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Callum Ferguson has two centuries in his first two knocks for Worcestershire and, with the help of another hundred for Joe Clarke, it kept them in the higher reaches of North Group

ECB Reporters Network03-Jun-2018
ScorecardWorcestershire Rapids took a sizeable step towards the Royal London One-Day Cup knockout stages as centurions Joe Clarke and Callum Ferguson powered them to a 34 run success over Northamptonshire Steelbacks at Blackfinch New Road.The pair plundered 239 runs in 37 overs for the second wicket as the Rapids amassed 348 for 5 in their 50 overs.Then Northamptonshire, despite half centuries from Rob Newton, Adam Rossington and Rob Keogh, were bowled out for 314 in the final over as the Rapids secured a fifth win in seven games and ended the North Group with a 100 per cent home record from the four matches at their headquarters.Victory moved the Rapids level on points with leaders Warwickshire who they meet in a crunch derby encounter under the Edgbaston floodlights on Thursday.Ferguson is having a start to remember for his adopted county as the Australian batsman followed his record-breaking 191 against Leicestershire Foxes with an unbeaten 159.Worcestershire elected to bat on what was the same wicket used for the highest successful run chase in English one-day cricket against Leicestershire on Tuesday.England all-rounder Moeen Ali was bowled for a second ball duck by Ben Sanderson, but the visitors had to wait another 37 overs for their next success as Clarke and Ferguson dominated proceedings with the bat.It was the county’s highest second wicket partnership in List A cricket, surpassing the 208 by Vikram Solanki and Phil Hughes against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2012.England Lions batsman Clarke and then Ferguson in turn went past Worcestershire’s previous best individual List A score versus Northamptonshire – 120 by Graeme Hick at Northampton in 2007.Clarke reeled off a succession of fine drives and went to his fourth List A century from 105 balls with a hook for four off Rory Kleinveldt. It included one six and eight other boundaries.Ferguson soon followed him to three figures in four balls less than Clarke with the aid of 10 fours and he celebrated by twice lofting Sanderson for straight sixes.The stand was finally broken when Clarke (122 off 117 balls with one six and 12 fours) holed out to deep mid wicket off spinner Graeme White and in the same over he accounted for Ross Whiteley lbw for a duck.But Ferguson continued to score freely and was given excellent late order support by Ben Cox (39) and Brett D’Oliveira (22).The 33-year-old left the field to his second standing ovation in five days after plundering three sixes and 13 fours from 136 balls.Northamptonshire List A debutant Ricardo Vasconcelos clipped Worcestershire skipper Joe Leach to mid wicket with 34 on the board.Newton and Ben Duckett scored freely in a second wicket stand of 79 in 12 overs with the former pulling Pat Brown over mid wicket for six to reach his half century from 45 balls.But Moeen made a crucial breakthrough when Duckett went for a reverse sweep and top edged a catch to keeper Cox.Then Newton, after making a run a ball 61 with two sixes and six fours, aimed a pull at Brown and also perished at mid wicket.Skipper Alex Wakely (40) and Rossington (63) kept the Steelbacks hopes alive when adding 95 in 12 oversBut three quickfire wickets swung the game decisively in the Rapids’ favour. Ed Barnard bowled Wakely and had Rory Kleinveldt caught off a skier at point while in between Rossington miscued D’Oliveira into the hands of Leach running back from cover.Saif Zaib and Graeme White perished as the run rate rocketed and in the final over Keogh (51) and Nathan Buck holed out on the boundary off Charlie Morris.

The left-arm spinner bowled just three balls on T20I debut; no replacement is likely to be flown in for the series that finishes on Tuesday

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2018West Indies spinner Veerasammy Permaul will play no further part in the ongoing series against Pakistan because of a ruptured muscle.Permaul, 28, had bowled just three balls on his T20I debut at the National Stadium Karachi on Sunday before he pulled up with a twisted left-ankle. He received treatment for several minutes by the physio before being stretchered off the field. He was taken to a local hospital, and did not bat in the second innings.This stretches an already thin West Indies touring squad to just 12 available players, and given the series ends on Tuesday, it is extremely unlikely a replacement player will be called up.That means West Indies are set to hand a maiden international cap to one of Odean Smith or Andre McCarthy, the two players left out of their playing XI on Sunday.West Indies will be looking to bounce back from a heavy defeat in the first game, where they were shot out for 60 chasing 204.

Manchester City superstar Jack Grealish has pulled out of the England squad for their upcoming fixtures against Ukraine and Scotland.

After starting two of the first three games for the Champions League winners this season the 27-year-old dynamo was a surprise omission from the squad that beat Fulham 5-1 over the weekend.

But it has since come to light that in the build-up to Saturday's game, Grealish had picked up a thigh injury, per Manchester Evening News.

Why won’t Grealish be available?

After Saturday’s victory City’s assistant manager Juanma Lillo clarified that he didn’t know if Grealish would be part of the England squad, he said:

"It’s going to be difficult for Jack to make it, but I’m not a doctor and it will be difficult for me to explain."

Following this statement, Grealish did actually report to St George's Park but after an assessment from the national side's staff, he has had to withdraw from the squad.

The FA subsequently released a statement saying:

"Jack Grealish and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been ruled out of England’s September fixtures.

"The pair reported to St. George’s Park on Monday but have since withdrawn from the Three Lions squad following checks on injuries sustained prior to camp.

"There are no further call-ups expected as Gareth Southgate’s squad prepare for Saturday’s UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier against Ukraine in Wroclaw and Tuesday’s 150th Anniversary Heritage Match with Scotland in Glasgow."

How big of a loss is Grealish to England and Manchester City?

The dynamic winger, who cost a British record £100m, will undoubtedly be a massive loss for Gareth Southgate’s upcoming fixtures.

Since making his England debut in September 2020, Grealish has played 32 times, scoring two goals and providing six assists.

The £300k-per-week whiz has been on electric form for Manchester City – last season, Grealish had a Sofascore rating of 7.34, which was the fourth highest in the squad, only 0.02 behind PFA Players’ Player of the Year Erling Haaland.

In the last year, the Aston Villa youth academy product has ranked in the top 3% of wingers and attacking midfielders in Europe for goal-creating actions per 90, as well as the top 6% for touches in the attacking third per 90, via FBref, proving what a monumental loss the talisman will be for England and Manchester City.

Speaking on BT Sport this year, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand said:

"He has times when he takes his time. When he changes the rhythm of the game, slows it down then speeds it up and releases, he is almost unplayable when he does that.

"When he slows it down and plays one-paced, it allows defenders to come across. He is a super talent and he is starting to get goals and assists and impact big games. Long may it continue.”

Last season the Birmingham-born winger played 50 times for his club, scoring five goals and providing 11 assists.

Thankfully for Manchester City fans, and maybe to the dismay of West Ham fans, Grealish could return from injury before their game on September 16th.

However, if he doesn't return in time it could mean he also misses City's first Champions League game this season against FK Crvena Zvezda just three days later, which would be a frustrating blow for both Pep Guardiola and the Etihad Stadium faithful.

Tottenham Hotspur may well be enjoying a brief period of success under their new boss, but there still remains an elephant in the room that Ange Postecoglou must address before deadline day later this week; replacing Harry Kane…

Who could replace Harry Kane?

The Australian is still yet to invest in a successor to Kane, despite the entire summer being dominated by rumours of his exit, which was confirmed over two weeks ago.

Whilst seemingly an impossible task to replace the England captain, there are options on the market that could more than make up for the huge amount of goals they are set to lose.

One such option has been outlined by journalist Rudy Galetti, who spoke to GIVEMESPORT on this topic:

"Tottenham are still looking at a replacement for Harry Kane and this is their first priority. Jonathan David and Gift Orban remain the preferred names in the list and talks will go ahead for them in the next days."

It was noted earlier in the window that the LOSC Lille man, who would represent a much more experienced and proven option, would cost around €60m (£52m). This would still leave plenty leftover from the fee gained from that aforementioned sale to Bayern Munich.

How good is Jonathan David?

Despite being only 23 years old, it feels like David has been around the top of the game for many years now.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Boasting a bulky 5 foot 9 frame, he is more than capable of competing with the combative style of English football, with his turn of pace an added asset to petrify defenders.

Such a well-rounded physical profile, combined with his lethal touch in front of goal, have made him one of Europe's most promising young frontmen.

Just last season saw him score 24 times and assist a further four in Ligue 1, having built upon his 15-goal haul the year prior. With two goals in three league matches already this term, it seems the Canada international is once again poised to enjoy another clinical period.

The only question is for whom will those goals be scored?

Should he choose Spurs, the injection of proficiency that his presence would provide could be the catalyst that takes Postecoglou's early-tenure success to new heights, surpassing all expectations to propel them way up the Premier League table.

His acquisition would certainly aid in their efforts to outperform rivals Chelsea, given the similarities shared between the former Gent star and Mauricio Pochettino's new star forward, Nicolas Jackson.

Having signed from Villarreal just this summer, already the Senegalese star is catching the eye, with his electric play style having drawn praise from his new boss: "I think when Chelsea sign a player like him it's because they detect something important in quality and talent. He is a big talent, he needs time to adapt to the new club, the Premier League.

"He is young also, we need to help him to develop and evolve and be an important player for Chelsea.".

The Analyst seeks to emphasise their similarities, with Jackson boasting a 79.2% similarity score and also ranking in the top 9% for goals, compared to David's top 6%.

However, when placing their goalscoring and experience at the top level beside one another, a gulf quickly appears.

Last season saw the 22-year-old Jackson score just 13 goals in Spain across all competitions, with his £32m price tag a huge fee for someone so unproven. Meanwhile, David would cost slightly more but outranks Jackson in nearly every area.

Comparing them from last season, the Lille star boasts far more shot-creating actions (116 v 47), higher expected assists (5.7 v 2.0), a far higher expected goals tally (23.6 v 8.0) and even more tackles (24 v 14), all across the campaign, via FBref.

After all, the words of podcaster Tony Marinaro still ring true: "To all Canadians, enjoy Jonathan David. He is a student of the game. He does everything right. Simply put, he’s a phenom. One of the best strikers in the world is Canadian."

For just £20m more, Postecoglou could give his side an even bigger advantage over Chelsea, although, with the acquisition of the forward in question, he would likely set his ambitions at a higher level.

كشف لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي مانشستر سيتي، كيفين دي بروين، آخر التطورات حول إصابته قبل مواجهة وست هام يونايتد القادمة.

وغادر دي بروين مباراة الأمس أمام توتنهام هوتسبير مصاباً بحلول الدقيقة 69 وحل بدلاً منه جيريمي دوكو.

وتمكن مانشستر سيتي من تحقيق الفوز أمام توتنهام هوتسبير بنتيجة 2/0، في إطار منافسات الجولة 34 المؤجلة عن مباريات الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

اقرأ أيضاً.. تايمز: مشاركة جيرونا في دوري أبطال أوروبا بمهب الريح بسبب مانشستر سيتي

وقال كيفين دي بروين في تصريحات لشبكة “سكاي سبورتس”: “أنا بخير، أشعر بألم بعض الشيء، لكنه مجرد مكان في العرقوب وفي اللحظة التي شعرت فيها وكأنها طعنة سكين عندما تعرضت للضربة. لكنه فقط مجرد تأثير”.

وأضاف دي بروين: “يجب أن أقول، أعتقد أن توتنهام كانوا جيدين حقًا. أعتقد أنهم لعبوا بشكل أفضل مما لعبوا في الأسابيع السابقة”.

وواصل قائلاً حول مباراة توتنهام: “من الواضح أننا كنا سعداء، فهذا أوصلنا إلى المكان الذي نريد أن نكون فيه يوم الأحد. لكني لا أشعر أن هناك احتفالات إضافية. أنت سعيد بفوزك ولكننا نعلم أن الأمر لم ينته بعد، لم يكن الأمر سهلاً على الإطلاق، وهناك ضغط من هذا الموقف”.

وعن ستيفان اورتيجا أوضح قائلاً :”لقد جاء ولم يعرف الكثير من الناس من أين أتى أو أين لعب، لكنه كان مثيرًا للإعجاب حقًا. أينما لعب، مع الفريق، كان جيدًا حقًا. كان لديه الكثير من الفرص هذا العام”.

وأكمل دي بروين: “لقد تعرض إيدرسون لبعض الإصابات لسوء الحظ، ولكن عندما لعب ستيفان معنا كان جيدًا حقًا”.

Josh Hazlewood’s return to fitness will mean New South Wales will field Australia’s Ashes bowling attack against Western Australia in the unassuming surrounds of Hurstville Oval from Saturday, though the tall fast man admits he would like to see some extra bowling cover in the Test squad when it is finally announced.The certainty around the shape of Steven Smith’s top four bowlers and top five batsmen is in sharp contrast to the vast speculation about who will fill the spots at Nos. 6 and 7, in recent times nominally the preserve of an allrounder and a wicketkeeper. Australia’s selectors will not be unveiling their Gabba squad until the day after the third round of Sheffield Shield matches on November 17, having gained precious little relevant information from the first, floodlit fixtures.Returning to the state team following a side strain in Bangladesh and a 10-over spell in Sydney club cricket on the weekend, Hazlewood said he would like to see a fifth bowling option present in the Australian Test side. That balance would aid him, Mitchell Starc and Pat Cummins in bowling at their best and fastest, notwithstanding the outstanding recent displays of the spin bowler Nathan Lyon. Moises Henriques is the allrounder for NSW, while Hilton Cartwright and Marcus Stoinis seem the most likely contenders to fulfill that role in the Test team.”It’s always nice having that allrounder to maybe bowl five or six overs throughout the day,” Hazlewood said. “I think the way Gaz has bowled over the last 12-18 months has been fantastic and he’s been shouldering the workload if it does get put upon the quicks. But for balance you want runs and wickets from that No. 6 batter … you could go either way.”It’s always great to have a full-strength NSW side, a lot of Test experience, the skipper and vice skipper there as well, so yeah really looking forward to getting out there. Western Australia are really strong at the moment in all formats, so looking forward to a good game.”It’s usually one or the other [of Starc or Cummins] at different stages, so it’s great to get them together. We’ve got a pretty good record when we’re all together bowling. We’re pretty used to bowling together these days, whether it’s for Australia or NSW, so we’ll just take it as another game and try to get those 20 wickets.”In making his recovery from the side strain, Hazlewood was several weeks behind Starc’s own rehabilitation from a foot problem, meaning he was unable to play in the first Shield round. This means he will play consecutive Shield games before the Gabba Test, creating a delicate balance between the demands of Smith, the selectors and medical staff trying to manage his workload.”The other guys played last week and this week and I think they’re having a rest for game three,” Hazlewood said. “I’m playing game three since I missed the first one. It’s a good build-up, two Shield games before the first Test, and hopefully get through the first Test as well. Ideally you’d want to play the same as Mitch and Pat, the first two, but I don’t see it as much of a big deal, we’ll just bowl a little bit less in the nets leading into it if we bowl a bit more in the game.”It feels really good, it’s got better every session from when I started bowling probably four or five weeks ago, it feels good now, nice and strong, so hopefully it stays that way. Very close to, if not, 100%.”Another contender for the Ashes, Nathan Coulter-Nile, has been bizarrely withdrawn from WA’s Shield team to face NSW at Hurstville and will instead bowl a limited number of overs for an invitational XI against the Englishmen in Perth on November 4 and 5. Hazlewood, who has himself had his bowling load closely managed over numerous years, took the view that it was a chance for a speedy compatriot to place some early doubts in the minds of the touring team’s batsmen.”I see it more as a positive I think, that he can maybe crack open a few of them early and create a few scars in their top order and middle order maybe,” he said. “Disappointing he’s not playing in the Shield game against us, but he’s had trouble with injuries in the past few years so that’s the reason he’s playing there.”Their top order, it’ll be their first hit on tour, and to have a guy there like Coults there to warm them up I guess to maybe create a few scars would be nice. That’s their plan too, to start with the bounciest, quickest wicket and get used to that straight away.”Elsewhere, the national selectors named the Cricket Australia XI squad to face Joe Root’s England tourists in a pair of Ashes warm-up matches, first in Adelaide (November 8-11) and then Townsville (November 15-18). The experienced Tim Paine and the NSW seamer Gurinder Sandhu add experience to the side, which also features the more youthful talents of Will Pucovski and Jason Sangha.Cricket Australia XI squad: Jake Carder, Jackson Coleman, Michael Cormack, Daniel Fallins, Ryan Gibson, Nick Larkin, Simon Milenko, Tim Paine, Will Pucovski, Gurinder Sandhu, Jason Sangha, Matthew Short.

Tottenham Hotspur and Ange Postecoglou are "working on the assumption" that Harry Kane stays at the club next season amid interest from Bayern Munich, according to journalist Alasdair Gold.

Is Kane leaving Spurs?

Postecoglou has a difficult job on his hands next season at Tottenham, but it will be a lot easier if Kane is still in north London.

There is still huge uncertainty over the England captain's future amid persistent interest from Bayern Munich, who have recently launched a third £86m bid for Kane.

The fact that Kane captained Spurs during their 5-1 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in a pre-season friendly on Sunday 5 August and scored four goals against the Ukrainian side has raised the hopes of Tottenham fans desperate for Kane to stay.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

In recent hours, it has been reported the Lilywhites have rejected Bayern's latest offer for Kane which may provide some fans with a lot of optimism over Kane's future.

According to journalist Gold though, Tottenham are preparing for the new season under the assumption that Kane stays at the club, and will simply react to the unfolding situation should things change.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Gold stated: "From what I understand, everyone seems to be working to the assumption that at the moment he [Kane] stays, and if anything else changes that's what they work to.

"That's very much what Postecoglou's saying as well. This isn't me, you know, saying anything like amazing. It's exactly how Postecoglou is treating it. It seems to be the vibe everyone is working to, and it seems to be the players as well is that he's here now, he's a Spurs player, let's crack on planning as if he's there, and if that scenario changes then we deal with that."

He added: "Which is not a good way to operate, to be honest. It's not and that's why, you know, Postecoglou will certainly want a resolution sooner rather than later, so he can really know exactly what's shaping up next."

Kane's four-goal contribution against Shakhtar again highlighted his significance to this Tottenham team and Spurs would certainly miss him hugely next season should he leave for the Bundesliga champions.

Kane managed 30 goals last season in the Premier League despite featuring in an underwhelming Tottenham side that lacked attacking ingenuity. The thought of him playing in an attack-minded Postecoglou team will give many opposition defenders sleepless nights.

However, if Spurs leave making a decision too late in the transfer window, they may be left with little time to bring in an adequate replacement for their star man.

Who are Tottenham signing?

Spurs' busy start to the transfer window has naturally slowed down in recent weeks, but that does not mean that Postecoglou is done exploring the transfer market.

Tottenham made the loans of Dejan Kulusevski and Pedro Porro permanent, before moving to sign Guglielmo Vicario, James Maddison and Manor Solomon early in the summer.

This has since been followed by the signing of young Blackburn centre-back Ashley Phillips who is seen as a player for the future in north London at just 18-years-old.

Phillips will be joined shortly by another centre-back with Wolfsburg's Micky van de Ven soon to be confirmed as a Tottenham player in a £43m move. The Dutch defender attended Spurs' clash with Shakhtar and is expected to complete his medical soon.

Spurs are also finalising a deal for young Argentine Alejo Veliz from Rosario Central after having agreed to meet his £13m release clause, although the forward could be loaned out.

Tickets for the Perth Ashes Test will belatedly go on sale at the end of July after unsuccessful efforts to have the match staged at the city’s new multi-purpose stadium rather than the unpopular WACA Ground.As recently as May, CA’s chief executive James Sutherland had expressed hope that the match could be played at the new stadium located in Burswood, but cricket administrators admitted defeat after meetings with stadium management and the Western Australian government.That left tickets to be organised for the WACA instead, which has hosted Ashes matches dating back to the ground’s very first Test in 1970-71. “The Perth Test holds a special place in the summer of cricket and in an Ashes year we are expecting capacity crowds at the WACA throughout the Test,” Sutherland said.”We know that many fans, both in Western Australia and abroad, are eagerly awaiting this Test and are keen to secure their place so we are pleased to be announcing an on-sale date for tickets to the match.”Given the strong demand we expect to see for this match we urge people to purchase their tickets early to avoid disappointment, and only purchase from the official ticket agency to ensure they obtain a valid ticket for the official ticket price.”Christina Matthews, the WACA chief executive, said the match now afforded the opportunity to celebrate the ground’s Ashes history. “There is a rich history and tradition for Western Australians associated with attending the Ashes Test matches at the WACA Ground, with plenty of wonderful memories along the way,” she said.”This summer’s Test represents a unique opportunity to celebrate one final Ashes Test match at the WACA Ground. We anticipate tickets will be in high demand as fans will want to secure their piece of history, so we encourage people to purchase their tickets early to avoid disappointment.”Tickets will be on sale to preregistered fans on July 31, then WACA members from August 3 and the general public from August 4.

Arsenal could look at signing a new right-sided attacker and another central midfielder this summer, according to Sky Sports.

How much have Arsenal spent this summer?

The Gunners and Mikel Arteta have been busy in the transfer window so far ahead of the 2023/24 season, looking to go one step further in the Premier League.

The club have brought in Kai Havertz from Chelsea in a deal worth £65m, whereas Jurrien Timber has made the move to north London from Ajax for £38m.

Those two deals take Arsenal’s summer spend to £103m, and that will double with a move for Declan Rice. West Ham have confirmed that the England international has left the club and is poised to join Arsenal in a deal worth a guaranteed £100m plus £5m in add-ons.

There could still be more to come at the Emirates, though, with a transfer update emerging in the last 48 hours. Sky Sports reporter Dharmesh Sheth provided transfer news on Arsenal, claiming that the focus will now be on departures due to the money they have spent in recent weeks.

However, the reliable reporter did claim that a new right-sided attacker and another central midfielder could be deals to potentially keep an eye on before the window closes.

“The focus will be on departures simply because they have probably spent close to £200m once the Rice and the Timber deals go through.

“And maybe on the central midfielder area as well. I know that Declan Rice is on the verge of coming in but Granit Xhaka has left. But if Thomas Partey was to potentially leave, because we know that there is a lot of interest. It is just at an interest stage at the moment but if that was to develop then maybe Arsenal would potentially look into recruiting there as well.”

Who else could Arsenal sign?

With more than £200m spent so far this summer, Arsenal, as Sheth mentions, could be looking at moving payers on before bringing anyone else in. However, there have been players linked with moves to join Arteta’s side, including Gremio central midfielder Bitello.

Arsenal are “actually moving seriously” for Bitello, and reports have suggested that the club even have officials in Brazil to “analyse and send an offer” for the 23-year-old.

In attack, a player who has been linked with the Gunners is Barcelona’s Ferran Torres. It is believed that Arsenal would be willing to sign the forward on loan, and the La Liga champions would approve any temporary deal for him. Arteta previously worked with Torres at Manchester City, so moves for the Spaniard alongside Bitello could well be ones to keep an eye on over the coming weeks. Some players may need to be moved on first, though, so it may still be a busy few weeks in the market for Edu and co.

Leeds United have finalised their new regime. The 49ers enterprises will fund and support the recently appointed Daniel Farke, who has been tasked with guiding Leeds back into the Premier League.

The German has already suggested that the current squad is set to go undergo major changes and said: “We’ve spoken intensively about the squad. It’s a huge task for us. The group right now will not be the group at the end of August. We need good decisions with outgoings and incomings.

“Probably it won’t be everything perfect in just four weeks. You can’t create this. But we need to create a solid foundation and make sure that the longer the season lasts, the better we’ll be.”

It has placed Leeds on a strict and unwanted timer to prepare a muddled squad for the ruthless Championship schedule.

Farke is on the hunt for reliable and trustworthy additions to Elland Road, and he should look no further than the imperious Charlie Taylor.

What’s the latest on Charlie Taylor to Leeds United?

According to The Athletic’s Phil Hay, the Yorkshire are 'pondering bidding' for the Englishman, who came through the academy at the club.

Why does Leeds United want to sign Charlie Taylor?

Last season, the left-back made 33 Championship appearances for Burnley as his side cantered towards the title in Vicent Kompany’s first season in English management.

The 29-year-old was a consistent pillar of stability, ranking within the top 20% outside of Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for aerials won per 90, passes attempted per 90, and assists per 90.

Furthermore, he became a particularly useful asset for his Belgian manager due to his magnificent versatility. Whilst predominantly appearing in his preferred left-back role, he also featured at centre half on occasion and was lauded for his competence in both positions by Kompany, who said: “I have been in the position for a few years of my life, and I saw a centre half.”

His former boss Sean Dyche has also hailed Taylor’s defensive acumen, adding: “Since we’ve had Charlie here, we’ve been impressed with his defending, his physicality. He’s quick and strong.”

This type of profile is what Leeds has desperately lacked, especially when you analyse Junior Firpo and his calamitous defensive traits.

In 19 Premier League outings last term, the 26-year-old managed just one clean sheet, was dribbled past 1.2 times per game, won just 50% of his dribbles, and only forged a 40% dribble success rate.

His lack of competence on the ball has been an obvious negative feature of his game as the full-back dismally ranks in the bottom 26% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for pass completion, progressive carries per 90, and successful take-ons per 90.

The former Barcelona man has been a bitter disappointment since his transfer as Joe Cole feels he is a “nervous and anxious” defender, who was part of a setup that conceded the most goals in the division last campaign (78).

The arrival of the £25k-per-week man would ease these defensive concerns and give Farke a chance of rectifying this damaging issue.