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Niall O’Brien on sledging batsmen out, the biggest six he’s seen, and his two first-class wickets

Interview by Jack Wilson15-Jul-2013Tell us about the night after you beat England back in 2011 – can you remember it?
I can remember a fair bit of it actually. We got back fairly late after having a few beers in the dressing room in Bangalore. There was plenty of food and drink and we partied up until 4am in the captain’s suite in the hotel. We mustn’t have finished until 9am!Would that win be your career highlight, then?
One of them, yes, but there were plenty of good days in the green jersey. Any of the wins against the Test-playing nations you remember. Beating Bangladesh in the 2007 World Cup was great, and of course, the win over Pakistan on Paddy’s Day.How much would getting Test status push Irish cricket on?
That’s the goal and that’s what Cricket Ireland have set out to do. We’re on the right course, doing all the right things and producing plenty of cricketers – but I’m not sure if we’ll be playing Tests in my playing days.Let’s go back to the garden cricket days. Who was better: you or your brother?
I was always the opening batter and he was always the opening bowler. He used to bowl all day in the garden, and on the rare occasion he got me out, he’d have a bat! We were like polar opposites – it’s hard to compare one against the other. I was very lucky in that there were six of us kids playing together when we were young.Who’s the greatest batsman to have ever lived?
People will say Don Bradman as far as average and stats go. Sir Viv Richards was a great with the way he played the game, but my favourite is Brian Lara. As a fellow left-hander he was amazing. I was lucky enough to play against him a few times.And bowler?
Shane Warne. The things he could do with a ball were incredible.You’re a wicketkeeper – who better to ask for some advice about chirping.
[] You’ve got to be clever with it, you’ve got to choose the right people to chirp at. Paul Nixon was brilliant at it. There are some players you can go at and some you can’t.Give us some examples.
I’ve said a few things to Kevin Pietersen and I’d like to think I’ve chirped him out a couple of times.Who wouldn’t you chirp?
Someone like MS Dhoni. I wouldn’t say anything to him. He’s the kind of character where it’s best to say nothing. Marcus Trescothick, too. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. I’d say nothing to him.One piece of advice you’d give to a young wicketkeeper.
Just to focus on every ball. You’re going to miss chances and drop catches but you have to concentrate on the next one.Who has hit the biggest six you’ve ever seen?
Chris Gayle hit Brett Lee out of The Oval in the 2009 T20 World Cup. It went into the secondary school – it was a monstrous blow.

“I’m not sure if Ireland will be playing Tests in my playing days”

What’s the strangest bit of kit you’ve seen in someone’s bag?
My old team-mate Kyle Coetzer – the Scotland international – used to carry a fluffy toy meergoose around with him. When I was playing for Northants we’d find strange places to hide it. It once ended up on the top of a flagpole.Who’s the worst room-mate you’ve shared with?
George Dockrell – but he was very young. I shared with him at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean in 2010 and he didn’t have much bant. I’m sure he’s better now.Do you have any superstitions?
I have some pre-ball routines but I’m not overly superstitious. I don’t eat duck the night before a game, that’s one.Are you one of those wicketkeepers who fancies themselves as a bowler in the nets?
I never bowl in the nets. I’ve got my two first-class wickets and that’s it!Tell us about them.
I got Carlton Baugh, the West Indies wicketkeeper, out caught by Andrew White. I did him with a slower one. I got a Cambridge Uni lad out too but I can’t remember his name.If you weren’t a cricketer what would you be?
I’d be playing on the right-hand side of midfield for my beloved Everton.Give us your Ashes prediction.
England are definitely going to win, home and away, comfortably. This summer, England will win three Tests, one will be drawn because of rain, and Australia will win one. I’m going 3-1.

Sri Lanka’s historic win in Durban, their injury woes ahead of the decider, and his own sketchy form have no effect of Tillakaratne Dilshan’s approach to the task at hand

Firdose Moonda in Cape Town02-Jan-2012If Tillakaratne Dilshan were as consistent with the bat as he is in press conferences, he would likely score a century every other innings and have a Bradmanesque Test average. From the first time he addressed the media, in Benoni before the tour match, to the most recent before the third Test, nothing has changed.He walks in with the same casual swagger, he sits down with the same look of indifference, he surveys the room with the same half-curiosity, he nods his head with the same rhythm and most of the words he says are repeated .Most questions start with the same answer: Definitely. At the beginning: Do Sri Lanka believe they will be able to adequately challenge South Africa in the series? Definitely. Will Sri Lanka be able to regroup from a year of disappointment and underachievement in the Test arena? Definitely. In the middle: Have Sri Lanka learned anything from their disappointment in Centurion? Definitely. Is the Durban win one of the most significant for Sri Lanka? Definitely. And now, at the end: Does Dilshan himself want to put in a performance of importance as the series enters its sunset stage? Definitely.”We need a good start in every Test match and I want to finish strongly,” Dilshan said. “I am just going to play my own game. I have had success over the last six or seven years and I’d like to finish well.”After a showing in the first Test that suggested he was not worthy of the leadership, Dilshan came back better in the second. He scored 47 in the first innings before he slogged a full toss to fine leg, a stroke he admitted was poor, and then edged behind to be caught for four in the second dig, when Sri Lanka were setting out to build a substantial lead.Every time a question is asked of Dilshan’s batting and whether his somewhat careless, reckless, attitude could be costing the team, the answer is the same. “That’s how he plays his cricket,” says everyone from Geoff Marsh to Kumar Sangakkara, and no one appears to be bothered by it. They can’t be, because when it pays off, it does so handsomely, as his 193 at Lord’s in July last year proved. When it doesn’t, a string of scores such as the ones he cobbled up during the first two Tests of the Pakistan series will appear: 19, 9, 7 and 3.One thing we know about Dilshan is that usually those lean patches do not last long. Since moving up to the opening slot, the longest Dilshan has ever gone without a Test half-century is five innings. All the statistics indicate that the captain is due a big knock. He seems to want it badly himself, along with the chance to make history, again.A first series win beckons for Dilshan, who only won his first Test as captain four days ago. Sri Lanka stand on the brink of beating South Africa at home, something that no other sub-continental team has done. The possibilities could easily be overwhelming but with Dilshan at the helm, there is little chance of him allowing it to become that way. One thing he has shown, with his hit-and-miss style of batting, is that nothing needs to be over-analysed, not even something as important as what lies before Sri Lanka now.”We are not thinking too much,” Dilshan said. “We just want to try and finish well. Before we came here, people said we were underdogs and we couldn’t win here but we proved what we can do. If we can win the series, it will be a great achievement as a team.”Great is a massive understatement, but Dilshan only talks in those. Winning the series would require Sri Lanka to invade a fortress where South Africa have only ever lost to Australia since readmission.Injury concerns, which have become the norm for Sri Lanka of late, stand in their way again. Dinesh Chandimal was struck on the elbow during training, and the seamer Dilhara Fernando is suffering from knee pain. If he is unable to play, Dhammika Prasad will step in. As expected, Dilshan did not seem too perturbed by the combinations he will have to work with. He simply shrugged at the prospect of not having a first-choice player, and said, “It will be another opportunity for another guy.”

Allen Stanford was caught on camera getting rather close to some of the England players’ partners

30-Oct-2008
Ladies man: Stanford gets himself some gal pals © Sky Sports
“One of the wives of the England players nearby said she cringed when she saw what was happening and another onlooker said it was ‘hide behind the sofa time’ because it was so unbearable to watch.”
Independent”When the pictures came up on the big screen there were a lot of gobsmacked people in our side. Matt Prior was in state of total shock, especially as his wife is pregnant.”
“The mind boggles at what might happen when Stanford, brash Texan entrepreneur, comes face to face with the MCC and all its history… Will he sit in the pavilion and perch one of the members, complete with bacon-and- egg tie, on his knee? Now that really would be an image to behold.”
Daily Mail”We went to bed laughing about it. He phoned KP and Prior to apologise, and it’s water under the bridge. I don’t think there was any genuine ‘Let’s go home and not play’ feeling.”
“The Stanford Wives!”
Sun”It was pretty harmless, to be honest, and the wives must remember that their husbands are potentially earning a fortune by being here and they are in a lovely place having a lovely time in the sunshine. If the man who is putting up all the money wants to give them a quick cuddle for the cameras is that really a big problem?”
“If that was my wife he’d put on his lap I would have wanted to punch him.”
“Allen Stanford hasn’t travelled much on British public transport, so perhaps the Texan billionaire was simply confused about etiquette when he invited the wife of the England wicketkeeper to sit on his lap… Perhaps an aide told him to offer the pregnant woman a seat and, not understanding that he had to rise, Stanford played the role of Southern Gent, spreading his legs and patting his thigh to offer her a perch.”
Times”He understood that the players were not particularly pleased with the incident and as a result of that he apologised.””The ECB has pawned the national team off for little more than a rich man’s ego trip. English cricket has become Stanford’s WAG.”

Chelsea are ready to bide their time in their pursuit of Alejandro Garnacho despite strong interest from Napoli. Manchester United hope offload Garnacho, along with three other outcasts, after agreeing to send Marcus Rashford on a season-long loan to Barcelona. The Blues are keen on signing a new winger but will wait to see if United will reduce their demands for the Argentine.

• Chelsea willing to wait for Garnacho
• Want United to reduce their valuation of the winger
• United eye move for Chelsea's Jackson

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , after Rashford's departure, United will now act swiftly to get rid of their other four wantaways, namely Antony, Garnacho, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia. Garnacho has attracted strong interest from Napoli and Chelsea, although the report claims that the Blues are willing to wait for United to drop their £60 million ($80m) valuation of the winger, as they consider even £50m ($67m) to be too high for the Argentine.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Red Devils, who are looking for a new striker, could turn their attention towards Blues frontman Nicolas Jackson. With Liam Delap set to start regularly under Enzo Maresca, Jackson could consider leaving, but Chelsea are likely to hold out for £60m for the striker. United could even consider a swap deal by including Garnacho.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Other than the Blues and Napoli, Premier League sides Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa are also reportedly keen on signing Garnacho this summer.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR GARNACHO?

  Like Rashford, the Argentina international will hope to find a new home soon so that he can start afresh somewhere away from Old Trafford with the 2025-26 campaign already fast approaching.

Erik ten Hag's former assistant at Manchester United has expressed his sympathy for current coach Ruben Amorim amid a difficult time at Old Trafford.

Article continues below

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• Man Utd continue to struggle under Amorim
• Van der Gaag discusses coach's 'reality' at Old Trafford
• Ex-assistant believes the Portuguese has little 'control'

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Mitchell van der Gaag followed Ten Hag from Ajax to United in 2022. Though Ten Hag stayed on until October 2024, Van der Gaag was dismissed in July amid a backroom staff overhaul. Since then, the club have brought in Amorim from Sporting CP to turn things around at Old Trafford.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Red Devils' struggles have continued under the Portuguese manager as they sit 16th in the Premier League with two games left to play, though they may still end the campaign with the Europa League title and a place in next season's Champions League. Amorim's rough start comes as no surprise to Van der Gaag, who feels the coach has limited control over the situation while Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to make significant cuts in the background.

• WHAT VAN DER GAAG SAID

  "A coach always needs victories to get his ideas across and for the players to believe in him," he told . "Coming in mid-season is always difficult, and even more so with the changes that are happening, especially outside the club. In the structure, training centre, stadium, and there are people who can't stay at the club and will be fired. There's a lot going on around the club. Then a top coach arrives here in Portugal, but he's faced with this reality, he has no control over it and he needs to work. It's not easy and I hope he has time to change because it's not easy."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MAN UTD?

  United are winless in their last six league matches heading into Friday evening's game against Chelsea. They will then head to Bilbao to take on Tottenham in the Europa League final on May 21.

MatériaMais Notícias

Um dos poucos nomes em campo que não esteve na briga entre atletas de Internacional e Caxias após a disputa de pênaltis, o atacante Pedro Henrique reprovou o comportamento depois da eliminação do Colorado no Campeonato Gaúcho.

Para ele, os atletas precisam compreender a importância social de seu papel como ‘espelho’ para diversas pessoas, algo que não condiz com o que ele classificou como não sendo ‘um bom exemplo’.

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>Cléber Machado comenta demissão: ‘Trabalharia na Globo até me aposentar’

-O jogador de futebol, se souber a importância que tem, precisa dar o exemplo. Nossos jogadores e os adversários não podem provocar os rivais e dar esse arranhão. Nunca gostei de participar desse tipo de coisa, sempre fiz isso na minha vida, como uma política, e lamento pela confusão. Não é um bom exemplo – apontou Pedro.

O atacante, que entrou na etapa complementar, também falou sobre o sentimento de tristeza com a eliminação do Internacional. Porém, buscando também esperança na sequência de trabalho para realizar o seu maior e declarado sonho de levar o Colorado novamente ao rumo dos títulos.

-Difícil falar alguma coisa nesse momento. A gente sempre deve satisfação a quem nos empurra, que é o torcedor. Mais do que eles, estamos muito tristes com o que aconteceu. Não conseguimos fazer a vantagem no tempo normal e perdemos nas penalidades. Parabéns ao Caxias, que mereceu. Criamos uma expectativa interna, mas é uma decepção muito grande por tudo que a gente trabalhou, para trazer o torcedor perto da gente – disse o avante, finalizando:

– Cheguei ao Internacional para ser vencedor e tenho certeza que serei, não por um percalço que as coisas vão mudar. É um ano desafiador e contamos com o torcedor para isso. Encaixando algumas coisas, isso vai mudar. É começo de ano, todos dando um pouco mais conseguiremoscolocar o Inter onde ele merece, que é ser campeão.

SRH captain said he loved how “brave the guys were in a high-pressure situation” like IPL and that there was a “lot of fun”

ESPNcricinfo staff26-May-20241:09

Moody: SRH’s batters have failed to adapt to conditions that are not batting friendly

Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) were “totally outplayed” by Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the final of IPL 2024, Pat Cummins has conceded.Their eight-wicket defeat, completed with 57 balls to spare, was set up by Mitchell Starc’s blistering new-ball spell, in which he swung the ball around corners and took out the big-hitting Abhishek Sharma and Rahul Tripathi.”I thought they bowled fantastically,” Cummins said at the post-match presentation. “Unfortunately, [my] old mate Starcy turned it on again. Obviously, not enough tonight, [we were] totally outplayed.”Related

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SRH didn’t recover from the damage caused by Starc and the other KKR quicks, and were eventually bundled for 113. The longest partnership SRH managed was for the ninth wicket, and it lasted just 22 balls, which meant they could neither hit their way out of trouble nor take the innings deep and explode at the end.”It was a bit of a tricky wicket,” Cummins, who had won the toss and opted to bat, said. “I think if we got 160, it would have been like we were in the game. [It] didn’t feel like a 200-plus wicket, again [we fell] well short. But maybe, [if] we found a few extra runs [it] might’ve given us a chance.”You hope you get a few boundaries away [early on], you’re into the game. But they bowled fantastically well, didn’t give us anything [to work with]. Similar [to Qualifier 1] last week in Ahmedabad. They bowled really well, so, full credit [to them].”Despite the failure in the final, SRH’s batting line-up pushed the boundaries of aggression during the course of the tournament. Their openers, Abhishek and Travis Head, were key to this IPL being a high-scoring season. SRH broke multiple records and did it repeatedly to set the benchmark regardless of the risk involved, which pleased Cummins.”The style that the guys played,” Cummins said, “particularly with the bat, takes a lot of skill to not only get 250, [but] also [to do it] three times. You put yourself out there a fair bit. So I loved how brave the guys were in a high-pressure situation like the IPL. They took the game on, there was a lot of fun. [The] fans seemed to like it, back in Hyderabad. So, great season.”

An emotional R Ashwin has expressed his immense gratitude towards India’s “outstanding” captain Rohit Sharma for his leadership and “heart of gold” during last month’s Rajkot Test against England.Ashwin, who took his 500th wicket and played his 100th Test during the series against England, had to temporarily withdraw from the third Test in Rajkot because of a health emergency concerning his mother. He left his team-mates after play on the second day and rejoined them late on the fourth day.”It all kicked off on the second day, though it’s a bit blurry now,” Ashwin said on his Youtube channel. “I was on 499 wickets I think, and was hoping to reach the milestone in the second Test in Vizag, but it wasn’t to be. But on day two in Rajkot, I finally got Zak Crawley. It wasn’t a particularly great ball, but I finally got to the landmark.””After the end of play, I had agreed to do some interviews and went to the press area. I’d just got my 500th wicket, so was expecting a call from my wife or father. I was a bit surprised not to hear from them, since it was almost 7 PM. But I figured they must be busy with interviews and responding to congratulatory messages, so didn’t think much of it.”After being unable to reach my parents, I finally got hold of my wife on the phone. Her voice was breaking. I told her I was just about to get into the shower, and she asked me to go somewhere alone, away from my team-mates. She said that my mother had collapsed after a severe headache.”Related

• Stats – Ashwin beats Murali's 100th-Test special, Anderson goes where no pacer has gone before

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Ashwin said he couldn’t immediately process the news, particularly with the Test, and series, in the balance. England had ended the second day on 207 for 2 in response to India’s 445, with the series tied 1-1.”I just blanked out. I don’t remember what I did, but I was crying,” Ashwin said. “I didn’t know what to ask her. I didn’t want anyone to see me cry – it was an instinctive reaction. I just sat alone in my room, not knowing what to do.”On one hand, I knew I had to go back home, but there was also the thinking of how can I let my team-mates down. I couldn’t strike that balance. I didn’t know what to tell the coach or captain. I was in the XI, and if I go home now, we’d be left with only 10 players, giving England the advantage.”But I was also just thinking about my mother. And when was the last time I spoke to her. In my mind, I knew I had to go back home and see her, but the doctors were informing us that nobody was allowed in to meet her.”R Ashwin with his family on the morning of his 100th Test•BCCI

It was at this point of time, Ashwin said, that Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid came into the dressing room, and made his decision a straightforward one.”I think since I wasn’t answering my phone, my wife must have called Rohit and Dravid to tell them the news. Rohit came in, saw me thinking, and just said, ‘what are you doing? You need to leave right away. Please just pack your bags and go'”.The next challenge was finding a quick way back home, but with no flights to Chennai scheduled till the next morning, Ashwin got help from an unexpected source.”I must say a big thank you to Cheteshwar Pujara as well, who spoke to a lot of people and arranged for a chartered flight for me.”Our team physio Kamlesh Jain is a good friend. Rohit told Kamlesh to accompany me on the flight to Chennai, despite Kamlesh being one of only two physios in the team.”I told Kamlesh, ‘it’s ok, please stay back’. But when I went to the board the flight, Kamlesh and a security person was already there. Not just that, but Rohit regularly kept calling Kamlesh to check in on me and see how I’m doing. That deeply moved me. In a selfish society like ours, that man who decides to take a moment to think of someone else’s wellbeing, he’s truly great.”Rohit is a special person, an outstanding leader, with a golden heart. I saw it first-hand. I’d give my life for him on the field, that’s the kind of captain he is. It’s because of these qualities that he’s won so many titles, including five IPLs. I pray to God that Rohit achieves even more in his career and life.”Ashwin’s stay in Chennai was brief, and after being informed his mother would make a recovery, he knew he had to re-join his team-mates in Rajkot. “My mother was initially surprised to see me. And that’s the difference in parents of previous generations and today’s. She only wanted what’s best for me. And wanted me to be with the team. Even in those circumstances, she kept thinking of me.”With the help of BCCI secretary Jay Shah, Ashwin was able to take another chartered flight from Chennai to Rajkot, and eventually linked up with his team-mates on day four. India won the Rajkot Test by 434 runs to take a 2-1 lead and eventually won the series 4-1 in Dharamsala with Ashwin taking nine wickets in his 100th Test.

Afghanistan’s participation in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is in the hands of the International Olympics Council (IOC), not the ICC. This is the view expressed by ICC’s chief executive officer Geoff Allardice, who was responding to how cricket’s governing body will tackle the challenge of Afghanistan women players being forced into exile since Taliban assumed power in 2021.In October the IOC approved the LA28’s recommendation of adding T20 cricket as a new sport, convinced by its popularity across the Commonwealth countries as well as the younger generation, along with the potential it brings for growth in markets such as the USA.In its proposal, the ICC had recommended a six-team event for both the men’s and women’s competitions which was approved by the IOC. By 2025, the LA28 and ICC will work out a competition structure as well as the way in which teams can qualify for the event.The LA28 organisers have stressed on gender equality at the Olympics, which normally sees participation from both genders in individual and team sports. However, Afghanistan currently do not have a women’s cricket team, with 22 out of the 25 contracted players moving overseas since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021. There remains a chance, however, that the men’s team might take part in the event in five years’ time.”(In) the Olympic competition teams are fielded by the National Olympic Committees of those countries,” Allardice told the ‘s Stumped podcast. “As an international sporting federation, we position our sport with the LA28 organisers for inclusion. And the IOC and they (LA28) have included cricket. In terms of the position of the National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan, it’s probably something for the IOC to be able to address more accurately than me. But I know that they (IOC) have been following the progress or the developments there. Our position on cricket and supporting our member in Afghanistan is not dissimilar to those of other international sporting organisations.”Related

• Human rights question hangs over success story of Afghanistan's men

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• IOC to monitor support for women's cricket in Afghanistan ahead of LA28

In its communication with the Taliban government, the IOC has been emphasising that the country’s National Olympic Committee (NOC) will be in danger of suspension if access to sports for women continues to be restricted. The IOC has not cleared Afghanistan’s participation for the 2024 Paris Olympics.Addressing the IOC session in Mumbai in October, James Macleod, IOC head of Olympic Solidarity and National Olympic Committee Relations, said that there was a “tiny bit of progress” made which was evident in the Hangzhou Asian Games recently. Out of the 83 Afghan athletes, 17 were women. While it was the men who owned all five medals, the women athletes – all of whom reside overseas – competed in volleyball, athletics and cycling. They also had male and female flag bearers at the event.IOC president Thomas Bach had pointed out at the Mumbai session that the onus was on Afghanistan’s National Olympic Committee to show the progress it was making to ensure women cricketers were receiving encouragement and support to compete at all levels. “In this broader context, cricket will be considered in the end,” he saidAfghanistan men were part of the gold medal match in the Asian Games in the absence of the women’s team. Allardice, who traveled to Hangzhou, said that the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had committed to developing women’s cricket when it was granted ICC’s Full Membership in 2017.”They were in the process of doing that through to 2021,” Allardice said. “And in 2021 the regime in the country changed and has brought in rules, laws that prohibit women from playing sport in the country. Whilst we have spoken with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and their position is that they have to operate within the laws of the country and the rules set by the government.”An ICC working group, led by its deputy chair Imran Khwaja, has been liaising with the Taliban government in the last year with the ultimate aim of helping women play cricket safely. “The question for the ICC board is do we support our member in their ability to promote cricket within the rules set by the government of the country? And view is yes,” Allardice said.As a Full Member, the ACB receives significant funding. As per the ICC’s financial distribution model for the next cycle (2024-27), the ACB will receive approximately USD 16.8 million as its share from the commercial earnings. Allardice said that the member boards had the autonomy to utilise the funds as they saw fit.”How those members distribute those funds and the use of that money is very much up to those members. With any of our members, we have a check and balance over how that money is distributed and whether it goes to certain contracts or other contracts. We don’t stipulate how that needs to be managed.”

يرغب نادي ريال مدريد الإسباني في تعزيز صفوفه الدفاعية، استعدادًا للموسم الجديد بقيادة المدير الفني تشابي ألونسو، ويضع الملكي عينه على صفقة بالفعل.

وارتبط ريال مدريد بمفاوضات مع كل من ويليام ساليبا لاعب آرسنال، وإبراهيما كوناتي لاعب ليفربول، وينظر إليهما كتعزيزات مناسبة لدفاع الفريق.

ورصدت صحيفة “آس” الإسبانية تقريرًا عن موقف نادي آرسنال الإنجليزي تجاه الرحيل المحتمل للاعبه الفرنسي ساليبا وانتقاله إلى ريال مدريد.

وبحسب ما ورد، فريق ميكيل أرتيتا مصمم على بقاء ساليبا، ولا يعتزم بيعه، ويسعى لاستبعاد أي حديث محتمل عن رحيل المدافع في الوقت الحالي.

اقرأ أيضًا | مبابي يتسبب في إيقاف مفاوضات تجديد عقد لاعب ريال مدريد.. ويمنح بيريز عصا سحرية

ويذكر التقرير أنه حتى لو تقدم ريال مدريد بعرض يصل إلى 100 مليون يورو، لن يكون ذلك مغريًا لآرسنال ولن يكون كافيًا للموافقة على بيعه.

ويرتبط ساليبا بعقد مع آرسنال يمتد حتى 2027، ويعمل النادي الإنجليزي على تجديد عقده وتمديد إقامته في ملعب “الإمارات” باعتبار الفرنسي عنصرًا أساسيًا في كتيبة أرتيتا.

وشارك ساليبا في 35 مباراة مع آرسنال في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز بالموسم الماضي، وساهم بأكثر من عشر محاولات دفاعية في المباراة الواحدة.

وذكرت تقارير في وقت سابق، نية آرسنال لتمديد عقد ساليبا حتى يونيو 2030، حيث يعتزم المدير الرياضي أندريا بيرتا التفاوض مع اللاعب وحسم هذا الملف.