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The Dutch playmaker looks destined for the elite stage after a stunning breakout campaign at the AFAS Stadion

The Netherlands has often been described as 'the world's biggest football talent factory', having produced legends such as Marco van Basten, Johan Cruyff, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Dennis Bergkamp and Arjen Robben. These players were the embodiment of the 'total football' model designed to optimise creativity, skill and versatility that the Dutch national team still aims to uphold to this day, though it's fair to say they have been starved of game-changing performers of the same ilk in recent years.

However, according to , that may be about to change. The Spanish newspaper has claimed that the next 'total footballer' to come out of the Netherlands is Kees Smit: the 19-year-old who has become an overnight sensation at AZ Alkmaar.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United and Bayern Munich have all been linked with Smit in recent weeks, and AZ face a real fight to keep hold of the teenager beyond the 2025 summer transfer window. has even claimed that Ronald Koeman is considering drafting Smit into the Netherlands' senior squad later this year, which is a testament to how far he has come in such a short space of time.

Smit could soon get the chance to test himself on the biggest stage, and all the early signs suggest he will thrive under the pressure of expectation. The question is: what exactly is it that makes the AZ playmaker such a unique talent? GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the Oranje's potential new superstar…

• Where it all began

  Smit was born in Heiloo, a town located in the North Holland Province of the Netherlands, on January 21, 2006. Encouraged by his parents, Smit immersed himself in Dutch football culture from a young age, and took his first formal steps into the game with local club De Foresters.

  It was clear early on that Smit was an exciting prospect. "He was a very quiet kid, but he let his feet do the talking," former Foresters youth coach Milo Blei has told Dutch outlet . "He was only seven years old, but he already had so much control on the ball."

  Just three years later, AZ swooped for Smit, and drafted him straight into their Under-12s team. He displayed a maturity belying his tender years right from the off, and showed impressive leadership qualities as he made his way through AZ's academy, eventually inheriting the captain's armband.

  Smit's rapid development piqued the interest of Bayern, who tried to convince him to join their youth ranks, but the midfielder ultimately signed his first professional contract with AZ in January 2021. "I did think about it for a bit," Smit admitted to when quizzed on Bayern's approach. "But I'm in a good place here. You see other guys often struggle when they go abroad at a young age."

  That turned out to be a wise decision. Smit started training with the AZ first team in December 2022, and the following month, he went viral for scoring an incredible solo goal for the club at the five-a-side indoor REWE Juniorcup tournament. After dribbling past three Fulham players, Smit smashed the ball at the wall so it rebounded into the net past the perplexed opposition goalkeeper, with fan culture website calling it "one of the cleverest goals we've ever seen".

  It was a memorable moment that led to Smit being handed his debut for Jong AZ just three days after his 17th birthday. He played 16 minutes off the bench in an Eerste Divisie – Dutch football's second tier – match against Helmond Sport, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

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• The big break

  Smit also played a key role in the AZ U19s' surprise run to the UEFA Youth League title in 2022-23. AZ thrashed Barcelona and Real Madrid en route, with Smit scoring what was undoubtedly the goal of the tournament in the 3-0 win over the former.

  After picking the ball up inside his own half, Smit sauntered towards the top of the centre-circle, spotted the Barca 'keeper off his line, and produced a perfectly weighted lob that dropped into the net off the crossbar. The technical difficulty of that long-range effort was off the charts, but Smit executed it in such a nonchalant fashion that it was like he was just enjoying a kick-around at the park with friends.

  Despite his impact in the Youth League, Smit was made to wait for his senior AZ debut, and continued his development in the reserve side throughout the 2023-24 campaign until he was finally given his Eredivisie debut in March 2024 at 18 years and 48 days old, coming on as a late substitute in a 4-0 victory over Excelsior.

  It was Maarten Martens who gave Smit that opportunity, having replaced Pascal Jensen as AZ head coach at the start of 2024, and Martens subsequently began using Smit more frequently last season, with his big breakthrough moment coming in a Europa League group-stage clash against Fenerbahce.

  Smit scored a superb goal and provided an assist in a dazzling 26-minute cameo to inspire AZ to a 3-1 victory, and went on to impress in his first pair of Eredivisie starts against Sparta Rotterdam and Heracles before the end of the year, earning special praise from Martens. "He sees things that other players don't see," declared the Belgian manager.

• How it's going

  Surprisingly, Smit's momentum stalled in the first three months of 2025 as Martens went back to carefully managing his minutes. He was only given 19 in a 1-0 home win against Fortuna Sittard on February 23, and allowed his frustrations to boil over after the final whistle.

  "I just want to play. I understand why I'm not always in the starting line up, or why I'm not always substituted, but I don't have a lot of patience," Smit admitted to . "I think I should be playing, and I believe it will happen. I'm just trying my hardest every day, and then I hope I might get to play a bit more soon. Apparently, I still have some work to do."

  Questioning Martens' decision-making in public was a risky move that could easily have backfired. But fortunately for Smit, the AZ boss took it as proof of the teenager's strength of character, and put more trust in him down the finishing stretch of the season.

  Smit started six of AZ's final eight Eredivisie matches as they secured a top-five finish, and made Martens' line up for their KNVB Cup final clash with the Go Ahead Eagles, which they lost after an agonising penalty shootout. Smit did, however, get another chance to finish the season on a high when he was named in the Netherlands' final squad for the U19 European Championship.

  He grabbed it with both hands, too, scoring in each of the Netherlands' first four wins against Germany, Norway, England and Romaniam before putting in a Man-of-the-Match performance in their 1-0 final triumph over Spain. As if inspiring his country to their first U19 Euros title wasn't enough, Smit also won a share of the Golden Boot and the Player of the Tournament award, with coach Peter van der Veen describing him as a "joy to watch".

  Smit did his best to remain modest, though. "I'm playing pretty well," he said with a smile after the semi-finals. "It's taking some getting used to, all this attention." You wouldn't know it from how the Dutch ace is performing. It's still very early in his career, but Smit looks like he was made for the big occasion.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Biggest strengths

  "I think he's special," former AZ winger Kenneth Perez told after watching Smit in AZ's KNVB Cup semi-final win against Heracles. "He has very strong legs. He dares to ask for the ball every time and generally does good things every time. Sometimes you can't quite explain it, but you can tell it's not a coincidence. There's a thought behind every single move. Not everything works out, far from it, but when you see him… This is just different, I think."

  That was a long-winded way of explaining that Smit possesses the footballing intelligence needed to reach the top. He always seems to be one step ahead of his opponents and demonstrates mastery of the ball with both feet when it comes to dribbling, passing and shooting.

  Smit also has the pace and strength to thrive in one-on-one situations, as well as the awareness and composure to operate in the smallest pockets of space. He never seems to run out of energy either, which bodes well for his chances of succeeding in one of Europe's major leagues, where the intensity is far greater. Until he makes that step, we won't know for sure how high Smit's ceiling is, but it's already fair to say that he has all the makings of an elite player and athlete.

Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Arsenal and their plans to sign a new striker, amid their widely reported talks for RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko.

Arsenal hold talks over signing Benjamin Sesko

Near the end of May, it became evident through reliable media sources that Sesko had emerged as Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta’s prime striker target.

David Ornstein: Arsenal consider deal for player as "done and signed"

Gunners chiefs are extremely confident.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jun 11, 2025

Arsenal entered “concrete” negotiations with Leipzig over a deal for the Slovenia international, who’s fresh off the back of a productive campaign where he scored 21 goals and six assists in all competitions.

Since then, talks have been ongoing and advancing cautiously (Fabrizio Romano), with reliable journalist Ben Jacobs sharing that the major sticking point in this potential transfer is Leipzig’s financial demands.

According to his information, Arsenal want to strike a deal for Sesko at around £60 million, whereas Leipzig want to sell for nearer £70 million.

“They have discussed whether or not there is flexibility beneath the variable release clause, set at the moment around €80 million,” said Jacobs on The Football Terrace last week.

“That’s why that one’s taking time, because Arsenal want to do Sesko for €70 million, or within that ballpark.”

Sesko is also attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, even if his priority is to stay in Europe (The Telegraph), but so far, no middle ground appears to have been found on the final price, despite some reports that the 22-year-old has already agreed personal terms.

If they cannot reach an agreement with Leipzig over Sesko, Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres apparently remains on their radar as an alternative.

Viktor Gyokeres on Arsenal list if Benjamin Sesko talks fail

That is according to Romano, who reports in his GiveMeSport newsletter that Gyokeres is on Arsenal’s target list in case talks for Sesko fall through.

“It’s an open race for Gyokeres,” said Romano.

“He remains on Arsenal list in case Sesko deal doesn’t happen, Man United have called his agents again over the weekend.”

The “underrated” and “exciting” 26-year-old bagged an incredible 54 goals and 13 assists last season, spearheading Sporting to their first domestic double win in 20 years, but it is worth noting that he might not be much cheaper than Sesko.

Sporting president Frederico Varandas poured cold water over reports that Gyokeres and the club have an agreement that he can leave for £59 million this summer, telling the Portuguese press that he will indeed cost more.

“I can guarantee that Viktor Gyokeres will not leave for 60m euros plus 10m euros because I never promised that,” Varandas said.

“To this day Sporting has not had an offer for Gyokeres – neither today nor last season.”

While this comes as a statement which Arsenal need to be aware of, Varandas does guarantee that Gyokeres will leave for less than his £84 million release clause.

“One of the agent’s biggest concerns was whether we would demand the termination clause,” said Varandas.

“He wanted to guarantee certain things. And what was agreed? That Sporting would not demand a release clause now. For one reason: he was going to be 27 years old, and no player leaves Portugal at 27 for 100m euros or 90m euros.”

If England pull this off, they will owe a huge amount to their captain

George Dobell07-Aug-2021There were a couple of moments, ahead of this Test, when you sensed the burden of carrying this England batting line-up was starting to get to Joe Root.For one thing, he requested that the pre-match captain’s press conference – which has, for many years, taken place the day before the game – be moved to two days ahead of the match to allow him time to focus before the game. And then, while talking about Ben Stokes, his voice caught for just a moment as he discussed the phone call in which his friend had told him he needed a break.Root was, no doubt, aware of how much Stokes would be missed as a player. But the sense was much more of someone who simply felt for a colleague who was going through a tough time. You wondered whether Root might not be experiencing some of the same emotions. We really do ask quite a lot of our cricketers.But whatever the pressure he was feeling ahead of the match, Root has shouldered his burden magnificently. Here he produced one of his finest Test centuries – there are now 21 from which to select; none of them have, to date, come in a losing cause – to keep his side in with a fighting chance in this match. Without him, England would have been blown away.Related

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• Joe Root on Ben Stokes: 'I just want my friend to be okay'

• The slips just keep on coming: How England's fielding is undermining their Test ambitions

• Root ton, Bumrah five-wicket haul set up intriguing final day

• Jasprit Bumrah-led pace attack leaves India on strong footing

There was a period, not so long ago, when there were a few whispers about Root’s batting. It wasn’t that the runs had dried up exactly; it was more that the bigger scores had tended to come in relatively low intensity situations. In 2019, for example, there was a century in St Lucia, by which time the series had already been lost, and there was a double-hundred in Hamilton on a pitch so horrendously flat that only 22 wickets fell across five days.There are no such caveats about this innings. It came against an outstanding attack, on a surface upon which other batters have struggled and when his side – still 49 behind and two wickets down when he strode out to bat – were in some trouble. Not only that, but it came at the start of a series with everything still to be defined. It was his first Test century in England since 2018 but his best at home since at least 2017 when he made 190 in the first Test of a series against South Africa.To put his predominance in perspective, while he has made 109 and 64 in this game, the next highest score of his teammates across both innings has been Sam Curran’s 32. It is, according to BBC statistician Andy Zaltzman, only the fourth time in Test history that a player has made a century and half-century in a match where nobody else in the team has made even 35. Increasingly, Root is looking a giant among them. Take him out of this side and you wonder where they would drop in the rankings. Outside the top six, you suspect.His skills were put into greatest context during his partnership (worth 89 in 28.5 overs) with Dom Sibley. While Sibley’s crease occupation was valuable, you couldn’t help but admire how much easier the business of batting looked for Root. So vast is his range of stroke, so adaptable his feet and the angle of his bat, that he is rarely kept scoreless. He faced only two maidens in his entire innings – one of them during a nervous passage of play when he had 97 – and has a late cut which allows him to score from deliveries other players would look to leave well alone. Sibley made just 12 of their partnership.But it was surely the drives, played off both front and back foot, that will linger longest in the memory. Certainly they had a packed Trent Bridge purring in delight. The on-drive that brought the century was just a little reminiscent of the shot with which Sir Geoffrey Boycott reached his 100th first-class hundred. The celebration – by Root’s standards sustained and expressive – showed how important this innings was. He knew his team needed this.Joe Root has stood tall for his team•AFP/Getty ImagesMore than that, though, he had made a conscious effort to try and enjoy these pressures. This is what he had dreamed of as a kid, after all. So instead of focusing on those negative thoughts – the sense that his side would collapse if he failed – instead of allowing himself to become careworn, he tried to remember he was playing the game he loves, for a team he loves and on the grandest of stages. Put simply, he tried to remember it was meant to be “fun”.”There’s been a lot to handle,” he admitted afterwards. “But it’s important you find ways to handle that. You can let it weigh you down but you have to find solutions. It’s about trying to deal with what’s in front of you and not letting anything overwhelm you.”This morning I said to myself and to the group: just remember what is fun about cricket. It might be tough sometimes, it might be hard, but it’s fun. And it’s really important we all embrace that. Whatever the situation, whatever the conditions and wherever you are in your own game, it’s important you go out there, enjoy the moment and make the most of it.”It felt pretty good to get a big score and get us into position to give us a chance of winning this Test.”He reckoned that batting in the ODI series against Sri Lanka had helped him regain his batting rhythm. He made 68 and 79 – both innings unbeaten – in that series and reasoned that the required tempo – positive, but without the urgency of T20 – was helpful to his game.”I’ve actually felt a real benefit from playing some white-ball cricket,” he said. “I know it would be nice to have some red-ball cricket coming into this game but, from my point of view, playing 50-over cricket gave me some rhythm back in my batting.”I felt I got forward and back better. I was standing a lot taller a lot earlier, picking my bat up a lot earlier, I feel like I’ve got rhythm back in my hands. I find 50-over cricket can be a massive help to my red-ball game.”Maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised. Root has risen in stature in recent months, producing a string of huge scores in Sri Lanka and India (228 and 186 in Galle and 218 in Chennai) that led his side to memorable victories. And while Root at times made those surfaces look pretty flat, it’s worth remembering that no-one else in his side made centuries. Indeed, the next-highest score when he made that 186 was just 55.He’s already made 1,064 Test runs this year. So, with up to seven further Tests available to him this year (there are only three Ashes Tests scheduled before the end of the year this time and it’s entirely possible none of them will take place), he has given himself a chance of breaking Mohammad Yousuf’s record of 1,788 runs in a calendar year. More revealingly, however, the next-highest contributor for England in 2021 is Dan Lawrence with 354. In all, Root has scored 29.19 percent of England’s Test runs in 2021.Whether all this is sustainable in the long-term is debatable. At some stage, there is a danger the burden will break even Root. It is really is imperative England find a way to coax more runs out of the rest of their batting line-up. Right now, though, Root has given his side a chance to win a game they could easily have lost already without his intervention. If they pull this off, they will owe a huge amount to their captain.

TORONTO — Remember, Shohei Ohtani wanted to remain an Angel. Freddie Freeman all but begged to stay in Atlanta. Mookie Betts thought he would spend his entire career in Boston. 

Max Muncy was released by the A’s. Tommy Edman was traded while on the injured list. Blake Snell was available to anyone on the open market—twice. 

And it’s the who are ruining baseball?

Sure, the money helps. The team that is headed to its second straight World Series, and fifth in the last nine years, with a chance to win three in that span, boasts, at $329 million, the highest payroll in the sport. After winning the World Series last season, they added $450 million worth of new players. Their local TV deal pays them $334 million a year, and this year they launched a paid fan club in Japan, with membership tiers ranging up to $500 per person. 

But the No. 2 Mets ($323 million) didn’t make the playoffs. The No. 3 Yankees ($288 million) were bounced in the American League Division Series. And 48% of that TV money and 97% of that fan club money goes into revenue sharing, so everyone else is benefiting from it, too. 

Meanwhile, the Dodgers have given out only three of the top 30 most lucrative deals, and so far all three look worth it: $700 million over 10 years for Ohtani (and that is an unusual case, because 97% of the money is deferred, so the contract functions as a credit card), $365 million over 12 years for Betts and $325 million over 10 years for Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Ohtani is the biggest star in sports. Betts is a three-time World Series champion, twice for the Dodgers, an eight-time All-Star and a finalist for this year’s National League Gold Glove at shortstop—a position he never played professionally before last season. Yamamoto is their ace and just threw a shutout in the National League Championship Series. 

Mostly the Dodgers excel at evaluating players, and then they excel at developing them. And then, once they’ve done all that, they excel at keeping them. 

Angels owner Arte Moreno, incredibly, reportedly balked at the deal structure Ohtani offered. Atlanta GM Alex Anthopoulos didn’t want to give Freeman the sixth year he sought. Red Sox owner John Henry—estimated net worth: $5.7 billion—wasn’t interested in coughing up the $350 million or so it would take to lock up the franchise’s best homegrown young player since Ted Williams. Those were all mistakes of evaluation. 

Luca Toni has outlined why Juventus signing two players from the Premier League could be decisive in catching up with Napoli and Inter this season.

• Toni calls for Juventus to sign Tonali and Chiesa
• Turin club must invest after key departures
• Vlahovic’s uncertain future amid AC Milan reports

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Italy striker Toni has urged Juventus to strengthen their squad by targeting two Premier League players for a return to Serie A. Toni, speaking from his perspective as one of Italy’s best ever forwards, highlighted the need for the Bianconeri to close the gap on rivals Napoli and Inter by making significant additions, especially if key attackers like Dusan Vlahovic depart. He specifically recommended a move for Sandro Tonali, who could bolster the midfield, and Federico Chiesa, who has struggled at Liverpool and expected to leave.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Juventus find themselves in a crucial phase of squad rebuilding, following key departures and uncertainty around Vlahovic’s future. Toni believes that without two or three major signings, Juventus risk falling further behind reigning champions Napoli and Inter in the Scudetto race. He also pointed out that the competition at the top has intensified, with Napoli reinforced by the signing of Kevin De Bruyne and Inter retaining much of their core squad. Despite setbacks, Toni is confident that Juventus, under new manager Igor Tudor, can compete if they act decisively in the transfer market.

• WHAT LUCA TONI SAID

  Speaking on signing Premier League stars, Toni said told : "Juventus must step up their game if they want to get close to the top teams and get back into the Scudetto race… I'd try to sign Tonali forever: he's expensive, but he's someone who can change your midfield. If I were Juventus, I'd bring Chiesa back on loan. He's out of the Liverpool project, so I'd bet on his desire to redeem himself."

  Highlighting the transfer window situation, he added: "The departures of some key players are slowing down the Bianconeri's transfer window, but if you let Vlahovic go, you need two or three big signings. Right now, there's a long way to go between Juventus and the Napoli-Inter duo. And Massimiliano Allegri's Milan, lacking the European competition, will be able to focus solely on the league. Sometimes it's an advantage to have just one fixture, even if European fixtures bring excitement. The Bianconeri are missing something, but I'm confident they'll make the right move, and Tudor will ultimately be competitive."

• AFP
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

  Juventus continue their search for reinforcements, with the transfer window open and speculation mounting over possible incoming and outgoing players. The club’s pre-season under Tudor is expected to clarify strategic decisions, especially regarding the pursuit of Tonali and Chiesa. Attention will also turn to Vlahovic’s situation and whether Juventus will secure a prolific striker if he leaves.

Leeds United have now identified a “world-class” goalkeeper as a prime target to replace Illan Meslier, with Daniel Farke now open to sanctioning the Frenchman’s departure, according to a report.

Leeds planning to replace error-prone Meslier

Speaking back in February, former Leeds man Paul Robinson praised Farke for the way in which he had dealt with Meslier, saying: “He’s a confidence goalkeeper and the manager has been excellent with him. That’s one thing you can ask for as a goalkeeper.”

However, the 48-year-old ultimately lost faith in his goalkeeper, with Karl Darlow being given the nod between the sticks during the promotion run-in, and the manager’s lack of trust in the shot-stopper may have damaged his confidence.

With Meslier’s blunders costing Farke’s side 10 points last season, it would be a huge risk for the manager to persist with the 25-year-old as his number one, and a report from TEAMtalk has revealed the German is now open to a sale this summer.

Leeds United in talks over personal terms to sign £17m "absolute hero"

The Whites have stepped up their pursuit of a midfielder, with discussions ongoing.

2

By
Dominic Lund

Jun 11, 2025

It is also detailed that Leeds have now identified Chelsea goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic as a prime target to replace Meslier, with the Blues making the decision to place the Serbian on their transfer list, and they are open to offers of around £25m.

The Whites have registered their interest in Petrovic, but there is widespread interest in the goalkeeper’s signature, with the likes of Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brenford also keen, alongside some top clubs from across Europe.

The Championship title-winners are seemingly very keen to get a deal done, despite potentially having to do battle with Juventus and Bayer Leverkusen, with the report stating they are now ready to step up their pursuit of the goalkeeper.

"World-class" Petrovic could be ideal Meslier replacement

It is no surprise that Farke is willing to cash-in on Meslier this summer, and there are plenty of indications the Chelsea shot-stopper could be an ideal replacement, with his performances on loan at Strasbourg last season deemed to be at a very high level.

Indeed, manager Liam Rosenior was left enamoured by the Serbia international’s development, saying: “We have seen huge progress from Petro.

“He is a world-class goalkeeper. We see it every day and it is still paying off today.”

It is a bold claim to put the former New England Revolution man in the world-class category, but to a certain extent Rosenior’s assessment is backed up by the underlying data, as his save percentage over the past year has been very impressive.

As such, it could perhaps be considered a little unusual that Chelsea are willing to part ways with Petrovic this summer, but their loss could be Leeds’ gain.

With English cricket heading down a new path, it leaves Australia as the outlier in terms of private investment in their domestic league

Matt Roller31-Jan-2025Australian cricket is watching the ECB’s introduction of private investment into the Hundred with interest as the Big Bash League looks to “stay ahead of the game” following a successful 2024/25 season.Hobart Hurricanes’ maiden title, on the back of Mitchell Owen’s 39-ball century, put the seal on a campaign that demonstrated the BBL’s “strong momentum and growth”, the league’s general manager Alistair Dobson told ESPNcricinfo. It has given both him and Cricket Australia the chance to think to the future after spending multiple seasons in “reset mode”.After four seasons of the Hundred, the ECB is selling 49% stakes in each of its eight teams to private investors in a process that got underway on Thursday, leaving the BBL – which is owned and run entirely by CA and its states – as an outlier. Dobson declined to comment on whether the BBL will follow suit imminently, but remains open-minded about the league’s future.Related

• Swepson moves to Melbourne Stars on deadline day

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• Higher honours, big pay day on the cards for Hurricanes hero

• London derby to launch fifth season of Hundred in August

“The BBL has been successful almost from the very beginning,” Dobson said. “It has been able to deliver a really strong product and return to Australian cricket, which has meant that the model we have has been really successful – hence why there has been limited momentum in changing that model historically, because it’s been so strong.”The world’s shifting, and we’re always looking at other leagues and other models around the world to make sure we still have the right one for us… Every part of the global game is evolving really quickly and we learn bits from everyone. The process that the ECB is going through with the Hundred looks like an interesting one – it’ll be fascinating to see how that unfolds.”Dobson travelled to the UK to watch several games of the Hundred’s 2023 season and has kept close tabs on the competition’s first four seasons. “We can and do learn from the Hundred around continuing to innovate, in the way that the Hundred was prepared to try something different,” he said. “We have plenty to learn from each other.”Both leagues have that philosophy of continuing to be fan-first. From the outside looking in, it appears that they’ve taken a lot of the BBL’s DNA – the colour, fun, new audiences, new brands – and have created a product that seems to have connected quite strongly with the fanbase, and is bringing new fans into the game.”The Hundred has changed the landscape of English cricket•ECB via Getty Images

CA’s decision to expand the BBL from 43 games to 59 (and later 61) from 2018/19 until 2022/23 brought several challenges, with attendances and TV viewership suffering. But since returning to a shorter window last season – squeezing into the school holidays – it has managed to hold its own through a “quality over quantity” approach, despite clashes with the ILT20 and SA20.”For the past three or four years, we’ve been building the competition back after some challenging years through Covid and otherwise,” Dobson said. “It’s not until the last 12 months where we’ve had the momentum to be able to look at the future… I wouldn’t comment on any specific opportunities, but the world’s moving pretty fast and it’s important that we stay ahead of the game.”The availability of the world’s best players – both from Australia and elsewhere – remains a sticking point for the BBL, with only three out of six overseas spots filled in Monday’s final and Test series against India and Sri Lanka at either end of the season. But Dobson believes that the player pool remains healthy, with competitive top-end salaries of AUD$420,000.”The global landscape is moving really fast,” he said. “We hear a lot from players that playing in front of big crowds in iconic stadiums with great wickets and facilities is still really important, so we feel like we’re in a good position on that front… The other leagues around our window have created some interesting challenges, we feel like we are in pretty good shape.”Guys like Chris Jordan for the Hurricanes and Sam Billings for the [Sydney] Thunder have become really engaged in their clubs. Combining that with the iconic players in our competition – whether that’s Glenn Maxwell, or increasingly Mitch Owen – and then when we get a glimpse of Steve Smith, or David Warner… our strength is the mix of all those player groups.”Owen earned worldwide attention in his breakthrough season – not only for his brutal hitting, but for his obvious affinity for the Hurricanes. He grew up supporting the club from the grass bank at Bellerive Oval in Hobart and described his starring role in their first trophy win, aged 23, as a “childhood dream”, underlining the BBL’s longevity compared to many T20 leagues.’You start to get kids coming through who grew up barracking for and supporting their BBL team, evolving from young fans into opening batters’•Getty Images

“It’s a great story for us,” Dobson said. “I mean that not just individually for Mitch and the Hurricanes, but also, it’s a really strong signpost for us on the maturity and evolution of our competition, where we now have kids that have grown up supporting their BBL team, and we’re old enough for those kids to see their way through to play – and win – for that team.”We see it in other codes around the world – whether that’s football or other sports – where you want to play for the team you grew up supporting… Once you get through 14 seasons, you start to get kids coming through who grew up barracking for and supporting their BBL team, evolving from young fans into opening batters. That’s a really cool place for us to be.”The BBL will again overlap with a major series next summer, with Australia’s Test players unlikely to be available until the second half of the season following the Ashes. And while the majority of boards now reserve a space for their short-form leagues in their international calendar, Dobson insisted that the BBL works best when it operates “in harmony” with headline Test series, allowing cricket to capitalise on its window in the Australian sporting calendar.”Test cricket is still the pinnacle for our fans and our players,” he said. “For the BBL to run alongside that with its own offering and its own strengths is still the right model for us… There’s always talk about whether the BBL and the Test season should be separated to allow more player availability, but there’s also an element where those two things can work in harmony to create a really strong offering.”

The allrounder has evolved into a consistent scorer of Test runs, a run-out specialist, and is possibly the second-best spinner in the format

Jarrod Kimber07-Aug-2021People made fun of Ravindra Jadeja for making three first-class triple hundreds. It’s not easy to make one and he got a few; that only intensified the jokes. They called him Sir Ravi J, mockingly. It’s easy to dismiss those triples (Kerry O’Keefing is the technical term) as the teams he played against weren’t always strong. Still, there are some interesting bits to those innings.Before the triples there was a double. In that match, only one other batter scored over 80 runs, and that guy turned out pretty handy.His second triple century was almost 60% of his team’s total, and no one else made a hundred, even though it was a two-innings game.The 331 against Railways was out of a total of 576 runs and, in Murali Kartik and Sanjay Bangar, it came against a pair with nearly 1000 first-class wickets between them. Railways made just four more runs than he did in their first innings.In his first 36 matches for Saurashtra, he made six centuries, which is an okay conversion rate for a player with a second skill, but four of those were 232 or higher.After those seasons, as you would expect given that he could bowl, he didn’t stay with Saurashtra and ended up with India. And while he never became the triple-century Goliath, he was a top-quality international bat for the position he played from 2013 to 2017.

Jadeja is the second-best spinner called Ravi (incorrectly in R Ashwin’s case) in his team. Jadeja is playing like a build-your-own computer character, but Ashwin is a supervillain

It’s just that if you have built up this narrative of huge scores, averaging 29 in Tests (until the end of 2017) didn’t quite cut it. But it’s quality for a guy who batted eight or below more times than he didn’t. And 34 in ODIs with a strike rate of 92 batting at seven.These may not sound like inspiring numbers, but those are outstanding records for where he batted. No. 8s in Tests averaged 23 with the bat for this era, so he was well above normal. In ODIs, No. 7s score at the same rate as Jadeja, but he was averaging eight runs more.But, he was being compared to himself, and in India, where the only averages that are respected are the over-50 kind, he wasn’t popping.This, the IPL suspension, the moustache, the celebrations, the underserved (to some) arrogance, and the fact it seemed like MS Dhoni was operating him by remote control all meant that Jadeja was seen as a comedic figure, instead of the incredible player he is. He had a few runs, but more memes.Ravindra Jadeja’s first-innings half-century at Trent Bridge was the difference between India having a lead and not•Getty ImagesBut things have changed. Many like to look back at the Sanjay Manjrekar bits-and-pieces remarks as the point his career turned. Before it he averaged 31 across all forms of cricket with the bat, and after it has been 54. In truth, though, his form with the bat in Tests had already turned, so that theory doesn’t hold up.In fact, just as the global batting averages were about to drop, Jadeja took an enormous leap.Let me put it this way, when the global batting mark was a normal 31.76 from 2013 to 2017, Jadeja averaged 29.40. Since then a global pace-bowling pandemic has dropped the averages down to 28.08, and he has upped his average to 50.88.No one around the world can make a run right now, and a No. 7 everyone used to laugh at is averaging 50.It’s such a good record some fans want him batting up the order. Yet as good as he has been, he feels more like a No. 7 doing well rather than a top-order player. A bit like Daniel Vettori; his batting had a homespun nature to it, a by-any-means necessary style. And if you throw them up the order, with newer balls, and more pressure to build long innings, you can’t guarantee success.Related

• Monga: The real Jadeja

• Report: Rahul, Jadeja drive India's dominance

Vettori averaged 39 with the bat at No. 8, and when he went up the order to No. 6 and 7, he was just under 30. So far Jadeja averages 31 at No. 7. Most of his runs come at No. 8 (a bit low) or No. 9 (that’s some batting order). But from eight innings at No. 6, he’s managed three fifties.Vettori struggled up the order because while he was good at making runs, he had never learned how to build an innings like a batter. He just hung around incredibly well. Jadeja certainly had the construction skills as a young man, even if he’s only managed one hundred (exactly 100, in fact) in Tests.But batting up the order is different to what he’s been doing. And there’s no reason for him to be promoted. While Rishabh Pant is batting at No. 6, Jadeja at seven unlocks what allrounders should; the ability to have seven batters and five bowlers. That’s the dream.And this has got the feel of a wonderful dream.ESPNcricinfo LtdIf you look at Jadeja’s figures since the start of 2018 in Tests, he looks like the most valuable player on paper. India loses nothing with the bat. In fact, he’s miles ahead of most top-order players in terms of average. He’s going at 26 with the ball; not quite the silly numbers of some seamers going around, though he could have surely lowered that had he bowled against England at home this year.Put it this way: if you were drafting players to put in your Test team right now, and you could pick anyone, who would you take before him? Because he bowls spin, you can use him far more with the ball than Ben Stokes, and while he’s not in that class as a batter, he’s making more consistent runs. Jason Holder has been incredible with the ball and played some strong innings at home. Still, Jadeja probably has him beat and can bat higher right now. What of the specialists? Well, Jadeja has the fifth-best batting average (for a minimum 750 runs scored) and the 20th-best bowling average (with a minimum of 50 wickets) in this time. And he’s a run-out specialist with his arm.You may not still draft Jadeja at No. 1, but as far as allrounders go, the only one better in the world than him right now is Shohei Ohtani.It’s hard to get your head around all this because it is possible Jadeja is the second-best spinner in Tests, and also the second-best spinner called Ravi (incorrectly in R Ashwin’s case) in his team. Jadeja is playing like a build-your-own computer character, but Ashwin is a supervillain.Go to YouTube any day ending with ‘Y’ and some cricket nerd has made a new video about how Ashwin moved his pinky finger a millimetre and has thus changed reality as we know it. And there is a more prosaic wind-up toy nature to how Jadeja bowls. According to Cricviz, he doesn’t vary his pace much at all compared to high-class spinners. That means that Ashwin is the thinking cricketer we all wish we could be, and Jadeja is the bowling automaton who delivers through physical gifts.Actually, as much as anything, Jadeja has worked out how not to be dismissed•Getty ImagesBut, then, what of his batting? Where he went from a handy lower-order player who chips in, into a constant scorer of Test runs? Right now he looks like a player who can bat for any situation that’s thrown at him lower down the order. He’s worked on his game, tightened what was more of a wild-axe swing, taken batting up the order more seriously, and is now making regular runs.Actually, as much as anything, Jadeja has worked out how not to be dismissed. Batting at seven is a pretty simple job if you can bat. There are more not outs, and the new ball is a long distance from you. Jadeja has five not outs in 23 innings at No. 7. But he’s had four not outs batting at six as well. No matter where he enters, he’s got a huge amount of red ink. This isn’t just outlasting a shambolic tail. This is him being harder to dig out than an Alabama tick. This is Imran Khan of the 80s or late-career Vettori.It is only 23 innings, but almost a third of his career knocks. And that is one of the weirdest things, that he’s clearly close to the most complete cricketer in the world, and perhaps the most valuable. But he’s 32, and because of circumstances, he’s only played 53 Tests.On Friday, his dismissal was the only surprising thing. He negated England’s swinging ball, built a partnership with KL Rahul, and then squeezed runs out of the tail with the sort of exciting batting he showed when he was younger.It will go down as another fifty, a handy knock but it was more than that. His innings was the difference between India having a lead and not. Sometimes a fifty is worth more than 300.If you’re still making jokes about Ravi Jadeja’s batting, then you’re just not paying attention. Arise, Sir Ravi J, the quality No. 7.

Jose Mourinho says his first Chelsea team were the "best Premier League side ever", while taking a swipe at Liverpool's 2005 Champions League win.

• Mourinho managed Chelsea twice
• His first team "best PL side ever"
• Rages over Liverpool's 2005 'ghost goal'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Fenerbahce manager Mourinho believes that his Chelsea side between 2004-06 tops the pile for the best-ever Premier League teams, edging out Arsenal's 'Invincibles' in 2003-04, as they secured more wins along the way. He also said that the Blues didn't win the Champions League in 2005 because there was "no goal-line technology", in reference to Luis Garcia's infamous "ghost goal" for Liverpool in the semi-finals of that year's tournament.

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  WHAT MOURINHO SAID

  When asked which team he left the most of his fingerprints on, Mourinho told : "I think my FC Porto stayed. I think Chelsea was the best Premier League team ever. It's been 20 years since that team. Arsenal were invincible, but they were invincible in one season. We were more invincible than them in two seasons. They won 38 games, we won 46. But those 46 were spread across two seasons. They were a fantastic team. We didn't win the Champions League because there was no goal-line technology. Inter won everything. But, for example, Roma gave me tremendous pleasure. I don't want to go so far as to say we made great omelettes without eggs; that would be disrespectful to my people, but winning the Conference League, even if it's the Conference, and reaching the Europa League final with the difficulties we had… For me, it was one of the most beautiful things. I managed to unite a club that wasn't united, bringing in the fans who had 'fled.' We made Rome empty twice when we reached both finals. It gave me special pleasure. Here at Fenerbahçe… The first year was like discovering a new world. Not even my Instagram, with some somewhat enigmatic or sarcastic posts, made people realize it. Today, we'll see if my experience helped me better prepare for this new season."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mourinho will go down as one of the best Premier League managers ever and an all-time managerial great in football. But while his Chelsea side romped to the Premier League title in 2005, his team didn't go unbeaten in one season, and Manchester City and Liverpool have since eclipsed their points total, too.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  While 63-year-old Mourinho continues to draw headlines on a whole raft of topics, the ex-Real Madrid manager will hope his Fenerbahce side can beat Al-Ittihad in a pre-season friendly on Wednesday night.

Aston Villa are in a position where they may need to sell players to meet the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules and there is plenty of contention surrounding their situation from fans, pundits and journalists alike.

Aston Villa's PSR situation and who may leave the club this summer

In short, Aston Villa are one of the Premier League’s most at-risk clubs with PSR heading towards the deadline on June 30th. Per The Athletic’s projection, they can only lose £15 million in 2024/25 to remain within regulatory boundaries.

Unai Emery’s men have recorded a pre-tax loss of £206.2 million in the last two years, which is the highest deficit across the top-flight in that time and leaves the Birmingham-based outfit in danger of punishment.

Big money sales such as Jhon Duran leaving for Al Nassr and Leon Bailey’s anticipated move to Saudi Arabian outfit Neom SC have left hope that the Villans can evade any form of penalty.

However, they are teetering on the brink and their failure to qualify for Champions League football ended up being a massive setback, especially when Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio’s expensive loan deals formed part of their bid to secure a place despite already treading water in their efforts to balance the books.

There have been suggestions that Aston Villa could sell stakes in their women’s team to make ends meet, an option that remains active following a failed bill to cancel that practice after Chelsea flipped £90 million in losses to a £128 million profit in 2024.

Aston Villa now seriously interested in signing "aggressive" 13-goal rival

He could be on the move.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jun 5, 2025

Losing a maximum of £105 million over three rolling years is the limit for Premier League clubs in order to comply. Still, not everyone is happy at the rules that their clubs have to abide by to evade sanctions.

Journalist fumes at Aston Villa PSR latest

Taking to social media platform X, iNews correspondent Mark Douglas vented his frustration at Aston Villa’s need to sell and made the point that Newcastle United have suffered a similar fate in their efforts to progress as a club.

Admittedly, PSR has become a controversial topic among football fans for a number of reasons, with some feeling that the traditional ‘Big Six’ clubs are protected more than others due to the ease in making ‘pure profit’ sales or by filing via subsidiaries of their PLC’s entity.

Regulation is critical to promote fairness, though there are clear elements in the current system that leave a lot to be desired. Aston Villa find themselves in a frustrating situation and will need to meticulously ensure they don’t fall foul of the authorities.

Others will argue their wage to revenue ratio is a problem, brought on by decisions such as paying £227,500 of Marcus Rashford’s salary weekly during his stay. Either way, the rise of PSR over the last few years has become a contentious issue and continues to limit the progression of those attempting to challenge the traditional order.