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Ivan Toney opened up about his future after Brentford manager Thomas Frank claimed that the club have found the striker's alternative.

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Brentford have found Toney's alternativeEnglish striker opens up about his futureCurrently part of England squad at Euro 2024WHAT HAPPENED?

Toney is currently in Germany with the England squad as they take part in Euro 2024 while Brentford boss Frank is on punditry duties with BBC Sport for the continental competition. While on air, Frank was asked about their star striker's future at the club to which the manager said that they have already identified a replacement in Igor Thiago who arrived at Gtech Community Stadium from Club Brugge this summer.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The England striker has been linked with a move out of The Bees since last season with several top clubs including Chelsea and Arsenal reportedly willing to sign him. The 28-year-old, however, refused to speak on his transfer as he maintained that he remains focused on representing his national team at the European Championship.

WHAT IVAN TONEY SAID

Speaking to reporters, Toney said, "I didn’t hear him say that! I can’t predict the future and if I could I wouldn’t be sat here in front of you guys. What will be will be and my main focus is playing well and doing well for my country. I’ve been through it (transfer speculation) before. There’s been lots of talk of me going here, there and everywhere before in my career and I just don’t let outside noise get to me.

"I’m here with England now, and the main focus is doing well for England and whatever happens, happens. I can’t control it. From 18 when I was supposed to go to Wolves I was all excited and getting involved in all of it, then it didn’t happen, it hurt me. So since then, I thought, ‘Why am I trying to take control of things when I don’t need that pressure?’ I just let people who take care of those things to do it and I focus on the pitch."

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(C)GettyImagesWHAT NEXT?

The Brentford star will hope to get some game time under Gareth Southgate on Tuesday as England take on Slovenia in their final Euro 2024 group game.

Newcastle United have had a major fall from grace this season when compared to the triumphs of their 2022/23 campaign.

Last season, the Magpies managed to achieve Champions League qualification for the first time since the 2003/04 season.

Eddie Howe managing to achieve this feat with Newcastle was nothing short of legendary and cemented his legacy within the club's history.

Granted, the PIF takeover assisted the former Bournemouth manager in achieving a top-four finish, however, if it wasn't for his tactical choices and decision-making, it's highly unlikely that they would've managed to achieve as much as they have done.

Much like many of their fellow Premier League counterparts, the Tyneside-based club have gone through their own injury crisis this season.

Players such as Nick Pope, Callum Wilson and Harvey Barnes have all been sidelined for extended periods and left Howe with something of a headache in regard to his team selection.

That said, there has still been a lack of action for Tino Livramento, and it arguably showed during the club's 4-1 defeat to Arsenal at the Emirates on Saturday evening.

Standing in for Dan Burn, the former Southampton gem hardly covered himself in glory.

Tino Livarmento's game in numbers

Livramento joined the Magpies for a fee in the region of £40m at the start of the 2023/24 season but even despite the ongoing injury crisis on the Toon, he's still not cemented a regular spot in the side, starting on just seven times in the league.

Presented with a rare chance to prove himself in Saturday's 4-1 loss to Arsenal, he was not at the races in what was the Magpies' joint-highest defeat of the season, alongside their 4-1 loss to Tottenham back in December.

Livramento's performance certainly left a lot to desire and was arguably one of the defenders' worst outings of the season. It was so bad that Shields Gazette only gave the youngster a match rating of 4/10.

As per Sofascore, the 21-year-old only played a total of 73 minutes and still managed to lose 100% of the duels he attempted. In addition to this, he only managed two more touches than goalkeeper Loris Karius and managed to lose possession a total of four times.

William Saliba of Arsenal, on the other hand, played the full 90 minutes and managed to win 50% of his duels and lost possession the same number of times as the youngster.

This puts into perspective that, despite playing less time than the France international, he still had a much worse defensive performance.

Livramento wasn't the only player who had a below-par performance against the Gunners at the weekend though.

Sven Botman's performance in numbers

6 foot 3 anchor, Sven Botman arguably had a worse game than Livaremento did, with the Shields Gazette giving the Netherlands international a 3/10 rating for his performance against the London-based club.

Not only did he score an own goal within the first 20 minutes of the game, but, he was also on the pitch until the 73rd minute but managed to come out with poorer statistics than those of Livramento's.

Courtesy of Sofascore, the 24-year-old lost possession of the ball a total of ten times, and made a further error which led to another one of Arsenal's goals away from putting the ball in his own net. The defender did, however, manage to win 3/4 of the duels he attempted.

In order for Newcastle to qualify for any sort of European competition this season, they will really have to step their game up.

The Magpies currently sit in mid-table and find themselves 15 points away from the top four spots which is likely much farther away from where they expected to be this season.

With some players now returning from injury, Howe will be hoping that his team can change their fortunes and start climbing back up England's top flight.

After spending years enduring mediocre football with little indication of progression, Arsenal finally look like a side ready to take their place atop English football once again.

Mikel Arteta has taken his side from eighth just a few years ago into back-to-back Premier League title races and within one match of the Champions League quarter-finals.

The squad has dramatically improved under the Spaniard as well, with the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard, and Ben White joining during his tenure.

However, there are still a few players who should be moved on this summer, one of whom significantly more than transfer target Ivan Toney earns at Brentford.

How much Ivan Toney earns at Brentford

Toney joined the Bees in August 2020 for a fee of £5m – £10m with add-ons – from League One side Peterborough.

It took no time for the Englishman to get settled into life in west London, and by the end of his debut season, he had scored 33 goals, provided ten assists in just 52 games, and helped the club fulfil their long-term ambition of returning to the top-flight.

In the three seasons since, the Northampton-born nine has scored 39 goals and provided 11 assists in 79 games for Thomas Frank's ambitious side.

With the amount of money in the Premier League these days and Toney's undeniable importance to the team, you'd be forgiven for thinking that his weekly wage must be somewhere near £100k-per-week – well, you'd be wrong.

In fact, according to Capology, the 27-year-old "monster", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, earns just £20k-per-week, and while that's an absurd amount of money for the average person, it's about a third of the average salary in the league, which is around £60k-per-week.

1

Man City

Erling Haaland

36

£375k-p/w

2

Tottenham

Harry Kane

30

£200k-p/w

3

Brentford

Ivan Toney

20

£20k-p/w

4

Liverpool

Mohamed Salah

19

£350k-p/w

5

Newcastle

Callum Wilson

18

£46k-p/w

To put that into perspective, Arsenal's current first-choice striker, Gabriel Jesus, earns around £265k-per-week. However, there is another player in N5 who, despite being significantly less important, still earns considerably more than Toney.

How much Eddie Nketiah earns at Arsenal

Yes, it's Eddie Nketiah, a player who has been fighting for a place in Arteta's first team for several years now, who earns five times more than Toney.

The former Chelsea youth product signed a long-term deal in North London in June 2022 following some impressive performances in the latter half of the 2021/22 campaign, which saw his wage increase to a whopping £100k-per-week at the Emirates.

Now, the Lewisham-born poacher certainly looked to be justifying his new pay packet for a period last season as he filled in for the absent Jesus. Still, his brace against Manchester United on January 22nd marked his final league goals of the campaign.

This season, the 24-year-old has managed just six goals in 32 appearances – including his hatrick against Sheffield United.

In all, the 5 foot 11 forward has scored 38 goals and provided ten assists in 163 games for the Gunners, which means he averages 0.29 goal involvements per match, a return which makes it hard to disagree with journalist Kaya Kaynak's assessment of Nketiah as being "disappointing."

It gets worse though, as if you include the 37 weeks of wages he has received this season on top of the £11m or so he has already earned while at Arsenal, it takes his total earnings to around £14.7m, which means that he has cost the Gunners about £386k-per-goal, £1.47m-per-assist, or £306k-per-goal-involvement.

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The talented ace hasn’t always looked at home but has been brilliant since the turn of the year.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 29, 2024

Ultimately, with the links to Toney once again heating up and Nketiah being used less and less by Arteta, it would make sense for the club to cut their losses with him in the summer and use the £100k-per-week they'd save for the far more efficient Brentford ace.

Germany expected to receive a penalty when Jamal Musiala's shot clearly struck Marc Cucurella's hand but it wasn't given.

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Germany out of Euro 2024 after Spain defeatMerino decides tie with last-gasp winner Hosts denied penalty after Cucurella's handballWHAT HAPPENED?

The game was tied at 1-1 and in the first half of extra-time when Musiala let fly from just outside the area. The Germany forward's shot smashed Cucurella's hand but neither referee Anthony Taylor nor VAR Stuart Attwell decided to award Julian Nagelsmann's side a penalty.

AdvertisementGettyTHE EXPLANATION

According to ESPN's Dale Johnson, the Premier League officials were right to ignore Germany's appeals under UEFA's current interpretation of the handball laws.

"UEFA's pre-tournament briefing on handballs gave a specific example just like Marc Cucurella, saying it should NOT be a handball penalty," Johnson said. "Arm close to the side, pointing predominantly down/vertically, and/or a position behind line of the body."

WHAT ABOUT JOACHIM ANDERSEN'S HANDBALL?

Johnson went on to explain why Cucurella wasn't punished while Denmark's Joachim Andersen was for a handball in the Danes' 2-0 defeat to Germany.

"UEFA deems that arm position to be unnatural and creating a barrier," he added. "Understandable fans would think the two decisions are the wrong way around … But they aren't per intended interpretation."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR GERMANY AND SPAIN?

Germany played their part in a classic European encounter that could have gone either way. Still, failure to win their home tournament will sting for some time. Spain, meanwhile, can look ahead to another European Championship semi-final.

He helped them to a total of 170 before striking twice in the 15th over to derail Kenya’s chase

The Report by Peter Della Penna in Dubai19-Oct-2019Richie Berrington was instrumental in Scotland’s victory over Kenya, his half-century partnership with Calum MacLeod forming the basis of their 170-run total and then, with Kenya mounting a serious charge, his double-strike in the 15th over ensured an eventually comfortable 31-run victory.After choosing to bat first, Scotland lost both openers relatively cheaply. Captain Kyle Coetzer was bowled missing a sweep for 14, before George Munsey fell driving to mid-off for 23 to make it 43 for 2 in the Powerplay. But Berrington joined MacLeod and kept the innings steady with a 53-run third-wicket stand. MacLeod fell edging behind on a failed attempt to glide a single to third man before Berrington was bowled by a googly from Collins Obuya in the space of six balls to make it 98 for 4.In an innings that included many medium-sized nuggets – every one of the top seven reached double-digits – the most valuable of them all came from Tom Sole at No. 7. The offspinning allrounder sped to an unbeaten 33 off 18, utilising scoops and flicks to manipulate the field around his four fours and a six, to get Scotland up to a competitive total.Kenya were cruising through the first half of the chase, the only hiccup coming when Alex Obanda pulled Sole to deep midwicket in the eighth. They also took advantage of sloppy fielding from Scotland, opener Irfan Karim surviving a run-out chance on 12 in the fourth over when Coetzer missed a free shot at the non-striker’s end after the batsman had given up in a moment of miscommunication with Obanda. The reprieved Irfan brought up his half-century in the 14th over, and Kenya went into the last six needing 62 runs off 36 balls with eight wickets in hand.It took Berrington’s intervention to finally dislodge Irfan for 51. With Alasdair Evans dropped following Friday’s loss to Singapore as Scotland opted for an extra spinner in Mark Watt, Berrington was called upon to fill some extra overs with his medium pace and turned the game with the second string in his bow, finishing with 3 for 17 in three overs.Berrington’s momentum-shifting burst started with a back of a length delivery skidding below Irfan’s pull and into the top of off stump. Four balls later, he induced a drive from Rakep Patel to substitute fielder Michael Leask at long-off, leaving Kenya with 60 to get off 31 balls.Safyaan Sharif then snuffed out Kenya’s last hope when he bowled Obuya in the 17th over with a full and straight ball before Leask took another catch at long-off driven by Jasraj Kundi to put Sharif on a hat-trick. Berrington came back for one more in the 18th, claiming Shem Ngoche with a slower bouncer top-edged behind to clinch Man of the Match honours.

Captain impressed with debutants, who have ‘raised the bar’ for returning regulars

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Nov-2019England’s fringe players have “raised the benchmark” for those rested from the T20I series in New Zealand, according to captain Eoin Morgan.At least five first-choice players were rested from the T20 leg of the tour, with Jason Roy, Jos Buttler, Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Jofra Archer all likely to be in England’s first-choice XI come the T20 World Cup in Australia next year.With Mark Wood, David Willey and Joe Root also missing out, there were opportunities for six debutants in the T20 series, as well as those who have been in and out of the national team over the past four years, like James Vince, Sam Billings and Dawid Malan.And Morgan said that the new faces in the side had created a selection headache ahead of the three-match series in South Africa in February.”It creates a really good headache for us when it comes to selection,” Morgan said.”We are further ahead than we thought and the guys on this tour who will probably miss out on South Africa have raised that benchmark for guys who come back in.”They are now almost expected to score runs and expected to do well because of opportunities given and taken by these guys.”Morgan had the opportunity to see one of those fringe players up close in the fourth T20I, when he shared a 182-run partnership with former Middlesex team-mate Dawid Malan.ALSO READ: Will England dare to leave Malan out again?Malan struck an unbeaten 103 off 51 balls, meaning he has passed fifty in six of his nine T20I innings. That knock took his average in the format to 57.25, but he came in for thinly-veiled criticism in Morgan’s post-match press conference for failing to attempt to steal a bye off the final ball of the innings.Malan had been at the non-striker’s end for the last ball of the 20th over in Napier – a bouncer which Sam Billings missed – but decided against scrambling through for a run with wicketkeeper Tim Seifert stood back.”I think giving guys that common goal and watching them strive towards it is the biggest indicator,” Morgan said. “If we get guys that are not running off the last ball of the game because they want to get a not out, there’s something to address.”The debutant who pressed his case best in the series was Sam Curran, who took six wickets and bowled with control across all three phases of the game, while chipping in with the bat in the rain-reduced game in Auckland.The three new faces with the ball – Pat Brown, Matt Parkinson and Saqib Mahmood – had a mixed time. Brown’s slower balls was punished in Wellington, where he conceded 32 in his two overs, but his economy rate overall (9.84) was only just over the average runs-per-over for the series (9.49).Parkinson took five wickets in his six overs, though conceded 61 runs, and would have hoped for more of an opportunity to prove himself. Mahmood had a chastening time, leaking 115 runs in 10 overs, though was England’s tightest bowler at Eden Park.And with the bat, Tom Banton showed flashes of brilliance in his top-order cameos, while Lewis Gregory faced 19 balls and bowled four overs across his five games.

Manchester United have struggled on every front this season, with a lack of squad depth costing the side.

Erik ten Hag’s side failed to acquire any new additions in the January transfer window, which may turn out to be the wrong decision.

However, the Red Devils were active in regards to letting players leave the club, with multiple moving elsewhere in Europe on loan deals.

That said, not all of them are enjoying their time away from their parent club, failing to make an impression in different surroundings, with one player in particular finding it difficult to adjust to La Liga while earning more than Kobbie Mainoo in the process.

What Kobbie Mainoo earns at Man Utd

The rise of Mainoo this season has been absolutely fantastic, from suffering an injury in pre-season to becoming one of the players that Ten Hag can rely on the most.

At just 18 years old, the versatile midfielder has started Man United’s last 12 Premier League games, making 14 starts in total.

Having just graduated from the United Academy, Mainoo’s wage is among the lowest in the squad, earning £10k-per-week. This equates to £520k per year over the four years remaining on his contract.

However, it has been reported by Fabrizio Romano that United are already in talks to improve Mainoo’s contract, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe viewing him as a vital player in the Red Devils project, which would then see him earn more than one of his struggling colleagues.

Man Utd now already have their best midfielder since Paul Scholes

The youngster has the potential to become a Man United legend.

ByTom Lever Mar 10, 2024 Hannibal Mejbri’s salary and time at Sevilla

Hannibal Mejbri began the 23/24 campaign with Man United’s first team, where he made five appearances in the Premier League and also made his first Champions League start against Galatasaray.

However, his most memorable moment in a United shirt this campaign must be his absolutely stunning strike against Brighton & Hove Albion after replacing Casemiro as a second-half substitute.

Since the 5 foot 10 midfielder's small spell of game time at the start of the campaign, he’s struggled to get minutes, often sitting on the bench for the full game or coming on with moments to go.

Therefore, Mejbri was sent on loan to Sevilla in January in an attempt to get experience and vital minutes under his belt. But that hasn’t exactly gone to plan, as he’s made four appearances, with two yellow cards being all he can show for his performances.

At the Spanish club, the Tunisian is earning just over £15k-per-week, as per Capology, which is more than what Mainoo is currently earning at Man United, despite it still being among the lowest wage per week in the United squad, as you can see by the table below.

Amad Diallo

£28.8k

Hannibal Mejbri

£15k

Kobbie Mainoo

£10k

Willy Kambwala

£7.5k

Shola Shoretire

£5k

The difference between the two is clear in terms of quality and what they can offer Man United, but at one point, Mejbri was even compared to Luka Modric by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig in regards to his technique, vision, and playmaking ability, which seems like the perfect description for Mainoo rather than the Sevilla loanee.

Overall, the loan move to Spain for Mejbri has been somewhat of a disaster, with the player struggling to impress, and based on Mainoo’s showings, it’s crazy to think the 21-year-old is earning a higher wage. That surely won't be the case for long, though, with Ratcliffe potentially using the Tunisian midfielder to gather precious funds in the summer.

England finally have the chance to win their first major trophy since 1966 and a campaign to declare a public holiday in the country is underway.

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England could win first major trophy since 1966Sir Geoff Hurst campaigns for holiday in case of winStarmer also believes day should be commemoratedGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

England legend and World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst is campaigning for the United Kingdom government to announce a celebratory holiday in the country if the Three Lions manage to win the Euros final against Spain on July 14. The 1966 World Cup winner said so while backing Budweiser's campaign to announce the bank holiday in honour of Gareth Southgate's men.

AdvertisementWHAT HURST SAID

Speaking with Budweiser, the former World Cup winner backed the #BudBankHoliday, and said: “From the very beginning I have believed in this talented team going all the way and feel privileged to have passed on the winning spirit of the 1966 team, by blessing the ‘Home’ cans.

"It’s a real honour to be a part of football history once more, by leading the campaign for a bank holiday so that everyone can make the most of the win, if and when it happens.

"Thanks to the dedication of the team and unwavering support from England’s fans, we’re very close to victory. It’s about time we have something to celebrate as a nation, and a bank holiday would make a win even more special for millions of supporters across the country.”

GettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

New UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has also agreed that there needs to be some commemoration of the Three Lions' achievements if they win in Berlin. When asked about the fans' demands for a public holiday, he said: "We should certainly mark the occasion, I don’t want to jinx it. I went to the last Euros final, I don’t want to go through that again. I don’t want to jinx anything but we must mark it in some way. But the most important thing is getting it over the line on Sunday.”

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WHAT NEXT FOR ENGLAND?

Southgate's men will participate in their second straight European Championship final on Sunday, July 14 against Spain as they will look to end a 58-year trophy drought.

Reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on Chelsea's chances of signing Napoli star Victor Osimhen, amid FFP worries and PSR concerns.

Chelsea in worry of breaching PSR regulations

Under chairman Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital's ownership, the Blues have spent over £1 billion on new signings, so you could be forgiven for thinking they're sailing pretty close to the wind when it comes to breaching PSR.

Chelsea and Boehly offered “world-class” £50m+ player after contact

The Blues already have one eye on the summer.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 24, 2024

Premier League clubs cannot record a loss of more than £105million over a three-year period under the division’s profit and sustainability rules, with the likes of Man City, Everton, Nottingham Forest and Leicester City having all been charged or sanctioned already.

While Mauricio Pochettino's side haven't been charged, financial expert Stefan Borson recently told talkSPORT (via The Sun) that Chelsea face "more severe" sanctions than the likes of Everton and Forest if the Premier League accuse them.

“Possibly more severe (than Forest and Everton)," said Borson. “I think the scale of the losses they're currently forecasting, to me, appear to be vastly in excess of both Everton and Nottingham Forest. There was an assumption with Mason Mount, because he was announced on Manchester United's website on July 1 that [his sale] had been put into this current season.

"So the £55million of profit was in this season. It now transpires that Mason Mount appears to have been transacted in 2022/23 and that is how they got through [FFP rules]."

Amid these off-field worries, reports still suggest that Chelsea could invest significantly in their squad this summer. Indeed, a marquee new striker is in the offing, with Chelsea currently fierce competitors to sign Osimhen.

Sassuolo 1-6 Napoli

9.90

Frosinone 1-3 Napoli

8.46

Napoli 2-0 Sassuolo

7.62

Napoli 2-1 Cagliari

7.60

Napoli 4-1 Udinese

7.36

The Nigerian, who has a £113 million release clause written into his contract after he signed a new deal this season, looks set to be one of the blockbuster names who could well be on the move later this year.

Pochettino lacks an out-and-out striker who can bag 25-plus goals per season, and it's something which Chelsea arguably need if they're to go to the next level.

Romano shares Osimhen update amid Chelsea's PSR battle

Speaking to CaughtOffside, Romano has now shared an update on Chelsea's chances of signing Osimhen amid this potential PSR battle.

“I think Chelsea will be there,” the transfer expert said. “The interest is still there. It is really important to understand what is happening; first of all with the FFP situation because Chelsea do not want to overpay, so it is important to know how much the package is going to be for Victor Osimhen.

"We already know about the release clause between €120m-€130m with Napoli so Chelsea and other clubs are waiting to see if Napoli can be flexible but usually with their president, De Laurentiis, it is usually very tough to go there and negotiate, especially for a fantastic player like Victor Osimhen.

“It will then be important to see how much Osimhen wants in terms of salary and his contract. So there are some crucial financial points to sort out before Chelsea can say ‘ok’ and go for Osimhen.”

The 22-year-old MP batsman has cited ‘severe anxiety related to the sport’ as the reason for his decision

Shashank Kishore20-Dec-2019Aryaman Birla, the Madhya Pradesh batsman, has taken an “indefinite sabbatical from cricket”, citing “severe anxiety related to the sport for a while now”. Birla, 22, has been through a number of injury setbacks and hasn’t played competitive cricket since January this year. Rajasthan Royals, the IPL team he was part of for two seasons, released him in November.”I’ve felt trapped. I’ve pushed myself through all the distress so far, but now I feel the need to put my mental health and wellbeing above all else,” he wrote on Instagram. “We all have our own journeys and I want to take this time to understand myself better, open my mind to new and varied perspectives and seek purpose in my findings.”Birla, the son of the billionaire industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla, left his hometown Mumbai as a 17-year old who was unsure of his immediate future as a cricketer trying to “fight for survival” in the city.Not wanting to lose time, he decided to take the plunge by enrolling for district trials in Madhya Pradesh in 2014. Prior to that, he had a three-month stint in England under former Middlesex cricketer Paul Weekes, playing for West Hampstead Cricket Club and the London Schools Cricket Association.Birla spent four years in the junior circuit in Madhya Pradesh before being handed a Ranji Trophy debut in October 2017. He has so far featured in nine first-class games, eight of which came during the 2018-19 Ranji Trophy. The highlight was his backs-to-the-wall maiden first-class century against Bengal at Eden Gardens in his third first-class game, which helped Madhya Pradesh salvage a hard-fought draw.”When I first came to MP, I was known more by my last name,” he told ESPNcricinfo last year. “I kept hearing ‘I was Birla’s son, Birla’s grandson.’ But through my performances, I changed perceptions, they started seeing me differently. That’s been my biggest achievement so far. Recently someone came and told me ‘you’re so (simple and straightforward), we didn’t even know you’re from the Birla family.’ That to me was a sign of change.”He further wrote on Instagram: “This phase has been difficult, but it has also helped me realise who my real friends and well-wishers are. I truly believe I’ll emerge from this phase even stronger than before.”