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The BCCI said its members have cited “practical difficulties” as the reason for not implementing all the recommendations of the Lodha Committee

Raunak Kapoor and Nagraj Gollapudi15-Oct-2016

At the conclusion of an emergency meeting in Delhi on Sunday, the BCCI said its members have cited “practical difficulties” as the reason for not implementing all the recommendations of the Lodha Committee.The top brass of the BCCI as well as heads of various state associations said nothing had changed in their stance since the special general meeting on October 1. At the SGM, the BCCI had decided to selectively adopt the Lodha Committee recommendations, thus defaulting on the Supreme Court order from July 18, which had mandated the board to adopt all the reforms.A prominent BCCI office bearer said that its senior lawyer Kapil Sibal would, at the next hearing on October 17, argue that without a two-third majority the board could not enforce a diktat on its members to adopt the reforms. During the hearings last week, a three-judge bench of the Supreme Court had asked the BCCI to “unconditionally” accept the reforms and not “precipitate” the matter. The board’s emergency meeting in Delhi was a reaction to this, and was attended by all of its Full Members.”Our lawyers will put forward all our reservations and practical difficulties concerning implementing certain recommendations one by one on Monday,” the senior office bearer said. “We are confident that the court will allow us to present our arguments, after which we will decide the future course of action.”This office bearer also said BCCI president Anurag Thakur would file the personal affidavit that the court had asked of him on Monday. Thakur was asked to clarify whether he had sought ICC intervention against the implementation of the Lodha Committee’s recommendations, as ICC chief executive David Richardson had said last month.The BCCI’s emergency meeting on Sunday was about finding clarity regarding their next course of action. Both the board and its state associations need a two-third majority to pass any resolution.”The meeting was convened by BCCI to be more transparent and offer more clarity. We already had taken a stance at the SGM recently to stay together and today it was the case of just taking that forward,” a secretary of a West Zone state association said.The members also supported the board’s stance of taking the court on. “Why is the Supreme Court bothered about such a successful organisation like BCCI. It has been good to so many people, has developed such a successful product. It is not the court’s area,” the secretary of the state association said.In an attempt to up the ante, the court passed an interim order on October 7 stating the BCCI stop all funds to the state associations until they submit a resolution in writing to the court and the Lodha Committee about adopting all the reforms in toto.

تحدث محمد أبو الوفا عضو مجلس إدارة الاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم عن الشرط الجزائي في فسخ تعاقد روي فيتوريا، وحقيقة وجود ثغرة في تعثر خطوة الدفع.

وقال أبو الوفا في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “الشمس”لا أسميها ثغرة، ولكن هو بند في العقد قد يتسبب في مسائلة اتحاد الكرة حال صرف الشرط الجزائي”.

وأضاف: “سنتأكد من عدم وجود مسائلة قانونية حال دفع الشرط الجزائي، وحينذاك سندفع لا نريد أزمات مستقبلية ولا نريد أن تكون لنا صورة سيئة لدى أحد، ولا نريد ألا مصلحة اتحاد الكرة”. 

خاص | اتحاد الكرة يبحث عن ثغرة قانونية لعدم دفع الشرط الجزائي لـ فيتوريا

وأكد: “لم يصل اتحاد الكرة حتى اليوم أي شكاوي من فيفا بشأن فيتوريا”.

وواصل: “مستحقات فيتوريا حوالي 450 ألف يورو وهذا المبلغ غير متوفر حاليًا، وسيتم التفاوض على طريقة الدفع”.

واستكمل: “اجتماع اتحاد يتم تسريبه وتحريفه، ومن يسرب اجتماعات اتحاد الكرة خائن ولا يستحق التواجد معنا، لا يصح تسريب ما يقال في غرف مغلقة تناقش أمور تخص الدولة”.

وتابع متحدثًا عن تعيين حسام حسن مديرًا فنيًا لمنتخب مصر: “كان هناك اتجاه داخل اتحاد الكرة أن يكون المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر، بعد رحيل فيتوريا، مصري.. وأن يكون حسام حسن هو المدرب”.

واستطرد: “جميعنا يساند حسام حسن، ومعسكراته ستكون في موعدها وسنجلب له (لبن العصفور) إذا طلبه، اي شيء سيطلبه حسام سننفذه مثلما كنا نفعل مع من سبق”.

واستأنف: “سيكون هناك اشراف على منتخب مصر قد يكون جمال علام، ولما لا حازم إمام؟ هو نجم مصر وزامل حسام حسن، المشرف هو حلقة وصل بين الجهاز الفني ومجلس إدارة اتحاد الكرة”.

وأتم: “اتحاد الكرة يعاني من أزمة مالية طاحنة ونسعى لحل هذه الأزمة”.

Three-wicket hauls from Tymal Mills and Mohammad Nabi were not enough for hosts Chittagong Kings to halt Dhaka Dynamites

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsMohammad Shahid took three wickets in nine balls•BCB

Fast bowler Mohammad Shahid claimed 3 for 23 to help Dhaka Dynamites defend 148 against hosts Chittagong Vikings and secure their third consecutive victory in BPL 2016-17. The result meant Dhaka stayed on top of the table with eight points from five matches.Having been sent in, Dhaka got off to a blistering start thanks to Mehedi Maruf, who hit 33 off 20 balls, including six fours and one six. In the process, Maruf went past Shahriar Nafees as the top-scorer in this season’s BPL. His knock ended when he was pinned lbw by offspinning allrounder Mohammad Nabi in the fifth over.Tymal Mills, the fast bowler from England, then removed Nasir Hossain and Kumar Sangakkara in the tenth over to reduce Dhaka to 73 for 3. This came after a dramatic ninth over by left-arm spinner Saqlain Sajib . Nasir survived a caught-behind chance off the second ball of the over, despite getting an inside edge, which ricocheted off the thigh pad to Anamul Haque, the wicketkeeper. Saqlain responded by stopping halfway in his bowling stride to disturb Nasir’s concentration, only for the batsman to return the favour the next time he looked to bowl.Mills then bowled Nasir for 20 in the next over. The wicket gave way to a collapse: Dhaka lost 4 for 28 in 3.1 overs. Mosaddek Hossain then gave the innings a boost with the lower order, taking his side to 148. He top-scored with 35 off 26 balls, including two fours and two sixes. Mills and Nabi finished with three wickets each for Chittagong.In reply, Chittagong lost opener Jahurul Islam for 6 in the third over. The other opener – Tamim Iqbal – hung on for 26 off 35 balls before falling to Dwayne Bravo. Anamul and Mahmudul Hasan also reached double-figures, but failed to press on. Shahid then went on to rip through the lower-middle order, collecting three wickets in a space of nine balls. Eventually, the hosts fell 19 runs short of the target.

Bukaya Saka and Aaron Ramsdale have been spotted warmly greeting Declan Rice on England duty amid strong transfer links to Arsenal.

What’s the latest on Declan Rice to Arsenal?

It seems quite likely that the West Ham United midfielder will be on the move this summer. After all, David Sullivan has confirmed he will be allowed to leave.

Indeed, in the aftermath of the Europa Conference League trophy win, the chairman told TalkSport: “We promised him he could go. He set his heart on going. You can’t ask for a man who has committed more to us this season.

“In due course, he has to get on and we have to get a replacement – or several replacements. It’s not something we want to happen. We offered him £200,000-a-week 18 months ago. He turned it down.

“It’s cost him £10million to stay at West Ham in that time (in lost wages). And he wants to go.

“You can’t keep a player who doesn’t want to be there.”

And Arsenal are strongly understood to be the favourites to land the midfielder, even though Bayern Munich have also recently been touted as a possible destination.

With that being the case, fans will likely be delighted to see Rice high-fiving Saka before then hugging Ramsdale – all with a big grin on his face – after meeting up with the players on England duty.

Footage from the official England Twitter account caught the interaction.

While Twitter user @karthikadhaigal shared the images on social media too – and you can enjoy them below.

When will Arsenal bid for Declan Rice?

Only adding to all the excitement, with West Ham’s season now officially over, it seems the Gunners will make their move for the midfielder shortly.

Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently explained: “Arsenal will enter into crucial stages of Declan Rice deal next week. Official bid expected very soon after positive talks in the recent days.

“Gunners feel they’re ahead of Bayern as player priority is to continue in England — but timing will be crucial for Arsenal.”

And let’s not forget that Saka and Rice already appear to have a pretty good relationship having spent plenty of time together with the Three Lions.

For instance, when the Arsenal man signed his new contract back in May, the West Ham captain midfielder said on Instagram: “Congrats brother! Fully deserved.”

All in all, it feels as though this deal is close and after greeting Rice so warmly, perhaps Saka and Ramsdale know the transfer is all but certain to happen.

The ECB has announced final squads for the inaugural North v South series next March, with the likes of Mark Wood, Steven Finn and James Vince given opportunities to press claims for England selection in the three 50-over matches

ESPNcricinfo staff17-Dec-2016

The ECB has announced final squads for the inaugural North v South series next March, with Mark Wood, Steven Finn and James Vince among those given opportunities to press their claims for England selection in the three 50-over matches.Wood is currently working back to fitness after a third ankle operation in the space of 12 months, having briefly impressed in an England shirt during the ODI series with Pakistan at the end of the summer. His ability to operate at 90mph could make him a key weapon when England challenge for the Champions Trophy next June.Paul Farbrace, England’s assistant coach, said they were hopeful Wood could also be fit for the ODI tour to West Indies in February.”There is a chance he may make the West Indies squad,” Farbrace said. “But for someone like Finny, who has missed out on his place in one-day cricket in recent series, it’s a great opportunity for him to show what he can do and get himself into the one-day side. There’s others – [Dawid] Malan, [Sam] Northeast, people who have been very successful in county cricket who perhaps haven’t had the opportunity, this is a great chance for them.”Vince played all three ODIs on the recent tour of Bangladesh but was dropped from the squad to tour India next month, while Finn’s last limited-overs appearance came in 2015. Vince will captain the South XI and Keaton Jennings will lead the North. Four members of each squad have already been selected via the Professional Cricketers’ Association’s MVP ranking system.Jennings and Ben Duckett, who both made senior England debuts this winter, are joined by Liam Dawson, Tim Bresnan and Harry Gurney as the other capped players involved. Two young legspinners, in Mason Crane and Josh Poysden, have also been included in the 13-man squads.”For all the players selected, the North versus South series is a platform to make an impression,” England’s national selector, James Whitaker, said. “As Andrew Strauss said when he introduced the series before the start of the 2016 season, we see it as an important addition to our selection process in 50-over cricket, ahead of the two major global events we are staging over the next three summers – the Champions Trophy next year and the World Cup in 2019.”With the calibre of the squads we have selected, we are confident there will be an intense and high-quality level of competition that allows us to assess players who are currently just outside the England squad, and their ability to perform at that higher level.”Farbrace will coach the South side while England’s bowling coach, Ottis Gibson, will take charge of the North. Both were involved in selection, while Trevor Bayliss, England’s head coach, will attend the matches.”The key thing is to give people outside of the current one-day set-up the opportunity to place for England,” Farbrace said. “With an eye on the 2019 World Cup in England, we’re trying to make sure that white-ball cricket has the same importance as red-ball cricket. It’s a brilliant opportunity for players in county cricket who otherwise wouldn’t have been selected.”What we’re saying is, the Lions is one route and county cricket is certainly another route. When people come through the Lions, you know they’ve come through a grounding between county cricket and international cricket, but also there are people capable of coming directly from county cricket. There are some very good county players… So you want the routes to be varied, not just one line into the England team.”Eight members of the Lions squad announced earlier this week for the one-day series against Sri Lanka A in March have been included – Jennings, Joe Clarke, Liam Livingstone, Poysden, Tom Alsop, Daniel Bell-Drummond, Ben Foakes and Tom Curran – while a number of promising players outside the performance programmes, such as Sam Hain, Jack Leaning and Richard Gleeson have also earned call-ups.The squads will gather in Dubai ahead of warm-up matches on March 15. The three-match North v South series will then take place in Dubai, on March 17 and 19, and Abu Dhabi, on March 21.North squad: Keaton Jennings (Durham, capt), Ben Duckett (Northamptonshire*), Sam Hain (Warwickshire), Joe Clarke (Worcestershire), Liam Livingstone (Lancashire), Jack Leaning (Yorkshire), Tim Bresnan (Yorkshire*), Josh Poysden (Warwickshire), Graeme White (Northamptonshire*), Mark Wood (Durham), Saqib Mahmood (Lancashire), Richard Gleeson (Northamptonshire), Harry Gurney (Nottinghamshire*)South squad: James Vince (Hampshire, capt), Daniel Bell-Drummond (Kent), Tom Alsop (Hampshire), Dawid Malan (Middlesex), Sam Northeast (Kent), Liam Dawson (Hampshire*), Ben Foakes (Surrey), Tom Curran (Surrey), Lewis Gregory (Somerset*), Tim Groenewald (Somerset*), Matt Coles (Kent*), Steven Finn (Middlesex), Mason Crane (Hampshire)*PCA MVP rankings selection

أوضح روجيرو ميكالي المدير الفني لمنتخب مصر الأولمبي، حقيقة التواصل مع حسام حسن المدير الفني للمنتخب الأول، كما علق على أداء البرتغالي روي فيتوريا المدير الفني السابق للفراعنة، في بطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا.

وقال ميكالي في تصريحات عبر قناة “الحياة” عن حقيقة التواصل بينه وبين حسام حسن وماذا لو طلب لاعبين من المنتخب الأولمبي: “في المقام الأول، حسام وإبراهيم أرحب بهما جدًا، أعرف أن اسميهما كبير جدًا وأعرف عنهما الكثير، وأعرف أن عندهما وطنية وهما أساطير في الكرة المصرية، وأهم شيء أن اجتماعاتنا في المستقبل تكون من أجل مصر، لم نحظ بفرصة الاجتماع معا، لكن نحتاج لهذا، أعرف أنه مشغول وعنده معسكر قريب، ولكن نحتاج إلى الجلوس معا لتحديد نقاط هامة”.

طالع أيضاً.. خاص لـ بطولات: موقف محمد صلاح من المشاركة في مباراة السيتي ومعسكر منتخب مصر

وأضاف: “فيتوريا اسم كبير بدون شك، كنت متعايش معه يوم بيوم ونتحدث في الكرة بصفة عامة، أنا أعرف قيمته، لكن في الكرة تحدث مثل تلك الأمور، قبل أمم إفريقيا كان يُقدم أداءً جيدًا، لكن الأداء في البطولة هبط نوعًا ما، ولكن أريد أن أقول نقطة هامة أن أحيانًا الناس تنظر للنتيجة، لكن يجب النظر لكل التفاصيل، المنتخبات الأصغر من اسم مصر بدأت تصعد وأصبحت منتخبات كبيرة”.

وأكمل: “لابد أن نأخذ في اعتبارنا التفاصيل حتى لا يكون التقييم عشوائياً، لا بد من الخروج من النظرة العادية للأمور وتكون النظرة عامة”.

وأتم: “لدينا اسم كبير جدًا مثل محمد صلاح، ولا ننسى أن هذه كانت مشكلة واجهها فيتوريا في البطولة، لأنه أحد أفضل اللاعبين في العالم، لكن لكي نغلق هذه النقطة بالتأكيد الأداء لم يكن جيدًا في البطولة”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been linked to a former Premier League gem, as Julen Lopetegui aims to bolster his side on a budget this transfer window.

It’s set to be a busy break for Wolves, who have been linked to both potential incomings and outgoings, as the Spaniard gets his first taste of a summer frenzy at Molineux.

The latest link could act as a candidate to replace one star departing the Midlands, in a move that could be cost-effective and strengthen the options going forward.

What’s the latest on Nathan Redmond to Wolves?

As reported by Turkish outlet Hurriyet – relayed by Sport Witness – Wolves have emerged as a club interested in Besiktas winger Nathan Redmond.

The report claims that despite wanting to keep the forward, the Turkish giants may lose the soon-to-be out-of-contract player, with Burnley and Wolves having ‘made offers’.

Wolves could land themselves a bargain by obtaining the 29-year-old in a free deal, with the apex of his expected transfer value sitting at just below £7m.

What could Nathan Redmon bring to Wolves?

The former Southampton and Norwich City ace made the move to the Super Lig last summer following the expiration of his contract on the south coast.

In 25 league appearances for Besiktas, the Englishman has contributed to ten goals, scoring five and assisting five, marking himself as one of the club’s best performers in maintaining an average match rating of 7.04, via Sofascore.

Lauded as “explosive” by journalist Sam Tighe, the 29-year-old could be a strong addition to Lopetegui’s plans in the task to replace the departing Adama Traore.

The £40k-per-week winger has all the skills to act as a dynamic wide player in the Spaniard’s side, as highlighted by his 1.5 successful dribbles per game along with his goal-scoring and creative attributes.

Like Traore, Redmond has strengths in possession, as highlighted by WhoScored who list his ability to hold on to the ball as a strong attribute.

Praised as a “machine” by football impressionist Darren Farley, the Spaniard has been unstoppable in isolated wide areas when playing for Wolves over the years, however, his 1v1 efforts are replaceable.

In a total of 157 Premier League appearances for the Old Gold, the 27-year-old scored just ten goals over the span of five seasons, via Transfermarkt, showing his inability to translate his power in dribbling to great effect in the final third.

Redmond could be a strong suitor for Wolves, having scored 28 goals in his Premier League career representing both the Saints and the Canaries.

When comparing the Besiktas ace’s final season with the Saints to Traore this term via FBref, the Spaniard comes out on top in terms of progressive carries, however stalls in the final third, with Redmond averaging 3.58 shot-creating actions to his 2.65 per 90.

What Wolves require is goals, having ended the campaign as the league’s lowest scorers with just 31 in 38 games, and by adding Redmond to the scene to replace the departing Traore, Molineux may get more from wide scenarios in the final third.

The final between Rajshahi Kings and Dhaka Dynamites might well come down to how well each set of allrounders perform, as they’ve been key to their teams’ success this season

The Preview by Mohammad Isam08-Dec-2016Match factsFriday, December 9, 2016
Start time 1745 local (1145 GMT)Dhaka’s Shakib Al Hasan and Dwayne Bravo will need to display their all-round skills in the final•BCB

Big PictureThough there are in-form specialist batsmen and bowlers in both line-ups, the BPL final between Dhaka Dynamites and Rajshahi Kings could boil down to one set of allrounders edging out the other.Dhaka’s firepower is led by Andre Russell, assisted by Dwayne Bravo, Shakib Al Hasan, Nasir Hossain and Mosaddek Hossain. All of them have shown the ability to change the course of the game with their batting, their bowling and their fielding. Russell, Bravo and Shakib have done so time and again in T20 finals but Nasir and Mosaddek will have to adjust to the big occasion.Darren Sammy will lead Rajshahi’s all-round troops, which also include Samit Patel, Mehedi Hasan, Farhad Reza, James Franklin and young Afif Hossain. It is a motley crew of veterans and rookies but they have done the job on many occasions during the BPL this year.Rajshahi’s bowling attack also includes Kesrick Williams and Nazmul Islam, two bowlers who have been miserly whenever they have been pushed to win a game. Of course, Rajshahi would be foolish to depend solely on their middle order and bowlers. The likes of Mominul Haque, Nurul Hasan and Sabbir Rahman have to do their bit, which will also give them momentum ahead of Bangladesh’s full series against New Zealand later this month.Dhaka’s openers Mehedi Maruf and Evin Lewis are dangerous, while the experienced Kumar Sangakkara will provide balance in the top order.Form guideDhaka Dynamites: WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first)
Rajshahi Kings: WWWLL
In the spotlightMehedi Maruf hasn’t scored a half-century since Dhaka’s fourth game; he is due, and when better than the final to deliver? He has been trying to hit out from the first over and, if he succeeds, that could be dangerous for Rajshahi who will also need to contain Evin Lewis at the other end.After his memorable Test debut against England, Mehedi Hasan has had an uneventful maiden BPL campaign – so far. He has taken 11 wickets in 14 matches and has done well with the bat just once. A budding allrounder, his offspin could make a big difference to Rajshahi’s attack against Dhaka’s big-hitters.Team newsDhaka are likely to go with the same XI that crushed Khulna in the first qualifier, which means that the big-hitting Seekkuge Prasanna may have to be kept out.Dhaka Dynamites (probable): 1 Mehedi Maruf, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Kumar Sangakkara (wk), 4 Nasir Hossain, 5 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 6 Mosaddek Hossain, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Alauddin Babu, 10 Sunzamul Islam, 11 Abu JayedRajshahi is also likely to remain unchanged from the second qualifier against Khulna, fitting their six allrounders into a strong but inconsistent batting line-up.Rajshahi Kings (probable): 1 Mominul Haque, 2 Nurul Hasan (wk), 3 Afif Hossain, 4 Sabbir Rahman, 5 James Franklin, 6 Samit Patel, 7 Darren Sammy, 8 Mehedi Hasan, 9 Farhad Reza, 10 Kesrick Williams, 11 Nazmul IslamPitch and conditionsMirpur’s darker soil hasn’t been all that comfortable for the batsmen. Its slow nature has meant that the average score for teams batting first in the evening games has been only 135. In Chittagong it was 161, while in the day games in Mirpur it was 154. Only seven out of 19 times in this tournament have teams batting first won an evening game in Mirpur.Stats and trivia In matches won, Dhaka’s Mehedi Maruf has batted at a rate of 145.19. Rajshahi’s Darren Sammy has done even better in that regard: strike rate of 194.79 in wins. With the ball, Kesrick Williams has conceded just 3.33 runs per over in Rajshahi wins Rajshahi won both their league games against Dhaka, with Samit Patel adjudged Player of the Match on both occasions This will be the third BPL final for a Dhaka franchise, with the Gladiators having won the title in 2012 and 2013. Rajshahi will be playing their first finalQuotes’We want it just as bad as they want it.”

أعلن مارسيل كولر المدير الفني للنادي الأهلي، عن بدلاء الفريق أمام الزمالك، في المباراة التي تجمع بينهما اليوم الجمعة، في نهائي كأس مصر.

وتقام مباراة الأهلي والزمالك على أرضية استاد الأول بارك في مدينة الرياض السعودية، للمرة الأولى في تاريخ المسابقة بإقامتها خارج مصر.

طالع | تشكيل الأهلي أمام الزمالك في نهائي كأس مصر.. عودة كهربا

وكان الزمالك قد تأهل إلى المباراة النهائية بعد الفوز على بيراميدز بركلات الترجيح في نصف النهائي، بينما الأهلي تخطى عقبة إنبي بثلاثية نظيفة.

وشهدت دكة بدلاء الأهلي تواجد أنتوني موديست رغم مشاركته أساسيًا في مباراة يانج أفريكانز الأخيرة، بجانب عمر كمال ورضا سليم. بدلاء الأهلي اليوم أمام الزمالك في نهائي كأس مصر

محمود الزنفلي وعمر كمال وأكرم توفيق ورضا سليم ومروان عطية ومحمد مجدي أفشة وأنتوني موديست وكريم فؤاد وطاهر محمد طاهر.

As well as going through the meticulous and exhaustive process of pinpointing the right man to succeed Roy Hodgson, Crystal Palace must begin to make inroads in the fiercely competitive transfer market.

The midfield has already undergone huge change via the departures of Luka Milivojevic and James McArthur leaving a lack of depth in the centre of the park.

Steve Parish has never been a notoriously big-spending owner as the club often targets attainable, affordable, and realistic options – the next name to fit this bill is Ellyes Skhiri.

What’s the latest on Ellyes Skhiri to Crystal Palace?

According to Tuttomercatoweb (via Sport Witness), the Eagles have been “strongly” following the Koln midfielder, who has a “dream” to play in the Premier League.

Alongside the South Londoners, AC Milan are also vying for the 28-year-old’s signature, who is seen as a “market opportunity” due to his availability as a free agent upon the expiration of his contract on 30 June.

The Rossoneri have reportedly offered the Tunisian a three-year deal with the option of a fourth, so Palace will need to match or better this offer, with Skhiri expected to make a decision in the coming days.

How would Ellyes Skhiri fit in at Crystal Palace?

The £28k-per-week star made 32 Bundesliga appearances this season, scoring seven times.

The 54-cap international has demonstrated himself as a phenomenal all-rounder, averaging 2.5 tackles, 1.8 interceptions, 1.3 dribbles, and 1.3 clearances per game. Combine these statistics with his goals, and you have a threatening pivot with punishing physicality that could seamlessly slot into the Palace side.

Aptly described as "big and strong" by Koln coach Steffen Baumgart, the former Tunisian Footballer of the Year international ranks impressively across the continent as he sits within the top 15% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90, blocks per 90, and interceptions per 90.

Thus, after assessing his impressive profile, Skhiri makes for a perfect partner for Cheick Doucouré.

The 23-year-old joined Palace last summer for £22m and has swiftly established himself as an indispensable member of the team.

Last season, he averaged the most tackles (2.3) and interceptions (1.6) in the squad and the Eagles lost three of the four matches that Doucouré didn’t play in.

His ability to sniff out danger, read the game, and win possession perhaps goes under the radar but is of undeniable importance to the Eagles.

With this spectacular solid spine potentially protecting Palace’s backline, it creates a foundation that will allow the creative influences of Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise to flourish spectacularly under any new manager.