Traeger Park had been set to host the two team’s final match of the group stage but the contest will now take place at Adelaide Oval
ESPNcricinfo staff29-Jan-2019
A scenic view of Traeger Park•Getty Images
Alice Springs has been stripped of its Big Bash match between Adelaide Strikers and Perth Scorchers due to an unfit outfield.Traeger Park had been set to host the two team’s final match of the group stage but the contest will now take place at Adelaide Oval.Earlier this month the two WBBL matches that were due to be held at the venue – with the Strikers hosting the Scorchers twice in two days – relocated to Albrecht Oval due to the state of the outfield but the men’s fixture has been moved out of the town entirely.”It’s disappointing that the match can’t be played at Traeger Park given the importance of cricket being able to take this fixture outside of its traditional venues,” Peter Roach, Cricket Australia’s head of cricket operations, said.”We have been working closely with Alice Springs Town Council over several weeks to try to improve the condition of the playing field, however the outfield falls short of the standard required for this match and would represent an unacceptable risk to player safety.”Despite remediation work undertaken in recent weeks, multiple sections of the outfield remain in a sandy condition and the loose footing presents a risk to the welfare of players. Unfortunately, there is very little prospect that this can be rectified by 9 February.”Cricket Australia have been keen to take the BBL out of the main centers with matches staged on the Gold Coast, Moe and Geelong in Victoria and Launceston in Tasmania.
Ali Tareen says he has proposed a ‘winter PSL’ with teams mostly made up of local talent, played in the actual home cities of the franchises
Danyal Rasool20-Dec-2018The story surrounding the sixth team of the PSL was held by some as a cautionary tale against investing in a league many believed had no long-term prospects. But today, the successful takeover led by Ali Tareen has ensured stability in more ways than one. For starters, Tareen hails from South Punjab, of which Multan is the biggest city, so the team will be called Multan after all; whether it remains Multan Sultans remains unclear for the moment, partly owing to the complicated legal situation that surrounds the exit from the PSL of the previous owners, the Schon Group.Tareen, the son of one of Pakistan’s richest and most influential business leaders, the sugar mill tycoon Jehangir Tareen, saw an opportunity to mix business with cricket when the sixth team became available. Tareen said he was not as concerned by how much money this venture made him, insisting he believed people “see this business incorrectly”.”When you buy a house and put it up for rent, no one expects the rent to pay for the house,” Tareen said. “The asset you invest in – the house – will appreciate and the rent will be the operating profit, which you spend. Similarly, you have to see the money you pay for the team as a one-time cost of buying the house. You have to think of it as buying as asset that will appreciate, just like all the other franchises have appreciated. That’s how I think of it, not as ‘I’m paying a franchise fee as part of my operating expenses.'”ALSO READ – PSL sixth team ownership rights won by Ali Tareen consortiumTareen has long been vocal about investing in the domestic structure – he runs a website called Grassroots Cricket – and sees the sixth team as an opportunity for young players in South Punjab. He wants the PCB to use the PSL as a vehicle to drive through youth development more efficiently.”I’ve suggested another possible competition to the PCB, a winter PSL of sorts,” he said. “In this tournament, they’d have players from only the emerging and supplementary categories, as well as possibly the Silver category. A local tournament of the local talent, because many of these guys will never get a chance to play in the actual PSL. One, it develops local players. Two, you can hold matches in the actual cities the franchises are from.”When I speak to sponsors who have not sponsored a team for two years in a row, they say it’s too big a marketing budget for just a few weeks a year. It’s too short, and they never get bang for their buck. If there’s a second tournament which is also televised, with people coming and watching it at the grounds, that is when sponsors get twice as much mileage for sponsorships they’ve already paid out on. That’s when this can become more profitable.”Tareen’s political affiliations won’t have escaped anyone’s notice. His father Jehangir remains one of Prime Minister Imran Khan’s key political allies, and is widely believed to be the biggest financial backer of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. Ali Tareen himself unsuccessfully contested by-elections in his native Lodhran last year. He claimed, however, that he had no intention of using the franchise to bolster any political ambitions, saying he wasn’t as interested in the six weeks of the tournament as the background work for it.”I have no intention or desire to be the face of the team,” he said. “Our goal is to have professional management, so none of the owners interfere in management or team selection. My own interest is only the 11 months after the PSL ends, which is when the development takes place.”Tareen believes the groundwork for a successful team is in place. While he had no control over the draft, which took place under a PCB-appointed group, he called it a strong team, though wouldn’t yet be drawn into any backroom changes he might make.Tareen’s bid was in serious doubt as recently as Sunday, when he tweeted he was reconsidering bidding after the price exceeded USD 5 million. However, a local businessman stepped up, “who wanted to bid a far bigger figure to ensure we got the rights. The costs were distributed among all stakeholders after that.”With several parties combining to make the Tareen-led bid the triumphant one, it is still unclear who the majority shareholder is. “I’m the director of operations and I’m going to be the one managing the franchise,” Tareen said.
Dale Steyn has spent the last six months on the cusp of becoming the most successful South African Test bowler in history, but he has spent even longer within close striking distance of the record. He passed the 400-wicket mark three-and-a-half years ago, but has only played eight Tests since, and ahead of what should be a record-breaking game against Pakistan on Boxing Day, Steyn insisted he had “a bigger goal” than simply the record to aim for.”I’m just looking forward to getting out there,” Steyn said. “I’ve been answering that question about that one wicket for about two years now so we’ve passed that.”Steyn needs just one wicket to go past Shaun Pollock’s 421 Test scalps, a record that has stood for a decade since Pollock played his last Test. Now that he is as fit and hungry as ever, Steyn might be forgiven for putting all his focus into achieving the milestone. But for Steyn, as soon as he takes the wicket that gives him the record, his attention will immediately turn to taking the next one.ALSO READ: Frankly yours, Dale Steyn“I’ve got a lot of wickets in me than just one more,” he said. “I haven’t saved myself to take one more wicket than Polly. There is a bigger goal at the end of the day. It’ll be a beautiful thing to happen for me if it does. These honours are great things to achieve and I’ll be highly honoured. But when I do, I’ll get back to the end of my mark and try and take another one. That’s the plan.”Pollock played 108 Tests to get to 421, while Steyn has reached that mark in just 88 Tests over a career that has spanned 14 years so far. It is Steyn’s remarkable strike rate of 42.0 – the sixth-best of all time among bowlers who have sent down a minimum of 2000 balls – that brought him so quickly to the brink, but that incisiveness was built on bowling express pace, which has brought its own hazards.Steyn was five wickets away from Pollock’s record when he suffered a shoulder injury during South Africa’s tour of Australia in 2016. “Many people don’t know the seriousness of that injury,” he said. “It was a broken arm. You can’t just pick yourself up and start going again. But it was wonderful to have that break. I got a lot closer with my family, something a lot of us struggle with because we’re on the road for so long. I was able to build great relationships with people who are close to me. And travel while I’m still young and come back really excited to play cricket at the highest level. I feel like I’m 23.”Dale Steyn clutches his right shoulder•Getty Images
Incidentally, that’s exactly the age of Steyn’s new-ball partner Kagiso Rabada, who has picked up the mantle of senior bowler while Steyn has fought his way back to full fitness, and is ranked No. 1 in the world among Test bowlers.While the 35-year old Steyn gears up to lead the attack feeling fitter and more fired-up than ever, the injuries to Lungi Ngidi and Vernon Philander have given him and Rabada added responsibility to lead from the front. Steyn warned, however, that no one should forget the impact that the recalled and in-form Duanne Olivier could make.”The onus will be on your bigger players like KG (Rabada) and myself to lead the attack,” he explained. “Duanne has been bowling beautifully, he was the highest wicket-taker in the Mzansi Super League. In the four-day game he played the other days he got a few wickets and even got Faf [du Plessis] out. If he slips under the radar and he comes up trumps with wickets and wins us the game I will not be complaining.”ALSO READ: Bogeyman Steyn returns to claim his recordWhile Rabada and Olivier could be match-winners in their own right, the attention will be on Steyn in Centurion – his former home ground and one at which he has taken 56 wickets in nine Tests at 17.12. Traditionally, it’s a track that encourages fast bowlers, and can be deflating for visiting batsmen unused to South African conditions, and Steyn is happy to be here after the slim pickings of his last Test outing, in Sri Lanka, where he only picked up two wickets across two Tests.”Every time a subcontinent team comes down to South Africa, they look down at the wicket and they’re not familiar with these conditions,” Steyn said. “They look at the wicket and there’s a bit of grass and you feel they’re two down already. It’s definitely not Dubai. I’m the guy that’s going to do that. I’m the guy with the brand-new ball in my hand. So it’s advantage fast bowler at the end of the day.”So I look forward to playing against Pakistan, and I’ve done well against them in the past. I’ve got fond memories of the Wanderers too, where I got 6 for 8. I go through that stuff in my mind to try and boost myself up. But you’ve got to wait till game day to see how this goes.”It’s just nice to have a red ball in my hand again. Sri Lanka was tough conditions for the fast bowlers, but by the looks of things – the way the nets have been playing out in the middle- there is some spice. I am looking forward to getting out there and playing five competitive days of cricket.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is planning to invest huge funds into Manchester United to address one key issue, according to a positive new update regarding his imminent 25% takeover.
Man Utd takeover news
It has been a disastrous start to the season for Erik ten Hag's side, who had lost five of their opening 10 Premier League matches in the lead-up to Saturday's trip to Fulham.
Performances and results on the pitch have been nowhere near good enough, leading to huge pressure on the manager already in 2023/24, but there are also plenty of issues going on away from the playing field that are holding them back greatly.
A lot of that is surrounding the continued unpopular reign of the Glazer family, with many supporters desperate to see an end to their ownership, while the club flounders as they oversee things. The team may be struggling on the pitch, but Old Trafford also feels like an old stadium that needs lots of work done to it, and United are at risk of falling behind many of their rivals.
On the plus side, boyhood Red Devils supporter Ratcliffe is set to buy a 25% minority stake of the club imminently, which does at least represent a positive for the fans, even though it means the Glazers are staying on for the time being at least.
A new claim suggests that the Englishman is planning to make his presence felt from the off, which acts as an encouraging update.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe latest
According to a key update from The Times' Matt Dickinson, Ratcliffe is planning to invest £245m into improving the infrastructure of Manchester United, once he buys 25% of the club:
"Sir Jim Ratcliffe will commit £245 million from his own fortune to upgrading Manchester United’s infrastructure, including Old Trafford, when he completes his deal to buy 25 per cent of the club.
"The Times revealed last month that Ineos was planning to set aside funds to renovate and potentially expand the 74,310-capacity stadium, which is in need of urgent modernisation."
This will be music to the ears of many United supporters, who feel that the Glazers have done very little to actually improve the club for many years, even if they have still allowed managers to spend plenty of money on new signings.
Having been the envy of every other club in the country during the 1990s, they are now bordering on being a laughing stock and need freshening up on and off the pitch, so this Ratcliffe update is clearly a step in the right direction.
In an ideal world, he will become United's sole owner as time moves on, with his love for the club making him a far better option than the Glazers, and his decisions will likely be genuine ones that benefit the team he grew up supporting.
For now, though, a 25% share is the next best thing, and his popularity will only rise from the off if he sticks to his word to "significantly change the performance structure and personnel at the club", as well as "improve the facilities" at the club.
O Flamengo teve a bola, criou diversas chances, mas caiu na Libertadores em noite traumática, nesta terça-feira, após um novo empate em 1 a 1 com o Racing, depois de gol marcado por Willian Arão já nos acréscimos, no Maracanã. E foi o próprio volante o único a desperdiçar pênalti no confronto na decisão via marca da cal, que culminou na eliminação nas oitavas de final.
RelacionadasFlamengoATUAÇÕES: Zaga volta a ser vilã em eliminação traumática para o Flamengo; Arão vai do céu ao infernoFlamengo01/12/2020FlamengoNos pênaltis, Racing bate o Flamengo e avança às quartas da LibertadoresFlamengo01/12/2020
Após a partida, Diego Ribas, autor da assistência para o gol de Arão, após escanteio, concedeu entrevista coletiva, antes da fala de Rogério Ceni, e garantiu que o “espírito vencedor” deste grupo do Fla “não se perdeu”.
– O espírito vencedor não se perdeu. Quando se é eliminado, lógico que algum erro se cometeu, mas uma equipe que ganhou tudo o que ganhou, o que passou fica na estante. Temos que seguir evoluindo, trabalhando, o que fizemos essa semana e ir em busca dos resultados. Hoje poderíamos ter feito os gols, essa é uma responsabilidade nossa – comentou Diego.
– Não sentir o impacto hoje é impossível, estamos tristes e indignados pelo que fizemos nos dois jogos, em termos de superar as dificuldades. Criamos muitas oportunidades e falhamos nas conclusões, isso nos deixa com a sensação de que poderia ter sido melhor. Não temos outra alternativa a não ser seguir em frente, temos o Brasileiro pela frente, queremos buscar as vitórias e o título, e confio que isso vai acontecer – completou o camisa 10.
> Confira a tabela do Campeonato Brasileiro
Agora, o Flamengo, eliminado na Copa do Brasil e da Libertadores em um intervalo de 13 dias, terá que recolher os cacos e voltar os holofotes, agora exclusivos, para o Brasileiro. O próximo jogo será neste sábado, contra o Botafogo, no Nilton Santos.
An opening bowler and middle-order batsman, Maajiet played for – and captained – the Western Province Cricket Board, and was chosen for the South African Cricket Board national teams
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Jul-2018
South African fans show their support on the fifth day at Newlands•Getty Images
Dashing South African allrounder Saait Magiet, whose career was adversely affected by apartheid during the prime years of his career, died on holiday in Malaysia yesterday of a heart attack. He was 66.An opening bowler and middle-order batsman, Maajiet played for – and captained – the Western Province Cricket Board (WPCB), and was chosen for the South African Cricket Board (SACB) national teams. A right-arm bowler and batsman, Maajiet began playing in 1971 at the age of 19, his career spanning 20 years until just after unity. He represented the WPCB on 64 occasions in first-class matches, in addition to numerous limited-overs contests, and made 2,397 runs (including three centuries) and took 169 wickets at a remarkable average of 12.71. He played a key role in non-white cricket at the height of apartheid rule. An allrounder in many senses of the word, he also captained the City and Suburban Board rugby team as a loose forward.His elder brother Rushdie Maajiet also played 37 times for Western Province, in addition to representing the SACB.Cricket South Africa extended its condolences, issuing a statement saying it had heard “with shock and sadness” that Maajiet had died in Malaysia.”Saait and his elder brother, Rushdi, were two of the legends of the game under the auspices of SACBOC and later the SACB, and both would undoubtedly have represented a unified South African cricket team had the opportunity existed,” CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe said. “On behalf of the CSA family I extend our condolences to his family, friends and cricket colleagues.”
The two ODIs on August 1 and August 3 will be Netherlands’ first since 2014, having lost and regained ODI status in the interim
ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jul-2018
Paras Khadka leads the Nepal team huddle•ICC
Netherlands and Nepal will face each other in two ODIs on August 1 and August 3, the Netherlands Cricket Board (KNCB) announced. The two matches will be played at Voorburg CC, just outside the Hague, and the VRA Ground in the Amsterdam suburb of Amstelveen.The matches will be the first ODIs in Nepal’s history after the country secured ODI status by finishing in eighth place, ahead of Hong Kong and Papua New Guinea, at the World Cup Qualifier in Zimbabwe in March. For Netherlands, these will be their first ODIs since 2014, when they lost ODI status at the World Cup Qualifier in New Zealand. They regained ODI status following their first place finish in the 2015-17 WCL Championship.”It’s going to be a fantastic series for both countries as it will be our first ODI since regaining our status lost in 2014, it will also be Nepal’s first ODI ever,” Netherlands coach Ryan Campbell said. “These games also present us with another opportunity to expose our youngsters to top quality cricket and I’m excited to keep watching their development.”Nepal’s win over PNG and Hong Kong’s loss to Netherlands secured them ODI status•ESPNcricinfo Ltd
The series will start after the two teams fly into London to play a T20I at Lord’s on July 29. The Lord’s fixture is part of a T20 triple-header in which both countries will also play a T20 earlier in the day against an MCC squad led by former Sri Lanka captain Mahela Jayawardene.ESPNcricinfo understands that negotiations had been held in order for Nepal to play a series of ODIs against Scotland as well during their European tour. However, an agreement could not be reached for Scotland to host Nepal due to budget reasons. Scotland coach Grant Bradburn had previously told ESPNcricinfo last month that Cricket Scotland’s last funding allocations for 2018 were spent on organising a squad to participate in the T20I tri-series with Ireland and Netherlands held last month, which Scotland won.
Georgina Rodriguez paid a visit to Disneyland after appearing at Paris Fashion Week in Man Utd-inspired 'Ronaldo 7' signed dress.
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Georgina visited Disneyland ParisAppeared in Paris Fashion Week earlierRonaldo will be in action in AFC Champions League on MondayWHAT HAPPENED?
The Portuguese superstar's long-time girlfriend Georgina Rodriguez shared a series of photographs on Instagram from her trip to Disneyland in Paris which she visited with her children. Her caption for the post read, "In a magical world."
AdvertisementGettyTHE GOSSIP
A few days back, Rodriguez had appeared on the ramp of Vetements' Paris Fashion Week show where she was spotted wearing a Manchester United-inspired 'Ronaldo 7' signed dress. At the event, she also appeared to have dropped a hint about when Ronaldo could hang up his boots.
DID YOU KNOW?
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United star had to sit out of Al-Nassr's Saudi Pro League clash against Al-Hazm on February 29 after being sanctioned by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) for performing a crude gesture during the club's 3-2 victory over Al-Shabab – as he reacted to more “Messi” taunts from the stands.
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CRISTIANO RONALDO
The 39-year-old will be next seen in action on Monday as Al-Nassr take on UAE Pro League side Al Ain in the first leg of their AFC Champions League quarter-final clash.
It is fair to say Manchester United's recruitment in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era has been underwhelming. Some might consider that an understatement.
The Red Devils have spent well over £1bn since 2013.
Yet in that period, they have finished outside the top 4 on five occasions – David Moyes, Louis Van Gaal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and Erik ten Hag have all been trusted to bring in their players. For the majority, it just hasn't worked.
Of all these managers though, Jose Mourinho was the one responsible for spending the most on transfers during his reign between 2016-2018.
According to figures collated by Sky Sports, 'The Special One' oversaw £430 million of expenditure on 12 players, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Matej Kovar being free transfers, fees were only actually spent on 10 players, making the statistic all the more extraordinary.
Despite such a significant outlay, only two of the Portuguese manager's signings remain at the club.
The most recent departure was once described as being a "rash" player and one who cost the club a total of £55m in transfer fees and wages.
That is despite barely making a century of appearances for the club.
We are, of course, talking about the enigma that is Eric Bailly.
What happened to Eric Bailly at Man Utd?
Bailly joined the club from Villarreal in 2016 as part of Mourinho's first transfer window at the club. He was the second signing of the new era, following the arrival of mercurial striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The Ivorian arrived at the club with much fanfare. At just 22 years old, many tipped Bailly to be a massive success at the club.
Former Arsenal and Man City legend Kolo Toure, speaking to The Sun (via the United Review), stated that Bailly had the ability to "become one of the best defenders in the world."
"He can be up there with the top defenders United have had. He’s young and will learn from working with one of the best managers in the world, and of course he’s going to get better. Definitely," he added.
Those were some big words that heaped pressure on the defender. However, he endeared himself to the United faithful immediately after wrestling the rowdy Jamie Vardy off the pitch on his debut.
His performance that day helped United to win the Community Shield. That would be the first of three trophies Bailly would help his side secure that season, along with the EFL Cup and the Europa League.
In his debut season, Bailly appeared 39 times in all competitions and cemented himself at the heart of United's back four. This would turn out to be as good as it got for him, though. The following season, he made fewer than half the number of appearances. As the years went on, he would be featured more and more sparingly. In his final full season at the club, Bailly made just 7 appearances.
His hat-trick of silverware from his first season was also the last for him, as he was never able to add to his trophy cabinet for the remainder of his time at the club.
A loan spell in 2022 to Marseille didn't work out, and he has finally moved away permanently, joining Besiktas on a free transfer this summer.
What went wrong for Eric Bailly?
The reasons why Eric Bailly did not have a successful Manchester United career are varied.
One simple reason was the fact that the centre-back was very injury-prone.
According to Transfermarkt, he was out of action with injury for 566 days during the entirety of his Old Trafford tenure – during this period, he is believed to have missed 126 games for club and country.
These injuries would not only have prevented him from playing but also hindered his development. Joining the club in his early twenties meant that he had untapped potential and time to develop. However, spending too much of that time on the sidelines meant Bailly was unable to develop his game and reach the heights some predicted for him.
Others believe that Bailly's biggest downfall was his own performances. While he had the tendency to do something absolutely miraculous, like beating multiple Chelsea players with stepovers in his own penalty area, he also had another side that led to calamity.
Following what turned out to be Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's final home game as manager of The Red Devils, Bailly was criticized for being "a rash defender who always has a mistake in him" by Trevor Sinclair. He was also labelled as the "culprit" for both goals following "bad, bad defending."
The defender himself believed that the reason he wasn't able to achieve success at United was due to the focus on homegrown and British talent within the club.
He stated, "The club should avoid favoring English players and give everyone a chance." This assessment did not go down well, with Jamie Carragher responding, saying that Bailly wasn't being picked due to his own poor performances.
How much did Eric Bailly cost Man United?
United paid Villareal £30m to secure Bailly's services back in 2016. He signed a contract worth £80k-per-week, based on the figures put together by the experts at Capology,
Bailly earned over £4m per year on his salary alone. This meant that throughout his time as a Man United player, Bailly received roughly £25m in wages. This means that the combined total was £55m.
The £30m The Red Devils spent on Bailly makes him their sixth most-expensive defender in history. At the time of his arrival, he was the most expensive defender the club had ever bought.
Bailly only featured 113 times for the Old Trafford side during his 6 years in the squad. As a result, the amount of money he earned per game is staggering.
Bailly Appearances
Weekly Wage
Total Earnings
Earnings per Appearance
113
£80,000
£24.6m
£217,700
Through earning close to £25m in wages over his 113 games, Bailly amassed a whopping £217,700 per appearance for the club. That is more per game than most of his teammates' weekly salary.
Not only that, but Bailly also made close to £6.5m in his 566 days out with injury. That accounts for just over a quarter of the 29-year-old's total earnings during his stay in Manchester.
This, of course, does not include any bonuses that Bailly would have been entitled to, which would have inflated the price further.
How much did Man United spend on Bailly's replacements?
Whilst responding to Bailly's claims that English players experienced preferential treatment at Manchester United, Jamie Carragher mentioned that the club "keep buying players to replace him."
Soccer Football – Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg – Manchester United vs Sevilla – Old Trafford, Manchester, Britain – March 13, 2018 Manchester United’s Eric Bailly looks dejected after the match Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff
Since The Ivory Coast international's arrival, United have bought 5 other central defenders. Of the five of them, four cost the club more than Eric Bailly did. Jonny Evans' return to the club in 2023 is the only exception.
In total, United have spent over £200m on central defenders since Eric Bailly's arrival. That is a staggering amount to replace someone that many believed had world-class potential.
Victor Lindelof
2017
£31m
Harry Maguire
2019
£80m
Raphael Varane
2021
£34m
Lisandro Martinez
2022
£56.7m
Jonny Evans
2023
Free
How much do other Man United defenders make?
Despite being a record-breaking transfer when he signed, Bailly left United with the second-lowest wage of all defenders in the first team.
Only Tyrell Malacia earned less than his former teammate, with the Dutch full-back earning £75k-per-week.
United's two primary right-backs Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan Bissaka, are the only other two defenders earning under six figures per week, clocking in at £85k and £90k respectively.
Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof are both on £120k per week, with Luke Shaw ahead of them earning £150k-per-week.
The club's record defender and former captain Harry Maguire is the second highest-paid defender at the club, making a little less than £200k-per-week.
It is multiple-time Champions League winner Raphael Varane who leads the way. His staggering £340k per week is a 325% increase on what Bailly's wages were as he departed the club.
Newcastle United enjoyed tremendous success last season, rising from the rubble that had shackled the prestigious Premier League outfit to obscurity for too long, now boasting firepower to rival Europe's big boys.
Securing a top-four finish in the league, manager Eddie Howe had manufactured triumph unseen on Tyneside for an age in his first full year with the club.
Newcastle's past four PL finishes
Season
4th (71 points)
22/23
11th (49 points)
21/22
12th (45 points)
20/21
13th (44 points)
19/20
Stats sourced via Transfermarkt
Yes, Newcastle's PIF takeover has pumped in opulence to rival the most well-to-do institutions across the continent, but Dan Ashworth's work plied on the transfer front has been astute and pinpoint.
Nick Pope, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn, all signed for less than £15m and the cement of the club's instantaneous resurgence in 2021/22; scant purchases have fallen flat. The result? Champions League football and a cup final (albeit ending in defeat).
Regardless, the Magpies are flying and await an enticing Champions League group phase containing European juggernauts Paris Saint-Germain, Borussia Dortmund and AC Milan.
The city is awash with newfound optimism and glimmering with long-lost ambition, however, the start to the 2023/24 campaign has not been convincing, and Howe now needs to rectify the wobbly start.
How have Newcastle performed this season?
When Newcastle and Aston Villa walked onto the St. James' Park pitch to kick off the new campaign, both teams were buoyed by stunning past seasons; Newcastle clinching Champions League, Unai Emery's Villans bagging a spot in the Europa Conference League.
Howe's side opened their account for the year incisively, producing a scintillating offensive display to put five past Emiliano Martinez, winning the game 5-1 and leaving correspondent Craig Hope remarking at the "simply devastating" performance.
Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe.
It was a reaffirmation of the new position of strength, and while Villa will put it down to simply a poor day at the office, Newcastle were convinced of a continuation of the lasting purple patch. However…
Fast track to the first international break, and the Toon have fallen to defeat in the following trio of Premier League fixtures against Manchester City, Liverpool and Brighton & Hove Albion.
To say that the club are in crisis mode would be a ludicrous, myopic claim; Newcastle have arguably had the toughest start to any outfit in the division, and it took eight fixtures to claim two league victories last term – and we all know how that went.
What is a concern, and certainly presented a quandary in Hope's eyes as he gave his post-match assessment as Brighton dispatched the travelling Toon through Evan Ferguson's clinical hat-trick, was the lack of fluidity and invention.
Despite a lucrative summer of exciting additions, has the equilibrium been unhinged? Have Newcastle adequately targeted the areas of the pitch most important to the strengthening of the framework and the upgrade of an already cohesive machine?
Sandro Tonali was welcomed to the fold from AC Milan in a £55m deal to send shockwaves of excitement through the Magpies masses, but with the midfield partnership of Guimaraes and the Italy international "not working" at present, as Hope claimed, Howe might be inclined to tinker at his system.
What position does Bruno Guimaraes play?
Signed for £40m from French side Lyon in January 2022, months after Howe's appointment, Guimaraes swiftly cemented himself as the midfield centrepiece of the St. James' Park side.
The 12-cap Brazil star – who had been monitored by Manchester United and PSG before his transfer – has been heralded for his "world-class" quality by teammate Burn, and it's clear to see why.
Having made 61 appearances for Newcastle, scoring ten goals and supplying six assists, the 25-year-old has been immense as a deep-lying playmaker, breaking lines with his positive passing and acting as the metronomic component at the centre of the engine.
As per FBref, £46m-rated Guimaraes ranks among the top 16% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and successful take-ons, the top 11% for progressive passes, the top 25% for tackles and the top 21% for assists per 90.
Newcastle midfielder Bruno Guimaraes
Talent scout Jacek Kulig knows his stuff when assessing the potential of budding stars, proclaiming in 2019 – when playing for Athletico Paranaense in Brazil – that the £120k-per-week ace is a midfield "orchestrator" with strength in "passing, vision, tackling, intelligence, technique, work rate."
Last season, the Magpies' midfield worked seamlessly, with Guimaraes partnered, primarily, with Joelinton and Sean Longstaff, with Joe Willock also in the mix.
It was a fluid, interchangeable system, and Tonali's introduction is supposed to be a continuation of this, but the lack of control and balance across the past three fixtures has illuminated the issue that Howe is presented with.
The Brazilian is a very good footballer, that is unquestionable, but he is not a specialist No. 6 and instead utilises his passing prowess, as mentioned, to craft transitional openings for his attack-minded teammates.
Tonali was signed as a multi-functional partner, but from the evidence of the first few weeks, it's not quite working yet.
What are Newcastle's weaknesses?
That's not to say it won't work. If anything, Newcastle should be galvanised by the success in securing the services of one of Italian football's most talented maestros, with Tonali praised for his "gifted" ability by former Italy manager Roberto Mancini.
The £210k-per-week Tonali is not the defensive midfielder the club still needs, but then, neither is Guimaraes. That's not to say it won't work or that they are not first-rate midfielders, take last season's feats for evidence enough, but it is an issue that still needs attention – one would think, when the time comes, it will be a priority position for Ashworth and co.
Ranking among the top 12% of positional peers for assists per 90, Tonali has played a variety of roles already for Newcastle, connecting and ebbing and flowing from the kernel of the midfield against Villa and City, before playing a too-lateral passing game against Liverpool, seemingly contented with preserving the one-goal lead after Virgil van Dijk's red card.
Against the Seagulls, he pushed further up the pitch, evidently a devised plan to combat the lack of positive energy across the past few matches, with the Athletic actually detailing how the 23-year-old's average position was higher up than right-winger Miguel Almiron.
There is a sense that signing a holding midfielder would offer the club a new way of conducting business, Guimaraes could still operate in a base role, utilising his ball-playing range within a double pivot, while Tonali could play that dynamic role and roam around the midfield.
Sandro-Tonali-Newcastle
Sean Longstaff's energy and workrate as a box-to-box presence blended well with the 5 foot 11 Guimaraes' own game last season, with the homegrown talent even praised as his side's "unsung hero" by pundit Paul Merson.
Across the summer transfer window, Howe's outfit were linked with an array of midfielders, with the Times (via West Ham Zone) reporting that Mexican titan Edson Alvarez was on the Magpies' radar prior to his £35m move to West Ham United.
Scores more entered transfer circulation, but ultimately, a transfer never materialised and Howe will now need to work out a strategy to get the very best out his current, immensely talented, crop of players.
Are Newcastle in bother? An overreaction. But with the present international break making way for a return to the Premier League and a St. James' Park encounter with Brentford, Howe might be wise to tinker away at his team and seek to restore the balance. Potentially removing Guimaraes from the fold, who has arguably been off his best this season, could well do that.
Either way, it's crucial that Howe hits the nail on the head.