خاض فريق برشلونة، بقيادة المدرب هانز فليك، مباراته في بطولة الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم، موسم 2025/26، مساء يوم الأحد ضد نظيره فالنسيا.

واستضاف ملعب “يوهان كرويف” مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا في الجولة الرابعة من الدوري الإسباني، حيث حقق حامل اللقب فوزًا بستة أهداف دون رد. أهداف مباراة برشلونة وفالنسيا في الدوري الإسباني

وأهدر فيران توريس فرصة ذهبية من أجل تقدم برشلونة في الدقيقة 11 من عمر الشوط الأول، حيث سدد كرته تجاه مرمى فالنسيا، ولكنها مرت أعلى العارضة.

ونجح برشلونة في تسجيل هدف أول في شباك خصمه فالنسيا، في الدقيقة 29 من عمر الشوط الأول.

جاء الهدف عن طريق فيرمين لوبيز، بعد تمريرة طويلة رائعة من فيران توريس، حيث وصلت إلى مواطنه الذي انطلق وسددها في شباك الضيوف، معلنًأ عن التقدم لحامل اللقب.

وحاول فيران توريس تسجيل الهدف الثاني بعدما سدد كرة قوية من خارج منطقة الجزاء، في الدقيقة 41، ولكنها جاءت بعيدة عن المرمى.

وأهدر فيران توريس محاولة جديدة في الدقيقة 48، حيث سدد كرة بعد تمريرة من فيرمين لوبيز، وسددها زميله ولكنها اصطدمت بالقائم، وسط ذهول من جانب اللاعب وزملائه.

وعزز برشلونة تفوقه على فالنسيا بعدما سجل رافينها الهدف الثاني في الدقيقة 54، بعد تمريرة رائعة من ماركوس راشفورد، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى البرازيلي الذي سددها في الشباك.

وبعد ذلك بدقيقتين، تمكن فيرمين لوبيز من تسجيل الهدف الثاني والثالث لكتيبة هانز فليك، بعدما سدد كرة من خارج المنطقة، ليتسع الفارق بين الفريقين. 

وواصل رافينها تألقه حيث سجل الهدف الثاني له والرابع لفريق برشلونة، في الدقيقة 66، بعدما سدد كرة رائعة في شباك فالنسيا، لتنتهي المباراة إكلينيكيًا لصالح حامل اللقب.

وتمكن برشلونة من تسجيل هدفه الخامس في شباك فالنسيا، في الدقيقة 76، عن طريق النجم روبرت ليفاندوفسكي.

جاء الهدف بعد تمريرة من داني أولمو، حيث وصلت الكرة إلى البولندي روبرت ليفاندوفسكي الذي أنهى الهجمة بشكل أكثر من رائع وهز شباك فالنسيا، بهدف برشلونة الخامس.

وفي الدقيقة 81، قرر المدرب هانز فليك استبدال بيدري والدفع بزميله مارك بيرنال، وسط تحية وتصفيق كبير للثنائي، من جانب الجماهير والمدير الفني نفسه، حيث عاد الأخير من إصابة أبعدته عن الملاعب نحو عام.

وسجل ليفاندوفسكي الهدف الثاني له والسادس لـ برشلونة، في الدقيقة 85، ولكن تم إلغائه بداعِ وجود حالة تسلل، قبل تدخل تقنية الفيديو، ليُحتسب في النهاية.

بتلك النتيجة، ارتفع رصيد برشلونة إلى 10 نقاط في المركز الثاني، بينما تجمد رصيد فالنسيا عند 4 نقاط في المركز الخامس عشر.

ويستعد برشلونة لخوض مباراة مهمة ضد نيوكاسل يونايتد على ملعب “سانت جيمس بارك” يوم الخميس المقبل، في الجولة الأولى من مرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال أوروبا.

The Afghanistan spinner becomes the first Hundred bowler to see all five balls of a set go for six

ECB Media10-Aug-2024Kieron Pollard produced a sensational display of hitting to inspire Southern Brave to a thrilling two-wicket win over Trent Rockets at Utilita Bowl and move his side level on points with Oval Invincibles at the top of the table.Pollard had struggled his way to 6 from 14 balls in a contest which appeared to be slipping away from the hosts before he dispatched Rashid Khan for five consecutive sixes in one set.The former Windies captain was run out after making 45 from 23 balls but Chris Jordan held his nerve, hitting the penultimate delivery of the match for four to see Brave home.Brave had been cruising at 43 for 0 in pursuit of 127 but the innings stalled after Alex Davies nicked behind off Sam Cook for a sprightly 28 and Andre Fletcher was cleaned up by a Rashid googly.John Turner, who had to be removed from the attack in his previous match after bowling successive beamers, produced a brilliant spell of fast bowling, taking 3 for 24 including the prize scalp of James Vince for 28, before Pollard turned the match on its head.Earlier, Tom Banton was fast out of the traps for the Rockets, dispatching Akeal Hosein for three fours and a six in the first 10 deliveries. Adam Lyth hit a brace of boundaries in Tymal Mills’ opening over but Banton (30 from 17) holed out to Pollard at long-on in Danny Briggs’ opening set and the Rockets stuttered.Lyth (16) was caught in the deep off Hosein, Briggs had Alex Hales (15) stumped and Jofra Archer dismissed Joe Root (16) with a leg-cutter which took a thick outside edge and flew to Davies, who snaffled a screamer.Mills’ third set proved expensive, leaking three boundaries as Rovman Powell (16) and Lewis Gregory (19) threatened to tee-off, but Jordan dismissed the Windies T20 skipper before Archer, who finished with 2-18, accounted for Gregory with a well-executed slower ball.The Rockets could only manage 10 runs from the final 10 deliveries to finish on 126 for 8, Jordan dismissing Rashid and Luke Wood to finish with 3 for 22 and cap a superb bowling performance from the hosts.Pollard, the Meerkat Match Hero, said: “I had to make a play at some point. I was really slow to start but I didn’t think it was a pitch where you could just come in and hit the ball, so I had to really try and calculate and pick my bowler.”I’ve played against Rash a lot and he’s got me out a lot of times so I had to see what was happening but I knew the sort of line and length he was going to bowl. If he bowled full I was going to back my strength which is hitting straight and he bowled three fuller balls and it was right in my arc. I couldn’t stop at that point in time, I had to get maximum. Rash is a world-class bowler but this was just one of the days where I took victory.”

Chelsea have signed plenty of attacking players from fellow Premier League clubs over the years.

Some have performed well and lived up to expectations at Stamford Bridge, whereas others have struggled.

Fernando Torres cost the Blues £50m when he joined from Liverpool in January 2011. Considering he was one of the finest forwards in Europe, the expectation was enormous.

A return of just 45 goals in 172 matches didn’t exactly see him shine at Stamford Bridge. Raheem Sterling was another attacking player who failed to star at the club, despite a big transfer fee, ultimately shipped out on loan to Arsenal after being excluded by the manager.

In comparison, Cole Palmer has been a massive hit, registering 68 goal contributions across 94 matches for the Blues since joining from Manchester City.

Elsewhere, Nicolas Anelka, Joe Cole and Eidur Gudjohnsen have all made the move from other Premier League sides to Chelsea since the turn of the century and significantly impressed in their own way.

Now, Enzo Maresca is looking to wrap up a deal for Brighton and Hove Albion forward Joao Pedro.

If a deal can be sealed in the coming days, the manager will be hoping he will turn into a Palmer 2.0 rather than a Torres.

Chelsea closing in on signing Joao Pedro

The Italian has made no secret that he is looking to bolster Chelsea’s attacking options this summer.

Jamie Gittens is someone whom the Blues have been tracking for quite some time, and they even had a bid rejected a few weeks ago.

Their £55m bid a few days ago was accepted, however, and the English winger is set to undergo a medical in London.

Could Pedro follow suit in the coming days? According to The Athletic, Chelsea have reached an agreement with Brighton regarding a move for the Brazilian, and it is in excess of £50m.

His medical looks set to take place over the next few days, and the Blues are closing in on adding another top-class forward ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

Pedro has scored 22 goals and grabbed ten assists across 88 Premier League games in his career. This is perhaps a decent record rather than spectacular, but Pedro offers more than just a clinical threat in front of goal.

Goals

10

Assists

6

Big chances created

11

Key passes per game

1.1

Successful dribbles per game

1.1

Shots per game

1.7

When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, Pedro ranks in the top 10% for shot-creating actions (3.33) and successful take-ons (1.34) per 90.

Additionally, the Brazilian forward also ranks in the top 3% for progressive carries (3.05) per 90 while also ranking in the top 4% for progressive passes (3.6) per 90 over the previous 365 days.

These statistics indicate that Pedro could be an exciting signing indeed, especially with his wonderful attacking traits.

Combine this with the fact that he can operate either as a centre-forward or as a shadow striker will give Maresca plenty of flexibility in where he deploys the Brighton star.

With a move close to completion, Pedro could link up extremely well with another Chelsea target – Mohammed Kudus.

Chelsea exploring move for Premier League star

While Gittens looks like he is closing in on a move to the Stamford Bridge side, he isn’t the only winger Maresca is eyeing up.

Blues insider Simon Phillips provided an update on the Blues’ pursuit of Kudus on X, saying that “Chelsea still trying for Kudus as well” amid the recent speculation.

Indeed, the club had made a proposal worth around £50m to West Ham United regarding the Ghanaian winger, yet this was rejected rather swiftly by the Irons as the player has an £85m release clause.

Maresca appears keen on landing the player, however, and he could well go back in and make an official bid to test West Ham’s resolve.

If he can land both Pedro and Kudus this summer, the pair could work well together. That’s for sure.

Why Chelsea must sign Mohammed Kudus

Pedro will be signed to challenge Liam Delap and Nicolas Jackson for a centre-forward role, with Maresca keen on making use of his strengths in the opposition penalty area.

As such, Kudus would be deployed on the flanks, where he can deliver crosses and provide a host of chances for the Brazilian.

During his two seasons with West Ham, Kudus has scored 19 goals and recorded 13 assists across 80 matches. This works out as a goal contribution every 2.5 games, which is a more than respectable figure.

In the Premier League last term, the former Ajax starlet succeeded with an impressive 2.9 dribbles per game, while also creating four big chances and averaging one key pass per match.

His ability to beat his opposite man was certainly on display throughout the 2024/25 campaign. Indeed, he ranked in the top 3% for successful take-ons (3.2) per 90 when compared to his positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues.

Furthermore, Kudus also ranks in the top 17% for crosses into the penalty area (0.52) per 90 and in the top 20% for ball recoveries per 90.

Journalist Gary Al-Smith hailed the African winger as a “generational talent” back in 2023, just a few months after he made the move to West Ham and while his second season might not have been as impressive as his maiden one at the London Stadium, Kudus would still be an excellent signing for Chelsea.

Not only would he add some competition to the wide areas, but his abilities would work in tandem with Pedro, allowing the duo to flourish in the Premier League and Champions League next season.

That ability to beat a man won’t only open up more goalscoring opportunities for Chelsea’s forward line, but it would also drag more players towards him, thus opening up more space in the final third for the likes of Pedro and Co.

Much will depend on the fee West Ham demand, especially if the Blues are paying over £100 to sign both Gittens and Pedro in the coming weeks.

If several players, such as Christopher Nkunku and João Félix, can be moved on, this will give Maresca the money to spend on bringing Kudus to Stamford Bridge.

If he manages to get all his transfer targets in the door before the start of next season, Chelsea could be a team to watch, that’s for sure.

A better signing than Gittens: Chelsea offered "world-class" £45m PL star

Chelsea could seal a better deal than Jamie Gittens joining the Stamford Bridge ranks by winning this £45m star.

ByKelan Sarson Jun 30, 2025

It’s safe to say the summer window started slowly for Arsenal, but over the last few days, things have roared into life for the Gunners.

Mikel Arteta may not have his elusive centre forward quite yet – Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres will have to wait – but Andrea Berta has been busy nonetheless.

The club’s new sporting director has already wrapped up three deals – pending confirmation – that will see backup goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga arrive in a £5m move from Chelsea, Martin Zubimendi sign for over £50m from Real Sociedad and Brentford captain, Christian Norgaard, join.

Still, there could be a fourth deal wrapped up very shortly, with talks reportedly underway to sign 20-year-old centre-back Cristhian Mosquera from Valencia.

As we said, Berta has been a busy beaver but he’s not done yet.

Arsenal in talks to sign Premier League star

Arteta has enjoyed shopping for proven Premier League talent since becoming Arsenal manager.

Some of his most successful deals have seen the Spaniard prise away stars of the English top-flight, most notably Declan Rice.

Transfer Focus

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

Rice could have fallen flat under the weight of his £105m price tag but the midfielder has made that price look like a bargain, specifically after those two free-kicks against Real Madrid in the Champions League.

David Raya – the division’s Golden Glove winner – was also picked up from Brentford, while Leandro Trossard, Arsenal’s second top scorer in 2023/24 with 17 strikes, came in from Brighton.

That’s not forgetting Gabriel Jesus too. While the Brazilian has fallen by the wayside in the last two seasons, primarily due to injury, the forward was electric in the opening months of his Gunners career.

Signed from Manchester City, the club’s number 9 bagged five goals in his first eight league matches.

Now, in the summer of 2025, Arsenal are turning their attention to the Premier League again with Eberechi Eze in their crosshairs.

That’s according to the Sun, who reported this week that Berta has already held talks with one of the representatives of Eze.

It’s alleged that the north Londoners are set to go head to head with fierce rivals, Spurs, in order to get a deal across the line.

The Crystal Palace star has a £68m release clause in his contract, which according to a different source, can be paid in three instalments of £20m, plus £8m in add-ons.

That same source reports that Arsenal have actually already agreed personal terms with Eze and his camp.

Why Eze could be Arsenal's new Saka

Bukayo Saka has been the poster boy for the Arteta project at the Emirates Stadium, and in the words of journalist Charles Watts, he is already the “best right winger in the world.”

Despite missing a large part of last season with a hamstring problem, Saka still finished the campaign on 12 goals and 15 assists, topping the tree at the club for that second metric.

Blessed with magical flair, creativity and the ability to produce something out of nothing, Eze is cut from a very similar cloth, not least because he also came through the Hale End academy.

The Arsenal youth system is highly regarded and we’ve seen, particularly in the last five to six years, a whole wealth of talent come through the ranks.

From Saka to Emile Smith Rowe and Ethan Nwaneri to Myles Lewis-Skelly, Arteta certainly has a lot to thank the academy for.

Eze was also part of that same system once upon a time but was released in 2011 when he was just 13 years of age.

After that setback, the Palace superstar headed to Fulham, Reading, Millwall and then QPR, where he finally found a home for himself. His rise since then has been meteoric. He’s now one of the most exciting players in the Premier League, and he’s a full England international too.

That wouldn’t have been possible without an incredible mentality, one that saw him overcome the adversity of being canned by Arsenal at such a young age.

Speaking in an interview back in 2020, Eze commented on the situation, revealing that it left him highly emotional.

In a further interview, the 26-year-old revealed how his mindset helped him to get over the whole ordeal.

“My dream was to play for them [Arsenal] so hearing them say no at 13 was tough and I remember training after I got released and I couldn’t focus. I was crying but I think that helped me so much in the other rejections because if I can get through Arsenal releasing me I can get through any other club releasing me. My mindset was if it was not going to be Arsenal I have to find somewhere else.”

Having got over that, Eze has taken the long way around to get to where he is now. It may have been a less glamorous route than Saka’s path to stardom but they certainly share the same mental fortitude and, vitally, similar attributes.

Far too often Arsenal’s talismanic number 7 has been left with everything to do in the final third. Players around him don’t chip in as regularly but in Eze, someone capable of rivalling Martin Odegaard, he’d find his match.

According FBref’s similar players tool, Saka is adjudged to be one of the most like-minded players in the Premier League to Saka, alongside the likes of Cole Palmer, Anthony Gordon and Morgan Rogers.

Eze might not have the left foot that Arsenal’s number 7 has but his positional versatility could be key. He primarily features through the middle as more of a no.10, however, he can also shine on the left-hand side.

Saka hasn’t played much behind the striker in his career, but like Eze, he loves to find space in central pockets as he attempts to dance his way through the defence.

So, what does the data say?

Well, Saka is certainly the more progressive and more aggressive when it comes to carries and overall assists, but let us remember that Palace are hardly a team that has the ball regularly enough for Eze to create at a similar rate as his international colleague.

Last season, Oliver Glasner’s men sat 17th in the league for average possession, enjoying just 42.4% of the ball. In contrast, Arsenal sat third with 57.1% of possession.

On that evidence, Saka is always going to produce higher numbers in the final third but the fact the two England stars are as close as they are for metrics like successful take-ons, key passes and progressive passes suggests that Eze’s numbers could soar to new heights at a team like Arsenal, a ball dominant side.

The Eagles star may not play in the same position as Saka but he could just be the right-footed version.

£68m is a lot to pay when you also need to get a striker over the line this summer but given it could be paid in instalments, this really does feel like a no-brainer for the Gunners.

He’s like Saka, he’s Premier League proven, and he’s always dreamt of playing for the club. What’s not to like?

Better than Williams: Arsenal open talks to sign ex-Spurs player for £50m

The dynamic winger could provide Arsenal with another avenue of attack next season.

1

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jun 24, 2025

The Bangladesh coach expects Shakib, Mehidy and Mushfiqur to step up in the two Tests against India

Alagappan Muthu17-Sep-20242:01

Manjrekar impressed with the ‘spark’ in Bangladesh’s bowling

Shakib Al Hasan, Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Mushfiqur Rahim are expected to shoulder significant responsibility for Bangladesh as they look to build on an uptick in Test match performances away from home. Although they’ve only won eight of 67 matches on tour, four of them have come since 2021 and the most recent two were the stuff of legend.”[The win in Pakistan] certainly gives us a lot of confidence coming into this series,” Bangladesh head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe said ahead of the first Test against India. “Not because of the outcome of the series, the way we played that series, the way we handled certain situations, we were behind the game in both Test matches and then how we come back and then the people who contribute at different times give us a lot of belief for this series.”Much of the good vibes in Bangladesh is the result of the way their new players are performing but their stalwarts are still keeping up with the youngsters.Related

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“Shakib [has] always played a huge part in Bangladesh cricket whenever he is available and playing well,” Hathurusinghe said. “I mean obviously he gives us the luxury to balance the team the way we want, whether we want to play extra bowlers or extra batsmen because of his all-round capabilities. So he gives that adaptability as well as a huge experience.”He is probably one of the longest international players going around and then he is coming from playing countless matches and he is in good shape. So he brings a lot into the team, not only his skill set but otherwise as well.”And, Miraz, I would say he is the most improved Bangladesh cricketer for the last five to six years. He is ready to take over whenever Shakib moves out. I think he has developed his batting and obviously his bowling has always been, his strength, his No.1. Now I think he has improved his batting as well and on the field, he is a gun fielder.”The success of any away team in India depends on their ability to cope with R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja. Bangladesh will be relying on Mushfiqur, who was typically meticulous with his preparations in Chennai, practicing various kinds of sweeps against the offspin and left-arm spinning net bowlers that he trained with.Mushfiqur Rahim averages 55.16 in Test matches in India•Associated Press

“I think Mushfiq actually mentioned to me his record on the way to India in the flight. He said, I average 55 coach, you forget about that,” Hathurusinghe said. “He is a phenomenal player and for a long time the way he prepared, I haven’t seen anyone prepare that much detail-wise. So the one I haven’t seen is probably Sachin Tendulkar…something like that. Close to all the reports that I have read about him, Mushfiq is like that. He is just a professional, a thorough professional when it comes to cricket.”Bangladesh have played three Tests in India and lost all three (two by an innings). Hathurusinghe is hopeful they will present a stiffer challenge this time around.”I think this is probably the most well-rounded team that Bangladesh has produced in my previous time and this time,” he said. “We’re covering a lot of bases, we’ve got good fast bowlers, we’ve got a really experienced spin attack and then the batting, we actually have good depth because of two reasons.”One is that two of our spinners [Shakib and Mehidy] are genuine batters who got Test hundreds and then two of our wicketkeepers [Litton Das and Mushfiqur] are our main batters. So our balance of the team in this series is really, really good and that gives us actually a lot more confidence that we can be competitive in this series.”

After six long and arduous weeks of trying, it looks as though Manchester United are finally set to announce their second landmark signing of the summer.

Matheus Cunha arrived rather swiftly at the start of the window but since then it’s not been plain sailing for Jason Wilcox and Co. However, a breakthrough in negotiations was reached with Brentford a few days ago to seal the signing of Bryan Mbeumo for a fee of around £71m.

Fabrizio Romano reported on Sunday that the winger had arrived at Carrington to complete the formalities of a move to Old Trafford.

Yet, United aren’t done there with a new centre-forward being earmarked by the recruitment team.

Man United's pursuit of a new striker

With Rasmus Hojlund scoring just four league goals in 2024/25, it’s abundantly clear that Ruben Amorim needed more firepower.

Mbeumo and Cunha will certainly provide that but they’re not out-and-out centre-forwards.

Transfer Focus

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

Nicolas Jackson is, however, and reports this weekend suggest that the club has held talks with the player’s agent over a potential move. Considering his hit-and-miss form at Chelsea, this isn’t one that is likely to excite Man United supporters.

Viktor Gyokeres’ name will, though. It’s been widely expected that the Swede will move to Arsenal this summer but with Amorim at the wheel, United have stood a chance of securing a player who played so well under the Portuguese at Sporting.

Well, it’s still a move that could come to fruition with reports from Portugal this weekend reporting some exciting news as far as United fans are concerned.

It suggests that with Arsenal’s move stalling, the Red Devils have leapt into the race again and are said to be ‘very close’ to reaching an agreement on a fee for the attacker.

It’s alleged that United are willing to pay just over €70m (£60m) to bring the player back to England.

Despite all of that, Romano has made it clear that the striker is still giving his priority to Arsenal.

Why Viktor Gyokeres could be Man United's answer to Alexander Isak

Alexander Isak’s name has been a hot topic this week with Liverpool laying down a statement of intent.

Indeed, The Athletic’s David Ornstein suggested that the Premier League winners were ready to do a deal at around £120m, but Newcastle United insist that he will not be going anywhere this summer.

That’s understandable considering just how good he was in 2024/25. The Swede found the net on 27 occasions in all competitions and scored 23 in the league, only second to Mo Salah.

In short, he was really rather impressive, showcasing exactly why some, including analyst Raj Chohan, think that he is “the best striker in the world.”

Well, if a player with 27 goals is up there as the best, so is Gyokeres. Described as “the best finisher in the world” by analyst Spencer Mossman and as a “monster” by journalist Alex Turk, there are not many better at hitting the net with such regularity as Isak’s fellow countryman.

Once of Coventry City and Brighton, Gyokeres has done it before in England, but it’s in Lisbon, Portugal, where he’s really found his footing.

On the way to winning the Portuguese league title last season, he scored 39 league goals in 33 games and beat the goalkeeper on 54 occasions in 52 outings across all competitions. That backed up a scintillating 2023/24 term in which the Sweden international bagged 43 in 50.

Like Isak, he’s incredibly prolific, and they do share some similar traits, notably in their ability to carry the ball long distances and run the channels.

Goals

1.25

0.75

Assists

0.22

0.20

Shots on target

2.12

1.34

Key passes

1.96

1.34

Progressive passes

2.18

2.88

Successful take-ons

1.92

1.37

Progressive carries

4.26

2.71

Aerials won

1.15

0.85

Signing a player with little experience of the Premier League is always a risk, but with United simply needing more firepower, if they could hijack Arsenal’s move for Gyokeres, it would be a serious statement of intent.

Long have they needed their answer to someone like Isak, a pure out-and-out goalscorer, a powerhouse forward. In Gyokeres, they’d surely find that.

Better signing than Mbeumo: Man Utd in talks to land "exceptional" £60m ace

Manchester United’s huge activity within the transfer market looks set to continue despite a deal for Bryan Mbeumo.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 20, 2025

Arsenal have now made progress in their pursuit of a “magician”, having reached an agreement in principle with his club, according to reporter Sebastien Vidal.

Gunners set sights on new forward after Gyokeres

The Gunners finally got a deal for Viktor Gyokeres over the line on Sunday, and Mikel Arteta is clearly delighted with the signing, saying: “Viktor has so many qualities. He is a quick and powerful presence up front, with incredible goalscoring numbers at club and international levels.

“He brings a clinical edge with a high conversion rate of chances into goals, with his intelligent movement in the box making him a constant threat.”

It will be a real relief to have signed a striker, but Andrea Berta and co have no plans to stop there, given that Arteta was left a little short on options out wide at times last season too, and they are currently working to get another forward through the door.

Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze is among the main targets, with reliable reporter Ben Jacobs revealing the England international is “keen” on a move to the Emirates Stadium this summer, and initial talks have now been held with the Eagles.

There has now been a further development in Arsenal’s pursuit of Eze, with journalist Sebastien Vidal revealing they are now “pushing” to get a deal over the line, having reached an agreement in principle with Palace.

The Gunners plan to pay £30m for the £27-year-old up front, and they are currently negotiating the time scale of when they will pay the rest of the installments, with the Eagles keen to receive full payment within two years.

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Posts ByEmilio Galantini Jul 26, 2025 "Magician" Eze could be yet another fantastic signing

A deal for the Palace star is unlikely to be cheap, with the attacker’s current employers keen to receive £68m, but there are plenty of signs he could be yet another fantastic signing, in what has been an exciting window for the north Londoners.

Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards has lauded the Englishman as a “magician” in the past, and he was regularly among the goals for Palace last season, providing 25 attacking contributions across all competitions.

Competition

Appearances

Goals

Assists

Premier League

34

8

8

FA Cup

5

4

1

EFL Cup

4

2

2

By far the Greenwich-born forward’s most important goal came in the FA Cup final, scoring the winner against Manchester City, which meant Crystal Palace lifted major silverware for the first time in their history.

As such, Eze is clearly a big-game player, and it is exciting news that Arsenal are now making progress towards sealing a deal.

Australia’s captain will likely have a role to play against India later in the year but for now is taking things easy

Matt Roller10-Sep-20241:02

Marsh: Australia vs England always a fierce battle

Mitchell Marsh has hinted that his five-month absence from the bowling crease is unlikely to come to an end during Australia’s T20I series. Marsh has not bowled in a competitive match since tearing his hamstring during the IPL, including in last week’s 3-0 clean sweep up in Scotland.Australia have an abundance of allrounders in their T20 set-up, with Jake Fraser-McGurk the only man in their squad who neither keeps wicket nor bowls. With Marsh keen to give Cameron Green and Aaron Hardie opportunities with the ball, his own medium pace is unlikely to be required.Related

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“I’m sort of just building,” Marsh said. “I don’t tend to bowl myself too much, is the honest answer, and we’re lucky that we’ve got plenty of bowling options within our team, so we’ll see how we go… my bowling’s on line: whether or not I bowl, we’ll wait and see. We’ve got heaps of options. I’m always building something.”Australia will hope to have Marsh fully fit to bowl during their five-match Test series against India, which starts in Perth on November 22 – which he described as feeling “like a long time away”. Their management will carefully manage players workloads before that series, with Pat Cummins missing the whole England tour to give him a break from bowling.”A lot of our priorities will be geared around that,” Andrew McDonald, Australia’s coach, told on Tuesday morning. “You’ll see that unfold with the management of our players. We’ll be very pointed around who does what in terms of [Sheffield] Shield cricket coming into the summer to make sure that they are ready for that first Test match.”Australia play Pakistan in three ODIs and three T20Is in November, and it is expected that anyone included in the Test squad won’t feature in the T20Is. “We may have to give up a little bit in terms of that Pakistan white-ball series with certain players, to make sure that we are firmly prepared,” McDonald said. “We’re really keen for India to arrive.”This UK tour is Australia’s first men’s cricket since their Super Eight exit in June’s T20 World Cup, which saw them win their first five matches before back-to-back defeats against Afghanistan and India saw them crash out. Marsh has retained the T20 captaincy – and will also step in for Cummins in the five ODIs against England – but was coy on his long-term ambitions.”It feels like a lifetime ago now, that T20 World Cup,” Marsh said. “It was just disappointment: we went there with the hope of winning it, like every other team did, and unfortunately, we didn’t play our best cricket at the right time. In tournament play, that’s what you rely on…there’s a lot of cricket to be played between now and the next World Cup [in 2026] but hopefully I’m there.”McDonald isolated Australia’s fielding as the primary reason for their failure to reach the semi-finals, most notably dropping five catches in the defeat to Afghanistan. “We’ve got a few things that we need to work through, but clearly the key area for us that was disappointing was our fielding… that makes it really difficult for the captain and the team to function.”There was some discussion around Mitch Marsh and his captaincy, but if creating opportunities for the team with your bowling changes and your field positions is the way that we’re going to critique a captain, I thought he did a fantastic job. We just weren’t able to execute in those moments, and that really played out in the Afghanistan game.”

Serie A heavyweights AC Milan have identified one Tottenham star as a potential priority signing this summer, and they’ve been given some encouragement by his stance on joining Massimiliano Allegri at the San Siro.

Tottenham pull U-turn over signing "beautiful" player amid Thomas Frank issue

Spurs’ manager faces a headache.

By
Emilio Galantini

Jul 9, 2025

Spurs boss Thomas Frank already faces the prospect of losing a couple of noteworthy names before deadline day on September 1.

Atlético Madrid are not easing up on their interest in Cristian Romero, according to recent reports, with Spanish newspaper AS stating earlier this week that the La Liga side are in ongoing negotiations to sign the Argentine.

Daniel Levy remains a significant roadblock in Diego Simeone’s pursuit of Romero, but Atlético are very keen on signing the 27-year-old, so this could be one to watch all the way to the latter stages of this summer.

Meanwhile, Son Heung-min could bring an end to his decade-long stay at Spurs too.

Son has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and Los Angeles FC recently, with Levy reportedly placing a £50 million price tag on the South Korean’s head. An offer too good to refuse will surely strike debate among the Spurs hierarchy, considering Son has entered the final 12 months of his contract.

This window represents the final chance for them to make any money back off Son’s sale, and despite his cult hero status, the north Londoners could be forced into a purely business decision.

Uncertainty also surrounds the future of Tottenham striker Richarlison, as it is believed by some South American news sources that Frank’s side are actively trying to sell him after an injury-ridden campaign (Jorge Nicola).

Frank’s squad could look fairly different by the start of his debut campaign in the dugout, with Milan now expressing a serious interest in left-back Destiny Udogie.

AC Milan identify Tottenham defender Destiny Udogie as top target

As per The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey, the Italy international has shot right to the top of the Rossoneri’s target list, and Milan are “dreaming” of signing him.

Tottenham do not wish to part company with Udogie given his first-team status, but the prospect of a return to Italy with Milan is said to be tempting the 22-year-old.

Udogie is very open to joining Milan, and having the opportunity to work with Allegri is particularly appealing to the left-back. That being said, the seven-time Champions League winners may still need to fork out a substantial fee.

The ex-Udinese starlet’s agent, Stefano Antonelli, told TUTTOmercatoWEB that Spurs will likely demand a fee north of £43 million to even consider selling Udogie.

He could still have a crucial role to play for Frank as well. The tactician would need to turn to either Djed Spence or Ben Davies to fill the void left by Udogie’s potential exit, unless Spurs sign a replacement, so Levy will be taking this into account amid Milan’s admiration.

Udogie enjoyed a phenomenal debut 2023/2024 season under Ange Postecoglou too, with pundit Ian Wright heaping praise on the player.

“You know someone who has to get some love as well for going under the radar, Udogie,” explained the Arsenal legend on his Wrighty’s House podcast in late 2023.

“You watch Spurs and they have put together some players that you look at and think it’s a team that are shutting up everything. He has given them stability and a progression of the ball that is very impressive. The man is going under the radar. I cannot wait to see this guy, I can’t wait to see him live.”

The forecast for Manchester wasn’t wrong as steady rain from early in the day forced the deciding T20I to be abandoned shortly after 4pm on a bleak Sunday. It meant England and Australia shared the spoils after the visitors were convincing winners in Southampton before England responded with a fine chase in Cardiff.It was expected the two teams would recall key fast bowlers for this game: Jofra Archer and Josh Hazlewood had both been rested in Cardiff, and Australia left with only 11 players to select from with Mitchell Marsh ill. However, conditions meant XIs never got close to being named.Related

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For Australia, it completed a run of six T20Is which began in Scotland where they won 3-0 and Marsh was pleased with the opportunities presented to younger players with Jake Fraser-McGurk and Cooper Connolly both handed debuts.”Would have been nice to finish off with deciding match today but thought both teams played some really good cricket throughout and we move onto the one-day series,” he said. “We started in Scotland as a T20 group and knew young guys would get an opportunity throughout and thought we gave guys different roles in all five games we had and it’s been really pleasing.”England captain Phil Salt was delighted with the response of his team after the opening loss in Southampton with Liam Livingstone and Jacob Bethell putting together a matchwinning stand in the second match.”Very proud,” he said. “As a team when you lose the first one you are always under pressure and the messaging to the boys was when we get pushed back we come back hard and that’s what we did through that partnership in Cardiff with Livi and Beth. So really pleased with the way we responded but just disappointed we couldn’t get on today.”The focus will now turn to the five-match ODI series – and the forecast is much more promising – which starts on Thursday in Nottingham. England have named Harry Brook as captain in place of the injured Jos Buttler while Australia will be able to call on Steven Smith, Marnus Labuschagne, Glenn Maxwell and Mitchell Starc who have arrived for the 50-over games.There is a more immediate target in sight for the one-day sides with next February’s Champions Trophy in Pakistan on the horizon. Both teams will likely go through various options over the five games which come in the space of 11 days.