Sloppy Royal Challengers Bangalore, and drops aplenty in Dubai

The lowdown on dropped catches in the first half of IPL 2020

S Rajesh14-Oct-2020Royal Challengers Bangalore are among three teams sitting at the top of the table with 10 points, but they have reached there despite being the worst catching team of the tournament so far. At the halfway point, they have caught only 69.2% of the chances that have come their way, which is easily the poorest among all teams. Seven different players have dropped 12 catches, which is almost 23% of all catches dropped in IPL 2020 so far, according to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data. Only one other team has dropped more than nine catches – Delhi Capitals, and they are in the top three as well, indicating that these teams are winning despite giving extra opportunities to the opposition.ESPNcricinfo LtdAccording to Luck Index, these 12 dropped catches have cost the Royal Challengers 130 runs. This value is calculated by through a complex algorithm, which takes the following factors into account:
-Runs scored by the batsman after the drop, and the team’s final total
-Runs which would have been scored by the other players, had that batsman been dismissed off that ball. The extra balls that the batsman faced is distributed among the batsmen who were unbeaten or didn’t bat in the innings. The runs they would have scored is calculated by taking into account their batting quality, the balls remaining in the innings, the bowling quality, and the match conditions
-The difference between the actual team score and the score obtained through this simulated exercise is the impact of the dropped catch, in terms of runs.Let us, for example, take KL Rahul’s unbeaten 132 against the Royal Challengers. He was dropped twice during that innings, and scored 48 off 13 after the first drop, and 42 off nine after the second. Luck Index calculated that the first drop cost them 24 runs, and the second 26, which means Kings XI would have scored 26 fewer runs had the second catch been taken.ESPNcricinfo LtdFor the purpose of this exercise, both those values of 26 and 24 runs have been taken into account, and are a part of the overall tally of 132, though there was a large overlap between the two. This is to ensure that each dropped catch has a run impact associated with it.Most dropped catches at the halfway stage of the league phase•ESPNcricinfo LtdHowever, that wasn’t the most expensive drop of the tournament. That honour belongs to Prithvi Shaw’s drop of Mayank Agarwal in the second game of the tournament, which went into a Super Over. Agarwal was on 35 off 37 when he was dropped in the 16th over, and eventually scored 89 off 60. Given the quality of the batsmen who were unbeaten or didn’t bat – Mohammed Shami, Sheldon Cottrell and Ravi Bishnoi – the algorithm reckoned that the drop cost the Delhi Capitals 46 runs. Of the top six most expensive drops, though, four belong to the Royal Challengers.ESPNcricinfo LtdShaw’s reprieve of Agarwal is one of three catches he has dropped in the tournament so far. Three other fielders have dropped three catches – Devdutt Padikkal, Tom Curran and Manish Pandey. Tom Curran is also among the bowlers who has suffered the most, with three drops off his bowling, though the bowler topping the list is current Purple Cap holder Kagiso Rabada, who has 17 wickets despite having five catches dropped off his bowling.The batting team which has benefited the most are the Kings XI Punjab, though it’s another matter that they haven’t made much use of their good fortune. They are the only team whose total benefit from the drops is more than 100 runs, thanks largely to the numbers adding up from the chances offered to Agarwal (against the Capitals) and Rahul (against the Royal Challengers). Among the batsmen, Aaron Finch and Jonny Bairstow have got four reprieves each, while Faf du Plessis, Ishan Kishan and Rahul have been dropped thrice.ESPNcricinfo LtdFinally, much has been written and spoken about how difficult it has been to take catches in Dubai, and the numbers justify that talk. One in four chances has been spilled here, while the catch percentage is 81.5% in Sharjah, and nearly 89% in Abu Dhabi.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

Mohamed Salah brutally reminded that he isn’t Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo after 'tricking himself' into believing he's 'untouchable' – with 'solution' to Liverpool rant drama delivered

Mohamed Salah has been brutally reminded that he is not Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo, with the Liverpool forward accused of “tricking himself” into believing that he has become “untouchable”. The Egyptian superstar has delivered an explosive rant, having been benched recently, in which he accused Premier League heavyweights of throwing him under the bus.

  • Unhappy Salah: Liverpool superstar speaks out after bench duty

    Salah’s stunning comments came after being named among the substitutes by Reds boss Arne Slot for a third successive game. He failed to make the starting XI against West Ham and Sunderland, before seeing no game time again in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Leeds.

    The 33-year-old, who only signed a contract extension at Anfield over the summer, chose to air his frustration in public after being forced to watch on from the sidelines as Liverpool allowed two more points to slip on a dramatic evening at Elland Road.

  • Advertisement

  • Getty

    Nobody bigger than the club: Salah is not Messi or Ronaldo

    He has hinted at making a January move away from Merseyside, admitting to having no working relationship with Slot, with it suggested that he has become an unfortunate scapegoat for the Reds’ struggles this season. The comments have been met with widespread criticism, with Salah being informed that nobody is bigger than Liverpool Football Club.

    Stan Collymore, who once represented the Reds, has posted on social media after seeing Salah air his grievances very publicly: “I think I know a little about LFC, its supporters and how they view their club. Shaped of course by [Bill] Shankly then [Bob] Paisley, Kenny [Dalglish], Jurgen [Klopp] and now Slot. One thing remains constant, perhaps more than any other English club, it's always the club first and last, players and managers add their DNA to the club, but the club trumps the individual.

    “Now, Mo Salah has left plenty of winners DNA at Anfield and has taken his place in the pantheon of greats. So it's interesting to see his interview, dropping a grenade into the club because if I know Liverpool and it's supporters at all (I think there may be even a generational difference in responses, younger supporting the grenade, older shaking their heads) then their first reaction will be – Club, first and last, don't care who it is. It's a living and breathing mantra and one that even Mo Salah will find it difficult to duke it out against.

    “Now, could Arne Slot be less pally with players than Jurgen? Absolutely, he's a calm, relaxed, tad detached guy who (if you remember) was unimpressed with Trent [Alexander-Arnold] early doors and showed a nonchalant attitude in season one to ‘one of their own’ who'd won everything there is to win. I think that's impressive, but not as impressive as winning the title in your first season. So he's earned his respect too.

    “The team are playing well in spurts, comedy defending and decision making at other times. That includes everyone, and if you ask 99.9% of players if they'd accept 2 or 3 games on the bench for not hitting levels, all will say yes. Only in the madness of 2025 modern football would the cult of personalities not only question a reasonable conclusion of 'you're not playing well, here's a spell on the bench', but Mo maybe has almost tricked himself onto elevating himself to the untouchable status of Messi or Ronaldo, players who could, if they chose, literally do and say as they pleased in the last decade. Mo isn't them, and Liverpool as I said, isn't that club either.”

  • Solution to problem: How Liverpool can fix Salah issue

    Collymore went on to say of how Liverpool can fix an unfortunate situation that nobody saw coming: “The solution to what is now a very open sore is simple (ish) 1. Player and manager talk privately. 2. Manager tells player what he wants from the player. 3. Player commits or tells manager he wants out. 4. If player wants out, make it happen quickly. If not, pick the player and let him be judged by his continued performances. If they're poor, manager can't lose, ‘I told you so’. If they're great, manager can't lose. So Slot playing Mo is a very good starting point, especially as 2 very big signings have yet to make Mo ‘yesterday's man’.

    “Arne Slot can help himself a little by using his natural openness to say ‘maybe I'm not Jurgen but I love my players and they couldn't have won a spectacular title last season without reacting to me and my methods a little too, but I hear Mo's comments and I can tell you all now, I love him to bits and he's ours to keep’. That heads off any ‘seniors’ with similar grenades to throw.

    “But one thing's for sure, I don't think there will ever be a Liverpool player past, present or future with valid gripes that would jeopardise the ‘club first and last’ ethos of Liverpool, and those who've had legitimate concerns I'm sure aired them at an appropriate time, not a flash interview when emotions are high. Liverpool FC have done as well for every player who's played for them as players have done for the club, so the institution has earned that private, rather than public critique. Whoever that's from.”

  • ENJOYED THIS STORY?

    Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

  • Getty

    January transfer: Salah sees Anfield exit mooted

    Liverpool are currently in the process of deciding what to do next with Salah, with it possible that he will face punishment for speaking out against the club. Questions will also continue to be asked of his long-term future.

    He is due to represent Egypt at the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations, with another transfer window opening during that tournament. There has been talk of renewed interest from the Saudi Pro League, with big-spending teams there ready to offer Salah starting berths and a clean slate if professional bridges at Anfield prove to be beyond repair.

Após início de ano goleador, Raphael Veiga se prepara para voltar ao Palmeiras

MatériaMais Notícias

O Palmeiras deve contar com o retorno do meia Raphael Veiga para encarar o Mirassol, neste sábado, na Arena Barueri, em jogo válido pela 10ª rodada do Paulistão 2024.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasNas graças da torcida, Aníbal Moreno celebra início no Palmeiras: ‘Me sentindo bem!’Palmeiras22/02/2024Futebol InternacionalDe olho! Liverpool sai na frente pela contratação de joia do Palmeiras; afirma portalFutebol Internacional22/02/2024PalmeirasJoga o Paulistão? Saiba quando Rômulo poderá estrear pelo PalmeirasPalmeiras22/02/2024

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

Vice-artilheiro do Palmeiras no ano, com quatro gols, Veiga retorna ao Verdão após desfalcar o time de Abel Ferreira nas últimas três rodadas do Estadual, por conta de uma infecção no olho.

Com 86 gols pelo Palmeiras e 98 na carreira, Veiga está a duas bolas na rede de alcançar o centésimo como jogador e também igualar Dudu como maior artilheiro do Palmeiras neste Século XXI, com 88.

continua após a publicidade

Este será o primeiro jogo em que Raphael Veiga contará com Endrick, uma vez que a joia de 17 anos retornou ao Palmeiras na última semana e já marcou o seu primeiro gol em 2024 pelo Verdão.

➡️ Veja os grupos e datas dos confrontos no Paulistão

A bola rola para Palmeiras x Mirassol neste sábado (24), a partir das 18h (horário de Brasília), na Arena Barueri e o jogo terá transmissão da Cazé TV(Youtube).

continua após a publicidade

Forget Santos: Chelsea star is their closest thing to peak Lampard in years

Chelsea kept their unbeaten November form going in both the Premier League and Champions League with a straightforward 2-0 victory away at Burnley on Saturday lunchtime.

Pedro Neto picked up his sixth goal contribution of the league season when handing the travelling Blues the 1-0 lead, before Enzo Fernandez made sure of all three points late on when he gobbled up a chance on the 88th minute that was all Marc Guiu’s making from off the bench.

Away from the goalscorers mentioned, Andrey Santos also stood out in the midfield ranks, with Enzo Maresca no doubt ready to select the 21-year-old more often, off the back of such an assured showing at Turf Moor.

Santos' performance in numbers

The number 17 was thrown into the starting XI in Lancashire, with Moises Caicedo rested back in Premier League action, after lining up for Ecuador deep into the international break.

Thankfully, Caicedo’s absence wasn’t felt whatsoever, as Santos’ individual showing was described as “outstanding” at the full-time whistle by former Stamford Bridge great Joe Cole.

Indeed, the 21-year-old came into the side and looked right at home in Caicedo’s midfield anchor role, winning seven duels and two tackles to really boost the Blues centrally when Burnley attempted to work openings.

On top of that, Santos looked assured and comfortable on the ball, too, without ever really looking flashy with 34 passes accurately registered.

While Maresca will take plenty away from Santos’ polished showing, with one Chelsea content creator stating that he was “everywhere”, he did need the likes of Neto to come up trumps with a moment of quality in attack to seal the win, away from the Brazilian, allowing the visitors to tick.

While Santos has previously showcased an eye for goal and demonstrated his qualities as a box-crashing 8, he’s not the only Blues star evoking memories of Stamford Bridge royalty in Frank Lampard.

Chelsea star could be Maresca's Lampard

Come the end of his illustrious Premier League career, Lampard would bag 177 top-flight goals, with the former Blues captain having a great habit of sneaking into the box and finishing off chances expertly.

Romelu Lukaku would even hail Lampard as an “unbelievable” finisher of chances when reminiscing about his brief time in the Chelsea first team alongside the modern great.

In the here and now, the aforementioned Fernandez also has a similarly impactful knack to be able to finish off chances, with Guiu playing a late pass into a dangerous space up against Burnley, knowing that his captain could be there to kill the game off.

After all, that’s amazingly Fernandez’s fourth Premier League goal of the season already, meaning the World Cup-winning star is now Chelsea’s joint-top goalscorer in league action for the season with Neto, which is an accolade Lampard would regularly claim during his celebrated stay in West London.

Yet, there is far more to both the Argentine’s game and Lampard’s game away from scoring big goals, with pundit Micah Richards going out of his way to hail the £107 man as having “everything” in his locker now to be a “leader” at Chelsea earlier in the season.

Games played

11

Goals scored

4

Assists

1

Touches*

70.7

Accurate passes*

46.5 (85%)

Shots*

2.2

Big chances missed

4

Key passes*

1.8

Big chances created

4

Ball recoveries*

3.9

Total duels won*

3.9

The table above very much backs up Richards’ assessment of Fernandez being a complete midfield talent worthy of wearing Chelsea’s club armband, with an energy present in his game that matches that of Santos, with 3.9 ball recoveries averaged and 3.9 duels won per game this season in league action.

However, it is his ability to fashion chances galore and score plentiful goals that really does make that comparison to Lampard even stronger, with Fernandez beating the likes of Cole Palmer to the top prize when it comes to most goal contributions tallied up for the Blues over the last year, as the 24-year-old now sits on a weighty 21 goal contributions, next to the Englishman’s 15.

Fernandez also has a taste for silverware now, too, having lifted the Club World Cup in the summer, as he strives to lift Premier League titles like those before him, with Santos also wanting to mature into a consistent first-team star next to him.

Enzo Maresca now driving Chelsea move for "incredible" £79m Premier League star

The Italian is looking to sign a new defender, who is viewed as an ideal fit for his system.

ByDominic Lund Nov 23, 2025

"Big" – Attanasio's message to Clement that convinced him to join Norwich

Norwich City have appointed former Rangers boss Philippe Clement as the club’s head coach, and the new boss has revealed a message of ambition from majority shareholder Mark Attanasio.

Clement – sacked by Rangers in February – has signed a contract through to the summer of 2029 and will be joined at Carrow Road by coach Stephan Van Der Heyden.

The Belgian replaces Liam Manning, who left Carrow Road ahead of the international break with the Canaries second bottom of the Sky Bet Championship, having lost all of their home matches so far this season.

Norwich were reported to have spoken to both ex-Wolves boss Gary O’Neil, who had a spell as a player with the Canaries, as well as former Sweden and Blackburn manager Jon Dahl Tomasson, before settling on Clement.

Although the Belgian’s time at Ibrox ended following a disappointing run – with Rangers well adrift of rivals Celtic in the league – Clement did win the 2024 Premier Sports Cup and had previously guided Club Brugge to their domestic title twice before a spell at Monaco.

Clement excited by Norwich ambition

His reign in Glasgow was marred by issues with ownership and recruitment – the Rangers board are still unter intense scrutiny after their failed summer revamp of the playing squad and appointment of Russell Martin – but Clement has revealed he is excited by what Attanasio and Co have in store in Norfolk.

“I’m really excited by this story and opportunity. I’ve known of this club for a long time and, whilst we are not in a good moment at this time, we are excited to work together with the players and staff to turn things around,” Clement said on the Norwich club website, revealing the board’s ambition convinced him to join.

Clement’s first game in charge will be away at Birmingham on Saturday.

Norwich sporting director Ben Knapper added: “Philippe is an incredibly experienced and prominent head coach, with clear values and beliefs that align with ours.

“We now have an incredible amount of work ahead of us to ensure we improve performances and results and we will do everything possible to ensure Philippe has our full backing and support.”

Worse than Antman: Rohl must drop Rangers flop who's "nowhere near ready"

Glasgow Rangers head coach Danny Rohl will have known what he was getting himself into when he took the opportunity to join the club earlier this week.

As shown in the graphic above, Russell Martin only won five of his 17 matches in charge and his side conceded a staggering 24 goals in that time.

That is why Rohl may not have been too shocked when his team conceded three goals in a 3-0 loss to Brann in the Europa League on Thursday night.

The manager will have learned a bit more about some of his players, though, and he decided to withdraw Oliver Antman from the game after just 45 minutes.

Why Oliver Antman should not be dropped

Despite being hauled off at half-time, the Finland international should not be dropped for the weekend because he showed more promise in his performance than some of the other attackers on the pitch.

Per Sofascore, Antman completed 88% of his attempted passes, completed one of his two attempted crosses, and created one chance for his team. The cross that he did not ‘complete’ was also a brilliant ball across the face of the goal that Youssef Chermiti was unable to get on the end of.

Meanwhile, per Sofascore, Djeidi Gassama completed 60% of his attempted passes, did not complete any crosses, and created one chance for the team, whilst giving the ball away 14 times, nine times more than Antman did.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

This is why the Finnish winger should not be dropped, and why he was unfortunate to be withdrawn, as he offered more out wide than the Frenchman did.

Meanwhile, a Rangers attacker who should be ruthlessly ditched from the starting line-up for Sunday’s clash with Kilmarnock is centre-forward Chermiti.

Why Danny Rohl should drop Youssef Chermiti

Rohl should take the £8m summer signing from Everton out of the XI to bring Bojan Miovski into the side this weekend, because the Portuguese dud did not offer enough up front against Brann.

Speaking on TNT’s live coverage of the match, former Gers striker Ally McCoist claimed that the forward is “showing nothing” to prove that he is worth the £8m that the club paid for him in the summer.

RangersReview writer Derek Clark also stated that the young attacker is “nowhere near ready to lead the line” for the Ibrox giants, and it is hard to disagree with Clark and McCoist’s assessments of the forward.

Minutes

76

xG

0.38

Goals

0

Successful dribbles

0/2

Pass accuracy

50%

Key passes

0

Ground duels won

0/3

Aerial duels won

4/10

As you can see in the table above, Chermiti offered little to the side as a passer, as a creator, or as a physical presence in the number nine position, which is why he was even worse than Antman, who was reliable on the ball and created a chance for the team.

His 0.38 xG chance came from a brilliant ball to the back post that he softly headed in the direction of the goalkeeper, instead of directing it back across to the other corner, as McCoist suggested that he should have done on TNT’s commentary.

Chermiti, whose last club career goal came for Sporting in the 2022/23 campaign, has now failed to provide a goal or an assist in seven appearances for the Light Blues since his £8m move to the club.

Meanwhile, Miovski has scored two goals for the Gers since his switch from Girona, with strikes against Hibernian in the League Cup and Falkirk in the Scottish Premiership.

"Disgrace" – Cavenagh told who to "fire" after Rangers defeat to Brann

Gers fans are furious after Danny Rohl’s first match in charge.

1 ByBen Goodwin Oct 23, 2025

This suggests that the Macedonia international is more likely to make an impact in the final third if selected against Kilmarnock on Sunday, which is why Rohl should ruthlessly ditch Chermiti from the XI in order to bring the left-footed attacker into the side.

Better than Haaland: Man City must regret selling "the best player in PL"

Manchester City haven’t been at their rip-roaring best so far this season, but there are certainly signs from Pep Guardiola’s side that they are reshaping into a force to be reckoned with.

Arsenal and Liverpool are possibly both ahead of the Citizens in the Premier League title power rankings. But the campaign is young, and Man City no a thing or two about constructing an incredible run of winning form.

There are still issues to be ironed out, but Guardiola looks to have rebuilt the core of his squad at the Etihad Stadium, and he’s also got Erling Haaland leading the line.

And Haaland, unto himself, is a title-winning machine.

Haaland's incredible start to the season

With eight goals scored across six Premier League matches so far this season, Haaland has endured his joint-worst start to a term in the English top flight.

He really is remarkable. Sure to retire as one of the game’s greatest goalscorers, the Norwegian has been a monstrous attacking focal point for City over the past three years, and he continues to be the driving force for his side as they look to add some silverware to the cabinet.

The 25-year-old only took seven touches during the first half of Man City’s 2-2 draw against Monaco. That was all that he needed to have added another brace to his swollen collection.

Some player, and it’s remarkable that he has maintained his god-like scoring record in spite of Kevin De Bruyne leaving at the end of his contract last summer, the legendary playmaker signing for Napoli as he steers toward the sunset of his illustrious career.

Replacing the Belgian is going to be a tough task indeed. He is truly one of a kind. However, City did have such a player who looks like he’s up to the task, now that De Bruyne has left the English scene.

But Cole Palmer was sold before he could spread his wings for the Sky Blues.

Man City must regret selling Cole Palmer

In August 2023, Chelsea announced they had signed Palmer from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £42.5m. It was met with a mixed response, with the young playmaker regarded as an exciting talent but maybe also lacking experience at the highest level.

What followed was incredible. Palmer scored 25 goals and supplied 15 assists across a ridiculous breakout campaign at Stamford Bridge, swiftly rivalling the biggest hitters on English shores for being the face of the division.

He has now notched 74 goal involvements across 101 matches for the Blues, and across the past year, he ranks among the top 8% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe for progressive passes and the top 5% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.

Though injuries have impeded the opening weeks of the Three Lions star’s campaign under Enzo Maresca, he remains a source of strength in west London, with his return to full form and fitness sure to coincide with an upswing of results for Chelsea too.

How City must be reeling. CIES Football Observatory have estimated that the 23-year-old boasts a market value in the ballpark of £145m, which it a pretty penny above what Chelsea paid for him.

Outscored only by the three top strikers of this Premier League generation since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, Chelsea’s talisman continues to inspire awe, with Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher even going as far as to name him “the best player in the Premier League” about one year ago.

Erling Haaland

68

57

Mohamed Salah

76

49

Alexander Isak

66

44

Cole Palmer

74

38

Ollie Watkins

81

36

Haaland, of course, tops that list, and comfortably at that.

Palmer might actually be Man City’s talisman over the Norwegian sensation, had he been allowed to develop in Manchester. Goals and assists are dished out aplenty, and Palmer also won 56% of his ground duels in the Premier League last term, emphasising his underrated combative side.

That and he has been the all-inspiring leader for an up-and-down Chelsea side too, instrumental in winning the Conference League and the Club World Cup last year, thus establishing himself among the best players in the world at last month’s Ballon d’Or ceremony in France.

Indeed, Palmer placed eighth on the list, whereas Haaland will perhaps feel somewhat aggrieved after coming in at 26th.

To think that the Chelsea attacking midfielder achieved this without having played Champions League football (the first person to record a top-ten finish without that mark since Neymar Jr. 14 years ago) says much about Palmer’s quality, influence and the respect and admiration he is held in by journalists across the world.

If Haaland maintains his current form across the span of the season and wins a few trophies besides, the Norway international may fancy his chances of leaping well up the rankings during next year’s award ceremony, but Palmer, too, will look to bounce back from his current injury problems and push for a place at the very forefront of the list.

One thing’s for sure, Man City made a big mistake when signing off the cheque for Palmer’s sale to a divisional rival. He has only gone from strength to strength since departing and is now one of the best in the business.

Cole Palmer

Just imagine the Englishman feeding passes through to Haaland in the box, creating an almighty and unstoppable attacking partnership.

Given that De Bruyne is with City no longer, it really is frustrating to think the perfect replacement has already been sold.

Forget Nico: Pep must drop "world class" Man City star who lost the ball 12x

Following Manchester City’s 2-2 draw with Monaco in the Champions League, a “world class” star, not just Nico González, cost them as Stade Louis II.

Oct 2, 2025

Crystal Palace now rivalling Tottenham for £43m former Real Madrid defender

Crystal Palace are now rivalling Tottenham Hotspur for the signature of a former Real Madrid player, who “never puts a foot wrong.”

Palace keen on new centre-back with Guehi set for exit

Marc Guehi was hardly short of suitors before the international break, with the centre-back’s move to Liverpool falling through on deadline day, but the Englishman has once again put himself in the shop window courtesy of his performance against Wales.

The Three Lions haven’t conceded a single goal in World Cup qualifying, with Guehi helping his side continue their fantastic defensive record against Wales last week, while also assisting England’s opening two goals.

The 25-year-old has remained a consummate professional, having not downed tools in order to force through a move, but it appears as though an exit is inevitable, given that the Palace captain was left very unhappy with his move to Anfield breaking down.

Consequently, Crystal Palace have now started looking at potential replacements for the defender, and they have now joined the race for Lazio defender Mario Gila, who is also being targeted by Tottenham, Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states all the aforementioned Premier League clubs are keeping close tabs on Gila, who could command a huge transfer fee.

Crystal Palace now plotting move for £31m "freak of nature" to replace Wharton

The Eagles are looking to sign a new central midfielder, amid widespread interest in Adam Wharton.

ByDominic Lund Oct 15, 2025

The Italian club are only willing to listen to offers in the region of €45m – €50m (£39m – £43m), which is regarded as an affordable fee for Spurs, but would be a club-record signing for Palace, eclipsing the £32m spent on Christian Benteke back in 2016.

Gila could be exciting replacement for Guehi

Of course, no Crystal Palace fan will want their FA Cup-winning captain to leave, but given that he has shown no interest in signing a new contract, it is wise to start thinking about potential replacements.

Moreover, the Lazio defender could be an exciting option, given that he is experienced in Europe, having featured in the Conference League, Europa League and Champions League with Lazio.

The ex-Real Madrid man has also received plaudits from Lazio sporting director Igli Tare, who seemed to suggest he is destined for the top level, saying: “He is fast, intelligent and never puts a foot wrong. He can become one of the top 3-4 defenders in the world and it wouldn’t surprise me if Real wanted him back.”

As such, it would be a real coup if Palace were able to sign Gila, but the capture of Yeremy Pino in the summer showed that Selhurst Park is now becoming an attractive destination for top players.

Tottenham Hotspur's most expensive sales of all time

Tottenham Hotspur have a world-class stadium which cost £1bn and they’ve also splashed the cash on several new signings over the years. However, their wait for a first trophy since 2008 goes on.

Spurs have also brought in big transfer fees for a plethora of stars, dealing with some of Europe’s biggest clubs in the process – but who is the club’s record departure?

Here is a look at Tottenham Hotspur’s most expensive sales in their history, with the help of news reports and Transfermarkt, with a detailed look at the top 10.

Tottenham’s most expensive sales of all time

Rank

Player

Fee

Sold to

Year

1

Harry Kane

£86.4m

Bayern Munich

2023

2

Gareth Bale

£85.3m

Real Madrid

2013

3

Kyle Walker

£50m

Man City

2017

4

Dimitar Berbatov

£30.75m

Man Utd

2008

5

Luka Modric

£30m

Real Madrid

2012

6

Steven Bergwijn

£26m

Ajax

2022

7

Oliver Skipp

£25m

Leicester

2024

=8

Kieran Trippier

£20m

Atletico Madrid

2019

=8

Heung-min Son

£20m

LAFC

2025

10

Robbie Keane

£19m

Liverpool

2008

11

Michael Carrick

£18.6m

Man Utd

2006

=12

Emerson Royal

£18m

AC Milan

2024

=12

Kevin Wimmer

£18m

Stoke City

2017

14

Christian Eriksen

£16.9m

Inter

2020

15

Nabil Bentaleb

£16m

Schalke

2017

=16

Toby Alderweireld

£13m

Al-Duhail

2021

=16

Juan Foyth

£13m

Villarreal

2021

=16

Ryan Mason

£13m

Hull City

2016

=16

Nacer Chadli

£13m

West Brom

2016

=20

Kyle Walker-Peters

£12m

Southampton

2020

=20

Andros Townsend

£12m

Newcastle

2016

=20

Peter Crouch

£12m

Stoke

2011

=20

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg

£12m

Marseille

2025

Here’s a detailed look at Spurs' top 10 sales… 10 Robbie Keane £19m to Liverpool, 2008

Robbie Keane was Spurs’ star player and captain back in 2008, so it was a real blow when Liverpool took him to Anfield for £19m. The transfer fee could have surpassed £20m, but we doubt the Irishman met the required add-ons.

Daniel Levy publicly spoke of their disappointment that Keane wanted a move away, but six months later, Keane was back at Tottenham on a permanent transfer after struggling to become a regular on Merseyside.

9 Heung-min Son £20m to LAFC, 2025

A Tottenham icon, Heung-min Son lifted Spurs’ first trophy in 17 years following the club’s Europa League triumph in 2025, but months later, the South Korea forward left north London for the MLS.

The attacker departed for LAFC in a deal worth £20m, with Son scoring 173 goals in 454 games for Spurs, proving to be worth every penny of the £22m Tottenham spent in 2015.

8 Kieran Trippier £20m to Atletico Madrid, 2019

Kieran Trippier’s final game for Tottenham came at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium in the 2019 Champions League final. It would end up being his new club home after Spurs sold him to Diego Simeone’s side for £20m that summer.

Trippier has since become a La Liga winner and returned to the Premier League with Newcastle United, where he helped them qualify for the Champions League.

7 Oliver Skipp £25m to Leicester City, 2024

After coming through the academy and making more than 100 first-team appearances, midfielder Oliver Skipp was sold by Spurs for a reported £25m in 2024.

Leicester City were happy to pay big for Skipp after winning promotion, with the player signing a five-year deal. For a player who didn’t quite reach his potential at Tottenham, it wasn’t the worst deal in the world.

6 Steven Bergwijn £26m to Ajax, 2022

Tottenham signed Steven Bergwijn in January 2020 in the hope that he’d further boost a very exciting attacking lineup under Jose Mourinho.

However, the Dutchman rarely started and wasn’t the attacking threat Spurs had invested in. Eight goals in 83 appearances isn’t exactly worth what they paid for him, so they did well to bring in a £26m fee in 2022.

5 Luka Modric £30m to Real Madrid, 2012

Luka Modric’s performances over a four-year period at White Hart Lane caught the eye of Real Madrid in 2012, who took the Croatia international to the Bernabeu in the summer of 2012 for £30m.

The midfielder went on to star in Spain and even won the Ballon d’Or in 2018, so the £30m fee is probably looked back on as a bargain for Madrid.

4 Dimitar Berbatov £30.75m to Man Utd, 2008

Stylish striker Dimitar Berbatov struck up a brilliant relationship with Robbie Keane in north London, with the former scoring 46 goals in 102 games.

Despite having Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United added Berbatov to their ranks in 2008, and he’d go on to win six honours with the Red Devils in four years following his £30.75m transfer from Spurs.

3 Kyle Walker £50m to Man City, 2017

Kyle Walker became the world’s most expensive defender when he joined Manchester City from Tottenham in 2017 for £50m, with the England international going on to win everything under Pep Guardiola at the Etihad.

Walker is arguably England’s greatest-ever right-back, but at the time, Tottenham had Kieran Trippier waiting in the wings, so were seemingly happy to cash in on him for such a large sum.

2 Gareth Bale £85.3m to Real Madrid, 2013

Gareth Bale followed Modric to Real Madrid in 2013 after starring in north London. The Wales international cost Real more than they had paid for Cristiano Ronaldo in 2009, with the transfer a world-record €100m (£85.3m) at the time.

Bale would go on to win 15 honours at the Bernabeu, including five Champions League titles. He scored 106 goals in 258 appearances in a Madrid shirt.

1 Harry Kane £86.4m to Bayern Munich, 2023

Topping the charts as Tottenham’s record departure is record goalscorer Harry Kane, who brought in £86.4m when he joined Bayern Munich in 2023.

The striker was linked with a Spurs exit on numerous occasions during his 13-year spell as a professional in north London, but it was the Bundesliga and Bayern that persuaded him to leave Tottenham. Kane, as expected, has gone on to continue to score for fun in Germany.

Harshal, Cummins capitalise on dry pitch to keep CSK down

Brevis looked good for his 42 but there were no other significant contributions from CSK’s batters

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Apr-20253:11

Did CSK get it wrong at the auction?

An impressive CSK debut for Dewald Brevis, Ayush Mhatre’s good start in his second game, were not enough to drag Chennai Super Kings out of the mire. Winning only their third toss of the year, Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) capitalised on a dry pitch in their bid to beat CSK in Chennai for the first time and also get their own campaign back on track after just two wins in eight matches. CSK’s 154 was their third-lowest total of the season.Harshal Patel tested the middle of the pitch better than the others and ended up with analysis of 4-0-28-4. Pat Cummins got the wicket of the dangerous-looking Mhatre and topped it up with two boundaryless overs in the 16th and the 18th, ending up with figures of 4-0-21-2. Kamindu Mendis wowed people again with his ambidextrous bowling, taking Ravindra Jadeja’s wicket and then removing Brevis with a sensational catch at long-off.Mhatre got CSK off to one of their more enterprising starts despite a first-ball dismissal of Shaik Rasheed, but SRH were quick to start bowling into the pitch. Only Brevis rose above the conditions and the bowling, hitting four sixes in his 42 off 25. That included three sixes in Kamindu’s third over after he had not been hit for any boundary in his first two.Related

Knight: 'Klaasen is batting far too low. Six overs or a tick over, get him out there'

'There are times when you have to rejig your attitude' but SRH haven't done that

Jamie Overton soaks in the different world of the IPL

Jadeja in no-man's land as CSK's plans just won't work

Brevis was looking dangerous when he hit a slower bouncer over extra cover for six, but when he smashed a shot flat off a slot ball from Harshal, Kamindu dived to his left at long-off, got both his hands to the ball and caught it behind his body.After Brevis’ dismissal, the SRH bowlers turned the screw in with their tall bowlers banging the ball into the pitch. Jaydev Unadkat got Shivam Dube, and Harshal sent back MS Dhoni. Hooda added 17 for the last wicket with Khaleel Ahmed, but it wasn’t quite the finishing kick they needed.

Game
Register
Service
Bonus