England captain believes her players have become ‘smarter’ while sticking to aggressive mantra

Valkerie Baynes18-Jun-2024For some 18 months, England Women have committed to playing a harder, faster, more aggressive style of cricket but, according to Heather Knight, they are also becoming smarter.Since Jon Lewis took over as head coach at the end of the 2022 English summer, the team vision has been clear, expressed in mantras such as “attacking mindset”, “walk towards the danger” and the even more ubiquitous “inspire and entertain”.It has worked in so far as it has transformed a team which was comprehensively beaten 12 points to four by Australia in the 2019 Ashes and 6-4 in a rain-hit 2021-22 series into a side which drew last year’s series on points, winning four matches to Australia’s three.But it is very much a work in progress. In their recent home series against Pakistan, England lacked ruthlessness and polish, despite being a far stronger side.Knight, England’s captain, believes that in hosting New Zealand in three ODIs starting next week followed by five T20Is, they have an opportunity to build on knowledge gained against the White Ferns in New Zealand earlier this year.”We became a bit of a smarter team,” Knight told ESPNcricinfo, looking back on England’s tour of New Zealand in March and April. “We played on bigger boundaries, wickets that did a little bit more in the powerplay, so it wasn’t really easy to attack then. We learned how to be a bit smarter and how to adapt a little bit to different conditions.”Sometimes it’s going to be hard to attack in the powerplay, the idea was to sort of go from ball one and keep the foot down, but that isn’t always going to be possible and sometimes there’s going to be little bumps along the road, but I think we learned a lot from that tour.”Heather Knight speaks at a Chance to Shine event at Lord’s•Chance to ShineEngland defeated New Zealand in their ODIs earlier this year 2-1 and won the T20I series 4-1.England have lost only two of their 13 completed ODIs since the start of December 2022 and they have won 21 of their 27 T20Is in that time. Crucially, with a T20 World Cup fast approaching in Bangladesh in October, one of those defeats was to hosts and underdogs South Africa in the semi-final of last year’s T20 World Cup and two more to a visiting Sri Lanka side who had never beaten them in a series before.There were also learnings against Pakistan, including playing on slower wickets. At Edgbaston, England recovered from 11 for 4 to win the first T20I, then secured a 37-run ODI victory in Derby which Knight described at the time as “scrappy”.”Our job is just to keep getting better, keep playing cricket that we want to play and also winning those games when it’s tough,” Knight said.”You look at that Derby game, it wasn’t probably the most exciting to watch sometimes,” she added, recalling how England failed to claim the final wicket of a match that they had otherwise dominated. “I guess in that case it is just about punching out results and trying to say, look, it wasn’t quite the perfect wicket to be able to play how we wanted to, but being smart with it and adapting to what’s in front of us.”Because ultimately our biggest chance to inspire as well is winning big competitions and performing in big events, and trying to win in the way that we want to do, which is exciting and attacking.”The balance is much finer in T20 cricket, where the margins for error are far smaller and understanding that is becoming a key part of England’s narrative.Danni Wyatt’s 48-ball 87 in the third T20I against Pakistan was by far the standout performance for England, while Nat Sciver-Brunt produced a corresponding innings in the ODIs with an unbeaten century in the last match of the tour.”T20 is so hard to be consistent, it’s really a tough thing to do,” Knight said. “A top opening batter in world cricket maybe might come off one in three, one in four, and someone like Danni is one of the best openers in the world. She doesn’t come off every game and she’s brilliant at being able to manage that.”It can be quite mentally tough, honestly. Her super-strength has been able to say: ‘Right, I didn’t get any runs, I’m completely fine. That’s how I want to play and I’m going to go and try and play exactly the same way in the next game’.”It’s about being really clear going into that T20 World Cup in particular, how we want to do things. It’s all well and good saying, ‘oh, we’re going to be attacking, we’re going to be aggressive,’ but being really clear on individually the ‘how’ of that.”But it is not only a World Cup victory, or how it is achieved, that has the potential to inspire, as Knight well knows. On Monday, she joined Chance to Shine, the children’s cricket charity with whom she has held a long association, in welcoming hundreds of state school pupils to Lord’s for a day of cricket coaching and other activities.Related

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Knight has worked with the organisation since finishing university, when she coached state-school children – often alongside Charlotte Edwards – two days a week while juggling a burgeoning playing career that, for her, didn’t become fully professional until three years later, in 2013.”It enabled us to pay the bills basically whilst we were still playing cricket for England and enabled us to live before everything became professional,” Knight said. “It’s really important to try to get cricket into state schools and there’s a lot of barriers there, like facilities. At my old school there, people used to smoke on the rubbish astro turf that we had and there was stains on it and things like that.”Here today there’s state-school children from all over the place, from all backgrounds, coming in and having an amazing day at Lord’s. It’s all about giving them a good first experience of cricket really, and trying to get them interested in the game and more involved.”Chance to Shine deliver cricket to over 600,000 young people each year, working in state schools and underserved communities. Until midday on 18th June donations made to Chance to Shine will be doubled by the Big Give campaign. Support the charity today and help inspire more young people through cricket.

Chelsea suffered a disappointing defeat to Flamengo in the Club World Cup, despite opening the scoring in the first half.

The Blues were still leading until the 62nd minute, but then three unanswered goals from the Brazilian side saw them secure all three points.

With the score 2-1 in favour of Flamengo, Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson, who had only been on the field for four minutes, saw red after a dreadful challenge on Lucas Ayrton.

It opens the door for Liam Delap to cement his place as the club’s main attacking option, but what now for Jackson?

Nicolas Jackson’s future at Chelsea is unclear

Last season, Jackson could only manage 13 goals across 36 matches for the Stamford Bridge side in all competitions.

Injuries may have played their part in this disappointing campaign, but it is no wonder that Maresca signed Delap and is looking for other centre-forward options.

Aston Villa are seemingly keen on making a move for the Senegal international, and, given his poor form of late, it might be a deal Enzo Maresca is keen on getting done.

According to Transfermarkt, Jackson is valued at €50m (£43m), and it remains to be seen how much money the Blues would demand to allow him to leave the club this summer.

Metric

2023/24

2024/25

Goals

14

10

Assists

5

5

Shots per game

2.3

2.5

Big chances created

8

6

Goal conversion percentage

18%

13%

Delap could be an ideal long-term option for the Italian amid the interest in Jackson. But did the Stamford Bridge outfit sell someone a few years ago who could have slotted into Maresca’s side with ease?

Chelsea must rue selling Kai Havertz

Havertz joined the Blues in 2020 and played a key role in the club winning their second Champions League title in 2021, scoring in the final against Manchester City.

The German international even netted in the final of the Club World Cup a few months later, which shows that he turned up in the big moments. His time in London saw the forward register 48 goal contributions – 32 goals and 16 assists in 139 games.

After three seasons with the club, he was sold to Arsenal in 2023 and has since emerged as a key player under Mikel Arteta.

Indeed, he was even dubbed “magnificent” by talent scout Jacek Kulig upon his move to the Emirates, and he has lived up to the hype with his uptick in form for Arsenal.

42 goal contributions in just 87 games at the Gunners show he made the right move in leaving Chelsea, but it must be a sale that the club regrets.

Now, according to Transfermarkt, his valuation stands at €65m (£57m), and this has soared since his last Chelsea valuation in 2023, which was €55m (£47m), which shows that he has taken his game to another level in North London.

The former Bayer Leverkusen forward is thus valued higher than Jackson, and if he can continue his fine form throughout the 2025/26 campaign with Arsenal, this value will rise even further as he continues to shine in a red shirt.

In this regard, Maresca would love to be able to call on someone like Havertz ahead of the club’s first Champions League campaign in a couple of seasons.

Chelsea have sold a few players prematurely over the years, but Havertz must be the one they regret the most.

Not just Jackson: 5/10 flop must never play for Chelsea again after the CWC

Chelsea were beaten 3-1 by Flamengo in their second game of the Club World Cup.

ByMatt Dawson Jun 21, 2025

Could it be the end? Is it over? For Trent Boult, at least, it is.”Speaking on behalf of myself, this will be my last T20 World Cup,” Boult told the media after taking a tone-setting 2 for 7 in what was essentially a dead rubber against Uganda.In T20 World Cup matches all told, his returns are excellent. He has 32 wickets in 17 outings, and an economy rate of 6.07, the second-best among the tournament’s top ten all-time wicket-takers.Boult, now 34, has anyway only been a sporadic presence in New Zealand international sides since he was released from his central contract almost two years ago. If this is his last T20 World Cup, it may follow that the world has seen the last of him in ODI World Cups as well – the next T20 World Cup is set for 2026, but the next ODI World Cup is scheduled only for the year after that.Although New Zealand have not made the Super Eight of this ongoing tournament, Boult still has one final T20 World Cup match remaining, against Papua New Guinea on Monday.Trent Boult has 32 wickets in T20 World Cups and an economy rate of 6.07•ICC/Getty Images

Confirmation that Boult will not play another T20 World Cup brings into sharp focus the future of what is now an ageing New Zealand team. In this squad, only three players will be under 30 years of age by the time the team returns home (Mark Chapman has a birthday over the next few days).It is natural to question whether this is the beginning of a transition period for New Zealand, particularly after they failed to progress out of their group. New Zealand had made the semi-finals of every ODI and T20 World Cup since 2015.Boult and Tim Southee had played significant roles in the majority of those campaigns. After this game – in which they bowled unchanged through the powerplay to leave Uganda 9 fo 3, and finished with combined figures of 5 for 11 in eight overs – Boult spoke as if he felt there would be limited opportunities for the two to play together in the future.”I look at the partnership with Tim with very fond memories,” he said. “We bowled a lot of overs together. I know the partnership very well, and obviously he’s a very good friend on and off the ground. It was nice to wind back the clock a little bit and see a bit of swing bowling at the top. Some great memories, and hopefully a couple more still to come.”Earlier in the tournament, New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had also been asked whether he saw this tournament as the end of a generation, to which he replied: “No, I think there’s still guys that will be here for some time.”But at the very least, New Zealand will soon have to find a replacement for one of their greatest-ever quicks.

Nottingham Forest are preparing for their first campaign back in European competition since 1996, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s side marking themselves out as last season’s surprise Premier League package.

Nottingham Forest now rivalling Chelsea to sign "complete" £25m midfielder

He’s a wanted man…

ByTom Cunningham Jun 20, 2025

Forest were serious contenders to qualify for the Champions League for a large portion of 2024/2025, but they fell just short on a dramatic final day which eventually saw Newcastle United and Chelsea pip them to a place in the top five.

Aston Villa took the final Europa League spot in sixth, meaning Forest ultimately had to settle for a place in the Conference League, and the far less lucrative prize pool.

In any case, Forest certainly weren’t initially tipped to qualify for Europe and end their near-two-decade-long wait to compete outside English shores, so we can safely call last term an undoubted success for Nuno.

It is now the task of Evangelos Marinakis and the Forest board to build upon their excellent campaign in the transfer market, with Forest also under less PSR pressure than this time last year after earning an extra £32.4 million in Premier League prize money.

Their seventh-placed finish and place in Europe means Forest could “fall a decent way short” of the £85 million they’re permitted to lose this financial year without breaching PSR (The Athletic), meaning Nuno’s side have more wiggle room to spend on summer recruitment.

Forest could still be forced to sell star midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White, considering the England international has just two years remaining on his contract, and he’s shown zero indication that he’s willing to pen an extension at the City Ground (The Mail).

Gibbs-White’s potential sale, combined with both their league and European earnings, looks likely to fund Forest’s summer transfer window as they gear up for a crucial 2025/2026 campaign.

“Nottingham Forest will look to strengthen,” said ex-Premier League chief scout Mick Brown to Football Insider this week.

“Their recruitment has been excellent recently, and they’re able to bring players into an environment where they all work together for the club.”

Forest are targeting new forwards to complement Nuno’s squad and back the Portuguese with more firepower, as they look to compete on multiple fronts, with Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović a serious option for them.

Nottingham Forest hold talks with Juventus striker Dušan Vlahović

The Serbia international is out of contract next summer as things stand, and if the Old Lady cannot agree to extend their talisman’s deal, he could be allowed to leave for as little as £26 million.

That is according to journalist Rudy Galetti, who also told TEAMtalk this week that Forest have contacted Vlahovic’s representatives for discussions in an effort to tempt the centre-forward with a Premier League switch.

The Tricky Trees are described as favourites to sign Vlahovic, who is very keen on a move to England. Despite interest from Serie A heavyweights AC Milan, Forest stands out as the most “concrete” option for him.

Called a “superstar” striker by members of the Italian media, Vlahovic has hit double figures in every single season since 2020/2021, across spells at both Juve and Fiorentina.

The 25-year-old, who won Serbia’s Footballer of the Year award in 2024, would be a bold statement of intent from Forest, but his reported £200,000-per-week wage demands prove a major obstacle.

Ruben Amorim declared on the Old Trafford turf, following the final day victory over Aston Villa, that the “good days are coming” for Manchester United – a statement that appeared fanciful considering the club’s 15th place Premier League finish and Europa League final heartbreak.

The Portuguese coach has talked the talk during a turbulent first six months in Manchester, but can he actually walk the walk?

What is clear is that the 40-year-old is in dire need of reinforcements if he is to make a success of it at the club, with that fact having seemingly sparked a hectic and exciting start to the window for the Red Devils.

Much to the fury of rival supporters, United have already poached Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, with Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo looking set to follow – two moves that have heightened hope regarding those future ‘good days’.

If a drastic improvement is to be made next season and beyond, however, those deals must surely be the tip of the iceberg. This is the time to rip it up and start again, following a wretched decade of recruitment.

With that in mind, here’s a look at how Amorim’s starting lineup could potentially look next season, if all goes to plan on the transfer front for newly crowned director of football, Jason Wilcox…

1 GK – Vanja Milinkovic-Savic

Whether Andre Onana could have done better or not to keep out Brennan Johnson’s deflected effort in Bilbao could be debated long into the night. What is evident is that United reached the showpiece in spite of the Cameroon stopper, not because of him.

Indeed, the 29-year-old – who has been touted for a departure this summer – made five errors leading to a goal in the Premier League and Europa League in total, having hardly inspired any confidence at all since his £47.2m switch from Inter in 2023.

Enter, Vanja Milinkovic-Savic. Once on the books at United as a teenager, before swiftly departing after failing to earn a work permit, the 6 foot 6 Serbian has been heavily linked with a return to Old Trafford. With just a year left on his deal at Torino, reports have suggested he could cost just €20m (£17m).

The 28-year-old conceded just 42 goals in 37 Serie A games last season, while ranking in the top 7% of goalkeepers in Europe’s top five leagues for save percentage. Sign him up.

2 RCB – Leny Yoro

After an injury-hit start to life in England, Leny Yoro truly came into his own in the final months of the season, notably scoring his first goal for the club away in Lyon.

Still only 19 and with a penchant for surging forward from deep, a player Rio Ferdinand dubbed “the best in the world” at that age could well kick on again next term as a mainstay of the backline.

3 CB – Harry Maguire

Stripped of the captaincy by Erik ten Hag in 2023, amid talk of a move to West Ham United, the subsequent redemption arc of Harry Maguire has been a joy to behold – a moment epitomised by his last-gasp winner at home to Lyon.

Described as “perfect” for a back three by Amorim, the 32-year-old – who will soon enter the last year of his contract – deserves to be a consistent figure in the backline once again.

Fitness permitting, of course.

4 LCB – Lisandro Martinez

Speaking of fitness, while Lisandro Martinez remains sidelined with an ACL injury, the World Cup winner is surely a shoo-in to start at left centre-back, having begun to come into his own in 2025, before his cruel setback.

The scorer of crucial goals away to Fulham and Liverpool, the 27-year-old is a ball-playing warrior when fit and firing.

Ayden Heaven may be the long-term solution, although Martinez surely has to start when back in contention again.

5 RWB – Amad

Is he a wing-back or a number ten? That much remains to be seen, although if the evolution of Amorim’s 3-4-3 set-up is to occur, a more attack-minded presence, like Amad, is needed in at least one of those wide berths.

The diminutive livewire ranked alongside Bruno Fernandes as the shining light of 2024/25, having ended with 21 goals and assists in all competitions.

Manager

Games

Goals

Assists

Erik ten Hag

24

3

3

Ruben Amorim

27

8

8

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

8

1

1

Ruud van Nistelrooy

4

2

1

Ralf Rangnick

1

0

0

Michael Carrick

0

0

0

Total

64

14

12

Tied down to a contract until 2030, the 22-year-old could be the face of a new era in Manchester – not least with friend and teammate, Alejandro Garnacho, looking set for an exit.

6 CM – Bruno Fernandes (C)

The heart and soul of Manchester United, talismanic skipper Bruno Fernandes has shunned the Saudi riches to stay put next season, having rounded off last term by sweeping the club’s end-of-season awards. And rightly so.

While there is a curiosity over just what this team would look like without him – as well as his actual suitability for a starting berth in this system – the Portugal star simply has to remain the centrepiece of the side.

As Amorim admitted earlier this year, he is “one of the best players in the world”. You don’t find those so easily…

7 CM – Douglas Luiz

The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell has noted that United are seeking an ‘athletic number eight’ this summer. Douglas Luiz – who was linked with a move last month – certainly fits the bill.

A player of proven Premier League quality – having even been hailed as “better than [Declan] Rice” in some quarters – the former Aston Villa man needs rescuing from his Juventus hell, having started just six games last term following his £42m switch last summer.

While it has not been made clear how much the Brazilian would be available for, perhaps an astute loan offer could be in order, as Wilcox and co still seek to comply with PSR restrictions.

8 LWB – Pervis Estupinan

The Red Devils did already prise Patrick Dorgu from Lecce in January, yet at just 20 years old, the Dane is far from the finished article, having notably looked ‘out of his depth’ in the 1-0 loss to Spurs – according to journalist Samuel Luckhurst.

In Brighton’s Pervis Estupinan, United could then find a perfect upgrade in that wing-back role amid links to the 27-year-old, a player whom Fabian Hurzeler has hailed as “one of the best left-backs in the Premier League”.

The need for players of top-flight quality is evident, with the £38m-rated Seagulls defender another who fits the bill.

9 RAM – Bryan Mbeumo

Speaking of Premier League quality, what a signing it would be if Mbeumo does make his way to Manchester, with the Cameroon international seemingly preferring a move to Old Trafford, despite interest from Champions League sides Arsenal, Newcastle and Spurs.

Fresh off the back of scoring 20 league goals for Brentford, the 25-year-old would surely enhance Amorim’s floundering forward line, with no United player even reaching double figures for goals in the top-flight last season.

While negotiations continue over a potential fee for the versatile winger, if a deal is to be agreed, it would be yet another statement one for the INEOS regime.

10 LAM – Matheus Cunha

Speaking of statements, already in the door is the aforementioned Cunha, with the Brazilian – like the man above – seemingly unperturbed by United’s lack of European football next season.

With 15 league goals of his own in 2024/25 – having scored 12 the previous campaign – the 26-year-old is another proven, albeit maverick talent who could re-energise Amorim’s attack, with echoes of a certain Eric Cantona already emerging.

Much work would need to be done to reach those heights, of course, yet this deal should hopefully prove to be another transformational one.

It would be fair to say that this season was something of a disappointment for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side ended up ten points off Liverpool in the Premier League, failed to make a dent in the FA Cup, and, with better finishing, could have realistically been in a Champions League final.

However, while it’s easy to focus on the negative, there have been at least a few positives, such as the development and performances of Jurrien Timber, who seriously stepped up in the absence of Ben White.

The Dutchman is now unquestionably one of the manager’s best signings, and based on reports, it looks like he could soon have himself another younger version of the international.

Arsenal transfer news

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other young talents Arsenal have been linked with in recent weeks, such as Adam Wharton and Konstantinos Karetsas.

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 is reportedly available for close to £80m this summer, and while that is a lot of money to spend on someone who is just 21 years old, he’s more than proven his ability at Crystal Palace and played a key role in their FA Cup triumph this year.

Karetsas, on the other hand, is a little harder to justify at a whopping £38m, as while he’s seriously impressed in Belgium this season, he is still just 17 years old, and that sort of money would probably be better off being spent on someone who could play for the team next year.

With that said, while these two youngsters are incredibly talented, neither one can be described as anything like Timber, unlike Jorrel Hato.

Yes, according to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal are one of several teams incredibly interested in the Ajax star.

The report has revealed that Arsenal, alongside the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Newcastle United, have already made contact to find out more information about a possible transfer.

However, on top of having to contend with some serious competition, Andrea Berta and Co would have to stump a fee of up to €50m to get their man, which is about £42m.

It could be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but it is one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he’d be the club’s next Timber.

Why Hato would be Arsenal's next timber

Now, it might sound like a bold claim to suggest that a teenager from outside the top five leagues could develop into a full-back who was impeccable against Real Madrid home and away in the Champions League.

Yet, that is exactly what we are suggesting, and there are a number of reasons why.

Firstly, the Eridivise might not be one of the best leagues in Europe, but it’s only just outside the top five, sitting in sixth place, and crucially, Timber made his way to North London from the Netherlands.

In fact, not only did the Gunners’ ace join Arteta’s title challengers from the same country, but he did so from Ajax, which is where Hato is currently plying his trade.

Furthermore, the pair are both Dutch and on top of coming up through the Ajax academy, they also share the ability to play in more than one position, depending on what the manager wants and needs.

Hato & Timber’s positional versatility
Hato	Games	Goals	Assists
Left-Back	68	3	6
Centre-Back	41	1	3
Left Midfield	1	0	0
Timber	Games	Goals	Assists
Centre-Back	170	9	6
Right-Back	82	4	5
Left-Back	22	1	1
Defensive Midfield	2	1	0
All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, we all know that Timber is at his best at right-back, but he’s already played at centre-back and left-back since moving to England, just as the in-demand youngster has primarily played at left-back in his career but is more than comfortable at centre-back as well.

Finally, it’s not just us who see the parallels, as respected analyst Ben Mattinson has described the 19-year-old gem as “Timber 2.0.”

Ultimately, he might not be cheap, but Hato looks destined to be a monster of a defender, and for that reason, Arsenal should do what they can to bring him to the club, as he could be their new Timber.

Arsenal targeting £80m "nightmare" who'd be more exciting than Zubimendi

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Martin Zubimendi.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 10, 2025

Things are finally starting to fall into place for Arsenal this summer.

After watching their Premier League rivals sign talent after talent, the Gunners have sprung into life in the last couple of weeks.

Kepa Arrizabalaga is through the door, Christian Norgaard looks set to follow him, and reports indicate the North Londoners are making good progress in their pursuit of goalscoring extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres.

That’s not all, though, as after months of waiting, Martin Zubimendi looks set to be announced any day now, although his signing could be overshadowed by another in no time at all.

Arsenal target more exciting signing than Zubimendi

Arsenal were linked with Zubimendi as far back as January 2023, but in reality, the most significant story regarding his move to the club emerged this January, courtesy of Sami Mokbel.

Transfer Focus

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

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Since then, there has been a near-constant trickle of updates about the move, but finally, it looks like the Spaniard will be officially announced any day now, and for a fee of around £51m.

It’s easy to see why the Gunners were so keen to land the “world-class” ace, as dubbed by journalist Alexandra Jonson, as not only does he have an abundance of experience under his belt, but he’ll provide Arteta with far more options to adjust his midfield setup when needed.

However, while the Real Sociedad star could well be a transformational addition, the North Londoners now appear to be closing in on someone who’d be an even more exciting signing: Eberechi Eze.

At least that is according to journalist Ben Jacobs, who, speaking on the latest episode of the Highbury Squad podcast, revealed that the Gunners were still very much interested in the Crystal Palace star.

In fact, Jacobs said he is “expecting a bid” from the North Londoners “within the next two weeks” that will be slightly below the Englishman’s £68m release clause.

In more good news, the player himself is “keen” to join Arteta’s outfit, and therefore, this does feel like a deal which will happen, and for our money, it’ll be a more exciting one than Zubimendi’s.

Why Eze would be a more exciting signing than Zubimendi

The first thing to say is that Zubimendi is undoubtedly an excellent and very important signing.

However, when it comes to pure excitement, we have to side with the addition of Eze.

After all, what is it that actually gets fans on their feet? In most cases, it’s goals and thrilling attacking phases of play, which are things the Palace star can and likely will provide in spades at the Emirates.

Eze’s immense 24/25

Appearances

43

Minutes

3303′

Goals

14

Assists

11

Goal Involvements per Match

0.58

Minutes per Goal Involvement

132.12′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

For example, despite playing for a mid-table side, he was able to amass a brilliant tally of 14 goals and 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling 3,303 minutes.

That means the former QPR ace averaged a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

Moreover, he isn’t someone who statpads by scoring meaningless goals, as he opened the scoring in the FA Cup semi-final against Aston Villa, and then scored the winner in the final.

Additionally, while the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by pundit Micah Richards, spent much of last season playing in an attacking midfield role, he is also more than capable of playing on the left wing and could therefore help solve multiple problems in the Gunners’ squad.

Ultimately, Zubimendi will likely be an incredible signing for Arsenal, but for our money, Eze will be the more exciting addition, should this transfer happen.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 4, 2025

Huge lead with two days remaining, as Derbyshire face prospect of saving innings defeat

ECB Reporters Network01-Jul-2024

James Wharton made a career-best 188 for Yorkshire•Getty Images

James Wharton and Jonny Tattersall shared a record-breaking stand before rain frustrated Yorkshire on the second day of the Vitality County Championship match against Derbyshire at Chesterfield.The pair shared a partnership of 241, Yorkshire’s highest for the sixth wicket against Derbyshire, as the visitors moved to 416 for 6 when play was abandoned shortly before 4.30pmWharton faced 241 balls for his career-best 188 which contained 23 fours and six sixes with Tattersall 93 not out off 151 balls to give Yorkshire a lead of 340.Yorkshire had been unrelenting with the ball on day one and there was no respite for Derbyshire as Wharton and Tattersall batted through a rain-shortened first session.With Derbyshire bowling spin from both ends to improve their over-rate, they did much as they pleased to eclipse a record which had stood for more than a hundred years.Wharton twice dispatched the leg spin of Mitch Wagstaff for six and after surviving a difficult chance to deep cover on 147, he reached 150 off 180 balls, 104 of them coming in boundaries.Tattersall’s contribution was not as eye-catching but was just as valuable in putting Yorkshire into a near impregnable position and the pair eased past the county’s previous highest sixth wicket stand against Derbyshire of 178 set by Emmott Robinson and Cecil Burton in 1921.Derbyshire eventually claimed a second new ball after 89 overs and after Wharton drove Daryn Dupavillon through the covers to bring up the 400, rain brought another prosperous session for the visitors to a close.When play resumed after lunch, Dupavillon finally broke through by having Wharton caught at second slip for the 12th highest individual score against Derbyshire in Yorkshire’s history.He departed to a standing ovation and warm congratulations from the Derbyshire fielders who recognised how well he had played in far from straight-forward conditions.Jordan Thompson announced his intentions by hitting two fours before more rain stopped play with Tattersall seven short of a century.and that proved to be the final action on a day when only 35.1 overs were bowled.

James Anderson says he is “at peace” with his impending retirement from Test cricket, despite admitting that he didn’t have much say in the decision and feeling that he is “still bowling as well as I ever have”.Anderson will play his 188th and final Test against West Indies at Lord’s this week, having been told by the England management at the start of the season that they were planning to move on. He will bow out as the most-prolific fast bowler in Test history, having taken his 700th wicket, at the age of 41, on the tour of India in March.His England career will come to end at the same ground where he took a five-wicket haul on Test debut 21 years ago, and Anderson admitted that it would be an emotional few days.Related

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“I’m trying not to think too much about the game itself yet, or certainly how I’d feel about it,” he said. “I’m trying to be as focused as I can. The big thing for me this week is wanting to play well, bowl well and get a win. That’s what I’m trying to focus on really. I’m sure the emotions during the week will change, but right now that’s what I’m trying to focus on to stop myself crying.”It’s been a strange couple of months. I feel pretty happy with where things are now and pretty excited for the week as well. I think having quite a few friends and family come down for the week, which is good. I’ve had a lot of people who’ve stopped me in the street or met out and about saying that they’re coming to the game. I’m just excited for the week.Asked whether he was calling it a day too soon, after claiming 7 for 35 in his first appearance of the season for Lancashire last week, he said: “It’s difficult to say. I’ve not really got a choice.”It was important for me that I try and put in some good performances to finish with. I loved being out on the field with Lancashire last week. I’ve always loved playing for Lancashire. I’ve not played a huge amount for them over the last 20 years because of England duties. But every time I’ve had a chance to go back to play for them, I’ve tried to give it my all and that’s exactly what I did last week. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get the win because of the north-west weather.”On whether he could have stayed fit enough to play in the 2025-26 Ashes, which formed part of England’s decision-making, Anderson said it was “impossible to say”.James Anderson poses in the Long Room ahead of his final Test•Getty Images

“It’s always difficult to answer that sort of question,” he said. “You never know what’s going to happen. It’s 18 months away. It’s a long time. Throughout my whole career, I’ve never really focused on too far ahead. I’ve always tried to take it series by series and focus on those little goals. as my career has gone on.”It’s really impossible to say. I probably thought before the last away Ashes that I wouldn’t make [it] 18 months before that because of the way the game is and the age I was getting to. I can completely understand the decision and the way the team and management want to go. As I’ve said, the last couple of months I’ve made peace with that and I’m excited to see what the future holds.”He added: “Coming off the back of seven-for last week, obviously I feel like I’m still bowling as well as I ever have. I knew it had to end at some point, whether it’s now or a year or two years. The fact that it’s now is just something that I’ve got to deal with and accept.”Anderson will stay on in the England dressing room this summer as a team mentor and is expected to go into coaching, although he has yet to make a decision on whether he will continue playing for Lancashire.He confirmed that he had not been thinking about retirement before being invited to a meeting with the “three big dogs” – England men’s managing director, Rob Key, Test coach, Brendon McCullum, and Test captain, Ben Stokes – earlier in the year, but said he was comfortable with how it had been handled.”I hadn’t really thought about it just because as I said I felt as fit as I ever have been in India,” Anderson said. “I thought that playing this summer would be achievable. Obviously as a senior bowler you don’t play every Test anyway, you get rested and stuff like that. I thought that was achievable and then think about stuff after that. That’s the way I’ve always approached it.”I wouldn’t say it was a surprise because when the three big dogs invited to a hotel in Manchester for a chat I didn’t think it was just a normal appraisal. I had a suspicion that that was going to be the case. I think they were surprised at how calm I was when I reacted. I think I was probably surprised at my reaction. I wasn’t overly emotional about it or angry about it or anything.”I saw their point of view and appreciated them taking the time out to lay it out for me, the reasoning and stuff like that. Since then I’ve come to terms with it and made peace with that decision. Just looking forward to one more game and then see what’s ahead.”

Next season is going to be a massive one for Arsenal.

After finishing second for the third campaign on the bounce last season, Mikel Arteta’s side will be desperate to finally get their hands on the Premier League title.

It would appear as if the board are just as desperate, as the last couple of weeks have seen the transfer rumours really heating up, with perhaps the most exciting of the lot being the links to Eberechi Eze.

Moreover, recent reports have now made it clear who Arsenal’s number one attacking target is, and it’s someone the Crystal Palace star will love playing alongside, someone other than Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal's striker search

While Arsenal need to address several areas in the team this summer, and appear to be doing so, it’s not controversial to say that the most critical business they’ll do is signing a new striker.

Transfer Focus

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

It would appear that the club agrees with that statement as well, as, over the last few weeks, they have been linked with a plethora of talented number nines.

Closer to home, there have been suggestions they could go back in for Ollie Watkins after missing out on him in the winter window.

However, another forward who has been even more heavily touted for a move to the Emirates has been Gyokeres.

The Sporting CP ace has reportedly agreed to personal terms with the North Londoners, but that may end up being for nothing, as the club’s number one target is someone else entirely.

At least that’s according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which reaffirms Arsenal’s intense interest in Benjamin Sesko.

The report has revealed that RB Leipzig’s ace is their top striker target, although due to the German club demanding £80m and the North Londoners being unwilling to go above £60m, they have set a timeline to sign him by mid-July.

It will be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line, but Sesko would be worth fighting for and an incredible teammate for Eze.

Why Eze will love Sesko

While there are a few different reasons why Eze would love playing with Sesko, the most significant one is his output.

For example, despite still being just 21 years old at the start of last season, the Slovenian international scored an impressive 21 goals and provided six assists, in 45 appearances, totalling just 3258 minutes.

That means the “exceptional” talent, as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, averaged a goal involvement every 1.66 games or every 120.66 minutes, which is only made more impressive by the fact that the rest of the team underperformed compared to prior years.

Appearances

45

Minutes

3258′

Goals

21

Assists

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.60

Minutes per Goal Involvement

120.66′

Just imagine how much more effective the Palace star would be either playing behind or alongside a striker as dangerous as that, especially as he racked up 25 goal involvements in 43 games last season playing with Jean-Philippe Mateta, who scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 46 games.

The second reason the Englishman would love playing alongside the Leipzig star is the fact that he’d be a total handful for opposition defenders.

The former RB Salzburg star is 6 foot 5, able to hit speeds of 35.69 km/h, sat in the top 8% of forwards in the Bundesliga for percentage of successful take-ons last season, per FBref, and is capable of scoring with his head, from long range and inside the box.

In short, he is starting to look like an incredibly complete striker, and therefore, he’ll force defenders to pay more attention to him, thus allowing more space for the former QPR gem to operate in.

Ultimately, if Arsenal want to significantly improve their attacking output this summer, they should do everything possible to sign Eze and Sesko, as together, they could be utterly game-changing.

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