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Newcastle United are believed to be in the mix to sign an “incredible” player this summer, as they look to hijack Everton’s move for him.

Howe provides new Isak update

The Magpies are preparing to host Liverpool in the Premier League on Monday night, with St James’ Park likely to be at its atmospheric best amid the Alexander Isak saga.

Eddie Howe has confirmed that the Swede will play no part in proceedings against the club who want to sign him this summer, also reacting to his statement about being let down by Newcastle earlier this week.

“It was a sad moment. My preference is these things do not happen publicly. They are better dealt with behind closed doors. But needs must: the club has spoken, and justifiably so in that moment, the club has to act in the best interests of Newcastle United.

“It will do that in every situation. He’s contracted to us. He’s our player. My wish is that he would be playing on Monday. He won’t be, and that’s regrettable. But 100 per cent I want him back in a Newcastle shirt.

Away from the Isak situation, Newcastle are still working hard on possible new signings at both ends of the pitch, and they are reportedly battling others for the signing of a Premier League player.

Newcastle eyeing move for Man City defender Nathan Ake

According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are potentially looking to hijack Everton’s move for Manchester City defender Nathan Ake this summer. While Everton are already in talks and the Magpies are only “monitoring” the Dutchman, he is represented by the same agency as several Newcastle stars, including Lewis Hall and Harvey Barnes, so there could be a smooth path to personal negotiations.

Ake could be a brilliant addition for Newcastle, bringing a wealth of experience of him, not least six Premier League titles and one Champions League crown. The 30-year-old is capable of thriving at both centre-back and left-back, which Howe has shown he appreciates with his use of Dan Burn, and Pep Guardiola spoke glowingly about him during last season.

Nathan Ake’s key trophy wins

Club

Year

Champions League

Manchester City

2023

Premier League

Manchester City

2024

Premier League

Manchester City

2023

Premier League

Manchester City

2022

Premier League

Manchester City

2021

Premier League

Chelsea

2017

Premier League

Chelsea

2015

Europa League

Chelsea

2013

FA Cup

Manchester City

2023

EFL Cup

Manchester City

2021

EFL Cup

Chelsea

2015

Club World Cup

Manchester City

2023

Super Cup

Manchester City

2023

In some ways, it seems strange why City are willing to sell a player who still has so much to offer, but if Guardiola no longer sees him as an important part of his plans, Newcastle should pounce.

Hopefully, the lure of a move to St James’, including playing in the Champions League, ultimately appeals more to Ake than joining Everton, even though the Blues are starting a new era at their impressive Hill Dickinson Stadium this season.

Related Newcastle submit bid for 20 y/o prodigy with "true vintage striker vibes"

The striker was the second-highest goalscorer in Serie B last season.

Posts ByCallum Kemp Aug 22, 2025

The £160,000-a-week Ake is a class act who has proven himself at the highest level, and at 30, there is no reason why he couldn’t enjoy three or four good years at Newcastle.

India 247 for 9 (Abhishek 135, Carse 3-38) beat England 97 (Salt 55, Shami 3-25) by 150 runsAbhishek Sharma demolished records left, right and centre – and with it England’s pace-laden T20I attack – to power his way to 135 from 54 balls, the highest score ever made by an India batter in T20Is.On his watch, India romped to a massive total of 247 for 9, which would prove to be overkill in a crushing 150-run victory, and with it a 4-1 series scoreline.In response, Phil Salt reprised some of the form that had lit up last year’s IPL, to crack his way to a 21-ball fifty, but his was a lone hand in an overwhelmed England reply, as they stumbled to 97 all out in 10.3 overs.Related

• 'In the zone' Abhishek salutes seniors for guiding him to century

• Abhishek, rattle and roll at the Wankhede

• Gambhir on India's approach: 'We want to try and get to 250-260 regularly'

• Stats – Abhishek blazes India's second-fastest T20I century

Even after his commanding display, there was no keeping Abhishek out of the game. First, he was on hand in the covers to intercept Ben Duckett’s first-ball drive and hand Mohammed Shami the first of his three wickets.And then, after Jos Buttler, Harry Brook and Liam Livingstone had each fallen in their quest to stay in touch with a rate of more than two a ball, Abhishek was tossed the ball for the ninth over, and duly bagged two more in five balls, as Brydon Carse and Jamie Overton each holed out.Abhishek tears it up
All of that, however, was somewhat superfluous to the day’s main action. The stats of Abhishek’s innings were as breathless as his strokeplay. He creamed an India-record 13 sixes (equating to almost one in four of his balls faced), all of them in the arc from point to mid-on, with the crowd at extra cover living a particularly dangerous existence.His 17-ball fifty was India’s second-fastest in the format; his 37-ball century was tucked in just behind David Miller’s 35-ball effort against Bangladesh in 2017 as the second-fastest in a contest between Full Member nations. On Abhishek’s watch, India romped to 95 for 1 in the six-over powerplay, another national record … and all this after being stuck in by Jos Buttler, too.Abhishek Sharma could not be kept out of the game•BCCI

At times, it was like watching a full-fidelity game of Stick Cricket, with Abhishek’s utter faith in the conditions, and in England’s often guileless lengths, encouraging him to plant his front foot to pace and spin alike, and launch even 150kph deliveries with impunity through the line.At the 10-over mark of the innings, the sky was the limit for India’s ambitions. Abhishek had pumped his way to 99 from 36 balls, and with 143 for 2 on the board, the first Full Member 300 was very much on the cards.To their credit, however, England found themselves a relative toe-hold, thanks in particular to Brydon Carse’s excellent three-wicket spell. Abhishek’s momentum dipped significantly after he had nudged a rare single into the covers to bring up his three figures, as he was limited to nine runs from nine balls in the next six overs.India’s onslaught could not be entirely contained, however. Abhishek reasserted himself as Carse’s final over went for 17, and though a game of cat-and-mouse with Adil Rashid resulted in a miscued wrong’un to deep cover, that wasn’t until Abhishek had connected with two more sixes back over the bowler’s head.Dube’s return to the fray
There was no shortage of needle after the events at Pune, where Harshit Rana’s controversial introduction as Shivam Dube’s concussion substitute had left England feeling rather aggrieved. Buttler’s description at the toss of England’s four unselected players as “impact subs” was an amusing commitment to the rumpus.Shivam Dube was among the wickets for India•Associated Press

The fact that Dube was back in action, just 48 hours after a heavy blow to the helmet from Overton, was further reason for England to look slightly askance at that call. But not only did Dube show no ill-effects, he underlined the fact that his own bowling – though noticeably less express than Harshit’s – was every bit as capable of making an impression.His first delivery, at the start of the eighth over, was the final death knell to England’s innings. Salt had bludgeoned 17 runs from Shami’s first over – the only moment at which England had been ahead of India’s rate – but when he snicked Dube’s 117kph sighter through to Dhruv Jurel, England were 82 for 5 and sinking fast. He then bowled Jacob Bethell with the first ball of his next over. Oh, and he also thumped 30 from 13 balls for good measure.Carse keeps his cool
Carse has had an exceptional breakthrough winter for England across formats. His thirst for the hard overs means he has already inked himself in as their go-to third seamer in Test cricket, and many of those same big-hearted traits were on show in a gruesome match situation today.Carse began his spell with India rattling along at more than 15 runs an over, having reached 127 for 1 after eight, but from the outset, his ability to hit hard lengths with canny changes of pace set him apart from the more one-dimensional block-knocking approach that his colleagues had settled for.Mark Wood and Jofra Archer set the tone for England’s approach with another deeply unsubtle powerplay display, albeit it was thrilling to behold. Archer’s first-over duel with Sanju Samson featured two sixes, 16 runs and a nasty cut to the finger from a third-ball lifter into the gloves; Wood’s follow-up barely dipped below 150kph, as Samson holed out to deep square leg – his fifth dismissal to the pull shot in as many innings this series.Suryakumar Yadav had a similar experience – once again India’s captain came a cropper to a leading edge as he finished his series with just 28 runs in five innings. But at the other end was Abhishek, and so it mattered little.

MatériaMais Notícias

O caso da licitação do Maracanã, que já virou novela, ganhou novo capítulo nesta segunda-feira. Flamengo e Fluminense entraram na Justiça com uma petição, rebatendo os argumentos e pedindo a extinção do mandato de segurança do Vasco da Gama. No documento, o Cruz-maltino pedia a suspensão do novo Termo de Permissão de Uso (TPU) do estádio.

Vale destacar que o TPU do Maracanã se encerra nesta semana e, na concepção do Vasco, não deve ser renovado por conta de inércia do Governo do Estado para julgar a licitação do estádio. Flamengo e Fluminense, por sua vez, afirmam que o rival não possui provas que possam cravar a negligência da Secretaria.

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Em 29 páginas, os representantes de Flamengo e Fluminense comentaram que o Vasco da Gama visa lucro próprio para a 777 Partners na situação. Além disso, frisaram que o Cruz-maltino almeja causar transtornos aos atuais administradores do estádio.

“Em virtude do não preenchimento de pressuposto processual objetivo e da flagrante necessidade de dilação probatória, confia-se na extinção desse mandado de segurança, sem resolução de mérito”, pede o 12º artigo do documento.

+Maracanã: Governo do Rio responde a processo do Vasco e indica renovação para dupla Fla-Flu

ENTENDA MAIS SOBRE O CASO

Flamengo, Fluminense e Vasco da Gama vêm travando batalha intensa nos bastidores pela licitação do Maracanã. O clube de São Januário entende que pode participar da concessão do estádio e já apresentou diversos projetos para tal, mas encontra resistência da dupla Fla-Flu. As outras duas equipes estão fechadas entre si e querem a manutenção do processo.

No entanto, ainda em março, o edital do processo de licitação foi suspenso por tempo interterminado, já que contava com alguns erros na formatação. Desde então, o Vasco da Gama tem lançado críticas ao Governo do Estado e quer que a questão seja julgada o mais rápido possível. Por enquanto, Flamengo e Fluminense seguem como administradores por meio de TPU.

E é justamente o Termo de Permissão de Uso que protagonizou a última batalha entre as equipes. O último termo se encerra nesta semana e, com o mandato de segurança, o Vasco da Gama pretendia anular a renovação automática, com intuito de acelerar o processo de licitação. No entanto, ao que tudo indica, a tentativa será frustrada.

Things have really kicked into gear for Arsenal over the last couple of weeks.

After watching their rivals bring in star player after star player, the Gunners have finally bolstered Mike Arteta’s squad with the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga and Christian Norgaard.

Moreover, the Premier League runners-up appear incredibly close to securing the services of goalscoring extraordinaire Viktor Gyokeres.

Andrea Berta and Co aren’t done there either, as reports are now linking the club to a midfield machine who’d be incredible at the Emirates, even if his arrival could be bad news for Martin Odegaard.

Arsenal target midfield maestro

The main thing Arsenal need to add to the team this summer is attacking flair, goals and dynamism, so it’s hardly been a surprise that some of the most exciting links in recent weeks have been to players who possess all of those traits, such as Morgan Rogers.

Transfer Focus

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

The Aston Villa star could be available for around £70m this window, and while that is undoubtedly a lot of money, it’s easy to see why teams, such as the North Londoners, might be willing to pay it.

After all, the 22-year-old was able to amass an imposing tally of 29 goal involvements in 54 appearances.

However, with that being his first full season in the Premier League, there are still a few questions over how he might fare in the long run, questions which are not present for another of the Gunners’ targets: Eberechi Eze.

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Arsenal remain intensely interested in signing the Crystal Palace star.

Moreover, the report has revealed that the North Londoners are now closing in on an agreement to sign the Englishman, which would see them pay an initial £45m of his £67.5m release clause, with the rest coming in playing-related add-ons.

In all, it looks like it could be a fantastic deal for Arsenal and Arteta, but one that might spell trouble for Odegaard.

Why Eze could be bad news for Odegaard

The first reason Eze could be bad news for Odegaard next season is a simple one, but arguably the most important: his output.

In his 43 appearances for Palace last season, totalling 3303 minutes, the 27-year-old “duel monster,” as dubbed by reporter Simon Collings, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists, and did so almost exclusively from attacking midfield.

This means the former QPR gem was able to average a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes for a team that, at their best, is a mid-table side.

In contrast, the Gunners’ captain was only able to score six goals and provide 12 assists in 45 appearances, totalling 3447 minutes.

In other words, the Norwegian international averaged a goal involvement every 2.5 games, or every 191.5 minutes, in a team that finished second and made it to the semi-finals of the Champions League.

However, it goes deeper than the statistics, as one of the most concerning elements to the former Real Madrid gem’s campaign last season was how he disappeared in some of the biggest games.

For example, The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid claimed he put in a “completely anonymous display in the second half” of the game away to Paris Saint-Germain, while content creator Connor Humm argued that he may as well have “sat in the stands he was that non-existent” in the first leg.

In stark contrast, the Greenwich-born monster scored in the quarter-final and semi-final of the FA Cup, before scoring the only goal in the final, and leading his side to historic glory.

Ultimately, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Eze this summer, as he’d undoubtedly bring goals and excitement to the team, even if that’s at the expense of Odegaard.

Their new Alexis: Arsenal reach agreement in principle to sign £69m star

Arsenal could be closing in on signing their new Alexis Sanchez.

6

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Jul 9, 2025

For all the criticism of their transfer policy in recent years, if there’s one thing Chelsea have done well, it’s investing in young, promising talents.

For example, Liam Delap is still just 22 years old, Jamie Gittens is 21, Marc Guiu is 19, and the incredibly exciting Estevao is just 18.

The Blues have a squad bursting with phenoms, but they aren’t the only ones, as London rivals Arsenal have seen their own batch of youngsters burst onto the scene over the last year or so.

Arguably the most exciting has been Myles Lewis-Skelly, who went from winding up Erling Haaland on the sidelines to starting and scoring for England in the space of half a season.

So, the Stamford Bridge faithful should be delighted over reports linking Chelsea to another future superstar who could be Enzo Maresca’s own version of the Gunners star.

Chelsea's window so far

On top of the names already mentioned, Chelsea have continued to sign exciting talents this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Mamdou Sarr, who is just 19, joined the club from partner club Strasbourg for a fee of around £12m early last month after making 28 first-team appearances last season.

Also, last month, the club splashed around £18m on 20-year-old Dario Essugo, who spent last season on loan at Las Palmas from Sporting CP.

However, while both players could end up having a great career in West London, it is still hard to be sure about whether they will succeed at the very top, which doesn’t seem to be the case for the club’s latest target: Jorrel Hato.

Yes, according to a recent report from Ben Jacobs, Chelsea are still very much interested in the Ajax star this summer.

In fact, Jacobs has revealed that the West Londoners have held fresh talks with the player’s camp over a potential transfer.

Interestingly, even though the Amsterdam outfit have been quoting teams a £60m price tag, Jacobs has revealed that an offer of £40m should suffice.

It would still be a lot to spend on a teenager, but Hato has been brilliant for some time and could end up being Chelsea’s answer to Lewis-Skelly.

Why Hato could be Chelsea's Lewis-Skelly

So, when people talk about Lewis-Skelly, what are the themes that usually emerge?

Generally, it’s how he plays well beyond his years, how well he has adapted to senior football, and that he’s been so good at left-back that he might remain in this position for some time.

These are all things that could be said about Hato and then some.

For example, despite still being just 19 years old, the Dutchman has established himself as one of Ajax’s most essential players.

Since making his debut back in February 2023, at just 16 years old, he has played 111 matches for the first team, scoring four goals, providing nine assists, and even wearing the captain’s armband on three occasions.

Appearances

111

Starts

102

Minutes

9121′

Goals

4

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.11

Minutes per Goal Involvement

701.61′

Points per Game

1.86

Additionally, he surpasses the Englishman in terms of national team appearances, having won six caps since making his debut at 17 years old in November 2023.

Finally, on top of showing the same grit and determination as the Arsenal star, the “immense” Rotterdam-born gem, as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, is also at least somewhat versatile.

He may primarily play at left-back today, but he started as a centre-back and can still fill in there when needed.

Ultimately, it might be a lot of money for someone so young, but just like Lewis-Skelly, Hato already feels like a seasoned professional, and it’s incredibly exciting to think about how good he could be in a few years from now.

PL rivals eyeing £100m Chelsea star; his exit could make room for Ekitike

It would be wise of Chelsea to cash in and upgrade.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 16, 2025

Excitement is starting to build amongst Celtic supporters ahead of the new season.

Kieran Tierney’s return to Glasgow was confirmed last week, and fans cannot wait to see their beloved homegrown hero bedecked in green and white hoops again.

It’s safe to say the transfer window is really starting to take shape for Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side.

Indeed, despite the arrival of Tierney, the Bhoys have an interest in signing Liverpool’s Andy Robertson while another defender, this time of Japanese origin, could also join.

Talks are reportedly underway to sign Hayato Inamura from J League club Albirex Niigata but he’s not the only player Celtic appear to be in conversations to sign.

Celtic targeting a new winger

According to a report by Anthony Joseph of Sky Sports News, Celtic have now ‘agreed’ a fee of £1.7m with Nordsjælland as they attempt to sign attacker Benjamin Nygren, adding that the Hoops ‘will now look to finalise’ the deal.

Transfer Focus

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

Joseph states that an agreement was reached on the player side last week and that talks have progressed well with the club since.

Given that the 23-year-old is out of contract with the Danish Superligaen side in December, Nygren is available for significantly lower than his estimated current market value of around £5m, making the agreed fee appear an absolute bargain.

The winger began his senior career with hometown club IFK Göteborg and, after unspectacular spells with Genk in Belgium and then Heerenveen in the Netherlands, he arrived at Nordsjælland in January 2022, with whom his career has really taken off.

Now, he’s set to become the 11th Swedish player to appear for Celtic, hoping to follow in the footsteps of club legends Mikael Lustig, Johan Mjällby and, of course, Henrik Larsson.

Benjamin Nygren​​​​​​​: the new Nicolas Kühn?

Similar to Nygren, Nicolas Kühn​​​​​​​ had bounced around numerous clubs at a young age, representing RB Leipzig, Jong Ajax, Bayern Munich Amateure, Erzgebirge Aue​​​​​​​ and Rapid Wien before joining Celtic for a reported fee of £3m in January 2024.

Well, the German has certainly found a home in Glasgow, exploding onto the scene this season, as the table below illustrates.

Minutes

3,285

8th

Goals

21

2nd

Assists

15

1st

UCL goals

3

2nd

Average SofaScore rating

7.29

2nd

This end product led to Rodgers labelling Kühn’s performances as “outstanding”, while Michael Shearer of Breaking the Lines asserted that he is ‘poised to become’ the Celts’ ‘next great attacking player’.

This has seen a £25m price-tag placed on his head, with countless Premier League and Bundesliga clubs purportedly interested.

So, could Nygren have a similar impact upon his imminent arrival?

Well, let’s assess how the two wide-attackers compare to one-another.

Appearances

107

51

Minutes

6,206

3,416

Goals

35

7

Minutes per goal

177

488

Assists

8

10

Shots per 90

2.8

2.11

Shots on target %

41.7%

46.4%

Take-on success %

60.6%

57.8%

As the table shows, Nygren was significantly more impressive at his previous club than Kühn was upon his own arrival, with Global Football Rankings actually rating the Superligaen (13th) nine places higher than the Austrian Bundesliga (22nd).

The 23-year-old’s form for Nordsjælland​​​​​​​ has seen him earn his Sweden debut earlier this year, featuring in all four of the Blågult’s friendlies so far in 2024, scoring against both Northern Ireland in Stockholm and Hungary at the Puskás Aréna earlier this month.

Analyst Will Glavin labels Nygren a “versatile​​​​​​​” attacker who possesses a “killer instinct in front of goal”, given his ability to appear in “dangerous areas” at the right time.

Meantime, Sakhu Mpofu of Total Football Analysis documents how, at his best, he “inverts into the centre’ from the right-flank, which could also be used to describe Kühn.

Thus, in short, Celtic supporters should be extremely excited about the arrival of the Swedish youngster.

​​​​​​​

Bigger talent than Tierney: Celtic eyeing move for "world-class" Hoops fan

Having already secured the services of Kieran Tierney, could Celtic snap-up another boyhood Celts fan, who is a “world class” Premier League star?

1 Jun 18, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have had some of the greatest players in Premier League history down the years, from Ballon d’Or winners like Luka Modric to international superstars such as Gareth Bale, but former striker Dimitar Berbatov believes one Spurs star was even better than people realised.

Ending their trophy drought by winning the Europa League against Manchester United, Tottenham’s 2024/25 campaign was one of their worst ever seasons with one of the best ever endings, as Ange Postecoglou made good on his promise that he “always wins things” in his second season at a club.

The Lilywhites had gone 17 years without winning a major honour, seeing legendary players like Harry Kane go their entire careers at the club without ever winning a trophy.

Tottenham's best Premier League players in pictures

One famous player who did manager to secure silverware for the club was defender Ledley King. The Tottenham academy graduate made 268 league appearances for the club to go with 21 caps for England, and was a part of the last Tottenham team to win a trophy before the triumph in Bilbao, winning the League Cup in 2008.

However, his career was largely a case of ‘what if’, as former manager Harry Redknapp once revealed he rarely trained due to his injuries.

Berbatov: Ledley King was as good as Ferdinand and Vidic

One man who was lucky enough to play with several of the best centre-backs in Premier League history was Berbatov, who joined Manchester United in 2008 after two successful seasons with Spurs, and he claimed King may just have been the best of the lot.

20 Best Centre-Backs in Premier League History Ranked

Where does Virgil van Dijk rank?

ByCharlie Smith May 9, 2025

The Bulgaria legend revealed in an interview with TalkSPORT that for all his success at United – winning two Premier League titles – it was King who was right up there as one of his best ever teammates.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry is another of King’s admirers, revealing he was the “only defender” in England who could take the ball off him “without you even noticing”.

King spent the 2020/21 season on Jose Mourinho’s first team staff and has since continued his work with the club in an ambassadorial role, while his name can still be heard ringing out around the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in the 26th minute on match days.

Hopefully, he won’t have to wait another 17 years to see his favourite club lift another trophy.

Everton manager David Moyes has now personally requested the signing of an “excellent” midfielder this summer, according to a journalist.

Toffees in need of summer rebuild

There has been a major improvement in performances since Moyes returned to Goodison Park, and the manager has achieved his main aim of avoiding relegation from the Premier League ahead of the move to Bramley-Moore Dock this summer.

However, the Toffees have made a habit of drawing far too many games, meaning they have now won just one of their last ten matches, most recently slipping up against already-relegated Ipswich Town in the penultimate match at Goodison Park.

Moyes’ side raced into a two-goal lead against the Tractor Boys, but the visitors fought back to earn a point on the road, which underlined the need to bring in new reinforcements in the summer transfer window.

The next Barkley: Everton considering move for "unbelievable" £15m star

David Moyes is looking to overhaul his Everton squad this summer.

ByAngus Sinclair May 2, 2025

Targets have been identified in several key areas, including striker, with the Merseysiders now leading the race for Jamie Vardy, while the Friedkin Group are also ready to back Moyes by making a move for Sheffield United midfielder Gustavo Hamer.

Everton are interested in bringing in a new midfielder from elsewhere, but they also need to secure the future of Carlos Alcaraz, who has shown some promising signs since arriving on loan from Flamengo back in January.

According to journalist Bruno Lemos (via Sport Witness), Moyes has now personally requested for the Friedkin Group to sign Alcaraz on a permanent basis this summer, regardless of whether the mandatory clause to sign the midfielder for €18m (£15m) is triggered.

There are conflicting reports as to how many games Alcaraz will have to feature in for the Toffees to be obligated to sign him permanently, but Moyes wants a deal done either way, having seemingly been left by his performances in the second half of the campaign.

"Excellent" Alcaraz has earned permanent move

Upon arrival at Goodison Park, the 22-year-old was described as an “excellent ball carrier who can add real quality to our attack” by sporting director Kevin Thelwell, and he has since gone on to put in some impressive performances for Moyes’ side.

The attacking midfielder has featured 13 times in the Premier League, picking up one goal and two assists, most recently setting up Beto’s opening goal in the 2-2 draw against Ipswich at the weekend.

Not only does the Argentine contribute going forward, but he is also more than willing to pitch in defensively, ranking highly across some key defensive metrics over the past year, when compared to other attacking midfielders and wingers.

Statistic

Average per 90

Tackles

1.60 (80th percentile)

Interceptions

0.99 (99th percentile)

Clearances

1.35 (95th percentile)

Alcaraz has proven he is well worth snapping up on a permanent basis this summer, so it is no surprise that Moyes has made it clear he wants club chiefs to get a deal over the line.

It’s a massive season-defining week for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s side are still technically in the Premier League title race, but with Liverpool now 11 points ahead with seven games to play, it is all but over.

The Champions League, however, is most certainly not. The Gunners play host to European royalty Real Madrid on Wednesday, and to ensure they have the best chance of heading to Spain with a lead to protect, Arteta has to make a few changes.

Heroes could certainly be made but whether Jakub Kiwior goes on to evoke memories of Philippe Senderos and Co remains to be seen.

Why Arteta has to drop Kiwior

Kiwior played most of the game against Fulham last week and then started against Everton on the weekend due to Gabriel Magalhães’ recent hamstring injury.

To his credit, the Polish international was fine against the Toffees, but against the Cottagers, some of the same issues which have plagued him throughout his time in North London showed themselves again, such as lacklustre ball-playing and questionable positioning.

For example, he was partially to blame for their late goal after getting into and losing a tussle with the rapid Adama Traore.

Moreover, we’ve already seen how he fared against top European opposition in the past, when he started at full-back at home to Bayern Munich last time and seriously struggled, picking up a 3/10 match rating from the Standard’s Dan Kilpatrick, who described him as ‘flat-footed’ while content creator and fan Alexander Moneypenny labelled him as “shakey.”

In all, while Kiwior is a useful squad player and perhaps someone who can come on towards the end of the game, he’s not got the quality to start, especially when there is already a perfect replacement in the squad.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

The Arsenal star to replace Kiwior

So, given the extent of the injuries to the team’s defensive options at the moment, there are only really two options to replace Kiwior at centre-back tonight, and Arteta should go with Ben White.

The Englishman started at right-back at the weekend and, when fit, has almost exclusively started off the right of a back four across the last three seasons.

However, the former Brighton & Hove Albion ace was initially signed as a centre-back and spent the majority of the 21/22 campaign there, with 34 of his 37 appearances that year coming in a back two.

In fact, across his career to date, it’s been his most played position by quite some margin.

He has made 208 appearances there, so he should be able to slot in without an issue.

Moreover, by starting the Gunners’ “warrior,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, alongside Willliam Saliba, Arteta can once again start Jurrien Timber at right-back, where he has made 26 appearances this year.

Doing this would at least keep most of the team as they have been for much of the season, and when coming up against a team like Real, the rest of the starters need to be confident that those around them will know exactly what they are doing.

Ultimately, it’s not an ideal solution, but Kiwior has not shown enough in his limited appearances to warrant starting a game of this magnitude.

In contrast, White has been Mr reliable during his time at Arsenal and has yet another chance to show why his £50m price tag was more than justified all those years ago.

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By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Apr 7, 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-20249.1, Rishad Hossain to Samson, no run
Good length, no turn, beats his slog, hits the pad, but headed down leg9.2, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Too full as he often was last match. Samson clears the front leg, and eases him back over his head for another nonchalant-looking six9.3, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
He is having his way with Hossain. Again, right in the drop zone. This is poor spin bowling. You can’t bowl so full that a batter can hit you down the ground without using his feet. Goes over long-off this time9.4, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Dead straight, lower in trajectory, but a third straight six. Again Samson doesn’t even have to stretch himself. Not a half-volley but this is a true pitch9.5, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
Goes slower in the air, but gives him another half-volley. This is just average bowling. He clears the front leg, and goes over long-on for the fourth six in a rowAround the wicket.9.6, Rishad Hossain to Samson, SIX runs
That is five sixes in a row. Not a bad ball, but Samson goes deep in the crease to manage to pull it with a vertical bat, and goes over deep midwicket for a small six. Does that matter when it is the fifth in the over? Samson into the 90s