Al-Nassr captain Cristiano Ronaldo enjoyed some down time with his partner Georgina Rodriguez, giving another glimpse at their new Red Sea hotel.

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Ronaldo enjoys down time after Portugal omission Goes on bike ride with partner RodriguezModel gives another glimpse at Red Sea hotelGetty/IG:georginagio/IG:visitredseaWHAT HAPPENED?

With the Saudi Pro League side not in action again until March 30, the 39-year-old is enjoying a well-earned rest period alongside his partner and their family. The couple's latest activity included a bike ride within the complex of their new Red Sea hotel. The luxury tourism destination is based between Umluj and Alwajh on the west coast of Saudi Arabia, and represents Ronaldo and Rodriguez's latest business venture.

AdvertisementWHAT RODRIGUEZ POSTED

The social media influencer and model posted a clip of said bike ride to her Instagram story alongside the caption "Good morning", translated from Spanish. That video gave a tantalising glimpse of the stunning beach set-up at the Red Sea hotel, with loungers facing crystal clear waters.

IG:georginagioTHE GOSSIP

That relaxing trip in the Gulf state comes after Ronaldo was omitted from the Portugal squad to face Sweden in a friendly, alongside the likes Diogo Dalot, Joao Cancelo and Joao Felix. Manager Roberto Martinez reportedly made that call to give the veteran forward some much-needed down time, as he played a full 90 minutes for Al-Nassr – and scored – against Al-Ahli on Friday.

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WHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO?

While not back in action at club level until the end of the month, the expectation is that the mercurial forward will be recalled for Portugal's second friendly after spending some time with his family. Martinez's men take on Slovenia in that clash on March 26.

Newcastle United have already built an impressive squad for Eddie Howe, who has used it superbly to take the Magpies into the Champions League after a top four Premier League finish. Now, those at St James' Park will want to build from the platform that they have created, progressing more and more along the way. And that makes the January transfer window all the more interesting.

Finding their form this season, Newcastle could yet make more improvements come the winter window, which could include options that could play a large part in the future of Howe's squad. With that said, reports suggest that the Magpies are set to bid for one particular Championship star.

What's the latest Newcastle transfer news?

The only limit that Newcastle face when it comes to spending is Financial Fair Play. But, as long as they stay within those guidelines, then they can splash the cash, potentially resulting in the arrival of some top talents. To ensure consecutive top four finishes, squad depth could be key, and if Howe feels as though he hasn't got enough options at St James' Park, then January could be a busy month.

Given that, reliable reporter Alan Nixon has issued an Newcastle transfer update involving Adam Wharton, reporting that PIF are set to make a second bid for the Blackburn Rovers midfielder after they failed to secure his signature in the summer transfer window. They're not alone in the race to sign the teenager, however, with Brighton & Hove Albion, Crystal Palace and Everton also reportedly interested.

It remains to be seen just how much Blackburn demand for their youngster in January, and just how much the Magpies are willing to offer, but it looks like Wharton will certainly have a decision to make when the time comes.

Who is Adam Wharton?

The fact that Adam Wharton is already an important part of the Blackburn Rovers squad, starting in all but one Championship game this season, tells you all you need to know about how talented the 19-year-old really is. And that's a talent that Newcastle seem to want to witness for themselves at St James' Park.

Even amid recent spending, Newcastle have maintained their stance as a club willing to give young players a chance this season, represented by the opportunities handed to academy graduate Elliot Anderson. If he makes the move, Wharton will be hoping for a similar chance.

Wharton, hailed as a “brilliant young prospect” by journalist Josh Bunting, has earned a lot of praise during his time at Ewood Park, including from current manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, who said, via the Lancashire Telegraph:

"He was the best player in the game. The boy he gets things right, on the ball, off the ball, and that’s great to see. I’m happy to see that development Adam has made this season. If you do the right things in training, and keep doing the right things, you will get chances. It’s also important that a young lad shouldn’t go down and (start) doing the wrong things. Everything is possible for the boy if he does the right things.”

كشفت تقارير صحفية أن نادي أولمبيك مارسيليا الفرنسي اتخذ قرارًا بشأن إمكانية انتقال اللاعب بيير إيميريك أوباميانج إلى الدوري السعودي.

وارتبط أوباميانج مؤخرًا بخطوة الرحيل عن صفوف مارسيليا والانضمام إلى الدوري السعودي، في ظل اهتمام نادي القادسية بالحصول على خدماته.

اقرأ أيضًا.. رسميًا | قادمًا من الدوري الإنجليزي.. دي زيربي مدربًا لـ مارسيليا

ووفقًا لما ذكره الصحفي الشهير فابريزيو رومانو، فإن أولمبيك مارسيليا مستعد للسماح برحيل أوباميانج وانضمامه إلى القادسية.

وأوضح أن اللاعب الجابوني سيوقع عقدًا مع نادي القادسية حتى يونيو 2026، كزميل جديد للاعب ناتشو، الذي انضم مؤخرًا إلى النادي السعودي بعد رحيله عن ريال مدريد.

وأفاد بأن مارسيليا يجري حاليًا مفاوضات مع القادسية بشأن الرسوم المالية لصفقة أوباميانج وشروط السداد.

وانضم أوباميانج إلى مارسيليا قادمًا من تشيلسي الصيف الماضي، ويمتلك عقدًا ساريًا حتى 2026.

Arsenal have identified an "extraordinary" new top target as manager Mikel Arteta plots a different role for summer signing Declan Rice.

Arsenal transfer plans for 2024

The north Londoners have reportedly set their sights on upgrades for a few key positions next year. Arteta, as he seeks to maintain Arsenal's status as an elite English side, wants to sign a new striker for Arsenal and holds a serious interest in Brentford star Ivan Toney. A right-wing alternative to Bukayo Saka has also been mooted by sections of the press, with Wolves winger Pedro Neto targeted by the Gunners.

However, with Thomas Partey considering a January exit, at least according to recent reports, it is believed a new midfielder arriving could be possible next year as well. Aston Villa midfielder Douglas Luiz, Royal Antwerp sensation Arthur Vermeeren, and Fluminese's Andre are rumoured Arsenal transfer targets in this regard, and talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor believes Arsenal's Champions League status could well attract midfielders of their calibre. Speaking to Football Insider this week, he gave his verdict on the odds of Andre joining Arsenal over Liverpool.

"I would say Arsenal are a more attractive option for someone like Andre," said the former Aston Villa striker.

"They’re playing Champions League football, they’re higher in the league. They’re London-based, which is another key factor. At the moment, I’d say Arsenal are more attractive. The manager is building something with fantastic players coming in, and I think more and more big players will choose Arsenal.”

Speaking of new midfield targets, it is now believed that Arsenal have hatched a pretty ambitious plan.

Arsenal identify top target Tchouameni

Indeed, it is now believed they really want to sign Real Madrid superstar Aurelien Tchouameni. The Frenchman is apparently Arsenal's top target for 2024, according to Football Transfers, and while they recognise a deal will be difficult to do, Emirates Stadium officials don't think it's impossible to pull off.

This apparently comes as Arteta plots a new position for club-record signing Rice, as he aims to push the England international further forward in a similar number 8 role to former midfielder Granit Xhaka. The Frenchman has starred under Carlo Ancelotti at the Bernabeu, playing in all 10 of their La Liga matches so far while ranking among their best performers according to WhoScored.

Tchouameni's Real Madrid wages of £119,000-per-week wouldn't be that difficult to accommodate, but it will be very interesting to see if club president Florentino Perez even entertains the notion of selling. The 23-year-old has also been praised by Paul Pogba as an "extraordinary" talent.

"Very, very good. He's not a boy, he's a man," Pogba told Ouest-France after playing alongside him for France at international level (via The Daily Mail).

"It was a pleasure to play next to him. He brings a lot of energy. A lot of energy, extraordinary technical and physical quality. 'We wish him to play lots of matches and that I am always at his side."

Najam Sethi’s departure from his role as PCB chairman is confirmed after he formally submitted his resignation on Monday. Minutes later, the prime minister of Pakistan Imran Khan tweeted that he had nominated former ICC president Ehsan Mani as the new chairman of the board.There had been intense speculation surrounding Sethi’s future in the PCB ever since Imran was elected Pakistan’s prime minister; the former Pakistan captain and Sethi had a famously poor relationship. With the prime minister allowed – according to the PCB constitution – to change the PCB chairman if he so desired, it seemed unlikely Sethi would be able to stay on beyond Imran formally taking charge.Along with his resignation letter, Sethi tweeted that he had been “waiting for the new Prime Minister to take oath” before deciding to hand in his resignation – which Imran did on Saturday. Sethi was appointed PCB chairman for his last, unbroken stint in 2017, but had previously served as PCB chairman in 2013 and 2014. That was a period marred by a power struggle between him and former PCB chairman Zaka Ashraf; the pair swapped positions several times before Sethi finally consolidated his control at the helm of the PCB.Addressing his resignation letter directly to the prime minister, Sethi said, “You have said on many occasions you have a vision for Pakistan cricket. Therefore, it is only proper that you should assume charge and responsibility for assembling a management team for PCB that enjoys your full confidence and trust.” Sethi pointed out he had been appointed the PCB chairman unanimously in 2017 for a three-year term following elections last year, and that he believed he had “served the cause of cricket diligently”.The inevitability of Sethi’s resignation has its roots in politics rather than cricket. Sethi was appointed caretaker chief minister of Punjab, the stronghold of Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N party, Imran’s main political rival and the winner of the 2013 parliamentary elections. Imran repeatedly accused Sethi of unjustly helping Sharif win the elections that year.In 2014, Sethi was nominated to the PCB board of governors by Sharif, approved by the ICC and the Supreme Court of Pakistan. But it was widely believed that if Imran ever was to come to power, Sethi’s days at the PCB would be numbered. It was telling that Imran didn’t so much as thank Sethi for his time as chairman, instead focusing on the “vast and valuable experience” Mani would bring to the job.Ehsan Mani delivers his address•Getty Images

While Sethi only formally became PCB chairman in 2017, he was de facto the most influential man in the organisation for much of his predecessor Shaharyar Khan’s tenure, where he served as the head of the PCB executive committee. Most visibly, he was the chairman of the Pakistan Super League, Pakistan’s international T20 franchise competition. It is arguably what he’ll most prominently be remembered for, particularly since the competition is also viewed as the gateway towards the return of international cricket to Pakistan. The 2017 PSL final was held in Lahore, and the 18 months since have seen a trickle of matches played in Pakistan’s two major cities, Lahore and Karachi. With the PSL not a separate entity to the PCB – that idea was floated but ultimately never came to fruition – Sethi will play no further part in that competition either.Mani’s appointment is contingent on an election process – but that is merely a formality. As a fierce critic of the finance and governance draft proposal put forward by Australia, England and India at the ICC in 2014, which later came to be known as the Big Three reform, he won fans in many of the other countries, particularly Pakistan, who held out against the reforms longer than any of the other seven Full Member boards. He has built much goodwill in Pakistan over the years, especially in 2009 when he accused the BCCI of trying to isolate Pakistan when the Indian board rejected Pakistan’s proposal to host their share of matches at neutral venues.

أعرب فلورنتينو بيريز رئيس نادي ريال مدريد عن سعادته بالتوقيع مع نجم المنتخب الفرنسي، كيليان مبابي، من خلال تقديمه في حفل بملعب سانتياجو برنابيو اليوم.

وانضم كيليان مبابي إلى ريال مدريد بشكل رسمي اليوم بعدما وقع على عقود انتقاله، في صفقة انتقال حر، بعد نهاية عقده مع نادي العاصمة الفرنسية باريس سان جيرمان في يونيو الماضي.

اقرأ ايضاً.. مبابي من البيرنابيو: شكرًا لـ فلورنتينو بيريز لضمي إلى أفضل نادٍ في تاريخ كرة القدم

وقال فلورنتينو بيريز خلال الحفل: “مرحبًا بكم في هذا الحدث التاريخي. كلماتي الأولى هي أن أهنئ الفريق الإسباني لكرة القدم على فوزه ببطولة أوروبا الرابعة في تاريخه. تهانينا ليس فقط على الفوز بها، بل على الطريقة التي حققوا بها ذلك، تهانينا”.

وأضاف بيريز: “إنه لمن دواعي سروري أن نعود إلى الحياة الطبيعية وأن نتمكن من تقديم لاعبينا في ملعبنا، في كل مرة نستقبل فيها لاعبًا سيرتدي قميص نادينا لأول مرة، فهي لحظة احتفال”.

وأكد بيريز: “هذا النادي هو النادي الأكثر شعبية وإعجاباً في العالم. مراجعنا العظماء مثل سانتياجو برنابيو أو ألفريدو دي ستيفانو، خينتو أو كوبا، جميعهم خلقوا الأسطورة التي هي ريال مدريد. شكراً سانتاماريا لوجودك هنا. وأيضًا لرئيسنا الفخري بيري، شكرًا لك عزيزي بيري وأطلب منك أن تأتي معي وترافقني”.

وأشار بيريز: “أنتم، أعضاء ومشجعي ريال مدريد، الذين تمثلون جميع المشجعين، قلب هذا النادي. أنتم تعلمون جيدًا أن هذا هو ريال مدريد. لقد تمت كتابة جزء كبير مما نحن عليه الآن، وهو الآن جاهز لما سيكون عليه الأمر قبل وبعد. وسيستمر في الاستمتاع بأفضل اللاعبين في العالم”.

وأردف بيريز: “عزيزي زيزو، هذا مهم جدًا: منذ 12 عامًا قمت بدعوة طفل يظهر هنا اليوم. اليوم نرحب بكيليان مبابي”.

وأوضح بيريز: “أريدك أن تعلم أن حبك لريال مدريد منحك القوة اللازمة للتغلب على جميع الحواجز للوصول إلى هذا النادي. تحدث أشياء في هذا الملعب يصعب تفسيرها. لكننا نحن مشجعي ريال مدريد نعرف أنها تحدث”.

وواصل: “لأن هذا القميص لا يستسلم أبدًا وسيظل هذا المشجع معك دائمًا حتى النهاية. لقد حققت حلمك لأنك لم تستسلم أبدًا. عزيزي كيليان، شكرًا لك على بذل هذا الجهد لا أستطيع حتى أن أتخيل مع سجل حافل”.

وأختتم بيريز: “لقد حققت للتو أفضل موسم في تاريخك وفزت بالثلاثية هذا الموسم في فرنسا، أشكركم على حبكم غير المشروط لريال مدريد. لقد جاء مئات الأطفال من فرنسا بفضل مؤسسة التضامن الخاصة بكم. كل هذا يجعلنا فخورين للغاية بكيليان، مرحبًا بك في منزلك، ومرحبًا بك في ريال مدريد”.

Everton have struggled to spend their money efficiently in the transfer market when the chequebook is opened and a huge part of their demise has boiled down to paying over the odds for underperforming talent.

Whilst there are too many financial blunders to name, from Morgan Schneiderlin to Jean-Philippe Gbamin, the Toffees have instead found success elsewhere, with their stellar recruitment of talent lower down the football league paying dividends.

The most prolific example of this coming to fruition was the £3m acquisition of John Stones from Barnsley in 2013, with the Englishman establishing himself as one of the best ball-playing defenders on the planet since being snapped up by Pep Guardiola for £47.5m in 2016.

Although Stones is the most notable, he isn't the only player Everton have plucked from lower down the pyramid, capturing Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Sheffield United in a deal worth a reported £1.5m in 2016.

Until the 777 Partner's takeover is complete, this type of talent identification is more imperative than ever as the Toffees are being forced to watch their expenditure in fear of how FFP might sanction them.

That said, the Goodison Park faithful are currently brewing their latest success story in that regard with Jarrad Branthwaite threatening to become the latest big-money sale from Merseyside following his sensational start to the season.

Jarrad Branthwaite's value at Carlisle United

Much like Stones and Calvert-Lewin, Braithwaite's path to the Premier League began in the lower echelons of the football league with Carlisle United.

He was captured from the Cumbrian outfit for £1m in the summer of 2020 as a relatively unknown quantity, but his expected transfer valuation, which has since skyrocketed from the €1.1m (£940k) at Carlisle, wouldn't have come as a surprise to those who facilitated his development during that period.

Such success had been predicted way before his emergence, with the man who gave him his debut at the club, Steven Pressley, praising him highly: "He had so many quality attributes to become a top player. On the back of that one game, I phoned the Director of Football to get him tied up on a longer-term contract, which we did within two or three days.

“From that moment on, he trained with the first team every day. I told people he was a future England international. Not once from when I gave him his debut did I ever consider leaving him out again, because I felt his performances had been so strong.

“The truth is, I think he has got everything. He can pass the ball almost equally as good with both feet. He’s a terrific footballer. And If he continues to develop, then, without doubt, he can be an England player.”

Jarrad Branthwaite's value at the start of this season

Having arrived at Goodison Park in 2020, Branthwaite was given limited chances to impress in the first team, making only ten appearances in the Premier League with a loan spell at Blackburn Rovers sandwiched in between.

Despite featuring ten times for the Lancashire outfit as an 18-year-old in the 2020/21 campaign, the sharp increase in his progression can be attributed to his loan spell at PSV Eindhoven last term.

This was the youngster's first show of faith in senior football and he didn't disappoint, making 27 appearances in the Eredivisie while displaying his physical and technical attributes.

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 13% against his positional peers in the Dutch top flight for aerials won, top 18% for interceptions and top 19% for pass completion per 90.

Jarrad Branthwaite's stats per 90 at PSV

Figure

Interceptions

1.63

Aerials won

2.80

Clearances

4.34

Tackles

1.04

Pass completion

86.9%

Progressive passes

3.61

Passes into final third

3.57

All stats sourced via FBref

Having showcased the key facets of his game, it was the above statistics that provided ample reason as to why PSV were so keen to tie him down permanently, with such performances drafting him straight into Sean Dyche's plans at the start of this campaign.

Subsequently, Branthwaite's expected transfer value rose to €3.9m (£3.3m) in July this year but in the months that have followed, the 21-year-old has gone from strength to strength and has since blown that value out of the water.

Jarrad Branthwaite's current transfer value

With several top clubs, including Manchester City, Liverpool and Manchester City sniffing around for the talented centre-back, that is a sign, if anything, that his value has soared since the start of this campaign.

A young English, left-sided defender is always a sought-after commodity in the transfer market and Branthwaite has become the latest revelation that has got several salivating over the ceiling of his potential.

Therefore, his sharp rise to stardom has been reflected by the valuation given to him by the CIES Football Observatory, suggesting the England international is worth £26m (€30m).

While that marks an astronomical 2500% increase from the initial £1m shelled out for him, the £35k per-week titan's vast importance, natural ability and favourable youth mean that his valuation perhaps could prove far higher than this – closer to the fee they received for Stones.

Why Jarrad Branthwaite is worth that much

Lauded as "magnificent" by Alan Shearer following his colossal display in the victory over West Ham United, the list of admirers of Branthwaite is growing rapidly, despite being only nine games into the season.

The sensational talent, who was dubbed by Ruud van Nistelrooy as the "complete defender" during his time at PSV, has certainly demonstrated the facets of his game that have earned him such a hefty tag.

In an Everton side that is required to do a lot of defending, the Englishman has become an unstoppable figure alongside the experienced James Tarkowski and this is reflected by his monstrous defensive metrics this term.

He ranks ninth across the whole of the division for interceptions (1.8) and tenth for clearances per game (4.8), as per Sofascore, which demonstrates how vital his front-foot defending and ability to outmuscle his opponents has been for the Toffees – as seen against Michail Antonio.

Additionally, Branthwaite's exceptional passing ability is one attribute that has been prevalent throughout his career, but it's something that has come to the fore this term, impressing with his calmness in possession and eye for a defence-splitting pass.

The above attributes are crucial components in the buildup phase of any side and during his time at the club, Carlo Ancelotti backed up this admission by displaying his adulation for his ball-playing ability.

The Italian said: "Jarrad is confident, always calm, and never loses control. I think for an 18-year-old it is unusual to see a performance like this."

Having stepped up to plate this term and reined in a long list of plaudits, the world is Branthwaite's oyster and if he continues to perform at a high level, it won't be long before he gets to showcase his incredible talents at an elite club, perhaps sooner rather than later.

One of the most impressive aspects of the PIF takeover of Newcastle United back in 2021, besides the team's obvious improvement in the Premier League table, was the new ownership's willingness to plan for the future by bringing in young and hungry players to the first team.

The likes of Alexander Isak, Anthony Gordon, Sandro Tonali, Sven Botman, Lewis Hall and Tino Livramento were signed for big money but are all still quite raw and it is Eddie Howe's job to try and develop each one into a top player.

However, the Magpies also astutely acquired a few youngsters over the past eighteen months who perhaps are not quite as ready for the limelight right now but could prove to be bargains in the near future. Yankuba Minteh springs to mind.

The Gambian superstar

Minteh joined Danish Superliga club Odense Boldklub in the summer of 2022 from Gambian side Steve Biko and made an instant impact, scoring on his debut against Copenhagen four minutes from the end to hand his team an impressive 2-1 victory. The teenager was said to be “the quickest player with the ball at his feet” to have ever worn an OB shirt.

After the youngster put in some impressive performances in Denmark, Newcastle scouts were "alerted" to his potential and managed to secure his services during the most recent summer window for a reported £6m.

Sporting Director Dan Ashworth expressed how happy he was to bring a player with "Yankuba's high potential" to the club and even transfer expert Fabrizio Romano labelled the 19-year-old as a "top talent" when announcing the deal. However, it was made clear from the beginning that Minteh would be loaned out to Feyenoord for the 2023/24 season.

Minteh has been performing at a high level in The Netherlands thus far, even making his debut with the Gambia national team back in September and scoring against Congo during a 2-2 draw in an AFCON qualifying match.

Minteh's stats this season

The winger, who has also played through the middle at times this season, has scored three goals in nine appearances in the Eredivisie for the reigning Dutch champions as well as featuring twice for Feyenoord in the UEFA Champions League against Atletico Madrid and Celtic.

The Newcastle loanee started the match against the latter as a centre-forward in a 2-0 win, playing 68 minutes before being replaced by Ondrej Lingr.

According to FotMob, all three of Minteh's goals under head coach Arne Slot have been inside the penalty area on his left foot, while the £6m star is currently averaging a goal every 144 minutes. This works out at 0.63 goals per 90 in a Feyenoord shirt from an xG of 0.81 per 90, as per FBref, so there is a slight underperformance from Minteh in front of goal but not enough to question the attacker's ability in the final third.

In contrast, it makes for interesting reading when comparing the young attacker to fellow Newcastle winger Gordon who is averaging 0.32 xG per 90 and 0.38 goals per 90, while also scoring once every 235 minutes for the Magpies which is well below Minteh's current rate.

Minteh also boasts 52.9 touches per 90, with 34.2 coming in the final third of the pitch despite being limited to just 49 minutes per 90. Meanwhile, Gordon is averaging 44.7 touches per 90 with only half coming in the attacking third. Additionally, the former Everton man is on the pitch for 30 more minutes than Minteh per 90.

Newcastle United head coach Howe will undoubtedly be impressed by Minteh's loan spell at Feyenoord and the Gambia international could be coming for Gordon's place in the team next season.

Manchester City may avoid punishment for their 115 financial fair play charges by tying the Premier League up in a long legal battle, an expert says.

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Man City face 115 FFP chargesClub may receive huge punishmentExpert predicts long legal battleWHAT HAPPENED?

City are to be charged for breaking the Premier League's financial rules but the club are expected to fight the case. According to Rob Wilson, the European champions will attempt to drag the case out for a long period of time until the charges are eventually dropped.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

After Everton and Nottingham Forest were hit with points deductions earlier this season, there have been calls for City to be hit with a huge punishment due to the large number of breaches they are accused of.

WHAT WILSON SAID

Football finance expert Wilson told : "I think we will get the first sight of Manchester City’s legal proceedings in the autumn, but that will be when the case starts, not when it finishes. Manchester City are richer than the Premier League and therefore will buy the best lawyers and the best accountants to try and get them out of this situation. It will probably last years and years and years if indeed it ever gets resolved.

"Manchester City will wrap the Premier League up in so much litigation that it will just become boring and laborious and I think it will fizzle out. That's the kind of travesty with it when you take Everton, Forest and potentially Leicester they are single breaches being dealt with quite quickly.

"You need to multiply that by 115. If it takes three months to do one charge, you know, just 115 multiplied by three and you start to get a sense of the scale of what's going on. The Nottingham Forest verdict report was 25,000 words so 25,000 words multiplied by 115, that's a lot of writing and a lot of paperwork to get through. I think ultimately that's why it's taken so long. It looks like we might never reach a conclusion just by the scale of it.

"It could become financially too risky for the Premier League to continue. If we boil 115 charges down there are probably 30 to 35 that are really serious relating to overspending. I wouldn't be surprised if they start to resolve some of the other charges that are on the outskirts of the main case."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR CITY?

The case against City will likely go ahead later this year. Many have demanded the club be either relegated from the English top-flight or deducted a significant number of points if they are found guilty of breaking the rules.

Six wickets for Mohammad Abbas has left a tense third day ahead at Grace Road between two sides in the top four

ECB Reporters Network20-Aug-20181:43

Moeen and Mitchell leave Yorkshire feeling Toxic

ScorecardMohammad Abbas took 6 for 48, his best return for Leicestershire, as the bowlers continued to hold the upper hand in a Specsavers County Championship match against promotion rivals Kent that ended the second day very much in the balance at the Fischer County Ground, Grace Road.The Pakistan international seamer, who was named Man of the Series after his country’s two Tests against England earlier this summer, took full advantage of the heavy cloud and used pitch to move the ball both in the air and off the seam, with only Joe Denly standing firm as visitors were bowled out for just 195 in their first innings.Kent struck back strongly however, with Ivan Thomas taking 4 for 50 as the Foxes ended the day on 126 for 5, a lead of 151 with five second innings wickets in hand.Resuming with Kent on 53 for 3, Denly and Sam Billings were made to work hard for their runs as the ball continued to swing and nip off the pitch. Abbas had beaten Billings on numerous occasions before he found the edge of the Kent captain’s bat and Ned Eckersley held a outstanding low catch diving to his right behind the stumps.Zak Crawley went the same way, feathering a thin edge off Abbas to give Eckersley a more comfortable catch and reduce the visitors to 100 for 5, but Denly was joined by debutant Ollie Robinson in building a substantial partnership for the sixth wicket, helped by frontline seamers Abbas and Ben Raine coming to the end of their spells.Denly broke the shackles by hitting four boundaries in one over from Gavin Griffiths, bringing up his half-century with a fine straight drive to the rope off the same bowler, but Raine returned to the attack to pick up three quick wickets before lunch.Robinson, on the back foot, edged an outswinger to Eckersley, and in the same over Darren Stevens glanced down the leg-side only for Eckersley to pull off another brilliant catch flinging himself to his left. In the over before the break Denly, having battled his way to 62, missed a full inswinger from Raine and was plumb leg before wicket.Abbas returned after the break to bowl Harry Podmore off the inside edge before Grant Stewart was caught at cover driving.Kent picked up an early wicket of their own when Horton was leg before to a Stewart in-swinger, but Dearden in particular was batting positively, and he and Colin Ackermann added 69 for Leicestershire’s second wicket before Ackermann went leg before to a Thomas delivery that seamed back in.Mark Cosgrove, going through a bad patch by his high standards, nicked off to Thomas without scoring, and though Dearden passed 50, he lost two further partners, both to Thomas, as Ateeq Javid was caught down the legside by Billings and Eckersley fell leg before before rain and bad light saw play close 13 overs early.