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Marcus Trescothick’s demise in the shortest format leads this week’s countdown of the things that mattered in the NatWest T20 Blast

Tim Wigmore14-Jul-20145. The end for Tresco in T20?
Marcus Trescothick’s emphatic return to form – he has just scored his fourth Championship hundred of the season – has been one of 2014’s most heart-warming tales.Could Marcus Trescothick’s career in the shortest format be over?•Getty ImagesBut it has not extended to the NatWest Blast. Trescothick mustered only 33 runs in six innings this season and, going back to the start of the 2012 season, has scored only 142 runs at 10.92 apiece. The offside crunches and nonchalant heaves over long-on, shown off during a 129-ball 133 against Durham hailed by Paul Collingwood as an innings that would be talked about “for the next ten years” have been absent in T20 colours. And they will continue to be so: Trescothick was omitted from Somerset’s team on Friday; they beat Gloucestershire without him.The decision hints at permanence, too. “We have decided to leave Marcus Trescothick out of the team,” director of cricket Dave Nosworthy said. “Marcus has not been scoring as well as he would have liked to have in this form of the game and he has agreed that it is in the best interests of the team that he should be left out.”This move will now allow him to focus on his Championship and 50-Over cricket,” Nosworthy said. The T20 captaincy has been taken over by Alfonso Thomas for the remainder of the season.Trescothick could perhaps be viewed as a victim of the new Blast format, and the demands on players to play a T20 game a day after a Championship match. Somerset are currently in the midst of a particularly nonsensical schedule: 11 consecutive days of cricket, including Championship matches in Uxbridge and Northampton, and T20 games at Southampton, Taunton and The Oval. He could hardly be blamed if he did not find that conducive to extending his sterling Championship scoring to T20.4. The Fred factor
Round two was better than round one. At Grace Road, Andrew Flintoff took 3 for 26, showing that his yorker remained in fine working order. The first innings of his comeback was less impressive, ending on 1 to a self-described “horrendous shot”. No matter: “I just can’t stop smiling,” he effused.

Player focus: Michael Hogan

Getty Images

Not many would be allowed to keep Justin Langer waiting but Michael Hogan can: so convinced is Langer of Hogan’s worth that he has kept a berth open in Western Australia’s squad for 2014/15 in the hope of being able to convince him to return. Hogan’s reputation – in so much as he has one – is for relentless first-class excellence from his rangy build. But he’s also a skilled death bowler. He earned an amazing tie against Kent when his last over went for only three, and he yielded only eight from his final over against Surrey at The Oval, with Vikram Solanki unable to get any bat on a final ball yorker outside off stump to hand Glamorgan a four-run win.

He wasn’t the only one, either. “There was definitely a Freddie factor,” Leicestershire chief executive Mike Siddall said. “Freddie probably put 500 on the gate – we’d love him at Grace Road every week! Our gate takings were the best of the T20 season and we sold a lot of beer as well.”With Flintoff obliging fans with autographs and photographs after the game, many Leicestershire supporters would have left unperturbed by the home side’s defeat.Lancashire’s win means they have qualified for the quarter-finals. Based on the current tables, they will have a home draw against Surrey and Kevin Pietersen. Tasty.3. Yorkshire’s spin twins
The notion of spin twins is a stirring one for many cricketing romantics. That is especially true when, as in the case of Yorkshire, both players are homegrown. Azeem Rafiq and Adil Rashid have both been through tumult in their careers but they have combined superbly so far in the Blast this season, already sharing 25 wickets. Rashid’s tale is familiar, but Rafiq’s is just as interesting. He stood-in as Yorkshire captain, with considerable success, in T20 two years ago: quite a fear for a 21-year-old. His career has stuttered since – partly due to Rashid’s resurgence. For all their T20 success, Yorkshire are still yet to partner Rafiq and Rashid in the Championship in 2014.2. Ajmal’s T20 farewell
His effect hasn’t been as spectacular as in the County Championship, but Saeed Ajmal has also been magnificent in the Blast, taking 12 wickets at 19.75 apiece while going for only 6.07 an over. Ajmal signed off from this season’s Blast with 3 for 17 at Edgbaston: he now goes to the Caribbean Premier League. His mystery and control – equally effective in and out of the Powerplay overs – have been instrumental in Worcestershire’s rise to third in the North Division, and the Rapids will now fear submerging without him.1 But don’t forget another overseas offspinner…
In comparison to Ajmal, Jeetan Patel is a rather less exciting import: an offspinner who enjoyed a fairly nondescript career with New Zealand But no one at Warwickshire would dispute his worth, and Patel’s gratitude in return was shown when he rejected the chance to tour the Caribbean with the Kiwis last month. His 2 for 17 helped Warwickshire trump Ajmal on Friday and snap a four-game losing streak: Patel now has eight wickets in his last three Blast games.

From Balachandhran

Cricinfo25-Feb-2013From Balachandhran. S, India

At its simplest level, sport is about possibilities. We fans dream up spectrums of possibilities. We align ourselves based on these spectrums, pledge our allegiances and set ourselves up for emotional and sometimes even physical reactions based on how things actually turn out. Most times our dreamt up possibilities are restricted by our citizenship – in itself a simple piece of paper, if you think about it.It is perhaps then all for the good that there still exist a few in the realm of sport who make you forget about these restrictions and think only about the sporting possibilities. It takes no special skill to surmise that I am talking about Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and the possibilities that only he brings to the sport that he adores and so beautifies and typifies – cricket.I lay the blame squarely on Sachin Tendulkar – for making it so hard to write yet another article on his prowess and achievements and landmarks, which show no signs of fading away. Superlatives pale. Praise falls flat and comparisons do not seem to fit, if only because we are finding it harder to find appropriate standards of comparison as time goes on. Cricket’s prolific writing community has driven itself against the wall praising his two decades in the game. It has worked itself into a fury trying to explain to the layman about his passion for the game; his unsurpassed mastery of the art of batting. It has tired of continuously extolling his virtues on and off the field as a champion and a true sportsman. So much so that when you want to write about Tendulkar or his exploits it pays to take some time to think deeply to try and not repeat either yourself or the numerous others who have tried their hand at the same exercise over the years.I have a confession to make. Nothing seemed to suggest itself as exemplary enough. As momentous and unique enough to grace yet another occasion, yet another peerless achievement by the maestro. For a while I was stymied when trying to write about his latest achievement – that of scoring a double century in an ODI contest. Yet another time when he carried his bat through and batted for his team’s entire quota of 50 overs.I have heard it said that emotions tend to illuminate even the darkest paths where the light of reason fizzles out and leaves you alone. This is a case in point. If following sport is in essence a vicarious pursuit into which you throw not yourself but your faiths on individual players and/or teams, then nobody qualifies to be a Vicar quite as much as Tendulkar.The magnitude of emotions, enjoyment and realization he has been able to convey and amplify to millions and maybe even billions of people over the years across borders of nationhood, religion, economic means, caste, creed and colour ensures that it is so. It is not difficult to describe the drives, the cuts, the pulls and the cutest of nudges that he essayed today on his way to the first double-century in one-day internationals. But it would merely be superfluous.His supporters may very well be in the right if they argue that this was always on the cards. A splendorous 175 four months ago had already tantalised his fans. Informed and tempted them about this possibility. And when a summit beckons, Sachin cannot be far behind. He finds a way to the top. And so it was today. 200 not out off just 147 deliveries against the third-ranked side in the world.A successful man cannot have people simply singing praises about him. Ask his detractors. They would point out that the Roop Singh Stadium at Gwalior had short square boundaries, lightning fast outfields and an absolute marble-top of a wicket. And they would be absolutely right. But here is something they might consider. Give a top-class artist a canvas. Give him a room and give him a vista. See what he comes up with. For the art produced thereof we credit the artist himself; not the canvas for its whiteness and blankness. Not the room for the comfort it offered. Not even the vista for its having conveniently presented itself. They are all incidental. Art is transcendental. So too is Tendulkar’s batting.Much has been made of his drive for runs. Of the man’s sheer hunger for putting bat to ball and staying on there at the crease much to the bowlers’ bemusement. Forget the fact that he is largely peerless and matchless. He also appears tireless with the bat in hand when you observe his speed and skill when sprinting up and down the wicket putting pressure on the fielders at 36 years of age. Countless have been the questions posed to him about his desire to play the game and of the day when he wants to hang up his boots.Perhaps they have been posed in an attempt to find out just how long the game will be graced by his presence. The game’s own need of his genius does not however go far when trying to explain his superhuman dedication to the craft of batting and of the sheer determination that has powered him to make several sacrifices in order to be there for his team.In typical Sherlock Holmes fashion, if we eliminate the possibilities one by one it only leaves one last item. That Sachin Tendulkar needs the game just like we mortals need our oxygen, our daily fix of sports and the fount of vicarious joy it promises. That his bat is not an extension of his body as has been often said. Perhaps quite the opposite – that he is an extension of his bat. That his body arranges itself conveniently so that the bat may strike the ball at the most opportune time with optimum speed.All the better for our vicarious enjoyment. That he gives of himself every time through his bat so that we may once again experience the heady breathlessness that sports brings into our lives. So that over the years we all have a bit of Sachin Tendulkar in us. And that he suggests, in the true spirit of Vicar-ship, the existence of sublimation and transcendentalism in sport, also leaving us with the comfort that even after he ceases to perform his superhuman deeds on the cricket pitch he will live on in our minds – fuelling our dreams and defining our spectrums of possibilities.

Five uncapped players who could have a memorable debut IPL season

Abhishek Purohit07-Apr-2011Ashok Menaria, Rajasthan Royals
On a turning fourth-day pitch, Rajasthan had lost four wickets for 61 against Baroda in the Ranji Trophy final in January. Bhargav Bhatt, the tounament’s leading wicket-taker, was posing problems when Ashok Menaria took matters in hand, and shifted the momentum in Rajasthan’s favour. He hammered Bhatt for three straight sixes in four balls and Baroda wilted after that. Menaria, India’s captain in the Under-19 World Cup, had been drafted straight in to the Rajasthan side for the Ranji quarterfinals after a long injury break, and went on to score hundreds in each knockout game. His batting style resembles Yuvraj Singh’s, and what’s more, he also bowls handy left-arm spin. He hasn’t played a Twenty20 game yet, and is looking forward to the IPL. “My style of play is naturally aggressive, and I hopefully should not have any problems in adapting to this format as far as skills are concerned,” Menaria told ESPNcricinfo. “Rahul Dravid has been advising us on the mental aspect, things like playing in front of a big crowd in a major tournament and how to focus amid the noise levels.”Ishank Jaggi, Deccan Chargers
Jaggi’s growing reputation for solidity has been built over the past three seasons, when he’s been the bulwark of Jharkhand’s middle order along with Saurabh Tiwary. He was instrumental in their maiden Vijay Hazare Trophy triumph this year, finishing as the tournament’s highest run-getter with 346 runs at 57.66 including half-centuries in the semi-final and the final. A strike-rate of 98.01 in eight Twenty20 innings does not do full justice to his talent, and he hopes to carry on his good form for Deccan Chargers. “The modern player must be able to adapt to all three versions. Being part of the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad earlier has helped me a lot in improving my game,” Jaggi said. “Facing Dale Steyn in the nets has been a different experience altogether, and he has even given us tips on how to face up to pace bowling. Darren Lehmann, our coach, has emphasised the importance of being able to find gaps in this format.”Varun Aaron, Delhi Daredevils
Aaron hit the limelight when he bowled a delivery that was clocked at 153 kph on the speed gun in the Vijay Hazare final for Jharkhand. In his next game, he took 5 for 47 against West Zone in the Deodhar Trophy semi-final, including the wickets of Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Nayar. Pace is a rare commodity in India, more so extreme pace, but Aaron has said that he consistently bowls above the 140 kph mark. Previous such prodigies have often been clouded by fitness and form worries, but Aaron remains positive after having battled a stress fracture in the past. “I just want to bowl fast, I do not want to cut down on my pace,” Aaron said. “I know this format demands a lot of variation from bowlers, and I have been working on the yorkers and the slower balls. But I think that speed is very important even in Twenty20s.” The speed guns will be out in full force during the IPL.Harshad Khadiwale, Pune Warriors
Maharashtra’s Khadiwale possesses a solid record across all three formats, and finished as the second-highest run-scorer in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy with 214 runs from five games at a strike-rate of 132.91. His overall strike-rates of 140.08 in Twenty20s and 95.67 in List A games suggest an aggressive streak, and Khadiwale says that it’s his natural game. At 22, he has already been around for five seasons, and prior to that, was a prolific scorer at age-group level. He would like to be a more consistent first-class batsman, but as long as he can blaze away in the IPL, his side Pune Warriors won’t be complaining.Mayank Agarwal, Royal Challengers Bangalore
Agarwal was a bright spot in a disappointing Under-19 World Cup for India, top-scoring for his side in the tournament. He is an explosive batsman with a strike-rate touching 100 in Under-19 one-dayers. He was a consistent performer for Karnataka in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, scoring 166 runs at a strike-rate of 139.49. He was also Man of the Series in the 2010 Karnataka Premier League, making the only century of the tournament. Facing up to Zaheer Khan, Dirk Nannes and Daniel Vettori in the Bangalore nets will be a different experience for this 20-year old, but he has lots of potential.

There were two lead stars in the first one-day international between India and West Indies and once their roles ended the plots unravelled fast

George Binoy19-May-2006There were two lead stars in the first one-day international between India and West Indies and once their roles ended the plots unravelled fast, and how. Chris Gayle got West Indies off to a screaming start but he also played the anchoring role as batsmen came and went around him. His dismissal, on 222 for 4, stalled the run-rate and West Indies managed to add only 29 runs off the last 31 balls of the innings. Chasing 252 for victory, India always looked like winning while Dravid was batting. After his dismissal, Kaif, whose discomfiture was perhaps hidden by Dravid’s efficiency, struggled and if not for some lucky edges and inept fielding, India could so easily have lost the game. The following graphic shows the dot balls each batsmen played as a percentage of the total balls faced, and the boundaries, and ones and twos, each batsmen scored as a percentage of their total runs.A comparison of the two hundreds reveals how differently they were made. Gayle’s first 20 balls yielded 7 runs before he broke free and hammered 33 runs off his next 14. He took 70 balls, tied down in periods by Harbhajan Singh, Munaf Patel and Irfan Pathan, to move from 52 to 100 but made up for the lull by some frantic hitting before his dismissal.Dravid, on the other hand, began steadily – his first 26 runs coming off 30 balls. He brought up his fifty off 59 balls and then stepped on the gas, scoring his next fifty in just 40 balls. The major difference between the hundreds was that Gayle played out 83 dot balls while Dravid played 43. Gayle’s boundary tally of 20 exceeds Dravid’s by eight, a clear indication that Dravid kept the score ticking over consistently through ones and twos, thereby never allowing the pressure to build up – the key to a successful run-chase.

The spin-bowling allrounder is not carrying an injury, and is expected to return for the ODI series

Alex Malcolm22-Feb-2023Ashton Agar has gone home from the tour of India to play domestic cricket for Western Australia. No additions are being made to Australia’s Test squad ahead of the third Border-Gavaskar Test in Indore, starting March 1.”He [Agar] has been very open with us and he has absolutely worked his backside off in order to get it right, to put himself up and be an option,” Tony Dodemaide, Australia’s selector on tour, told reporters in Delhi on Wednesday. “We absolutely acknowledge that there’s been no lack of effort from Ashton.”Agar arrived in India with the Test squad as an incumbent in Australia’s XI, having played as the second spinner alongside Nathan Lyon in their last home Test of the summer against South Africa in Sydney.Related

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But he was not selected for the first Test in Nagpur, with offspinner Todd Murphy chosen ahead of him to make his Test debut and partner Lyon alongside two fast bowlers. Then in the second Test in Delhi, Australia opted for three spinners but Agar was once again left out, with fellow left-arm orthodox Matthew Kuhnemann making his Test debut despite having not been part of the original squad and having only flown to India five days prior to the start of the Test match.Dodemaide took the unusual step of speaking to the Australian media prior to the toss on the first morning in Delhi to explain the selections. He explained that Agar was not selected because “his red-ball bowling is not quite where he wants it to be”. Dodemaide and Agar met at the team hotel on Tuesday, and it was decided that Agar would head home.Dodemaide explained that it was a “close call” to pick Murphy over Agar for the first Test.”Todd’s come on tremendously, as we know, and he’s been a real find for us for this,” Dodemaide said. “Those two [Murphy and Lyon] are now clearly established, I think, as the best two spinners, and they have 18 out of the 24 [wickets] to fall so far for us.6:46

Hayden: “When you sweep, you have to be absolutely certain the ball won’t hit the stumps”

“We just decided that Matthew’s style might be suited to the conditions there [in Delhi, for the second Test]. Matthew’s done nothing wrong, he took Virat Kohli’s wicket and did a really solid job, we thought.”Agar remained likely to return to India with the ODI squad in March – he has been an important cog in Australia’s plans ahead of the World Cup in India later in the year.Cameron Green likely to be fit for third TestAustralia are 2-0 down in the series, and Josh Hazlewood and David Warner have already gone back home with injuries. Unlike them, Agar will leave fully fit and available to play in WA’s next Sheffield Shield game on March 2 and the 50-over Marsh Cup final that WA will host on March 8.Mitchell Swepson will fly back to India, having gone home prior to the Delhi Test for the birth of his first child. Pat Cummins is also booked to return to India ahead of the third Test, having flown home for family reasons following the Delhi Test, but his situation remains fluid.Australia have not added another batter to the squad to replace Warner, as Cameron Green is expected to be fit for the third Test.

MatériaMais Notícias

Jogador doFenerbahçe, Lincoln participou do programa “Os Três Figuras”, do LANCE!, na tarde desta segunda-feira, para comentar o trágico terremoto na Turquia. O meia lamentou o ocorrido e prestou solidariedade para todas as famílias das vítimas. Assista ao vídeo acima.

– Tem sido muito complicado. Por mais que não sejamos daqui, é difícil não ficarmos sentidos com uma situação dessa dimensão. Deixo minhas condolências aos familiares e ao povo turco. É minha segunda passagem pela Turquia e sempre fui muito bem recebido – declarou Lincoln.

– Nós estávamos concentrados desde ontem. O fato ocorreu próximo ao lanche da noite e já ficamos sabendo. E ficamos nos perguntando se ia ter jogo. O clube também não conseguiu embarcar no avião por causa da nevasca que teve. Eu, particularmente, não sabia dos fatos e estava preocupado se ia ter jogo ou não. Aí logo de manhã, me deparo com todas essas notícias – completou.

RelacionadasFora de CampoAo L!, jogador do Ümraniyespor lamenta terremoto na Turquia: ‘Ninguém esperava’Fora de Campo06/02/2023Fora de CampoNeto detona Daniel Alves e diz que vítima deveria ‘tomar tudo’ do jogador: ‘Quero que ele se exploda’Fora de Campo06/02/2023Fora de CampoÍdolo do Atlético de Madrid e ex-Barcelona suplica ajuda humanitária na TurquiaFora de Campo06/02/2023

Nicolas Jackson has been offered to clubs in the Premier League and Serie A by Chelsea but there are no takers so far.

Jackson tipped to leave Chelsea this summerClub have signed Joao Pedro and Liam DelapStriker offered to three clubsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Jackson's days at Stamford Bridge could be numbered following the arrival this summer of Joao Pedro and Liam Delap. The Blues have offered the Senegal international to Newcastle, Manchester United and AC Milan but are yet to strike a deal, according to talkSPORT. The Blues are also said to have slashed an initial asking price of £100 million ($135m) to £80m ($106m) for Jackson.

AdvertisementGetty/GOALTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Newcastle and Manchester United appear to have prioritised a move for RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko, rather than Jackson, and are believed to be battling for his signature. The Red Devils have also been linked with Juventus forward Dusan Vlahovic ahead of the start of the new Premier League season. 

DID YOU KNOW?

Jackson has scored 30 goals in 81 appearances since joining Chelsea from Villarreal in 2023 and was first choice last season. However, costly red cards against Newcastle in the Premier League and Flamengo at the Club World Cup may have helped end his career at the club.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR JACKSON?

Chelsea have friendlies against Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan lined up before their Premier League opener against Crystal Palace. Manager Enzo Maresca's team selections for those friendlies may well offer clues as to whether Jackson has any future still at Stamford Bridge.

Stoinis to remain at Stars until the end of the 2026-27 season and looms as a captaincy candidate after Glenn Maxwell resigned

Alex Malcolm29-Jan-2024Australia allrounder Marcus Stoinis will remain at Melbourne Stars in the BBL after signing a three-year contract extension that will take him through until the end of BBL16 in 2026-27.Stars had several players coming out of contract with Stoinis being the biggest name among them and there had been interest from other clubs to lure him elsewhere, including Perth Scorchers given he is based in Perth and plays his domestic cricket for Western Australia.Stoinis started his BBL career at Scorchers playing three games for them in 2012-13 before moving to Stars the following season and has played 98 games since. He will become the second Stars player to play 100 games for the club next season after Glenn Maxwell played his 100th last season.Related

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Stoinis also looms as a potential captain of the club after Maxwell stood down from the role at the end of last season.The allrounder has been named in Australia’s T20I squad for the upcoming West Indies series and is hopeful to be part of the T20 World Cup squad. But after being left out of the ODI squad he revealed that he will be playing more T20 franchise cricket in the next couple of years and appears unlikely to get another Cricket Australia central contract next season.He is currently playing in the SA20 for Durban’s Super Giants, who are owned by his IPL franchise Lucknow Super Giants. He also played in the inaugural Major League Cricket tournament in the US last year for San Francisco Unicorns, a franchise run administratively by representatives from Cricket Victoria, who also oversee the Stars.

While India captain Rohit Sharma is really proud of his team for their spectacular run to the ODI World Cup final, he admitted they were just “not good enough” on the big day to get past serial-winners Australia in Ahmedabad. For starters, about 20-30 more runs while batting, with a bigger partnership between half-centurions KL Rahul and Virat Kohli, he said, would have helped.”Honestly, the result hasn’t gone our way,” Rohit said at the post-match presentation ceremony. “And we know that we were not good enough today. But I’m really proud of the team, how we played from game one. It wasn’t our day, we tried everything we could from our side, but it wasn’t supposed to be.”Honestly, 20-30 [runs] more would’ve been good. We spoke around 25-30 overs when KL and Virat were batting. I thought when they were batting they were stitching a good partnership there and then we just needed to bat as long as possible. We were looking at 270-280 at that point, but then we kept losing wickets. We couldn’t stitch a big partnership there, and that’s exactly what Australia did to win the game. They stitched a big partnership after three [early] wickets.”Related

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Despite scoring quickly in the first powerplay, thanks largely to Rohit himself, and being 81 for 3 in the 11th over, India slowed down considerably in the middle overs, managing just four fours from overs 11 to 50 and not a single six. Rahul and Kohli were rebuilding after the early losses, putting together 67 off 108 before Pat Cummins dismissed Kohli. India would go on to lose their last five wickets for just 37 runs. The total of 240 was India’s second-lowest in this World Cup batting first, and came after they had amassed scores of 397, 410, 326 and 357 batting first in their previous four games.Australia got off to a jittery start in swinging conditions under lights, losing David Warner, Mitchell Marsh and Steven Smith in the first seven overs to be 47 for 3. But once the balls lost some of their shine, they skidded nicely on to the bat and Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne avoided any further hiccup with a 192-run stand dominated by Head.”When you have 240 on the board, you want to take wickets as early as possible, and we did that,” Rohit said. “But then credit to Head and Marnus, they stitched a big partnership and put us completely out of the game. But again, we tried everything we could but I thought the wicket got slightly better to bat on under the lights.”We knew under the lights it would be slightly better [to bat on]. I don’t want to give that as an excuse, we didn’t bat well enough to put enough runs on the board. And then upfront we got those three wickets and we thought another wicket there we can open up the game. But, again, credit to those two guys in the middle for stitching that big partnership.”

Manchester United forward Amad Diallo has been out of action since February with an ankle injury and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

The Ivorian starlet had been one of the standout performers for Ruben Amorim’s side in the Premier League before the season-ending injury blow, with nine goals and seven assists in all competitions from a wide position.

United will be hoping that he can return from injury to carry that form into the 2025/26 campaign and beyond, as he could be a future star for the club.

Where Amad Diallo ranks in Man Utd's top earners

Despite his impressive form for the Red Devils this season, Amad is not among the top few earners within the squad with his weekly wage of £120k.

As you can see in the table below, the left-footed wizard only just cracks the top ten list, below the likes of Christian Eriksen and Mason Mount, who have either been bit-part players or unavailable for most of the season.

You can also see that Swedish central defender Victor Lindelof earns as much as Diallo per week, and Manchester United must decide to finally axe him from the squad in the summer transfer window when his contract expires.

Wage Burners

Football FanCast’s Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.

His current deal is due to run out at the end of June and Amorim should cut him from the group, because he has already drained the club of millions in wages throughout his career so far.

How much money Victor Lindelof has earned at Man Utd

Manchester United swooped to sign the centre-back from Benfica for a reported fee of £31m in the summer of 2017, and the defender has earned even more than that transfer fee in wages in the subsequent eight years.

As you can see in the table above, Lindelof has already earned over £40m in wages during his time at Old Trafford to date, and will have earned a reported £46.64m in wages by the end of his contract this year.

That is a sum of £77.64m in total, including his transfer fee, and the 30-year-old has only played 30 or more league matches in two of his eight seasons in Manchester.

He has only started two of his eight appearances in the Premier League this season and has been an unused substitute 11 times across all competitions, which shows that the experienced defender is a bit-part player at best under Amorim.

Compare that to Amad Diallo’s importance to the team, with his aforementioned goals and assists, on the same weekly wage and that shows why United must finally part ways with the Sweden international this summer.

He's ideal for Amorim: Man Utd could make £67m bid for "incredible" striker

The Red Devils are now willing to make a huge offer for a forward, who fits Amorim’s system “perfectly”.

By
Dominic Lund

Mar 27, 2025

Amorim should move him on from Old Trafford when his contract expires, as he has not provided good value for the wage the club are paying him, and attempt to bring in a replacement that will be a part of his plans moving forward.