Lionel Messi has sent an “at least compete” warning to current Barcelona stars, with the club legend hoping to witness more trophy triumphs.

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Argentine smashed records at Camp NouWon domestic and continental honoursHoping to witness more success in futureFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱GettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Argentine icon Messi collected plenty of silverware himself during a historic stint at Camp Nou. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner smashed countless records with the Blaugrana, with a haul of 672 goals unlikely to ever be bettered.

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Messi won 10 La Liga titles with Barca, four Champions League crowns and the FIFA Club World Cup on three occasions. Those successes have contributed to him becoming the most decorated player of all-time – with a remarkable collection of honours being taken to 46 during his spell at MLS side Inter Miami.

GettyWHAT MESSI SAID

Messi continues to keep an eye on how Barcelona are getting on, with the club forever holding a special place in his heart, and has told of what he expects from the class of 2024-25 and those that represent the club in future campaigns: “I hope that the club can return to what it always was. As well as being a world reference, which it never stopped being, always fighting to win titles until the end of each season.

“As a Barça player, you can never settle for being second or not winning, because the members and the fans demand the most from you. Being the best club in the world entails very high demands. I would love to see Barca win La Liga, the Cup and also the Champions League again. And in the years that it can't, at least compete until the last moment.”

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WHAT NEXT?

Barcelona are top of the Liga table at present, but are only four points clear of Clasico rivals Real Madrid – with the Blancos still holding a game in hand. Hansi Flick’s side have won four of their five games in the Champions League, with dreams of another bid for European glory beginning to form in Catalunya.

Tottenham chiefs are predicting that a £133,779-per-week member of Ange Postecoglou's squad will leave before deadline day, with the player now holding "positive" talks to depart Spurs.

Tottenham's summer clear out continues

So far, Postecoglou, chairman Daniel Levy and technical director Johan Lange have moved to restructure the squad by agreeing a host of outgoings.

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Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon, Japhet Tanganga and Ivan Perisic were the first to leave N17, after their contracts expired, while Spurs also moved to terminate Tanguy Ndombele's deal one year before it was meant to run out.

The Frenchman moved back to his homeland on a free to OGC Nice, with Wales international defender following him soon afterward, completing a £10 million switch back to Leeds United in the Championship.

After a year of speculation surrounding his future, midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg joined Marseille on a season-long loan which will become permanent next summer. Bryan Gil and Alejo Veliz completed loan moves away themselves most recently, to Girona and Espanyol respectively, with Postecoglou sticking true to his suggestion that players will be sold this summer.

"We need change. Change has to happen," said Postecoglou on revamping the Tottenham squad this summer. "You can’t want to alter your course and expect the same people are going to be on that. It’s just not going to happen.

"We’ve had two windows and we’ve had some development of players, for sure, but when I say we’ve still got a long way to go, that’s what I’m talking about. It’s impossible to say you’re going to have drastic change and yet expect everyone to be on that journey."

Sergio Reguilon is also set to leave Tottenham in the coming weeks, with the left-back attracting some interest from Man United, among other sides like Juventus. This week, reports of a potential exit for striker Richarlison have greatly intensified too.

Richarlison Stats (2023-24)
Competition	Games	Goals	Assists
Premier League	28	11	4
FA Cup	2	0	0
EFL Cup	1	1	0
via Transfermarkt

The Brazil international finished last season as the club's second top scorer in all competitions behind Son Heung-min, scoring 12 goals, but Spurs' pursuit of a talismanic new striker to replace Harry Kane has cast Richarlison's future in doubt – amid interest from Saudi Arabia.

Tottenham chiefs predict late Richarlison exit after positive talks

That is according to The Boot Room, who also write that Tottenham expect Richarlison to leave as the player holds "positive" talks over a move to Saudi.

It won't be an easy operation for PIF, though, as it is believed Spurs are demanding £60 million for the South American, who they signed for that same amount from Everton two summers ago.

On a reported £133,779-per-week (The Sun), the 27-year-old could even be replaced by Bournemouth star Dominic Solanke or Brentford striker Ivan Toney. Some media outlets have claimed that Spurs are plotting bids for both Solanke and Toney in the coming weeks, coming after Postecoglou confirmed Tottenham are actively pursuing a new striker.

حسم رئيس نادي سموحة، فرج عامر، حقيقة وجود مفاوضات من إدارة فريق نادي الزمالك، لضم ثنائي الفريق السكندري محمد ربيعة وأحمد حكم، في انتقالات يناير الجارية.

فريق الزمالك، يسعى لحسم صفقة مدافع جديد، لتعويض إصابة لاعبه التونسي حمزة المثلوثي الذي تعرض لقطع في الرباط الصليبي.

وفي تصريحات خاصة لـ “بطولات”، قال عامر: “الزمالك لم يفاوضنا لضم محمد ربيعة أو أحمد حكم”.

طالع | “أخطاء موجهة لناد واحد”.. الزمالك يقدم 3 طلبات لاتحاد الكرة بشأن التحكيم ويهدد بالتصعيد

وأضاف: “ما تردد بشأن التعاقد مع ثنائي سموحة من قبل إدارة الزمالك، غير صحيح تمامًا”.

محمد ربيعة يعد من المدافعين المميزين في بطولة الدوري المصري، وتألقه مع ناديه سموحة، جعله ينضم إلى صفوف منتخب مصر خلال المعسكر الأخير الذي أقيم في شهر نوفمبر الماضي.

بينما المدافع الآخر، أحمد حكم يلعب حاليًا معارًا في صفوف غزل المحلة من نادي سموحة.

The summer transfer window of 2024 was not one where Tottenham blew the Premier League away but they did seal some impressive captures.

Archie Gray, hailed as a "future £100m" midfielder by some is viewed as an elite talent in the making while the £65m addition of Dominic Solanke, although pricey, will certainly add more goals to Ange Postecoglou's ranks.

Wilson Odobert has started his Spurs career brightly and looks a real talent, although he will have to improve his decision-making and end product to make it long-term in north London.

There were also a series of important departures with the likes of Oliver Skipp, Emerson Royal, Joe Rodon and Giovani Lo Celso heading for pastures new.

Fee

Fee

Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth)

£65m

Oliver Skipp (Leicester)

£20m

Archie Gray (Leeds)

£30m

Emerson Royal (Milan)

£13m

Wilson Odobert (Burnley)

£25m

Joe Rodon (Leeds)

£10m

Lucas Bergvall (Djurgarden)

£8.5m

Troy Parrott (AZ)

£6.7m

Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis)

£4.2m

Eric Dier (Bayern Munich)

Free

Tanguy Ndombele (Nice)

Free

Ivan Perisic (Hajduk Split)

Free

Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham)

Free

Japhet Tanganga (Millwall)

Free

Matthew Craig (Barnsley)

Loan

Jamie Donley (Leyton Orient)

Loan

Bryan Gil (Girona)

Loan

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Marseille)

Loan

Josh Keeley (Leyton Orient)

Loan

Ashley Phillips (Stoke)

Loan

Dane Scarlett (Oxford Utd)

Loan

Manor Solomon (Leeds)

Loan

Alejo Veliz (Espanyol)

Loan

With such a long list of departures, whether it was permanent or loan deals, it may well intrigue supporters to learn how some of those players are getting on.

Let's have a look at the enigmatic Emerson.

Emerson's time at Milan so far

It's safe to say that the Brazilian was never the most consistent player in a Tottenham shirt.

Despite racking up 101 appearances for the club, the 25-year-old never really set the world alight having arrived from European royalty in the form of Barcelona.

Branded as a "liability" by the ever-outspoken Jamie O'Hara, a series of defensive errors and total indecision often cost him during his days in north London.

Whether it was that red card challenge on Gabriel Martinelli in 2022 or what may have proven to be the final straw – an error against Hearts in pre-season – the full-back was given chance after chance but rarely repaid his manager's faith.

As a result, the defender was sold this summer, heading to AC Milan in a move worth around £13m according to reports.

How's it all gone then? Well, as Italian football editor Kaustubh Pandey stated on Saturday, Spurs have secured a "deal for the ages" given his price tag and subsequent performances on the continent.

Yeah, it's not started very well for Emerson. Should we be surprised? Probably not, but the level of criticism he has attracted since moving is quite something.

Handed 5/10 ratings by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport for his performances against both Parma and Lazio in recent weeks, the full-back was further described as "woeful" by Milan writer Isak Moller and "terrible" by The Athletic's Martino Puccio.

The error in the clip below rather sums up what they're talking about.

So, what do the numbers say? It's not great viewing either for the recently departed Spurs defender.

Minutes played

70

Touches

52

Accurate passes

41/45 (91%)

Key passes

0

Crosses

0

Shots

0

Dribbles

0

Aerial duels contested

0

Ground duels won

3/5

Tackles

1

Interceptions

0

Dribble past

1x

What type of performance can we ascertain purely on the stats alone? Well, Emerson offered absolutely nothing in forward areas at the weekend and also struggled defensively, rarely involved in many good things that Milan did on the day.

To think he took Kaka's number 22 as well. Sheesh, good luck getting the Rossoneri fans back onside quickly.

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Shafali Verma’s promotion from Category C to Category B is the highlight of the latest round of central contracts handed out for India Women, but equally noteworthy is the omission of Ekta Bisht, the senior left-arm spinner who is in the squads for all three formats for India’s upcoming tour of England.The list has been trimmed from 22 to 19, and apart from Bisht, Veda Krishnamurthy, D Hemalatha and Anuja Patil have been omitted too, while Richa Ghosh has been included. The value of the retainers remain unchanged, with those in Grade A, the highest bracket, taking home INR 50 lakh. Grade B and Grade C are valued at INR 30 lakh and INR 10 lakh respectively.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Apart from 17-year-old Verma, who has been one of the most exciting new batters in the women’s game worldwide, the others to win promotions from ‘C’ to ‘B’ were Punam Raut and Rajeshwari Gayakwad. Raut, the top-order batter, has been around for long, but had been out in the wilderness for a while before being brought back for the limited-overs series against South Africa at home recently, and she responded with a brilliant performance: 263 runs at an average of 87.66 and strike rate of 71.66 in the five ODIs.Left-arm spinner Gayakwad was another of India’s special performers, picking up eight wickets with an economy rate of 3.56 in the ODIs and four wickets at an economy of 4.75 in the three T20Is. Gayakwad won’t be part of the England tour, however, as she continues to recuperate from covid-19.The other player to gain in the latest update was Ghosh, another teenaged cricketer, who made her international debut – still one of only six matches she has played in national colours – in the T20 World Cup final at the MCG last year. She is part of Grade C. With the exception of fast bowler Mansi Joshi, every other member to have been offered annual retainers will be on the tour to England, where India will play a one-off Test, their first in seven years, followed by a limited-overs series.Earlier last week, the BCCI had announced Ramesh Powar as the new head coach of the women’s team, while also appointing SS Das and Abhay Sharma as the interim batting and fielding coach respectively.

While their start to the Premier League season has been less than impressive this year, Manchester United did enjoy a stellar summer when it comes to their work off the pitch.

With Sir Jim Ratcliffe now in a position of influence at the club, United welcomed in a plethora of talented players to help bring the team forward, including Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui and, most recently, Manuel Ugarte.

The former Paris Saint-Germain ace could be the perfect addition to United's midfield this season.

However, he'll have to really impress at Old Trafford to see his valuation surpass, or even match, one of his new teammates.

Ugarte's move to United

Yes, after a summer of back-and-forth over the fee, United finally signed their man in the dying embers of the transfer window for an initial fee of around £42m.

While it's not an earth-shattering fee for modern football, the move still represents a significant investment from the club. However, if the Uruguayan ace can reach his full potential at Old Trafford, it could look like a bargain in years to come.

Analyst Statman Dave has described the former Sporting CP ace as a "defensive monster" in the past, and based on his underlying numbers, it's not hard to understand why.

Ugarte FBref Scout Report

Stats

Per 90

Percentile

Tackles

4.18

Top 1%

Tackles + Interceptions

6.23

Top 1%

Dribblers Tackled

1.91

Top 1%

Tackles Won

2.36

Top 2%

Interceptions

2.05

Top 3%

Ball Recoveries

7.69

Top 3%

All Stats via FBref

For example, according to FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, the incredible "machine" as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, sits in the top 1% of midfielders for tackles, tackles plus interceptions and dribblers tackled, the top 2% for tackles won, and the top 3% for interceptions and ball recoveries, all per 90.

This ability to break up play and shore up his team's defence could make the 23-year-old an indispensable member of Erik ten Hag's team going forward. Still, despite the excitement surrounding his move, he is worth less than one of his new teammates.

Kobbie Mainoo's valuation in 2024

The player in question is none other than 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo, who, after enjoying a breakout campaign with United last season, is now one of the most essential members of Ten Hag's squad.

In fact, the academy product, who didn't cost a penny in terms of a transfer fee, is now valued at €60m by FOTmob, which converts to about £51m, or about £9m more than Ugarte cost last month.

This might seem like an awful lot of money for a player so young, but it is entirely justified, as despite his age, the "fabulous" midfielder, as dubbed by former England manager Gareth Southgate, has already established himself as one of the first names on the team sheet.

Mainoo's 23/24

Appearances

32

Minutes

2405'

Starts

29

Goals

5

Assists

1

Goal Involvements per Match

0.18

Minutes per Goal Involvement

400.83'

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, last season, he made 32 first-team appearances for the club, 29 of which were starts, scored five goals and provided one assist before going to the Euros and making six appearances for the Three Lions, five of which were starts.

This season, he has started all four games for the Red Devils, and it doesn't look like he'll be dropped to the bench anytime soon. If anything, he could form an excellent partnership with Ugarte in the coming years and cement his place in the national side at the same time.

Ultimately, while it is a steep valuation for someone who is still just a teenager, Mainoo has proven the adage true that if you're good enough, you're old enough.

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A fresh update has emerged regarding Liverpool's potential pursuit of a midfielder in the summer transfer window, with their plans becoming clearer.

Liverpool's frustrating midfield situation

The Reds are the only team in the Premier League not to make a single signing so far this summer, which has understandably caused a huge amount of annoyance among the fanbase. Jurgen Klopp may have left Arne Slot with a formidable squad, but new faces could be seen as essential, in terms of bringing a freshness to proceedings, not to mention adding further elite-level quality.

Midfield is perhaps the most important area of the pitch to address this summer, most notably in the No.6 role, with Liverpool never fully replacing Fabinho since his exit to Saudi Arabia. Wataru Endo has come in and been solid but doesn't represent the answer, while a move for Martin Zubimendi frustratingly fell through.

The Real Sociedad ace has decided to stay put at his current club, having weighed up various factors, meaning the Reds still arguably lack balance in the middle of the park.

Many supporters are desperate to see a No.6 arrive between now and the end of the transfer window, with some of the opinion that failure to sign one could put paid to their chances of winning the Premier League title this season, and now a new update has dropped regarding the situation.

New Liverpool transfer update emerges on midfielder

According to a new report from Football Insider, Liverpool are now likely to wait until the January transfer window to add to their midfield.

Reporter Pete O'Rourke claims that the Reds are "unlikely to land a top number six before 31 August and will not rush into a deal", with Richard Hughes and the recruitment team aiming to "avoid the mistakes of the past" and make an "Arthur Melo-style panic deal as the club did in 2022."

This is certainly an update that may not go down well with a chunk of Liverpool supporters, especially considering the complete lack of transfer business that has been done this summer.

To not sign a single player so far is worrying from FSG, especially when the funds are seemingly there to bring in new faces. The Reds even received around £10m for the recent signing of Dominic Solanke to Tottenham, due to a sell-on clause that existed in his contract when he moved from Anfield to Bournemouth.

Granted, panic buying is never a good thing, so it is only right that the likes of Hughes and Michael Edwards weigh up their No.6 options carefully, but it can't be that Zubimendi is the only option in that role, so hopefully someone else will emerge as an exciting target in the next few weeks.

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This latest update suggests that that is unlikely, however, meaning Slot may have to make do with what he has, continuing to use the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in deeper roles.

يلتقي فريق برشلونة مع نظيره فالنسيا، مساء اليوم الخميس بمنافسات بطولة كأس ملك إسبانيا 2025.

وتأتي مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا، في إطار مباريات الدور ربع النهائي لـ كأس ملك إسبانيا، على ملعب “ميستايا”.

وكانت آخر مواجهة جمعت الفريقين، شهدت فوزا عريضا لبرشلونة على فالنسيا بنتيجة 7-1، وذلك في بطولة الدوري الإسباني، بالجولة 21.

وتأهل برشلونة لربع النهائي بعد الفوز على حساب ريال بيتيس بنتيجة 5-1، في حين أن فالنسيا تخطى أورينسي بنتيجة 2-0.

ويدخل برشلونة اللقاء، بعد فوز على ديبورتيفو ألافيس في الدوري الإسباني بهدف دون مقابل.

وفالنسيا تغلب على سيلتا فيجو بهدفين مقابل هدف في الجولة الماضية للدوري الإسباني.

طالع | فيديو | برشلونة يهين فالنسيا مجددًا بخماسية ويتأهل إلى نصف نهائي كأس ملك إسبانيا موعد مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة والنصف مساءً بتوقيت مصر، الحادية عشر والنصف مساءً بتوقيت السعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا

تُذاع المباراة عبر قناة SSC HD1 وتطبيق شاهد. معلق مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا

يعلق على المباراة، أحمد النفيسة.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا.

In all, eighteen women players have been offered deals, an increase of three from the last season

ESPNcricinfo staff06-May-2021

File photo: Qiana Joseph gets her cap from Ezra Moseley•IDI/Getty Images

Qiana Joseph and the uncapped Kaysia Schultz have received their first West Indies central contracts, for the 2021-22 season. Shawnisha Hector, who has played just a solitary international – an ODI against India in 2019 – once again earned a central contract as West Indies look to widen their talent pool.In 2019, Stafanie Taylor had blamed a poor domestic women’s structure for failing to nurture young talent, despite West Indies having won the T20 World Cup in 2016. However, this recent development of offering rookies contracts could potentially be an encouraging sign.In all, eighteen women players have been offered deals, an increase of three from the last season.Related

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“The last contract period did not see many international matches as we only played five T20I matches against England,” Ann Browne-John, CWI’s lead selector for women’s and girl’s cricket, said in a media release. “Despite this, the contracted players were able to keep themselves fit and match ready. It was therefore the fairest decision to return all fifteen to contract.”Additionally, it is really a positive that three new development contracts have been awarded for the upcoming year. This will allow the requisite focus to be placed on these young players as they continue to progress their careers. There has been a lack of left-arm orthodox bowlers in the region, therefore Joseph and Schultz will hopefully help fill this void; with Joseph also bringing her left-hand batting skills which is also limited in the region. Hector is one of the bright young fast bowlers who has been bowling with great aggression in the past few training camps.”After crashing out of the 2020 T20 World Cup in Australia, with just one win in four league games, West Indies toured England four a five-match T20I series, in which they were blanked 5-0.The West Indies Women are currently working with their new coach Courtney Walsh in Antigua. Walsh had been appointed to the post last October following that England tour.West Indies Women’s contracted players: Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Deandra Dottin, Afy Fletcher, Cherry Ann Fraser, Sheneta Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Chinelle Henry, Qiana Joseph, Hayley Matthews, Anisa Mohammed, Chedean Nation, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor.

Celtic have made an improved offer for another transfer target alongside their ongoing record move for Arne Engels.

Celtic looking to splash the cash before deadline

The Hoops and Brendan Rodgers are looking to spend in the final days of the window after cashing in on star midfielder Matt O’Riley, who joined Brighton & Hove Albion in a record Scottish exit.

Rodgers recently urged the Parkhead board to spend instead of saving, saying: “We can't be happy just to make our money and build our pot because the bottom line is on the pitch. That's the bottom line. The supporters, they pay the money. I look back to the Covid times here, the Celtic supporters sold the stadium out and they weren't allowed in it.

“So we have the duty to put the best team on the pitch. That's what we'll do and look to do. It's taken a bit longer than I would have liked. But if we can do it by Friday, strengthen the squad, we'll be in a really, really good place.

“The team is in a good place, mentally, tactically, how they're playing. But we want to strengthen and have that depth. It's taken a lot longer than I would have liked as the football manager. That's my brutally honest answer on it. But I will repeat this. If we get them in, then there's still a long season ahead. So it's important that we do get that. And I have belief that we will do.”

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They are seemingly happy to do that, with midfielder Engels appearing to be a top target in Glasgow. In fact, a record £10m offer has been submitted to Augsburg as the club look to fill the void left by O’Riley.

Alongside the Belgian, Sheffield United defender Auston Trusty is also wanted at Celtic Park. An opening bid of £5m was tabled for the Blades man, and a new update has now emerged.

Celtic make improved Trusty offer

According to Football Insider, Celtic had their opening £5m proposal for Trusty turned down and have since increased their bid to around £5.5m. It remains to be seen whether or not those at Bramall Lane will accept the new offer, although they are under no pressure to do so with the player under contract until 2027.

Trusty is primarily a centre-back who can also play as a left-back and is valued at €7m (£5.89m) by Transfermarkt, so Celtic’s latest bid is getting close to that figure.

Former teammate George Friend hailed his displays at Birmingham City, saying: “I think Trusty has been incredible. I don’t think in the whole time I have been in the Championship I have seen anyone better at coming from a league abroad and just taking to the Championship so easily.

“His first game was Luton away, which is arguably one of the hardest debuts in the league and since then he has just been brilliant. He has been excellent to watch and has taken it in his stride.”

Meanwhile, Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder recently said the 26-year-old is a player with “all the attributes”.

“Trusty’s a young player, who we believe is going to be a good player for the football club. He’s got all the attributes, so, good experience for all of those.”