Glasgow Rangers are leading the race to sign a young talent who has even been compared to Brazil superstar Neymar, with the player thought to have chosen a move to Ibrox despite a long list of suitors.
Martin expects more departures as Rangers ramp up business
Robin Propper’s time as a Gers player has reached its conclusion, with the centre-back returning to former club FC Twente after struggling to consistently impress at Ibrox.
Speaking over the weekend, manager Russell Martin admitted that there is interest in various other Rangers players, too, with plenty of outgoing business expected this summer.
Robin Propper
While much focus is on the players who could leave Rangers in the coming weeks, new signings are also essential, and it looks as though the Scottish Premiership giants are in pole position to snap up a high level youngster.
Rangers set to win race for Mikey Moore
According to Sky Sports reporter Michael Bridge, the Gers have won the race to sign Tottenham sensation Mikey Moore on loan despite competition from the English Championship.
Moore is such a gifted player with a big future in the game, so the idea of him spending the 2025/26 season at Rangers is a mouthwatering prospect.
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The 17-year-old winger has an incredible 32 goal contributions (19 goals and 13 assists) in just 24 appearances for Spurs’ under-18 side, also netting once for the senior side to date and being lauded as similar to Neymar by teammate James Maddison.
“From minute 45 to 65 I thought we had Neymar on the left wing. He was brilliant. Just demanding the ball and fearless. [He has] that young, fearless mentality and you never want to take that away from him. He’s a young kid, a brilliant lad, a lovely boy. He takes in information, and he’s got bags of ability, so I’ll be there as an older player, hopefully with some wise words to help along the way.”
Martin knows that extra firepower is needed if his Rangers side are to have a chance of winning the Scottish Premiership title next season, and in Moore they would be signing an extremely talented youngster with the potential to excel on loan, no doubt wanting to prove his worth to Spurs.
O Botafogo-PB demonstrou uma nova postura no primeiro jogo da Série C do Brasileiro. Para o meia Marco Antonio, o grupo comprou a ideia de jogo imposta pelo técnico Felipe Surian e teve intensidade na construção do placar no primeiro tempo, marcando duas vezes, e que resultou na vitória por 2 a 1 contra o Operário-PR na noite de quinta-feira, no estádio Almeidão, pela estreia na Série C do Brasileiro.
Marco Antonio foi titular na partida e atuou durante os 90 minutos. O jogador também teve participação no lance que originou uma cobrança de escanteio e saiu o primeiro gol do jogo diante da equipe do Paraná.
– Estamos muito contentes com a nossa vitória e também pelo desempenho atingido. Principalmente na intensidade que tivemos no primeiro tempo. Foi alta o tempo todo e conseguimos construir o placar. Sabíamos que seria de grande importância começar vendendo e conseguimos. Fico muito feliz de estar conseguindo ajudar o time dentro de campo. Isso se passa pela confiança depositada pelo professor. Desde que ele chegou vem implementando o seu método de jogo e nos mostrando como tem que ser feito. Nós jogadores compramos a ideia e tem dado certo – disse Marco Antonio.
Sem tempo para descansar, o Botafogo-PB já embarca nesta sexta-feira para Belém, no Pará. No próximo domingo, no Baenão, o Belo enfrenta o Remo, que vem de derrota no primeiro jogo da Série C para o São Bernardo fora de casa.
– O jogo contra o Remo será muito difícil. Eles têm uma equipe muito qualificada e um fator casa muito forte. Sei bem como é e conheço bem o local de jogo. Mas tenho certeza que estamos bem preparados para fazer uma grande partida e voltar com os três pontos – concluiu o meia, que atuou pelo Remo no ano passado.
Leeds United made the perfect start to life back in the Premier League on Monday night with a 1-0 win over Everton under the lights at Elland Road.
Lukas Nmecha, who signed on a free transfer from Wolfsburg this summer, came off the bench to score the winning goal from the penalty spot on his debut for the Whites.
Daniel Farke went with Joel Piroe, who scored 19 goals in the Championship last season, as the main number nine from the start against the Toffees, but the Dutchman did not enjoy much success.
The former Swansea player showed some nice touches at times when he dropped deep to get involved, but his lack of mobility and physicality were issues against James Tarkowski and Michael Keane.
Piroe lost all three of his ground duels and lost four of his five aerial battles in the match, per Sofascore, which speaks to his lack of quality in physical tussles.
It will now be interesting to see what happens with the number nine position in the weeks to come, especially after Nmecha made a fast start to life in West Yorkshire.
What Lukas Nmecha's role could be this season for Leeds
The former Germany international was an interesting signing when he arrived from Wolfsburg earlier this summer, because he has struggled for form and fitness in recent seasons.
Nmecha has not scored more than four goals in a single season since the 2021/22 campaign, per Sofascore, and only managed three goals in 20 appearances last season for Wolfsburg.
Injury issues played a significant role in that, as the 26-year-old striker has missed 64 games due to injury over the last three years, according to Transfermarkt, which impacted his ability to deliver consistently on the pitch.
The former Manchester City academy graduate’s performances in the Bundesliga when he was fit and available in the 2024/25 campaign also left plenty to be desired.
Nmecha struggled in front of goal, as a finisher and a creator, and did not produce performances that made a move to the Premier League seem very likely for this summer.
Appearances
19
Starts
3
xG
4.54
Goals
3
Big chances missed
5
Big chances created
0
Assists
0
As you can see in the table above, the German forward underperformed against his xG, missed five ‘big chances’, and did not create any ‘big chances’ for his teammates in his 19 appearances in the division.
Despite his underwhelming goalscoring form and persistent injury issues, Farke opted to take a gamble on him this summer, and it is one that is already starting to pay off after his debut goal.
However, Nmecha’s time with Wolfsburg in recent seasons suggests that the role he played against Everton is most likely to be his main one at Elland Road – coming off the bench to make an impact when needed.
Leeds in the mix to sign new striker
The Championship champions are reportedly interested in adding another striker to their squad, despite having Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Nmecha, and Piroe.
Transfer Focus
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According to El Chiringuito TV, Leeds United are one of the sides that are competing to sign Villarreal centre-forward Karl Etta Eyong before the end of the summer transfer window.
Supporters may recognise his name because the 21-year-old marksman scored against the Whites in a 1-1 draw at Elland Road earlier this month, nodding in from a couple of yards out in the 62nd minute.
This latest report claims that Leeds, Rangers, and Levante are all in the race to sign the Cameroonian forward, who currently wants to stay at Villarreal.
It adds that the Spanish side have already rejected a loan offer from Championship outfit Swansea, but it is unclear as to whether Farke’s team are keen on a loan or permanent deal for the striker.
Why Leeds should sign Etta Eyong
Leeds should push to convince Etta Eyong to want to move on from Villarreal this summer because he could arrive at Elland Road as a very interesting addition to the squad.
As aforementioned, Piroe may not have the physicality, as backed up by his performance against Everton, to be very effective in the Premier League, and there are still a lot of question marks over Nmecha.
Etta Eyong could come in as a striker who is an even better option than Nmecha to start games in the top-flight for Leeds, to provide serious competition for Calvert-Lewin as the main number nine for Farke.
The 21-year-old attacker, who was described as a “powerful” star by analyst Kai Watson, does not have heaps of senior experience under his belt, but he has shown plenty of promise in his short career to date.
Etta Eyong earned his place in the first-team at Villarreal towards the end of last season and scored three goals in seven games in pre-season, including goals against Arsenal and Leeds, per Sofascore.
Appearances
5
Starts
1
Minutes
136
xG
0.74
Goals
2
Duels won
5
Pass accuracy
80%
As you can see in the table above, the 21-year-old talent has shown plenty of promise in the very limited minutes he has been given in LaLiga, scoring two goals from 0.74 xG in just 136 minutes of football.
Prior to his emergence in the first-team with Villarreal, Etta Eyong also scored 18 goals in 30 matches for the B team in the third tier of Spanish football, which shows that he can find the back of the net on a regular basis.
Unlike Calvert-Lewin and Nmecha, the promising talent also has a clean injury record, with no notable injuries in his career, per Transfermarkt, which suggests that he is more likely to be available week-in-week-out.
This could make him a more valuable centre-forward option than Nmecha for Farke, purely because of his potential to be available for more matches in the Premier League.
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Putting all of this together, Etta Eyong could be even better than Nmecha for Leeds because of his fitness record and his potential as a goalscorer, having caught the eye in a major European league after delivering prolific performances for Villarreal’s B team.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot has enjoyed a fruitful summer transfer window in his second year in charge of the club, after Federico Chiesa was his only signing in 2024.
Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Hugo Ekitike have all come through the door at Anfield to bolster the Dutchman’s options across the park.
The focus is now turning to further exits from the club, after Luis Diaz’s move to Bayern Munich, as Liverpool have accepted an offer from Al Hilal for centre-forward Darwin Nunez.
Fabrizio Romano reports that the Pro League team are set to pay an initial fee of around £46m for the striker, who is poised to agree a three-year contract with Al Hilal to leave England after three years on Merseyside.
Nunez may not be the only high-profile exit to come later this month, though, as Harvey Elliott may also be on his way out of Anfield to move to the Bundesliga.
Romano claims that RB Leipzig are in contract talks with the England U21 international and have made him a priority target to replace Xavi Simons this summer.
Why Harvey Elliott may leave Liverpool
According to Romano, Elliott ‘loves’ Liverpool and would like to stay at the club, but is currently exploring his options because of a potential lack of game time next season.
Harvey Elliott celebrates for Liverpool
The English whiz is said to have seen the new signings come through the door this summer and has realised that it may be too difficult for him to get enough opportunities to impress.
Elliott is a terrific young talent, as evidenced by his five goals in six matches at the U21 European Championship this summer, and it would be a blow for the Reds to lose a prospect with his ability.
However, it is hard to begrudge his desire to explore options elsewhere when you consider how his minutes on the pitch dropped after Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the dugout at Anfield.
Appearances
34
18
Starts
11
2
Minutes
1,367
399
Goals
3
1
Big chances created
5
1
Assists
6
2
As you can see in the table above, Elliott found game time harder to come by under the Dutch coach after playing a fairly important role under Klopp in the Premier League in the 2023/24 campaign.
Unfortunately, Slot did not see him as an important part of his side, as the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch were preferred ahead of him in the middle of the park.
Liverpool player Harvey Elliott
Liverpool should, therefore, look to replace Elliott with a midfielder who is more likely to be utilised by the former Feyenoord head coach throughout the season.
Liverpool join the race for Juventus midfielder
According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have joined the race to sign Juventus central midfielder Douglas Luiz before the end of the summer transfer window.
The report claims that the former Aston Villa sensation is available for a fee of €40m (£35m), which has seemingly alerted a host of clubs to his availability.
Transfer Focus
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It states that Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Everton, and West Ham United are also keeping an eye on his situation, which means that the Reds could face plenty of competition for his signature.
CaughtOffside adds that Liverpool are showing an interest in the Brazil international, but that it is Forest who are currently leading the race to sign the midfield maestro.
Douglas Luiz at the Club World Cup with Juventus.
It now remains to be seen whether or not the Premier League champions will decide to seriously pursue a deal to win the race for the former Manchester City youngster, who could arrive at Anfield as a perfect replacement for Elliott.
Why Liverpool should sign Douglas Luiz
The Res should be looking to get a deal over the line for the Juventus talent before the end of the summer transfer window because he could be a better fit for what Slot is looking for.
As aforementioned, Elliott did not get much game time in the Premier League last season. That may have been because he is a unique and creative midfielder who lacks outstanding physical attributes, which means that he needs to play in an attacking role or in a team that is built around him.
Luiz, however, is a versatile and physically strong midfielder who can play as a number six or as a number eight in a 4-3-3 system, which makes him far more suited to what Slot needs in the middle of the park.
The Brazilian star, who played 19 times in the Serie A for Juventus last season, is also a proven Premier League performer who can hit the ground running at Anfield in the 2025/26 campaign.
Luiz, who was hailed for his “exceptional” performances for Villa by Statman Dave, has 175 appearances in the Premier League in his career to date, which shows that he is an experienced operator at that level.
His form for the Villans and Unai Emery in his last two seasons in England also shows that he is a well-rounded midfielder who can offer quality in and out of possession.
Appearances
37
35
xG
2.83
6.97
Goals
6
9
Big chances created
7
10
Assists
6
5
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.1
2.4
Duel success rate
52%
51%
As you can see in the table above, Luiz is a box-to-box midfielder who can provide goals, assists, tackles, and interceptions for his side in the Premier League, whilst also holding his own in duels.
He also ranked within the top 36% of midfielders in the division for progressive passes per 90 (5.05) in the 2024/25 season, which shows that the Brazilian ace excels at playing between the lines to progress attacks for his side.
Juventus'DouglasLuizreacts
This suggests that Luiz suits playing in a deep-lying midfield role where he can break up attacks with tackles and interceptions, whilst having time and space to pick out progressive passes.
The 27-year-old star is, therefore, suited to playing as the number six as an alternative to Gravenberch, whilst his goal and assist return also suggest that he could play slightly further forward as a number eight to contribute at the top end of the pitch.
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Overall, Luiz would be the perfect ‘replacement’ for Elliott because he has a midfield profile that seems far more suited to what Slot wants in his three-man midfield, and he has the versatility to play in a defensive or offensive role, making him the ideal utility player for the Reds.
Soon, it will all be over. Soon, the summer transfer market will have slammed down its shutters, and the noise produced by the Alexander Isak saga will be drowned out by the excitement of another campaign.
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Newcastle United have already started their season, of course, having gone to Villa Park and emerged with a point which could have been three, if only the stylish visitors had had a free-scoring frontman.
Isak remains absent from first-team training and thus match contention, and with Callum Wilson now playing for West Ham United, it’s imperative that PIF succeed in signing one or two high-level frontmen to lead Newcastle back into the Champions League, with hopes of landing another major honour also sitting in the recesses of Magpies’ minds.
Callum Wilson applauds the Newcastle fans.
Well, progress has trickled along over the past several months, but with the window coming to a head, Newcastle appear to be edging closer to catching their quarry, with Brentford’s Yoane Wissa the top target after a series of rejected bids.
Why Newcastle should sign Wissa
Earlier this week, Newcastle’s second offer for Wissa, worth £35m plus difficult-to-achieve add-ons, was knocked back by the Bees, who are under no obligation to cash in, by any means.
Brentford's YoaneWissacelebrates scoring their first goal
However, Wissa has his heart set on a move to Tyneside, and such a burning passion to play in black and white is something that United must pounce on, for Howe’s system is built on cohesion and hard work and commitment to the cause.
It’s felt that certain Magpies sources, as revealed by The Athletic, are pessimistic over the chances of sealing a move for Wissa before the end of the transfer window, but the player’s dogged determination to join Howe’s squad has kept the flame alive.
An alternative has been earmarked in Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jørgen Strand Larsen, but at a reported price of around £60m, a formal approach for the Norwegian would perhaps be a profligate usage of resources.
Wissa is older, but with age comes wisdom, and he proved last year that he has the composure and honed technical ability to score consistently for a club like Newcastle.
Strand Larsen has his strengths, but there’s another Premier League star on the radar who, yes, is raw, but also has a high ceiling and could go from strength to strength under Howe’s tutelage.
Newcastle consider bid for Premier League striker
According to TEAMtalk, Newcastle are considering a proposal for Chelsea striker Nicolas Jackson before the September 1st transfer deadline, with the 24-year-old up for sale at Stamford Bridge.
Jackson has ebbed and flowed across his two years as Chelsea’s main striker, but it seems like he’s set to jump ship, and Newcastle are prepared to engage in a transfer tussle that could rage into the dying embers of the window.
Chelsea hope to bank £60m for Jackson, a far cry far south of previous suggestions that the Blues would listen only to offers worth £80m, a figure linked to Aston Villa’s own bid to sign the Senegal international.
Why Nicolas Jackson could star at Newcastle
When Chelsea signed Jackson from Villarreal for a fee in the ballpark of £30m two years ago, they landed one of the most promising up-and-comers in the business, with pace, power and potency, as advertised through his meteoric rise in La Liga.
The Premier League swallows many talented hopefuls into its maw, however. Jackson has struggled for consistency and accuracy in front of goal, but a return of 34 goal involvements from 65 matches in England’s top flight is hardly a poor return.
And Jackson, praised for his “special” quality by journalist Rahman Osman, is far more than just a goalscorer. He’s an energetic, interlinking focal point, and Howe would seem the perfect manager to will him into a superstar.
After all, when you’ve got legends such as Thierry Henry waxing lyrical over your potential, there’s clearly something in that skill set that’s worth writing home about.
There’s little question that Jackson has a higher ceiling than Wissa, but given that Newcastle are in for multiple forwards, the two could operate together in contrasting harmony.
Looking at the respective nines’ data from the recent Premier League campaign, it’s clear to see how this would be so.
Premier League 24/25 – Jackson vs Wissa
Stats (per 90)
Jackson
Wissa
Goals scored
0.41
0.59
Assists
0.20
0.12
Shots taken
3.08
2.77
Touches (att pen)
5.72
5.03
Shot-creating actions
2.80
2.13
Pass completion
75.9%
76.5%
Progressive passes
1.54
2.07
Progressive carries
1.91
1.85
Successful take-ons
0.73
0.46
Ball recoveries
1.95
2.50
Tackles + interceptions
1.01
0.93
Data via FBref
Wissa takes the crown as the superior finisher, and no mistake, but Jackson is more energetic and more creative, having averaged 1.1 and 0.9 key passes per game over his two years in the Premier League, as recorded by Sofascore, underscoring his value as a mobile forward eager to thread the frontline together.
Wissa is not Isak, of course, but he played his heart out for Brentford last season, producing goalscoring figures that were not all that dissimilar to the Scandinavian star’s.
But, in spite of his sharp link-up play, Wissa lacks the dynamism and roundedness to thrive in Howe’s system as a player of Isak’s ilk. Many consider the Sweden international to be among the most complete strikers in the game.
Enter Jackson. The Chelsea man could reach levels unknown if placed into the Newcastle first team, using his high-speed running and his robustness to combine with Wissa, who has indeed shown himself capable of forging a strong on-field relationship with versatile forwards (Bryan Mbeumo, stand up).
Nicolas Jackson Newcastle Graphic
Will Newcastle get it done? Howe needs a new striker or two, to be sure. And in Wissa and Jackson, the trophy-winning manager would have contrasting options to further his project, maybe even leaving the 2024/25 campaign remembered as a springboard toward success of the kind Tyneside has not seen for many, many years.
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Phil Parkinson has been told when he could “lose his job” at Wrexham, with there already talk of Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney preparing to wield the axe. Speculation regarding a change in the dugout at SToK Racecourse has surfaced following a slow start to the 2025-26 campaign that sees the Red Dragons perched just outside the Championship relegation zone.
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Questions are being asked of whether club legend Parkinson is the right man to guide the ambitious Welsh outfit towards the Premier League, with pressure mounting on the back of an elaborate £33 million ($45m) spending spree in the summer transfer window.
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There is no suggestion that Hollywood co-owners Reynolds and McElhenney are planning an imminent change in the coaching department, having shown unwavering trust in Parkinson across the last four years, but the 57-year-old tactician knows that he needs to deliver a reversal in fortune on the field.
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Warning from former Red Dragons manager
Ex-Wrexham manager Dean Saunders told of the sack rumours: “If they don’t improve soon, Parkinson will lose his job, and that’s the reality of football, especially at such an ambitious club. It’s easy spending the money, it’s getting results after you have spent the money that is the difficult part. The squad needs a little bit more time to be allowed to gel before we can expect better performances and results from them. But you don’t always get time in football.”
Next season is undoubtedly going to be the most important one for Mikel Arteta since he took the Arsenal job over five years ago.
The Spanish coach has transformed the club from one spiralling down the Premier League table into genuine contenders, but he needs to lead them over the final hurdle next year.
Fortunately, Andrea Berta and his team have been hard at work this summer, bringing in some brilliant, potentially game-changing additions, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi.
Gyokeres
However, the teams around the Gunners are also strengthening, and it looks like cross-London rivals Chelsea are about to get their hands on the exciting Xavi Simons, although if reports are to be believed, Arsenal are eyeing an international who’d be an even better signing.
Arsenal target massive Simons upgrade
If we go back in time just a few weeks, it was unclear where Simons would be ending up this summer, as among other teams, Arsenal were fairly heavily linked with him.
Transfer Focus
Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.
However, it now looks like the RB Leipzig star will be heading to West London to join up with Chelsea for a fee of around £61m before the window comes to a close at the start of next month.
While losing out on such an exciting player is undoubtedly far from ideal, the Emirates faithful should not worry, as it now looks like the club is eyeing another dangerous attacker, an international who’d be a far better signing than the Dutchman.
At least that is according to a recent report from TEAMtalk, which claims Arsenal are very much interested in Ademola Lookman.
The report has revealed that, while Inter Milan are stepping up their efforts to sign the Nigerian ace, the North Londoners remain an interested party, and as Atalanta announced that he wouldn’t be allowed to join another Italian side, they may just be best placed to pounce in the coming days.
In terms of how much the former Everton ace might cost, the report claims that a fee of around £43m could be enough to get things moving, which could be something of a bargain and help make the case he’d be a better signing than Simons.
Why Lookman would be a better signing than Simons
So, the first advantage that Lookman has over Simons is actually his age, as Arsenal do not need another project player at this point; they need someone who’s playing their best football to come in and help them win something.
Atalanta's Davide Zappacosta celebrates scoring their fifth goal with AdemolaLookman
At 27 years old, the Atlanta ace fits that category perfectly, especially considering research carried out by The Athletic suggests he is in his peak years while the Leipzig star is still at least four years from his.
The second significant advantage the Nigerian international has over his younger competition is his raw output over the last couple of seasons.
For example, since the start of the 23/24 season, the Wandsworth-born star, whom journalist Oma Akatugba described as “one of the best forwards in Europe,” has scored 37 goals and provided 17 assists in 85 appearances, totalling 5680 minutes.
That means he has maintained a simply sensational average of a goal involvement every 1.57 games, or every 105.18 minutes.
Lookman vs Simons
23/24
Lookman
Simons
Appearances
45
43
Minutes
2809′
3468′
Goals
17
10
Assists
10
15
Goal Involvements per Match
0.60
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
104.03′
138.72′
24/25
Lookman
Simons
Appearances
40
33
Minutes
2871′
2763′
Goals
20
11
Assists
7
8
Goal Involvements per Match
0.67
0.57
Minutes per Goal Involvement
106.33
145.42′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In contrast, the former PSV Eindhoven ace has scored 21 goals and provided 23 assists in 76 appearances, totalling 6231 minutes, which comes out to a still good, but less impressive average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 141.61 minutes.
Finally, the Atalanta star has already proven that he can handle the biggest stages and most pressurized games thanks to the hat-trick he scored against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 Europa League final.
Ultimately, Simons and Lookman are both great players, but from experience to raw output, the latter would clearly be the better signing, especially for Arsenal.
He followed up an unbeaten half-century with two key outfield catches
AAP09-Jan-2025
Glenn Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 58 off 32 balls•Getty Images
Glenn Maxwell’s heroics inspired the Melbourne Stars to a crucial 16-run upset of the ladder-leading Sydney Sixers at the MCG, keeping their slim BBL finals chances alive.On the same day his Test ambitions likely ended for good, Maxwell belted a game-high unbeaten 58 and took two important catches in the deep.Related
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Marcus Stoinis was out cheaply, but Stars’ captain claimed 2 for 30 in a valuable contribution with the ball.Ben Duckett appeared to have cost Stars dearly when he dropped countryman James Vince on 36. It was only two weeks ago Vince smashed an unbeaten century in a thumping Sixers win against Stars at the SCG on Boxing Day.But Maxwell made no mistake when he hung on to a high catch in the deep, leading to Vince departing for 53. The 36-year-old almost spilled the chance, too, and stayed on the ground for a long time in pure relief.Just two balls later, Maxwell was in the action again when he took a catch to dismiss Sixers captain Moises Henriques, sparking passionate, animated celebrations with Stoinis and other Stars players.James Vince scored a half-century but the Sixers fell away after his dismissal•Getty Images
Maxwell was overlooked for Australia’s Test tour of Sri Lanka on Thursday, with selectors preferring younger options in the squad.Numerous replays were needed to decide on a return catch to Stars spinner Usama Mir, with Sixers allrounder Jack Edwards eventually given out by the TV umpire.Stuck in a deep hole at 64 for 4 at the halfway mark of their innings, Stars were rescued by an 88-run stand between Maxwell and Test hero Beau Webster.After a fairytale debut for Australia, Webster’s golden run continued when he was out off a no-ball and was called back, then was dropped by Vince.During Maxwell’s blazing 32-ball knock, he became the fifth player in BBL history to reach 3000 career runs, joining Chris Lynn, Aaron Finch, D’Arcy Short and Henriques.Play was stopped for about two minutes after a seagull was taken down by a powerful shot from Vince.After starting the season 0-5, Stars can still qualify for finals if they beat the Melbourne Renegades and Hobart Hurricanes in their remaining two games and other results go their way.Sixers (4-2, one no-result) missed a golden opportunity to consolidate their position on top of the table ahead of a clash at the SCG on Saturday against Perth Scorchers.
علق أشرف صبحي وزير الشباب والرياضة على أخر المستجدات الخاصة بـ أزمة سحب أرض فرع أكتوبر من نادي الزمالك، موضحا الانتظار لنتائج تحقيقات النيابة.
وكان نادي الزمالك قد أعلن في وقتٍ سابق أنه تم سحب أرض النادي في مدينة السادس من أكتوبر، بقرار من وزارة الإسكان.
وقال أشرف صبحي في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون سبورت: “استقرار نادي الزمالك يمثل أولوية بالنسبة لنا، وقمنا بدورنا بالتعاون مع وزير الإسكان وهناك جانب قانوني قيد التحقيق في النيابة، ونحن نتابع هذا الموضوع”.
وأكمل: “مجلس الإدارة يؤدي دوره بناءً على الأسس القانونية، وطالما أن هناك تحقيقًا جاريًا، فإننا ملتزمون بمتابعة القضية، مع الحرص على عدم إهمال المؤسسة”.
طالع | هشام نصر يوضح حقيقة تفكير مجلس الزمالك في الاستقالة بسبب أزمة أرض أكتوبر
وأردف: “بعد تطبيق قانون الرياضة، نشهد حالة من الاستقرار العام، والانتخابات تسير بشكل منتظم في جميع الأندية، واستقرار هذه الأندية يهمنا جميعًا، ومع ذلك، طالما توجد شكاوى تم رفعها إلى الجهات القانونية، يجب علينا انتظار نتائج تحقيقات النيابة، في الوقت نفسه، نحن ملتزمون بدعم المؤسسات وعدم التخلي عنها”.
وأتم: “القانون الجديد للرياضة منح الأندية مساحات أوسع لإقامة شراكات مع الشركات لدعم الأندية الشعبية، وهذه ميزة كبيرة حققناها واليوم، نحن نغطي العديد من الجوانب ونتعامل معها بشكل مباشر”.
While they might not always be the biggest spenders, Arsenal have made some huge signings over the years.
For example, Viktor Gyokeres’ arrival earlier this summer felt like it could be a needle mover; Declan Rice, a couple of years ago, was, and then, while he didn’t cost as much, Alexis Sanchez was a real coup when he joined.
However, when it comes to headline-grabbing transfers, none can claim the top spot off of Mesut Özil, as his arrival in 2013 is still one of the most memorable moments in the club’s modern history.
So, fans should be delighted that it now looks like Mikel Arteta is about to sign his own Ozil.
Arsenal target their new Özil
So far, it would be fair to say that Arsenal are having a great summer regarding transfers, as so far, new Sporting Director Andrea Berta has made six first-team additions.
Transfer Focus
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Moreover, while the Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi are the most exciting signings thus far, the Italian has made sure to fill in the gaps in the rest of the squad, with the likes of Noni Madueke, Christian Norgaard and Cristhian Mosquera.
However, instead of calling it quits there, the club now look set to make potentially the most exciting signing yet, one that could be seen as Arteta’s Ozil moment.
At least that is according to a recent report from The Standard’s Dom Smith, who has reaffirmed the news that Arsenal are now in pole position to secure Eberechi Eze.
In fact, Smith has revealed that the club-to-club details are “all agreed” and that the Crystal Palace star, who is an Arsenal fan, is now set to have his medical and sign his contract at some point on Friday, despite looking set to join North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday afternoon.
Having previously been in the Gunners academy until he was 13, at which point he was released, this is quite the sequence of events for a player who loves Arsenal.
It looks like the Englishman will cost Arsenal around £60m, and while that is a lot, it’s probably fair value for someone as talented as Eze, especially as he could be Arteta’s Ozil.
Why Eze could be the next Ozil
While fans will be hoping Eze’s Arsenal career ends in a better way than Ozil’s did, there are some significant similarities between them.
The first one relates to their transfers, as, despite being a world-class player at the time, fans had little to no idea that the German was moving to the Emirates until it was announced outside the stadium on Sky Sports News, much to the delight of the delirious fans that had gathered around the reporter to hear the news.
Now, the Crystal Palace star hasn’t officially been announced yet, but there was a similar euphoric reaction from the fans to David Ornstein’s surprise report that the club were after him last night.
That delirium was only intensified by Fabrizio Romano’s ‘here we go’ and the simple fact that Berta and Co look to have successfully hijacked the international star from Spurs.
On top of the nature of the transfer being similar to the former Real Madrid star’s, there is also a similar sense that the 27-year-old has the talent to be just as much of a game-changer for the Gunners.
Appearances
43
Minutes
3303′
Goals
14
Assists
11
Goal Involvements per Match
0.58
Minutes per Goal Involvement
132.12′
For example, despite playing for a mid-table side last season, the Greenwich-born “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling just 3303 minutes.
In other words, the £100k-per-week superstar managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.
That’s not all though, as the former QPR gem has also proven he can handle the biggest games and the biggest stages, as he scored in the quarter-final, semi-final and final of Palace’s triumphant FA Cup run last season.
Ultimately, while he isn’t the exact same type of player, the incredible way in which Arsenal secured his signature and the impact he could have on this team mean Eze could be seen as Arteta’s Ozil.
The new Havertz: Arsenal weighing up late move to sign £80m star after Eze
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