All posts by h716a5.icu

Chris Taylor will take Gloucestershire to an employment tribunal after failing to agree a new contract with the county. The deal was dependent on the county’s ground development plans being granted but they were rejected in January

Alex Winter07-Feb-2012Chris Taylor will take Gloucestershire to an employment tribunal after failing to agree a new contract with the county. The deal was dependent on the county’s ground development plans being granted but they were rejected in January.Taylor, a batsman and part-time offspinner at Gloucestershire for 12 years, will claim unfair dismissal. The county confirmed the matter will go to litigation.He is the second player to leave Nevil Road because of financial uncertainty surrounding Gloucestershire’s ground development. Quick-bowler Jon Lewis left for Surrey at the end of last season after failing to agree a new contract, ending 16 years at Gloucestershire.Hamish Marshall, the former New Zealand batsman, was also offered a renegotiated deal for 2012 but his deal was not dependent on the outcome of the planning application.Taylor, 35, made his Gloucestershire debut in 2000 and became the first player to score a hundred at Lord’s in their maiden first-class match. He was also the first Gloucestershire player to score a hundred on debut. A year later he made his record first-class score, 196 against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge, a mark he equalled last season against Kent at Cheltenham.He was Gloucestershire’s leading run-scorer in 2011, making 1,139 runs at 40.67, as the county finished fourth in County Championship Division Two.Taylor was part of the golden era where Gloucestershire won seven one-day trophies in five seasons between 1999 and 2004 and captained the County Championship side in 2004 and 2005. He was awarded a benefit year in 2009 and built a reputation as one of the best fielders in county cricket and is currently the England Lions’ fielding coach.”We agreed and signed a conditional contract with Chris dependent on our ground development going ahead,” said Gloucestershire chief executive Tom Richardson. “Unfortunately, the planning permission we sought was turned down and therefore we have not been able to complete this agreement. We would like to thank Chris very much for his years of service and wish him all the best for the future.”The rejection of planning permission for Nevil Road cast doubt over Gloucestershire’s future with a move away from Bristol a possibility. But they have been able to sign batsman Dan Housego from Middlesex.

Sam Loxton, one of the last remaining members of Australia’s 1948 Invincibles, has died at the age of 90

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2011Sam Loxton, one of the last remaining members of Australia’s 1948 Invincibles, has died at the age of 90. Loxton passed away overnight in Queensland, leaving Neil Harvey and Arthur Morris as the only surviving members of Don Bradman’s great 1948 side that toured England without losing a match.Prior to his death, Loxton was Australia’s oldest living Test cricketer, after another Invincible, Ron Hamence, died last year at the age of 94. An allrounder who played 12 Tests, Loxton had a fine first-class record but missed out on greater opportunities at international level due to the presence of the great allrounder Keith Miller.He scored a Test century in Johannesburg but it was as a member of the 1948 squad that he was best remembered, especially for his batting in Leeds, where his 93 in the first innings helped keep Australia in touch before Bradman and Arthur Morris chased down 404 in the second innings. In 22 first-class games on the tour, Loxton averaged 57.23 with the bat and 21.71 with the ball.”It was a magnificent side, not only the ability of the players, but the fact that with the exception of Neil Harvey, who was only a baby, the rest of the fellows in one way or another had served in the war,” Loxton, who served in a tank division, said in the book . “Some in actual theatres, like Miller in the air force and Lindsay [Hassett] in the desert, and so forth. There was a tremendous bond and there was a tremendous desire to play the game. It was breaking new ground.”When we finally got on the ship, I think we had the one and only team meeting of the tour… [Bradman] gathered us all together and put on a little tea and nuts and a few drinks and so forth and just spelled it out. I mean, he never mentioned the opposition. Nor really did he mention the task ahead, he just said that he hoped that we would all enjoy the tour and that success would come from within. There would be outside influences of course, the press and so forth, but that if we all played as a united team then success was sure to come. And it did, it did.”Being away for eight months we were paid 600 pounds, but quite frankly the tour was such a joy that I think if they’d paid the rent at home and given us a few bob for a few drinks we would have gone over there for nothing.”Loxton and Harvey became firm friends, the elder man often acting as an intermediary between the teenager and Bradman during the tour. Loxton also enjoyed a close relationship with Bradman, permitted to refer to the greatest batsman of all by such familiar terms as his middle name “George” or sometimes “the little bloke”.A middle-order batsman renowned for his hard hitting, Loxton took the same aggression to the bowling crease and collected 232 wickets in his first-class career. He captained Victoria in his final two seasons of first-class cricket, until his retirement after the 1957-58 season, but he stayed involved in the game in his later years.He served as Australia’s team manager for the 1959-60 tour of the subcontinent and was a national selector for a decade during the 1970s and 80s. Choosing teams alongside Bradman and Harvey, Loxton was involved in decisions such as the sacking of Bill Lawry during the 1970-71 Ashes series and also the selection of Dennis Lillee, who Bradman had not seen bowl, for his debut that same summer.His cricket administration career ended after the 1981 underarm delivery at the MCG when, visibly upset, he told Greg Chappell: “Greg, you might have won the match but you’ve lost a lot of friends.””I left the ground and drove back to Red Hill, on the Mornington Peninsula, where I lived,” Loxton said. “I was teary all the way. I wasn’t proud. It was a very sad occasion.”A true allrounder away from the game, Loxton also played 41 games in the VFL for St Kilda as a full-forward, finishing second in the club’s best-and-fairest in 1944 and once kicking eight goals in a game. One of his team-mates in that St Kilda side was Miller, who might have outshone Loxton as a cricketer but was on a more level pegging with him as a footballer.Loxton also served as a member of the Victorian parliament, holding the seat of Prahran for the Liberal Party from 1955 to 1979.In 2000, he was devastated at the death of his wife Jo and on the same day the passing of his son, who was taken by a shark in Fiji. Loxton lived alone on the Gold Coast after the death of his wife, and he continued to attend Test cricket and past-player functions, although in more recent years his eyesight had failed significantly.

Mohsin Khan will continue as interim coach of Pakistan for the series against England next month, Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman, has said

Umar Farooq19-Dec-2011Mohsin Khan will continue as interim coach of Pakistan for the series against England next month, Zaka Ashraf, the PCB chairman has said. The decision to continue with Mohsin, who is also the head of selectors, has been made because the PCB is yet to identify and hire a full-time coach.”The current coaching team will continue to work for the England series as well,” Ashraf said. “We have yet to take a decision on the appointment of the new coaching staff. It is not my call to name a coach as I have appointed an expert team of former Test cricketers to decide. I have told them to find the best candidate.”The England series will be Mohsin’s third assignment as national coach. He was first appointed interim coach after Waqar Younis stepped down citing medical reasons in August.The PCB had been expected to name their new coach following the Bangladesh series. Ashraf did not provide a reason for the delay. The search committee was formed in late August to find Waqar’s successor and though it arrived at a shortlist of five candidates a month later, no full-time coach has yet been appointed. The committee was constituted by the previous PCB chairman Ijaz Butt but the process was delayed as Butt completed his three-year tenure and was replaced by Ashraf in October.England will play three Tests, four one-day internationals and three Twenty20s on their two-month tour of the UAE.

Michael Lumb’s move from Hampshire to Nottinghamshire has been confirmed after the signing of a three-year deal at Trent Bridge

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Aug-2011Michael Lumb’s move from Hampshire to Nottinghamshire has been confirmed after the signing of a three-year deal at Trent Bridge.Lumb, who was part of England’s World Twenty20 winning team, will miss the rest of this season with injury but already has Twenty20 deals lined up with Sydney Sixers in Australia’s Big Bash and the Deccan Chargers at the IPL before joining his new county.”We’re delighted that Michael has agreed to join us and the meetings that we’ve had with him have been very constructive in terms of our respective ambitions and the role he sees himself playing in fulfilling them,” said Mick Newell, Nottinghamshire’s director of cricket. “We have been in the market for a proven batsman and we believe that he has the pedigree and the drive to improve our standing in all formats.”Lumb was recalled to England’s Twenty20 side to face Sri Lanka earlier this season has gained the reputation of a specialist in the shortest format.”I’ve enjoyed five great seasons with Hampshire and it has been a real pleasure to have won two limited-overs trophies,” he said. “However, I feel that now is the right time to make a fresh start at a new club and I’m pleased to be offered the opportunity to play for Nottinghamshire. It’s a challenge and one I’m looking forward to.”

Former Scotland striker Frank McAvennie has warned Newcastle United against making a move for Manchester United attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard this summer. 

The lowdown: Newcastle interest in Lingard

This comes after the Magpies were linked with a move for the 29-year-old amidst interest from West Ham United, where the former England regular enjoyed a magnificent revival whilst on loan last season.

Lingard directly contributed to 14 goals in just 16 Premier League outings for the Hammers in 2021 before returning to a bit-part role at Old Trafford, starting just twice in the current league campaign.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/newcastle-news-6/” title=”Newcastle news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

With his Red Devils contract now set to expire amid a low-key exit from his boyhood club, the Toon have been advised to steer clear of Lingard…

The latest: McAvennie slams Lingard

Speaking to Football Insider, McAvennie suggested that the 32-cap England midfielder’s apparent lack of ambition this season should be enough evidence for Eddie Howe to avoid making a move for him.

The 62-year-old explained his scepticism of Lingard by saying: “He’s a talent but if he’s going to Newcastle he’s going for the money.

“He’s just sat about this season. I don’t get it. He had the chance to go last summer? Why didn’t he take it?

“He’s lost his England place. The way he has handled himself doesn’t sit right with me. If I didn’t play I was devastated. Lingard doesn’t seem bothered at all.

“I’m afraid I don’t think this would be a good move. He had the chance to leave Man United and decided he would stay there. He’s just stayed on the bench, I can’t get that round my head. He was never going to get a game at Man United.”

The verdict: Worth the risk

Whilst McAvennie’s points are all salient ones, Lingard has already proven that he is capable of rekindling a stuttering career once before, and Howe would almost certainly back his managerial ability to get the best out of the versatile 29-year-old.

This season, the £18m-valued ace has scored twice and provided one assist in 22 appearances across all competitions under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick in what has been a disjointed 2021/22 season for the club. and indeed the man hailed as possessing a ‘unique’ skill set by former Red Devils team-mate Michael Carrick.

Despite another disappointing campaign, Lingard’s experience of 232 appearances at Manchester United and a stylistic likeness with high-quality players such as Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard and Napoli’s Piotr Zieliński (FBRef) would make him a superb capture for Newcastle as a free agent.

In other news, talkSPORT man admits ‘concern’ over Newcastle star

Derbyshire’s lower order defied the Essex attack to give their side the edge on day two of their County Championship match at Derby

11-May-2011
Scorecard
Derbyshire’s lower order defied the Essex attack to give their side the edge on day two of their County Championship match at Derby. David Masters had reduced the hosts to 123 for 5, still 56 runs behind, but spirited batting from Greg Smith, Dan Redfern and skipper Luke Sutton earned Derbyshire a first-innings lead of 109.Smith’s 35 from 41 balls was backed up by Redfern’s 34 and Sutton’s 43 as the last five wickets added 165 to lift Derbyshire to 288. Essex had to face an awkward 10 overs before the close but Alastair Cook and Jaik Mickleburgh survived to reach 24 at stumps – 85 runs adrift.They would have fancied their chances of earning a slender advantage when Masters, who finished with five for 71, struck twice after rain had held up play, but he lacked support. Masters removed nightwatchman Tony Palladino and Wes Durston in the space of three balls to reduce Derbyshire to 76 for 4, but South Africa pace bowler Lonwabo Tsotsobe again struggled.He failed to find a consistent line and also bowled eight no-balls in a total of 52 extras which was the highest score in the home side’s innings. He did end opener Wayne Madsen’s patient innings of 51 and must have been close to getting Smith leg before wicket first ball, but there were too many loose deliveries from an international bowler.Masters was easily the pick of the bowling and, after trapping his former team mate Palladino lbw, he had Durston caught at second slip for a duck. Madsen and Redfern occupied the crease for 16 overs until Tsotsobe thudded a full-length ball into Madsen’s front pad to have the opener trapped lbw for 51 from 132 balls.But Smith’s counter-attack seized the initiative and, although Derbyshire were still four runs behind when Tim Phillips beat his forward push, Sutton and Azeem Rafiq added to the visitors’ frustration.Their partnership of 55 in 16 overs meant Derbyshire’s lead was already significant in a low-scoring contest and, although Sutton’s 81-ball innings ended when he drove at a wide one from Ravi Bopara, Rafiq and Tim Groenewald added another 27 runs.Essex were left with a testing session to negotiate and Mickleburgh had a scare when he survived a big shout for a catch behind off the first ball of the innings but he and Cook dug in to deny Derbyshire a successful end to a good day.

A round-up of the first match day of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Jun-2011A solid all-round performance by Faisalabad Wolves helped them ease past Multan Tigers by 69 runs in the first game of the Faysal Bank Super Eight T20 Cup at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.Multan began well after choosing to bowl, removing Mohammad Hafeez for a duck. Faisalabad’s No. 3 batsman Asif Ali counterattacked, putting on century and half-century stands with Asif Hussain and Misbah-ul-Haq on his way to a 59-ball hundred. Asif Ali’s knock included seven sixes, and ensured Multan needed to chase 200.Quick cameos from Multan’s top order kept them in the game in the first half of the chase. Hafeez struck twice, removing Zeeshan Ashraf and Naved Yasin in consecutive overs, to begin a slide. Left-arm spinner Hasan Mahmood polished off the middle and lower order with figures of 5 for 23, as Multan lost their last seven wickets for 46 runs.

Tight spells from seamer Tariq Haroon and offspinner Haaris Ayaz helped Karachi Dolphins defend a middling total against Rawalpindi Rams in the second game, played at the same ground. Chasing 146, Rawalpindi lost a couple of early wickets to fast bowler Tanvir Ahmed and never quite recovered. Haroon struck twice, on either side of a run-out, and by the eighth over Rawalpindi were five down. Umar Amin stayed firm and ended up with 54 not out, but Rawalpindi were never abreast of the required-rate and were eventually bowled out. The Karachi spinners wrapped up the rest of the wickets, with Ayaz taking 2 for 15 and left-arm spinner Azam Hussain taking three.Having chosen to bat, Karachi were given a quick start by Shahzaib Hasan, who scored 35 off 28 and Rameez Raja (2), who got 29 off 20. Wickets fell in the middle overs and Karachi were not able to make a final push; only 23 runs came off the last four overs. But the total of 145 proved enough in the end.

ESPNcricinfo previews the third Test between Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Sharjah

The Preview by Nitin Sundar02-Nov-2011Match FactsPakistan v Sri Lanka, November 3-7, Sharjah
Start time 1000 (0600 GMT)Umar Gul and Junaid Khan have made sure there has been no dip in the skill levels of Pakistan’s new-ball operators, despite the loss of the Mohammads Asif and Amir•AFPBig PictureTwo days after the Southwark Crown Court’s landmark verdict in the spot-fixing investigation, Pakistan’s players will have to forget about their former team-mates and focus on five days of hard Test cricket. They play at a venue favoured by their predecessors but much has changed since those heady days of the 1980s. In 2001 the Indian government banned the national side from playing there but Pakistan’s exile as a cricketing venue has given the Emirates a fresh lease of life in recent years, and Sharjah is set to host its first Test in nine years, and fifth overall.The Pakistan side that takes guard on Thursday will also be unrecognisable from the flashy crowd-pullers that used to grace this venue back in the day. More tellingly, they have little in common with the outfit that sizzled with the ball and floundered with the bat in England last summer. The last time Pakistan lined up for Test cricket in Sharjah, they were handed two ruthless hammerings by Australia, including the ignominy of being bowled out for 59 and 53 in the same match. Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan and Taufeeq Umar were a part of that series in 2002, and each of them would disappear into Pakistan’s fringes before re-emerging, stronger than ever. The trio lends the Pakistan line-up a look of steel that was last seen when Inzamam-ul-Haq was still playing. The bowling line-up has lost the Mohammads Asif and Amir but Junaid Khan has already replicated their ability to hoop the ball each way – that too under an unrelenting sun and on unresponsive tracks.While Pakistan have blended their innate flair with discipline to take a 1-0 lead, their opponents continue to regress inexplicably. Muttiah Muralitharan’s absence has left the bowling hamstrung, but that is only one half of the story. The lack of bowling nous has put Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene under such intense pressure that it has affected their productivity with the bat. The captain, Tillakaratne Dilshan, is going through a horror run of form as well – he has scored 177 runs in his last nine outings, 83 of those coming in one innings against Australia. A turnaround in his personal fortunes will help his team get back on track.There’s plenty riding on this match for Pakistan. A 2-0 series scoreline will take them ahead of Sri Lanka to fifth in the ICC Test table, and within touching distance of Australia. That’s not too bad for a side that plays all its games away from home, in the absence of a bunch of potential first-choice players who are either ignored, banned, or facing jail terms.Form guide (completed games, most recent first)Sri Lanka: LDDDL
Pakistan: WDWWL
In the spotlightSri Lanka’s batsmen are accomplished players of spin, and most of them have had the fortune of honing their skills against Muttiah Muralitharan in the nets. Saeed Ajmal posed a different style and trajectory to Murali, and worked his way to 11 wickets in the first two Tests. Sri Lanka would have done their homework in the interim, and will have plans for him in Sharjah. Can Ajmal still manage to slip his doosras through their defences?Mahela Jayawardene seldom lets a full series go without a hundred. So far in the series, Ajmal has out-thought him twice, while the seamers have got him nicking into the cordon twice. Jayawardene is too good to repeat such errors, and Pakistan should be on high alert when he walks out to bat in the decider.Team newsPlaying two spinners in a four-man attack worked well for Pakistan in Dubai, and the indications are that they will stick to the same combination.Pakistan (likely): 1 Mohammad Hafeez, 2 Taufeeq Umar, 3 Azhar Ali, 4 Younis Khan, 5 Misbah-ul-Haq (capt), 6 Asad Shafiq, 7 Adnan Akmal (wk), 8 Umar Gul, 9 Abdur Rehman, 10 Saeed Ajmal, 11 Junaid KhanSri Lanka are mulling the possibility of benching Lahiru Thirimanne and promoting Dilshan back to the opener’s slot. Seamer Kosala Kulasekara’s name is also doing the rounds, as Sri Lanka seek to make their attack more incisive.Sri Lanka (likely): 1 Tharanga Paranavitana, 2 Tillakaratne Dilshan (capt), 3 Kumar Sangakkara, 4 Mahela Jayawardene, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Kaushal Silva (wk), 7 and 8 Two of Dhammika Prasad / Suraj Randiv / Kosala Kulasekara, 9 Rangana Herath, 10 Chanaka Welegedera, 11 Suranga LakmalPitch and conditionsMaximum temperatures of about 31 degrees will provide the teams with welcome respite, though the humidity will continue to sap them. The Intercontinental Cup fixture hosted here between Afghanistan and UAE unfolded in classic Test-match style, with batting getting progressively difficult, as the visitors held on grimly for a draw on the final day. The one-dayers that followed were also low-scoring affairs, with spinners dominating the proceedings.Dilshan noted the presence of a grassy cover on the strip, but it remains to be seen if the grass makes it to the match morning. Misbah expected it to be a “normal Sharjah pitch” that will assist the batsmen.Stats & Trivia Mahela Jayawardene is 105 runs away from becoming the ninth batsman and the first ever Sri Lankan to score 10,000 runs Kumar Sangakkara is eleventh in the all-time list, and 28 runs away from reaching the 9000-run mark Misbah-ul-Haq has led Pakistan in five Test series including the current one, none of which they have lostQuotes”We know which areas we have to improve on, and if we play our brand of cricket then it gives us a good chance to level the series. I am not feeling any pressure but I am worried about my batting. I have worked hard and have confidence that I can come out and score big.”

“Sri Lanka are a very good side and they are fighters so we are ready for it but our focus is to do the basics well and play like we have done in the last year and a half.”

Round-up of the fourth day of the third round of the Ranji Trophy Plate League

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Nov-2010Group ALeft-arm spinner Shadab Jakati was the wrecker-in-chief as Goa beat Jharkhand by an innings and 127 runs in Porvorim. Jakati made the initial breakthrough, bowling Manish Vardhan for 23 after the openers had added 46. Amit Yadav chipped in with two of the next three wickets, while India batsman Saurabh Tiwary failed for the second time in the match, falling to Robin D’Souza for 12. Jakati then sliced through the middle and lower order to finish with 6 for 55, which along with his 4 for 77 from the first innings, gave him his second career ten-wicket haul. Goa now have 8 points, one behind joint-group leaders Rajasthan, Hyderabad and Madhya Pradesh.Rajasthan and Madhya Pradhesh played out a high-scoring draw at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur. The highlight of MP’s innings of 419 for 5 was a 201-run partnership between Devendra Bundela and Abbas Ali for the fourth wicket. Bundela ended the day unbeaten on 106, while Ali was bowled by Madhur Khatri for 115. Opener Jalaj Saxena narrowly missed out on giving the visitors a third centurion, falling to Deepak Chahar for a well made 96 that included 19 fours. Chahar finished with 1 for 136 from 31 overs. No points were awarded in the game as neither side were able to establish a first-innings lead (MP were not bowled out). The result means Hyderabad joins them at the top of the table having beaten Tripura yesterday.Group BOpener Amit Deshpande, who batted for six hours to make 68, and no. 8 Ravi Jangid, who made an unbeaten 28 from 309 balls, giving him a strike rate of 17.07, enabled Vidarbha to cling on for the unlikeliest of draws against Kerala in Malappuram. When the visitors had slumped to 49 for 6, with four of the top seven batsmen failing to score, a crushing defeat seemed the only possible outcome. Deshpande and Jangid, however, defied the bowlers for the next 51.2 overs, adding 83 runs in the process. By the time Sony Cheruvathur trapped Deshpande leg before, Vidarbha only needed to survive a further seven overs. They lost Azhar Sheikh, caught behind off Prasanth Parameswaran in the next over to set the nerves jangling again, but Shrikant Wagh stuck it out alongside Jangid to foil Kerala’s bid to pick up their first win of the season.Services picked up their first win of the season, thumping Jammu & Kashmir by an innings and 127 runs at the Harbax Singh Stadium in Delhi. Resuming on their overnight score of 57 for 2, the visitors soon lost Asif Jeelani, leg before to Suraj Yadav, for 18, before a triple-strike left them reeling at 77 for 6. First, Nishan Singh trapped Dhruv Mahajan (1) in front in the 36th over. In the next over, Majid Dhar was run out without scoring by Soomik Chatarjee, and then Nishan returned to bowl Samiullah Beigh for a duck. No. 10 Raman Dutta threw his bat around to make 49 from 38, with seven fours, and added 58 with Hardeep Singh to prolong the innings. Hardeep was eventually run out by Tahir Khan for 40, and Arnav Kush wrapped up the game when he had Dutta caught one short of his half-century. Services moved up to third in the points table, trailing Maharashtra and Kerala.Satyakumar Verma’s highest first-class score helped Andhra Pradesh pick up three points for taking a first-innings lead over Maharashtra in Vishakapatnam. Verma batted for seven hours to make 117, adding 235 with opener Hemal Watekar, who was unlucky to miss out on a hundred of his own, falling to Samad Fallah two runs short of the landmark after facing 330 balls and batting for seven hours and 39 minutes. Shrikant Mundhe took 5 for 74 for the visitors, but it wasn’t enough to prevent AP from compiling 380 for 7, 12 more than Maharashtra managed in their first innings.

Mohamed Salah wants more top players to join Liverpool in order to stay put at the club this summer, according to former Celtic striker Frank McAvennie, after he heard a recent claim from the forward.

The Lowdown: Salah’s future still unknown

The 29-year-old’s future has been one of football’s biggest talking points recently, with the Reds superstar seemingly no closer to signing a new deal.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-liverpool-transfer-news-29/” title=”Latest Liverpool transfer news!” poster=”” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

Salah has matured into arguably the world’s best player this season, tallying up a remarkable goal haul and getting into double-figures in terms of Premier League assists.

His current contract runs out at the end of the 2022/23 campaign, however, meaning there is a risk that they lose him for free next summer or he looks to leave before then.

The Latest: McAvennie reacts to Salah claim…

Speaking to Football Insider, reacting to the Egypt international’s recent message that it’s not all about the money when speaking on his contract, McAvennie claimed that Salah wants Liverpool to show ambition in the transfer market in order to stay:

“If it’s not money, then, my god, what is it? Maybe he wants a sign that more big signings are coming in to help Liverpool challenge.

“But they signed Diaz in January and by all accounts, he is brilliant, Jota too. Liverpool have one of the best squads in the world. The defence is ridiculous.

“Maybe Salah just wants to know they aren’t going to fall behind Man City and really, Liverpool should be making these signings anyway.

“Man City will spend and to keep up with them, Liverpool will have to spend. You just hope something can be agreed with Salah because he is unbelievable.”

The Verdict: A matter of time?

There is undoubted truth in McAvennie’s remarks – Salah is a born winner with high standards – but in fairness to Liverpool, they are already providing him with top-class teammates.

Luis Diaz’s arrival from Porto in January is proof of that and it seems highly likely that yet more renowned players will head to Anfield in the summer window.

We still feel as though Salah will end up signing a new contract but it would be handy if it could be sorted sooner rather than later, due to it acting as a distraction to Liverpool’s quadruple charge. The thought of him leaving is a grim one, considering the legendary Reds career he has forged.

In other news, Liverpool have been linked with a shock move for one player. Find out who it is here.