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Captain bats for four-and-a-half hours to deny Gloucestershire

ECB Reporters Network18-Aug-2020

Chris Cooke punches a drive•Getty Images

Glamorgan were grateful for the second successive game to their captain Chris Cooke, whose unbeaten half-century carried his side to a draw against Gloucestershire.Glamorgan had slipped to 138 for 8, a lead of only 73 with plenty of overs remaining, but Cooke was at the crease for four-and-a-half hours in compiling 59, and was given solid support by No.10 Tim van der Gugten, who was 30 not out.They survived despite the sterling efforts of Gloucestershire’s two left-arm seamers David Payne and Matt Taylor, who excelled throughout – with Payne taking eight wickets in the match. Glamorgan had a lead of 132 with 13 overs remaining when the teams shook hands.Had the first day not been lost to rain, there could have been an interesting finish as the ball dominated the bat throughout, with still plenty in the pitch for the seamers while the odd ball turned.Glamorgan began the final day 65 runs behind and with all their wickets intact, but Matt Taylor soon got to work by taking two wickets in his opening two overs. Charlie Hemphrey, whose place must now be in doubt after scoring only 72 runs in six completed innings, was out lbw.He was quickly followed by Kiran Carlson, who was dismissed in similar fashion, as he shuffled across his stumps to a ball that came back into him. The two wickets had fallen without any addition to the overnight score.Nick Selman stood firm, alternating between attack and defence, and was developing a useful partnership with Billy Root, one of the few Glamorgan batsmen who has been in any sort of form this season. But after scoring 13, Root was out to one of the slip catches of the season, taken by George Hankin at second slip.Root dabbed at a delivery intended for the third man area, before it was intercepted by the fielder who dived to his right and held on in front of first slip.Selman, who also been short of runs this season, completed a responsible half-century, but after adding a further five runs was leg before to Ryan Higgins, in what was the last ball before lunch as play was interrupted by a heavy shower.When Payne dismissed Dan Douthwaite and Graham Wagg in quick succession, and Kieran Bull was bowled by Graham van Buuren in his first over, Glamorgan had slumped to eight down, but van der Gugten, who the previous day had dislocated his finger, gave his captain staunch support.He joined his captain in the 67th over, to remain there for a further 24 overs as Gloucestershire’s hopes receded.

Arsenal are on the march in the Premier League and Champions League this season, and after a few years of intelligent acquisitions in the transfer market, look set to challenge the top sides for several campaigns to come.

Alongside adding quality throughout, Mikel Arteta and Edu Gaspar have trimmed the squad where necessary, and it's probably time they sanctioned the exit of a certain big-name player: Thomas Partey.

The decision to do so could be made much easier thanks to the development of a terrific Hale End gem who could form a brilliant partnership with Declan Rice in his place.

Why Thomas Partey should be moved on

The Gunners completed the £45m signing of Partey in October 2020, and it would be fair to say that when he's played, he has generally been one of the club's best players. However, therein lies the main problem: he doesn't play enough.

In the three and a half seasons he has been at the Emirates, the Ghanaian international has missed a grand total of 72 games for club and country, which averages out to around 18 games a season. He has already missed 26 this year alone, and based on his record, it wouldn't be surprising to see him miss more.

2020/21

33

0

3

21

2021/22

26

2

1

19

2022/23

40

3

0

6

2023/24

6

0

0

26

Total

15

5

4

72

Now, if the club had no one to replace the 30-year-old, it might be worth persisting with him next year, but with the club's £105m man playing the six role at such a high level this season, that seems pointless.

Moreover, with the CIES Football Observatory valuing the Krobo Odumase-born star at just €15m – £13m – Arsenal should look to offload him as soon as possible in the summer before that value plummets further, especially as a Hale End gem could take his place in the team and form a longterm partnership with Rice.

Why Charlie Patino could replace Partey

The young Hale End graduate in question is Englishman Charlie Patino, who has thrived with the youth teams and impressed out on loan.

The Watford-born gem made 47 appearances for the U18 and U21 sides before joining Championship outfit Blackpool on a season-long loan last year.

In his year with the Seasiders, the 20-year-old played in 37 games, scored three goals, provided four assists, and left a big impression on the fans and his teammates. Former Blackpool forward Jerry Yates described him as "sensational" and predicted that "he'll be a top, top player" in the future.

Unfortunately, the Tangerines were eventually relegated, and so this season, the Gunners sent their young prospect on loan to a stronger team in Swansea City, where he has made 31 appearances thus far, scored four goals and provided four assists.

Team

Blackpool

Swansea City

Appearances

37

31

Goals

3

4

Assists

4

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.18

0.25

Something else the "golden" gem, as talent scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, has up his sleeve is his versatility. Last year, he played 18 games as a central midfielder and 13 as a defensive midfielder. In contrast, this season, he's started as a central midfielder nine times and an attacking midfielder six times while filling in off the bench wherever needed in his other 16 appearances.

This ability to play anywhere in the midfield would be incredibly beneficial if he were to replace Partey and form a partnership with Rice. He could come in as the six and allow the former West Ham man to bomb forward, or he could do the attacking as his senior teammate sits back and shields the back four.

Ultimately, with the Ghanaian playing a minimal role this season and thus proving he is not an essential player anymore, Arteta and Edu should move him on in the summer, especially with Patino waiting in the wings for his chance in that midfield.

Former India allrounder wants the national team to hire a team psychologist

ESPNcricinfo staff13-May-20202:38

Here’s who Yuvraj Singh thinks will break his fastest fifty record

Yuvraj Singh believes Hardik Pandya has the potential to become a “massive asset” for India by the 2023 World Cup, subject to the latter working on his temperament. Yuvraj said Hardik was a “phenomenal” talent and only one of the two current batsmen, along with his Indian teammate KL Rahul, who have the potential to break his record for the fastest T20I fifty, achieved in the 2007 World T20 against England.”I feel Hardik has the potential (to break my fastest T20I fifty record),” Yuvraj said on Sportscreen’s YouTube page. “I feel Hardik is someone who has got amazing talent, phenomenal talent. But probably someone needs to work with his head, where his head is, he is such a hard working guy, he is a nice guy.”Yuvraj buttressed his assertion by pointing to having seen Hardik’s amazing ball-hitting skills from up close during his stint with Mumbai Indians in IPL 2019. He cited the example of Hardik’s 91 – his personal T20 best – against KKR at the Eden Gardens. Mumbai still lost the game, having been set a massive target of 233.Yuvraj had even called Hardik’s innings “the best” he had seen in IPL, and had told the Baroda allrounder he could be India’s lynchpin at the 2019 World Cup with both bat and ball. Eventually, Hardik made 226 runs in the World Cup without a half-century, and picked up 10 wickets. In the semi-final against New Zealand, Hardik made 32 a slog across the line proved to be his undoing.According to Yuvraj, Hardik still needed to perform in “crunch” moments, which could be achieved by working on the mental side of the game.”He hits the ball spectacularly,” Yuvraj said. “I was at Mumbai Indians last year and he got 90 odd off 30 balls [91 off 34 against KKR], it was a phenomenal innings. He can actually be the next big allrounder for India, but he hasn’t performed at crunch times. Those performances haven’t come because he is a big hitter and he likes those big hits, but when he starts to know when to take a single and a double, and when to hit those big sixes, then he will actually work as a better player. So Hardik has massive potential to be a world class player. If someone works on his mind, he can be a massive asset till we get to the next World Cup.”Yuvraj Singh joins in the celebrations•Craig Golding/AFP/Getty Images

Yuvraj further emphasised the need for India to rope in a mental conditioning coach, particularly with a view to help youngsters deal with the intense scrutiny and pressure of the international game. He cited the examples of Rishabh Pant and Prithvi Shaw, who he felt could benefit most from such an appointment. Pant, in a short international career, has already experienced volatile ups and downs scarcely imaginable for a 22-year old, and Shaw, a centurion on Test debut, has served a ban for a doping violation.During Yuvraj’s time, Paddy Upton combined as the mental conditioning and strategic leadership coach, finishing his three year stint in those positions after India won the 2011 World Cup. Yuvraj felt that though India had done well under the current coaching staff, a psychologist was needed to help youngsters cope with the mental side of the game.”I feel the current players don’t have anyone to speak about the mental side of the game to,” Yuvraj said. “We have guys like Rishabh Pant, guys like Prithvi Shaw, they are so talented, and obviously unfortunately there’s intense scrutiny these days because of the number of media outlets – one game you fail, you feel like you’ve failed the series. So, there’s nobody to talk to them about the mental side – what’s going on? How can we get better? Or probably don’t do this or do that. Share your experiences. I’ve been saying for a while, the team needs a good psychologist. But it should be someone the players respect. That’s important because there are a lot of young players, and younger players, as when we are growing up, we feel we know more than our parents and coaches.”Yuvraj even questioned whether the Indian coaching staff lead by Ravi Shastri and batting coach Vikram Rathour, while being equipped to deal with the technical stuff, could manage to sort the mental challenges players faced.”Players have done quite well under Ravi Shastri. They won in Australia, they have done quite well. But my point is – as a coach I don’t know how Ravi is – I know that you cannot have a particular way with every player, you have to have a different way with every player. I don’t see that with the coaching staff. You have guys like Vikram Rathour, he has been my senior, he has been a mentor at times when I was playing state, but with all due respect, if someone has not played cricket at that level for a long time, the younger generation which is more prone to T20 and 50-over, what are you going to tell them? Vikram Rathour might tell them about technique or how to hit the ball, but there’s no one to work on the mental side. The captain can only do so much. The coach can only do so much. That’s why I’m saying that you need a psychologist who actually talks to players after a particular session.”

Former allrounder and Rohit Sharma discuss the importance of guiding youngsters properly

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Apr-2020

Yuvraj Singh and Rohit Sharma walk back after India’s win•Associated Press

Former India allrounder Yuvraj Singh believes the big difference between players of his generation and the ones today is how they dealt with seniors in the team, specifically in the “sense of respect towards seniors” and appreciating their work.”The youngsters say anything to anyone now,” Singh told Rohit Sharma, India’s white-ball vice-captain, during an Instagram chat hosted by the latter on Tuesday.According to Singh, the other key difference between the two generations is that the current India team has a very small group of seniors – captain Virat Kohli and Sharma in the main – so the youngsters “have very less guys to look up to”.Singh opened up on the subject after Sharma asked him for an appraisal of the current Indian team, not as a player but as someone watching from the outside. “Can you tell us what you find that we are doing good, what we are doing bad, where we can improve as a team,” Sharma asked.Singh, who retired last June, was blunt in his assessment: “See, I will tell you the difference what I felt in this generation and our generation. I felt that our seniors were very disciplined. Obviously, at the time there was no social media, so there were very few distractions. There was a certain behaviour that we boys had to carry watching our seniors – how they play, how they work hard, and how they actually talk to people, how they talk to the media. Because they were great ambassadors of India.”So I learned a lot that way. And that’s what we tried to do and that is what we told you guys that if you have to play for next ten years, after playing for India you have to be more careful about your image.”But I feel in this generation, I feel the seniors that are there are only you and Virat Kohli are there, who are playing three formats. I just feel there are very less guys to look up to. And I feel that the sense of respect towards seniors to say something or that respect of how these players have become great, like it has become a thin line now, (the youngsters say anything to anyone now).”As a consequence, Singh said, incidents like the one that led to Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul being suspended in 2018 took place, because there were not enough seniors to guide the younger players. “Because of social media and party scenes and the incident that happened with KL and Hardik, these kind of things during our time we could not even imagine of such things happening during our time because we respected the seniors a lot. We knew that if we did some mistake our seniors would tell us ‘, don’t do these things, this is not nice’. I feel the atmosphere is not the same. The boys (juniors) do what they want to now.”Singh, however, didn’t want to blame the youngsters entirely, saying that they did not know how to “handle” the fame and money that came on the back of big IPL contracts. During his time, seniors like Sachin Tendulkar were in his ear, to caution him at the right time, something that might not be case right now.”Even after a little bit of success, it’s not their fault also because at a young age you get distracted (and) because IPL contracts are so big,” Singh said. “[It’s the] starting of their careers, they are not even playing for India they are getting such big contracts. So they don’t know how to handle the money so they’re easily distracted.””So you need seniors, you need coaches, you guys (seniors) have to talk to the youngsters and explain to them what is important to them – playing for the country and working hard on the field and then all these things follow. Tendulkar always told me that, ‘if you perform on the field, everything will follow’.’They don’t want to play Test cricket’Singh suggested that some of the younger lot were too keen on the limited-overs formats, and not interested in long-form cricket at all. “I was at the National Cricket Academy (in Bengaluru) recently. I was observing (some) boys there don’t want to play Test cricket,” Singh said. “They don’t want to play four-day cricket for their own state. They are happy playing one-day cricket because of IPL.”Except you guys, I don’t think the second generation really wants to play Test cricket. And Test cricket is the real test of a cricketer. So I want the next generation to tell them these things.”Sharma agreed with Singh, recollecting his early years with the Indian team when barring a few youngsters like Suresh Raina and Piyush Chawla, the dressing room was full of seniors. He did, however, point out that he was doing his bit to help the newbies, and presented a recent example of putting an arm around young Rishabh Pant’s shoulders after the youngster came under intense scrutiny for his performances in front of and behind the stumps since the 2019 World Cup.Rishabh Pant exchanges notes with Rohit Sharma in the nets•Getty Images

“I keep trying to talk to the guys as much as I can. I talk a lot to Rishabh Pant,” Sharma said. “He came under a lot of scrutiny recently. He’s just 20 and he became really worried. Apart from Pant, there are five-six people I regularly talk to about these things. This (criticism) will be there as long as you’re playing, it’s not going to go anywhere.”‘Every innings should be the like the last of your career’The two players also spoke about how they developed the mindset to dominate opposition for longer periods of time, to convert their starts into big scores and play in the zone where they stood out for their excellence. Sharma wanted to know from Singh, the Player of the Tournament at the 2011 World Cup, how he developed that mindset.”To come into that zone, you need to go through a lot of experience in games. You need that experience,” Singh said. “Rishabh Pant, Prithvi Shaw, Shubman Gill, [Shreyas] Iyer and whoever comes as soon as they come we expect them to play like we did, because we have learnt early. That won’t happen. It has to be over time when they play certain amount of games. Then they fail, they play domestic cricket and they come back and they play a number of games and with that experience when they have a few knocks like that they get into that zone where they know how to make a big score. Like you and Virat probably know how to convert 60s into hundreds. It will not happen with a lot of younger guys because they don’t have that experience.”Whenever they are not playing international cricket they should be playing domestic cricket or they should be playing any form of cricket where they keep on getting experience of playing a lot of games getting into different kind of situations on different wickets.”Singh called Sharma a good example for the youngsters to follow: “When you were playing in the middle-order, you had some exceptional innings of 70, 80, 90 not out, 65 not out. People were saying, ‘wah, Rohit was very good’. But after now that you are opening you have made 200 not out, 260, 200 and 150… so you have taken your game to the next level. That has happened after you playing seven-eight years of international cricket.”Although he agreed with Singh, Sharma stressed that he didn’t want the young players to “lose those seven-eight years, and, which is why I keep talking to them and make them understand that you should start learning these things now itself. I make them understand to try and make sure that every innings you play should be the like the last one of your career.”

If the tournament is impacted, it could affect the ICC’s revenue distributions to its member boards

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2020Ehsan Mani, the PCB chairman, has warned of the financial fallout to world cricket if the T20 World Cup, scheduled to be held later this year, is impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.The tournament is due to take place in Australia in October-November but with much of the world in lockdown currently, and for some time yet, it is difficult to say with certainty whether the tournament will go ahead as planned.”If the World T20 in Australia, if that gets disrupted then the financial fallout from that will be very big,” Mani said on a PCB podcast. “The distributions they [the ICC] give to members, many boards – including us – will feel the pinch of it.”Mani, who is also chairman of the ICC’s Finance and Commercial Affairs committee and a former ICC president, was referring to the revenue the ICC distributes to its members, payments coming in twice a year annually in January and July. Those payments are made regardless of whether there is an ICC tournament in the calendar year and are calculated on the financial model that was agreed upon in June 2017.The PCB, along with six other Full Members, was slated to receive USD 128 million for the eight-year cycle between 2015 and 2023. Though that figure has been projected downwards to USD 115 million, a payout of approximately USD 7-8 million twice a year is a critical part of the financial health of all boards outside the big three comprising the BCCI, the ECB and CA.There is still some time to go before October, but the cricket calendar, if it is up and running by then, will also have to figure out a way of rescheduling a number of postponed bilateral commitments, as well as, potentially, the IPL.The PCB has not been hit as hard as other boards by the pandemic; the ECB looks likely to be hardest hit at this stage, but even SLC and the BCB have lost out on hosting bilateral tours from England and Australia respectively, which usually are lucrative tours for the home board.Nevertheless, the PCB is planning for the worst-case scenario in which ICC distributions could be affected should the T20 World Cup be postponed .”Financial controls are tight, we are not spending over what we earn so in that sense, we will probably be all right in the short term,” Mani said. “But if it goes into next year and ICC distributions don’t come in… I can say the PCB is expecting USD 7-8 million in July from the ICC, that might not come. So obviously we have to plan as if that doesn’t come.”Going forward to [next] January, the ICC will again distribute a similar amount. So there’s a lot of money on the line for us. How we can make that up when short of playing cricket, there’s no other way? You only make money by playing cricket.”Mani was talking only about the PCB’s planning for a worst-case scenario if the distributions don’t arrive; concrete discussions about the impact, of the cricket calendar shutting down, on revenue distributions have not yet taken place.But contingency planning is dominating the thinking of those in the sport’s corridors of power. Depending on how severely hit some boards already are, some scenarios regarding the revenue distributions are not implausible; July’s distributions could be held back to be paid out further down the line (when some boards might need them more) or redistributed in a way that lesser-hit boards give up a cut of their share to harder-hit ones.And although the distributions are no longer linked to ICC events as such, if the T20 World Cup doesn’t go ahead, or is fitted into 2021, January’s distributions could also potentially be impacted.

Luke Shaw has admitted that Roy Keane’s fierce criticism of his performance in the Manchester derby was justified, even if it "hurt" to hear. The Manchester United defender was called out for "getting away with murder" by the outspoken ex-captain, but has vowed to show more consistency after bouncing back with a strong display against Chelsea.

Shaw criticised by Keane for Man City display

Shaw was heavily criticised after United’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, where he was at fault for two goals. Keane slammed his display and pointed to his long history of injuries since joining the club in 2014. The left-back, however, responded with a much-improved performance in the Red Devils' 2-1 win over Chelsea, where he set up Casemiro’s decisive goal.

AdvertisementGettyShaw admits 'I need to be consistent'

“I think sometimes you just have to take it on the chin,” Shaw said. “He's got a lot of experience. He was one of the best captains ever for Man United. Of course it hurts. I think criticism is part of being a football player. I listen to it. But for me, I think he was right. I think that last week, I wasn't at my level at all. I don't need Roy Keane to tell me. I think after the game, I knew that. I knew that, but of course it hurts.

“I'm not getting any younger now and I need to be consistent. I've had a lot of ups and downs, but for me now, it's about keeping that consistency at a high level. I know I can do that. The most important thing is knowing how good I can be. The manager knows that. I think the managers who I played with in the past know that. I'm always in the team and I'm always playing, so there must be something that the managers believe in.

“Last week hurt me a lot, because that's not my level. And I think the criticism is what people understand. But like I said, I take it on the chin and listen to it and move on.”

Shaw's injury-disrupted Man Utd career

Shaw’s words highlight his determination to avoid slipping into old habits and prove his worth to United boss Ruben Amorim. Injuries have disrupted much of his Manchester United career, but the full-back is currently enjoying a run of starts in a new role at centre-back. With United struggling for consistency, Shaw’s leadership and reliability could be vital in the weeks ahead.

Getty Images SportVital games against Brentford & Sunderland up next

United will hope Shaw stays fit and continues to build rhythm after several stop-start seasons. He will be in line for a key role again in Amorim's plans for United's next two games against Brentford and newly-promoted Sunderland.

Chelsea have been one of the biggest spenders in World Football since Todd Boehly took ownership of the club in May 2022.

Since then, the Blues have managed to accrue spending of £1bn on both transfer and loan fees with the hopes of challenging for the Premier League title. This has not yet made much of a difference, as they currently find themselves residing in 11th place.

Last season's results weren't much better either, as Graham Potter's men only managed to get as high as 12th despite massively overhauling their squad.

Although many put this down to the squad needing to gel, their recent performances have left a lot to be desired. For example, in their most recent clash against Aston Villa in the FA Cup, despite coming out on top, a few players could still face the axe ahead of their next clash on Monday evening.

One player in particular is Noni Madueke. The former PSV man joined the club in January 2023 for a fee worth around £29m but since then, he has been in and around the Blues' first-team squad and has played a total of 30 games whilst contributing to six goals.

These statistics aren't the most enthralling and showcase how far off the pace the winger is despite being with the club for over a year now.

Madueke's performance against Villa in numbers

Madueke started the game against Aston Villa but was taken off in the 75th minute. However, before he was taken off, he did manage to create the first goal for the Blues.

That said, according to Sofascore, despite being part of a front three, the winger didn't manage to have a single shot on target. Whereas, Cole Palmer, who was playing as a striker, managed two.

Despite receiving an 8/10 match rating courtesy of Goal, and having a decent game overall, Mauricio Pochettino may be forced to bench the youngster for the foreseeable future.

This is due to no fault of his own, however, the Argentine will be keeping an eye on Christopher Nkunku as he has now returned from injury.

Why Nkunku is likely to replace Madueke

Nkunku was the third-most expensive addition to Chelsea's squad this season, trailing only Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia.

The attacker had been heavily linked throughout the entirety of the 2022/23 season with a move to west London following an impressive outing in his final campaign for RB Leipzig.

Across all competitions last season, the France international managed to contribute to a total of 32 goals in just 36 games for the German side.

This was by far the attackers' most prolific season and, with his versatility of being able to play anywhere across the front three, he was an invaluable member of the squad.

It's this versatility which makes him an ideal replacement for Madueke, as he can interchange with his fellow attackers if and when needed. Additionally, now could be the ideal time to give the England international a rest as Nkunku has recently returned from injury.

Pivotally, despite playing 11 games fewer than Madueke, the 26-year-old only has three fewer goal contributions.

If he could manage to find his attacking prowess once more, he could become an invaluable member of Pochettino's squad. His addition to the side on Monday against Crystal Palace would also allow Palmer to move to his more natural position on either wing. It's a change the manager should be looking to make if he wants to beat the Eagles.

Charlie Eccleshare of The Athletic has suggested that Tottenham could go for an "amazing" late signing, amid reports they also still want Chelsea star Conor Gallagher.

Spurs could make third January move to cap off productive window

Following the arrivals of both Timo Werner and Radu Dragusin, there remain reports that Spurs could add a third new face to manager Ange Postecoglou's ranks.

Telegraph reporter says "most shocking" late Spurs signing "could happen"

It would be highly controversial.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 31, 2024

The Lilywhites' quick-fire deals for Werner and Dragusin, which were concluded at the start of this month, means chairman Daniel Levy and the Spurs recruitment team have had plenty of time to think about Tottenham's next move.

Timo Werner

Arrival (RB Leipzig, loan)

Radu Dragusin

Arrival (Genoa, permanent)

Djed Spence

Departure (Genoa, loan)

Japhet Tanganga

Departure (Millwall, loan)

Ashley Phillips

Departure (Plymouth, loan)

Sergio Reguilon

Departure (Brentford, loan)

Eric Dier

Departure (Bayern, loan)

Ivan Perisic

Departure (Hajduk Split, loan)

The addition of a new midfielder is particularly one to look out for, especially as Postecoglou's side have been repeatedly linked with the signing of Chelsea star Conor Gallagher. The England international has starred under Mauricio Pochettino over his 20 Premier League starts so far, ranking as Chelsea's best-performing player per 90 according to WhoScored.

Sky Sports journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has even claimed that Tottenham are in talks to sign Gallagher, while Telegraph reporter Luke Edwards backs the transfer could still happen so close to deadline day.

Another player they've been linked with in recent days is Aston Villa starlet Jacob Ramsey. As per reliable The Athletic correspondent David Ornstein, Spurs have expressed a desire to sign the 22-year-old, who is apparently valued at around £50 million.

Tottenham pull off "amazing signing" with Ramsey

Speaking on The View From The Lane podcast, fellow The Athletic reporter Eccleshare has also claimed that Ramsey to Tottenham is one to "keep an eye" on in the next 36 hours.

Eccleshare believes Tottenham could pull off an "amazing signing" with Ramsey, and it isn't ruled out because Villa need to sell in an effort to comply with FFP.

“We’ve reported this [Monday] morning an interest in Jacob Ramsey which would be an amazing signing," said Eccleshare.

“It would be an expensive one but Villa need the money for FFP. So, that’s one to keep an eye on.”

The Englishman has made 11 league appearances under Unai Emery so far this season, scoring once, with former boss Steven Gerrard tipping him to become a top player.

"He is a top talent, I’m loving every moment of working with him. He is getting stronger with each game because we’re giving him the platform to express himself. He is in a wonderful place," said Gerrard to TNT Sports.

"Jacob Ramsey is Jacob Ramsey. He will be a terrific player. It won’t be long before the whole country is watching him I’m sure. He is right up there, let me tell you.”

Somerset batsman talks about his breakthrough 2019 and white-ball ambitions

Matt Roller10-Dec-2019Eighteen months ago, Tom Abell was part way through his fifth season in the Somerset first team with just 13 T20 runs to his name. Now, he is Bangladesh-bound for his first taste of franchise cricket with Rangpur Rangers at the BPL, having reinvented himself as a middle-order accelerator in the shortest form.After a useful run with the bat in 2018, Abell’s limitations as a T20 player were exposed in a televised game at Canterbury at the end of the group stage. Chasing an imposing 231 to win, Abell eked out 21 not out from 18 balls, eating up the time left for captain Lewis Gregory to close the game out; Gregory ended unbeaten on 44 off just 15 balls, but Somerset fell five runs short.This season, he was a player transformed, scoring quicker than any other batsman in the competition other than AB de Villiers (minimum 200 runs) and almost doubling his scoring rate against seamers.