Clubs’ desire to avoid tough sanctions for financial rule breaches could be a big factor in the spectacular drop in Premier League transfer spending this month, a football finance expert has said.
Financial services firm Deloitte has told the PA news agency that by January 23 last year £435million had been spent by the 20 top-flight clubs – 10 times more than by the same date this year.
Spending reached a record £815m by the end of the January 2023 window, but so far this month Tottenham’s purchase of Romania defender Radu Dragusin from Genoa for a reported £26.7m is one of a small number of permanent deals to have been completed, with loan moves dominating.
The relative quiet comes following a 10-point deduction imposed on Everton in November by an independent commission for breaching the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability rules (PSR). The commission found the club had acted “irresponsibly” and concluded they “overspent”, largely on the purchase of new players.
Everton expect to learn the outcome of their appeal against that sanction by the end of next month, but were referred to an independent commission again earlier this month, along with Nottingham Forest this time, for breaching PSR in the period ending last season. Those cases should be resolved before the end of this season under a new fast-track process agreed by the clubs.
Tim Bridge, lead partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, told PA: “It would be remiss not to talk about the impact (on transfer spending) of some of the regulatory moves that the Premier League has made and the independent bodies that work with the Premier League have made to really focus on how the Premier League is governed.
“You look at what’s happened with Everton, you look at what’s happened with Nottingham Forest, obviously there are ongoing investigations with other clubs as well.
“That will, I expect, have driven an underlying caution and also a real need to ensure that any value in the transfer market is as good as it possibly can be.”
Bridge did not rule out a “late flurry” of activity in the final week of the window but added: “I do think that some of those deals that maybe we’re used to seeing earlier in the window are either not being considered because of the regulatory challenge and the need to be compliant, which is a good thing, but also that element of the selling club really wanting to make sure that it drives the absolute value (of their players).”
Kawhi Leonard claimed there is a "different dynamic" to the Los Angeles Lakers when LeBron James is out.
Leonard recorded a triple-double of 25 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, while James Harden had 23 points and 10 assists, as the Los Angeles Clippers defeated a Lakers team shorn of superstar James 127-116 on Tuesday.
James was out with an ankle issue, with the Lakers treating his recovery on a day-to-day basis.
While the Clippers have won 11 of their last 13 games, the Lakers have now lost four road wins on the spin.
Leonard suggested there was a noticeable difference to the Lakers, not that players did not step up in James' absence. D'Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 27 points and Anthony Davis had 26.
"It's a different dynamic with him not being out there," Leonard said.
"You saw guys came in and stepped up and made big shots for him."
Reflecting on the Clippers' display, Leonard added: "Everybody contributed to the win. That's what we've got to do, knock down shots when they're open and tonight we did."
Despite a win that has taken the Clippers, who are fourth in the Western Conference, to a 28-14 winning record, coach Tyronn Lue said there is still plenty to improve on.
"Just overall, [we] didn't play a good mental game and we didn't do a good job with our coverages, especially defensively," Lue said.
"We were all over the place. We've just got to continue to keep getting better."
Leonard added: "They're a good transition team and we allowed them to play to their strengths. We just got to be better at that."
Lakers boss Darvin Ham, meanwhile, took positives from the defeat.
He said: "Like I told them just now, a lot of good things we did during this game.
"Our guys competed, competed their butts off. The [Clippers are] going to make you pay [for mistakes], that's how they're built.
"They are in a really good rhythm. But that said, I think the lesson tonight is how we competed, how we competed together. Again, guys taking accountability for mistakes and not making them twice.
"Trying to get better defensively as the game was ticking away. Disappointed in the loss but proud of how our guys competed minus LeBron."
On LeBron's status, Ham added: "Just trying to be proactive with his ankle. He'll probably be day-to-day. But that's pretty much it."
Gavin Cromwell has the chance to go back-to-back in the Pertemps Network Lady Protectress Mares’ Chase when he saddles the hat-trick-seeking Brides Hill at Huntingdon on Thursday.
The Irish handler made a successful raid on the two-and-a-half-mile Listed event with Jeremys Flame 12 months ago and now attempts to repeat the dose with the in-form seven-year-old who is unbeaten this term.
A winner at Listowel in September, she showed plenty of guts to oblige favourite-backers at Fairyhouse last month and now crosses the Irish Sea looking to continue on her upward curve.
Cromwell said: “She’s really suited to the race, conditions should suit and she’s going there fresh. She hasn’t run since the Winter Festival meeting at Fairyhouse in December and I’m looking forward to her running.
“It would be great to win it again. This has always been the plan after Fairyhouse to come here.”
Cromwell is no stranger to plundering these mares events and as well as winning this in 2023, his Limerick Lace landed a blow at Doncaster in the Yorkshire Silver Vase Mares’ Chase over the Christmas period.
Dr Richard Newland and Jamie Insole’s La Renommee (second), Amy Murphy’s Carole’s Pass (third) and Venetia Williams’ Pink Legend (fourth) were left to fight it out for minor honours on that occasion and will be hoping for a better result this time, while Syd Hosie’s Plenty Of Time arrives off the back of a wide-margin victory at Wincanton.
Dan Skelton has got his hands on this prize twice in the last 10 years and entrusts the versatile Sacre Coeur with providing him with another success.
The eight-year-old’s victory at Ludlow last month was her fifth in 10 chasing appearances and having struck up a useful partnership with conditional jockey Tristan Durrell, could now provide the 22-year-old with the first Listed triumph of his career.
Durrell said: “This is a step back in trip and grade for her, but she was really good at Ludlow last time out. She always runs her race and she has had a bit of a freshen up since the last day.
“I won on her over an extended two miles five (furlongs) earlier in the season at Fontwell and that is a stiff enough finish there up that hill so going back up in trip should be no problem at all.
“I thought she ran a good race at Aintree as she was keener than usual, but she kept going on ground that was really testing.
“I think when you have ridden a horse a few times on the track it does mean that bit more when you win on them and we will be doing our best to go for it here.”
Elsewhere on the card, the Nicky Henderson-trained Steal A March bids to make up for lost time in the Pertemps qualifier and move a step closer to giving the King and Queen a runner at the Cheltenham Festival.
The nine-year-old – who has the distinction of being a winner for the late Queen on Platinum Jubilee weekend – had been in line to become the royal couple’s first runner at the showpiece meeting last year after winning a qualifier for the Pertemps Final at Wincanton on Boxing Day in 2022.
However, a late setback meant those plans had to be shelved and while he was only fifth of six on his return at Newbury in December, Henderson is expecting a step forward back up in trip.
“Steal A March was going to the Cheltenham Festival last year, and he was all ready for it, but he had a little issue three weeks before which was real bad luck,” said the Seven Barrows handler, who also runs Chantry House.
“He has got a run under his belt, which is a help, as he needs a huge amount of work. He is a horse that takes plenty of getting ready.
“I hope he is more ready than the first time as he definitely needed it, but that is him. The step back up in trip to three-miles-one (furlong) will suit him as well.
“That was the plan, to have Steal A March run at the Cheltenham Festival last year, so let’s hope we can do it this year.”
He added: “This is a good race for Chantry House as it has been a long-term project for him back over hurdles. That ground at Sandown last time was desperate so you have got to excuse him that run.
“I need them both in this race as I want them both qualified for the Pertemps Final at Cheltenham so we will be trying to win it, don’t you worry.”
No changes are imminent to the handicap system in Britain in relation to capping the number of runners a trainer can have in a race, the British Horseracing Authority has said.
As had been suggested in reports at the time, the ruling body consulted stakeholders to garner their views regarding the possibility of limiting the amount of runners a trainer could declare in Class 1 or Class 2 handicaps to four.
If such a rule change was introduced, it would clearly have a major impact on the Randox Grand National at Aintree, as well as several handicaps at the Cheltenham Festival.
Gordon Elliott made headlines when saddling the vast majority of the field in the Troytown Chase at Navan in November, winning it with Coko Beach.
BHA chief operating officer Richard Wayman said: “As we said at the time, on occasion the BHA will seek views of industry participants on a range of issues.
“In this case, prompted in part by the situation where one trainer saddled 14 of the 20 runners in the Troytown Chase in Ireland, we gathered opinions on a topic which is sometimes debated across the sport, regarding potentially imposing a limit on the number of runners one trainer can run in a major handicap. The issue was discussed in the context of sustaining the sport’s ongoing appeal to customers.
“Having considered the feedback and discussed the matter at the sport’s commercial committee and BHA board it has been agreed not to take any immediate action in regards to this matter, but to keep the issue under review.”
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial has been ruled out until April after undergoing surgery on a groin injury.
The 28-year-old is out of contract this summer and has managed just 19 appearances and two goals in another disrupted campaign at Old Trafford.
Martial has not featured since United fans cheered his substitution in the 3-0 home loss to Bournemouth on December 9 and the club have now revealed he is facing an extended spell on the sidelines.
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“Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has completed successful surgery to address a groin complaint and will be out of action for about 10 weeks as he rehabilitates,” the Premier League outfit said in a statement.
“We wish Anthony a speedy recovery and look forward to his return.”
This is the latest in a long line of setbacks for a player who looks set to leave Old Trafford in the summer after the club decided against triggering the option to extend his contract by a further year.
Martial began his United career with a bang after joining from Monaco in 2015 but has failed to fully reach his potential, scoring 90 goals in 317 appearances in all competitions.
The Frenchman’s confirmed 10-week absence will perhaps lead to a change in approach to the January transfer window at Old Trafford.
United have been more focused on streamlining than making signings this month, but Martial’s absence leaves Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford as the only options through the middle.
This time last year, United bolstered their striking options by signing Wout Weghorst on loan from Burnley for the remainder of the season, having done similar in 2020 with Odion Ighalo.
The club will have to run any change to their January transfer strategy past Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the British billionaire prepares to take control of football operations as part of his minority ownership.
Mauricio Pochettino endured a rocky start to life as Chelsea boss but has now guided the Blues to the Carabao Cup final as he looks to end his wait for a first trophy in English football.
The Argentinian has managed almost 400 games in England across spells with Southampton, Tottenham and now Chelsea but has yet to lift silverware in this country.
Here, the PA news agency looks at how Pochettino has fared in his quest for trophies.
Southampton
2013/14
Having taken over during the previous campaign with Saints already out of both domestic competitions, Pochettino’s early involvement in the League Cup and FA Cup was brought to a close by Sunderland. The Black Cats won 2-1 in a fourth-round League Cup tie at the Stadium of Light before claiming a 1-0 victory in the FA Cup fifth round.
Tottenham
2014/15
While a 2-1 fourth-round FA cup defeat at home to Leicester and a 3-1 aggregate loss to Fiorentina in the last 32 of the Europa League hardly set the pulses racing in Pochettino’s first season at Spurs, he did almost start life in north London with a trophy. Home wins over Nottingham Forest, Brighton and Newcastle took Tottenham into a League Cup semi-final against Sheffield United, with a 3-2 aggregate success setting up a Wembley final against Chelsea, who ran out 2-0 winners.
2015/16
Pochettino suffered from second-season syndrome in the cup competitions, losing 2-1 to neighbours Arsenal in the third round of the League Cup and slipping to a fifth-round exit in the FA Cup courtesy of a 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace. Achieving European qualification in his first campaign at the helm also led to little as Spurs were thrashed 5-1 on aggregate by Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League last 16.
2016/17
A 2-1 loss to Liverpool in the fourth round of the League Cup was forgivable, but, having ensured a return to Champions League football, Pochettino’s Spurs were knocked out in the group stage and then slumped to a 3-2 aggregate loss to Gent in the Europa League last 32. There was some comfort from an FA Cup run that included wins over Aston Villa, Wycombe, Fulham and Millwall before Chelsea ran out 4-2 victors in a semi-final clash at Wembley.
2017/18
There was another fourth-round League Cup exit – this time in a 3-2 loss to West Ham – but this season saw Spurs top their Champions League group before agonisingly losing 4-3 on aggregate to Juventus in the last 16. There was more Wembley misery in the FA Cup as Spurs reached the semi-final for a second successive season, only to lose 2-1 to Manchester United, having taken the lead through Dele Alli.
2018/19
A forgettable FA Cup campaign ended with a 2-0 loss to Crystal Palace in round four, but even a penalty shootout loss to Chelsea in the League Cup semi-final was not the heartbreaking moment of Pochettino’s final full season in charge. Having secured memorable late wins over Manchester City and Ajax to reach the Champions League final, Spurs were second best as an early Mohamed Salah penalty and a Divock Origi goal saw Liverpool win 2-0 in Madrid.
Chelsea
2023/24
Having won Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France at Paris St Germain, Pochettino returned to England when he was appointed Chelsea boss last summer. While results in the Premier League have been mixed, the 51-year-old saw his side beat AFC Wimbledon, Brighton, Blackburn and Newcastle in the Carabao Cup before recovering from a 1-0 loss at Middlesbrough in the semi-final first leg to thrash the Sky Bet Championship side 6-1 on Tuesday night and reach Wembley – where either Fulham or Liverpool await.
The EFL plans to stick with the two-leg format for the Carabao Cup semi-finals next season with no new funding agreement in place with the Premier League.
The PA news agency understands consideration is being given to reducing the semi-finals to a single leg as part of a ‘New Deal’ with the Premier League which includes extra funding for the EFL.
Calendar considerations are a part of the ‘New Deal’ talks as the Premier League seeks to manage the threat of congestion being caused by the expansion of UEFA’s club competitions next season.
However, no offer on funding has been put to the EFL by the Premier League to date, with top-flight clubs unable to agree on the amount of extra funding or where that funding should come from.
“As it stands there is no agreement in place to make any changes to the Carabao Cup’s two-legged semi-final format, which continues to provide significant financial benefit to EFL clubs,” the league’s chief executive Trevor Birch said.
“The league remains committed to a review of the calendar, but any significant changes cannot be made unilaterally and would need to come with significant levels of compensation and adopted as part of any new distribution deal with the Premier League and its clubs.”
Jamaican forward Bobby De Cordova-Reid has entered discussions with English Premier League side Fulham regarding a potential contract extension, as revealed by the player himself in an interview with The Athletic.
De Cordova-Reid, currently in the last six months of his existing deal, confirmed the ongoing talks between the club and his agent. The 31-year-old expressed optimism about reaching an agreement but acknowledged that such negotiations take time.
"The club and (my) agent have been in talks, and the thing is to get to (an) agreement," De Cordova-Reid stated. "Obviously, I want an agreement to happen, but things take time, so we'll know more in the future."
Despite being in the final stretch of his current contract, talks are reportedly amicable between the Jamaican forward and Fulham. However, specific terms for the extension are yet to be finalized. Even in the absence of an immediate agreement, De Cordova-Reid has emphasized his commitment to Fulham until the summer.
De Cordova-Reid joined Fulham in August 2019 on loan from Cardiff City, and the move was made permanent in January 2020. The club exercised an option to extend his contract until summer 2024. In his time with Fulham, he has made 167 appearances, scoring 26 goals, including four in the current Premier League season.
Acknowledging his desire for regular playing time, De Cordova-Reid emphasized his focus on contributing to the team's success on the field. Known for his versatility and leadership qualities, he holds the position of one of head coach Marco Silva’s ‘group captains’ and maintains a strong rapport with the Portuguese manager.
“We get on really well,” De Cordova-Reid stated regarding his relationship with Silva. “He plays me quite a lot and in different positions, so he has that trust for me. I appreciate that, and I just want to repay him by doing well on the field."
Reflecting on past achievements, including promotion as champions from the Championship in 2021-22 and securing Premier League status, De Cordova-Reid praised Silva for bringing in the right personnel and fostering a cohesive team dynamic.
"He knows what players he needs on the pitch and in and around the dressing room, and it works well for us," De Cordova-Reid added, expressing his commitment to the club's continued success.
AlphaTauri have been rebranded as the Visa CashApp RB team ahead of the new Formula One season as part of a partnership between Visa and Red Bull.
Red Bull and Visa announced a new, multi-year global partnership on Wednesday afternoon which will see new livery appearing on the cars of reigning world champion Max Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez.
The agreement will also see Visa become the named sponsor of the rebranded AlphaTauri team, Red Bull’s sister marque.
The Visa CashApp RB team will make their debut at the 2024 season opener in Bahrain in March, with Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda behind the wheel.
Previously known as Toro Rosso, AlphaTauri was introduced onto the F1 grid in 2020 in order for Red Bull to promote their fashion brand of the same name.
While known as AlphaTauri, the team managed one win in 83 race entries as Pierre Gasly took the chequered flag at the 2020 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Future Red Bull world champions Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel both raced under team’s guise of Toro Rosso, with the latter taking the sole victory of the previous incarnation.
Mauricio Pochettino is looking to “build a team that can match the mentality” of Chelsea after his side reached the Carabao Cup final with a 6-1 semi-final second-leg victory over Middlesbrough.
Jonny Howson’s own goal settled the Blues’ early nerves as further strikes from Enzo Fernandez, Axel Disasi, Noni Madueke and a Cole Palmer brace booked their place at Wembley on February 25 against either Liverpool or Fulham.
Boss Pochettino said: “The most important thing is keeping the focus, seeing reality in the way we need to see the reality and see the difference between what is Chelsea and what is the team we are building.
“They are two different things. Our challenge is the history of Chelsea, the capacity to win titles and build a team that can match the mentality of this club.”
Pochettino emphasised the difference in the scale of the challenge facing him at Chelsea to when he arrived at former club Tottenham in 2014.
Then, he intimated the Carabao Cup might not be a competition that could help Spurs reach their objectives.
At Chelsea, he reflects differently on the competition’s value to the team.
“When we arrived at Tottenham in 2014, the plan was to build a new stadium and to finish the training ground,” he said. “We had a season playing at Milton Keynes and Wembley, (before that) we played with a corner missing from White Hart Lane.
“The principal objective was to be in the top four and play Champions League. The club was fifth, sixth, seventh. That was the challenge. We put everything to try and play the Champions League because it was the way to help the club to achieve the objective of building a new stadium.
“This young team (Chelsea), with this type of experience of going to Wembley, it’s going to build our trust, our confidence, and our mentality like a team – not like a club.
“The club, the mentality of Chelsea is amazing. But like a team, we are new. We need to build confidence and trust.”
Against Boro, Ben Chilwell started for the first time since recovering from a hamstring injury and impressed at left-back.
The manager felt Chilwell and goalscorer Disasi set a standard with their performances and now wants to see such displays consistently.
“They were important today but we need to be consistent,” he added.
“Players like Chilly could do 65 minutes but the objective is to arrive at 80 minutes, hopefully do the 90 minutes, and then be consistent playing every two or three days. That is the most important thing.
“Now we need to help players like him to get their best form, but at the same time we are competing. We can think we are going to play with Chilly or Reece (James), but we know then after 10 or 15 minutes of the second half we have players that we need to change.”
Military Order and The Foxes – both Classic trial winners from last year – meet for a second time as they headline a quality field for the BetUK Winter Derby Trial at Southwell on Thursday.
Both the trial and the Winter Derby itself were previously contested over a mile and a quarter at Lingfield, but have been switched to the Nottinghamshire track and edged up to 11 furlongs in distance.
The Charlie Appleby-trained Military Order and Andrew Balding’s The Foxes both won significant Derby trials last year, with the Godolphin runner taking the Lingfield Trial while the King Power Racing-owned The Foxes won the Dante.
However, neither could get close to Auguste Rodin in the Derby itself, with The Foxes in fifth and Military Order trailing home last of the 14 Epsom runners.
While The Foxes went on to finish second in the Belmont Derby, Appleby’s runner was then off the track until September, when he registered another disappointing effort when last upped to 14 furlongs at Chester and the full-brother to Derby winner Adayar was subsequently gelded.
Appleby said: “This will be Military Order’s first start since being gelded and I have been pleased with his preparation.
“He has been running over further, but I feel that dropping back in trip is going to suit. He won over 10 furlongs at Newbury at the start of last season and then over a sharp mile and a half around Lingfield in the Derby Trial.
“This looks a decent race, with The Foxes probably bringing the strongest form into it. If we can be competitive against horses like him, it should hopefully steer us in the right direction for the coming months.”
Claymore won the Hampton Court Stakes at Royal Ascot in 2022 but has been unable to add to that Group Three success in five subsequent runs, although trainer Jane Chapple-Hyam is taking plenty of heart from a recent Listed second at Deauville.
She said: “Claymore has been in good shape since Deauville and is ready to go with a view to coming back for the Winter Derby.
“It was really good to see him bounce back last time, although this looks a tough little race. I suspect with a furlong to go that it will be wide open!
“I think a mile and three furlongs will be fine for him. If you look at his Deauville run, he was really finishing, so I don’t have any concerns.
“I already have Blanchland pencilled in for (All-Weather) Finals Day and Claymore could join him. We will see how things go between now and then.”
Following Oh So Grand’s success in the Winter Oaks last weekend, Simon and Ed Crisford field Base Note, while Group Two winner Sir Busker and Ian Williams’ Enemy complete the six-strong line up.
England have gone all in on spin for their first Test in India, handing Tom Hartley a debut alongside Jack Leach and Rehan Ahmed in a major selection gamble.
Clearly expecting more of the lavish turn that saw them blown away on their previous visit in 2021, the tourists have picked all three of their specialist slow bowlers in Hyderabad and will also utilise Joe Root’s off-breaks as an additional option.
With captain Ben Stokes unable to bowl after knee surgery, they have settled on Mark Wood as the solitary pace bowler, meaning record wicket-taker James Anderson sits out.
England are placing a lot of trust in Wood’s fitness, with their fastest bowler bullish about his fitness despite a history of injury problems.
England last named a trio of frontline spinners in their 3-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka in 2018, when Leach was the junior man to the more established pair of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid, but Stokes was on hand then as an all-rounder.
They have not restricted themselves to just one seamer in recent memory, but their commitment to doing things differently in the ‘Bazball’ era remains unchecked.
Within the camp they do not see this as a rogue move, instead viewing it as a willingness to react to conditions.
“I don’t necessarily think it’s bold or brave, it’s just me and Baz (head coach Brendon McCullum) looking at the wicket and picking the XI that we think will give us the best chance,” Stokes said.
“You have always got to think that the ball is going to turn in India, but you don’t want to go in with any pre-conceived ideas. We have to adapt to whatever we have presented in front of us, with bat and ball.
“It’s just being true to yourself, making selections and decisions. It comes easier as I’ve done more of this… If I think the decision is best for the team, then it’s probably the right one.
“India are an absolute beast in their home conditions, there’s no doubt about that. But that presents us with an opportunity. This team loves opportunities. We take opportunity head on and we run towards it – we don’t back away from from anything.”
Hartley comes into the reckoning despite a slim red-ball record with Lancashire. He has played 82 T20s compared to just 20 first-class games but was identified several months ago for his height, lively speed through the air and skiddy trajectory.
All of those are factors England feel are better suited to a Test match in India than a regulation county championship pitch, but the 24-year-old remains an unknown quantity.
“It’s very exciting for Tom to make his Test debut,” said Stokes.
“I’m looking forward to seeing him out there and captaining him. He’s been very impressive in the build-up in Abu Dhabi. He bowls at a very difficult pace to be able to handle out here and he’s someone who gets a lot of natural variation. In India, that is sometimes the hardest thing to face.”
Ahmed wins his second cap 13 months after becoming England’s youngest ever men’s Test cricketer in Karachi – an occasion that saw him claim a five-wicket haul in the second innings.
Despite going it alone, Wood has been told not to expect to carry a huge workload. Instead, he has been asked to use his express speed to make big contributions in brief cameos.
“What Woody brings with his high pace makes him a real impact bowler,” said Stokes.
“He’s a weapon we can use in short, sharp spells. We’ve already said that to him – bowl as fast as you can in short periods. There’s no worries about thinking about long spells. That’s how I envision using Woody before we’ve bowled a ball.”
Frank Warren believes Francis Ngannou can cause an upset by defeating Anthony Joshua ahead of their heavyweight showdown in Saudi Arabia on March 8.
Briton Joshua returns to action following December’s impressive stoppage over Sweden’s Otto Wallin as he continues his bid on becoming a three-time world champion against mixed martial arts star Ngannou in a 10-round bout.
Queensbury promoter Warren, whose prize fighter Tyson Fury came back from an early knockdown to beat Ngannou in controversial fashion in October, believes Joshua should be wary of his opponent’s punch power.
Speaking to the PA news agency at the launch of Queensbury’s ‘Magnificent Seven’ boxing card, Warren said: “Joshua’s come into this after his last fight against Wallin. He’ll be a big favourite going in, but I know that if he gets caught on the whiskers then this fella (Ngannou) could cause a massive upset because he can whack.
“It’s going to be interesting to see how he takes the fight and to see if he fights on the outside or the inside. Ngannou’s game is getting on the inside, he’s a big man, he’s strong.
“I’m intrigued to see what Ngannou’s learnt from his last fight.”
Joshua showed signs of being back to his best with last month’s ruthless victory over Wallin, which marked his third victory of 2023 following wins against Jermaine Franklin and Robert Helenius.
But Warren believes Ngannou has the tools to exploit AJ’s “wealth” of weaknesses in Riyadh.
“If I’m fighting AJ, what am I looking to do? I’d look to exploit his weaknesses and there’s a wealth of that which we’ve seen,” Warren added. “We’ve seen his weaknesses in that first fight against Tubby the Tuba (defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr in 2019).
“Also the two fights to Oleksandr Usyk, we can see what they are. People have seen him wobble a few times in fights, that happens with him. I’m not saying there’s a confidence issue, but there wasn’t that where he was such an emphatic fighter.
“I think he’s changed. He’s changed his style a bit, which he should do. His new trainer (Ben Davison) has brought some momentum to him, but he’s going to have a fight on his hand.”
Nathan Heaney and Joe Joyce are among the fighters on the ‘Magnficent Seven’ card in Birmingham on March 16, and Warren is expecting a competitive night of action.
He said: “The last one we did I think was British promotion of the year. They were great fights, competitive fights and it’s a similar situation here. We have young and established fighters who are all in competitive fights.
“This is something we will now do on a regular basis. They will all be looking these guys to outdo each other because someone wants to come through as the eye catching fight.”
In-form Harry Derham is targeting the Betfair Hurdle with former smart Flat performer Brentford Hope.
Third in the Gerry Feilden to Hansard last time out, Derham has kept his powder dry, resisting the temptation to run the seven-year-old at Christmas.
Brentford Hope is one of 33 left in contention for the valuable contest, for which the sponsors make Nicky Henderson’s Luccia their 7-1 favourite with Brentford Hope a 10-1 chance.
“The Betfair Hurdle is very much the plan for Brentford Hope, we’ve had it in the back of our minds all season,” said Derham.
“Obviously, he has run very well around Newbury previously, we were thinking about running him at Christmas, but we decided to keep him fresh.
“These big handicaps take a lot of winning, we wanted to have him as fresh and well and in as good a form as possible going into a race like this.
“He’s training well, he’s got a few strong pieces of work to go between now and then, but we are very much planning to go and very much looking forward to it.”
Kerry Lee’s Nemean Lion is at the head of the weights, while Willie Mullins has left in Ocastle des Mottes, Alvaniy and Onlyamatteroftime.
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