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Crystal Palace view Will Hughes as a long-term successor to James McArthur, The Athletic’s Matt Woosnam writes. 

Palace paid £6.3million to sign Hughes from Watford in the final days of the summer transfer window.

He penned a three-year, £36,000-per-week contract on his arrival at Selhurst Park.

But the 26-year-old is yet to play a single minute for his new club, in any competition.

Perhaps most frustratingly, he’s featured in the matchday squad for seven Premier League games, but Patrick Vieira hasn’t given him a run-out.

McArthur ever-present… until now

By contrast, 34-year-old McArthur had started every PL match prior to the weekend’s draw with Burnley.

Scans have revealed that he tore his hamstring in the victory over Wolves prior to the international break, and he now faces a spell on the sidelines that could last until January.

This might present Hughes with an opportunity to impress in the short-term.

Fan feed CPFC Transfers HQ relayed Woosnam’s report, and here’s what supporters had to say in response.

These Crystal Palace fans want Hughes to be given a chance

“I think most people agree. But when even Jaïro has gotten minutes, the question is why hasn’t will?”

Credit: @JA9Baller

“Then put him on for the next game, not really overwhelmed by Lukas’ performance against Burnley.”

Credit: @VestinJesper

“Not played a single minute yet has he? Annoying”

Credit: @sxp55555

“About time, would be good to see him get some game time”

Credit: @cpfc_joe

“Nice to hear at least”

Credit: @amancpfc

“Yes please”

Credit: @cpfc_sean

In other news, fans react to this blow revealed on Monday.

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Marco Silva has accepted that his position as Everton manager is under scrutiny following his side’s poor recent form, as reported by the Mirror.

What he said

Speaking after the Toffees’ dismal 3-1 home defeat against newly-promoted Wolves, the under-fire Portuguese coach was clear that he knows his job at Goodison Park is on the line, “of course, of course I understand that. I am not here to find excuses or whine about something, of course there will be questions about me.”

Check out the below above to see football played as you’ve never seen it before… in a maze!

Everton have lost three of their last four games in all competitions and currently find themselves in 9th place in the Premier League table, fourteen points off of sixth placed Arsenal.

Everton have fallen well short of expectations so far this season and Silva must bear much of the blame for this state of affairs.

Issues to address

A defence of Silva is that he is still only in his first season on Merseyside, and should be afforded more time to rebuild his squad in his own image. Considering he took over at Goodison from Sam Allardyce, there have certainly been plenty of adjustments to be made in order to get Everton playing the brand of football that Silva prefers.

However, the Toffees’ complete inability to defend set pieces, defensive naivety, and lack of steel are all issues the manager ought to have been able to address already to a far greater extent than he has. What’s more, these are issues Silva appears to have created himself. The crippling defensive weakness from set pieces is something that has crept in this season.

If Silva is to be trusted with rebuilding Everton, he has to prove that he is capable of making these necessary improvements. Until then, he will always be doubted and under pressure to deliver.

Celtic face Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup final at Hampden Park this afternoon, with Ange Postecoglu eyeing his first trophy since taking over at Parkhead in the summer.

The 56-year-old is missing a handful of players, with some facing last-minute fitness tests, so who will make the Hoops’ line-up for the cup final?

This is how Football FanCast predicts Celtic to set up against Hibs later today, with two changes from Wednesday’s starting line-up which faced Ross County.

There are no changes at the back after the midweek 2-1 win, with Celtic having the Premiership’s best defence, having conceded just 11 goals in 18 league matches so far this season.

Goalkeeper Joe Hart has been a significant part of that feat. The 34-year-old has been superb since making the move to Glasgow and will be looking to add another trophy to his impressive CV.

In midfield, Tom Rogic comes in for Nir Bitton after being rested in midweek. The Australian has been key for Postecoglu’s side this season, making 25 appearances in all competitions already, and his experience could be vital if Celtic are to be victorious today. He also boasts a potent presence, with three goals and five assists to his name in 2021/22.

Fellow midfielder Callum McGregor will be eyeing his 16th trophy for Celtic, and his first as captain of the club.

With the chances of James Forest and Kyogo Furuhashi being able to prove their fitness in time for kick-off too close to call, Liel Abada and Josip Juranović retain their places, with Mikey Johnston returning from a knock in time to start on the left. He replaces Adam Montgomery, who did not convince in an unfamiliar wide attacking role in Dingwall.

Johnston’s fitness was in doubt but the 22-year-old was pictured in training on Friday, which suggests that he could be fit to play, whether that’s as a starter or a substitute.

In other news: Postecoglou drops teasing Celtic team news before Hibs showdown, fans will be buzzing

Writing for La Gazzetta dello Sport, Italian reporter Carlo Laudisa has made a big Tottenham Hotspur transfer claim involving Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku.

The Lowdown: Paratici eyes striker…

As per The Athletic, it is believed that a new centre-forward is on the agenda at Spurs as transfer chief Fabio Paratici and manager Antonio Conte eye alternatives to Harry Kane.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/spurs-latest-updates-5/” title=”Spurs latest updates!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

The most hotly-linked forward by some distance has been Fiorentina hotshot Dusan Vlahovic with Spurs long credited to swoop for the Serbian.

There have been other names mentioned, like Mauro Icardi previously, but Laudisa has now made an exciting claim involving Premier League star Lukaku.

The Latest: Journalist makes exciting Lukaku claim…

According to the La Gazzetta journalist, the Chelsea forward could ‘decide to follow Conte to Tottenham’ in the summer, with his Stamford Bridge return making him unhappy thus far.

Indeed, amid his unrest at the Blues, it is believed that Spurs have emerged as a possible 2022 destination for the Belgium international.

The Verdict: Big claim…

This piece of news certainly comes as an exciting claim out of Italy, especially considering Lukaku’s obvious pedigree and the fact he has shone under Conte before at Inter.

Indeed, the 28-year-old bagged 47 goals and 13 assists in just two full Serie A seasons during the duo’s time together at the San Siro, and he has continued in that fashion when given the opportunity under Thomas Tuchel.

Managing to score consistently over his limited appearances, the German has called Lukaku ‘world class’ for his contribution at times over 2021/22 despite the recent unease between the pair.

It is clear that Lukaku has ability, but the devil is in the details, with Chelsea arguably unwilling to sell such an impactful, big-name player to a direct rival like Spurs. It is also debatable whether the Lilywhites could afford such a swoop given that Lukaku is valued at around £90m by Transfermarkt and commands a seismic £350,000-per-week pay package.

While Lukaku being linked with Spurs comes as a very interesting development, we believe that a move is less than likely later in the year.

In other news: ‘Absolute no brainer’…Sky Sports pundit thrilled by ‘exciting’ transfer news out of Tottenham, find out more here.

Lionel Messi, Jude Bellingham and Erling Haaland are among the list of nominees for prestigious prizes at the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards.

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Argentine icon took Sportsman of the Year prize in 2023Looking to defend that crown 12 months onSuperstars of sport in the running for several awardsGettyWHAT HAPPENED?

Inter Miami superstar Messi, who has added to his collection of Ballons d’Or and FIFA Best Awards over the course of the last 12 months, is in contention for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year – an honour previously bestowed upon him in 2023.

AdvertisementWHAT HAALAND SAID

Treble-winning Manchester City striker Haaland – who has already been pipped to a Golden Ball and FIFA gong by Argentine icon Messi – is also in the running for the Sportsman award and has said of that nod: "Last year was a very special year for me and the whole team. I couldn’t have scored the number of goals I did without my incredible teammates, the coaches and staff at the club, without them the success would not be possible. I am really proud to be nominated for the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award alongside so many other incredible athletes."

Getty THE BIGGER PICTURE

City – who claimed Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League titles last season – are up for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award, with head coach Pep Guardiola saying: “We are really proud for our club to have been nominated for the Laureus World Team of the Year Award. Of course we are nominated because we won so much last season and the credit must go to all our players and all our staff who worked so hard throughout the season to compete in England and across Europe. It is an honour to be included in such an illustrious list of teams who also achieved success at the elite level of sport last year.”

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DID YOU KNOW?

Elsewhere, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is among the nominees for the Laureus Breakthrough of the Year Award, with the 20-year-old England international – who already has Golden Boy and Kopa Trophy wins to his name – joined on that list by Scottish middle distance runner Josh Kerr, teenage tennis sensation Coco Gauff, Chinese swimmer Qin Haiyang and fellow footballers Linda Caicedo and Salma Paralluelo, who caught the eye at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.

Paul Collingwood led Durham to their fourth consecutive Championship victory with a win over Worcestershire

Les Smith at Chester-le-Street23-Aug-2012
ScorecardDurham have responded superbly under Paul Collingwood’s leadership•Getty Images”First class cricket is tough”, was now Paul Collingwood summed it up after leading Durham to a fourth consecutive County Championship victory this afternoon. “What’s really shone through is that the guys have a lot of character when it does get tough”. What he did not say in quite so many words is that his young charges have ideal role models in himself and his middle order partner Dale Benkenstein.When the pair came together during the eleventh over of Durham’s run chase the innings was looking, to say the least, wobbly. An early burst of three cheap wickets from Alan Richardson had reduced them to 35 for 4, and Collingwood admitted that when he walked to the crease he was “breathing heavily, feeling worried and concerned”.The same would also have been true of Durham’s supporters, but if they sought reassurance they had only to check on the records of the two men who had responsibility to get the job done. Only Ben Stokes had scored more first class runs for the county in 2012 than Benkenstein and Collingwood, and they immediately set about reconstructing the innings.Both went about their business studiously, taking singles when they were there to be had, and rarely failing to take advantage of the loose ball. Benkenstein, who finished on 62, was the more expansive, playing especially attractively through the off side while gathering nine boundaries.Collingwood, who was content to keep pace picking up twos and threes, and once, after straight driving Gareth Andrew, an all run four, finished on 53. They delivered Durham safely to lunch requiring just 30 to win, and knocked them off at a run-a-minute in the afternoon. Their undefeated partnership of 119, the second highest of the match, had occupied 32 trouble-free overs.All this stability formed a contrast with the events of the first half hour of the day. Unsurprisingly, it was Richardson who caused Collingwood his respiratory discomfort as he left the Don Robson pavilion to bat. There is no great mystery about Richardson; he’s just a very accurate and quite nippy bowler. He runs in off ten powerful paces before leaping into the delivery stride and bowling at the off stump. One of his two wickets in Durham’s first innings was lbw, and two of the three he took this morning fell the same way. The third was bowled.Keaton Jennings began the day – Will Smith having been dismissed off the last ball on Wednesday evening – but he only lasted eight balls before Richardson knocked back his middle and off stumps. Stokes only faced three more than Jennings, in that time hitting two rasping fours, before becoming not the first batsman in this match to play across the line and fall lbw. The ball may have been a little high, but then Stokes might have been a little more circumspect so early in his innings.The last of the three to go was Mark Stoneman, who announced himself with an elegantly driven four straight of mid-off from Chris Russell’s bowling, and went on to make 22 before shaping to play Richardson, bowling over the wicket to the left hander, through mid-on. He missed.However, when Moeen Ali came on to bowl his off-breaks shortly before lunch and conceded 15 runs in his second over, the game was up. Benkenstein and Collingwood had broken the back of their task, and took little time to finish it in the afternoon.So Collingwood, whose side had not won in the Championship before he replaced Phil Mustard as captain, has presided on the field over a very narrow defeat at Arundel, which might have been expected to knock the stuffing out of a side already low in confidence, then wins against Middlesex, Surrey, Nottinghamshire last week, and now Worcestershire.Asked to reflect on his experience of the captaincy he said: “I’m absolutely delighted to have taken over. It’s a great challenge at a great stage in my career to do it. I’ve been surprised how much I have enjoyed it.” Then, when invited to look ahead, he added: “I’m not one to go out there and look for it or put my name forward, but if I think I can take a team forward. I’ve got two years left on my contract and I would love to do it for the next two years as long as things go well.”

A round-up of final matches from the ICC World Cricket Leauge Division 5, where Nepal took the title with victory against USA

Cricinfo staff27-Feb-2010Rahul Vishvakarma , the Nepal left-arm spinner, produced an extraordinary display by claiming 7 for 15 as the hosts took the Division 5 trophy with a five-wicket victory against USA at Kirtipur and gained revenge for Friday’s defeat. After the controversial scenes of the previous day, when crowd trouble affected the end of Nepal’s match, the supporters were left much happier by this effort. However, when USA moved to 100 for 1 it wasn’t looking promising for the home side with the second-wicket stand between Orlando Baker and Steve Messiah on 81. The game changed when Baker was run out for 49 before Sanjam Regmi bagged Sushil Nadkarni to leave USA on 141 for 3. Then Vishvakarma began his one-man demolition job as USA lost their last eight wickets for 31 in 12 overs and Nos. 5 to 11 couldn’t reach double figures. Nepal’s chase was aided by 20 wides from the USA bowlers as Mahesh Chhetri and Anil Mandal added 85 for the first wicket. There was a minor wobble for Nepal at 140 for 5, but Gyanendra Malla saw then home with an unbeaten 28.”It’s a great thing for us to have won today as it is our first win as a senior side in a long time,” said Paras Khadka, the Nepal captain. “I think the team worked really hard today and the USA just couldn’t handle Rahul’s aggressive and crafty bowling. It’s wonderful to take home the trophy but after some celebration the focus has to turn to this August in Italy where I hope we can be equally successful.”Bahrain completed a depressing two days for Singapore with a three-wicket victory at Bhaktapur. Singapore missed out on promotion to Division 4 by a tiny difference of net run-rate and that disappointment could well have played a role in their demise to 126. Tahir Dar, who was named Player of the Tournament, took out the lower order with 4 for 29 after miserly display from Adil Hanif, who claimed 2 for 12 in 10 overs, did the early damage. Bahrain struggled, too, early in their chase and at 16 for 3 Singapore were back in the game but Imran Sajjid (34) and Ashraf Yaqoob (32) prevented a full-blown collapse. Still, at 105 for 7 it needed calmness from Dar to knock off the runs as he followed his four wickets with 13 not out as he and Fahad Sadeq completed victory.”It would have been nice to be promoted but to be recognised as the Player-of-the-Tournament is something I’m proud of and shows that I am doing something right within the team and working my hardest,” said Dar.Ryan Driver put in a captain’s performance as Jersey managed a consolation five-wicket victory against Fiji at Lalitpur but it will do little to soften the blow of relegation. Fiji were handsomely placed on 194 for 1, built around a stand of 161 between Josefa Rika (75) and Iniasi Cakacaka (78), but Driver’s four wickets meant they struggled to accelerate late on. Driver then anchored the chase with 78 from 104 balls and when he fell, Peter Gough ensured the chase remained under control with a calm 58 from 57 balls as victory came with five balls to spare.

Newcastle star Joelinton may have put his name in the hat for miss of the season after spurning a gilt-edged chance against Chelsea.

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Newcastle host Chelsea at St James' ParkIsak and Sterling score in first halfJoelinton misses absolute sitter at 1-1Getty WHAT HAPPENED?

Alexander Isak smartly finished past Robert Sanchez in the 13th minute before Raheem Sterling equalised with a brilliant 22-yard free-kick 10 minutes later.

But Newcastle had a glorious chance to re-take the lead, only for Brazilian Joelinton to miss an open goal from inside the six-yard box, as he headed past the post.

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Joelinton somehow missed from yards away.

PeacockGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

This is a big game for both teams but, arguably, for different reasons. Newcastle, who have their sights set on qualifying for the Champions League again next season, are five points off the top four, whereas Chelsea want to establish themselves as a force in the division once more, with the Blues currently a mid-table side still searching for fluency and cohesion. A win for either side would go a long way to helping them achieve their goals.

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WHAT NEXT?

After this match, Newcastle are back in Champions League action on Tuesday against Paris Saint-Germain whereas Chelsea host Brighton in the Premier League next Sunday.

Roma have made some impressive player sales this century!

Roma are one of the most legendary football clubs in Italy.

The club have given rise to some of the greatest footballers in history who achieved legendary status in the game.

We all know of Francesco Totti and Daniele De Rossi.

But, what about Bruno Conti, one of the best players in the world in his prime, or Cafu, who made 163 appearances for Roma over six years!?

Or Alisson and Mohamed Salah, who went on to have great careers at Liverpool!?

While Roma have brought in some great players over the years, they have also sold them at a high price.

Which players form part of Roma's most expensive sales, though?

Let's take a look!

Roma most expensive sales by season

Season

Biggest sale

Fee

Total sales

2022/23

Pau Lopez

€12M/£10.80M

€49.85M/£44.87M

2021/22

Mert Cetin

€7M/£6.30M

€14.02M/£12.62M

2020/21

Patrik Schick

€26.50M/£23.85M

€48M/£43.20M

2019/20

Konstantinos Manolas

€36M/£32.40M

€106.38M/£95.74M

2018/19

Alisson

€62.50M/£56.25M

€150.46M/£135.42M

2017/18

Mohamed Salah

€42M/£37.80M

€155M/£139.50M

2016/17

Adem Ljajic

€9M/£8.10M

€43.43M/£39.09M

2015/16

Miralem Pjanic

€32M/£28.80M

€134.25M/£120.83M

2014/15

Medhi Benatia

€28M/£25.20M

€42.60M/£38.34M

2013/14

Marquinhos

€31.40M/£28.26M

€120.39M/£108.35M

2012/13

Fabio Borini

€13.30M/£11.97M

€21.56M/£19.40M

2011/12

Mirko Vucinic

€15M/£13.50M

€26.13M/£23.51M

2010/11

Alessio Cerci

€4M/£3.60M

€10.65M/£9.59M

2009/10

Alberto Aquilani

€20M/£18M

€22.08M/£19.87M

2008/09

Mancini

€13M/£11.70M

€18M/£16.20M

2007/08

Cristian Chivu

€16M/£14.40M

€22.92M/£20.62M

2006/07

Mido

€6.75M/£6.08M

€19.62M/£17.65M

2005/06

Antonio Cassano

€5.50M/£4.95M

€6.60M/£5.94M

2004/05

Emerson

€28M/£25.20M

€61.40M/£55.26M

2003/04

None

Nil

Nil

2002/03

Marcos Assuncao

€7M/£6.30M

€13.95M/£12.56M

2001/02

Hidetoshi Nakata

€28.40M/£25.56M

€58.63M/£52.76M

2000/01

Vagner

€5M/£4.50M

€8.36M/£7.52M

TOTAL

€1.15B/£1.04B

*All figures are taken from Transfermarkt unless stated otherwise.

Roma top 10 most expensive player salesGetty Images10Medhi Benatia | €28 million/£25.20 million | Bayern Munich | 2014

Moroccan legend Medhi Benatia started his senior club football journey in 2005 after graduating from Marseille's academy.

After loan spells at Tours and Lorient, he joined Ligue 2 club Clermont in 2008.

In 2010, Udinese came calling, signing him for free.

Three seasons and 80 appearances later, Benatia moved to Roma in a €13.50 million move.

However, after just one season in Rome, Bayern Munich came calling, signing him for €28m.

After 29 appearances for Bayern over two seasons, he was loaned to Juventus, who made his move permanent for €16.70m in 2017.

He left Juventus in 2019 before moving to Al-Duhail in Qatar. In the summer of 2021, Benatia moved to Turkish club Fatih Karagumruk before retiring from professional football in December 2021.

AdvertisementGetty9Hidetoshi Nakata | €28.40 million/£25.56 million | Parma | 2001

After the 1998 World Cup in France, Nakata moved to Italy, signing with Perugia for €3.50 million.

In January 2000, after making 48 appearances for Perugia, AS Roma came calling, signing him for €21.69m.

Nakata played a crucial role in helping Roma win the Scudetto in his one season with the club.

His best performance for Roma came on May 6, 2001 against Juventus. After replacing Francesco Totti in the second half with Roma trailing 2-0, Nakata first scored a 30-yard thunderbolt past Edwin van der Sar before helping Roma score the equaliser with another fierce strike which was parried by the Dutch goalkeeper in the parth of Vincenzo Montella, who scored for Roma in the last minute.

The Japanese midfielder moved to Parma in the summer of 2001, for €28.40m.

Erik Lamela Roma8Erik Lamela | €30 million/£27 million | Tottenham | 2013

After spending two years as a youngster at River Plate's academy in Argentina, Erik Lamela made a move to Europe with Roma for €17 million.

In two seasons with Roma, Lamela made 62 appearances, scoring 19 goals before Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur came calling.

The Argentine winger was sold to the North London club for €30m in the summer of 2013.

After eight years with Spurs, Lamela moved to Sevilla as a free agent in July 2021.

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Getty Images7Marquinhos | €31.40 million/£28.26 million | PSG | 2013

Product of the famous Corinthians academy in Brazil, Marquinhos made a move to Serie A with Roma in 2012 on a season-long loan, making 16 appearances.

Roma chose to sign him for €5.70 million in January 2013.

After making just 10 appearances for the Italian club, he was shipped to PSG in July 2013 for €31.40m, at a massive profit.

Many players try to play like Lionel Messi but few come anywhere close – That doesn't stop pundits from comparing their stars to the icon, though!

GettyBarcelona's new Messi: Bojan KrkicBest known to English football fans thanks to his goals for Stoke City, Bojan Krkic broke Lionel Messi's record for Barcelona's youngest debutant in 2007, earning him instant comparisons to the Argentine forward. He played over 100 La Liga games for Barca before moving on to Roma, AC Milan, Ajax and Stoke. In 2018, he revealed that the "new Messi" nickname held him back and that he rejected a chance to go to Euro 2008 with Spain because of anxiety issues.AdvertisementGettyCatalan Messi: Gerard DeulofeuAny player who comes up through the Barcelona academy is always going to be in the shadow of Messi. Gerard Deulofeu was given the nickname the "Catalan Messi" as he broke through during his teenage years. Now at Watford, the Spain international was sold by Barca to Everton in 2015 but actually returned to his hometown club in 2017 when they exercised a buy-back option in his contract. He teamed up with Messi, playing 23 times before being loaned out and then sold back to England.Getty ImagesCroatian Messi: Alen HalilovicNot all the new Messis get to follow in the original Messi's footsteps, but the 'Croatian Messi' arrived at Camp Nou in 2014 to sign for Barcelona from Dinamo Zagreb, where he had rose to fame. The youngest ever player to play for Zagreb at 16 years and 101 days, he also became the youngest player to play for Croatia in 2013. Unfortunately, his only first team involvement at Barcelona was less than half an hour in a cup game and he was sold to Hamburg in 2016. Now on the books at AC Milan, the 22-year-old joined Standard Liege on loan in January with the Belgian club having an option to buy him this summer.ENJOYED THIS STORY?

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Getty ImagesEgyptian Messi: Mohamed SalahMohamed Salah was named the 'Egyptian Messi' due to his amazing left foot, but by now he has moved on from the nickname to be regarded as one of the best players in the world. He finished sixth in the 2018 Ballon d'Or voting, just one place below Messi, having helped Liverpool reach the Champions League final and bringing Egypt to the World Cup. Still just 26, he followed up an exellent 2017-18 season with Liverpool by scoring over 20 league goals again in 2018-19 with the Reds again reaching the last four in Europe.