All posts by h716a5.icu

Newcastle United’s fantastic second half of the season ensured they will return to the Champions League in the 2025/26 campaign. Eddie Howe’s magnificent Magpies came fifth in the Premier League and managed to cling onto that final Champions League spot despite defeat on the last day of the season at home to Everton.

Since Boxing Day, the North Eastern giants looked like strong contenders for a top-five finish. They were fifth in the league just one day after Christmas, and never really looked like dropping out of that race in 2025.

With a huge season ahead, it will be an important few months for Newcastle to build a squad worthy of competing with Europe’s elite. Already, they have been linked with some elite-level players.

Newcastle’s latest summer targets

There is a report from one Spanish news outlet that links the Magpies to four players this summer. One of those includes Real Madrid attacker Rodrygo, who could be available for as little as £67m. Former Manchester City winger Ferran Torres, now at Barcelona, is also linked.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, one of the most concrete links for Newcastle right now comes from CaughtOffside. They suggest that the North East side are targeting a move for Paris Saint-Germain attacker Lee Kang-in. They are thought to be one side who have ‘made contact’ for the South Korean attacker.

The key phrase there is one of, because the Magpies are set to fight seven other sides across Europe. They include Spanish side Atletico Madrid and Premier League rivals Manchester United and Arsenal.

Interestingly, the Gunners were linked with Lee by The Athletic back in January, who reported his transfer fee as £36m, double what the French side paid for him. Perhaps it will be a similar fee this summer, too.

Why Lee would be a good signing

It has perhaps been a slightly frustrating season for Lee in the French capital. He has struggled for regular opportunities, given he is fighting to break into an attack that includes Ousmane Dembele, Desiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

He has played 30 games in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 campaign, scoring six goals and registering the same number of assists. Crucially, Lee has played just 1667 minutes in the top flight of France, the equivalent of just 18 full games. 12 goals and assists in 18 games is a superb return.

One of the standout features about Lee’s game is his versatility. Luis Enrique has been able to rely on him in numerous positions this season. He has played 13 times as a right-winger, 12 times as a number ten, six games as a centre-forward and even once at right-back.

If the Magpies did sign Lee this summer, they would surely hope he could have the same impact at St James’ Park that their last midfield signing from Ligue 1 has done.

Bruno Guimaraes has been a revelation in midfield since his £30m move from Olympique Lyon in 2022.

He has amassed an impressive 154 appearances in that famous black and white shirt, scoring 22 goals and registering 24 assists in that time.

At the start of his time in the North East, he said he had ambitions of becoming a “legend” at the club. After helping to deliver the Carabao Cup this season, he may well have reached that level.

Interestingly, talent scout Jacek Kulig said he believes Lee can become a “future legend” of football, further drawing parallels between the pair. If he can have any sort of similar impact on the club as Guimaraes, it would have been a successful transfer.

There are some standout underlying stats on FBref for Lee, which indicate he could become a key player for Newcastle. For example, he averages 7.69 progressive passes and 5.19 shot-creating actions per game, which rank him in the top 3% and 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, respectively.

Goals and assists

0.51

96th

Key passes

3.08

99th

Progressive

7.69

97th

Shot-creating actions

5.19

99th

Progressive carries

2.91

96th

Take-ons completed

1.56

97th

The last time Newcastle bought a midfielder from Ligue 1, it turned out to be one of the best signings they have made in recent memory. They will surely hope that, if Lee joins, he can be the second coming of Guimaraes in terms of impact on the club.

At just £36m, this could be the bargain of the summer for the Magpies, if Howe and co can get this deal over the line.

Bigger talent than Delap: Newcastle set to bid for “special" £59m sensation

Newcastle are looking for a new addition to their attack

ByJoe Nuttall May 27, 2025

The scorer of the game’s ‘winning’ goal over Real Betis in midweek, Chelsea star Nicolas Jackson put in a display that perhaps epitomises his Stamford Bridge career, having got himself on the scoresheet despite enduring a largely frustrating performance.

Indeed, at one stage the Senegalese striker produced a dismal touch when racing clear in behind the Betis defence, with that moment alone outlining the limitations of a centre-forward who ended 2024/25 with just 13 goals to his name in all competitions – fewer than the much maligned Christopher Nkunku (14).

Unsurprisingly, the search has begun to find a suitable replacement or rival for the 23-year-old, with the Blues having closed in on a deal for Ipswich Town talisman Liam Delap, following his 12-goal haul in the Premier League this season.

It remains to be seen whether the 22-year-old – who is set to undergo a medical on Monday – will be Enzo Maresca’s leading number nine next summer, not least with attention also turning toward Eintracht Frankfurt sensation, Hugo Ekitike.

What is evident is that the £30m capture of the Englishman could mark the start of a hectic summer in west London – with an even bigger statement signing already being plotted.

Chelsea's continued transfer search after Delap

It was confirmed on Friday that Chelsea had won the race for the former Manchester City man’s signature, with the Conference League winners notably edging out rivals Manchester United in the battle for his services.

Competition with the Red Devils could continue if recent reports are anything to go by, with Maresca and co believed to have turned their attention toward a long-time target of the Old Trafford side – Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite.

As reported by the Daily Mail, the Blues are said to be weighing up an approach for the towering centre-back, albeit with David Moyes’ side seemingly reluctant to sell their prized asset.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The 22-year-old was the subject of a £50m offer from United last summer, although the Toffees were looking for a fee closer to £70m at the time. It remains to be seen whether that price tag is the same this time around.

The report suggests that even if Ruben Amorim’s side renew their interest, the Blues could hold the advantage amid Branthwaite’s desire for Champions League football – something that appeared to be high on his agenda when contemplating an exit a year ago.

A colleague of Delap at U21 level for England, Branthwaite could represent an even bigger talent than his compatriot…

Why Branthwaite would be a bigger coup than Delap

For all the excitement of having won the race for Delap, with it having been reported at one stage that almost every Premier League club was keeping tabs on his situation, it’s worth remembering that this is still a deal that poses a risk.

Games (starts)

37 (32)

30 (28)

Goals

12

10

Goal frequency

218min

224min

Shots*

1.8

2.5

Big chances missed

10

19

Assists

2

5

Big chances created

3

6

Key passes*

0.6

0.9

Total duels won*

38%

38%

Indeed, the in-demand marksman is fresh off the back of what was just his first campaign at the top level, having previously scored just eight goals in the Championship with Hull City in 2023/24.

Whether the youngster will be able to kick on again under the tutelage of Maresca, whom he previously worked with at the Etihad, remains to be seen, with the pool of evidence in the Premier League undoubtedly small.

That, it must be said, is not true of Branthwaite, with the former Carlisle United man – who joined Everton for just £1m in January 2020 – have shone over the last two seasons at Goodison Park, after previously catching the eye on loan at PSV Eindhoven during the 2022/23 campaign.

That stint in the Netherlands saw the 6 foot 5 giant described as the “complete” defender by manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, while analyst Ben Mattinson also lauded him as a “two-footed ball-playing, physical beast”, such is the wide array of his talents.

Since then, the £70m man has enjoyed two standout seasons in England’s top-flight, racking up 65 league appearances in that time after emerging as a crucial figure alongside James Tarkowski.

Described as a “monster” by pundit Ian Wright, Branthwaite notably ended 2024/25 having won 63% of his total duels, while averaging 2.1 tackles and interceptions per game, alongside making 6.3 clearances, as per Sofascore.

For context, the fellow left-footer he could well replace or rival at Stamford Bridge – Levi Colwill – won just 57% of his total duels, while averaging 2.2 tackles and interceptions, alongside making 3.3 clearances per outing.

With three eye-catching seasons under his belt in a row – including his time in the Eredivisie – Branthwaite has now repeatedly proven himself at the elite level. Delap, meanwhile, still has a way to go to illustrate that he can be a consistent success on the big stage.

The next Ashley Cole: Chelsea 'advancing talks' to sign "immense" £46m star

Chelsea are keen to sign a defender or two this summer

ByRoss Kilvington May 31, 2025

The Premier League confirmed its fixture calendar for the 2025/2026 season this week with Arsenal set for an intriguing opening game against Man United, and there is little doubt sporting director Andrea Berta will be aiming to secure all of Mikel Arteta’s top summer transfer targets by that date.

Regarding links to some of Europe’s most sought-after strikers, United have been equally active in the transfer market, with both sides attempting to get a prolific centre-forward through the door after disappointing seasons.

Arsenal make contact to sign trophy-laden £400k-per-week ex-Man City star

He’d be quite the addition to Arteta’s dressing room.

ByEmilio Galantini Jun 17, 2025

Arsenal have been in talks with RB Leipzig over a deal for Benjamin Sesko for weeks, but as things stand, the Gunners are unwilling to match their demands of a transfer fee which could reach up to £85 million.

With Arsenal still yet to shake hands on a contract with the player’s representatives, plenty of work is still to be done if Berta wishes to strike a deal for the Slovenia international who’s eluded Arteta’s side since last summer.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Sesko rejected a proposal to join Arsenal this time last year and ex-interim sporting director Jason Ayto led a mission to tempt the 22-year-old with a move to the Emirates in January, only to be told that he wanted to see out the season with Leipzig (Ben Jacobs).

Amidst the Sesko saga, Arsenal are also trying to sign a new winger, but key target Nico Williams is now in talks to join Barcelona instead.

Arsenal planning to hijack Chelsea deal for Jamie Gittens

That is according to CaughtOffside, and given the Athletic Bilbao starlet is most likely to remain in La Liga with Barça, Arsenal are believed to be shifting their focus to Borussia Dortmund winger Jamie Gittens.

The “new name” target, as described by this report, is emerging as a priority signing for the north Londoners and Arteta is apparently a real admirer. They’re currently taking “concrete steps” to swoop for Gittens and holding internal talks over a move for the Englishman, who Dortmund value at around £51 million.

Arsenal are said to be “serious” about signing Gittens and could move quickly, which comes as a real concern for Chelsea and Enzo Maresca.

The west Londoners had three bids rejected for the 20-year-old before the Club World Cup transfer deadline (Florian Plettenberg), with CaughtOffside reiterating that Gittens has already reached a long-term agreement on personal terms to join Chelsea.

Chelsea are widely expected to bid again for Gittens (Fabrizio Romano), but Arsenal appear to be posing a major threat in the race, so Maresca may now have a battle on his hands.

The Dortmund sensation, called an “incredible” one-v-one forward by Nuri Şahin, bagged 12 goals and five assists in 49 total appearances last campaign – with four of his strikes coming in the Champions League.

Tottenham Hotspur are now ready to make an “unbelievable” star their club-record signing, with Thomas Frank identifying him as a prime target, according to a report.

Tottenham eyeing new forward amid Son uncertainty

Heung-min Son became the first Tottenham captain to lift a major trophy in 17 years last month, with his side prevailing over Manchester United in the Europa League final, but there have been suggestions the South Korean’s time at N17 could be coming to an end.

That is according to journalist Matt Law, who said: “I mean, certainly after the last game of the season, he left people with the impression, both in the dressing room and around the staff, that he might have played his last game for Tottenham.

“The way he said his goodbyes for the summer did leave people with the impression that he thought he could go.”

As such, one of Frank’s most important tasks this summer could be to bring in a replacement for the forward, and the new Spurs boss has now identified a Premier League attacker as a prime target.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, Tottenham are now ready to make Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze their club-record signing by shelling out £68m for the forward, who Frank believes is capable of thriving out wide.

Tottenham now in talks to sell "phenomenon" after bid in the last few days

Daniel Levy and Johan Lange could ship out a few interesting names this summer.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jun 27, 2025

Crucially, Eze would be keen on a move to N17, despite widespread reports from elsewhere suggesting that Arsenal have now joined the race for his signature, and Spurs would be willing to make an upfront payment of £45m to get a deal over the line.

Palace are open to receiving the remaining £23m in installments, with a total package of £68m making the England international the Lilywhites’ new club-record signing, having previously signed Dominic Solanke from AFC Bournemouth for a fee of £65m.

"Unbelievable" Eze could be ideal Son heir

The timing could be right to let Son leave, with the South Korea international finally getting his hands on a trophy, and there are signs the Palace star could be an ideal replacement, given the level of his performances for the South London outfit.

Most notably, the 27-year-old led the Eagles to their first-ever major trophy by scoring in the FA Cup final against Manchester City last month.

Not only that, but the “unbelievable” Palace talisman has proven himself to be a fantastic dribbler of the ball over the past year, while also placing highly for assists per 90, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.28 (80th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

4.69 (82nd percentile)

Successful take-ons

2.33 (86th percentile)

As such, it is clear to see why Tottenham are willing to make Eze their record signing, and it is exciting news that he remains keen on a move across the capital.

Vala wants PNG to pick their “energy, determination and attitude” with Afghanistan and NZ up next

Mohammad Isam06-Jun-2024Papua New Guinea captain Assad Vala said that their batters couldn’t adjust to the Providence Stadium pitch against Uganda on Wednesday. PNG were bowled out for 77, their lowest total in T20Is, and eventually suffered their second defeat at the T20 World Cup 2024. in what turned out to be a low-scoring encounter.Hiri Hiri’s 15 was the top score for PNG, while only two others reached double figures. They succumbed to Uganda’s pace bowlers first, and then the spinners took grip of their batting. Vala, who fell in the first over for a duck, felt that there were too many soft dismissals in their innings.”Because it was a new wicket, we didn’t have a target set,” Vala said. “We said to give ourselves a few overs then see how we go from there. As the game progressed, I think we didn’t do that. I think the batters that played today really let ourselves down. We didn’t do as we planned.”We had a lot of soft dismissals. I think anything just over 100 was a good score on that wicket. It was a challenging wicket to bat on. They bowled really well but a lot of soft dismissals from us put them on top. They never gave us any chance to get back into the game. So, credit to them as well.”Alei Nao got the early breakthroughs for Papua New Guinea•ICC via Getty ImagesVala however lauded his bowlers who reduced Uganda to 6 for 3 in the third over. They further slipped to 26 for 5 before Riazat Ali Shah and Juma Miyagi restored the Uganda innings with a 35-run stand. Riazat enjoyed some luck in his crucial 33, surviving an easy dropped chance by fielder Charles Amini on 8; that was one of two dropped chances let off by PNG in their defense of a small target.”I thought that the effort from the bowlers really brought us back into the game,” Vala said. “There weren’t enough runs on the board for them to defend. We started really well with three early wickets.”You need everything to go your way in a small total. We created the opportunities at the same time. When we need to take those chances, I don’t know what to say anymore. It is a disappointing effort from us.”Vala doesn’t want his troop to drop their shoulders yet. They have matches against Afghanistan and New Zealand next, so he wants to see the energy levels they displayed against West Indies in their opening game.”We are coming up against two Full Member nations in Afghanistan and New Zealand in the next two games in Trinidad. I think we need to be up for that,” he said. “We don’t get the opportunity to play against those teams so when the opportunity is in front of us, we need to make the best of it.”I think we need to have the full energy, determination and attitude towards playing against top teams. We got outplayed today, to be honest. We didn’t play as well as we did against West Indies so we need to have the right attitude in the next two games.”

Leeds United have been given a sobering reminder of the step up in quality from the Championship to the Premier League by watching some recent transfer sagas unfold.

Liverpool officially confirmed the permanent signing of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for a reported fee that could rise to a British-record £116m on Friday.

Whereas, the Whites have never spent more than £35.5m to sign a player. Their current record stands at the £35.5m they paid to sign Georginio Rutter from Hoffenheim at the start of 2023.

Rutter scored eight goals and provided 18 assists in 66 matches for the West Yorkshire outfit before he completed a move to Brighton & Hove Albion last summer.

Leeds are in the market to sign a central midfielder to bolster their squad this summer, amid interest in Strasbourg’s Habib Diarra and Club Brugge’s Raphael Onyedika.

They have been shown how much the top midfielders in the Premier League go for, though, as Arsenal are set to sign Martin Zubimendi from Spanish side Real Sociedad for a reported fee of £56m.

Leeds United's current midfield options

At this moment in time, Ethan Ampadu, Ilia Gruev, and Ao Tanaka are Daniel Farke’s only senior central midfield options ahead of the 2025/26 campaign, after Joe Rothwell returned to Bournemouth and Josuha Guilavogui was released at the end of his contract.

Ampadu has often been utilised as a centre-back option by the German head coach, which could leave Gruev and Tanaka as the two midfielders in his 4-2-3-1 system if the Wales international slots into the back four.

There are question marks over whether those two midfielders have the physicality to compete week-in-week-out in a relegation scrap in the Premier League, however, due to their form in the past.

Prior to their respective moves to Elland Road, both Gruev and Tanaka played in Germany, in the Bundesliga and the 2. Bundesliga, and showed signs that they may not be able to handle the step up in physicality to the Premier League.

Appearances

31

30

Pass accuracy

87%

89%

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.1

2.0

Ground duel success rate

53%

49%

Aerial duel success rate

43%

49%

As you can see in the table above, they both left a bit to be desired physically in the top two divisions in Germany, particularly when it came to competing in aerial battles.

This may be why the Whites are keen to add more physicality to their midfield by bringing in a new option in that area of the park, and they are now reportedly interested in a new target in that position.

Leeds eyeing deal for Ligue 1 enforcer

According to GIVEMESPORT, Leeds United are lining up a deal to sign Stade de Reims defensive midfielder Valentin Atangana during the summer transfer window.

The report claims that the Whites have set their sights on the talented 19-year-old enforcer, whose team were relegated to the second division in France this season.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

GIVEMESPORT adds that the Championship champions are keen to do their business as early as possible, and that the French starlet has emerged as one of the options on their radar in their pursuit of a new central midfielder.

The outlet states that the Whites are keen to win the race to secure his services this summer after they were made aware that he is set to be available in the market because of Reims’ relegation to Ligue 2.

It also forwards a suggestion that the player could be available for a bargain price of around £9m, as Reims look to rake in money after dropping out of Ligue 1.

The report also claims that Leeds are now weighing up whether or not to enter negotiations over a deal to bring the teenage talent to West Yorkshire before the end of the window.

Why Leeds should sign Valentin Atangana

The Whites should approach Reims to do a deal for the 19-year-old star because he could arrive as Farke’s own version of Zubimendi, who is set to join Arsenal for £56m, to bolster the physicality in his midfield.

As per FBref, the Spain international is one of the most similar players to Atangana based on their respective statistics in Ligue 1 and LaLiga over the past 365 days.

As you can see in the chart above, they both excel in fairly similar areas of the game, particularly defensively, with a similar success rate in tackles and aerial battles.

Zubimendi ended the LaLiga season with a ground duel success rate of 56% and an aerial battle success rate of 62%, whilst Atangana won 53% of his ground duels and 58% of his aerial battles in Ligue 1 for Reims.

The France U19 international, who was hailed as “exceptional” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, caught the eye in the French top-flight from a defensive perspective, despite his team being relegated.

He was playing in a poor team, hence their relegation, but still showcased his physicality and quality. A great example is his performance against PSG in the Coupe de France final, as he won seven of his nine duels and completed all three of his dribbles against the likes of Joao Neves and Vitinha, but his side lost 3-0.

Clearances

2.02

Top 19%

Aerial duels won

1.48

Top 8%

Percentage of dribblers tackled

73.7%

Top 2%

Challenges lost

0.32

Top 2%

Shots blocked

0.47

Top 14%

Interceptions

1.17

Top 33%

Dispossessed

0.73

Top 23%

As you can see in the table above, Atangana ranked highly among his positional peers in a host of key defensive metrics in Ligue 1, particularly when it came to winning aerial duels and holding off opposition players.

He rarely allowed dribblers to get past him, as shown by his success rate in tackles and how few challenges he lost, and was rarely dispossessed by opposition midfielders, which speaks to his strength in possession.

The teenage talent could, therefore, be Farke’s own version of Zubimendi as a defensive midfielder who has shown that he can be reliable in physical contests and secure in possession under pressure in one of Europe’s top leagues.

To sign a 19-year-old talent who has already proven his quality in the French top-flight, and is comparable to £56m-rated Zubimendi, for just £9m could be a shrewd move by Leeds, and one they must pursue in the coming weeks.

He's better than Diarra: Leeds now looking at deal to sign £26m "threat"

Leeds United are eyeing up a midfield star who could be even better than Habib Diarra.

1 ByDan Emery Jun 19, 2025

Naveen calls it “a surreal experience” as Afghanistan beat Bangladesh in a dramatic finish in Kingstown

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jun-20244:14

Rashid: It was hard to stay calm at some points

Rashid Khan has described Afghanistan’s qualification for the T20 World Cup semi-final as an “unbelievable feeling” and that it would be a “massive inspiration” for youngsters back home.”I think the semi-final is going to be a massive, massive inspiration for the youngsters back home in Afghanistan,” Rashid said after Afghanistan beat Bangladesh in St Vincent to secure their place in the final four and knock Australia out. “That Afghanistan team got into the semis for the first time. We have done it at Under-19 level, but this level we haven’t done that. Even Super Eight was first time for us and then in semis. It’s unbelievable feeling … We are capable – but as long we keep things very simple, and I think in the whole competition so far, we kept the thing simple. Yes, there were some tough times but we didn’t let ourselves down and we always try to come back stronger.”After Afghanistan posted 115 for 5, Rashid and Naveen-ul-Haq picked up four wickets each to help bundle out Bangladesh for 105, eight short of their DLS-adjusted target of 114 in 19 overs.”It’s something like a dream for us as a team to be in the semi-final,” Rashid said after the match. “It’s all about the way we had started the tournament. The belief came when we beat New Zealand. So it’s unbelievable. I don’t have any words to describe my feelings. Definitely back home everyone is so, so happy for this.Related

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“I think the only guy who had us in the semi-final was Brian Lara. At the welcome party, I told him, ‘We won’t let you down. We will prove that you are right.'”While Afghanistan needed only a win to qualify for the knockouts, the equation for Bangladesh was much tougher: they needed to chase down the target in 12.1 overs, something Afghanistan took advantage of. With rain in the air, the pendulum swung from one side to another multiple times before Afghanistan sealed the match.Rashid Khan and Jonathan Trott embrace after their semi-final spot was confirmed•ICC/Getty Images”In our mind, we felt 130-135 was a good total on this wicket but we were 15-20 runs short,” Rashid said. “But a few games we had watched before, 115 was the best total on this wicket. So it was all about the mindset. We knew they would come hard at us to chase it in 12 overs to get into the semi-final and that’s what we could take advantage of.”If we bowled into the stumps, we had the chance of bowling them out. We didn’t need to do anything extra. We were very clear with our planning. Putting in that 100% effort is always in your hands. Rain, drizzle is not in your hand. And we had to push ourselves for people back home, for their happiness, to make the country proud. That was the discussion we had and everyone did a wonderful job.”Rashid also lauded his fast bowlers – Naveen, who was named Player of the Match, and Fazalhaq Farooqi, who is currently the leading wicket-taker in the tournament. On Monday, they combined to reduce Bangladesh to 23 for 3 inside three overs.”That made our job easy,” Rashid said. “In T20s, if you start well, that gives us spinners to attack the batters in the middle overs. That was something we were missing before. But now with the quality of the fast bowlers we have… they are not as fast but they are skilful. I feel if you have skills in T20s, you are more effective and they have given us great starts so far in the competition. They were very clear in their mind and that’s something very pleasing for me.”Naveen, meanwhile, called it “a surreal experience”. Apart from picking up two wickets at the start, he dismissed Taskin Ahmed and Mustafizur Rahman off successive balls, punctuated by a rain break, to kick off the celebrations.”I think these are the games where you never know what can happen,” he said. “After conceding one boundary, it felt like the game was gone. Suddenly you picked up a wicket and you were back in the game. So the margin of error is very small. But yeah, we had confidence that these wickets are not high-scoring wickets. As long as we didn’t give away easy runs or bowled easy balls, and picked up wickets, we were in the game. Luckily, that happened.”

Slowly and then all at once would be one way to describe Arsenal’s summer thus far.

While their rivals were making signing after signing last month, Mikel Arteta’s side appeared rather sluggish, going back and forth between Viktor Gyokeres and Benjamin Sesko without making much progress towards either one.

However, over the last week or so, things have begun to change, with Kepa Arizabalage through the door, Christian Norgaard’s arrival feeling like a matter of time, and an avalanche of reports linking the club to Crystal Palace superstar Eberechi Eze.

Furthermore, Andrea Berta and Co appear intent on bringing in more Premier League talent this month, with reports now linking the club to someone who could be a dream teammate for Eze.

Arsenal target Premier League stars

While Arsenal are more than happy to shop abroad, the club are also no stranger to picking up players from closer to home, and so far this summer, they have been linked with several Premier League stars, like Morgan Rogers and Anthony Elanga.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former was superb for Aston Villa last season, racking up a tally of 14 goals and 15 assists in 54 games, but such a great campaign has seen his price tag soar, and reports have suggested he could cost the Gunners as much as £70m.

Likewise, Elanga once again proved his worth for Nottingham Forest in 24/25, racking up 18 goal involvements in 43 games, which in turn has seen his potential price tag reach £60m.

However, there is another, slightly cheaper, but still exciting Premier League attacker who is reportedly in the Gunners’ sights this summer: Noni Madueke.

At least that’s according to a recent report from Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, which reaffirms that Arsenal are very much interested in the Chelsea star.

The report goes a step further, though, claiming that the North Londoners are now in talks with the dynamic winger, having submitted their contract offer to the player, who is valued at close to £50m, according to other reports. What makes this move doubly interesting is that the player actually spent time in the Spurs academy as a youngster.

It could be a costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Madueke’s ability and potential, it might be one worth fighting for, especially as he could be a perfect teammate for Eze.

Why Eze would love Madueke

So, it might be somewhat simplistic, but one of the reasons Eze might love to play with Madueke is down to his output, as that’s what’s going to help the Palace star’s own goal and assist numbers.

For example, despite not always being one of the first names on the teamsheet at Chelsea last season, the exciting winger was still able to amass a decent haul of 11 goals and five assists in 2589 minutes of football, spread across 44 appearances.

That means the 23-year-old averaged a goal or assist every 161.81 minutes for the Blues, which isn’t too bad at all, and substantially better than Gabriel Martinelli’s average of a goal involvement every 222.75 minutes and even better than Leandro Trossard’s average of one every 172.75 minutes.

On top of being a fairly reliable scorer and provider of goals, the “unbelievable” forward, as dubbed by former manager Mauricio Pochettino, has also got some brilliant underlying numbers to his name, including some that would be music to Eze’s ears.

For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries and carries into the penalty area, the top 4% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area and many more, all per 90. With those qualities in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that some within the game have said that he’s “very similar to Saka.”

Progressive Carries

6.82

Top 1%

Carries into Penalty Area

4.12

Top 1%

GCA (Defensive Action)

0.04

Top 4%

Touches (Att Pen)

8.15

Top 4%

Non-Penalty xG

0.43

Top 6%

Shots Total

3.54

Top 7%

Progressive Carrying Distance

154.28

Top 7%

Shots on Target

1.33

Top 8%

Now, those three statistics could be particularly important for the Eagles ace, as they suggest the Chelsea man is truly elite at getting the ball into seriously dangerous areas, which in turn could result in better and more chances for his teammates.

Ultimately, from his output to what’s going on under the hood, Madueke looks like someone who could explode in the right environment, and therefore, we reckon he’d be an incredible teammate for Eze at Arsenal.

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Surrey end run of five straight defeats to dent Leicestershire’s knock-out hopes

ECB Reporters Network06-Aug-2024In-form Dom Sibley’s second hundred in three matches spurred Surrey to end a run of five straight defeats with their first Metro Bank One-Day Cup victory of the season, dealing a blow to Leicestershire’s hopes of qualifying for the knock-out stages.Sibley followed his 149 against Warwickshire and 72 versus Nottinghamshire with 105, sharing stands of 138 for the first wicket with Ryan Patel (72) and 111 for the second with Ben Geddes (61) as Surrey totalled 296 for 6. It proved enough despite losing five wickets in the last eight overs.The Foxes were given a chance as opener Sol Budinger maintained his place as the competition’s leading run scorer by hitting 70 from 68 balls and Tom Scriven’s career-best 55 raised hopes of a gripping finish for a crowd of almost 1,400 but ultimately proved in vain, leg-spinner Cameron Steel taking 3 for 48 for the victors.All-rounders Ian Holland, with 2 for 50, and Scriven, with 2 for 51, were the pick of the Foxes bowlers, with 19-year-old seamer Sam Wood taking 1 for 34 on his List A debut.If the Foxes finished well with the ball, the start provided by Sibley and Patel with the bat was comfortably Surrey’s best of the season.Asked to bat first on an overcast morning, Surrey were 51 without loss from 10 overs and were 125 for nothing by halfway, Sibley having gone to fifty from 59 balls with Patel reaching his from 72.Patel suffered an unlucky dismissal. Shaping to hook the tall Wood, he seemed to be hit on the shoulder before the ball deflected off his helmet on to the stumps.Geddes maintained Surrey’s positive start. Dropped by Chris Wright at fine leg on 35 off Liam Trevaskis, he cashed in to the tune of 26 more runs before falling to a catch at deep midwicket off Roman Walker.Sibley had gone to his hundred from 115 balls in the 42nd over with his 11th four but soon miscued to long-off, giving Scriven wickets in consecutive overs after Rory Burns was bowled sweeping.Holland then had Josh Blake caught at backward point and 19-year-old Surrey debutant Ollie Sykes at long-on, a fifth wicket to fall in seven overs with Surrey slipping from 249 for 1 to 286 to 6.The Foxes’ chase suffered a double stumble to leave them 49 for 2 from 10 after Holland picked out deep backward square off James Taylor and Lewis Hill was caught behind off Conor McKerr.Ajinkya Rahane had an escape when he was spilled at cover on four off McKerr, which was beginning to look like an expensive drop by Steel as he and Budinger began to accelerate, the latter passing fifty for the fourth time in five innings, the run including 120 against Essex at Chelmsford. But Rahane could make only 27 before he was caught at midwicket off Patel, the ball perhaps sticking in the pitch a little.Budinger and Peter Handscomb shared a match-winning 113-run partnership against Essex on this ground last year but could add only 48 this time before Budinger holed out to deep midwicket.It felt like a significant moment at 142 for 4 in the 26th, one that was amplified two overs later as Handscomb hit straight to cover, both batters falling to Steel.Trevaskis was bowled by left-arm spinner Yousef Majid and Cox fell leg-before to McKerr. Scriven’s 45-run eighth-wicket stand with Wood, stumped off Steel for 22, kept the contest alive, Scriven hitting two sixes, but 20 off Taylor in the last over was always unlikely and the match ended with Scriven falling to a stunning catch by Patel at backward point as Leicestershire were all out for 279.With three wins from five, qualification for the knock-out stages is still possible, although Group B leaders Warwickshire and Glamorgan both have five wins from five.Both sides wore black armbands and a minute’s silence was observed at the start of the match as the cricket world mourns the loss of great England and Surrey servant Graham Thorpe.

The tourists will face the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra using the pink ball as preparation for the floodlit Test

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Aug-2024India will have a two-day pink-ball warm-up match ahead of the day-night Test against Australia in Adelaide when they face the Prime Minister’s XI in Canberra.The floodlit fixture will take place on November 30 and December 1 at Manuka Oval in the gap between the first and second Tests.In the last two seasons the Prime Minister’s XI fixture has a four-day contest featuring West Indies in 2022 (which was also a day-night game) and Pakistan in 2023, having traditionally been a limited-overs match, but the India game has been trimmed to just two days.Related

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Australia A vs India A to provide lead-in to Border-Gavaskar Test series

On their previous tour of Australia in 2020-21, India lost the day-night Test in Adelaide by eight wickets when they were bundled out for their lowest Test score of 36 in the second innings but famously came back to win the series 2-1 with an historic display in Brisbane.On that occasion Adelaide was the opening Test of a four-match series – which was completed despite the challenges of Covid-19 border closures – whereas this time the series will begin in Perth and includes five Tests.Overall India have played just four day-night Tests, with their most recent in 2022 against Sri Lanka in Bengaluru, while Australia have featured in 12 (all at home) with last season’s eight-run loss to West Indies in Brisbane their first defeat against the pink ball.In recent seasons the Prime Minister’s XI has been a strong side which has effectively been an Australia A team. Matt Renshaw has had a particularly profitable time in the last two fixtures with scores of 81, 101 not and 136 not out against West Indies and Pakistan.However, last season’s pitch at Manuka Oval came in for criticism from Pakistan when it was very slow and low and did not provide ideal preparation for the Test in Perth although poor weather had made life difficult for the groundstaff. The final day of the game was abandoned after an overnight storm and ripped off the covers.India have an intra-squad warm-up at the WACA from November 15-18 ahead of the first Test on November 22. They will arrive in Australia on the back of a three-match home Test series against New Zealand.An India A squad will tour Australia from late October and play two four-day matches in Mackay and Melbourne.