يدرس أحد لاعبي فريق برشلونة الإسباني، الرحيل خلال سوق الانتقالات الشتوي في شهر يناير المقبل، تمهيدًا لضمان المشاركة مع منتخب بلاده في بطولة كأس العالم 2026.

وخاض برشلونة 9 مباريات في الدوري الإسباني هذا الموسم، ويحتل الوصافة خلف المتصدر ريال مدريد بفارق نقطتين.

ويخوض برشلونة مباراة الكلاسيكو غدًا الأحد أمام ريال مدريد على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” ضمن مباريات الجولة العاشرة للدوري الإسباني.

وذكرت صحيفة “موندو ديبورتيفو” الإسبانية، أن مستقبل حارس المرمى مارك تير شتيجن مع نادي برشلونة لا يزال موضع نقاش كبير.

ولم يعد من المستبعد رحيل تير شتيجن عن برشلونة في انتقالات يناير، خاصة مع تراجع دوره، في ظل وجود خوان جارسيا كحارس أساسي، وتشيزني كخيار ثانٍ، إلى جانب استمرار تعافيه من جراحة الظهر التي خضع لها.

اقرأ أيضًا | رافينها يدفع ثمن خطأ برشلونة قبل الكلاسيكو أمام ريال مدريد

ويوضح التقرير أن هناك اهتمامًا من جانب أندية الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وقد عُرض تير شتيجن على عدد من الأندية الإنجليزية، بما في ذلك تشيلسي ومانشستر يونايتد وتوتنهام ووست هام.

وبالنظر إلى راتب تير شتيجن المرتفع، وعودته من الإصابة، تُعتبر الإعارة الحل الأمثل لمغادرة برشلونة، مع احتمالية إدراج خيار الشراء في العقد.

وفي الوقت الحالي، يرى تير شتيجن أن الحل الأمثل هو الرحيل في يناير لضمان المشاركة من أجل التواجد مع منتخب ألمانيا في مونديال 2026.

MatériaMais Notícias

Em outro patamar! Assim o São Paulo quer entrar no segundo semestre da temporada. Após acertar contrato de dois anos com o colombiano James Rodríguez (o acordo ainda não foi assinado oficialmente), o clube do Morumbi espera os dias para fazer uma investida mais incisiva em outro nome de peso, esse sim o maior dos sonhos da torcida: Lucas Moura.

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A situação é praticamente a mesma de James: Lucas segue parado desde junho, quando acabou o seu contrato com o Tottenham, da Inglaterra. A prioridade é continuar no futebol europeu. Mas o prazo para fechamento das janelas de transferências no Velho Continente está acabando. E nada apareceu para a maior das revelações recentes do clube do Morumbi.

O Tricolor monitora desde o início do ano a situação de Lucas. Conversou com seu estafe e com ele várias vezes e, sem fazer proposta, deixou as portas abertas para o retorno do atacante, vendido em 2012 ao PSG, da França, após ajudar na conquista da Copa Sul-Americana.

A resposta ouvida foi a mesma. O retorno acontecerá um dia, mas a prioridade é a Europa. Nesse intervalo, assim como ocorreu com James, Lucas teria recebido sondagens do mundo árabe. Recusou as investidas por não considerá-las atraentes o suficiente.

À reportagem, fontes da cúpula são-paulina dizem que a estratégia será mantida: o clube vai aguardar o desenrolar da janela, ver se aparecerão ofertas e, se não, analisar as finanças para fazer uma proposta adequada às condições financeiras.

+ Confira os jogos e classificação resultados da Copa do Brasil-23 na tabela do LANCE!

De concreto apenas a postura de não entrar em leilões. Assim como ocorreu com James, negociações só serão iniciadas e continuadas se o São Paulo não ter que entrar em disputas.

Em recente entrevista ao portal ‘Globo Esporte’, Lucas também não descartou a possibilidade de defender o São Paulo novamente.

– Estou livre de contrato agora, então estou aberto para qualquer possibilidade, até de voltar para o São Paulo. Confesso que não está no plano da minha família voltar para o Brasil agora, mas a gente nunca pode descartar nada. Vamos ver o que vai acontecer, o mercado ainda vai abrir, então tem muitas possibilidades. Aí vou decidir com a minha família – disse o atacante.

After a slow start to his Anfield career, Florian Wirtz has revealed what Liverpool manager Arne Slot has just told him to do if he wants to get back to his best.

Why Wirtz has started slow at Liverpool

Whilst it’s been far from disastrous, Wirtz hasn’t got off to the electric start that many expected from a £116m player. The former Bayer Leverkusen player arrived as a player who has the ability to change games on his own and contribute to goals, but what Liverpool have so far seen is a hard-working midfielder who has struggled to make his mark.

There have been glimpses of his best form. In the September international break, the German scored an excellent free-kick and then returned to Liverpool to enjoy his best display yet against Atletico Madrid. It’s a game that should have ended his wait for a goal or assist since the Community Shield, but there were ultimately plenty of positive signs.

There were also signs of how he can control games in a 1-0 victory against Arsenal, especially when Alexis Mac Allister was replaced and he was no longer sharing the same spaces with such a similar player. Whether those two can thrive together is the big question. Slot did, of course, drop Wirtz for the Argentine in the Merseyside derby instead of starting both.

Unlike others in the Premier League, time is on Wirtz’s side. Liverpool sit top of the Premier League by five points and are the only side with a 100% record. If there’s an environment that allows players to settle in, it is Anfield.

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That said, Slot has still spoken to the big-money star about his form and told him exactly what he must do to get back to his best.

Wirtz reveals Slot conversation about Liverpool form

Speaking to reporters, Wirtz revealed that he has held a conversation with Slot about his slow start to life at Liverpool. The German revealed that Slot suggested that his form could be down to Liverpool’s press and his struggle to adapt to that intensity whilst also playing a part in possession.

It would certainly make sense why Wirtz has struggled to keep pace at times. Alas, if that is the reason behind his underwhelming form, then logic suggests that Liverpool should see the best version of their midfielder as the season goes on and his fitness reaches the level required.

Whilst the international break has handed Eddie Howe some much-needed reprieve, some of his Newcastle United players have still found themselves in the firing line on international duty.

Newcastle players to watch on international duty

After a difficult start in the Premier League – failing to win any of their first three games – 10 Newcastle players have travelled for international duty from a range of countries.

As many as four players will be representing England in some capacity, with Tino Livramento, Dan Burn and Anthony Gordon called up to the senior side and Lewis Miley called up to the U21s.

Just how many minutes those players receive will be interesting to see, given that Thomas Tuchel will be forming his World Cup side sooner or later. The Three Lions square off against Andorra tomorrow night, before facing Serbia on Tuesday to end the first international break of the season.

They’re not the only ones to watch on international duty, however. Anthony Elanga and Emil Krafth have both been called up for Sweden in a rapid reunion with Alexander Isak, who recently became Tyneside’s biggest villain by forcing a move to Liverpool.

Despite how he completed the move, Elanga wished his compatriot the best of luck at Liverpool – telling reporters: “Isak is a Liverpool player right now. I have the chance to play with him in the national team. He had a good career at Newcastle, but right now he is a Liverpool player. Good luck to him.”

Elsewhere, Bruno Guimaraes scored for Brazil against Chile earlier this week, Yoane Wissa has been called up for DR Congo, Will Osula is set to represent Denmark and big-money signing Nick Woltemade has already been involved for Germany.

Unlike Guimaraes, though, expensive arrival Woltemade was the talk of the town for the wrong reasons as Germany suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Slovakia.

German media slam "weak" Woltemade performance

It was the towering Newcastle star that took the brunt of criticism for Germany as they were shocked by Slovakia. It was an evening to forget for all involved and concerns will certainly be setting in for Julian Nagelsmann, who hasn’t won any of his last three games in charge.

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Taking aim at Woltemade, who led the line for Germany, national media slammed his performance as “weak” and “half-hearted” in what may have also been the first time that Newcastle fans have seen their new man in action.

The stats don’t make for pretty reading, either. Woltemade had less touches than any other outfield player (27), completed just 10 of his 16 attempted passes in 90 minutes and won just one ground duel.

It was about as frustrating as it gets for the 23-year-old, who will be hoping to enjoy better fortunes back at Newcastle after the international break.

In an attempt to solve one of their biggest problems, Manchester United are now reportedly willing to submit a big-money offer to sign a Real Madrid star in 2026.

Ruben Amorim sack update

Having been handed the benefit of the doubt last season, Ruben Amorim simply had to get off to a good start in the current campaign. After just one win in four Premier League games and a shock Carabao Cup defeat at the hands of Grimsby Town, however, time is running out for the former Sporting Club boss to save his job at Old Trafford.

Reports are now suggesting that he has just three games to turn things around and keep hold of his position. That would mean that this weekend’s clash against rivals Chelsea, next weekend’s trip to face Brentford and then the visit of Sunderland are all must-not-lose games for the Red Devils. Failure to avoid defeat, especially against Brentford and Sunderland, may leave INEOS with no choice but to bid farewell to Amorim.

Whether those reports spark a change in system at Man United is the big question. Amorim was adamant once again last weekend that the problem is not with the system and when asked whether he would change it, he told reporters: “I’m not going to change. When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man.”

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The solution could, instead, be to bolster his system with further reinforcements, with transfer reports already indicating the big-money target that Man United have set their sights on for 2026.

Man Utd willing to bid £87m for Valverde

According to reports in Spain, Man United and INEOS are now willing to submit an offer to sign Federico Valverde from Real Madrid worth as much as €100m (£87m) in 2026.

The impressive midfielder would be an instant upgrade on Manuel Ugarte and would finally provide Amorim with the technician that he needs to make his double pivot work. Whether the Real Madrid star decides to ditch the Spanish giants for a side in turmoil remains to be seen, however.

League stats 24/25

Valverde

Ugarte

Minutes

3,032

1,785

Progressive Passes P90

6.71

3.08

Goals

6

1

Ball Recoveries P90

5.16

6.16

When compared, it’s Valverde’s passing ability and knack for goals that stands out, whilst Ugarte’s struggles to do the same represent why his Man United career is yet to take off.

In the Real Madrid man, United would be signing one of the best midfielders that European football has to offer and those in Spain have been well aware of that for some time.

Full of praise for Valverde, former Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “I make the decisions, but the player is always available. He never asks for anything. That is his strength, and that’s why I believe he’s arguably the most complete player in football. He could even play as a center-back without any problem.”

But it’s a bowling attack that’s going great guns, with Prasidh Krishna – “he’s bowling with good heat” – at the top of the Purple Cap table at the moment

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-20252:44

Boucher: Strange that Sai Kishore only got one over

We are 36 matches into IPL 2025, and the Purple Cap table is led by a Gujarat Titans (GT) man, one of his team-mates is at No. 6 on that list, and another is at No. 9. Between them, the three of them – Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore and Mohammed Siraj – have 36 wickets in seven games each. But after Saturday’s win over Delhi Capitals (DC), the most interesting talking point was perhaps the overs Sai Kishore wasn’t given a chance to bowl.”It was quite strange,” Ambati Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut after the game. Sai Kishore bowled just one over in the game. It was the last over of the DC innings. He gave away just nine runs and got the wicket of the big-hitting Ashutosh Sharma. With Rashid Khan hardly setting the IPL on fire – he had none for 38 this time – why hide Sai Kishore away?”Given the conditions – it was an afternoon game – you would expect the ball to grip a little bit, especially with the new ball when the seam is hard and slightly elevated,” Rayudu said. “He should have bowled at least one over in the powerplay and definitely through the middle. He’s been their best spinner so far; he’s been bowling better than Rashid in this competition. Doesn’t make sense to me.”Related

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The answer, not unsurprisingly, could be match-ups, since the left-handed Axar Patel was batting from the fifth over onwards, till the 18th, and Nicholas Pooran, a left-hand batter like Axar, had given Sai Kishore a hiding in GT’s previous match – he ended with 1.3-0-35-0.”Spooked by match-ups and perhaps what’s happened before. I think the last time we saw him bowl, [he was] put under the pump, but it was Pooran. And that’s why we’re all scratching our heads, going ‘why didn’t he give him a go?’ Especially when three of your topline seamers are all going at more than ten runs an over,” Mark Boucher said on the same show.”Even if he’s bowling to a match-up like Axar, he’s still got the mindset that ‘I can bowl it outside his eyeline’ and I think he might still have created opportunity there. Yes, your best spinner in the competition at the moment and he only bowled one over, in a day game – it is very strange not to have given him the opportunity, or a better opportunity.”With Rashid well off his best, Shubman Gill, the GT captain, might have a job to do to make sure Sai Kishore doesn’t lose his confidence.”One of the biggest things as a spinner is the knowledge of your captain backing you in situations,” Boucher said. “There are certain times when, unfortunately, you’re going to have to bowl against a left-hander. And you get put under pressure. But the one thing as a captain you can do is go to him and say, ‘listen, I know it’s a match-up you don’t enjoy but you’re actually bowling really well, picking up wickets, so just bowl your best ball to him; you’re clever enough to bowl balls and deliveries that are going to make it tough for him to hit’.”On the day, Gill didn’t think so. And they won in the end to go to the top of the table, so who can question the plan?1:30

Rayudu: Prasidh a great prospect for India going forward

Boucher: ‘Prasidh is bowling with good heat’The bowler who is only providing answers to GT is Prasidh. He started with a wicketless game, but has been a star since, the constant in an attack that is often shuffled around based on conditions. On Saturday, he went off his plan of bowling into the pitch for a moment and bowled one of the deliveries of the tournament, nailing the inswinging yorker to KL Rahul and catching the batter lbw.”He looks in great rhythm. His strength is hitting the pitch hard, but the ball he has bowled to KL Rahul was quite surprising and also it moved right at the end,” Rayudu said. “He surprised KL Rahul, and he has a lot of variations – his slower ball is quite effective as well. I think he’s a great prospect not only for GT but for India also going forward.”Prasidh had been out with an injury for the longest time, but made an impressive comeback in the Sydney Test against Australia earlier this year, picking up six wickets, and hasn’t looked back.”I think he really enjoys bowling with Siraj in his team. He takes a bit of pressure off him, as a sort of wicket-taker,” Boucher said. “His pace is up. He gets good bounce obviously because of his height. He’s also getting nice and tight to off stump when he’s delivering. So the ball doesn’t have to do a lot.”KL’s ball didn’t swing a lot, but just swung enough. I think he’s high on confidence at the moment, his release points are good, he’s bowling with good heat, and it’s a great position for him to be in and it’s a great position for GT to have a guy who’s not taking the new ball but is coming in the middle overs and taking wickets for them.”

It’s fair to say that Thomas Tuchel is still attempting to find the right formula in charge of England. The former Chelsea boss has recalled some old names and introduced some fresh faces, but needs time to get the best out of his options.

His most recent squad once again caused plenty of debate. There were places for Marcus Rashford, Jordan Henderson and Ezri Konsa, but Harry Maguire, Phil Foden and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been forced to watch on from home.

Whilst his decisions have split opinion, there’s no denying that Tuchel is not afraid to make bold decisions – a trait that Gareth Southgate arguably lacked during his time in charge.

The German has already recalled Henderson as well as Rashford and may yet have more returns on the cards. The likes of Fikayo Tomori, for example, were often overlooked by Gareth Southgate despite the fact that he’s played a starring role at AC Milan for some time now. Based on recent decisions, he should be among those at the top of Tuchel’s list to welcome back into the setup.

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Experience may well be the key to unlocking the silverware that England have been craving and, according to Tuchel, Henderson is a large part of that thinking.

It’s not the first time that the manager has surprised many with his decisions, either. It wasn’t so long ago that one England player was begging Tuchel not to play in a new position.

Tuchel shocked Loftus-Cheek with new position

After joining the likes of Henderson and Rashford to become the latest England recall, Ruben Loftus-Cheek reminisced about the time that Tuchel played him right wing-back.

The Milan midfielder revealed that he refused to play in the role, before the German opted to experiment anyway. The result? A part in four of Chelsea’s six goals against Southampton and a 3-2 victory against Real Madrid. As bizarre as Tuchel’s decision was at the time, it simply worked wonders for the Blues.

Reflecting on his wing-back role earlier this week, Loftus-Cheek said: “I remember when he came into Chelsea and he spoke to me about playing right wing-back. I said ‘no, no, no,no’, but I played there anyway.”

Now back in the England setup, it will be interesting to see whether the Milan midfielder will find himself in an unfamiliar role once more or whether Tuchel allows him to step into the position that he so often thrives in at San Siro.

When it comes to producing exciting up-and-coming talents, few Premier League clubs have been as successful as Arsenal in recent years.

For example, even after adding plenty of international superstars to the team, Mikel Arteta’s most important player remains Bukayo Saka.

Moreover, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are already established first-teamers, and Max Dowman looks like he could be the club’s next world-class superstar.

However, for all those youngsters who’ve made their way into the team, Arsenal have lost several incredible gems to other sides, including one who could have potentially one day been a homegrown version of William Saliba.

Saliba's Arsenal career

While it has been on the cards for some time now, David Ornstein finally reported yesterday afternoon that Saliba has agreed to sign a new five-year contract with Arsenal.

According to the respected journalist, the Frenchman will put pen to paper in the “coming days”, and it is difficult to overstate how big a deal this is for the club.

After all, it’s been widely reported for several years now that Real Madrid are desperate to add the incredible centre-back to their squad, and it’s easy to see why.

The Bondy-born “monster,” as dubbed by content creator Connor Humm, has made 139 appearances for the North Londoners, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in that time.

He has also won 28 senior caps for the French national team and put up some seriously impressive underlying numbers last season.

npxG/Shot

0.38

Top %

Pass Completion %

94.3%

Top %

Pass Completion % (Long)

79.9%

Top %

Touches (Mid 3rd)

46.53

Top %

Live-ball Passes

74.27

Top %

Goals/Shot

0.33

Top %

Passes Completed

71.46

Top %

Passes Received

63.29

Top %

Passes Attempted

75.78

Top %

Total Passing Distance

1227.78

Top %

Passes Blocked

0.12

Top %

Touches

83.63

Top %

Touches (Live-Ball)

83.63

Top %

Carries

52.00

Top %

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of centre-backs in the Premier League for pass completion, the top 4% for live passes, the top 6% for goals per shot, the top 7% for passes attempted and more, all per 90.

In short, Saliba is one of the best defenders in the world’s toughest league, so securing his services for another five years is a massive deal.

Unfortunately, Arsenal sold a former academy gem who could have potentially been a homegrown version of the Frenchman.

Arsenal's former homegrown Saliba

So, with Saliba signing a new deal, the incredible performances of Cristhian Mosquera and the other unreal options Arsenal have at centre-back, they are unlikely to be overly concerned about losing a young prospect.

Where Are They Now

However, it can also be true that they would’ve been better off keeping and loaning out Ayden Hevaen anyway.

Yes, the youngster in question is the 19-year-old Englishman, who, after making a name for himself in Hale End and earning a few cameos here and there, joined Manchester United for £1m in the winter window.

Described as a defensive “beast” by podcaster and Hale End expert Will Balsam, the teenage phenom made 47 appearances across the Gunners’ various youth sides and one senior competitive appearance against Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup.

However, since moving to the Red Devils, his game time has dramatically increased, with Ruben Amorim already playing him eight times, including twice this season.

There is still a long way to go before the youngster gets anywhere near his full potential, but it’s easy to see why so many were excited about his development in North London.

On top of his “remarkable” defensive qualities, as Arteta put it, the Englishman is, like Saliba, no slouch with the ball.

In fact, when explaining his qualities, Balsam was keen to point out that his “passing range is frankly insane”, and talent scout Jacek Kulig named Levi Colwill as another player he’s similar to, again because of his “passing” ability.

Ultimately, Arsenal probably have the best set of defenders in world football, but had they kept hold of Heaven, that set would be just that little bit stronger.

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Quetta Gladiators continued their resurgence with a comfortable win over Peshawar Zalmi, with Faheem Ashraf’s five-wicket haul helping skittle Zalmi out for 114 and sealing a 64-run win.Gladiators started brightly after being sent in to bat, with Finn Allen taking charge in the first four overs, and Rilee Rossouw picking up after Allen was dismissed for a breezy 16-ball 31. Four boundaries in the final over of the powerplay off Ali Raza saw Gladiators surge to 67 in six overs, before a tidy eight-over spell of spin bowling saw Zalmi drag them back.Sufiyan Muqeem and Saim Ayub bowled four overs each and as Gladiators failed to dispatch them, the wickets fell, too. Ayub removed Rossouw in the tenth over before a slightly less fluent innings from Saud Shakeel also came to an end. Their eight overs allowed just 57 runs, and a pair of tight comeback overs from Raza and Alzarri Joseph dragged Gladiators back further.But as has happened so often this tournament, inaccuracy at the death let the bowling side down as Mark Chapman went after Raza’s final over, smashing three boundaries and plundering 17. Joseph and Luke Wood kept the Gladiators below 180, and Zalmi appeared to have shaded the first innings, sitting prettier than they had after the onslaught of the powerplay.But Gladiators needn’t have worried. When Ayub smashed Amir away for a first-ball four and Babar Azam slapped Faheem for a six and a four off the bowler’s first two deliveries, it was a false dawn. Faheem struck back, drawing extra bounce from the surface to surprise Ayub and coax a nick that Kusal Mendis clung to behind the stumps. Four balls later, Amir had Babar trapped plumb in front, and Zalmi’s resistance appeared to melt away as Gladiators surged.Mohammad Wasim was finding inswing, and also found Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s stumps with a lovely full-length ball nipping in to reduce Zalmi to 32 for 3. In disarray, they prioritised caution over run-scoring, and in the end achieved neither. When top-order slogger Mohammad Haris found Rossouw at long-on, the run rate had sunk to just over six. Two balls later, middle-order hitter Abdul Samad, too, fell to Faheem as the game hurtled towards a conclusion.Gladiators managed the game expertly, refusing to let power-hitters from the lower order build up any head of steam that would allow Zalmi to sniff their way back into the game. Mitchell Owen was good value for a cameo, but Khurram Shahzad took away the on-side as an option, and the Australian carved him straight to deep cover-point. The following delivery, Joseph nicked off to Mendis, and Gladiators were into the tail.Hussain Talat continued to fight a valiant hand despite the outcome of the game long having been settled, before his 34-ball 39 came to an end when Abrar Ahmed deceived him in flight. Fittingly, though, Faheem had the final say, polishing off the final wicket and picking up his first five-wicket haul in the PSL when Muqeem tamely scooped him to mid-on, sealing a win that had, in truth, been secure from the early stages of the chase.

Sean Dickson, Tom Abell batten down hatches as Somerset escape with draw on final day

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay21-Apr-2025

Somerset 184 (Pretorius 47*, Fuller 4-42, Wheal 4-46) and 163 for 2 (Dickson 77*) drew with Hampshire 336 (Gubbins 82, Dawson 72, Pretorius 5-64) Hampshire continued their unbeaten start and Somerset their winless opening to the Rothesay County Championship season with a draw at Utilita Bowl.Sean Dickson, Tom Abell, and the weather quelled any chances of a final day route to a positive result in either direction – with a total of 175 overs, or around five sessions, lost in the match.Dickson ended up unbeaten on 77, and Abell 27, after a 56-run partnership which had wiped out Hampshire’s lead and taken Somerset away from any danger of losing.Ben Brown’s side took 13 points from the match, to Somerset’s 11, to total a healthy 43 points from their opening three rounds and remain within touching distance of the Division One pacemakers.The only thing stopping this match from becoming a draw was either an inspired morning of bowling or the forecasted rain blowing in the opposite direction. Neither happened, with the first part largely down to Dickson and Abell’s stoic batting.Hampshire had the ideal start as Tom Lammonby fell in the fifth over of the day having added two to his overnight score of 22. The left-hander couldn’t control a guide to third after Kyle Abbott had extracted some bounce off a length, and edged to Tom Prest at first slip.On three occasions, Abbott thought he had Dickson lbw but each time the vociferous Hampshire appeals were turned down.Abbott was the pick of the Hampshire bowlers with his unerring accuracy with his eight morning overs only conceding 12 runs, with 83% of the deliveries resulting in dots. But neither he, Brad Wheal, James Fuller, Liam Dawson nor Brett Hampton could do anything to move the steadfast Dickson and Abell.The duo blocked and left with clear heads while chipping away at Hampshire’s lead.A Dickson pulled two took the visitors in front – having been behind the match since losing six wickets for 40 runs in the first innings – shortly before rain brought an early lunch.Light and then heavy rain prevented a restart until after tea, and even then only three-and-a-half overs – in which the only action of note was a dropped catch at first slip – were possible before bad light suspended proceedings again.After two sessions had been lost on day one, and early finishes for bad light on the following two days, there was little surprise when the hands were shaken on a draw at 5pm, with Somerset sweating over a minus over rate and a potential points deduction.