Sunderland would have felt slightly relieved at the prospect of an international break, taking some time out from their current dire standing in the Championship to assess what's truly made the wheels come off at the Stadium of Light.

A long list of injuries certainly hasn't helped Mike Dodds back in the interim hot-seat on Wearside, with the likes of 15-goal star Jack Clarke being absent really putting a spanner in the works.

At least the Black Cats can take some mild comfort in the fact that they do look safe from the second tier drop-zone, although it's still a dramatic drop-off for a side once chasing promotion as a wild dream.

It's not been quite as hard to watch as Sunderland's 2016-17 season however, where a number of expected top talents – including one forgotten flop – consistently waved the white flag under the doomed tenure of David Moyes that saw relegation down to the Championship confirmed.

Jeremain Lens' record at Sunderland

One-time Sunderland dud Jeremain Lens would only make two appearances that season, shipped out on loan to the likes of Fenerbahce and Besiktas over the following years to try and get him off the roster after a disastrous first campaign.

The Dutch winger would end up making just 24 appearances for the Black Cats before leaving for Turkey permanently in 2018, with the Wearside outfit left to rue the decision to fork out a substantial £8m on his services.

Starring with Dynamo Kyiv before relocating to England, it was a move that just never worked for Lens under Dick Advocaat – the now 36-year-old only managing to pick up four goals and three assists before being swiftly moved on.

Now, the move looks even more like a colossal waste of money when you consider how much Lens' transfer value has dropped since his ill-fated stint at the Stadium of Light.

Plying his trade in the French third division now, the veteran attacker comes in at being worth less than Black Cats reserve man Bradley Dack even whilst the former Blackburn Rovers midfielder remains a permanent fixture in the Sunderland treatment room.

Jeremain Lens' transfer value in 2024

According to Football Transfers, whilst playing for FC Versailles 78 as of December last year, Lens' transfer value had decreased all the way down to a meagre €200k (£171k) as the Dutchman begins to see out his extensive career in France.

That's some way off the £8m that the Black Cats once paid to land the ex-PSV Eindhoven man in his prime, only for his time with Sunderland to not go to plan.

Remarkably, Dack – who hasn't played in the league for Sunderland at all in 2024 so far – comes in at being worth €0.4M (£343k), which sees him boast the tag of being a more valuable asset than Lens.

That's the case even with Lens blowing off the cobwebs playing for Versailles, firing in nine goals from 35 appearances for his current employers even whilst his career winds down.

Staggeringly, Dack isn't the only Sunderland flop that boasts a higher transfer value than Lens currently with Luis Semedo – who is yet to score a single first-team Sunderland goal since joining as a highly regarded youngster – coming in as being worth €0.4m (£343k) as well.

1. Corry Evans

€0.2m (£171k)

2. Nathan Bishop

€0.2m (£171k)

3. Ellis Taylor

€0.2m (£171k)

4. Bradley Dack

€0.4m (£343k)

5. Luis Semedo

€0.4m (£343k)

Scanning over this table above, the ex-Sunderland dud would even be the least valued member of the current Black Cats camp if he did make a return to Wearside soil.

Lens will just want to continue playing for as long as he can before calling time on his playing days however, with his torrid spell at the Stadium of Light not one he'll ever look back on with fond memories.

The Sydney Thunder fast bowler will continue to represent New South Wales Breakers

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Dec-2019Rene Farrell, the former Australia fast bowler, joined Alex Blackwell and Kristen Beams in announcing her retirement from the Women’s Big Bash League following the exits of their sides from the latest edition of the T20 tournament on Sunday.Sydney Thunder’s Blackwell, Australia’s most-capped woman cricketer, and Beams, who turned out for Melbourne Stars since the tournament took off in 2015-16, had announced their decision to finish up earlier, and Farrell joined Blackwell in a post-match guard of honour after the Thunder lost to the Melbourne Renegades in their last match of the season.Farrell, 32, made her Australia debut in an ODI against New Zealand in Darwin in July 2007 and played three Test matches, 44 ODIs and 54 T20Is over the years, her last outing in national colours coming in March 2017, again in an ODI against New Zealand, in Mount Maunganui. She finished with 114 international wickets.Though she won’t play in the WBBL again, Farrell will continue to play for New South Wales Breakers.”I still have 50-overs cricket with the NSW Breakers. Hopefully I can go out on a high there like we did for Alex’s career and winning that [after announcing her retirement from state cricket last year],” Farrell, who picked up 79 wickets in 66 games for the Thunder over the years, said. “I have a bit of cricket left, [but this send off with Sydney Thunder] was really special.”The Thunder website said that Blackwell had invited Farrell to join her in the farewell, joined by players from her team, as well as from the Renegades, Melbourne Stars and Brisbane Heat, who were all in action at Melbourne’s Junction Oval.Alex Blackwell gets a guard of honour•Getty Images”It was lovely of Al [Blackwell] to invite me to enjoy that moment… very special,” Farrell said. “My reputation is gone now, I had a few tears on TV, but it is special.”It wasn’t a particularly memorable outing for Farrell on the field, though, as she conceded 33 runs in four wicketless overs before scoring 14* in 12 balls in a 29-run defeat. Blackwell, too, didn’t have a good time of it, run out for 1 in the failed chase for the Thunder.”I couldn’t have that send off without sharing it with her,” Blackwell said of the joint farewell. “She’s been an absolute legend of the game; really valuable – especially in T20. She’s a big loss, a wonderful character. She’s been an incredible servant of the game and it’s easy to get emotional when you think of her contribution.”Beams, too, had a bad day at work, conceding 14 runs in her only over as the Heat beat the Stars by eight wickets. She picked up just wickets this season in eight bowling innings for the Stars.”I’ve loved the last five years with the Melbourne Stars and being part of the Stars family,” Beams told the team’s website. “To see the WBBL grow from the first year of competition to what it is now has been a fantastic journey.”The 35-year-old legspinner played one Test, 30 ODIs and 18 T20Is for Australia since making her debut in an ODI against Pakistan in Brisbane in August 2014, last turning out for the national team in an ODI against England in Coffs Harbour in October 2017. She picked up 62 international wickets, and was a one-team player at the WBBL, having been with the Stars since the start of the league.

Leeds United play host to Stoke City in the Championship at Elland Road on Tuesday as they go in search of a first win in three competitive matches.

The Whites were held to a 1-1 draw by Huddersfield away from home last time out in the second tier, which came after a 3-2 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup. The weekend's result allowed Ipswich Town to move above them in the table and into second place, but despite dropping out of the automatic promotion places, for now, the 49ers are reportedly keen to tie down one of their vital figures to a new deal.

Daniel Farke contract update

According to Football Insider, the club will make giving head coach Daniel Farke an improved contract a priority move at the end of the 2023/24 campaign. Reporter Wayne Veysey claims that the former Norwich City tactician has made a top impression on the board, who are now plotting a major summer agreement.

He is set for a "huge" pay rise as the 49ers will present him with a bumper new contract should Leeds be promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking.

However, the outlet adds that the Yorkshire-based outfit could offer Farke, whose current deal expires in the summer of 2027, fresh terms even if they fail to go up, which shows how impressive he has been to those running the club this term.

How good has Farke been this season?

Having been relegated from the top-flight last term, Leeds gutted their squad of high-earners as the likes of Marc Roca, Tyler Adams, Rodrigo, Rasmus Kristensen, Jack Harrison, and Robin Koch, among others, moved on either permanently or on loan.

Despite the huge turnover in the squad and the switch from Premier League to Championship football, Farke quickly put together a winning machine at Elland Road. Leeds have won 22 of their 35 league matches during the 2023/24 campaign to date, and sit two points off the automatic promotion places as it stands.

This shows that the German head coach, who won two Championship titles with Norwich, has been effective in deploying a side that can consistently win games at that level.

Farke has also showcased his ability to bring through and develop young talent as both Archie Gray and Mateo Joseph have emerged as first-team options, with perhaps the only criticism fans have to do with his use of substitutions.

Appearances

33

Starts

31

Tackles per game

2.3

Interceptions per game

0.7

Duel success rate

53%

As you can see in the table above, 17-year-old Gray has nailed down a place as a regular starter for Leeds in a promotion-push season, despite his age and inexperience heading into the campaign.

He has been linked with Premier League giants Liverpool and is reportedly valued at up to £50m, which is thanks to Farke's faith in the young whiz, who may not have been given an opportunity under other managers who favour experience.

Overall, tying the head coach down to a new contract would be a shrewd move as his results on the pitch and development of young talent suggest that he could be a fantastic manager for the club for many more years to come, regardless of what division they find themselves in this summer.

Trent Boult and Colin de Grandhomme have been ruled out of New Zealand’s squad for the second Test through injuries.Northern Districts all-rounder Daryl Mitchell has been called into the squad as a replacement for de Grandhomme and will probably play while Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry, already part of the squad, are vying to replace Boult. At this stage, it appears Henry is the more likely to play.Boult was unable to bowl more than a single over on the final day of the first Test after reporting pain in his side. He underwent an MRI scan on Tuesday with the results showing he had strained one of the muscles overlying his ribs on his right-hand side. Meanwhile, De Grandhomme has been diagnosed with a tear to his left lower abdominal muscle, sustained during England’s second innings at Bay Oval.While there is, naturally, disappointment in the New Zealand camp about the injuries, there is perhaps also a hint of relief about the results of Boult’s scan. It cleared him of any bone stress and the team management is still hopeful he could recover to play at least some part in the Test series in Australia. New Zealand depart for Australia on December 7, with the first Test starting in Perth on December 12.”It’s as good as it can be, so hopefully they won’t be out for too long,” Shane Jurgensen, the bowling coach, said. “We want them on the plane to Perth. So it’s a case of rest and rehab for them over the course of this Test. Trent will doing physio five times a day for the next week. He’ll be sleeping with the physio. Hopefully it will be quite a quick rehab.”Colin has this habit of coming on and getting wickets. Maybe he leads them into a false sense of security because he’s a bit slower with his pace but he bowls a heavy ball, he’s accurate and he’s skilful. He can exploit any grass on a surface or he can hold up an end.”The absences could result in two Test debutants in Hamilton on Friday. Mitchell has played nine T20Is but never been part of a Test squad before, while Ferguson has been pushing for selection for some time. It appears at this stage, however, as if New Zealand might recall Henry who has played 10 Tests and would have been encouraged by a first view of the green-tinged surface at Seddon Park.”It’s a fantastic opportunity for Daryl if he’s selected,” Jurgensen continued. “He bowled quite well when I looked after the A team recently. I think he’s the capability to do what Colin has in recent times. We’re lucky we have Daryl to come in.”Todd Astle, the leg-spinner, has also been recalled to the squad having been released to play a couple of limited-overs domestic games for Canterbury in recent days. At this stage, however, it seems unlikely he will play in Hamilton.”I was really proud the way the guys bowled in the first Test,” Jurgensen said. “That wicket was dry and flat – not what we’d normally see in New Zealand – so it took a really combined team effort. Tim Southee took four wickets in the first innings; Neil Wagner took five in the second and Mitchell Santner came through and got the ball rolling.”Henry has done a really good job for the team and is a genuine new ball bowler. And so, too, is Lockie. Both options will be considered. You always want to give people an opportunity to play. But it is Test cricket and we pride ourselves on playing the best XI.”This pitch tends to offer a bit for the fast bowlers and the seamers. Then, if it gets hot, it becomes a pretty good pitch. But the ball tends to swing here as it’s a bit more humid than other places. You probably have to look up above rather than at the pitch.”New Zealander were boosted further by Wagner’s rise to No. 3 in the Test bowling rankings; a highest ever position for him. Boult is placed at No. 11 and Southee at No. 14. New Zealand also have three men (Kane Williamson at No. 3, Henry Nicholls at No. 6 and Tom Latham at No. 8) in the top 10 of the batting rankings.

MatériaMais Notícias

O anúncio que o Brasil sediará a próxima Copa América, nos próximos meses, mobilizou torcedores, jornalistas e políticos, nesta segunda-feira. No programa “Seleção SporTV”, Luís Roberto perdeu a paciência com a ação do governo federal e disse que seria “um tapa na cara dos brasileiros” a realização da Copa América no país. Poucas horas depois, Eduardo Bolsonaro ironizou a fala do narrador e questionou a emissora Globo.
+ Confira a classificação atualizada do Brasileirão!

RelacionadasFora de CampoNo Rio e SP, audiência de Flamengo e Palmeiras fica entre as maiores da Globo em estreias de BrasileiroFora de Campo31/05/2021Fora de CampoCom mais de 460 mil mortes por Covid, Mourão defende Copa América no Brasil: ‘Menos risco’Fora de Campo31/05/2021Fora de CampoRenan Calheiros chama Copa América de ‘campeonato da morte’ e senador ataca Bolsonaro: ‘Estúpido’Fora de Campo31/05/2021

Em seu perfil no Twitter, o filho do presidente Jair Messias Bolsonaro afirmou que Luís Roberto “nunca reclamou” da emissora transmitir jogos das competições regionais e nacionais. Ainda na publicação, Eduardo recorda a perda dos direitos televisivos da Copa América do Grupo Globo. Recentemente, o SBT fechou contrato com a Conmebol para exibição do torneio sul-americano.
​
-Mas o mesmo sujeito segue transmitindo normalmente Campeonato Estadual, Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil, etc. E nunca reclamou – começou o político.

– Será que ficou bravinho porque a Globo perdeu recentemente a Copa América para o SBT? Será? – concluiu em tom de ironia.

Mas o mesmo sujeito segue transmitindo normalmente Campeonato Estadual, Brasileirão, Copa do Brasil, etc. E nunca reclamou.

Será que ficou bravinho porque a Globo perdeu recentemente a Copa América para o SBT? Será? 🤨 https://t.co/TfUChfKOTy

— Eduardo Bolsonaro🇧🇷 (@BolsonaroSP) May 31, 2021

Não é a primeira vez que Eduardo Bolsonaro cutuca a emissora carioca. Em 2020, ele afirmou que a rede “persegue quem não milita a favor da esquerda” ao comentar sobre uma discussão entre os ex-jogadores e comentaristas do grupo, Caio Ribeiro e Casagrande.

Chelsea are already looking towards the summer transfer window, as they look to bring another disappointing season to a close.

Chelsea still struggling on and off the pitch

Mauricio Pochettino's side conceded two goals for the fifth consecutive Premier League game on Sunday, as a late Oli McBurnie goal saw them held to a 2-2 draw at Bramall Lane by 20th placed Sheffield United.

Perhaps even more worrying than the result was the performance itself, with Sheffield United racking up more shots on target and more expected goals than the once-regular trophy winners. Speaking after the game, even Pochettino admitted that his side didn't deserve to win.

"When you concede in the last few minutes, always we feel very disappointed and frustrated because we should win the game in this moment," the Blues boss explained after the game.

"But for different circumstances, we concede and in the end, it’s a draw. I want to say also now with the draw in our hands, it’s a fair result.

'"f you analyse the game, even though we had the control and possession, we didn’t create enough or show the capacity to be solid, strong, and not concede goals. That is the most painful situation."

Despite the disappointment, the Blues are now unbeaten in their last five Premier League games and sitting ninth in the Premier League, with an outside chance of ending the campaign in a Europa League or UEFA Conference League spot for next season.

Premier League race for Europe

Position

Team

Played

Won

Drawn

Lost

Goal difference

Points

6th

Manchester United

31

15

4

12

-1

49

7th

West Ham United

32

13

9

10

-4

48

8th

Newcastle United

31

14

5

12

13

47

9th

Chelsea

30

12

8

10

3

44

But come the summer their job doesn't get any easier. They are expected to need to raise around £100m profit from player sales before they can invest further in the playing squad, which is likely to see the likes of Conor Gallagher and Ian Maatsen depart permanently.

With that in mind, they will need to be creative this summer in order to land their targets, and reports suggest that they are ready to do just that.

Chelsea readying huge swap deal for goalscoring star

Now, it has been reported that Chelsea are trying to put together a player plus cash deal for Napoli star Victor Osimhen this summer. The Nigerian is high on the wishlist of several top clubs, with Paris Saint Germain and Arsenal both thought to be following him and Osimhen likely to leave this summer.

Related Chelsea ready to offer Reece James in swap deal for Real Madrid star

The Blues are already planning for the summer.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Apr 8, 2024

One major stumbling block is the price though; he is believed to have a release clause in his current deal in Naples, with that fee sitting at 130m euros (£110m), something that will likely prove an obstacle to plenty of interested parties.

As a result, Team Talk claim that Chelsea have offered a compromise. In fact, they had already offered a deal involving Romelu Lukaku to Napoli, but that was turned down. Now, they are ready to add on-loan striker Armando Broja into the mix, though it is added that Napoli are keen to try and sell Osimhen rather than entertain any swap deals.

With Broja struggling to even get minutes at Fulham, the deal seems very unlikely to be successful, but it offers a clear insight into Chelsea's plan of attack for the upcoming summer transfer window.

Declan Rice has been tipped by Arsenal legend Ray Parlour to benefit from Mikel Merino's £25 million move to the Emirates.

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• Mikel Arteta wants more steel in midfield
• Pushing to sign Merino from Real Sociedad
• Parlour believes Rice will benefit from Merino's incoming

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Merino, currently with Real Sociedad, has an impressive track record, including a stint at Newcastle United during the 2017/18 season. His recent contributions to Spain's Euro 2024 victory in Germany further highlight his capabilities. Arsenal, in need of a new midfielder following Emile Smith Rowe's move to Fulham, sees Merino as a valuable addition to Mikel Arteta's squad.

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  Merino's versatility allows him to play as a left-sided No. 8 or in a double pivot, making him a strategic fit alongside Declan Rice and captain Martin Odegaard. He is being touted as a natural successor to Granit Xhaka, who transferred to Bayer Leverkusen last year, and Parlour's endorsement comes amid ongoing discussions between Arsenal and Real Sociedad over a £25 million (€30m/$32m) deal for the Spanish midfielder.

• WHAT PARLOUR SAID

  Speaking on the talkSPORT Breakfast Show, Parlour said: "They're looking at Thomas Partey, he might be on his way out, so they do need a little bit of strengthening in that midfield. It [Merino transfer] gives Declan Rice a little bit more license to go forward if you've got another holding midfielder in there. I know he plays like that for England in that holding role, but I like to see Declan get forward. And as I've said before, I'm a little bit of an old-fashioned midfielder, I like the box-to-box players. It's just using your common sense as a midfielder, if someone runs past you that is playing alongside you and gets forward, you just fill in for him, and vice versa, it's very, very straightforward."

  Parlour continued to praise Merino, saying, "He's a top player, performing well for both Spain and Real Sociedad. At 28, he's at an optimal age, making this a good investment for Arsenal. With £25 million, it's a solid deal, and their good relationship with Real Sociedad, especially with [Kieran] Tierney's loan, facilitates this transfer."

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  Merino contributed eight goals and five assists across all competitions last season and demonstrated his defensive prowess by winning the most duels in Europe's top seven leagues, totalling 326.

Real Madrid legend Toni Kroos heaped praise on Arda Guler while issuing a warning regarding his fitness.

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Kroos advised Guler to remain injury-freeMissed majority of debut season due to injuryReal Madrid face AC Milan on WednesdayWHAT HAPPENED?

The Turkish wonderkid snubbed Barcelona in favour of a move to Real Madrid last summer, but his maiden season at Santiago Bernabeu did not go as planned as he was injured for the majority of the 2023-24 campaign. However, the midfielder managed to score six times in the 10 La Liga appearances he made for Los Blancos.

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His impressive performances for his club towards the end of the season earned the midfielder a call-up to the Turkish national team at the European Championship, where he had a fantastic outing as he helped his team reach the quarter-finals.

WHAT TONI KROOS SAID

With Guler gearing up to start afresh with the Spanish champions ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, former Real star Kroos opened up on the Turkey international's talent as he said on Sky in Germany: "He has a great future if he stays healthy. What sets Arda apart from other young players is that he is open to learning. Since he arrived he paid a lot of attention to everything we did before and after training. There aren't many players like that today.

"He really wants to learn and improve. His finishing and his left foot are incredible, we all noticed that from the first training session."

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR REAL MADRID?

Carlo Ancelotti's side have reached the United States and will play their first pre-season friendly against AC Milan on Wednesday at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Head coach believes ‘under pressure’ captain should take confidence from spending time in the middle during second innings

Firdose Moonda in Port Elizabeth19-Jan-2020Mark Boucher knows as much about Faf du Plessis’ future as a Test cricketer as we do, which is that du Plessis is under pressure. Asked directly if du Plessis is going to retire next week, Boucher said: “I’ve got no clue. He hasn’t said anything. I don’t think so.”Du Plessis has not crossed fifty in his last nine innings, he has not even crossed 40. He has had to deal with a major administrative crisis that he admitted weighed him down. It’s little wonder he needed a shoulder rub during his innings at St George’s Park.In what some are speculating could be his last Test innings, du Plessis faced 123 balls and spent two hours and 24 minutes, which, in other circumstances could be considered confidence-boosting. But when he was dismissed, the possibility of a four-day finish loomed, which is hardly the way a captain wants to take his team to the close of play. Given all the other challenges du Plessis is facing, it’s not unthinkable that it has all become too much, but Boucher hopes it hasn’t.”It’s easy for me to sit here and say yes I am happy with his state of mind. For me, his state of mind will be a lot better if he gets up there and scores runs,” Boucher said. “We all know that he is under pressure in the media and from a confidence point of view.”The positive for me is that he actually got out there, he gave himself a chance to have a look at the conditions and he looked like he got some good rhythm in a really tough situation. He got to face over 100 balls so he will sit back in the changeroom, look at the team situation and be disappointed in the performance today and in the Test match but I am sure he will take confidence from the fact that he got to spend time out there and face a few balls in the middle.”ALSO READ: Cricket is a finite game and du Plessis’ finish is in sightStill, South Africa seemed to lack a certain impetus which seemed to suggest there is something bigger brewing. Boucher indicated there are problems behind-the-scenes, although he did not elaborate on what they might be. “There might have been a couple of things that added to the lacklustre performance today. We can’t get too emotional about it. We’ve got to go out there and say we need a lot of hard work in the future and that’s what we’ve got to do,” Boucher said.Whether that relates to Kagiso Rabada’s suspension or the possibility of du Plessis’ impending exit is unclear. What is, is that the brief honeymoon period South Africa’s new management experienced at SuperSport Park is over and divorce proceedings are already being talked about in terms of the captain.South Africa are staring down their seventh Test defeat from the last eight they’ve played. Though they would have experienced similar when up against the Australian side of the early 2000s, then there was depth in the system; now the options are severely limited. South Africa only have one available bowler who can send the speedgun above 150kph for the Wanderers Test, Anrich Nortje, their experienced opening batsman, Dean Elgar, is coming off his worst calendar year in 2019 and is trying to hold the fort in an inexperienced top six and their best bowler is a containing spinner, Keshav Maharaj.Is this the lowest ebb since readmission? Boucher wouldn’t be drawn into that. “That’s a big call. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I have been in teams where we’ve been pretty low. Here, we are still in the series. We are in a bad situation in this particular game but we are not out of the series yet,” he said.Instead, Boucher has taken it on himself to accept responsibility for the performances so far and to try and fix things as quickly as possible. “It’s easy to point fingers at this and that and our system. For me, there’s no excuses. I need to find a way to get it right in a short period of time,” Boucher said.”I look at this as a time to self-reflect. I’m looking at myself and saying, ‘how do I take responsibility for the performance of the team and how do I try and mentally and physically upskill these guys to make them better players in a short space of time?'”

Aston Villa are currently in the quarter-finals of the Europa Conference League while battling it out to secure a top four finish in the Premier League.

It is safe to say the season has exceeded expectations, but if Unai Emery can claim a Champions League berth for next term along with winning the Conference League trophy, he will go down as a Villa legend.

His savvy in the transfer market has been a big factor in their recent rise, with the Spaniard luring the likes of Moussa Diaby, Youri Tielemans and Pau Torres to the club last summer.

Could a decision he made last summer come back to haunt him, however? The 52-year-old moved on a talented youngster who is shining for his new club – Jaden Philogene.

Jaden Philogene’s statistics for Hull City

The youngster made a total of six appearances for Villa before deciding to join Hull City last summer for a transfer fee of just £5m.

While on the surface it looked like a deal that benefitted both parties, his performances in the second tier perhaps indicated Emery moved him on too hastily.

In 23 appearances for Hull, Philogene has scored eight goals and registered six assists in the Championship as the club currently occupy seventh spot in the league table.

His 14 goals and assists would rank him fifth in the current Villa squad, while among his Hull teammates, Philogene ranks first for big chances created (five), shots on target per game (1.3) and successful dribbles per game (2.8), demonstrating how vital he has been to their cause this season.

How Jaden Philogene's wage compares to Villa squad

There is not a lot separating the young winger from Villa’s record signing, Diaby. Indeed, Philogene’s tally of 14 goal contributions is only one behind the Frenchman, while the current Hull gem has scored eight goals to his seven efforts for the Midlands side this term.

Aston Villa's top five highest earners
Player	Current weekly salary
Clement Lenglet	£150k-per-week
Boubacar Kamara	£150k-per-week
Youri Tielemans	£150k-per-week
Moussa Diaby	£130k-per-week
Ollie Watkins	£130k-per-week
Via Capology

The former Bayer Leverkusen winger is currently earning £130k-per-week since making the move to the Premier League from the Bundesliga nine months ago, but his displays have been a far cry from this sort of salary.

Philogene, on the other hand, is earning just £9k-per-week following his arrival from Villa in 2023 and this is a staggering difference considering their attacking output is fairly similar.

This means Diaby is currently earning 14 times more than the 22-year-old. With his performances for Hull gaining the youngster plenty of plaudits, may Emery rue moving him on so soon rather than giving him a chance in the senior squad?

The Spaniard will be able to go out and splash the cash on young talent in the summer transfer market to soften the blow, but that is not the point. He had a player of considerable talent at the club who was knocking on the door.

Philogene – who has been lauded for his "ridiculous" talent by manager Liam Rosenior – has enhanced his reputation this term and should Hull gain promotion, he could even come back and haunt Emery and Villa during the 2024/25 campaign.

For just £5m, the Championship side have secured themselves a wonderful bargain, no doubt about it.