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Babar Azam to lead, Sarfaraz Ahmed included and Yasir Shah out for all three formats

Umar Farooq12-Mar-2021

Sharjeel Khan hasn’t played for Pakistan since January 2017, during which he served a ban for his part in the PSL spot-fixing scandal•AFP via Getty Images

Sharjeel Khan’s PSL form has been rewarded with a recall to the national side for the first time in over four years, as he was included in Pakistan’s T20I squad for the tours of South Africa and Zimbabwe next month.Sharjeel was the third-highest corer in this year’s curtailed PSL season, finishing only behind Mohammad Rizwan and Babar Azam, but at a fantastic strike rate of 170.94, well ahead of what the other two recorded. Sharjeel, playing for the Karachi Kings, was the only player to score a hundred in this edition, against the Islamabad United.The recall capped an eventful four years for the left-handed opener, who was out of the game altogether for two and a half of them, banned for his part in the 2017 PSL spot-fixing scandal.There have, however, been question marks about Sharjeel’s fitness. “Fitness isn’t the only criteria for selection – at the end of the day, a player has to play cricket. We are already working on reviewing the fitness testing levels and will introduce a new strategy [to gauge fitness],” Mohammad Wasim, Pakistan’s chief selector, said in a press conference. “I didn’t comment on Sharjeel’s fitness earlier as his performances [last year] were patchy, but now we have to look at anyone who performs, whatever the fitness they have.”Yes, I understand there is still a lot work that needs to be done on his fitness and he will improve with time, but at the moment he can win us big games with his bat.”The view on Sharjeel’s fitness marked something of a U-turn for the PCB. As recently as a year ago, PCB CEO Wasim Khan, not normally known for singling out players for criticism, had made an exception for Sharjeel, bemoaning his inability to remain fit while serving his ban, and said there was “a long way to go” before he could be considered for national selection.The other significant development was the absence of Yasir Shah from the Test side as he continued to nurse a left knee injury.The senior legspinner has been a regular in Pakistan’s Test squads for much of the past seven years, but has also experienced a form dip in recent times. The emergence of spinners like Sajid Khan, Zahid Mahmood and Nauman Ali – all included in the expanded Test squad – have also meant that Pakistan can afford to look beyond him. Shah’s performances in the southern hemisphere have been particularly underwhelming, with an average of 87 in that part of the world over the years.Shahnawaz Dhani, the Multan Sultans fast bowler who was something of a feel-good story during the PSL, was also called up for the Test series against Zimbabwe, with the chief selector saying that his performances during the tournament showed he could perform under pressure.Dhani took nine wickets in four PSL matches this season – the second-most among all bowlers, and while an economy rate of 10.33 needs work, there was enough for Mohammad Wasim to suggest he could be a white-ball prospect.”We basically saw him playing red-ball cricket in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and in the PSL he exhibited that he can handle the pressure,” the chief selector said. “He has the quality, the way he is bowling with control and pace… if we were playing Tests against South Africa, we would have reconsidered it, but we picked him because we are playing Zimbabwe.”Also, we are lacking fast bowlers in red-ball cricket. In white-ball cricket, we have more options than him. He is presently our future in red-ball cricket and we are trying make a pool and attract players in this format. He is definitely going to be considered for white-ball cricket in future.”Pakistan play three ODIs and four T20Is against South Africa before moving to Zimbabwe, where they are scheduled to play two Test matches and three T20Is.Test squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imran Butt, Abid Ali, Abdullah Shafique, Azhar Ali, Fawad Alam, Saud Shakeel, Agha Salman, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Tabish Khan, Hasan Ali, Shahnawaz Dhani, Nauman Ali, Zahid Mahmood, Sajid Khan.ODI squad: Babar Azam (capt), Imam-ul-Haq, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Saud Shakeel, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Shadab Khan, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali.T20I squad: Babar Azam (capt), Shadab Khan, Sharjeel Khan, Mohammad Hafeez, Haider Ali, Danish Aziz, Asif Ali, Mohammad Nawaz, Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Rizwan (wk), Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk), Shaheen Shah Afridi, Mohammad Wasim Jr, Haris Rauf, Mohammad Hasnain, Usman Qadir, Hasan Ali, Arshad Iqbal.

Whilst the early passages of the summer window have seen Birmingham City make numerous new signings, it could soon be the Blues' turn to be the selling party as multiple clubs enquire about one of their star players.

Blues not afraid of spending big this summer

In spite of their recent relegation to League One, Birmingham have not shied away from opening their chequebook during the summer window. The first month of business has seen the Blues bring a number of fresh faces to St Andrew's with many of these players fetching seven-figure fees.

Davies must cash in on Birmingham star who's worth more than Bielik

Chris Davies could opt to sell on this Birmingham City dud soon.

1 ByKelan Sarson Jul 21, 2024

Christoph Klarer

Darmstadt 98

€4.15million (£3.5million)

Willum Thór Willumsson

Go Ahead Eagles

€4.0million (£3.4million)

Emil Hansson

Heracles Almelo

€1.75million (£1.5million)

Ryan Allsop

Hull City

€980,000 (£830,000)

Alex Cochrane

Hearts

€1.20million (£1.0million)

Alfie May

Charlton

€915,000 (£773,000)

Marc Leonard

Brighton

€590,000 (£500,000)

Bailey Peacock-Farrell

Burnley

€530,000 (£448,000)

Whilst Birmingham are still likely to make further additions before the season kicks off next week, it looks as if the headlines in the West Midlands are being dominated by potential departures from St Andrew's.

The most recent rumours have surrounded the future of Jordan James with the Blues' young talent attracting interest from both Ipswich Town and Leeds United. With recent reports suggesting that Birmingham would part ways with the Wales international for a fee in the region of £10million, the Blues may struggle to turn down an offer for the player this summer.

With clubs in higher divisions eager to go shopping for some of Birmingham's top talents, it appears as if Championship sides are now queueing up to sign another of the Blues' stars.

Multiple clubs make contact for Dembele

As first reported on the X account of Darren Witcoop, Birmingham winger Siriki Dembele has been the subject of enquiries from five Championship clubs. Witcoop goes on to name both Swansea City and Blackburn Rovers as two clubs who have made contact over a deal for the 27-year-old.

The post claims that Dembele is valued at around £1.5million, meaning that whichever side ends up signing the winger may have to fork out a handsome fee to do so.

The forward only arrived at St Andrew's last summer in a move from Premier League side Bournemouth. In his first campaign with the Blues, Dembele featured 37 times in all competitions, contributing six goals and one assist in the process.

Despite only making a handful of appearances during his time in the Premier League, Dembele still earned praise from the higher ups at Bournemouth with former Cherries boss Scott Parker branding the winger as "first class" back in 2022.

With the Blues spending big over the summer window, the departure of Dembele could be a necessary casualty in order to get even more new players through the door before the window shuts at the end of this month.

Ex-Netherlands star Rafael van der Vaart claimed that Viktor Gyokeres is a "better version of Erling Haaland" ahead of Sporting's clash with Man City.

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• Gyokeres hailed as 'real footballer'
• Told he is better than Haaland
• Sporting CP face Man City on Tuesday

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Sporting CP sensation has displayed terrific form since the start of the 2024-25 campaign, scoring 16 goals in 10 matches across all competitions. He has attracted interest from Premier League giants like Arsenal, Liverpool, and, of course, Manchester United, where his current manager Ruben Amorim is heading to replace Erik ten Hag later this month.

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  Gyokeres is fresh from scoring a hat-trick against Estrela in a Liga Portugal clash. He will now face reigning English champions Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday. Ahead of the exciting encounter in Europe, Dutch legends Van der Vaart and Van Basten have spoken highly of the Swedish forward, with the former even claiming that he is a 'better version' of City's goal machine Erling Haaland.

• WHAT RAFAEL VAN DER VAART SAID

  Speaking to , the former Tottenham star said: "It sounds a bit crazy, but I think he’s a bit of a better version of Haaland. Haaland is of course incredible, but Gyökeres has a bit more, or something."

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• WHAT MARCO VAN BASTEN SAID

  AC Milan and Ajax icon Van Basten added: "He’s a real footballer, I think. A real footballing striker. Strong, scores easily and is calm in front of goal. He is also able to pass the keeper, I think he’s a really good striker. I can enjoy him."

The Gunners' head coach resigned from his role after defeat to Chelsea at the Emirates continued a terrible start to the new season

For Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall, the writing was quite literally on the wall after his team fell to a 2-1 defeat at home to Chelsea on Saturday. On Hornsey Road, just a stone's throw from the Emirates Stadium, the words 'Jonas out' were there for all to see as night fell, boldly brushed onto dark brick in white paint. It took a couple of days for that disgruntled fan's wish to come to fruition but, on Tuesday, the Gunners announced that Eidevall's three-year stint as head coach had come to an end.

North London's new graffiti artist wasn't the only fan that wanted this outcome. Many have become frustrated in recent seasons as the most successful club in the history of English women's football has consistently fallen short in the Women's Super League, all-but-mathematically out of contention for the title when the run-in began last season, and the year before.

At times, critics of Eidevall have at least temporarily been swatted away by other achievements, such as back-to-back League Cup triumphs and a run to the Champions League semi-finals, but it was always going to be difficult for him to come back from the negativity brought on by Arsenal's start to the 2024-25 season.

It all began so well for the Swede, with a memorable 3-2 win over Chelsea at the Emirates and a title charge that fell just short on the final day. Where did it go wrong to lead to his time at the club ending in his resignation just four games into the new WSL season?

• Getty Images
  

  A difficult start

  Saturday already felt like a must-win game. That's because Arsenal had dropped points twice in their first three league outings and then, just to add to the pressure, put in an absolute shocker of a display away at Bayern Munich in the Champions League, losing 5-2.

  If a team wants to win the WSL, they have to be near-perfect because the top sides so rarely drop points. Last season, Chelsea became the first team to win the division with more than two defeats to their name and just the second to do so after dropping more than 10 points. Liverpool, back in 2014, are the only other side to have done that.

  So, when Arsenal kicked the season off with a 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City and then, after only just scraping past Leicester with a 1-0 win, slumped to a disappointing goalless draw with bottom side Everton, they were already significantly on the back foot. The loss to Chelsea made it seven points dropped already. To come back from that and win the WSL title is going to be extremely difficult.

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  Same old problems

  But while the Chelsea defeat was Eidevall's final game in charge, the draw with Everton feels like the most important result to dwell on after his resignation. That was the one that put much more pressure on Saturday's fixture and one that encapsulated the biggest issue he faced during his time at Arsenal.

  Under Eidevall, the Gunners have been terrible at breaking down low blocks. When they fell short by one point in the title race in 2021-22, they were actually undefeated in the league against eventual champions Chelsea – and Manchester City, and Manchester United. Instead, it was a draw with Tottenham and, more significantly, a defeat to eventually-relegated Birmingham that really cost them.

  Last year, despite finishing third and five points off the pace, Arsenal actually had the best record against the WSL’s 'big four', with four wins, one draw and one defeat. However, it was once again the teams below them in the table that proved difficult to put away, with defeats to West Ham, Tottenham and Liverpool all disappointing, as was a draw with Everton.

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  Not enough improvement

  Ahead of the new season, Eidevall was confident this would not be an issue again. "We were the team that spent the most time of any team playing against low blocks in the league," he said. "I think it came to us as a little bit of a hurdle and we didn’t solve that quickly enough, but we found more and more keys to play against low blocks and what is promising for this season is we’ve been encountering solving high pressure, we’ve been encountering solving low blocks, so as a team I feel we are mature.”

  He believed that his team had learned enough from past experiences to be more "prepared" for those situations, "which is important because team maturity for me equals the likelihood of winning". "I’m super confident that if we came up against a low block, then we have tools and qualities and processes on how to play against that and I have full belief in them,” he added.

  Yet, performances so far this season showed this issue was not a thing of the past. Yes, the 1-0 defeat to Hacken in Champions League qualifying was overcome by a 4-0 triumph in the second leg and yes, Arsenal did manage to scrape a 1-0 win against Leicester last month. But the problems of breaking down a low block were there for all to see, meaning that draw with Everton was certainly not a shock, but more a disappointment. It simply showed the lack of progress made.

  The Gunners came into this season with aspirations of winning the WSL title and it felt like the pressure was on Eidevall to do so, after coming up short in the past two seasons. It was never going to be possible if this remained a stumbling block – and it has.

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  Other issues on show

  Of course, that wasn't the only issue during Eidevall's time in charge. The Swede certainly didn't make himself more popular by being the man in charge when Vivianne Miedema left the club on a free transfer, even if the player herself has spoken about it being time to move on. Other departures did not go down well either, with the likes of Jordan Nobbs, Cloe Lacasse and Mana Iwabuchi viewed as under-used by Eidevall before he let them go.

  Furthermore, as well as failing to overcome the low block issue, somewhat tied into that has been a lack of ruthlessness. After being the WSL top-scorers in Eidevall's first year in charge, Arsenal have been well off the title contenders since. Last year, Chelsea scored 71 goals to win the league. The third-placed Gunners bagged 53.

MatériaMais Notícias

É oficial: David Luiz é o novo reforço do Flamengo para a temporada. Neste sábado, o Rubro-Negro anunciou a contratação do zagueiro, que firma contrato até o fim de 2022. Na última sexta-feira, os representantes do jogador e os dirigentes do clube se reuniram e falava apenas a assinatura do contrato para o anúncio do reforço.

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> Entenda a importância da contratação de David Luiz pelo Flamengo

Vale lembrar que o jogador estava livre no mercado desde junho, quando deixou o Arsenal, da Inglaterra. Com a contratação, David Luiz se junta a Bruno Viana, Gustavo Henrique, Léo Pereira e Gabriel Noga como opções para a zaga do time comandado por Renato Gaúcho.

> Veja a tabela do Brasileirão

No fim do mês passado, quando questionado sobre David Luiz, o vice-presidente de futebol do Flamengo, Marcos Braz, afastou a possibilidade de contratá-lo. O dirigente, inclusive, afirmou “ser pouco provável” que o atleta reforçasse o clube. Apesar dessa negativa, a diretoria manteve a discrição e seguiu as tratativas para que a negociação tivesse um final feliz.

Na carreira, segundo o site “ogol”, David Luiz conquistou 21 títulos. São eles: Campeonato Português, Taça da Liga Portuguesa (3) Campeonato Francês (2), Taça da Liga Francesa (2), Copa da França (2), “Trophée des Champions” (2), Taça da Liga Inglesa, Copa da Inglaterra (3) e Supercopa da Inglaterra.

Além disso, o zagueiro também conquistou uma Copa das Confederações epla Seleção Brasileira, uma Liga dos Campeões e duas Europas League pelo Chelsea.

Nascido em Diadema, ele rodou o mundo e ficou acostumado a vencer, vencer e vencer, assim como diz o nosso hino. O povo clamou, o coração balançou e agora ele vestirá rubro-negro. Maior Torcida do Mundo, @DavidLuiz_4 é o novo jogador do Mengão! Seja bem-vindo! #DavidLuizNoMengo pic.twitter.com/KwwWT1ljE3

— Flamengo (@Flamengo) September 11, 2021

Antes de fechar com o Flamengo, Um dos possíveis destinos de David Luiz era o Benfica. O jogador tem identificação com o clube português e boa relação com o técnico Jorge Jesus. No entanto, as tratativas com os lusitanos não foram para frente.

Vale destacar ainda que o carinho da torcida nas redes sociais sensibilizou o jogador. Após o fechamento das inscrições para a fase de grupos da Champions League, a chance do zagueiro vestir o manto também aumentou e, neste sábado, foi concretizado.

After reportedly completing a deal to sign Aston Villa prospect Tim Iroegbunam, Everton have turned their attention to landing Sean Dyche's next priority signing, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Everton transfer news

Despite being stuck at a takeover crossroads, Everton have still managed to splash the cash in a reported £9m deal to sign Iroegbunam this summer. The 20-year-old broke into Unai Emery's Aston Villa side on more than one occasion last season, making 15 first-team appearances in total, but is now set to swap Villa Park for Goodison Park.

Related Sky journalist says Everton have sent a formal bid for a "very fine player"

He has attracted interest from elsewhere in England.

Posts ByTom Coates Jun 19, 2024

The £9m deal should help Villa in their attempts to avoid a profit and sustainability charge from the Premier League, whilst handing Everton a player who's got plenty more to come. Should the midfielder reach his potential, then it could be argued that Dyche will have a natural replacement for Amadou Onana if the Belgian does part ways with the Toffees this summer.

With that deal now reportedly completed and money spent, however, Everton have reportedly turned their attention back towards bargain deals and one particular familiar face in the summer transfer window. According to Romano, Everton are lining up a deal to sign Jack Harrison on loan from Leeds United for a second consecutive season.

Reportedly one of Dyche's priorities since the conclusion of the Premier League season, Harrison showed glimpses of his quality when fit and firing at Goodison Park last season and could now maintain his top-flight place with another move. What's more, Leeds' promotion failure should make any deal easier for Everton to complete this summer.

The Toffees may still be searching for new owners, but that doesn't seem to be standing in the way of arrivals, be that Iroegbunam or Harrison up next, as Dyche prepares to finally take his side away from relegation battles in the Premier League.

"Excellent" Harrison would be wise business by Everton

A player with Premier League experience who could arrive in a loan deal to avoid any transfer fee, Harrison makes perfect sense for Everton. The winger saw the start of his loan spell interrupted by a hip injury last season, before he went on to score three goals and assist a further three in a mixed Premier League spell. If Everton can get the Leeds man back to his best, however, then they'll have plenty more to come.

As Leeds suffered relegation in the 2022/23 season, for example, Harrison managed five goals and seven assists in the Premier League, proving to be a bright spark in a campaign to forget at Elland Road. Now, with Dyche looking to take the Toffees into the comforts of mid-table, the 27-year-old could play a crucial part.

Dyche certainly didn't shy away from praising Harrison last season, either, telling EvertonTV: “People like Jack came into the side. He’s been absolutely terrific. He’s hardly played but he looks clear and he said he felt clear and I thought he was excellent tonight to come in and work as he did.”

Harry Kane has sent a “we are Bayern Munich” warning to Bundesliga title rivals, with the prolific frontman back in the hunt for elusive trophies.

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Ended debut campaign empty-handedFlying start to the new seasonLeverkusen up next at the Allianz ArenaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The England captain moved to Germany in the summer of 2023 expecting to get his hands on silverware of some description during his debut campaign. That was not to be the case, with Bayern enduring a rare season without success – despite their No.9 hitting 44 goals across all competitions.

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Kane is determined to right those wrongs and has already been back in the goal-getting groove this season. After grabbing hat-tricks in back-to-back Bundesliga and Champions League games, he netted again in a 5-0 mauling of Werder Bremen to take him to double figures already.

WHAT KANE SAID

Next up for Bayern is a home date with defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, with Kane saying of the immediate past, present and future: “It was a great week. Congratulations to the lads for the right attitude and mentality. We played an away game against opponents [Werder] who had remained unbeaten in the league for a while. The way we played with and without possession is the kind of style we want to show in the upcoming games as well. You could tell that we kept pushing, even after the second and third goals.

“We are Bayern Munich. It's definitely going to be a different game against Leverkusen. They showed last season how strong they are. It's going to be a tough game. We have to show the same mentality and the same hunger for success that we showed [against Werder] and in our previous games. We're playing at home, it's October, and it's going to be a great game.”

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR BAYERN?

Leverkusen went unbeaten in the league throughout last season, but have already come unstuck this term. Bayern, meanwhile, are yet to drop a point through their opening four fixtures and will hope to see home field advantage work in their favour when welcoming title rivals to the Allianz Arena.

Loan batsman proves worth as late wickets leave Lancashire with much to do on final day

ECB Reporters Network03-Aug-2020Lancashire 322 (Vilas 90, Croft 63) and 96 for 3 (Davies 54) lead Leicestershire 409 for 8 (Slater 172, Ackermann 94, Azad 58) by nine runs Ben Slater hit a career-best 172 and Colin Ackermann 94 as Leicestershire declared with a first-innings lead of 87 before taking three early wickets as opponents Lancashire closed the third day just nine runs ahead in the Bob Willis Trophy match being played at Blackfinch New Road.Keaton Jennings went caught at third slip off Chris Wright for 8, the ball looping off an inside edge and his pads, Josh Bohannon was leg before wicket to a full delivery from Ben Mike for 3, and Alex Davies leg before for 54 missing a pull at a delivery from left-arm spinner Callum Parkinson that went on with the arm to give the Foxes real hope of forcing victory on the final day.Slater, signed by Leicestershire on a two-week loan from Nottinghamshire, shared in a partnership of 165 with Ackermann, a third-wicket record for Leicestershire against Lancashire, beating the 163-run partnership between James Bradshaw and Norman Armstrong at Leicester’s old Aylestone Road ground in 1929.Ackermann was positive from the start when his side resumed on 183 for 2, looking to get forward where possible against an inexperienced bowling attack including three men making their first-class debuts in seamers Ed Moulton and George Balderson, and left-arm spinner Tom Hartley.All bowled straight and to their fields, however, and on a good, dry but slightly slow pitch, Ackermann and Slater found it hard to work the ball to the boundary. Slater kept the scoreboard moving with singles as he worked his way towards 150, going in to lunch on 143 off 318 balls, while Ackermann hit seven fours in reaching 50 off 88 deliveries. Only one chance was created, when Ackermann, on 47, drove a delivery from Balderson that stopped a little in the pitch back towards the young bowler, who was unable to hold the catch very low to his left.It was a different story after the interval as Leicestershire looked to secure a fourth batting bonus point. Having passed 150, Slater lofted Tom Bailey for consecutive sixes over long-on, but a third attempt landed in the hands of Bohannon at deep mid-off.George Rhodes came and went quickly in the search for quick runs, driving Bailey to Dave Vilas at cover, but Ackermann, on 94, looked certain to reach a century of his own until he was called through for an unlikely second run by Tom Taylor and failed to beat Jennings’ throw from the midwicket boundary.When Taylor went lbw hitting across the line at Balderson and Harry Swindells was bowled trying to improvise against Hartley’s left-arm spin, Leicestershire had lost five wickets for 43 runs, but Mike, Klein and Parkinson saw them past 400 before Ackermann declared to ensure the Foxes were able to bowl before tea.Neither Jennings nor Davies were troubled during the seven overs they did bowl before the break, but Jennings’ unfortunate dismissal, followed by those of Bohannon and Davies, means much will depend on Lancashire’s in-form captain Dave Vilas, who was unbeaten on 7 at the close.Before play began, match umpire Alec Swann confirmed Leicestershire seamer Klein had been handed a three-point penalty and a reprimand after being adjudged to have committed a level two offence under Law 43, throwing the ball at another player in an inappropriate and dangerous manner.The incident occurred on the second day of the game, when Klein threw the ball at the stumps but hit Lancashire batsman Danny Lamb on the foot.

Arsenal are ready to snap up a La Liga forward this summer by paying his £40m+ release clause.

Arsenal transfer rumours

Arsenal once again fell short in 2023/24, losing out on the Premier League trophy to Manchester City, who secured a fourth title in a row under Pep Guardiola. Despite their long wait for the Premier League stretching into another campaign, this past season did see the Gunners progress. Their title challenge in 2022/23 was dead in the water by April, but they were able to push the Sky Blues until the final day this time around.

However, if the north Londoners are to finally end their wait for the top-flight title in 2024/25, further improvements will likely need to be made to Mikel Arteta's squad. And judging by recent links, this is something those in a position of power at the Emirates are well aware of.

The Gunners are said to be among a 'host' of top-flight clubs who are in the mix to sign Irish teenager Mason Melia, with the 16-year-old having caught the eye amid his first-team involvement with St Patrick's Athletic in the League of Ireland Premier Division.

Elsewhere, according to a recent interview with Italian journalist Valter De Maggio on Radio Global (via Kiss Kiss Napoli), Napoli's superstar striker Victor Osimhen "wants the Premier League", although he is said to be "waiting for Arsenal" in particular. The Gunners are also being linked with a couple more strikers in Italy, as while Arsenal are making their appreciation and interest in Marcus Thuram clear to Inter, they "would like to take" Lautaro Martinez.

Meanwhile, Arsenal have joined the race to sign 18-year-old Rennes midfielder Desire Doue, who is also an attractive option in the market for Manchester United.

Arsenal ready to pay £40m+ release clause for La Liga attacker

For the most part, however, the number of links to forwards of late suggests that attack is the key area in which Arsenal are looking to strengthen this summer. And now, another attacking talent is believed to have caught the eye of those at the Emirates. The player in question is Nico Williams, with Football Transfers reporting that the Gunners have joined a number of top European clubs in the race for the Athletic Bilbao star.

The report adds that Arsenal are "stepping up their pursuit" of the winger, who has a €50m (£42.8m) release clause in his contract, with the Gunners happy to pay the fee required. However, the English powerhouses are expected to face competition from Ligue 1 champions PSG for the 21-year-old.

Williams has featured 121 times for his current team, scoring eight and assisting 17 in 37 outings this past season. His stellar showings at club level saw him earn his senior Spain debut in 2022, featuring against Switzerland and Spain in the UEFA Nations League.

Brother Inaki Williams is a big admirer of his family member and Bilbao teammate, saying after his Spain debut that he "is a great player, he is in incredible shape and I think he can give a lot to Spain."

And at just over £40m, Williams would only just squeeze into Arsenal's top 10 most expensive signings, in what could be a rare summer bargain.

Related Arsenal eye "special" Guimaraes alternative who'd fully unlock Rice

The Gunners appear to be showing a strong interest in a £52m midfielder…

Posts ByRobbie Walls May 26, 2024

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As the action moves from the leafy surrounds of the SSC to the jungles of the southeast, both teams may ponder their shortcomings from the first game. Neither middle-order quite fired. West Indies lost five wickets for 68 runs while Sri Lanka might reflect they could have done better than lose their first four wickets within 57 runs after a century opening stand, then their next four for 61. Sri Lanka’s spinners failed to produce wickets through the middle overs and West Indies’ quicks were modest under the pressure of a tight finish.But although these are clearly flawed teams, they also appeared to be evenly matched. Aside, perhaps, from Sri Lanka’s 111-run opening stand, there was no sustained period of dominance from either side. A wicket would fall to clip a burgeoning stand short or a spate of boundaries would frequently break the shackles. Each side has promising young players – most notably Keemo Paul and Wanindu Hasaranga from the first match – and captains who took over in moments of crisis last year. Both sides have relatively settled XIs for now, but several players are only a few bad performances away from having their places questioned.Given the similarities, it may be the side that best adapts to the Sooriyawewa ground’s particular challenges that wins. There can sometimes be a fierce crosswind at the venue. Sri Lanka have occasionally used the wind to the advantage of their swing bowlers, but have more often found that it messes with bowlers’ accuracy and flight. Batsmen, meanwhile, have had success largely targeting the downwind side of the ground, and hit aerially into the wind at their peril.

Form guide

West Indies LWWWL
Sri Lanka WLLWWShai Hope follows the ball off his bat•AFP via Getty Images

In the spotlight

Sri Lanka’s fielding has happily lent itself to comic comparisons in the past few years, but an outstanding all-round effort on Saturday has hinted that the age of slow-motion dives and slapstick fumbles may be over. It wasn’t quite a flawless effort, but almost – no catches were dropped, two run outs were clinically affected and the ground fielding was reliable. Coach Mickey Arthur has spoken glowingly about the improvements in Sri Lanka’s fielding standards over the last few months, and so far, his team seems to be proving him right.Shai Hope, Saturday’s only centurion, has been putting together quite a record in recent years. His overall ODI average is impressive enough at 51.90, but his average as an opener is 91.88 after 21 innings, and seven of his nine centuries have come from the top of the order. Perhaps even more consequential to this series is his average in Asia, which after 15 innings, is a whopping 123.66. With so many of his team-mates capable of making rapid runs, Hope is increasingly the trunk around which West Indies build their innings.

Team news

Kieron Pollard seemed averse to the idea of making many changes to the XI. They may toy with the idea of bringing in left-arm spinner Fabian Allen for Hayden Walsh Jr, who took two wickets, but conceded 38 runs from five overs.West Indies (possible): 1 Sunil Ambris, 2 Shai Hope (wk), 3 Darren Bravo, 4 Roston Chase, 5 Nicholas Pooran, 6 Kieron Pollard (capt), 7 Jason Holder, 8 Fabian Allen, 9 Keemo Paul, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Sheldon CottrellWith Thisara Perera’s bowling in the Powerplay having proved successful in the first ODI, Sri Lanka may stick with the same XI.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Dimuth Karunaratne (capt), 2 Avishka Fernando, 3 Kusal Perera (wk), 4 Kusal Mendis, 5 Angelo Mathews, 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Wanindu Hasaranga, 9 Isuru Udana, 10 Lakshan Sandakan, 11 Nuwan Pradeep

Pitch and conditions

Generally, the Sooriyawewa pitch is one of the quicker tracks in the country though that is not to say it doesn’t also take turn. It is also one of the hottest venues in the country, but if the wind is around, the players may get some relief.

Stats and trivia

• West Indies have never won an ODI series in Sri Lanka. Their best result came in December 1993, when they drew 1-1.
• Shai Hope averages over 60 in each of the last two calendar years, which is largely when he has opened the innings. Outside opening the innings, his best record is at No. 5, where he has batted three times and averages 42.5.
• Lakshan Sandakan has gone wicketless in seven of his last eight ODIs. Though he also has not been granted a consistent place in the XI through that period.