. It could be a busy month for the Yorkshire side, and one player they have their eye on is Louie Barry of Aston Villa.

The forward, who can play anywhere across the frontline, has emerged on the radar of the Whites, as he’s impressed on loan at Stockport. Barry has been on the books at Villa Park since 2020 but has only played once for the club in a competitive game, as he’s spent most of his time on loan across England.

Barry is currently the top goalscorer in League One, and with Villa looking likely to recall him in January and then send him to a higher level club, Leeds have joined the many other Championship teams in being keen on securing his signing for the rest of the 2024/25 season.

But the Whites could have a battle on their hands, as it’s been claimed that Middlesbrough are leading the race to sign Barry ahead of other interested teams such as Derby County and Sheffield Wednesday.

Challinor admits Barry could move in January

Speaking to BBC Sport, relayed by Leeds United News, Stockport boss Challinor stated that the future of Louie Barry is “out of his control” as Leeds and others circle with interest, admitting it is definitely a possibility that Villa recall the youngster and send him elsewhere.

The 21-year-old is on loan at the League One side for a second season, after helping them seal promotion out of League Two last term. He’s been exceptional this season, and that has alerted teams like Leeds to show an interest in taking him on loan in January.

And as far as Challinor is concerned, the future of Barry is out of his control: “When you take a player on loan, especially from a Premier League club, the reality is you know what you’re getting into.

Apps

20

Minutes per game

78

Goals

14

Goals per game

0.7

Shots per game

3.1

Goal conversion

23%

Assists

1

Touches

35.2

Big chances created

4

Key passes

1.1

“We obviously hope that he can stay and score another 15 goals and, quite selfishly, say that monetises his value more than going to a Championship club, but that’s a decision that’s out of our control.”