Fast bowler signs one-year contract extension to play 2020 season
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Aug-2019Fidel Edwards has signed a one-year contract extension with Hampshire, keeping him at the Ageas Bowl until the end of the 2020 season.Edwards, the 37-year-old West Indian fast bowler has taken 47 wickets at an average of 23.55 this season, including four five-wicket hauls, with three Championship fixtures remaining.”I’m very pleased to have signed for my sixth season at Hampshire, which has become my second home,” Edwards said. “Hopefully next year we can push on further and I’ll be trying my best to help make it a successful season for the club.”Hampshire Director of Cricket Giles White said: “Fidel has been fantastic for us since joining in 2015 and this year he’s excelled once again. He’s an important part of our squad and a great character to have in and around the group – we’re delighted to welcome him back for another year.”Edwards joined the county in 2015, picking up 45 first-class wickets in eight matches at an average of just 20.80 in his debut campaign and, despite suffering a season-ending injury in early 2016, he returned to pick up 33 wickets at an average of 24.06 the following year.Edwards continued that good form in 2018, passing 50 first-class wickets in a season for the first time in his career as he picked up 54 scalps in 15 matches.
Chelsea are thought to be one of the teams in pole position to sign a teenage defender compared to Manchester City’s John Stones.
Chelsea signings 2023/24
The Blues, under the ownership of Todd Boehly, have spent big in recent years, with the current campaign being no different. Those at Stamford Bridge completed all of their incoming business in the summer, with a plethora of big-money deals being secured.
Chelsea summer signings
Axel Disasi (Monaco)
£38.5m
Nicolas Jackson (Villarreal)
£30.1m
Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig)
£52m
Kendry Paez (Independiente del Valle)
£17.27m
Robert Sanchez (Brighton)
£25m
Moises Caicedo (Brighton)
£115m
Lesley Ugochukwu (Rennes)
£23.5m
Angelo Gabriel (Santos)
Undisclosed
Alex Matos (Norwich)
Undisclosed
Diego Moreira (Benfica)
Undisclosed
Ishe Samuels-Smith (Everton)
Undisclosed
Dujuan Richards (Phoenix All Stars Academy)
Undisclosed
Romeo Lavia (Southampton)
£58m
Deivid Washington (Santos)
£17.1m
Djordje Petrovic (New England Revolution)
£14m
Cole Palmer (Manchester City)
£42.5m
All fees courtesy of Sky Sports
The emphasis has been on bringing in young players on long-term deals, though, with an eye clearly on the future. However, manager Mauricio Pochettino, speaking earlier this month, admitted that things could have been going better on the pitch this season if the squad wasn’t so young.
“I am not picking the team because they are young. I don’t want to be the coach that picks the youngest team in England. We are a young team, but we have a good balance. We have players like Thiago Silva, 39, Raheem Sterling, [Christopher] Nkunku, 26, or [Axel] Disasi.
“The problem is not that the players are so young. The problem is that the team is young. With 16 or 17 players that have arrived new from the beginning of the season, you need to build a team.
“At the moment, maybe it’s not so good. If not, we could be in another position. It’s obvious.”
It looks as if Chelsea are continuing the trend of looking to bring in new teenagers, alongside marquee names such as Victor Osimhen, with an update emerging on one defender.
Chelsea and Arsenal leading race for defender
According to The Athletic’s Jordan Campbell, both Chelsea and Arsenal are out in front in the race to sign Lewis Carrol from Aberdeen. The 15-year-old defender could be on the move this summer and has been hailed as a “big talent” and “compared to John Stones in style”.
Should the Blues pip the Gunners to a deal for Carrol, then you’d expect that the youngster would go straight into Chelsea’s youth side next season.
The Blues have shown in the past that some of their academy gems could then be sent out on loan before looking to break into the first-team setup, so Carrol could look to follow in the footsteps of fellow defenders Reece James and Lewi Colwill.
A move will be one to keep an eye on over the coming months, and over time, Chelsea could look back on this as a shrewd move, should Carrol go on to fulfil his potential, developing into a player similar to Stones.
Barcelona have reportedly submitted an official bid with Hull City to sign their star winger Jaden Philogene.
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Barcelona show interest in Hull's PhilogeneScored 12 goals in Championship last seasonWant to sign the winger on an initial loan dealWHAT HAPPENED?
Per Sky Sports journalist Florian Plettenberg, the Catalan giants want the 22-year-old on an initial season-long loan deal but with an obligation to buy in 2025, depending on the number of minutes he plays next season. The transfer fee next year could be in the region of €20m-€23m (£16m/$21m-£19m/$24m).
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The 22-year-old English winger enjoyed a rich vein of form in the Championship last season as he appeared in 33 games across all competitions while scoring 12 goals and contributing with six assists. He played a key role in his club finishing seventh in the league as they missed out on a playoff slot by just three points.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Blaugrana have scouted the player in detail and have been left impressed by his performance in the English second tier in the 2023/24 campaign. The youngster's current contract with the Tigers is valid until 2026.
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getty imagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?
The former La Liga champions will be back in action next month as they are all set to regroup under new manager Hansi Flick before heading to the US for pre-season.
Bangladesh coach wants to field a four-man pace attack for the tri-series final on Tuesday
Mohammad Isam23-Sep-2019Bangladesh coach Russell Domingo conceded that the team is yet to play a “perfect game of cricket” in the T20I tri-series, adding that to pull it off, they might field a four-man pace attack for the final against Afghanistan on Tuesday, depending on the conditions at Shere Bangla National stadium.In the last two matches, the three-man pace attack – Mustafizur Rahman, Mohammad Saifuddin and Shafiul Islam – have taken nine wickets at an average of 18.44 and a strike rate of 15.33. Both matches were held in Chattogram where pitches for limited-overs games are usually flatter compared to in Dhaka. The greenish pitch at Shere Bangla could tempt the home team to add another pacer against the spin-heavy Afghanistan side. But the forecast of rain could change the plans.Domingo said that even if the conditions on Tuesday don’t let them play four pace bowlers, it is a strategy Bangladesh must get familiar with in T20Is, given the next World Cup is going to be held in Australia in 2020.”I think we are going to add a fourth seamer to our 12 and make a decision tomorrow, looking at the wicket,” Domingo said. “It is an area we can exploit if there’s more pace and bounce. But [playing four pace bowlers] is definitely something that we can consider. It is not a Bangladesh way of doing things. My thinking is where we are going to play the World Cup in a year’s time. We are playing in Australia, and I can’t see us playing one or two seamers there. We have to play at least three or four fast bowlers in Australia.”Winning now is important but we also have to think of what is in the best interest of the team going forward. It is a fine line to balance it. It is always good to have a fast-bowling attack but I understand the culture, and the fact that the strength of the team lies in spin bowlers. I am trying to find the balance as a coach.”Domingo pointed out that Bangladesh batsmen have been falling in a heap in the first ten overs and that, ahead of the final, they have been looking at playing a better game, ideally going into the final five overs with seven or eight wickets in hand. So far in the tournament, they have had scores of 117 for 6, 97 for 6, 90 for 3 and 101 for 5 in the first 15 overs. They have averaged 9.21 per over in the last five overs in these matches.
“It is always good to have a fast-bowling attack but I understand the culture, and the that the strength of the team lie in spin bowlers. I am trying to find the balance as a coach.”Russell Domingo
“We haven’t played the perfect game of cricket yet,” Domingo said. “We have been good in certain areas and average in certain areas. We are still trying to find the perfect game. So we haven’t got to the last five or six overs with only two or three wickets down.”We lose too many wickets in the first ten overs. We have to get to the 15th over with two wickets down, maybe, so that we have a platform for the last five overs.Domingo also backed opening batsman Najmul Hossain, who has made just 5 and 11 in his two appearances so far in the competition.”We will have a look at the conditions tomorrow. He is a young player and I have been very impressed with what I have seen, the way he carries himself, the way he trains, fields and fitness. Sometimes it is more than just runs and wickets that you look at. He provides us with an unbelievable work ethic and attitude which is important,” he said.
Chelsea are reportedly considering a short-term deal in their search for a new sponsor for the front of their kits ahead of next season.
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Chelsea in search for new sponsorBlues target short-term deal for new seasonUCL absence behind club's reluctanceWHAT HAPPENED?
Chelsea signed a multi-year deal with Infinite Athlete last year, but the agreement ensured the company's name would only be printed on the front of the team's shirts for one full season. The Blues are in the hunt for a replacement, but they are reluctant to sign a long-term deal.
AdvertisementGettyTHE EXPLANATION
The London team's desire to sign another short-term deal is motivated by their absence from the Champions League, reports. Chelsea's management feel they will be able to attract a more lucrative offer if they return to Europe's most prestigious club competition the following year.
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Two Middle Eastern airlines are among the number of companies holding talks with the Premier League team over a deal. However, Chelsea are in a race against time to tie down a new sponsor before their 2024-25 shirts go on sale. They started last season without a sponsor on their shirts and could find themselves in a similar position this time around.
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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR CHELSEA?
Chelsea begin their pre-season tour of the United States later this month, with matches against Wrexham, Celtic, Club America, Manchester City and Real Madrid scheduled. They will at least hope to have a new sponsor in place by the time their Premier League campaign begins with a match against reigning champions City on August 18.
Ange Postecoglou has done well to revive a number of stars since arriving at Tottenham Hotspur, whilst also adding his own mark on the North London side. But the former Celtic boss couldn't turn every player's form around and that could lead to one particular summer departure.
Tottenham transfer news
Currently on course to finish outside the Premier League's top four in Postecoglou's debut season, Spurs will no doubt turn their attention back towards the summer transfer window for further additions. Daniel Levy has so far backed Postecoglou on the transfer market, welcoming the likes of Micky van de Ven and James Maddison last summer, before then signing Timo Werner – who scored his first goal for the club against Crystal Palace – and Radu Dragusin.
Now, Levy could splash the cash once again to sign Jarrad Branthwaite and Pedro Neto in big-money deals that the Lilywhites have already been linked with. First, however, the North London club may need to deal with some exit news, as one player struggling for minutes potentially prepares to leave.
Wolves forward Pedro Neto in Premier League action.
According to Dan Kilpatrick, Ryan Sessengnon could be allowed to leave Spurs this summer after earning just seven minutes of first-team football so far this season, which came in the FA Cup, having suffered poorly-timed injury blows.
Tottenham now building towards move to sign new "leader" for Ange
The Lilywhites have already scouted the midfielder.
ByTom Cunningham Mar 2, 2024
Kilpatrick told The Tottenham Way Podcast: “I think Sessegnon should go and probably will go. He, as much as anyone, would benefit from a fresh start. There was a lot of interest in him in the summer, and Conte really liked him. I hope he can get fit again, but I don’t think he has a future at Spurs.”
After five years at the club, Sessegnon looks set to leave with a whimper more than anything, having failed to make an impact during a difficult spell.
"Strong" Sessegnon needs fresh start
There was a brief moment under Antonio Conte when Sessegnon finally began to find his feet in a Spurs shirt, but then injury struck to sum up his time in North London. What will undoubtedly frustrate the left-back the most is the fact that he may never get the chance to impress Postecoglou if he leaves this summer, leading to questions of what might have been.
23/24 – Hamstring injury
3
23/24 – Hamstring injury
5
23/24 – Surgery
21
22/23 – Hamstring injury
22
21/22 – Hamstring injury
7
Mainly struggling with hamstring injuries since 2021, Sessengnon must ensure that his issues in that area are solved once and for all, before making a fresh start elsewhere.
When he is injury-free, the former Fulham man can be as important as ever, with Conte previously highlighting his reliability during his tenure via Football365: "About Sess, we are talking about now a young player but a reliable player who I can count on for games in the Premier League or Champions League, for every game.
“You know very well I try in every game to make the right decision but in that role I am OK because I have (Ivan) Perisic and Sessegnon, two important players.
“He improved a lot and I remember very well since I arrived Sessegnon was another player. Now he is a reliable player and he has great confidence. He is strong physically and improved in his quality and technically."
Whilst West Ham United's continued push for continental glory has brought some joy back to the London Stadium, work has already begun addressing one of the Hammers' main problem areas.
West Ham's defensive struggles
As West Ham continue their quest for successive European triumphs, there has been a bubbling undercurrent of discontent at the London Stadium following a number of disappointing results in recent weeks. The Hammers conceded fourteen goals in the five games they played last month, showing the clear need to plug West Ham's leaky defence.
West Ham receive several approaches for another player alongside Paqueta
West Ham are turning down loan bids in favour of cashing in.
ByZak Anderton Mar 16, 2024
A 6-0 loss at the hands of London rivals Arsenal saw many take aim at manager David Moyes and feel that the Scotsman's time at the club was up. Whilst things have turned around in recent weeks, the Hammers' defensive record is still among one of the poorest in the division, something which the Scot's move for Kalvin Phillips in January has done nothing to fix.
West Ham manager David Moyes.
Despite currently sitting seventh in the table, West Ham have conceded 49 goals this season and boast a goal difference of minus four. The Hammers are currently shipping an average of 1.75 goals per game and have the seventh-worst defensive record in the Premier League.
With the need to bolster West Ham's defensive spine a clear target for Moyes this summer, it appears that the club are once again looking to nab themselves a bargain in the form of a struggling player from the big six, just like the move for Phillips.
West Ham ready summer bid for Man Utd defender
As reported by The Sun, West Ham are plotting a fresh bid for Harry Maguire this summer. The Manchester United man has been on the Hammers' radar for some time with a number of approaches made during the early passages of the season. The outlet states that Moyes is eager to bolster the height of his defence and views the England international as the solution to this problem.
The Irons hope a mere £15m will be enough this time around, due to the player getting closer to the end of his contract (2025 + one year option) and possibly more eager to find a new permanent home.
England defender Harry Maguire.
A player who has had his fair share of struggles, Maguire has shown his class on numerous occasions. Speaking on the criticism he faces, England manager Gareth Southgate came to his defence back in September.
The Hammers' past approaches for the 31-year-old failed to come to fruition after disagreements over the asking price. With the defender moving to Old Trafford in a £85million move from Leicester City back in 2019, his current team were eager to recoup at least a fraction of this figure if Maguire is to leave this summer.
Maguire's contract situation now means their hand may be forced into agreeing a cut-price for the defender, with Moyes and Co hoping to pay a figure between £15million and £20million for Maguire, a clear drop compared to the fee United paid almost five years ago. The promise of greater game time and a longer contract may be what ultimately entices the defender to make the move to the capital.
Declan Rice admitted that the England's men team will draw inspiration from the Lionesses' 2022 triumph in Euro 2024 final against Spain.
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England women conquered Europe in 2022Three Lions are one step away from gloryRice determined to end 58-year waitWHAT HAPPENED?
Sarina Wiegman's troops broke a 56-year drought for major titles, dating back to the men's 1966 World Cup win, with a thrilling victory over Germany in 2022 at a packed-out Wembley Stadium. Two years later, Gareth Southgate's men find themselves in their first major final on foreign soil and they remain determined to replicate the success of their female counterparts in Berlin.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT RICE SAID
Arsenal star Rice, reflecting on the Lionesses' achievement, emphasised the desire within the team to make the nation proud.
"We saw when the women's team won it, what it meant to them and the nation," he told reporters.
"I see some of the girls at Arsenal and that's what we want. We want to win and make the nation proud. We are back in another final, which is history itself, but now we are aiming to do one more.
"We don't want to keep talking about it and getting to finals and be happy with that. We now want to be a country where we win. We want to continue to grow and, for the young players coming in, we want to be a really big force."
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England are in their second successive European Championship final after they lost out to Italy a few years back at Wembley. Rice was part of that squad and now the 25-year-old is determined more than ever to set the record straight against Spain on Sunday.
"Seeing Italy walk up to lift the trophy at your home stadium lives with you as a football player," added Rice.
"We know that in the last final we probably just sat off and didn't attack as much as we should have. There are not many times you go back-to-back in finals but this group of players are so hungry.
"We know it's going to be tough and know you can't overlook Spain, who have been a top nation for so many years. But I've never seen a group so motivated, in training, and how we talk with each other around the place. Everyone is so driven to win this game."
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DID YOU KNOW?
Defender Kyle Walker echoed Rice's sentiments, noting that England's previous experience in finals would serve them well and that playing away from home might reduce some of the pressure. "The emotion of Wembley was completely different, with miles and miles of people chanting you and cheering you on as you leave St George's Park," Walker told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We're on a different turf now and maybe that might work to our benefit, where there's not so much pressure on us. But as people and players, who have experienced these finals before, we have to deliver on the big occasions."
Winning is the priority, but T20I is the best format to give fringe players a chance, India’s stand-in captain has said
Sruthi Ravindranath06-Nov-20194:31
‘Pretty sure Rajkot pitch will be better than Delhi’ – Rohit Sharma
India are the top-ranked Test side in the world, and only behind England in ODIs, but they haven’t quite been up there in T20Is, where they are currently fifth in the ICC rankings. For India’s stand-in captain Rohit Sharma, though, it’s not something to lose sleep over. With the next T20 World Cup just under a year away, he says the focus is on strengthening India’s bench, while not compromising on results.”Of course this a format where we are trying a lot of players,” Rohit said at a press conference ahead of the second T20I against Bangladesh in Rajkot, when asked why the team wasn’t up among the best in the format. “The key players are not involved so we’re trying a lot of younger players in the lot, sitting on the fringe.”Probably that’s one of the reasons, to be honest. The other formats, we have our entire squad playing the game. You get what you want from that squad. This is a format where you can try [other players], and there’s no harm in that.”India have won just two of their five T20I series since November 2018, both wins coming against tenth-ranked West Indies. Following a series loss at New Zealand’s hands earlier this year, they lost a series against Australia at home and drew one against South Africa. A loss in the first T20I against Bangladesh in Delhi has led to questions being asked anew.
We’ve seen a lot of players who have emerged from this format and have gone on to play ODIs and Tests. We want our bench strength to be as strong as possible so this is probably the reason why you see so many new guys coming into the fray
India are without regular captain Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni continues to be on an indefinite break, and a number of fast bowlers including frontman Jasprit Bumrah are missing at the moment.”We want to try a lot of players and make then ready for other formats,” Rohit said. “This is the format where these individuals can come out and express themselves so they’re ready for ODI and Test cricket also. We’ve seen a lot of players who have emerged from this format and have gone on to play ODIs and Tests. We want our bench strength to be as strong as possible so this is probably the reason why you see so many new guys coming into the fray.”It doesn’t mean that we have to not win games. Winning is the priority, but again these guys will learn from it. This is how a lot of guys, including me, learnt. That’s how it happens.”India have handed four T20I debuts this year, to Navdeep Saini, Mayank Markande, Rahul Chahar and Shivam Dube. While Markande did not get another chance after his debut against Australia, the other legspinner, Chahar, who made his debut against West Indies in August, was included in the squads for the games against South Africa and Bangladesh. Dube earned his maiden call-up in the Delhi T20I against Bangladesh, while Saini has missed out because of injury.Rohit Sharma throws mid-air•BCCIIn the first T20I against Bangladesh, the relatively inexperienced bowling attack was handled competently by the seasoned Mushfiqur Rahim and Soumya Sarkar. Young Khaleel Ahmed, given the job of bowling three overs in the last six, went for 18 runs in the 19th over, which pretty much sealed the game for Bangladesh, leaving them needing just four off the last over.Rohit, however, was not ready to point fingers at anyone. “Pressure is just on the team to perform and on no particular department,” he said. “You’ve lost as a team, not lost as a bowling unit. The focus will be on the team to perform so collectively all of us need to come together.”Bowlers need to come and get crucial wickets and defend the score. That’ll be the idea. We aren’t focusing on one department. We lost as a team and not as individuals.”Another area that has come under the spotlight is India’s cautious approach while batting in the Powerplay; they only scored 35 in the first six in Delhi.”Conditions were not ideal,” Rohit, who lost his wicket in the first over of the match, said. “The pitch was a little soft. The shot-making was not easy, so we have to assess and see what sort of score we want in the first six overs, then seven to 15, and the last five overs. You have to break it down like that. When you are playing on a pitch like that, you’ve to see what the ideal score would be to defend. That was the idea. But if the pitch is good you’ll see a different team India approach tomorrow.”
Aston Villa are currently competing to secure Champions League football for the 2024/25 campaign as they sit fourth in the Premier League table.
The Villans are three points ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, who have one game in hand over Unai Emery's men, with nine games left to play before the end of the season.
Qualifying for Europe's premier cup competition could help the club to retain their best players, as they would be able to offer Champions League and Premier League football.
Unai Emery
The likes of Douglas Luiz and Ollie Watkins could, therefore, be convinced to stay, unlike when they sold Jack Grealish to Manchester City for a whopping £100m.
Villa have had to sell many stars in the past but they have not always lived to regret their decision, as was the case with the sale of Stewart Downing, who went on to flop after his exit from Birmingham.
If you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the years, the 2011 Villans whiz was sold for more than Watkins is currently valued at.
Ollie Watkins' current market valuation
At the time of writing (22/03/2024), FootballTransfers has his Expected Transfer Value (xTV) at €50m (£43m), which is more than the £33m deal they agreed with Brentford to sign him in the summer of 2020.
The English forward hit the ground running in the Premier League with a return of 14 goals and five assists in 37 top-flight matches during the 2020/21 campaign.
Watkins went on to hit double figures for goals – 11 and 15 – each of the following two seasons in the league, and is currently enjoying his best year in front of goal in claret and blue.
Appearances
29
Sofascore rating
7.37
Goals
16
Assists
10
Big chances created
9
As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old star has already hit 16 goals for the season in the Premier League, which is the highest of his career so far with nine games left to play, to go along with ten assists.
Watkins has scored those 16 goals from an xG (Expected Goals) of 14.43, which shows that the England international has been an above-average finisher given the quality of chances that have come his way.
The former Brentford whiz has racked up 22 goals and ten assists in 41 appearances in all competitions for the Villans, including six goals in eight Europa Conference League games.
These statistics show that the Villa forward has been a consistent and reliable threat for Emery at the top end of the pitch, with his ability to constantly cause problems for opposition defences as both a scorer and a creator of goals from a centre-forward position.
It now remains to be seen whether or not any clubs will want to swoop in to sign the impressive attacker during the upcoming summer transfer window, and if the Villans will be able to keep hold of him should any teams come knocking.
Back in the summer of 2011, Villa did cash in on one of their star players for a significant fee – worth more in 2024 money than Watkins is now – when they sold Stewart Downing to Liverpool.
How much Liverpool paid for Stewart Downing in 2024 money
The Premier League giants – per Totally Money – paid £20.5m to sign the left-footed wizard from the Villans ahead of the 2011/12 campaign.
As per Totally Money's index, that £20.5m would be worth a staggering £54.5m in 2024 money when you adjust for the inflation of transfer fees over the subsequent years – £11.5m more than the £43m Watkins is currently valued at.
Liverpool made their move to sign Downing after he enjoyed two seasons at Villa Park, after his move to the club from Middlesbrough in 2009.
He had an underwhelming debut campaign with the Villans with a return of just two goals and one assist in 25 Premier League appearances during the 2009/10 season.
Appearances
38
Goals
7
Assists
7
WhoScored rating
7.18
Key passes per game
2.2
As you can see in the table above, the English magician stepped up his game in his second year with the club as he showcased his ability to score and assist goals from a wide position.
Downing won the club's Player of the Season award for his efforts that term and manager Alex McLeish stated that he – and the club – did not want to sell the forward in the summer of 2011, after the Villans had rejected a £15m bid from the Reds.
However, Liverpool were eventually able to secure his services for a fee of £20.5m – £54.5m in today's market – and it turned out that Villa struck gold with that deal, as he went on to struggle at Anfield.
Stewart Downing's post-Villa struggles
McLeish and Aston Villa may look back on the decision to sell Downing when they did as a blinder as his form post-2011 for the Reds suggests that they hit the jackpot by selling when they did.
After his return of 14 goal contributions in 38 Premier League matches – one every other game on average – during the 2010/11 campaign, Liverpool may have expected a similar output on Merseyside.
Instead, the left winger – staggeringly – did not contribute with a single goal or assist during his first league season with Liverpool. He made 36 appearances and started 28 times for Liverpool but ended the term with zero goals and zero assists.
Stewart Downing
That was followed by three goals and five assists in 29 league outings for the Reds throughout the 2012/13 campaign, which took his tally to three goals and five assists in 65 top-flight appearances.
Liverpool then decided to cut their losses on the big-money flop as they sold him to West Ham United in the summer of 2013 – two years on from his move from Villa.
Per Totally Money, the Hammers paid £5.2m to sign Downing from the Reds, and that fee would be worth £9.5m in the current day, which is significantly less than the £54.5m his initial move to Anfield would have been worth in 2024.
This shows that the Villans struck gold in the summer of 2011 as they cashed in on the winger before his form on the pitch and value off it plummeted.