One Manchester City star is now looking to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer despite Pep Guardiola's admiration for him, according to a new report.
Man City exit rumours
Pep guided Man City to a historic fourth successive Premier League title this past weekend, with a 3-1 win over West Ham on the final day ensuring City would pip Arsenal to the trophy.
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However, despite City sitting top of the pile in six of the past seven seasons, it could be a summer of change on the blue side of Manchester. There have been rumours on a number of star players potentially leaving the Etihad, with Kevin de Bruyne's future unclear amid interest from Saudi Arabia.
Meanwhile, first-choice goalkeeper Ederson could also head for the exit door, with the Brazilian also having interest from the Saudi Pro League. Stefan Ortega’s future could also be decided in the next few weeks, with new contract talks stalling.
To make matters worse, an outfield star seemingly has his heart set on a move away over the coming months.
Bernardo Silva ready to leave Man City
According to Football Insider, Bernardo Silva has made a transfer decision and wants to leave the Etihad this summer. Paris Saint-Germain have made the midfielder a top target, with the £300,000-a-week star is now ready to quit after winning a sixth Premier League title in seven years.
Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring for Manchester City.
Silva, who arrived from AS Monaco, has been a key performer under Guardiola in recent years, but it looks as if his days in Manchester could now be numbered.
Bernardo Silva's Man City stats in numbers
Appearances
354
Goals
66
Assists
66
Trophies
Premier League
6
FA Cup
2
League Cup
4
Champions League
1
Community Shield
2
Club World Cup
1
Super Cup
1
As can be seen, his stint with the Sky Blues has been extremely successful, with Guardiola praising the 29-year-old on a number of occasions.
"Everybody loves him and we want him. He's really important for him to stay with us", said Guardiola after Silva’s FA Cup double against Newcastle United in March.
Back in October, the City boss also called Silva irreplaceable: "I could stay here and talk for 10 minutes on what Bernardo Silva means for me and our team. He is a player that is beyond good in all departments – solidarity, intelligence, he understands everything.
"We are in love with him. The problem is he has no big cars, he dress maybe not for high style. He is humble and everybody loves him in the locker room. We were lucky not to lose him. He is irreplaceable. I know he is happy here."
If the men’s Asia Cup goes ahead this year, it will likely take place in Sri Lanka. The hope is that the tournament will be played in September.Although it is technically Pakistan’s turn to host the Asia Cup this year, the PCB offered SLC to swap hosting years at an Asian Cricket Council (ACC) meeting earlier this week, with SLC handing over hosting rights for the 2022 Asia Cup. With India-Pakistan relations being frosty at present, the PCB cannot feasibly host a tournament involving India. Additionally, Sri Lanka appears to have the Covid-19 pandemic under the most control out of the potential host nations.There is, however, substantial doubt if the tournament will go ahead as planned, largely due to the restrictions and logistical hurdles posed by the pandemic. Hosting a multi-team tournament would clearly require an exponentially greater level of medical arrangements, to say nothing of the travel restrictions that each team will face. At present, SLC has been trying desperately, but has been unable to even confirm bilateral home series against India and Bangladesh that had been slated for the middle of the year. An Asia Cup, which generally sees at least six teams competing, seems far off.Sri Lanka has not hosted an Asia Cup since 2010, but will relish the opportunity to showcase the country as a safe place to play, to a regional audience. The ACC’s executive council has not approved the swap of host nations yet, but is expected to confirm hosting plans before the end of the month.
Tim Weah started his Serie A season off with a bang with a goal in Juventus' opener as Weston McKennie remained on the bench in the win over Como.
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Weah starts and scores for Juve.Weah in a more attacking role this season.McKennie stays on bench.Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?
Tim Weah scored Juventus' second goal of the day, following a finish from Samuel Mbangula with a fantastic strike just moments before halftime. Unfortunately for Weah, who started on the wing in Thiago Motta's first official match in charge, a knock suffered just moments before his finish prevented him from continuing on after halftime.
His U.S. Men's National Team teammate Weston McKennie was named to the bench but remained an unused substitute as Juventus secured a 3-0 win, with goals from Mbangula, Weah, and Andrea Cambiaso.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Weah's spot in the starting XI was a good sign for USMNT fans, but even better was the position that start came in. After spending most of last season as a wingback, Weah returned to the wing, the role he occupies with the USMNT. He had also been training as a striker during preseason, indicating that Motta sees him as a key attacker for Juve going forward.
McKennie, meanwhile, was included after a summer full of transfer rumors. He'd been left out of the team altogether during preseason, but Motta recently backtracked and admitted that McKennie could have a part to play this season.While the manager may have him in his plans, not playing him on Monday suggests otherwise, allowing those transfer rumors to persist as the window closes.
GettyDID YOU KNOW?
While Weah's goal was his first in Serie A, it wasn't his first goal for Juventus. He had previously scored for the club in the Coppa Italia, netting against Salernitana in a 6-1 win back in January.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?
Weah, McKennie and Juventus will now look ahead to next week's match against Verona, their second of the Serie A season.
Na tarde deste sábado, Sampaio Corrêa e Botafogo se enfrentam no Estádio Castelão, no Maranhão, às 16h30, em partida válida pela sétima rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro Série B. A Bolívia Querida e o Glorioso ocupam a oitava e nona posição, respectivamente. O time maranhense tem nove pontos, enquanto time carioca tem oito.
>Nova camisa lançada! Relembre os últimos uniformes II do Botafogo
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Como a partida contra o CSA foi adiada, oBotafogo não entrou em campo na sexta rodada da competição. O clube pediu a CBF esse adiamento, porque teve dificuldade em encontrar um local para mandar o jogo. Vale ressaltar que o Nilton Santos está cedido à Conmebol para a realização da Copa América.
> Conheça o aplicativo de resultados do LANCE!
Dessa forma, o Alvinegro tem um jogo a menos que o Sampaio Corrêa, que empatou sem gols com o Brusque, na última rodada. Até aqui, ambas as equipes têm duas vitórias e uma derrota na Série B.
FICHA TÉCNICA Sampaio Corrêa x Botafogo
Data/Hora: 26/06, às 16h30 Local: Estádio Castelão, em São Luís (MA) Árbitro: Jean Pierre Goncalves Lima (RS) Assistentes: Leirson Peng Martins (RS) e Mauricio Coelho Silva Penna (RS) Onde ver: Premiere e tempo real do LANCE!
SAMPAIO CORRÊA (Técnico: Felipe Surian) Mota; Luís Gustavo, Paulo Sérgio, Nilson Júnior e Eloir; Betinho (Mauro Silva), Ferreira e Daniel Costa; Pimentinha (Romarinho), Roney (Jean Silva) eCiel
Suspensos: – Pendurados: Jajá e Luis Gustavo Fora: Alan Godói e Joécio
> Veja a tabela da Série B
BOTAFOGO (Técnico: Marcelo Chamusca) Douglas Borges; Warley, Kanu, Gilvan, Guilherme Santos; Luís Oyama, Pedro Castro; Ronald, Marco Antônio, Chay; Rafael Navarro.
Suspensos: – Pendurados: Guilherme Santos e Chay Fora: Gatito Fernández, Rafael Carioca e Carli (em tratamento),Diego Cavalieri, Jonathan e Romildo (em transição)
Palpites: na redação do LANCE!,25% apostaram em uma vitória do Botafogo, 50% disseram que a partida terminará empatada e 25% estão confiantes de que o Sampaio Corrêa será o vencedor.
Manchester United have been far from their best this campaign, especially after a promising first season under Erik ten Hag.
The Red Devils will now face an uphill battle to achieve Champions League football, with new owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe hopeful that his club will achieve it.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, new owner of Manchester United at a Premier League game
Despite dealing with injuries all season and not signing anyone in January, United’s best form has arrived in 2024, winning five out of eight Premier League games.
Although it’s an improvement, there are still some players who are struggling to live up to their huge wage, unlike the ever-improving youngster Kobbie Mainoo, who is starring in the team.
Kobbie Mainoo’s salary
In January 2023, Mainoo made his first start as a Man United player, making his debut against Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup, but it would have been impossible to predict that just over a year later, he would become a vital player for Ten Hag.
The 18-year-old made his first Premier League start for United in November in the 3-0 win over Everton, but it may have been sooner if he hadn’t picked up an ankle injury in pre-season.
Kobe Mainoo
The midfielder has since started the last 12 Premier League matches for the Red Devils, performing to an extremely high standard, notably winning United’s January Player of the Month award.
Nonetheless, Mainoo remains one of the lowest earners in the United squad, taking home just £10k per week or £520k over the entire season,
In truth, that is nothing compared to what some of the top earners are getting paid at the club.
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Casemiro’s Man United salary
The defensive midfield position was one that simply had to be improved when Ten Hag took over, which led to the signing of Casemiro for a colossal fee of £70m from Real Madrid.
During his first season, the Brazilian helped United win the EFL Cup, scoring a header in the final against Newcastle United while also being a consistent performer, starting 24 games and contributing to seven goals in the league.
Manchester United midfielder Casemiro.
However, that hasn’t been the case this campaign, with the "scary" number 18, as dubbed by Gary Lineker, missing 17 matches through injury and struggling to deal with the tempo and pace of the Premier League since, from both an in-possession and out-of-possession perspective.
The then-30-year-old arrived at Old Trafford off the back of a Champions League triumph, and in order to secure his services, United threw a huge contract at the midfielder. The amount in question makes him one of the highest-paid players in the entire division.
Highest-paid Premier League players
Player
Weekly salary
#1 Kevin De Bruyne
£400k
#2 Erling Haaland
£375k
#3 Casemiro
£350k
#4 Mohamed Salah
£350k
#5 Raphael Varane
£340k
#6 Raheem Sterling
£325k
#7 Rashford, B. Silva, Grealish
£300k
#8 Kai Havertz
£280k
#9 Gabriel Jesus
£265k
#10 Reece James
£250k
Data supplied via Capology.
Unsurprisingly, this has also made Casemiro the highest earner at the club on a rather staggering £350k-per-week, which looks set to be a mistake after his showings this campaign, especially when you consider that he earns Mainoo’s annual salary in less than two weeks.
Casemiro’s wage is simply ridiculous for what he offers on the pitch, with Mainoo having better statistics in the Premier League this season.
Casemiro vs Mainoo PL Stats
Stats
Casemiro
Mainoo
Weekly wage
£350k
£10k
Matches played
15
14
Yellow Cards
4
3
Dribbled past (per game)
2.2
0.9
Possesion lost (per game)
10.8
7.7
Via Sofascore & Capology
What will concern Ratcliffe the most, is the fact that the Brazilian is now 32 years old and set to cost United £54.6m in wages over his three remaining years on his contract, which will look like even more of a howler if he continues to follow the downward trend of this season.
In truth, for the Red Devils to not be rinsed by Casemiro, they must look to sell the former Real Madrid star as a priority in the summer, with his performances not warranting such a lucrative contract.
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Tottenham appear to be targeting a player who's pretty similar to James Maddison, according to a former Spurs employee.
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According to recent reports, the north Londoners want a star winger as their "major summer signing" later this year (Miguel Delaney).
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Tottenham currently possess an abundance of wingers, but uncertainty surrounds the futures of both Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon. Meanwhile, it is currently unclear as to whether they will trigger the £15 million buy-out clause in Timo Werner's contract.
There could well be space for Ange Postecoglou to sign another wide player this summer, and this has led to serious interest in the likes of Wolves star Pedro Neto among others.
Most assists for Tottenham in the Premier League this season
Number
James Maddison
7
Pedro Porro
7
Brennan Johnson
6
Son Heung-min
6
Destiny Udogie
3
Another star attacker who is thought to be on Spurs' agenda is Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze. The Englishman, who's been praised for his performances at Selhurst over the last few seasons, has been called a would-be "fantastic signing" and one "a million times better" than Conor Gallagher.
"It would be a really good signing," said former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor to Football Insider last year.
“He’s completely different to Conor Gallagher – he’s a million times better. He can run with the ball at speed, change direction with skill, he’s adding goals to his game, can play in the number ten or off the wing – it’s a fantastic signing."
The 25-year-old is thought to be a target for both Spurs and Man City (Miguel Delaney), and amid the fierce competition for his signature, reports suggest Palace have placed a £77 million price tag on Eze's head.
Tottenham told they could make James Maddison-like signing in Eze
Speaking to Tottenham News, former club scout Bryan King has told Spurs that Eze is a similar player to star playmaker James Maddison – in what is a glowing bit of praise for the ex-QPR man.
Crystal Palace midfielderEberechi Eze.
“Eze is a good player, I have liked him ever since he was at QPR," said King.
“I like him and I like the way he plays his football. He reminds me of Maddison. He is the player who provides those cute little passes in attacking areas of the pitch for Crystal Palace.”
The midfielder has bagged six goals and one assist for Palace this season, but it would arguably be more if it wasn't for injuries. Eze's haul of 10 goals and four assists in the league last term is more reflective of his final third quality, with pundit Rio Ferdinand calling him "unique".
“His journey has been unique. He’s had disappointments in his academy life, released from clubs, found a new journey and a different pathway for himself. He’s got to this level and now he’s an England international," said Ferdinand to TNT.
“This kid, no disrespect to Palace, could go on and play for one of the top teams. He’s got that individual brilliance; he’s got the awareness when he’s dribbling to keep his head up and bring others into play. I speak to other players that play against him, and they say he’s such an elusive player."
Tottenham Hotspur have sold some high-profile players over the years, chairman Daniel Levy cashing in lucratively but unable to add to his sole slice of silverware since purchasing a stake in the club from Lord Alan Sugar for £22m way back in 2000.
That triumph, a 2-1 League Cup final win in 2008 after defeating Chelsea in extra-time, signalled progress and tantalised further honours down the line, but Ange Postecoglou is currently seeking to rebuild the club in 2023 after several years of inconsistency, the search for trophies dating back to that historical result.
Spurs have been a major player in the Premier League for some time and have fought and failed across some big moments – coming up short in the title race as Leicester City prevailed back in 2015/16; losing League Cup finals against Chelsea and Manchester City; falling short at the final hurdle in the Champions League against Liverpool, which is perhaps the bitterest of them all.
Harry Kane for Tottenham.
But, there is hope that Postecoglou is the man to lead the march toward prosperity, the Australian crafting an exciting team despite the blow of Harry Kane's £100m transfer to Bayern Munich back in August.
The departure of Tottenham's record scorer was a bitter pill to swallow, but it's not the only time the club has waved goodbye to a superstar, with Gareth Bale transferring to Real Madrid for a world-record £85m back in 2013.
Bale enjoyed riches in the Spanish capital but he was not the only Galactico to have thrived throughout this golden era of Los Blancos' glittering history, with Luka Modric presently enjoying this twilit stage of his career knowing that he will go down as one of the finest players of his generation.
Luka Modric's Real Madrid career
Modric's time at Tottenham served as the launchpad for a career for the ages, but it would be difficult to make a compelling case against his £30m transfer to Santiago Bernabeu in August 2012, where he has won five Champions League, three La Liga and two Copa del Rey titles as well as the Ballon d'Or, Best FIFA Men's Player and UEFA Player of the Year in 2018.
Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric.
Would he have achieved all this in the English capital? Candidly, probably not. Modric, now 38 years old, has only started 11 matches in the Spanish top-flight this season as Carlo Ancelotti's side move seemingly inexorably toward the trophy, also among the favourites to win a record-extending 15th Champions League title this term.
In total, the 172-capped Croatia legend has amassed 516 appearances for Real Madrid, winning honours in their hoardes and starring at the very heart of one of the game's greatest modern midfield triumvirates with Toni Kroos and Casemiro.
Luka Modric: Key Characteristics
Strengths
Weaknesses
Passing
Finishing
Key passes
Tackling
Through balls
Source: WhoScored
Despite his ageing years, Modric remains one of football's elite technical stars, ranking among the top 9% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 14% for pass completion and the top 12% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.
It's quite evident that he would do a job under Postecoglou's leadership, bringing leadership and fluency and a celestial technical touch to give the Lilywhites the edge.
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He's shown his class at the club in the past, arriving as something of an unknown commodity way back when.
How much Spurs paid for Luka Modric
Tottenham signed Modric from his homeland for a £15m fee back in 2008, beating the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Newcastle United to his signature.
Sir Alex Ferguson once said that the Croatian "could play in any team" as he wreaked havoc and pulled strings from the engine room at Tottenham, utterly mesmerising across his 160 displays in Spurs white, bagging 17 goals and 25 assists.
Journalist Liam Canning hailed Modric as “world-class” for his exploits with Croatia across recent years but, truthfully, the seeds were planted right from his days at Tottenham, talent rooted in tenacity, application and erudite match intelligence.
What a player. What memories. To think that he is still performing for Real Madrid to this day, 38 – alongside prodigious talents such as Jude Bellingham, who was five years old when the sandy-haired dynamo was purchased by Harry Redknapp all those years ago – is truly exceptional.
Just imagine if he still played for Spurs. Imagine what could have been.
Modric would thrive for Ange
Postecoglou's Tottenham system is built on innate tactical understanding and interchangeability in role and movement. A the core, though, a high-class operator is requisite for perfect balance.
There's an old saying in football that the engineers in the centre of the park go unseen: watch the game, they shall evade your gaze; watch them, and watch the magic unfurl.
Luka Modric for Tottenham.
Modric possibly doesn't quite fall into that category, for he has dazzled with his defence-splitting passes, his thumping strikes, and his relentless recycling of possession, but he certainly makes things happen, wrenching openings oblivious to the eyes of his peers.
This level of mastery would allow the likes of Heung-min Son, Richarlison and co to thrive at a standard inconceivable, surpassing even the prowess of James Maddison, who has widely been regarded as one of the Premier League's standout stars this season after transferring to Spurs from Leicester City for £40m back in July.
Maddison does rank among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for progressive passes per 90, showcasing his first-rate playmaking ability, but he's no Modric.
Modric can do it all, sit deeper, influence behind the frontline, occupy space box-to-box. He is ubiquitous on the pitch and would not only prove to be a creator above Maddison's level, but an anchor eclipsing Yves Bissouma's tough-tackling style; a conductor trumping Rodrigo Bentancur for his cleverness in possession, and without; a multi-functional ace to leave Pape Matar Sarr quaking, so far is the distance between exciting talent and the true pedigree of one of the very best.
Tottenham have the tools to mount a revival over these coming years, spurred on by Postecoglou's vision, but make no mistake: Modric would be the key component to ensure illustrious triumph returned to N17, even at his maturing age.
A title-winning manager likened to Man City head coach Pep Guardiola could emerge as a candidate to replace West Ham United boss David Moyes this summer.
Discrepancies over Moyes contract at West Ham
At the moment, there are some discrepancies over the situation of Moyes' potential new contract – with his current deal set to expire at the end of this season as things stand.
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Around a fortnight ago, Moyes himself publicly declared that he was the one holding all the cards at West Ham. Indeed, the Scotsman claimed that a new contract offer was on the table and that he's the one delaying its signing as he weighs up his decision.
"I've had really good conversations with the owners, with David Sullivan and Karren Brady," said Moyes on his new contract situation.
West Ham manager David Moyes.
"There's a contract there for me and I'm the one deciding I want to wait until the end of the season. There are plenty of reasons [to wait]. I've got to make sure it's the right thing for the club, for me and my family. I've spoken to the board. I've had a fabulous four years. We'll sort it out but I'm happy to wait."
However, around a week after the statement, very reliable club insider ExWHUemployee suggested this may actually not be the case after all.
“There have been provisional talks over a new deal for David Moyes,” stated Ex.
“However, I’ve been advised that at no point it’s been put forward for signing. The manager possibly was referring to an agreement but that’s provisional, but not in front of him to sign."
Burnley
March 10th
Aston Villa
March 17th
Newcastle United
March 30th
Tottenham
April 2nd
Wolves
April 6th
Amid Moyes' uncertain future, reports suggest that West Ham are exploring potential replacements for their manager, in the event he does leave. Now, according to GiveMeSport, one man technical director Tim Steidten has his eye on is Feyenoord boss Arne Slot.
Steidten eyeing Slot to replace Moyes at West Ham
According to GiveMeSport sources, Steidten is an admirer of Slot, and he's emerged as a candidate to potentially replace Moyes.
The 45-year-old, known for his attacking style and philosophy, guided Feyenoord to their first Eredivisie title since 2017 last season. He's also been likened to Guardiola by members of the Dutch press.
Feyenoord coachArneSlot
"The best thing about Arne Slot is that he is probably the best attacking coach I have seen in the last 35-40 years at Feyenoord," said journalist Marcel van der Kraan to talkSPORT this year.
"He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time. He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."
It's no real surprise that the Premier League endured a fairly quiet January transfer window, given the recent crackdown on Financial Fair Play and the league's profit and sustainability rules. An expert has since revealed Arsenal's position regarding potential FFP sanctions and their frustrating decision during the winter window.
Arsenal's FFP position
Among the clubs to have already been charged with breaching FFP rules are Everton and Nottingham Forest, with the former potentially facing a second point deduction of the season to perhaps all but end their survival hopes.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are also reportedly in danger of breaching the rules unless they make some significant sales. The same can be said for Newcastle, who are walking a fine line after recording £155m in losses over the last three seasons, though it remains to be seen whether they will be in danger of punishment.
Arsenal, however, are not one of those sides left walking a tightrope. According to financial expert Stefan Borson, Arsenal could have spent in the January transfer window without breaching FFP rules. Borson told talkSPORT:
“You have a combination of teams who have chosen not to spend, so that’s teams like Arsenal. Because Arsenal could have spent if they wanted.
"If they were to invest in the necessary equity, they could push their limit up to the £105m from the £15m that it is now. But they opted to stay out of the market.
"Well it’s always very, very hard to calculate the exact amount. Certainly tens of millions pounds on a player – they could have bought the striker that everybody thinks they need. If they would have chosen to, it would have required the owners to have put in a very considerable amount of equity.
“They would have had to put their hands in their pockets, and ultimately, I think in line with most in the game around Europe, there is a limit. And people are saying, ‘Actually, I don’t want to do it anymore.”
Who Arsenal could have signed
It's a fairly open secret that Arsenal's two biggest transfer targets are a striker and a defensive midfielder to replace the injury-prone Thomas Partey. And as it turns out, the Gunners were in a position to spend the money and solve Mikel Arteta's two biggest problems during the January transfer window.
Among those linked with a move was Ivan Toney, who Brentford reportedly valued at £100m in what would have been the biggest deal of the winter window. Seemingly ready to wait until the summer to potentially make their move, Arsenal stuck with what they've already got in the form of Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah.
dominic-solanke-ivan-toney-tottenham-opinion
Meanwhile, when it comes to midfielders, one of the main names mentioned was Amadou Onana. Alas, like Toney, Onana failed to complete a move to The Emirates and remains an Everton player after the Toffees reportedly set a price of around £90m. Currently sat third and six points adrift of leaders Liverpool, Arsenal may regret their decision not to spend during last month's window.
Leicestershire put themselves firmly in the chase for the Vitality Blast quarter finals when they thrashed Derbyshire by 55 runs at Derby.The unpredictable North Group sprung another surprise when the Falcons collapsed dramatically chasing what looked a modest target of 150.The Foxes had been held to 149 for 7 with Mark Cosgrove’s 38 the top score as Matt Critchley claimed 2 for 25 in four overs of legspin.But the Falcons pressed the self-destruct button, slumping to 28 for 6, and were bowled out for 94 with Colin Ackermann taking 3 for 9 and Gavin Griffiths 3 for 14.There were signs of what was to come when, after starting steadily, the Foxes began to unravel once they tried to accelerate on a used pitch with three wickets falling in five overs.Harry Swindells failed to clear mid-off when he tried to hit Ravi Rampaul over the top and although Arron Lilley swung Logan van Beek for six over long-on, only 43 runs came from the powerplay.Cosgrove drove Alex Hughes for consecutive fours but Lilley sliced a cut at Luis Reece to point and Cosgrove’s attempt to disrupt Critchley’s line only ended in the hands of deep mid-wicket.Harry Dearden lifted Hughes over deep square for six but then drove to long off and when Ackermann was well caught by Reece diving forward at backward square in the 15th over, the Foxes had slipped to 106 for 5.The Falcons bowled with discipline on a pitch where the ball was not coming on and, backed up by smart fielding, did not allow the Foxes to break free and only 72 came from the last 10 overs.Aadil Ali drove Hughes for six and Callum Parkinson hit the last two balls of the innings from Rampaul for four but the Foxes total seemed below par until the Falcons top order disintegrated in the powerplay.Luis Reece sliced to point after pulling a ball into his helmet and although Wayne Madsen swung a free hit from Dieter Klein for six, he top-edged a reverse sweep at Ackermann and was caught at short third man.It got even worse for the home side in the third over as Billy Godleman sliced Griffiths to third man and Leus du Plooy pulled the next ball into the hands of deep square leg.Former Fox Darren Stevens was run out by Ackermann’s direct hit from cover when he failed to ground his bat and when Hughes swung another short ball to deep mid-wicket, the Falcons were in free-fall.Fynn Hudson-Prentice drove Parkinson for six but the former Derbyshire spinner responded by yorking Matt Critchley and the only consolation for the Falcons was they passed their previous lowest T20 score of 72, against the Foxes six years ago.