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Daniel Vettori heaps praise on Moeen’s set-up of Kohli’s dismissal

Shashank Kishore04-May-20225:04

Bishop on Kohli: ‘In this format, whatever you do, try to do it quickly’

Ian Bishop is “concerned” at Virat Kohli’s repeated struggles against spin, especially offspin, as he tries to get out of a form slump. In IPL 2022, he has managed just one fifty-plus score and a strike rate of just 111.09, which is the third lowest among batters with at least 150 runs this season.Related

Kohli's slump: two factors that might have had a role to play

Kohli open to taking a break to 'rejuvenate' himself mentally

Maxwell to Kohli on run-out: 'I just can't bat with you. You run too fast'

Kohli's batting currently looks like a human question mark

Still no real answers to the Kohli question

Kohli was bowled by a ripping Moeen Ali offbreak for a 33-ball 30 in the 10th over as he was lured into a big drive. It was a carbon copy of his dismissal to Moeen in the Chennai Test last year. In all, Kohli played out 16 dot balls on Wednesday. That it came on the back of Glenn Maxwell’s run out in the previous over, after a horrible misjudgment from Kohli, added to the side’s woes. Royal Challengers eventually managed 173, thanks to breezy knocks from uncapped pair of Rajat Patidar and Mahipal Lomror.”For a while, for 10 or 15 runs, he wasn’t even going at a run-a-ball, or he was just going at a run-a-ball,” Bishop said on T20 Time:Out, ESPNcricinfo’s analysis show. “He didn’t get ahead, and there wasn’t much intent. He hit one [six] over extra-cover off the seamer, and that was when he just went ahead to a run-a-ball and then he came back.”This is something we’ve been seeing with Virat, not just this season. Even last season, I remember, and even sometimes internationally, he’ll fly out – he didn’t fly out tonight – and then he’ll slow down again. So, I’m concerned.”Roston Chase got him out in the West Indies series [at home in February], we saw him getting out to the offspinner in Test matches. So, I’m concerned about…and I’m a Kohli fan. I tune in to watch cricket when Kohli’s at his best, so it isn’t criticism but an observation that I am concerned that a number of types of bowlers are getting him out and he’s not getting ahead of the rate.”

“It comes down to intent: at no stage did Kohli look like he was going for anything but a single. So, you plant foot down the crease, and you wait for the ball to come. If the ball is in the right spot, you can’t manipulate a single”Daniel Vettori on Kohli’s dismissal on Wednesday

Equally concerning, Bishop believes, is Kohli’s apparent struggle to break free. Despite this, Royal Challengers posted one of their better starts this season – 57 without loss in the powerplay, as opposed to their average run-rate of 6.58, the lowest among all 10 teams coming into the game.”If you’re not getting ahead of the rate and going at a run-a-ball, you need to bat deep into the innings,” he said. “And he isn’t going deep into the innings either. So those deliveries don’t come back to you. Even if RCB won, that wasn’t an innings, even given the difficulties of the pitch, that you could say caused a match-winning total.”While Bishop was “scared” about how much Kohli missed the ball by, Daniel Vettori heaped praise on Moeen’s mastery in setting up a Test-match style dismissal.”I can think of the likes of a R Ashwin or a Harbhajan [Singh] bowling really quickly to him in the powerplay and him just looking for singles, and potentially not dominating them. But this is different,” Vettori said. “This is Moeen Ali trying to spin the ball, wide of off stump and I feel like I can see that dismissal a few times in Test matches.Virat Kohli has found runs of late, but his strike rate has still been a cause for concern•PTI “And that is a huge amount of credit to Moeen Ali and his style of bowling – the fact that he was able to hit those areas with a little bit of drift, then that quick spin. So, this type of bowling seems to have troubled him a little bit as of now. It is a great ball. It’s a fantastic piece of bowling and the surface allowed it to happen and the fact that Kohli was looking only for singles allowed it to happen as well.”Moeen showed what Super Kings missed mid-season after he was forced to sit out a few games due to an ankle niggle. His control and the ability to assess conditions quickly, and then vary his pace and loop as per the surface. This one in Pune offered plenty of bite.Sometimes as a spinner, the key on these surfaces isn’t to get carried away and, as the cliché goes, to keep things simple. Moeen did just that and finished with 2 for 28 off four overs. By the time Moeen had bowled out by the 14th, the Royal Challengers were on rebuild mode.”We’ve got to say that it was a very good spell of bowling from Moeen Ali,” Vettori said. “I mean when an offspinner can put that much pressure on a right-handed batsman trying to get singles, trying not even look to be aggressive towards him, showed that the pace that Moeen Ali was bowling. And it [pitch] had quick spin, I think that’s the thing that might separate this surface, that it did spin quickly.”But it just feels like it comes down to intent: at no stage did Kohli look like he was going for anything but a single. So, you plant foot down the crease, and you wait for the ball to come. If the ball is in the right spot, you can’t manipulate a single.”And Kohli at his best takes on offspin because he’s aggressive, he hits them straight, and then he hits his hard ones. So, it is all about intent. And maybe the loss of the wicket, the run-out of Maxwell just put him back in his cage, and he thought ‘I need to bat for an extended period of time’. But he is good enough to use his feet against Moeen Ali.”

The Saudi Pro League is renowned for the vast wages it pays footballers, but who are the highest-earning players in the competition?

European football may still dominate the modern game, but Saudi Arabia’s biggest league has become far more prominent in recent years.

While the Saudi Pro League’s standard is still a noticeable drop down from that of the Premier League, La Liga and Bundesliga, it has still attracted some of the biggest names in the game, seeing its reputation grow in the process.

Rank

Player

Club

Weekly wage

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al-Nassr

€3.8m

Riyad Mahrez

Al-Ahli

€1m

Karim Benzema

Al-Ittihad

€961k

Sadio Mane

Al-Nassr

€769k

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al-Hilal

€667k

Ivan Toney

Al-Ahli

€491k

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic

Al-Hilal

€491k

N’Golo Kante

Al-Ittihad

€481k

Marcelo Brozovic

Al-Nassr

€465k

Darwin Nunez

Al-Hilal

€431k

Theo Hernandez

Al-Hilal

€392k

Weekly wages: Chelsea FC 2025/26 highest-paid players

Football FanCast has gathered all the information on how much each player earns at Chelsea.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 23, 2025

Here are the 11 highest earners in the division, with the help of data from Capology.

11 Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal) €392k per week

A regular for France, it was perhaps a surprise when Theo Hernandez left AC Milan behind for a tiny fee of £21m. We say tiny as it is for the oil-rich Saudi Pro League.

Now at Al-Hilal, the left-back is one of the best-paid defenders in the world.

10 Darwin Nunez (Al-Hilal) €431k per week

At Liverpool, the Uruguayan striker became more commonly known for missing simple chances in front of goal and the Reds will have perhaps been glad to see the back of him in the summer of 2025 when he was purchased by Al-Hilal.

Remarkably, despite his record in front of goal at Anfield, he’s now one of football’s highest-paid players.

9 Marcelo Brozovic (Al-Nassr) €465k per week

Marcelo Brozovic enjoyed a strong career in Europe, spending his peak years at Inter and also reaching the 2018 World Cup final with Croatia.

Now 32, the midfielder is enjoying the autumn of his career with Al-Nassr, joining them from the San Siro in 2023.

8 N'Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad) €481k per week

One of the most likeable footballers of the modern era, N’Golo Kante’s move to the Saudi Pro League arguably came as a surprise.

The former Leicester City and Chelsea title-winning midfielder is now plying his trade at Al-Ittihad, winding down in his career but not yet hanging up his boots for France. Could he bow out for his country at the 2026 World Cup?

7 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Al-Hilal) €491k per week

The exit of Sergej Milinkovic-Savic from the European game came as one of the biggest surprises, considering he departed for Saudi Arabia while still at the peak of his powers.

The 29-year-old appears to be impressing at current club Al-Hilal where he already has a league title in Saudi Arabia under his belt, perhaps justifying his crazy wages for his team.

6 Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli) €491k per week

Ivan Toney moved to the Saudi Pro League from Brentford during the 2024 summer window, ending months of transfer speculation.

The fact that the striker is playing in Saudi Arabia could hinder his chances of playing for England moving forward, and it remains to be seen if he will return to the Premier League at some point in the future.

5 Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal) €667k per week

Who else had forgotten that Kalidou Koulibaly had a brief and disappointing spell at Chelsea?

The Senegalese never adjusted to life in England after being a world-class performer at Napoli, and he decided to trade Stamford Bridge for Al-Hilal last year. A staggering €667,000 (£551,000) per week was seemingly too good to turn down for the defender, who is now in his mid 30s.

4 Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr) €769k per week

Sadio Mane has been part of a Liverpool exodus to the Saudi Pro League in recent years, with former teammates Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Roberto Firmino all heading there.

Now the highest-earning ex-Reds player in the competition, the 32-year-old has shone for Al-Nassr, bagging over 40 goals and over 30 assists since moving.

3 Karim Benzema (Al-Ittihad) €961k per week

One of the leading strikers of his generation, only Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Robert Lewandowski have scored more Champions League goals than Karim Benzema.

Having won all there is to win during an incredible career at Real Madrid, the Frenchman opted to join Al-Ittihad at the end of the 2022/23 season.

The top Champions League goalscorers of all time

Who has been the best in front of goal in the famous club competition?

ByCharlie Smith May 14, 2025 2 Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli) €1m per week

What City would give to have a peak-level Riyad Mahrez playing for them right now. The winger enjoyed five memorable years at the Etihad, winning the Premier League and Champions League among many other trophies, but he was another who headed to Saudi Arabia for a huge payday.

Mahrez is a teammate of Toney’s at Al-Ahli, where he has showcased his attacking class with goals and assists aplenty.

Manchester City star Bernardo Silva has been revealed to be the slowest outfield player in the Premier League, with Casemiro not far behind.

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Silva revealed as PL's slowest playerMerino & Casemiro also in bottom fiveSpurs' Van de Ven is the quickestFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Portugal international was found to have the lowest top speed in the league, hitting 18.2mph, according to . That makes him slower than Wolves' Craig Dawson, the second slowest at 18.3mph, and Arsenal midfielder Mikel Merino, who hit a top speed of 18.5mph. Manchester United midfielder Casemiro is the joint-fourth slowest alongside Tomas Soucek at 18.8mph.

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Despite his lack of speed, the 30-year-old remains a key player for Pep Guardiola's City, making 40 appearances in all competitions. The reigning English champions have struggled for much of the season, falling to fifth in the Premier League and already eliminated from the Champions League. However, they could still end the season with a trophy after reaching the FA Cup semi-finals with a win against Bournemouth on Sunday.

DID YOU KNOW?

Tottenham defender Micky van de Ven has been named the fastest player in the league, hitting a top speed of 23.1mph. He is faster than Wolves star Matheus Nunes (22.8mph) and Brighton's Yankuba Minteh (22.6mph).

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR BERNARDO SILVA?

Silva's City are in action again against Leicester on Wednesday and will take on rivals United four days later.

A limping Hasaranga claimed four wickets after a sparkling innings but it was all in vain

Andrew Fidel Fernando14-Jun-2022Sri Lanka put up a commanding score, got early wickets, were decent through the middle, and looked for much of the chase like they would defend the rain-adjusted 282 off 44 overs. But then, Glenn Maxwell, pulled the rug from under them with 80 not out off 51.He arrived with Australia needing 93 off 84 balls, with five wickets remaining, and immediately took on the role of aggressor, on a Pallekele surface offering significant turn. Clearly he loves this ground, since he’d also struck a 49-ball T20I hundred here in 2016.But this innings was more methodical. He waited for errors in length, and used the reverse sweep to good effect, to keep Australia’s requirement at roughly a run-a-ball. He trusted the lower order up to a point, but then was also good at farming the strike towards the close. He faced 15 of the 18 balls in the ninth-wicket stand with Jhye Richardson. And when he got balls in his area, he struck successive sixes off Dushmantha Chameera to win the match with nine balls to spare.Wanindu Hasaranga, who was limping for much of the match, claimed four wickets to keep Sri Lanka in the hunt as well. Debutant left-arm spinner Dunith Wellalage also contributed two wickets, including that of Steven Smith. But Maxwell took both for plenty of runs, hitting 20 off 12 against Hasaranga, and 18 off 10 against Wellalage. That, essentially, is where he won the match.Maxwell dominated the legside. All but one of his six sixes came in the arc between backward square leg and wide long-on. Only once did he seem slightly uncomfortable, and that was against the pace of Chameera, who by the end he had walloped for three sixes.Wanindu Hasaranga worked through injury to produce a fine all-round performance•AFP/Getty ImagesEarlier in Australia’s chase, Smith had hit 53 off 60, Finch made 44 off 41, and Marcus Stoinis provided the middle-order impetus following a long rain break, with his 44 off 31 balls, which featured four fours and two sixes. In all this, the highest partnership was the 67-run stand between Finch and Smith, and there was only one other fifty-plus stand. Sri Lanka kept taking wickets, but never in serious clumps.Through Finch, Smith, Stoinis, Maxwell, and even Marnus Labuschagne and Alex Carey – who both got scores in the 20s – Australia kept pushing themselves closer, and crucially, puttered along at a good run rate. Rains came down when Australia were 72 for 2 in the 13th over, clipping six overs from the chase. Perhaps the slightly slippery ball and deliveries skidding on to the bat helped Australia somewhat. But there was rarely a point at which their batters did not look composed.When they had begun the chase, the target was 301 off 50 overs, and Sri Lanka had mounted a score of 300 for 7 thanks to their openers, who put on 115 together, and Kusal Mendis, who hit 86 not out off 87. For the hosts, Pathum Nissanka made 56 off 68, and Danushka Gunathilaka hit 55 off 53, surging through the first 19 overs, before their wickets in quick succession slowed Sri Lanka’s progress. Mendis massaged them through that period however, with no little help from Charith Asalanka, with whom he forged a 77-run stand.Sri Lanka seemed headed for a score of around 280 off their 50 overs, which seemed pretty good on a slow track, until Hasaranga crashed five successive fours off Jhye Richardson in the 49th over, and put Sri Lanka in the vicinity of that 300 mark. Hasaranga’s 37 came off 19 balls.It seemed at that point that Sri Lanka had a fantastic chance of defending this total, because they had three frontline spinners in the XI, and Australia’s best bowler had been Ashton Agar, who took 2 for 49 from his 10. But these predictions clearly didn’t account for Maxwell. Sri Lanka will feel like they should have won this one. Maxwell’s hitting was just a little too good.

A “sensational” Manchester City player could agree a deal to leave the club in just a matter of days, according to a new report.

Man City's ageing squad proving problematic

Pep Guardiola may have to be the mastermind behind a major rebuild in January and the summer, given that his ageing squad has been way off the pace this season, with results over the past couple of months causing major concern.

Both Kyle Walker and İlkay Gündoğan have been fantastic servants to Man City, but they have received their fair share of criticism for failing to reach the heights expected of them so far this season. The duo are in the latter stages of their careers, as is Kevin De Bruyne, who hasn’t had his usual impact on matches up to this point, amid speculation about a rift between the Belgian and Guardiola.

Guardiola emphatically denied rumours of a fallout, saying: “People say I’ve got a problem with Kevin. Do you think I like to not play with Kevin? I don’t want Kevin to play? The guy who has the most talent in the final third. I don’t want it? I have a personal problem with him after nine years together?

“He’s delivered to me the biggest success to this club. I’m desperate to have his best. But he’s been five months injured and two months injured. He’s 33 years old. He needs time to find his best.”

Even though there may not be issues between the 33-year-old and his manager, there are indications that his time at the Etihad Stadium could be coming to an end. According to a report from Football Insider, De Bruyne is now closing in on a move away from City, with his £400,000 a week contract due to expire at the end of the season.

The midfielder is free to speak to other clubs when the January transfer window opens, and a deal could be done in a matter of days, with a move now becoming increasingly likely and San Diego FC being touted as a potential destination.

Man City now eyeing move to sign Gundogan-like midfielder ahead of Arsenal

He’s one for the future…

1 ByTom Cunningham Dec 29, 2024 Why De Bruyne is irreplacable

It would very difficult for any potential replacement to emulate what the Belgium international has done in a Man City shirt over the course of a trophy-laden nine years.

Lauded as “sensational”, the Man City star played a key role in his side’s Premier League title triumph just last season even when supposedly past his best, picking up four goals and 10 assists in 18 games.

Although the attacking midfielder has struggled with injuries for quite some time, he is still one of the first names on the teamsheet when fit, and Guardiola’s aforementioned comments indicate that he is still thought of very highly by his manager.

As such, it would be a real shame to see De Bruyne sign with another club this January, but his service to Manchester City has been unbelievable and nobody could begrudge him wanting a new challenge at this stage of his career.

Jack Grealish has been told he made an international error in choosing England over Ireland, while also being offered transfer advice.

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Represented Ireland at youth levelHas 39 Three Lions caps to his nameQuestions asked of future at CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Birmingham native Grealish, who started out on the books of Aston Villa, represented the Republic of Ireland at youth level from U17 to U21. In September 2015, the decision was taken to pledge allegiance to the Three Lions.

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Grealish made his senior England bow in 2020 and has reached 39 caps, scoring four goals along the way. The 29-year-old has been informed those numbers would be considerably higher had he not made a controversial switch between green and white.

WHAT ANDY TOWNSEND SAID

Ex-Ireland and Villa star Andy Townsend has told , who offer the latest Premier League odds: “Jack Grealish would have double the international caps if he picked Ireland over England. I've never agreed with the FIFA stance in the way that you can play friendly matches for one country, but because you haven't appeared in a tournament qualifier or tournament game you could then decide you want to go and play for someone else.

“That's not how I believe it should be. No one is forcing anyone to play international football. They're all grown men capable of understanding and making decisions for the here and now that are going to impact you long-term. I don't think you should be allowed to change. That's just an opinion. The rules are what they are.

“Jack would definitely have had a ton more caps playing for Ireland and he and Declan Rice would have absolutely been pivotal at the forefront of anything that's happened with Ireland. The two players would argue that the Irish team over the last few years has been really poor and it has. But maybe with their inclusion, it would have been a lot healthier.”

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GettyDID YOU KNOW?

Grealish was left out of Thomas Tuchel’s first squad as England manager, with struggles for regular game time and end product at Premier League champions Manchester City seeing questions asked of what the short and long-term future holds.

Simon Harmer’s 50 another fine effort as Essex rally after Worrall’s 3 for 0 in five balls

ECB Reporters Network19-Jul-2022Adam Rossington and Dan Worrall were the first-day heroes at the Kia Oval, with No. 7 Rossington scoring an extraordinary 100 and Worrall bowling brilliantly to take 6 for 56 as Surrey and Essex traded fierce blows in blistering conditions.Rossington rushed to his century with an exhilarating assault on the second new ball, in Essex’s 271 all out, clubbing Kemar Roach for three leg-side sixes before wearily skying the same bowler to long on in the 83rd over.Simon Harmer’s 50 was another fine effort as Essex rallied hard after Worrall had earlier taken 3 for 0 in five balls as the LV= Insurance County Championship leaders initially reduced their opponents to 91 for 6 by lunch.In 9.1 overs’ batting before stumps, Surrey replied with 24 for 1 with Ryan Patel, pushing forward, caught at second slip for 4 off Sam Cook from what proved to be the final ball of the day. Rory Burns remained 18 not out.The determined seventh-wicket stand of 113 in 41 overs between Rossington and Harmer held up Surrey for more than two-and-a-half hours and blunted an attack that had looked unstoppable in the morning session.Worrall, Roach and Jamie Overton were all highly impressive in a sustained, top-class exhibition of pacy swing bowling, with only Alastair Cook resisting for long in the opening session as Surrey’s battery of fast and fast-medium bowlers exerted an early stranglehold every bit as oppressive as the near-40 degree temperatures.Kemar Roach celebrates taking the wicket of Matt Critchley•Getty Images for Surrey CCCNick Browne got to 10 with a couple of flowing off-side strokes before Roach shaped one away from the left-hander from around the wicket to force him to thin-edge to keeper Ben Foakes in the fifth over.And although Tom Westley did well to dig out a searing Roach yorker early on as he reached 11, helping Cook to take Essex to 50, the Essex captain became the first of three strikes in quick succession by Worrall when he played around a straight ball and was bowled by the Australian’s third ball back into the attack.Worrall then pinned Dan Lawrence leg-before for 0 with his next ball and, with the first ball of his next over, made one climb steeply at Paul Walter to have the tall left-hander caught at leg slip off the glove.Matt Critchley narrowly survived two confident lbw appeals by Worrall, who was combining sharp outswing and inswing with exemplary control, and Essex did well almost to reach the sanctuary of the lunch interval before Surrey’s quicker bowlers intervened again.Overton, reintroduced five minutes before the break by Surrey captain Burns for a second spell – this time from the Vauxhall End – angled his second ball across Cook to have England’s record Test run-getter well held by Ollie Pope at second slip for a 75-ball 29.Roach then bowled Critchley for 21 off an inside edge and both Rossington and Harmer had to negotiate a number of leg-before appeals in the afternoon session before reaching tea at 194 for 6.Rossington, on 16, also edged a brute of a ball from Overton just out of third slip’s reach for four and, on 28, was close to being lbw to Tom Lawes. Harmer, for his part, narrowly avoided the umpire’s raised finger against Overton on 6 and Roach on 26. The West Indian paceman, in particular, looked distraught at the not out decision.Fourth-placed Essex, starting this game on the back of three successive championship wins but still 47 points adrift of Surrey, albeit with a game in hand, had chosen to bat on a well-grassed surface and Rossington’s heroics made sure they reached a competitive total.Harmer, having faced 147 balls, was finally lbw to Worrall, who then trapped Shane Snater in front two balls later to leave Essex 204 for 8.But tailender Sam Cook’s unbeaten 21 was a more than useful hand as 58 more runs were added with Rossington for the ninth wicket. After Rossington had gone to Roach (3 for 63) for his superb 151-ball and 227-minute effort, featuring those three late sixes and nine fours besides, Worrall finished the innings by having last man Jamie Porter leg-before for a duck.

With Graham Potter seemingly on his way to replace Julen Lopetegui, West Ham United are now reportedly plotting a move to sign a £40m young forward who could do the same to Niclas Fullkrug.

West Ham transfer news

Just when it looked as though Julen Lopetegui was turning things around at the London Stadium with a run of four games without defeat, Liverpool and Manchester City arrived to defeat the Hammers by a combined scoreline of 9-1 in what was the final straw for the Spaniard. In his place looks increasingly likely to be Graham Potter, who could make a return to management for the first time since being sacked by Chelsea in 2023.

In a move that must go to plan for Potter after his Chelsea failure and long wait to return to the technical area, the Hammers could turn towards the transfer market and instantly back their new manager. According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, West Ham are now plotting a move to sign Conrad Harder from Sporting CP in a deal worth €50m (£42m) this month.

European giants hold talks with agent of £27m West Ham player over move

A West Ham player could be set for a move away in this transfer window.

ByBrett Worthington Jan 7, 2025

With Chelsea and Arsenal also interested in the 19-year-old, West Ham will undoubtedly have to put together a convincing pitch to win the race and secure Harder’s signature for years to come. And that’s where Potter’s arrival and the Hammers’ hopeful rise as a result of that could pay dividends.

What should also provide those at the London Stadium with a much-needed boost in pursuit of the forward is that Sporting are reportedly demanding £40m rather than Harder’s €80m (£67m) release clause.

"Amazing" Harder would solve West Ham's striker problem

With Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen currently sidelined, West Ham will be forced to turn towards summer signing Fullkrug to step up once and for all following a slow start to life in the Premier League. Alas, at 31 years old, the former Borussia Dortmund forward is far from a long-term option or perhaps even a short-term replacement for Bowen in current form. Instead, that’s where Harder could make an instant impact.

The 19-year-old has risen to stardom at Sporting this season, scoring nine goals and assisting a further six in 29 games in all competitions. Earning impressive praise as a result, Harder’s start to life in Portugal was dubbed “amazing” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig back in November.

At just £40m, West Ham could land one of the bargains of the window and a player with plenty more to come by securing Harder’s signature this month.

Everything you need to know about French midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni's salary playing for Real Madrid

Real Madrid haven't been short of French players in recent times, one of them being combative midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni.

The France international earned his big-money move to Real Madrid in 2022 after two impressive seasons with Ligue 1 side AS Monaco and has played a key role in Real Madrid's success in Spain and in Europe, also filling in at centre-back in the absence of key defenders due to injuries.

Tchouameni earns a substantial salary at Los Blancos under his current contract, which keeps him at the club until 2028.

But exactly how much does the French star earn playing at the Bernabeu?

GOAL delved into the numbers with Capology and found out!

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Aurelien Tchouameni's wages at Real Madrid in numbers

Tchouameni's current contract at the club earns him weekly wages of £201,022 ($263,152), putting him on par with the likes of Rodrygo and Eduardo Camavinga. His annual salary amounts to £10.4 million ($13.6 million).

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Aurelien Tchouameni

French

  £201,022

$263,152

£10,453,154

$13,683,882

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTop earners at Real Madrid

Despite his high wages, Tchouameni does not make the cut for the top five highest-earners at the club.

Leading Real Madrid's wage bill is French forward Kylian Mbappe, with David Alaba somewhat surprisingly following in second place.

Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Jr. take the third and fourth spots with identical wages, while Federico Valverde rounds off the list at fifth.

Player

Nationality

Weekly wages in GBP

Weekly wages in USD

Annual wages in GBP

Annual wages in USD

Kylian Mbappe

French

£502,556

$657,879

£26,132,886

$34,209,706

David Alaba

Austrian

£361,840

$473,673

£18,815,678

$24,630,988

Jude Bellingham

English

£334,983

$438,516

£17,419,136

$22,802,822

Vinicius Jr.

Brazilian

£334,983

$438,516

£17,419,136

$22,802,822

Fede Valverde

Uruguayan

£268,083

$350,939

£13,940,327

$18,248,826

Top earners in La Liga

When it comes to the top earners in LaLiga, we have Barcelona's veteran striker Robert Lewandowski as the highest-paid player.

Mbappe makes his appearance at second position, once again followed by Alaba.

Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid's only entrant in the list is goalkeeper Jan Oblak, followed by Bellingham who is on equal wages with Vinicius at number five.

Nationality

Nationality

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual Wages USD

Robert Lewandowski

Polish

£536,006

$701,667

£27,872,290

$36,486,704

Kylian Mbappe

French

£502,556

$657,879

£26,132,886

$34,209,706

David Alaba

Austrian

£361,840

$473,673

£18,815,678

$24,630,988

Jan Oblak

Slovenian

£334,983

$438,516

£17,419,136

$22,802,822

Jude Bellingham

English

£334,983

$438,516

£17,419,136

$22,802,822ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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AFPHighest paid players in the world

Despite the lucrative wages in the league, none of the top LaLiga earners make it to the top-five earners list globally as Saudi Pro League players heavily dominate the list.

Leading the charts are former Real Madrid forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema at first and second spot, respectively.

Meanwhile, Riyad Mahrez comes in at number three, followed by Senegalese internationals Sadio Mane and Kalidou Koulibaly.

Player

Club

Weekly wages GBP

Weekly wages USD

Annual wages GBP

Annual wages USD

Cristiano Ronaldo

Al Nassr

£3,216,155

$4,210,425

£167,250,468

$218,942,120

Karim Benzema

Al Ittihad

£1,608,178

$2,105,213

£83,625,234

$109,471,060

Riyad Mahrez

Al Ahli

£839,469

$1,098,921

£45,652,372

$57,43,893

Sadio Mane

Al Nassr

£643,271

$842,085

£33,450,094

$43,788,424

Kalidou Koulibaly

Al Hilal

£558,038

$730,509

£29,017,956

$37,986,458

Scotland were playing catch-up for most part of the game after letting NZ off early

Sam Dalling27-Jul-2022The Grange, nestled in leafy Stockbridge, Edinburgh, is a place of beauty. It is everything cricket should be. Intimate, homely and welcoming.But on this Wednesday in late July, it felt like a place holding much darkness. Scottish cricket has reached, it hopes, its annus horribilis.On the field Scotland took a thumping from New Zealand, who started the two-match series with a 68-run victory. That was largely thanks to a sublime Finn Allen hundred, his first professionally in this format.Now Allen is a special talent, who will light up both international and franchise stages for years to come.But former Scotland skipper Kyle Coetzer – speaking pre-match on the ICC’s live stream having recently retired from T20 cricket – came up with what was really the day’s only salient point: “Nobody should face racism in this sport, or any sport for that matter,” he said.Related

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Except they have. For this was not just Scotland’s first T20I since last year’s World Cup; it was also their first outing since Monday’s publication of a damning independent report that highlighted institutional racism – 448 instances of it – and recommended Cricket Scotland be placed under special measures until at least October 2023.Qasim Sheikh and Majid Haq both represented their country with distinction before being unceremoniously dropped for suggesting race was a factor in selection. The former when aged just 25, the latter during the 2015 World Cup, from which he was sent home.Both spoke out about their experiences bravely, initiating and driving the review forward. Both were present at The Grange, willingly engaging with all who spoke to them in the hope of the one thing they really want; to make things better for those who come next.”There was a bit of shock to see the outcome of the report,” Scotland head coach Shane Burger admitted afterwards. “I would like to see it investigated properly and to make sure things are in place to make sure it never happens again. Many other sports can not only learn from us, but can learn from what has happened in cricket within the last 12-months. We are really hoping that we can lead the way.”I’m not here to judge what’s right or wrong or what has happened. I haven’t been privy to conversations that have happened in the past. All I know is we all need to get better, we all need to improve and we would like to do this together.”Having heard Sheikh would be attending, Burger picked up the phone to extend a welcome. It was a call that Sheikh appreciated. “I just wanted to say thank you for coming to support us,” Burger explained. “Because that’s the only way we get better and heal from this. We want more fans to support the badge. I want to wear this badge with pride and I’m sure all the players do.”Despite everything, both Sheikh and Haq willed Scotland on to victory. They witnessed skipper Richie Berrington inviting the opposition to set the target. And they almost witnessed his side set the tone: Allen might have fallen without scoring had Hamza Tahir held on to a sharp return chance in the opening over. It was, in fairness, very sharp.And then Chris Sole’s first delivery should have seen off Martin Guptill in the second over. An overstep gave Guptill a reprieve. Two down for not many; what might have been.For Allen and Sole, the remainder of the innings could not have been more contrasting. Allen was a force of measured brutality. He got up on his toes off Sole, punching him through cover, before clipping off those same toes wide of long on. With the powerplay done, Allen shuffled and hit Tahir into the hedges next to the sightscreen. Two balls later, he cleared them.Now back to poor Sole. That no-ball cost 16 from the over and 40 all told, those runs made breezily by Guptill. He fell to Berrington with the score on 85.Allen would then smash a further illegitimate delivery for a one-handed six. Again Allen’s hand and handle were parted, but Mark Watt was still driven straight. Three figures came in just 54 balls. “I’ve been working on my tempo a little bit for the last few months,” he said afterwards. “For it to come off was nice. It was good to put a performance on the board for New Zealand.”Ish Sodhi equaled his best T20I bowling figures•Getty ImagesLate cameos from Daryl Mitchell (23* from 13) and Jimmy Neesham, who crunched 30 off just 9 balls, took New Zealand to a daunting 225.Sole finished with 1 for 72 from his allocation, bearing the brunt of the six hitting (and there were 14 all in). Safyaan Sharif, whom Mitchell tucked into at the death, also went at steady 12s. Spinners Watt and Chris Greaves on the other hand, conceded just 63 off their eight overs.Scotland started serenely enough, if a little slow-paced. That meant that, despite reaching 62 without loss after eight, the required run rate was at 13.66. Even on a ground with such small dimensions, that would take some going.Acceleration was required but implosion came; four wickets in 13 balls and victory chances snuffed. George Munsey went first, reverse sweeping Ish Sodhi to Michael Bracewell at deep point. That same over, Ollie Hairs took six off Sodhi before mistiming a slog sweep that spent so long in the air, local distilleries produced new Single Malts. Sodhi took the catch.Calum Macleod quickly offered Mitchell Santner a caught and bowled, before Sodhi – who eventually matched the 4 for 28 he took against Australia in 2021 – bowled Berrington. Scotland had slipped to 73 for 4.Although Greaves made a spirited 31 at a decent lick, the home crowd’s biggest late afternoon cheer came when Neesham misfielded in front of the Portaloos.Otherwise, it was virtually silent. Perhaps some time for reflection. Much of that is needed.