Arsenal has been the home to many top-level talents over the years, many of whom have come through their academy before making a huge impact on the club’s first team.

Winger Bukayo Saka is the best example currently in Mikel Arteta’s side, with the 23-year-old scoring 59 times in his 229 appearances for the Gunners since his debut back in 2020.

In years gone by, Ashley Cole, Martin Keown and Tony Adams have all come through the Hale End academy setup, having a huge effect on the club’s first team – with the latter spending his entire career with the Gunners.

The unbelievable work done by the staff in the youth ranks has saved the club endless amounts of money in the transfer market – but they’ve also allowed numerous talents to slip through the net in the process.

England record scorer Harry Kane was once a part of the Arsenal setup, before joining bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur – with his tally of 342 goals at club level undoubtedly improving Arteta’s current attacking unit.

However, one other talent was once a part of the club and was sold prematurely with his market value rapidly increasing after departing the Emirates.

Ismael Bennacer’s time at Arsenal

Midfielder Ismael Bennacer was one talent who thought he had what it took to become the latest player to come through Arsenal’s academy before making an impact on the first team.

The Algerian featured at different youth levels for the Gunners, including the U18 and U23 sides between 2015 and 2017.

He also managed to make a single appearance in the first team under Arsène Wenger back in October 2015, replacing Theo Walcott in the 3-0 defeat against Sheffield Wednesday in the League Cup.

However, he would fail to appear under the Frenchman again, being sent on a loan spell to French side Tours for the second half of the 2016/17 season – before securing a permanent move away from North London that summer.

Bennacer swapped England for Italy, moving to then Serie B side Empoli – with the talent going on to thrive in Europe over recent years.

Bennacer’s market value in 2024

After his minuscule £850k move to Empoli, Bennacer rapidly impressed with his increased game time making 77 appearances for the Italian side over a two-year period.

He helped the club secure a return to the Italian top-flight, before leaving at the end of the 2018/19 season, joining European giants AC Milan in a £13.5m deal – netting Empoli a hefty profit just two years after joining the club.

Bennacer has since taken his career to the next level, becoming an integral part of the Milan squad, helping them reach the Champions League semi-final back in the 2022/23 campaign – before falling to defeat to bitter rivals Inter.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Since his move to Milan five years ago, the 26-year-old has made 172 appearances for the Serie A side, with his market value skyrocketing as a result of his increased performance levels.

2017/18

39

2

4

2018/19

38

0

2

2019/20

35

1

1

2020/21

30

0

5

2021/22

40

2

1

2022/23

40

3

2

2023/24

25

2

2

Total:

247

10

17

The “fantastic” talent, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, now has a €50m (£42m) release clause in his current deal – seeing a whopping 4841% increase on the fee that the Gunners sold him for seven years ago.

His talents would make him perfect for Arteta’s side, providing cover and depth for the likes of Declan Rice and Martin Odegaard, who look set to miss the North London derby this weekend.

However, their loss is Milan’s gain, with the Algerian developing into a top-level talent who is capable of being a success at the very top level of European football.

Arteta let Arsenal star walk away on a free, now he's outscoring Saka

The goalscoring sensation was incredible last season.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Sep 12, 2024

Napoli have reportedly made a €45 million bid for Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho as they aim to replace Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

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Napoli make bid for GarnachoOffer falls short of United's valuationKvaratskhelia closing in on PSG moveFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per , Antonio Conte has identified Garnacho as a potential replacement for Kvaratskhelia, who appears to be closing in on a move to Paris Saint-Germain after the coach confirmed the winger's desire to leave. The Italian side have offered €45m (£38m/$46m) but their bid falls short of United's valuation of the Argentine. They would rather receive £60m ($73m) for the Argentine, who would represent pure profit for the club under Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), because he came through the club's academy.

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Garnacho is also of interest to Juventus, who are also reported to have made an enquiry for the winger. It is unclear, however, if they have any kind of advantage over Napoli in the chase for the 20-year-old. He joined the club in 2020, coming in from Atletico Madrid's youth academy.

DID YOU KNOW?

Garnacho has made 30 appearances in all competitions this season and has scored eight goals, while registering five assists. He has eight caps for Argentina, too.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT?

United play Southampton on Thursday before a meeting with Brighton this weekend. They are currently languishing in the bottom half of the Premier League table.

Newcastle United didn't quite hit the mark last season, but mitigating circumstances made it rather hard for Eddie Howe to replicate the feats of the year before.

A seventh-place Premier League finish might've been enough for a place in the Conference League, but Manchester United defeated their city rivals in the FA Cup final and swiped the Magpies' silver.

A frustrating transfer window followed, but the significance of keeping a hold of the top assets cannot be understated. There was interest in Alexander Isak, but he remains at St. James' Park.

Why keeping Alexander Isak was so important

Two years ago, Isak joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad in a club-record signing worth £63m. He endured something of an injury-hit debut campaign but still scored ten goals from just 17 Premier League starts.

As per FBref, he ranks among the top 14% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored, the top 16% for pass completion and the top 10% for progressive carries per 90, so it's clear to see why he's so well regarded. Indeed, according to CIES Football Observatory's player valuation model, he's valued at £82m currently.

Fabrizio Romano said that he was "untouchable" during the off-season despite a glut of proposals and sniffing around from high-profile suitors, and it's looking like the right decision, for he will be the catalyst to fire Newcastle back into continental competition.

He's extremely prolific – one of the best marksmen in Europe, in fact. However, there's a former Magpies flop who's actually proved to be more clinical than the Swedish sensation.

Joselu's even more clinical than Isak

We're talking about Joselu, who's enjoyed quite the career resurgence since departing St. James' Park way back when. The Spanish striker won La Liga and the Champions League with Real Madrid in May before winning the 2024 European Championship with his nation, defeating England in the final.

Newcastle signed Joselu from Stoke City for £5m in 2017, with Rafa Benitez welcoming his countryman after a middling spell with the Potters that saw him post four goals and three assists over 24 matches.

The nomadic centre-forward, however, flattered to deceive on Tyneside, flopping like a seal and scoring four times across 30 outings, fading into the background after an impressive start – especially so on home turf.

The 34-year-old's second campaign with Newcastle and final year in England proved disastrous, with Joselu notching two goals over the first three games but slumping thereafter, featuring only a few times across the latter half of the season.

It was no surprise when he was sold to Deportivo Alaves for just £2m in 2019. His potent career back in his homeland since has indeed seen him become an unlikely hero for Los Blancos after a prolific few years with Espanyol, scoring 17 goals for Real Madrid last year and notably netting both goals as his side dramatically defeated Bayern Munich in the semi-final of the Champions League.

His exploits have seen him earn a lucrative late-career transfer to Qatar, but according to FBref, the 6 foot 3 ace still ranks among the top 4% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for non-penalty goals scored per 90, at a rate of 0.71.

Isak has bagged at a rate of 0.74 when taking penalties into consideration, but only 0.56 without, speaking highly of Joselu's ball-striking ability.

The older the violin, the sweeter the music. It's a shame that Newcastle couldn't get him playing to their tune.

Newcastle struck gold on Sir Bobby signing who's now worth as much as Guehi

Bobby Robson struck gold on a former Newcastle star

1

By
Ross Kilvington

Sep 10, 2024

Former Barcelona and Everton forward Gerard Deulofeu may be forced to retire after a series of knee injuries.

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• Gerard Deulofeu may be forced to retire
• Forward has suffered several knee injuries
• Left Udinese by mutual consent this week

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Deulofeu left Udinese by mutual consent this week having not featured since January 2023. The former Barcelona, Everton and Watford forward has battled knee problems for five years and accepts he may be able to play professional football again.

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  Deulofeu is a Barcelona academy graduate and played four times for Spain, as well as enjoying spells at Everton, Watford and AC Milan. He ruptured his ACL while in action for the Hornets against Liverpool in February 2020 before continuing to suffer once he had signed for Udinese in Italy. He tore his ACL again in November 2022 before undergoing surgery in January 2023 which resulted in infected cartilage. He has not played first-team football since.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT DEULOFEU SAID

  Upon announcing he had left Udinese, Deulofeu said: "I've been through a terrible time. Two years ago I did my ACL against Napoli but I recovered and played against Sampdoria with a ruptured cruciate. The bad news came after the match when I found out I needed surgery. Unfortunately, after the operation, I got a cartilage infection. It's more than a normal injury. I've been battling for two years against this thing that's almost beyond biology. I'm better now than I was a few months ago but we'll see what happens."

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• WHAT NEXT FOR DEULOFEU?

  Deulofeu claimed in his statement that should he ever return to fitness, he would like to return to Udinese. He said: "It means so much to me that the club supported me and is waiting for me. If I do play again one day, I have no doubt it will be for this club and for these people who have always helped me."

MatériaMais Notícias

O anúncio do retorno do meia Paulinho ao Corinthians já era aguardado por toda a torcida do clube, e aconteceu na manhã desta quarta-feira (15).

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansCorinthians firma parceria com empresa de agronegócio, que viabiliza chegada de PaulinhoCorinthians15/12/2021CorinthiansPaulinho chega ao Corinthians e manda recado para a Fiel: ‘O guerreiro voltou!’Corinthians15/12/2021CorinthiansEle voltou! Corinthians anuncia a contratação de Paulinho até 2023Corinthians15/12/2021

Após a oficialização por parte do clube, a Fiel corintiana foi a loucura através das redes sociais.

Teve gente eufórica, emocionada, sem acreditar e até diversas projeções, como a forma que o técnico Sylvinho armaria a equipe e, inclusive, a convocação da dupla Paulinho e Renato Augusto à Seleção Brasileira, como na última Copa do Mundo, realizada na Rússia, em 2018.

Confira abaixo as melhores reações da nação corintiana na web, após a confirmação da volta de Paulinho ao Parque São Jorge.

HOJE EU SÓ QUERIA ABRAÇAR O PAULINHO E DIZER QUE E UM TRAZER TER ELE DE VOLTA 🖤🤍😭😭 @Corinthians #CORINTHIANS #Paulinho8 #VaiCorinthians

— Mariana Souza (@marianamsd_) December 15, 2021

Paulinho no Corinthians: só acredito vendo
Eu vendo: não acredito

— AMÉM AMÉM AMÉM 🙏🏻 (@mxrix_sccp) December 15, 2021

corinthians fez meu dia hj obg corinthians e paulinho amo vcs

— maya. (@kentlvs) December 15, 2021

Corinthians anunciou o Paulinho.

Jogar com: Paulinho, Giuliano, Renato, Roger, William e o 9?

Ou jogar com: Cantillo, Paulinho, Giuliano, Renato, William e Roger?

Ou ainda: Cantillo, Paulinho, Renato, William, Roger e o 9?

É bom ter opção né?

— Marcus Costa ⚫⚪ (@MarcusCosta1) December 15, 2021

Paulinho de volta no Corinthians kkkk ano q vem tem Paulinho e Renato Augusto na copa dnv

— Alvinho 🌐 (@Alvinho_Saude) December 15, 2021

Paulinho voltou pro Corinthians e eu já tô sentindo o gosto da taça da libertadores mais uma vez

— may (@msgempka) December 15, 2021

O Paulinho voltou pro Corinthians.
PAULINHO, RENATO AUGUSTO E WILLIAN

Se for sonho n me acorde

— Sapatanica (@sapalari1) December 15, 2021

* Sylvinho precisando de um volante pra disputar a libertadores *

Paulinho chegando no Corinthians: pic.twitter.com/GYsszoECAM

— Corinthians ao Contrário (@Snaihtnirocccc) December 15, 2021

Paulinho retorna ao Timão mais de oito anos depois da sua saída. Um dos heróis da conquista da Libertadores e do Mundial em 2012, o meia passou por Tottenham-ENG, Guaghzou Evergrande-CNH, Barcelona-ESP e Al Alhi-SAU antes de voltar ao clube corintiano.

O meia de 33 anos firmou contrato até o fim de 2023. A chegada do atleta foi viabilizada pelo Grupo Taunsa, novo parceiro do Corinthians, também anunciado pelo clube nesta quarta-feira (15).

continua após a publicidade

BCCI invites bids for two new franchises; six cities in the fray

Nagraj Gollapudi31-Aug-2021

It’s now official. The IPL will be a 10-team tournament from the 2022 season, with the BCCI inviting bids for the two new franchises on Tuesday. Interested bidders will need to buy the tender document by October 5, after which the IPL will carry out a technical evaluation before selling the two franchises.ESPNcricinfo understands that the minimum bid price for each of the new franchises will be INR 2000 crore (USD 270 million approx) and that there are six cities in the fray including Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Guwahati and Cuttack. It is learned that successful bidders will own the new franchises for perpetuity.While it announced the launch of the bidding process on Tuesday, the BCCI did not reveal details such as whether bids would be made via sealed envelope or an e-auction, and by when it would unveil the two new franchises.The BCCI pointed out that any interested bidder is allowed to pick more than one bid document, which costs INR 10 lakhs, but would be allowed to own only one franchise.While the decision to add two new franchises was finalised by the IPL Governing Council on Monday, the BCCI has been contemplating the move for the last two years. At its annual general meeting in December 2020, the BCCI got the approval to do so from its members – the state associations.How will having 10 teams affect the IPL on the field?
The 2022 edition will not be the first time the IPL will comprise 10 teams – that already happened a decade ago after the Pune Warriors and the Kochi Tuskers were added to the original roster of eight franchises in 2011. It has been confirmed that the tournament format will follow the 2011 model, which scrapped the simple home-and-away format, and included a total of 74 matches.In the 2011 edition, the 10 teams were split into two loose groups, and the tournament comprised 70 league matches and four playoff games, with all the teams ranked in one composite league table. During the league phase, every team played the same number of league matches, which was 14.Each team played the other four in their group both home and away (eight matches), four of the teams in the other group once each (four matches, either home or away), and the remaining team in the other group twice, both home and away. A random draw decided the composition of the groups as well as who played whom across the groups once and twice.The last time more than eight teams played in the IPL was in 2013, when nine teams took part and played a total of 76 matches.The last time the BCCI conducted bidding for new franchises was in 2015 when the Rising Pune Supergiants and the Gujarat Lions replaced the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals, who were both suspended for two years from the IPL.The Sanjeev Goenka-owned New Rising consortium picked Pune as the base for the Supergiants while the Delhi-based mobile phone manufacturer Intex chose Rajkot as the Lions’ home venue. New Rising and Intex had bid INR -16 and -10 crore respectively as per the reverse-bidding plan the BCCI devised to get two new franchises temporarily for two seasons. Under the reverse bidding, bidders were encouraged to pit a sum lower than the base price of INR 40 crore set by the BCCI. This meant the BCCI would pay a maximum of INR 40 crore from its central revenue pool to the new owner. The investor who bid the lowest price would eventually bag the ownership rights.

أكد ليونيل ميسي، نجم فريق إنتر ميامي ومنتخب الأرجنتين، إنه لم يشعر بالسعادة في صفوف فريق باريس سان جيرمان، قبل رحيله إلى النادي الأمريكي.

وانضم ميسي إلى باريس سان جيرمان في صيف 2021، بعد فشل تجديد عقده مع برشلونة، لينتقل إلى بطل الدوري الفرنسي في صفقة مجانية.

وقضى ميسي موسمين في صفوف باريس سان جيرمان قبل أن ينضم إلى إنتر ميامي بعد ذلك.

وقال ميسي، في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية: “لطالما راودتني فكرة اللعب في الدوري الأمريكي، وسبق أن قلت ذلك أكثر من مرة، لقد لفت انتباهي وأردت فعل ذلك”.

وأضاف: “كان المجئ إلى إنتر ميامي فرصة، ورغم أن انتقالي إلى باريس سان جيرمان كان قرارًا عليَّ اتخاذه فورًا لأنني اضطررت إلى مغادرة برشلونة، فإنني لم أستمتع بالعامين هناك (في النادي الفرنسي)”.

وأوضح: “لم أكن سعيدًا بجلسات التدريبات والمباريات، كان من الصعب بالنسبة لي التكيف مع كل شيء أردت القدوم إلى إنتر ميامي لأنه كان ناديًا يتطور، وانجذبت إلى فكرة القدوم ومساعدة النادي على أن يصبح أكبر، ولأنني كنت أعلم أنها مدينة حيث ستكون عائلتي وأنا بخير”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | ميسي يتسبب في إيقاف قاسي لـ حكم لمدة 6 أشهر

وشدد: “لا أندم على ذلك، بل على العكس، رأيت أنه كان الوقت المناسب، الدوري الأمريكي ديناميكي وبدني للغاية، تريد الفريق تسجيل الأهداف واللعب هجوميًا، هناك الكثير من المباريات ذهابًا وإيابًا، لقد تطور الدوري ويستمر في ذلك، وواثق من أن ذلك لن يتوقف”.

وأفاد: “نأمل أن ترى الأندية ما حدث مع إنتر ميامي، يمكننا جميعًا الاستمرار في النمو ومساعدة الدوري على أن يصبح أكبر وأكثر أهمية، أعتقد أن هذه فرصة للدوري الأمريكي لإحداث تغيير في كرة القدم العالمية والاستمرار في النمو”.

واسترسل: “أعتقد أن الفريق الذي لدينا اليوم مصمم لمحاولة الفوز بالبطولات، هذا ما نفعله، أعتقد أن هناك فترة تكيف جيدة مع اللاعبين الأصغر سنًا الذين وصلوا، علينا الاستمار نحو هدفنا ومحاولة الفوز بالألقاب ومساعدة النادي على الاستمرار في التطور”.

واختتم: “النادي حريص على ضم المواهب الشابة إلى الفريق الأول وأعتقد أن هذا هو الطريق الصحيح”.

Real Madrid transfer chiefs are “seriously considering” a bid to sign a midfielder who they believe could assume a leadership role in their team, whilst also replacing long-serving midfield veteran Luka Modric.

Lille vs Real Madrid – match preview

The Galacticos travel to Lille this evening with the aim of securing their second win of the new Champions League campaign.

Related Arsenal could bid £126m for Real Madrid target who they've watched for ages

The Gunners will have to shatter their transfer record.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Sep 27, 2024

Carlo Ancelotti’s European champions beat Stuttgart 3-1 in their opening game midway through September, with goals from Kylian Mbappe, Antonio Rudiger and Enrick sealing a dramatic three points at the Bernabeu.

It was far from plane sailing goals against the Germans, as it took Rudiger’s 83rd-minute goal and a last-gasp strike from Enrick to come away from home turf with a vital victory in this new Champions League format.

Real Madrid’s next five games in all competitions

Date

Lille (away)

Tonight

Villarreal (home)

October 5

Celta Vigo (away)

October 19

Borussia Dortmund (home)

October 22

Barcelona (home)

October 26

Lille poses another tough test for Real, but Ancelotti is boosted by the potential return of Mbappé, who missed their 1-1 derby draw against Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

“Mbappe has recovered very well, very quickly,” Ancelotti told reporters ahead of tonight’s game at the Stade Pierre-Mauroy.

“He trained yesterday, and today, he will do the full training session with us. Then we’ll make the decision together because the last thing we want to do is take risks. Mbappe has had an overload… and in less than a week he has recovered well.

“We have to get points, taking into account the value of the opponent. They are a team that plays very well. They like to play with the ball, they have young players with quality.

“Every match has to be fought. That’s why we’re here. We are doing well. We are convinced we can improve. We are ready. There are a lot of games, but we are pretty good.”

In the background, club president Florentino Perez and his recruitment chiefs are devising plans for the future, and what to do when their long-serving mainstays call time on their Real careers.

Real Madrid are "seriously considering" bid for Alex Baena

Modric is set to play a key role again this season, but the former Balon d’Or winner will be 40 years old in 2025 and his playing days are numbered.

The Croatia legend, with an outstanding 180 international caps and 787 appearances at club level, is out of contract at the end of this season. Time will tell whether Modric will sign yet another extension, but Perez and co are drawing up plans to succeed the ex-Tottenham star.

According to reports out of Spain, Villarreal midfielder Alex Baena is in their thinking as an option. Baena is attracting interest from Premier League sides, and this has put Real chiefs on high alert.

It is believed Real Madrid are seriously considering a bid for Baena, who has starred for the Yellow Submarine for years and during their excellent start to this La Liga season.

The 23-year-old’s deal includes a £50 million release clause as well, so Perez could bypass negotiations with Villarreal and head straight to terms with the player, if they’re prepared to pay that amount.

It is believed Real view Baena as a player who could assume a leadership role in their team, not to mention take Modric’s mantle.

PCB patron and Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has nominated Ramiz Raja and Asad Ali Khan for the post

Danyal Rasool27-Aug-2021PCB election commissioner, retired justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed, has set September 13 as the date for the election of the next PCB chairman. With Ehsan Mani set to leave the post after three years at the helm, PCB patron and Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has nominated former Pakistan captain Ramiz Raja and Asad Ali Khan to the PCB’s board of governors for a three-year term.The board of governors, which also includes PCB CEO Wasim Khan and four independent members, will vote for a candidate of their choosing on September 13. Technically, any member of the BoG could be elected for the chairmanship, though historical protocol would dictate members vote for one of the two men nominated by the PCB patron.The ascension of Ramiz to PCB chairman is all but guaranteed, with Imran Khan having met him earlier this week and understood to have given the appointment his seal of approval. He had initially reached out to Ramiz for names of potential candidates, in line with his apparent preference for an ex-player to be at the helm. But in the absence of obvious candidates, he is believed to have told Raja to consider himself for the post.Related

Ramiz Raja likely to become next PCB chairman as Ehsan Mani refuses extension

Who will be the next PCB chairman? Decision after Imran Khan submits nominations

Asad, the other candidate nominated by Imran, was also the alternate nominee at the time of Mani’s appointment as the PCB chairman. He is set to serve a second three-year term as a BoG member.Ramiz, now a prominent cricket broadcaster, would become the 36th chairman of the PCB should the election go as expected. He served as the PCB chief executive from 2003 to 2004.

The Barbados Royals’ latest recruit Glenn Phillips will be a big part of their plans, not just with the bat but also with the ball and in the field, according to new coach Daniel Vettori.Phillips didn’t bowl in the Royals’ season opener against St Kitts & Nevis Patriots on Thursday, but is likely to do the job more often once the Warner Park pitches wear out. The CPL has been an annual trip since 2017 for Phillips who had been the top-scorer for the Jamaica Tallawahs over the last three seasons. A back condition has prevented him from keeping wickets for long periods, so Phillips has added another string to his bow: fastish offspin.Related

• Glenn Phillips credits 'hard work at gym' for his power-hitting: 'I was doing 800 press-ups a day'

• Versatile Phillips 'pretty dumbfounded' upon getting NZ contract

• Rajasthan Royals sign Phillips as Buttler's replacement

• Patriots could pose favourites Trinbago their stiffest challenge

“From a batting perspective, we’ve seen he’s a guy who can adapt to Caribbean conditions,” Vettori said during a virtual media interaction. “Sometimes, the wickets can be tough on batters, but by all accounts, he’s been so successful over here and in that regard, we’re lucky to have him. I think you see the energy he brings in the field and he can actually make a difference in the field, which you can’t say about every player.”The thing that we’re going to tap into him is his bowling. He’s starting to bowl a bit more for New Zealand – they see him as an option. Once the conditions start to suit spin bowlers, I think we see Glenn Phillips as a total cricketer. That’s such a unique thing and in this day and age, he can contribute extensively in all three disciplines.”Phillips’ all-round brilliance particularly came into the fore during New Zealand’s most recent home summer, culminating in his first New Zealand central contract and first IPL contract. In New Zealand’s last T20I series at home, against Bangladesh, Phillips followed up a whirlwind 58* with bowling figures of 1 for 20 in three overs in a rain-hit fixture in Napier.In the absence of Mitchell Santner, and after Ish Sodhi was dispatched 4,6,6 by Soumya Sarkar, Phillips got his non-turning offbreaks to skid off the track and bother the Bangladesh batters. Phillips also did his bit with the ball for the Auckland Aces in the Super Smash and Gloucestershire in the Vitality T20 Blast. In the County Championship, however, Phillips looped the ball up, finding a fair amount of turn. His bowling could potentially be more than handy on the tracks in the UAE, where he will feature in his first IPL stint, with the Rajasthan Royals, before linking up with New Zealand for the following T20 World Cup.”I’ve been working on it for years to press my case for a long time now,” Phillips said of his bowling after the Napier T20I. “It was just about getting the opportunity to prove that I can do it. Tim [Southee] has had faith in me for a long time; it was just about getting the right chance to prove that I can do that. To be able to perform under pressure, especially when we were under the pump, that was really important to me, especially after the first game against Aussies, where I did feel the pressure and the nerves a little bit. So, to be able to come back and improve from the last performance is really important to me.”In the end, my bowling plans are very simple and he [Southee] has faced me a lot in the nets. So, he knows that my plan is very simple. I’ve got two-three balls and he just backs me to know which ball to bowl and execute that ball. Obviously, if bowlers miss [their lengths], they miss. I’m not the only bowler that misses and I won’t be the last. So, he gives you that faith and trust to be able to go out there and execute exactly what you want to do. At this level, you’re also required, as a bowler, to be able to take charge of your own field and where you want to bowl.”At the Royals in the Caribbean, Phillips will be among a potent group of spinners, including Hayden Walsh Jr, Ashely Nurse and Jake Lintott, although they will be without Rashid Khan who is expected to feature in Afghanistan’s ODI series with Pakistan. Vettori, who has had coaching gigs in the IPL, BBL, T20 Blast and the Hundred, counted working with spinners as one of his strengths.”I’ve always enjoyed working with spinners and that’s, I suppose, is my forte and how I’ve helped players in the past. Looking forward to working with Hayden Walsh, we’ve got Ashley Nurse here who is an experienced T20 bowler, Glenn Phillips has bowled in the past and [I’m] trying to develop those guys. So, my teams from the past do rely heavily on the spinners and hopefully, we can bring the best out of them.”Jake Lintott finished as Southern Brave’s top wicket-taker in the Hundred•Getty Images

Lintott, who hasn’t played any T20 cricket away from the UK, is a left-field player to watch out for. After being a wildcard pick in the Hundred, he emerged as Southern Brave’s top wicket-taker, with 11 strikes in nine games, in their run to the title. Vettori, who was in the opposite camp in that final, with the Birmingham Phoenix, was particularly impressed with how the Somerset-born left-arm wristspinner tricked Moeen Ali after the batter swiped him over long-on for six.”Jake Lintott is obviously a player not many would’ve seen,” Vettori said. He’s sort of been a little bit of a journeyman, I suppose, around England cricket and he’s finally settled with Warwickshire. He was picked up in the wildcard draft for the Hundred and had such a successful season with the Southern Brave and I think, he was the leading wicket-taker for them.”His skill sets have been to manipulate pace and length depending on the batsman. You saw that in the final against one of the best players of spin in Moeen Ali. He was able to get him out through that change of length [and] change of pace. It’s not always easy as a left-arm wristspinner; it’s a tough art form, but from what I’ve seen of him, he has a lot of control and has an exceptionally good googly. Looks like even the best batsmen in the world struggle to pick it up.”The Royals will look for their first points in the six-team league when they run into reigning champions Trinbago Knight Riders on Friday.