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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

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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.

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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.

Crystal Palace are now keen on signing a “brilliant” attacker who is available on a free transfer, according to a report.

Palace improving

After a concerning start to their Premier League campaign, Palace’s results have picked up in recent weeks, collecting eight points from their last four outings.

Most recently, the Eagles played out a 2-2 draw with reigning champions Manchester City, indicating they have turned the corner under the helm of Oliver Glasner. However, the manager may still be keen to strengthen his squad this January.

As it stands, Glasner’s side are only just above the bottom three, meaning their improved form will need to continue if they are to avoid being dragged into a relegation battle towards the back end of the season.

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To make sure they avoid the dreaded drop, Palace have started to run the rule over potential January signings, and it was recently reported that they believe Man City’s James McAtee will be available this winter, most likely for a fee of around £20m.

McAtee is not the only player on the shortlist, as the Eagles are said to have made an approach to sign Chesterfield striker James Berry-McNally, who is valued at around £5m by his current employers.

Brighton (a)

December 15

Arsenal (h)

December 22

Bournemouth (a)

December 27

Southampton (h)

December 30

Chelsea (h)

January 5

Palace targeting Ryan Kent

It is clear that Glasner is looking to strengthen his attacking options this winter, and another target has now entered the frame, with reports from Spain detailing that Palace are among the teams interested in signing free agent Ryan Kent.

However, there is set to be stiff competition for Kent’s signature, as Ipswich Town and Leicester City are also said to be keen on the winger, who most recently played for Fenerbahce.

Given the Englishman’s contract status, he is available on a free transfer, which makes him an attractive option for the three Premier League clubs, who are all looking to add depth to their squads.

The 28-year-old is also well-liked due to his versatility in attack, which allows him to play on the wing and in more central roles.

It is fair to say the winger was unimpressive during his time in Turkey, picking up just one goal and two assists in 19 appearances in all competitions, but he could yet be a decent signing for Palace.

The former Rangers man was exceptional during his time north of the border, weighing in with 33 goals and 56 assists in 218 appearances, so if he is able to get back to that level, he will almost certainly improve the Eagles.

Once hailed as “brilliant” by journalist Josh Bunting, Kent has proven he is capable of making the step up to the Premier League in the past, so it is exciting news that Palace are in the race for his signature, particularly considering it is a low-risk move.

A lowdown of ICC’s new slow over-rate rule that played a key role in the India-Pakistan clash on Sunday

Sidharth Monga29-Aug-2022Is it me or were India and Pakistan overly attacking with their fields in the death overs of their Asia Cup opener on Sunday?Your observation is accurate, but it was forced on them. Their over-rate was so slow that they were forced to bowl the last three overs each with an extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle.What is this rule and when did it come into play?This new playing condition came into effect in January 2022. Simply put, any over that begins outside the stipulated time limit of 85 minutes for an innings has to be bowled with at least five fielders inside the ring. An over is said to have begun when the bowling side is in position to bowl the first ball.Related

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Why 85 minutes?That is the time an innings should not exceed to achieve the desired over-rate of no less than 14.11 overs an hour. Or, four minutes and 15 seconds for an over. In the case of an 18-over match, the 18th over must begin inside 76 minutes and 30 seconds.I imagine it would be chaos in case of rain-shortened innings. Especially when the interruption occurs during an innings.That’s a good observation, but the ICC has made a provision for that. If three or more overs are lost in a delayed or interrupted innings, bowling teams have to be in position to start the penultimate over by the time the innings is supposed to end. And in innings shorter than ten overs, there is no such penalty unless the team is so slow that it has already incurred the penalty at the time of the interruption that reduces the duration of the match.But a host of Pakistan players struggled with cramps. How is that fair?Several allowances are made including and not limited to treatment given by authorised medical personnel in the field of play. Other allowances are time lost in replacing an injured player, during third umpire referrals and DRS reviews and any circumstance, which according to the umpires, is beyond the control of the fielding side.A lot of the Pakistan players came down with cramps•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the India-Pakistan match, Ravindra Jadeja spent precious seconds changing his gloves immediately after Haris Rauf had a long treatment. Do fielding sides get allowances for such delays?Yes. This is an example of an event that is not in the fielding side’s control. On top of that, if the umpires deem the batter’s act to be deliberate time-wasting, that time lost is deducted from the allowances “granted to such batting team in the determination of its over-rate” over and above other penalties under “unfair play”.That creates a problem that the ICC playing conditions are silent on. If a team batting first is found wasting time, it will incur the in-game penalty when it bowls, but what about batters wasting time during a chase?Does this all mean taking wickets is not a good idea because of the time it takes for batters to change over?Not quite. Once you have taken five wickets, every subsequent wicket earns you one minute of allowance. If you bowl a side out, the innings is deemed completed at that instant.Who keeps track of the time?The third umpire. So if you think that official has a cushy job, just think again.How do teams keep track of all the allowances made?The umpire at the bowling end informs the fielding captain, the batters and the other umpire of the scheduled time by which the innings should end. After every interruption, the same drill has to be followed to advise them of the rescheduled closing time. The umpire shall also inform the same parties of any allowances as and when they occur barring the allowances for the sixth to ninth wickets, which the teams have to keep track of themselves.Apart from this stated playing conditions, the umpires keep captains informed of their over-rate as much as possible especially when they are behind.What about the fans? Who tells them what is happening?In venues with the capability, it is requested that the innings timer and over-rate are displayed on the replay screen at all times. Otherwise, it is expected that the over-rate is displayed on the replay screen at the end of every over for at least five seconds.That’s all well and good, but we had a perfectly entertaining match. What difference does it make if overs are not completed in time? Do we really need in-game penalties for over-rates?Apart from many fans wanting T20 to be a contest that finishes quickly and broadcasters losing viewership if a match goes into after hours, there is also a possible competitive advantage to be had by bowling overs slowly. You get more time to think and plan, your lack of fitness and planning is not penalised, and you can also break the momentum of a batter who is on a roll. It is a little similar to tennis where the server has to start the next point within a stipulated time frame.Now whether this is too extreme and might lead to farcical circumstances where a team is bowling part-time spinners when it would rather be bowling a quick is something for the lawmakers to keep reviewing.

Stats highlights from Australia’s 73-run win against South Africa in Canberra

S Rajesh19-Nov-201427 Number of times Australia have scored 300 or more after batting first in a home ODI. They’ve won each of those matches. The highest total they haven’t successfully defended at home is 281, against West Indies at the Gabba in 1997.51.68 The average opening partnership for Australia in ODIs in 2014. They’re the only team with a 50-plus average opening stand this year.12 Number of times openers from both teams have put together century stands in the same ODI; in today’s game the first wicket yielded 118 for Australia and 108 for South Africa. The last such instance was in the 2011 World Cup game between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, when Sri Lanka added 282 for the opening wicket, and Zimbabwe responded with 116. The only other such instance in an ODI between Australia and South Africa was also in a World Cup, in 2007 in Basseterre.5 Number of ODI hundreds for Amla in 2014, which is a record for all batsmen this year. Finch and Virat Kohli have four each.102 Hashim Amla’s score, which was his first ODI century against Australia in 15 innings – his previous-best against them was 97. Amla now has at least one ODI hundred versus every team that he has played at least three innings against.90 The number of runs Amla needs to reach the 5000-mark in ODIs. He has so far played 98 innings; the current record for least innings to reach 5000 is 114, by Viv Richards and Virat Kohli.5 Number of ODI hundreds that all Australian batsmen have scored in 2014. Aaron Finch has contributed four of those. The only other hundred was Steven Smith’s 101 against Pakistan in Sharjah.1 Number of times Australia have scored more than 329 in a home ODI against South Africa: in Sydney in 2006, they made 344 for 6 in a VB Series game and ended up winning by 57 runs. This is only their third score of 300 or more in a home ODI against South Africa.6 Number of times AB de Villiers has scored 50 or more at a 150-plus strike rate in ODIs, including today’s 34-ball 52. His best among those is a 27-ball unbeaten 54 against Bangladesh in Benoni in 2008.6 Number of times Dale Steyn has bowled ten overs in an ODI, and gone wicketless conceding 50 or more runs. This was the second such instance against Australia, which is the only opposition against whom this has happened more than once.4 The number of ducks for Rilee Rossouw in his first eight ODI innings. His score sequence reads thus: 0,0,36,26,0,0,30,2. His scores in his last four List A innings immediately before his ODI debut read thus: 137,38,74,69.4 The number of ODIs hosted at the Manuka Oval in Canberra. The first match here was played during the 1992 World Cup, but the next one only happened in 2008. Australia have played ODIs here only twice – against West Indies last year, and this game. Before today’s game, no player had played more than one ODI here.

Rio Ferdinand explained why players perform well after leaving Manchester United as he drew comparisons between Scott McTominay and Jude Bellingham.

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• Ferdinand explained why players start performing after leaving Man Utd
• Compared McTominay to Bellingham
• Backed Rashford to succeed at Aston Villa

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  United parted with academy graduate McTominay in the summer as the midfielder headed to Napoli on a permanent transfer. Since moving to Italy, the Scot has consistently performed for Antonio Conte's side. Similarly, players like Anthony Elanga and Antony have all improved their form immediately after exiting Old Trafford, and according to club legend Ferdinand, Rashford too will regain his long-lost form at Aston Villa, where he moved on loan in the January transfer window.

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• WHAT RIO FERDINAND SAID

  Speaking on his podcast, Ferdinand said: "You look at Antony, he's got a man-of-the-match performance and a goal and assist in two games. McTominay is playing like primetime Jude Bellingham at the moment. You've got Elanga, who's a flying winger.

  "You've got all these players that are leaving the club that are looking like new, dynamic footballers because the shackles are off, and the cloud and the pressure of Old Trafford, the badge, all that that brings, is allowing them to go 'you know what, wow, what a difference that is'."

  He added: "You're probably going to see the same from Rashford. It's about unlocking what has unlocked Old Trafford for these players to perform."

• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford was banished from the first team by Ruben Amorim and had not appeared in a match since the second week of December until he made his debut for the Villans in the FA Cup fourth-round win over Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. The 27-year-old came on as a 66th-minute substitute as Unai Emery's side led by two goals and went on to win 2-1. The striker later sent a grateful message to the fans for their 'warm welcome'.

• WHAT NEXT?

  McTominay is part of the Napoli side sitting top of Serie A, while Rashford will be hoping to lead Villa's domestic and European charges.

Joe Leach marked his return to first team action with career best figures of 6 for 44 to help Worcestershire establish control on day two of the LV=Insurance County Championship match with Glamorgan at New Road.The allrounder has been side-lined since suffering a back problem in mid-May but quickly made his presence felt on a wicket of pace and bounce continuing to offer encouragement to the seamers.His three-wicket burst on Sunday evening had put Worcestershire in the ascendancy and he continued in the same vein today to earn his side a lead of 132. Only opener Ed Byrom, with a fighting half century, offered much resistance.Azhar Ali and Jake Libby then built on Worcestershire’s position of strength with a second wicket stand of 87. But Michael Neser bowled an inspired late spell which brought him three wickets as the home side closed with a lead of 279.Leach has been a talismanic figure for Worcestershire with the ball for many seasons since making the switch from initially being primarily a middle-order batter. The 31-year-old has that ability to take wickets in clusters which shows no sign of diminishing as he lifted his first-class tally past the 380 mark.Byrom was making only his second Championship appearance in a season where he initially had minor surgery and then suffered a hip flexor strain. But he hit a career best 176 on his return to four-day action against Sussex at Cardiff earlier in the month and showed more defiance here against a probing attack.Tom Fell came into the Worcestershire side for his first senior appearance of the season as a concussion replacement for Taylor Cornall, who was struck on the helmet by a delivery from Neser during Worcestershire’s first innings.Fell had last played at first-team level in the Championship match with Kent at Canterbury last September.Leach struck in his first over of the day when beating the defensive prod of Sam Northeast, who was bowled. It became two wickets in two balls when Kiran Carlson pushed forward and was snapped up by Josh Baker low to his right at third slipCharlie Morris was rewarded for a challenging opening spell when Billy Root was caught behind.Leach returned to the attack shortly before lunch to have Glamorgan keeper Tom Cullen taken at first slip for his sixth scalp.Michael Neser offered no stroke to Ed Barnard and was bowled before opener Byrom completed an excellent half century off 112 balls with eight fours. The innings was wrapped up when No. 10 Andrew Salter, who had opened in the first six Championship games, nicked Barnard to second slip.Byrom was last out on 57 when he drilled Dillon Pennington to long-on.When Worcestershire batted again, Ed Pollock’s poor run continued when he drove at a widish delivery in Michael Hogan’s opening over and was caught at first slip.Azhar did the bulk of the scoring during the early stages of the partnership with Libby who gradually opened out. He cover-drove and on-drove Hogan for boundaries in the same over. But the Australian broke the partnership in his next over when Azhar on 42 was caught behind off a delivery which kept low.Libby moved to within one run of his half-century before he tried to work James Harris to leg and was lbw. Fell was then undone by a lifter from Neser which he edged to give Cullen his seventh catch of the match so far.Neser had more success when club captain, Brett D’Oliveira, was taken by Northeast low at second slip. First innings century-maker Barnard could only manage a single before he was bowled by Neser.

Celtic could not break free of Aberdeen at the top of the Scottish Premiership table as they were held to a 2-2 draw at Parkhead on Saturday.

The Hoops and the Dons had both won their openng seven matches in the division ahead of the clash at Paradise over the weekend, but neither side could continue their perfect start.

Reo Hatate and Kyogo Furuhashi had the home team 2-0 ahead at the break, and on course to move three points clear, before goals from Ester Sokler and Graeme Shinnie in the second half rescued a point.

Brendan Rodgers will be hoping that his team can put daylight between themselves and Aberdeen over the coming months to move closer to a fourth straight title.

Captain Callum McGregor, who turned 31 in the summer, is gunning for his tenth Premiership title, having won nine – as part of a 22-trophy haul – in his Celtic career to date.

The former Scotland international, who retired from national duty after the 2024 European Championships, is the current skipper after taking over from iconic Hoops midfielder Scott Brown.

Scott Brown's Celtic career in numbers

In the summer of 2007, the Scottish giants swooped to sign the ‘exciting’ 21-year-old central midfielder from rivals Hibernian for a fee of £4.5m.

It was reported that Rangers were initially expected to secure a deal for the talented youngster, who had played 124 first-team matches for Hibs by the age of 21.

Celtic were able to steal a march on their fierce rivals and landed his services ahead of the 2007/08 campaign, for a record fee between two Scottish sides at the time.

The Scottish dynamo did not take any time to settle into life in Glasgow. In his debut season, Brown produced three goals and four assists in 34 appearances to help his team win the title.

He became a staple of the Celtic midfield for the next 14 years or so and racked up 46 goals and 63 assists in 615 appearances in all competitions before his move to Aberdeen in the summer of 2021.

In those 14 years, Brown won a staggering ten Premiership titles – a feat McGregor hopes to match this term – along with six SFA Cups and seven League Cups.

As the Scotland international, who was capped 55 times by his country, headed into the final years of his career at Parkhead, the club attempted to sign players with a view to being his long-term heir.

Celtic once thought they had found a dream replacement for Scott Brown when they swooped to sign Ivorian starlet Ismaila Soro at the start of 2020.

How much Celtic paid to sign Ismaila Soro

The Hoops reportedly splashed out a fee of £2m to sign the central midfielder from Bnei Yehuda in the January transfer window in the 2019/20 campaign, with Neil Lennon in charge at the time.

He endured a difficult start to his career in Scotland, as the youngster was not selected for a single Premiership game in the second half of the season.

At the start of his first full season with Celtic, Soro admitted that he had problems stepping into Brown’s shoes, as his understudy at the time, but that he remained in Glasgow during lockdown and worked hard to show Lennon that he had the quality to step up.

He claimed it was a “big challenge” to replace what Brown offered in midfield but added that he has a “strong” mentality and would work to make himself a worthy heir.

Appearances

19

31

Starts

11

25

Pass accuracy

90%

88%

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.1

2.8

Ground duel success rate

52%

53%

Aerial duel success rate

50%

58%

As you can see in the table above, Soro showed plenty of promise in his first Premiership season, which also happened to be Brown’s last in a Hoops jersey.

The Ivorian gem was more reliable than the veteran Scotsman in his use of the ball and made more tackles and interceptions combined per game on average, whilst winning a similar percentage of his duels on the ground.

First Impressions

What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast's 'First Impressions' series has everything you need.

These statistics suggest that Celtic had a dream long-term heir to Brown on their hands, as he had already started to offer similar qualities and attributes as a combative midfield player in the 2020/21 campaign.

Ismaila Soro's Celtic struggles

Despite his promising form under Lennon in his first full campaign in the Premiership, Soro was unable to kick on and become Brown’s replacement after the captain left in the summer of 2021.

Ange Postecoglou came in to replace Lennon in the same summer and the Australian seemingly had different ideas for his midfield, signing James McCarthy ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and then bringing in Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate in the January transfer window.

Soro hardly got a look-in that season, featuring in eight Premiership games and starting one league game. In those eight games, the midfielder did not strengthen his case to play regularly, losing 65% of his duels and 76% of his ground duels in the division.

He also only featured in two of the club’s six Europa League group stage matches, as Postecoglou made it clear that the Ivorian was not a part of his long-term plans.

Soro was then sent out on loan to Arouca in Portugal for the 2022/23 campaign, in which he made 22 starts in the Liga Portugal, before being released for nothing in the summer of 2023.

Rodgers replaced Postecoglou that summer and seemingly did not want to give the 26-year-old another chance to impress, despite playing regularly in Portugal in the previous term, and allowed him to move on for nothing.

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Soro signed for Beitar Jerusalem on a free transfer and made 30 league starts during the 2023/24 campaign, which shows that he has finally emerged as a key player for a club.

Unfortunately, it did not work out for him as a replacement for Brown, after appearing to be his dream heir under Lennon, but he is now playing regularly again and still has plenty of time left, at the age of 26, to go on and enjoy a successful career.

Manchester United have reportedly rejected Napoli's opening bid for Alejandro Garnacho as Gli Azzurri are unwilling to meet the Red Devils' price tag.

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• Napoli make opening bid for Garnacho
• Man Utd reject Napoli's £40m bid
• Napoli drop interest in Argentine winger

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Manchester United are uncertain about Garnacho's future as the Argentine winger's performances have been very bizarrely inconsistent throughout the last few years. Napoli are said to be interested in signing the winger and have made their first offer to buy Garnacho this month worth £40 million ($48.7m).

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Manchester Evening News have now reported that the Red Devils have rejected Napoli's bid for Garnacho as they believe that the Argentine winger is worth more than Napoli's valuation. The 20-time Premier League champions estimate Garnacho at €97.4m (£82.27m) as per CIES Football Observatory.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Napoli coach Antonio Conte wants Garnacho to take Paris Saint-Germain-bound Khvicha Kvaratskhelia's place but according to Italian reports, United values the winger too highly, and Gli Azzurri have given up on signing Garnacho. The 2023 Italian champions favour hiring players that could have a high market value.

• Getty/GOAL
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

  Despite being close to an exit from Manchester United, Garnacho is still high up in Ruben Amorim's plans and will likely remain at Old Trafford over the current season. United are in action next when they take on Brighton on Sunday, January 19.

Wolverhampton Wanderers will head into the international break rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table after yet another top-flight defeat.

Brentford prevailed over the Old Gold, securing a 5-3 win which piles the pressure on Gary O’Neil, with his position beginning to look precarious after their dismal start to the campaign.

Several of his starting XI were poor throughout the defeat, which could result in them being dropped once the domestic season resumes in a couple of weeks.

One player who failed to have a major impact was Carlos Forbs, who ended up being subbed with just over 20 minutes to go.

Carlos Forbs' game in numbers v Brentford

The summer signing was making his first Premier League start for Wolves, with O’Neil looking for the Ajax loanee to make an impact from the flank.

The Portuguese gem may have made one key pass, delivered an accurate cross and succeeded with his only dribble attempt, but these were the only positive stats during his time on the pitch.

Total shots

0

Dribble attempts (successful)

1 (1)

Possession lost

6

Key passes

1

Touches

29

Big chances created

0

Remarkably, he made fewer completed passes (15) than goalkeeper Sam Johnstone, while even taking fewer touches than the shot-stopper (29 v 58), clearly highlighting how little the winger was involved throughout the match.

Forbs was dribbled past once, lost possession six times and won just one of his three aerial duels in what was a challenging first start for the former Manchester City starlet.

The £15k-per-week gem will have been expected to hit the ground running in order to help the Old Gold secure a much-needed victory, but he failed to demonstrate his true abilities. Forbs could well be dropped for the next match. The question is, who will take his place in the starting XI?

O'Neil must replace Carlos Forbs

Against Brentford, Goncalo Guedes was the replacement for the ineffective winger, and he could be the ideal player to stake a claim for the berth out wide.

Indeed, the former Valencia star has already scored three goals this season, but he has failed to start under O’Neil in the top flight.

During his 22-minute cameo on the field, Guedes managed to attempt a dribble, make two key passes, deliver a solitary accurate cross and even had a shot at goal, although it was off target.

It was clearly an improvement on the player he had replaced in the side, which could potentially impact O’Neil’s next starting XI – that is, if he is still in a job by the time the Molineux side play Manchester City in a few weeks.

The team has no problems going forward and scoring, as defending is proving to be the most difficult aspect for them this term, having already conceded 21 in the league, which is the worst record out of all 20 teams.

And with the form City are in, the wait for their first win could stretch that little bit longer.

Sikandar Raza threatened with a cameo at the death, but it wasn’t enough for the hosts in Harare

Deivarayan Muthu12-Jun-2022
Afghanistan overcame a late dash from Sikandar Raza to successfully defend 170 and sew up the T20I series 2-0, with one game to go, in Harare. Rashid Khan, who had an off day until the final exchanges, dismissed the big-hitting Raza for 41 off 21 balls and Ryan Burl for a duck in a decisive 18th over that cost just seven runs.Zimbabwe were left needing 35 off the last 12 balls, which proved well beyond their reach. Left-arm seamer Fazalhaq Farooqi and Nijat Masood, who had impressed on debut on Saturday, coolly closed out the game for the visitors.Zimbabwe opener Innocent Kaia scored his first T20 fifty, but needed 52 balls for the landmark as he struggled to find a higher tempo through his innings.When Raza joined Kaia, Zimbabwe were 66 for 3 in the 11th over, with the asking rate ballooning towards 11. Raza briefly pricked it by launching four sixes – all in the arc between deep midwicket and wide long-on. The sequence even included a swiped maximum off Rashid.After managing a run-a-ball 2, Rashid dropped a fairly straightforward catch at deep midwicket to reprieve Tadiwanashe Marumani on 3. Marunami added 27 to his tally before Mohammad Nabi had him skying a return catch. Rashid then ended up leaking 17 runs in an action-packed 15th over that also contained two reprieves by Azmatullah Omarzai for Kaia.Returning to the attack in the 18th over, Rashid saw Kaia hoick him over midwicket for four. Three balls later, Rashid unleashed a fizzing wrong’un that castled an advancing Raza. When Burl holed out, the game was all but up for Zimbabwe.It was Farooqi who shut down the chase after Raza forged a 70-run partnership with Kaia. With a delightful cocktail of wide yorkers, stump yorkers and slower bouncers, Farooqi hiked the asking rate, forcing Raza and Kaia to take undue risks against Rashid. Farooqi came away with figures of 1 for 19 in his four overs. It could have been 2 for 19 had Najibullah Zadran held onto a catch offered by Regis Chakabva in the 19th over.Earlier, Farooqi had made the first breakthrough by pinning Wessley Madhevere in front with a slower cutter. Captain Nabi singled out Farooqi for special praise at the post-match presentation, calling him the “game-changer”. Farooqi’s Player-of-the-Match award enhances his T20 reputation: he has played only 11 T20s so far, but already has gigs in the IPL, BPL and the T10 league under his belt.Nabi himself had made a significant contribution to Afghanistan’s victory, following up his unbeaten 22-ball 43 with 1 for 18 in two overs.When Nabi had walked out to bat, Afghanistan were wobbling at 88 for 4 in the 13th over, with Darwish Rasooli also having retired hurt on 12. Nabi had a slow start – he was on 7 off 8 balls at one point – but cranked up the tempo to hit three sixes and a four off his next six balls to give Afghanistan’s innings the final push it needed.Nabi clubbed another six in the last over, bowled by Tendai Chatara, to drag Afghanistan up to 170 for 5. He struck up a 70-run stand with Najibullah off a mere 40 balls. Najibullah raised his second successive half-century and seventh overall in T20Is. Thirty-eight of his 57 came against spin.Despite the early loss of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Afghanistan were aggressive at the top, shellacking 51 runs in the powerplay. Hazratullah Zazai was responsible for 28 off those, which came a strike rate of 215.38.Chatara and Luke Jongwe made inroads into the line-up before Nabi and Najibullah took center stage. Legspin-bowling allrounder Burl was Zimbabwe’s most economical bowler, returning 1 for 15 from his three overs a day after he had claimed 3 for 14 in the last match. Zimbabwe, however, ultimately slid to their fourth consecutive defeat, which has put their prep for next month’s T20 qualifier in some disarray.