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Ninety seven players, including 26 from Pakistan and several former ICL cricketers, have registered for the third IPL auction

Cricinfo staff02-Jan-2010Ninety-seven players, including 26 from Pakistan and several latterly with the ICL, have registered for the third IPL auction, which will be held on January 19. The list also includes four players from Associate countries – Rizwan Cheema and Khurram Chohan (Canada), Ryan ten Doeschate (Netherlands), Niall O’Brien (Ireland) – as well as former Zimbabwe nationals Murray Goodwin and Ray Price.Prominent among the players who were part of the unofficial ICL are Shane Bond, who recently retired from Test cricket, Damien Martyn, Chris Cairns, Saqlain Mushtaq and Justin Kemp.The Pakistanis – the current world Twenty20 champions – include Mohammed Aamer and Umar Akmal, and the list also includes the exciting West Indian Kieron Pollard.Merely registering, however, does not guarantee the player will be included in the auction list. The IPL will send the list of 97 names to the franchises who will then select those players they would like included in the auction. The selected players will be informed of their inclusion by January 5.The number of overseas players a franchise may have on its roster is capped at ten and at present it is unclear how many slots are available. In 2009, over 100 players registered for the auction out of which 50 went under the hammer to fill 17 available overseas slots. The IPL said it expected the number of places to be substantially lower this time.The list sets a “preliminary expected availability” date against each player’s name and, intriguingly, those from Australia and South Africa have been marked as free from the conclusion of their domestic competitions – the Sheffield Shield, in the case of Australian players, and the Standard Bank Pro20 series for South Africans. This suggests that the league has shifted from its earlier stated position, that players would have to put the IPL above their domestic tournaments and be available for the entire season.That decision, taken in November, said defaulting players would face penalties including termination of player contracts and a ban on future participation, although Lalit Modi, the league’s chairman, told Cricinfo that this would only happen in a worst-case scenario.Registered players
Pakistan: Mohammed Aamer, Shahid Afridi, Shahzad Ahmed, Saeed Ajmal, Umar Akmal, Fawad Alam, Yasir Arafat, Mohammad Asif, Salman Butt, Imran Farhat, Mohammad Hafeez, Yasir Hameed, Faisal Iqbal, Asim Kamal, Danish Kaneria, Mohammad Khalil, Abdur Rauf, Khalid Latif, Azhar Mahmood, Shoaib Malik, Khurram Manzoor, Saqlain Mushtaq, Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, Imran Nazir, Abdul Razzaq, Mohammad Sami.Sri Lanka: Malinga Bandara, Indika de Saram, Chinthaka Jayasinghe, Thilina Kandamby, Chamara Kapugedera, Nuwan Kulasekera, Suranga Lakmal, Jehan Mubarak, Thisara Perera, Dammika Prasad, Muthumudalige Pushpakumara, Suraj Randiv, Rangana Herath, Gihan Rupasinghe, Upul Tharanga, Kaushalya Weeraratne, ChanakaWelegedara.South Africa: Yusuf Abdulla, Nicky Boje, Zander de Bruyn, Tyron Henderson, Justin Kemp, Rory Kleinveldt, Andre Nel, Wayne Parnell, Vernon Philander, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Johan van der Wath, CJ de Villiers.New Zealand: Shane Bond, Ian Butler, Chris Cairns, Brendon Diamanti, Grant Elliott, Martin Guptill, Nathan McCullum, Daryl Tuffey, Lou Vincent.West Indies: Carlton Baugh, Tino Best, Daren Ganga, Wavell Hinds, Kieron Pollard, Kemar Roach, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Lendl Simmons.Australia: Brad Haddin, Phillip Hughes, Ashley Noffke, Jason Krejza, Ben Laughlin, Graham Manou, Damien Martyn, Clint McKay, Adam Voges.England: Tim Bresnan, Anthony McGrath, Eoin Morgan, Monty Panesar, Adil Rashid, Jonathan Trott Usman Afzaal, James Foster.Bangladesh: Shakib Al Hasan, Shahriar Nafees.Canada: Rizwan Cheema, Khurram Chohan.Zimbabwe: Murray Goodwin, Ray Price.Ireland: Niall O’BrienNetherlands: Ryan ten Doeschate

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Football FanCast recently held a series of interviews with former England and Liverpool winger John Barnes, who was speaking on behalf of bookmaker comparison platform BonusCodeBets.co.uk

In part one of our conversation with Barnes, he discussed Liverpool’s current title credentials and reflected upon his own experiences of being a key part of the last Liverpool side to win a league title.

Barnes is also remembered as one of the most high-profile black footballers of his generation. Along with Viv Anderson, Barnes was one of only two black players to have been included in the England squad that travelled to Mexico for the 1986 World Cup.

This season has seen a number of high-profile incidents of racial abuse occurring at Premier League grounds. A banana skin was thrown at Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, whilst Manchester City’s Raheem Sterling was also subjected to abuse at Stamford Bridge.

Is this a problem that never actually went away?

“Yes. It’s a problem in society and I’ve said it for the last 20 years, as long as racism exists in society then it exists in all walks of society, which football is a part of. Because there’s been a directive to ban people if they’re engaging in racist chanting, they’ve kept their mouths shut. Now they’re opening their mouths again. So I never felt it went away. 

“Maybe people felt a little bit complacent in showing their true colours because they knew they’d get kicked out of matches, but in the heat of the moment people say things. They’re not the only ones and that’s not the only time it’s happened, it’s been happening throughout. It’s happened at lower division games, it’s happened at games that aren’t high-profile. Now it’s happened in a high-profile game – with Raheem Sterling – so it’s mentioned. But at every single game, I should imagine, there will have been some kind of abuse if there were black players playing.

“I suppose people now are reporting it more, whereas probably they didn’t report it over the years because they didn’t think it was important, and now people are reporting it. I don’t think it’s necessarily getting worse than it ever was.”

Be sure to check out the incredible story of the man who rose from a Tanzanian refugee camp to become one of Australia’s biggest football stars in the video below…

Some people might think things have got better in the last 10 or 15 years…

“I don’t know why people would think that. What goes on in society has not got better, so why should football be any different?

“Football isn’t different to society and if you look at incidences of discrimination in society we still haven’t gotten any better, so why should football? What they’ve done is they’ve kept it quiet.

“So, what are we trying to do? Are we trying to get rid of racism or do we just not want to hear it? All football can do is make people not say it, which means that you can keep your mouth shut but be as racist as you want, but people just won’t hear it. Then people think it has gone away.

“No, it hasn’t gone away. So, every now and again, when people can’t control themselves, they say things that they’ve probably been thinking for the last ten years but they haven’t said.”

In terms of the authorities, do they have a responsibility to do more?

“The clubs can do nothing. How can a club change a racist’s ideas if he’s a racist? What can the club do? The club’s say ‘keep your mouth shut when you’re in our stadium’, but apart from that, how are they going to change that man’s perception? [Perceptions can only change] through education, and people understanding why they’re racist in the first place.

“The clubs and the authorities can’t change grown men’s ideas and perceptions of other people. That’s not what they’re there to do. What they can do is govern their house by saying ‘if we hear anything, then we will ban you or kick you out, or arrest you.’ They can’t change the perception that, if you are racist, you have. Society has to do that, not football clubs or football players or football managers.”

Can the media play a greater role in changing these perceptions?

“Of course. Raheem [Sterling] mentioned the fact that he feels that they have an influence. The media do influence peoples’ perceptions. I’m not talking about with footballers, I’m talking about in life. You read about Muslim grooming gangs or Jamaican Yardie drug dealers – but if they’re white, they don’t say white grooming gangs or English drug dealers. 

“The media has a role in influencing peoples’ perceptions of other cultures. That is much more impactful than anything football does. This stuff is in the media every day.”

Is that different media treatment something you experienced as well, in your own playing days?

“I didn’t experience more than the normal man in the street. That’s the thing everybody experienced. That’s what I’m saying, we cannot compartmentalise it and say ‘in football it’s like this but in society it’s not.’ I’m no different to anybody else in society, any other black man walking down the street who is racially disenfranchised.

“So, yes, it’s high-profile, so we know about it in football or maybe with John Barnes, but it happens everyday for black people in their lives and I am one of them. It’s no different for me than with anybody else.

“The most important thing is not to focus on Raheem Sterling being abused, or John Barnes, but to focus on what’s going on in the inner-cities if we really want to get rid of racism. Until we get rid of that kind of racism, that effects the average man in the street, you’ll always have it in football.”

In part three of Football FanCast’s interview with Barnes, he discusses England’s World Cup run in Russia and reflects upon his own career at international level.

The BCCI has sent show-cause notices to seven of the eight players involved in the pub brawl in St Lucia on May 11, the day India were knocked out of the World Twenty20

Cricinfo staff18-May-2010The BCCI has sent show-cause notices to seven of the eight players involved in the pub brawl in St Lucia on May 11, the day India were knocked out of the World Twenty20. According to a board source the seven players are Yuvraj Singh, Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Ravindra Jadeja and Murali Vijay. The players have been given a week to explain their role, if any, in the incident and why the board should not take disciplinary action against them. If the responses are found unsatisfactory, the matter will be taken up by the board’s disciplinary committee.Four of the seven players will be touring Zimbabwe for India’s next international assignment but the pull-up is expected to have no impact on their participation in the tour.The eight players had gone to the pub early evening when allegedly some of the fans present inside started heckling one of the players. Unable to stand the taunting, the others reportedly came to the rescue of the team-mate but it only resulted in an unruly brawl.The BCCI bosses, including its president Shashank Manohar, were said to be highly critical of the incident after hearing the report of team manager Ranjib Biswal in person on Monday in Mumbai. Biswal had submitted his report on Saturday to the board’s chief administrative officer Ratnakar Shetty but he stayed back to report to Manohar and N Srinivasan, the board secretary, who was also present at the briefing.This is the first instance of the board pulling up so many players in public. But Manohar, the BCCI president, has always had the reputation of being a strict administrator and on this occasion he possibly felt the board was left with little option but to give a warning to the players considering the World Cup is nine months away. And to tolerate such indiscipline, especially after India’s exit from the Super Eights in the World Twenty20 for the second year in a row, would have been inappropriate.Incidentally, Biswal denied reports of the brawl when he returned to India. “There is no truth at all about the brawl. It is all media creation that is doing the rounds,” he said last week.

The last thing Everton needs right now is losing any key players, as they try to navigate their way through an injury crisis and a lack of depth in many areas of their squad that has resulted in only five wins from 17 games in the Premier League, leaving them 15th in the table.

With the transfer window in less than 72 hours, Rafa Benitez must avoid the departure of any important players in his side to ensure he can rebuild and climb the table to get back into the top half for a satisfactory finish with the Toffees.

Everton superstar, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, has been rumoured with a move away to Arsenal for weeks, and even pundits have been adding fuel to the flames by encouraging the injured striker to make a move to Arsenal.

Gunners legend, Lee Dixon, spoke to the MailOnline about the potential of Arsenal signing the Toffees forward in the January transfer window;

“Would I like to see Calvert-Lewin at Arsenal? I think yes.

“It would be a step up for Calvert-Lewin, no disrespect to Everton.

“He is fit and athletic, he is strong and good in the air and a good finisher. I would take him.”

The MailOnline did also reported earlier this month, that Arsenal were interested in signing Calvert Lewin, but there has been no further links or official interest made by the London club as of yet, despite both Dixon and Paul Merson making their feelings clear about Arsenal’s potential signing of the player this week.

Fans will be fuming

If Benitez wasn’t already unpopular with fans, due to his successes as manager of fierce local rivals Liverpool, selling Calvert Lewin would be the final nail in the coffin for fans of the club and considered unforgivable, with the goal machine being arguably Everton’s best player, scoring 56 goals and bagging 16 assists in 176 appearances.

Selling the centre forward would be unwise with Everton’s severe lack of goals and creativity conceding more than they’ve scored this season so far, even with or without the fans on the manager’s back, it doesn’t make sense to cash in on him when what he can potentially offer to the side in the second half of the season is priceless.

It would be unlikely that Everton would let the £40.5m-rated star go, unless there was a huge, inflated offer from interested clubs, which actually isn’t unheard of in the January transfer window, Andy Carroll to Liverpool for £35m springs to mind, especially with many clubs desperate for prolific goal-scorers to assist with securing a good finish in the second half of the season.

The 28 year old has been side-lined since the early stages of the season sustaining a quadriceps injury and a broken toe, meaning he hasn’t played since scoring against Brighton on August 28th 2021.

He then suffered a setback with his recovery progress, and is only now in contention for selection for the side as we head into 2022, with the possibility of an appearance against Brighton on Sunday, although the England international did expect to be back in the side on Boxing Day, however postponement of fixtures hasn’t allowed that.

In other news: Benitez could solve problems by signing Vecino

Jesse Lingard is eating barbecue ribs and playing with a smile in South Korea, with the ex-Manchester United star saying “the boy is happy” again.

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Released by Forest in summer of 2023Spent several months as a free agentTaken on exciting new challenge in AsiaGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

That was not the case for a long time, with the former England international spending several months as a free agent following his release by Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022-23 campaign. Despite working on a personal training programme and taking in trials at West Ham and Al-Ettifaq, Lingard struggled to attract a contract offer.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

He was linked with a move to MLS at one stage, while also attracting interest from Turkey, but now finds himself in the Far East with FC Seoul. Lingard has stepped a long way outside of his comfort zone, but is embracing a new challenge in Asia.

WHAT LINGARD POSTED

Lingard has settled quickly among new team-mates, with his infectious personality rubbing off on those around him. He has now shared a collection of pictures on social media that help to prove why he is “happy” once more – as the 31-year-old midfielder enjoys himself on and off the pitch.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?

Lingard has committed to a two-year contract with FC Seoul and will be hoping to rediscover a spark that he lost towards the end of his time at Old Trafford and during an injury-ravaged one-season stint with Forest at the City Ground.

Peter McGlashan, the New Zealand and Northern Districts wicketkeeper, has retired from all cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jul-2012Peter McGlashan, the New Zealand and Northern Districts wicketkeeper, has retired from all cricket. McGlashan was named in New Zealand’s 30-man preliminary squad for the ICC World Twenty20 in September, but he has chosen a career outside of cricket with the Glenn Family Foundation, an initiative geared towards eliminating domestic violence.”It’s an incredible chance to make a difference to people’s lives, through Owen’s [Owen Glenn, the foundation’s founder] remarkable vision,” McGlashan said. “I’m going to be assisting in the community in an area in which I know I would love to be working for the next 35 to 40 years.”Having seen how excited people in Otara [a South Auckland suburb] are about this project, and knowing the difference it will make, I realised I would not feel comfortable standing out there catching balls while that work waited. I wish the Black Caps well and I will miss being part of the Northern Knights, something that I’m sure will really hit me in summer. But I’m already comfortable that it’s the right decision to retire at this point and I feel very fortunate to be exiting the game for an exciting role about which I am truly passionate.”McGlashan, 33, played four ODIs, scoring one half-century, and 11 T20 internationals for New Zealand. He made his first-class debut in 2000-01, and went on to lay 71 games, averaging 29.57 with the bat and finishing with 195 catches and 13 stumpings. In 2009, he set a New Zealand first-class wicketkeeping record for the most dismissals in a match – 12. He took six catches in each innings of that Plunket Shield game against Central Districts and, incidentally, it was also a world record for the most catches taken by an individual in a first-class match.Northern Districts coach Grant Bradburn said McGlashan’s innovative ability stood out. “Pete is a hugely experienced and skilful player, particularly in the shorter forms of the game – and that calibre of skills you just don’t develop overnight,” he said. “His amazing ability to innovate and look at things from a different angle, whether it’s been through introducing new gear and equipment or using fresh approaches in the middle, have helped the game in New Zealand.”An example is a one-day match we played against the Otago Volts two seasons ago in which he changed bats between overs, depending on which bowler he would be facing plus the direction of the wind. He’d use the shorter Mongoose bat for the downwind bowling and the long-handle into the wind.”I’d never seen an innovation like that before, but he was the master of putting pressure on bowlers at the death in one-dayers or Twenty20s, as well as being the master of the reverse-sweep. And, of course, one of our most accomplished wicketkeepers, to boot. We will miss him, but I’m stoked for Pete as we’re losing him to a very fine cause.”Northern Districts CEO David Cooper added: “The New Zealand Cricket Players Association takes a lead role in ensuring players have the skills and networks to manage their post-cricket future and I think Pete is a shining example to all players of someone who has taken those opportunities and developed his personal and professional abilities whilst still a player.”There is no question Pete would have featured in our plans for the coming season, however he now has another tremendous opportunity with the Glenn Family Foundation and, knowing the man he is, we are certain that Pete will add real value there and continue making a significant and positive difference to our society. He leaves with our very best wishes.”Prior to joining Northern Districts in 2004, McGlashan represented Central Districts in 2000-01 and 2000-02 and Otago in 2002-03.

ManchesterÂCity topping the Premier League table: an almost certainty. Ever since Pep Guardiola came to the Etihad Stadium, his Citizens have been irrepressible, winning three out of the five campaigns he has contested as theÂCityÂboss.Several people thought his boys would haveÂa bigger taskÂon their hands this time around due to the strength of Liverpool and Chelsea. Indeed, Chelsea has been considered the favourite for the trophy for most of the year. However, with City moving into familiar territory, the club’s odds have changed, and the reason is its transfer policy.

Holding onto His Stars

To say that Guardiola is a people-pleaser is wrong. Whether it’s his critics or his players, or both, he has detractors. After the initial honeymoon period wears off, someone within the squad inevitably gets the hump, and this season has been no different in this regard. For whatever reason, Raheem Sterling, a reported Barcelona target, finds himself on the bench.

İlkay Gündoğan is another top footballer who was pivotal last season, yet isn’t getting as much game time. Regardless, they remain at the club, and they are ideal people to call on when the festive period takes the squad’s collective fitness to breaking point. The Watford game is the case and point as Sterling and Gündoğan wreaked absolute havoc.

Objectively, Chelsea and Liverpool don’t have the same firepower, even if their first-11s are on par withÂCity’s. Therefore, it’s hardly surprising that theÂoutright Premier League markets now have the Citizens staked at short odds of 20/31, whereas Chelsea’s odds have slumped to 5/1. If the Blues can’t compete with their Manchester rivals now, how will they cope over Christmas and in January when they lose players to the African Cup of Nations?

No Striker, More Fluidity

A lot has been made about losing Sergio Aguero and replacing him with another midfielder/forward hybrid in Jack Grealish. Of course, the fact that City paid a whopping £100 million for the former-Aston Villa man only adds to the hype and although he hasn’t settled into his new surroundings as of yet, the purchase highlights Guardiola’s newfound strategy.

With six midfield players, his team is much more fluid. Just look at how many times the person playing in the false number nine position switches. Sometimes it’s Silva, sometimes it’s Kevin de Bruyne, and sometimes it’s Phil Foden. It’s very rarely Gabriel Jesus, the only striker in the team. However, playing a midfielder through the middle and as a forward, out wide, gives his men the freedom to roam away from defenders and pick up the ball in space while protecting his defenders.

Plus, since most of his “wingers†aren’t traditional, like Jesus, they tend to come inside to connect the play, leaving huge gaps for Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo to exploit, the latter transforming intoÂa key cogÂin the Man City machine in the last season-and-a-half. Most managers would have buckled and paid over the odds for Harry Kane or Erling Braut Haaland, yet Guardiola is sticking to his plan and it’s working.

Being able to keep his top players at the club, including those who aren’t playing, and opting to go without a striker is why Man City are the firm favourites for another Premier League title this season.

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The ex-Liverpool goalkeeper, who is set to make his Newcastle debut at Wembley, has had a tough time since his Champions League final nightmare

He’s a confident guy, is Loris Karius, but even he must have wondered whether an opportunity like this would ever come his way again.

Five years is a long time to wait for a shot at redemption, but the German will get his in the Carabao Cup final at Wembley on Sunday. A chance to banish some demons, to play the hero for once. A chance to rewrite the story of a career which until now is defined only by its worst night.

Newcastle’s biggest game since 1999 will be Karius’ first for an English club since 2018, when his errors cost Liverpool the Champions League final against Real Madrid.

He has not played competitively for any club in nearly two years, and his Magpies career so far consists of just a 45-minute run-out against Al Hilal in a mid-season friendly in Saudi Arabia in December.

All that will change this weekend, though, when he lines up against Marcus Rashford and Manchester United beneath the Wembley arch.

With Nick Pope suspended, Martin Dubravka cup-tied and Karl Darlow having been sent out on loan, Karius will be asked to step up and deliver for Eddie Howe’s side, as Newcastle look to secure their first major trophy since 1969.

If he can do it, then maybe we can all finally move past the tears of Kyiv. And after everything Karius has been through in the intervening period, who could begrudge the 29-year-old his day in the sun?

This is his story…

GettyThe fall

Karius is something of an Instagram specialist but the above message, posted on May 27, 2018, is the one he will always be most remembered for.

What was supposed to be the greatest night of his young career had turned into a nightmare, his blunders gifting goals to first Karim Benzema and then Gareth Bale, as Real Madrid secured victory in an otherwise evenly-matched Champions League final.

Karius was in tears at the final whistle, though he was, to his enormous credit, brave enough to front up in front of the TV cameras post-match. “If I could go back in time, I would,” he said. “Today, I lost my team the game. I feel sorry for everyone.”

He flew to the USA after the final and, at Liverpool’s request and following a call to Klopp from German legend Franz Beckenbauer, underwent medical checks at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where it was revealed he had suffered a "visual spatial dysfunction" concussion during a collision with Real’s Sergio Ramos shortly before his first big error. 

“Five days after the final, Loris had 26 of 30 markers for a concussion still,” said Jurgen KIopp later. “We don’t use it as an excuse, we use it as an explanation.”

Few, in truth, showed much sympathy. Karius, at that point, had played his last competitive game for Liverpool.

AdvertisementGettyLeaving Liverpool

After a summer of soul-searching – and plenty of Instagramming in California – Karius reported for pre-season with Liverpool, and while the Reds pursued a new No.1 in Alisson Becker, the plan was for the German to act as understudy, with Simon Mignolet allowed to leave the club.

But a friendly at Tranmere changed all that. Karius, taunted mercilessly from the stands, blundered again, fumbling a free-kick from Oliver Norburn to cost his side a goal. In the aftermath, Ben Tollitt, Rovers’ Liverpool-supporting winger, was caught telling the goalkeeper “you are f*cking shite!”, while on the sidelines, Klopp's grimace told its own story.

It was clear to Liverpool that the wounds of Kyiv were still raw, both for the player and for supporters, and that having Karius around as No.2 to Alisson would represent too great a risk.

Mignolet’s proposed move to Napoli was shelved, much to the Belgian’s annoyance, and by the end of August Karius had moved to Turkish side Besiktas, signing a two-year loan deal for a fee of £2.25 million ($2.7m), with the option to make the move permanent for £7.25m ($8.7m).

GettyTurkish despair

On the face of it, Karius did a decent enough job rebuilding after leaving Liverpool. He made 35 appearances in his first season with Besiktas, with the Istanbul giants finishing a close third behind champions and local rivals Galatasaray in the Super Lig standings.

The spotlight, though, continued to shine brightly. He was mocked for a bizarre error in a Europa League game against Malmo, allowing a mishit cross from the right to sail over his head and into the net, and after a poor performance against Konyaspor, his coach, Senol Gunes, gave an interview in which he questioned Karius’ mentality.

“He has gone a bit stagnant,” Gunes said. “Something is wrong with his electricity, motivation, enthusiasm for the game.

"It hasn't worked out and we have a problem. Let me put it this way, if I still had Tolga [Zengin] available, I would play him.”

Off the pitch, Karius had issues too. He reported Besiktas to FIFA after they failed to pay him for four months during his first campaign in Turkey and though he stuck around for another season, playing a further 30 times, another issue over unpaid wages led to him cancelling his loan contract in April 2020. 

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GettyBack to Germany

Karius returned to Liverpool in the summer of 2020, but with Adrian established as the Reds’ No.2 and young Irishman Caoimhin Kelleher emerging fast, he was informed by Klopp that there was no prospect of first-team action.

Interest from French side Montpellier and Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin came to nothing, but towards the end of a transfer window elongated by the coronavirus pandemic, Karius was able to secure a move to another Berlin side, Union, on a season-long loan.

It looked a good fit, Karius returning to his homeland, where he still boasted a good reputation from his time with Mainz, and expecting to play for a team that had consolidated its top-flight status the previous season.

He would, however, make only five competitive appearances, kept out of the side by the veteran Andreas Luthe, with manager Urs Fischer’s decision more than justified by Union’s impressive seventh-placed finish.

"Of course, when I moved, I was told that I would play, otherwise I wouldn’t have come either,” Karius would subsequently tell .

"We looked each other in the eye at the end of the season and shook hands. Everyone told me that I was incredibly important to the team and that they were sorry how it went.

"But when you look at it all, it was certainly not exactly fair. Simply because of what was shown to me in advance.”

The league's two top goal-scorers feature in Goal's best XI for the 2020-21 campaign, which saw Chelsea retain their title

Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal dominate Goal's Women's Super League team of the season after once again locking out the top three spots in the league, all clinching Women's Champions League football for next season as a result.

The Blues clinched the title for a second successive year, their fourth title overall, while City came second for the fifth time in six years – the only exception being the 2016 season, when they won the division.

Manchester United, who topped the table at Christmas but just missed out on the European spots in the end, are the only other club represented in this XI, telling of the 15-point gap between the top four and the rest of the league.

GettyGK | Ellie Roebuck

Only Ann-Katrin Berger kept more clean sheets this campaign than Man City's Ellie Roebuck, the 21-year-old having another excellent year after also making Goal's 2019-20 team of the season.

That Golden Glove award would have likely been shared too, had Roebuck not missed the final day of the season through injury.

She has a strong defence in front of her to help, but a save percentage of 68% – the fourth highest of any goalkeeper playing more than 10 WSL games – shows the England international more than plays her part, too.

“The sky's the limit for Ellie," head coach Gareth Taylor said earlier this season. “She’s a great girl to work with, really mature for her age, enjoys the challenge and gets the bit between her teeth."

AdvertisementGettyRB | Ona Batlle

After signing from Levante in the summer, Ona Batlle has quickly endeared herself to Manchester United fans this season with performances that typify the modern day full-back.

As well as being an excellent attacking threat, playing at times in an inverted full-back role that sees her really get at teams in the final third, the Spaniard has shown just what a brilliant one-v-one defender she can be.

Despite playing for a team that are one of the strongest in the league, she is among the top five when it comes to tackles won this year. At 21 years old, she will only get better, too.

GettyCB | Magdalena Eriksson

To understand how good Magdalena Eriksson is, and how important she is to her team, one only has to look at how Chelsea have performed without her this season.

The Blues' captain is the leader of this title-winning side and whole team looks more assured when she is on the pitch, such is her status as one of the best centre-backs in Europe and, arguably, the best in the WSL.

That Emma Hayes touted her as a future Chelsea manager earlier this season tells you everything you need to know about her character and footballing intelligence.

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GettyCB | Alex Greenwood

When Alex Greenwood returned to the WSL in the summer, most expected her to renew a competition for places that she is familiar with when playing for England, battling with Demi Stokes for the starting left-back spot at City.

As the season transpired, Greenwood instead spent most of it as a centre-back – and she has thrived, having the best individual season of her career to date.

Her composure in possession has been essential for the way City play, while her set-piece deliveries have been problematic for every team in the league. Arsenal's Katie McCabe was the only defender to create more chances all season.

PSG have a number of choices to consider as the best possible replacement for Kylian Mbappe, who could be on his way out in the summer.

How on earth do PSG replace Mbappe? The 24-year-old is one of the best players in the world, a completely unique footballer. There is no equivalent talent, or archetype of player. And if there was, he certainly wouldn't be for sale, no matter how deep PSG's pockets are.

But there are some elements of Mbappe to be found in a handful of players around Europe. If he does leave, the French club will need a top-class goalscorer, who is capable of working in new manager Luis Enrique's possession-heavy style. Their next striker will ideally be young, a player already among Europe's best but who can still be developed further. He should also, preferably, be French.

That narrows the list considerably but there are still a few options that meet some of the aforementioned criteria. This summer's market is an interesting one, there are a number of talented No.9s between the ages of 22-25 that are expected to be available, but all of them have price tags near €100 million (£86m/$110m), and their current clubs wouldn't necessarily be in any great rush to get rid of them.

Still, it is widely assumed that the departure of one could lead to a domino effect of sorts. And, ironically, PSG could start the firesale. The Parisians have reached an impasse with Mbappe, who looks likely to leave sometime in the next six weeks. With the player in open revolt against the club and its owner — and pre-season yet to start — a move in the near future makes sense.

And once he's gone, the pieces across Europe will likely shift. So, which striker will PSG likely buy to cope with Mbappe's departure? GOAL takes a look at their best options…

(C)Getty Images8Neymar

Should PSG be forced to part with Mbappe, it will be considered a massive failure in the transfer market if they do not bring in an outright goalscorer to step straight in. That said, if signing a replacement is proving a struggle, new boss Luis Enrique could tinker with his line-up and push Neymar to a more advanced role. That would perhaps take away some of the 31-year-old's creativity, but the Brazilian has never had difficulty finding the back of the net.

Indeed, if PSG are outbid for one of their top targets, and deem that the handful of other options on the market are too pricey, Neymar could comfortably score 20 goals in Ligue 1. It's worth noting, though, that the Brazilian may not be open to such a role — though the choice won't necessarily be his. Consider this one a last resort, then.

AdvertisementGetty7Romelu Lukaku

The Belgian's career seems to be up in the air at this point. Lukaku is still technically a Chelsea player, although that looks likely to end soon. Inter are reportedly interested in bringing him back to Milan, and the striker would seemingly be more than happy to carry out that move. Still, Chelsea have asked for more than the Champions League finalists have offered to date, rejecting a €30m (£26m/$33m) bid outright.

PSG are in need of a more natural striker, and they have shown some interest in Lukaku before – although they never made a proper offer for his services. This is admittedly an imperfect fit, Lukaku isn't as mobile as the other options PSG are reportedly prioritising, and his struggles in big games are concerning. But this is an expensive striker market. There are not often discounts in football for No.9s that can be counted on for 15 goals plus per season. And while it's laughable that Chelsea's €40m (£47/$50m) asking price is considered cut-rate these days, this one makes sense – if only on a short-term basis.

Getty6Harry Kane

Tottenham do not want to sell Kane – that much is clear. But the England captain is yet to indicate that he will pen a new contract to extend his stay at the club beyond the 2023-24 season. The two parties are at an impasse, then. It makes no sense to let their best player – and most valuable asset – leave for free. But Kane is a game-changing talent, and Spurs' best opportunity to ensure they stay in contention for European football next season.

Bayern Munich remain keen but, having lodged two bids for the striker which were far off the London club's valuation of the player, there might be an opportunity here for PSG. Indeed, Spurs will not sell Kane to a Premier League rival and while it remains to be seen if they're going to be as picky when it comes to sides in Europe, the competition shouldn't be vast. Real Madrid want, and will likely get, Mbappe. Barcelona do not need another striker. Borussia Dortmund can't afford him, and it's difficult to see an Italian club making a serious push.

PSG need a striker, ideally a creative one who can bang in the goals, and they've got the money to get it done. Kane would well be their man.

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Getty5Rasmus Hojlund

This one would likely break Manchester United hearts. The Red Devils are reportedly interested in a deal for the Denmark international, although they could find themselves priced out – especially if PSG are willing to pay Atalanta's supposed €100 million (£85m/$110m) valuation of the striker.

And there's a tactical fit here, too. Hojlund is strong and quick, while his finishing continues to improve. His nine Serie A goals don't stand out but the Danish international didn't exactly benefit from regular service. With more chances coming his way, he will score more goals. And with the likes of Neymar and Marco Asensio to feed him, those goalscoring opportunities should come in bunches.

His relative inexperience is perhaps of concern – Hojlund won't turn 21 until February 2024. Still, this is a signing for the present and future, with Hojlund potentially developing into a top European striker someday. That's worth taking a chance on.