Since Mikel Arteta was appointed manager in December 2019, a lot has changed at Arsenal.

The club have gone from a mid-table laughing stock into serious contenders for the Premier League, Champions League, and every other competition they participate in.

The Spaniard’s tactical approach has facilitated that transformation, as well as the complete overhaul of the squad, with a host of star players coming in and many going the other way.

Perhaps one of the most popular players to have left the club in recent years was Granit Xhaka, who enjoyed a sensational turnaround from being public enemy number one to a crucial cog in the club’s first title charge under Arteta and someone serenaded by the Emirates in his final appearance.

It would be fair to say that the team sometimes lack a certain tenacity since the Swiss international left, so fans should be excited about reports linking them to a player who could be their new Xhaka.

Arsenal's summer of business

As things stand, this summer is shaping up to be really quite special for Arsenal.

Transfer Focus

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

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Andrea Berta and Co seem to be working overtime to get deals done in time ahead of pre-season, with Martin Zubimendi, Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Christian Norgaard already announced, while Nonie Madueke and Christian Mosquera have already undergone their medicals.

Add to that the free-scoring monster that is Viktor Gyokeres, who could well be having his medical tomorrow or on the weekend, plus the rumours concerning Eberechi Eze, and the Gunners look like they could be seriously dangerous next season.

Yet, the North Londoners don’t appear to be done there, as they’ve also been linked with an international who could be looked at as Arteta’s new Xhaka.

At least, that is according to a recent report from the German publication BILD, which has confirmed that Arsenal are interested in João Palhinha.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that the Gunners have already held serious discussions over the midfield star.

A price is not mentioned in the report, but stories from last month claim he could be available for just £30m as he’s no longer in Vincent Kompany’s plans.

It might not be the most exciting of signings, but Palhinha is a known quantity, and someone who might be able to add some more bite to Arsenal’s squad, just like Xhaka once did.

Why Palhinha could be Arsenal's new Xhaka

If Arsenal do go ahead with this transfer and are able to bring Palhinha to the Emirates, then there is a good chance he will join as a squad player, with Declan Rice, Zubimendi and Martin Odegaard remaining the first-choice midfield.

However, that does not mean that he couldn’t still have a significant impact, either as the first name off the bench or as a rotation option, as there are going to be plenty of games to be played.

With that said, why could he be Arteta’s new Xhaka?

The first similarity is that, like the Swiss international, he’d be moving to the club from the Bundesliga. Additionally, last season saw him win the league, just as the former Gunners ace did in his first campaign back in Germany in 2023/2024.

Second, while he might not be as technical as an Odegaard-type, the Portuguese international is a warrior of a midfielder who gets stuck into challenges, even if it can sometimes be to his own detriment, just like the former Borussia Mönchengladbach star.

For example, in his 68 Premier League games for Fulham, he picked up 27 yellow cards, while the Basel-born ace picked up 55 in 225 games, working out at one in every 2.51 and 4.09 games, respectively.

However, you shouldn’t read into that as the former Cottagers ace being a liability; it’s more a matter of him constantly breaking up opposition play and putting out fires.

In fact, in the 23/24 season, the “world-class” international, as dubbed by journalist Dom Smith, made the most tackles in the entire league, coming in with 152, while second-place Joao Gomes only made 128.

Moreover, while he didn’t get as much game time as he would have wanted last season, the midfield “monster,” as dubbed by data analyst Marcus Bring, still has some seriously impressive underlying numbers to show for his efforts.

Palhinha’s scout report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Pass Completion % (Short)

96.6%

Top 1%

GCA (Shot)

0.11

Top 1%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.74

Top 1%

Dribblers Tackled

1.81

Top 1%

Pass Completion %

92.4%

Top 3%

Tackles Won

2.13

Top 3%

Touches (Mid 3rd)

56.49

Top 3%

% of Dribblers Tackled

65.4%

Top 4%

Aerials Won

2.34

Top 4%

Passes Completed

68.72

Top 5%

Total Passing Distance

1082.55

Top 6%

Tackles (Mid 3rd)

1.60

Top 6%

Passes Blocked

1.38

Top 6%

All Stats via FBref

According to FBref, he ranks in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for goal-creating actions from shots, tackles in the attacking third, and dribblers tackled, as well as the top 3% for pass completion and more, all per 90.

Finally, even though he is most effective in defensive and central midfield, the Lisboa-born star is still capable of chipping in with goals here and there, as, like the Bayer Leverkusen ace, he’s been known to score some long-range screamers.

Ultimately, while he might not be a regular starter, Palhinha would be an excellent addition to Arsenal’s squad, and thanks to his tenacity, experience and ability to strike the ball, he could even be Arteta’s new Xhaka.

Related £34m Arsenal star is in talks to leave; it may free up room for Rodrygo

It might be time for the talented ace to leave Arsenal for good.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 16, 2025

Newcastle United supporters will be filled with relief after seeing Eddie Howe secure his first major signing of the summer transfer window.

A move for Anthony Elanga was finally confirmed on Friday, but this deal has been weeks in the making.

The Swedish winger cost the Toon around £55m, but Howe will be hoping that this fee eventually turns into a bargain.

“Elanga is an exciting talent with attributes that make him a unique attacking threat,” said Howe upon Elanga’s arrival at St James’ Park.

“His pace, energy and ability to create and score goals will strengthen us and complement the way we want to play.”

Champions League football will take centre stage next season and Howe will be aiming for his side to do better than when they were last in the competition. Newcastle finished bottom of their group during 2023/24, despite claiming a famous 4-1 win over PSG.

With Elanga now signed, it should be the catalyst for the manager to land another couple of signings in the coming weeks.

The former Nottingham Forest star has plenty of Premier League experience, but what exactly will he offer the Magpies next term and beyond?

What Anthony Elanga will offer Newcastle

Since making the move from Manchester United to Forest in the summer of 2023, Elanga has been at the forefront of their recent success.

Across these two seasons, the winger has scored 11 goals in the Premier League, while chipping in with 20 league assists in that time.

He doesn’t just offer a clear-cut threat in front of goal either. According to FBref, when compared to his positional peers in the Premier League last term, Elanga ranked in the top 3% for crosses (6.66) per 90, along with ranking in the top 10% for goal-creating actions (0.65) and in the top 27% for carries into the opposition penalty area (1.73) per 90.

While signing the 23-year-old is a boost for the team, plus giving Howe an excellent attacking option for the next few years, was signing another player in this area a priority for the club?

Jacob Murphy was excellent on the right flank last term, tearing it up for the Magpies in the top flight. Indeed, across 35 top flight games last season, the Englishman scored eight goals while recording 12 assists for the Magpies.

If comparing him to fellow wingers Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes, who registered 12 and 14 goal involvements in the Premier League, Murphy was by far the best-performing wide man in the squad.

Of course, he won’t be around forever, and some competition would be ideal, but in terms of improvement, the right flank shouldn’t be Howe’s priority ahead of next season.

The defence is an area which requires strengthening, notably at centre-back and between the posts.

Howe is certainly making inroads to bolster both positions and he has been given an exciting update regarding a transfer target recently.

Newcastle’s search for a defender

Marc Guehi still looks like a target, although it remains to be seen exactly how far Howe is prepared to go in order to sign him.

Elsewhere, Malick Thiaw and Leonardo Balerdi are both defensive targets, with Howe expressing interest in both centre-backs recently.

The one player he appears to be most keen on is Atalanta defender Giorgio Scalvini. The Italian could be set to leave the Serie A side this summer, but they have placed a £50m price tag on his head.

According to The i Paper, the Toon have ‘carried out preliminary work on a possible deal’, but there are a host of clubs keen on securing his signature, including Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Juventus.

Scalvini has reportedly stated he is intrigued by the prospect of playing in the Premier League, while also gushing about both the club and manager when on international duty of late.

Could this help Howe get a deal wrapped up sooner rather than later? Only time will tell.

Why Newcastle must sign Giorgio Scalvini

Newcastle must add at least one centre-back to their squad this summer. Last season, Howe mainly relied on Dan Burn and Fabian Schar. Both are excellent players, but they are both 33 and won’t be around forever.

Indeed, the only centre-back in the current squad who is under 30 is Sven Botman, but he has missed 59 games since the start of the 2023/24 season.

As such, a move for Scalvini is a must for the club. He missed the majority of last term due to injury, but throughout the 2023/24 campaign, he was superb.

Accurate passes

37.8

Tackles

1.6

Interceptions

1.8

Clearances

2

Total duels won

4.8

Balls recovered

4.9

Hailed as a “top talent” by Fabrizio Romano in 2022 – as well as a “world-class” centre-back by talent scout Jacek Kulig – Scalvini ranked highly across a range of metrics in Serie A during 2023/24.

Compared to his peers, he ranked in the top 5% for successful take-ons per 90, along with ranking in the top 11% for touches in the attacking penalty area, the top 4% for interceptions and in the top 16% for aerials won per 90.

If he is able to replicate those types of performances at Newcastle, then Howe would have landed an excellent signing for the club.

The best thing is, Scalvini has yet to even reach his peak, indicating that the next few years could see the Italian defender only going from strength to strength.

Although Howe has just spent £55m on Elanga, there is no doubt that a deal to sign the Atalanta starlet would be viewed as a more important signing, especially with concerns about the defence.

Scalvini has showcased his talents in Europe before, impressing during the 2024 Europa League final as his side defeated Bayer Leverkusen 3-0.

Performing in the Champions League will be a massive step-up for the youngster, but if he wishes to take his game to the next stage, this is the level he should be playing at.

The next few weeks will be interesting for the club. That much is certain.

Elanga's new Gibbs-White: Newcastle leading race for £40m "magician"

Newcastle are hoping to make more signings after landing Anthony Elanga.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jul 12, 2025

Liverpool have reportedly had a “phone call” with the representatives of a big-money attacking player, as they look to sign a replacement for Darwin Nunez.

Slot's beautiful Jota tribute before Preston

The Reds started their pre-season with a 3-1 win away to Preston North End on Sunday afternoon, on what was an emotional occasion after the tragic passing of Diogo Jota earlier this month.

Prior to the game, Arne Slot provided some beautiful words on the Portuguese, showing exactly why he was such a perfect successor to Jurgen Klopp.

“Nothing seems to be important if we think of what has happened. But we are a football club and we need to train and we need to play again, if we want it or not. What I’ve said to the players, I can say it here as well. It’s very difficult to find the right words because we constantly debate what is appropriate. What is appropriate in our actions? What is appropriate [for] what we have to say? Can we train again? Can we laugh again? Can we be angry if there’s a wrong decision?

“And I’ve said to them, maybe the best thing for us to do is handle this situation like Jota was. And what I meant with that is that Jota was always himself, it didn’t matter if he was talking to me, to his teammates, to the staff, he was always himself. So let us try to be ourselves as well. So, if we want to laugh we laugh; if we want to cry we’re going to cry. If they want to train they can train, if they don’t want to train they can not train. But be yourself, don’t think you have to be different than your emotions tell you.”

Now, it is a case of Slot and his Liverpool players trying to achieve lots of success with Jota in their thoughts, and further signings may help in that respect. A new update has now emerged regarding a potential addition in the final third.

Liverpool have "phone call" with £78m Nunez replacement

According to journalist Sebastien Vidal on X, Liverpool have been in contact with a “phone call” to RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko’s agents about a £78m move to Anfield, coming in to replace the likely-to-leave Nunez, who scored against Preston.

Sesko feels like an ideal option to come in and lead the line for the Reds, considering it looks increasingly unlikely that they will be able to sign Alexander Isak from Newcastle United.

The 22-year-old is already such a prolific and dominant striker, scoring 39 goals in 87 appearances for Leipzig, as well as 16 in 41 caps for Slovenia.

Slot's next Wirtz: Liverpool in contact to sign "the new Haaland" for £78m

Liverpool are planning to sign a new striker in the summer transfer market.

ByAngus Sinclair Jul 14, 2025

If Liverpool could sign Sesko on top of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez this summer, it would be outstanding business, with a new backup centre-back potentially the next priority after Jarell Quansah’s move to Bayer Leverkusen.

يفتتح فريق ريال مدريد الإسباني مشواره في بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا، اليوم الثلاثاء، بملاقاة أولمبيك مارسيليا الفرنسي.

ويستقبل ريال مدريد خصمه مارسيليا، على ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” في الجولة الأولى لمرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ويأتي ريال مدريد من انتصار في الدوري الإسباني أمام ريال سوسيداد بهدفين لهدفين، ويتصدر ترتيب الليجا برصيد 12 نقطة، حيث حقق الفوز في مبارياته الأربعة.

فيما تغلب مارسيليا على لوريان برباعية دون رد في الدوري الفرنسي، ويتواجد بالمركز السابع في جدول الترتيب برصيد 6 نقاط.د

ريال مدريد النادي الأكثر تتويجًا بلقب دوري أبطال أوروبا 15 مرة، ودع المسابقة في الموسم الماضي من الدور ربع النهائي على يد آرسنال الإنجليزي.

وستكون هذه أول مباراة من ثماني مباريات لريال مدريد بقيادة تشابي ألونسو، في مرحلة الدوري لبطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا.

ريال مدريد سيواجه أيضًا يوفنتوس ومانشستر سيتي وموناكو بملعب سانتياجو برنابيو، بينما يلعب أربع مباريات أخرى خارج الديار ضد خيرات ألماتي وليفربول وأولمبياكوس وبنفيكا. موعد مباراة ريال مدريد ومارسيليا

تنطلق المباراة في تمام الساعة العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية. القناة الناقلة لمباراة ريال مدريد ومارسيليا

تذاع المباراة عبر قناة beIN sports HD 1. معلق مباراة ريال مدريد ومارسيليا

يعلق على المباراة، حسن العيدروس.

ويمكنكم مطالعة مواعيد ونتائج جميع المباريات لحظة بلحظة عبر مركز المباريات من هنا.

Mohammed Shami is still recovering from ankle surgery

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Sep-20242:57

Takeaways: No Shami, Sarfaraz gets retained

Rishabh Pant is back in the Test side for the first time since his car accident in December 2022 as India announced the squad for their first match against Bangladesh. There was no return for Mohammed Shami, though, who is recovering from an ankle surgery.Meanwhile, left-arm seamer Yash Dayal has received his maiden Test call-up. His selection comes with an eye on the five-Test series in Australia later in the year.The 16-member squad also sees the return of KL Rahul, who was ruled out of the England series after one Test. Akash Deep, who made his debut during that series, has retained his place. Akash impressed once again by picking up nine wickets in the Duleep Trophy game in Bengaluru.Rahul’s last Test was in January against England, after which he was out of the rest of the series with a quadriceps injury. He gave a good account of himself in the same Duleep Trophy game, scoring 37 in the first innings and 57 in the second for India A. For India B, Pant scored 7 and 61, and took seven catches behind the stumps.ESPNcricinfo LtdDayal also impressed by picking up three wickets in the fourth innings to help India B to a comfortable win. He has played 24 first-class games so far in which he has picked 76 wickets at 28.89.Dhruv Jurel, who made his debut against England and scored 190 runs in three Tests, is the second wicket-keeper in the side. From that series, India have left out Rajat Patidar, KS Bharat, Devdutt Padikkal, Washington Sundar and Mukesh Kumar.Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj are expected to lead the pace attack. In the spin department, India went with the usual quartet of R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.The first Test against Bangladesh will be played in Chennai from September 19 and the second Test in Kanpur from September 27. The two Tests will be followed by three T20Is.India’s squad for first Test vs BangladeshRohit Sharma (capt), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Dhruv Jurel (wk), R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah, Yash Dayal

Tottenham Hotspur may end up waving goodbye to another fan-favourite star before the summer transfer window slams shut at the start of September.

At the start of June, The Telegraph reported that club captain Heung-min Son could move on from London after leading the team to the Europa League trophy this season.

The outlet claimed that the South Korea international could be sold by Spurs in order to generate funds to bolster the squad ahead of their return to the Champions League, amid interest from teams in the Saudi Pro League.

Son has racked up an eye-catching haul of 173 goals and 101 assists in 454 appearances in all competitions for the club since signing from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2015.

The experienced forward’s departure this summer would mean that all three of Mauricio Pochettino’s iconic attacking line-up will have moved on, following Dele Alli and Harry Kane’s exits from the club in recent years.

All three stars were key players for the former Spurs head coach at the top end of the pitch, and Alli’s contributions should not be overlooked.

Why Dele Alli was a star for Spurs

The London-based club reportedly splashed out a fee of £5m to sign the attacking midfielder from League One outfit MK Dons in 2015, and Pochettino brought him into the first-team squad for the 2015/16 campaign.

Alli hit the ground running in the Premier League, bypassing the Championship, with a return of ten goals and eight assists in 33 top-flight games in his first season with Spurs.

The England international went on to plunder 67 goals and 59 assists in 269 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham before his move away from the club in 2022.

These statistics show that the former MK Dons talent provided plenty of quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Spurs during his time in London, whilst he also offered Pochettino a lot of flexibility in the way that he could be deployed within the starting line-up.

Attacking midfield

158

42

40

Central midfield

48

9

5

Left midfield

36

14

8

Centre-forward

8

2

1

Defensive midfield

2

0

2

As you can see in the table above, Alli was deployed in several different positions for Tottenham, mainly playing as a central or attacking midfielder, or off the left flank.

The 29-year-old midfielder, who now plays for Como in Italy, was a star for Spurs due to both the quality he provided at the top end of the pitch and the versatility he offered the manager.

Spurs may now be about to unearth their next version of Alli, who was a key member of the attack that included Son and Kane under Pochettino, as they are expected to sign a Premier League star.

Spurs expected to sign Premier League midfielder

West Ham United outlet HammersNews reports that the Premier League side expect Aston Villa attacking midfielder Jacob Ramsey to sign for Tottenham this summer.

The Hammers are interested in a deal to sign the former England U21 international to bolster their own squad this summer, but the club believe that the 24-year-old talent is on his way to another team in London.

Transfer Focus

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

Speaking to HammersNews, the ‘top spokesman’ for the West Ham owners said: “I think the player (Ramsey) is going to Spurs.”

Spurs were recently linked with an interest in the Villans starlet, who could be on his way out of Villa Park this summer, and this latest update suggests that they are set to win the race for his signature.

Earlier this year, The Boot Room reported that Manchester City are also interested in the attacking midfielder, who is valued at a fee of around £50m by Aston Villa.

However, it remains to be seen exactly how much Spurs will end up paying for the English talent if they do end up signing him, as West Ham expect.

Why Spurs should sign Jacob Ramsey

The Lilywhites should push ahead with a deal to sign the 24-year-old star in the coming weeks because he could arrive at the club as Thomas Frank’s own version of Dele Alli.

Ramsey may not seem like an obvious signing for Spurs, given that he has only scored two Premier League goals since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, but his form in the past for Villa suggests that there is a quality player who could be unearthed.

The Villans maestro’s performances in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 campaigns suggest that he has the potential to develop into a top performer for Tottenham if Frank can get the best out of him.

Ramsey, who was once dubbed “sensational” by Seb Stafford-Bloor, plundered 12 goals and eight assists in those two seasons, and was particularly impressive in front of goal in the 2022/23 campaign, with six goals and seven assists to his name that term.

Non-penalty xG

0.20

Top 16%

Non-penalty xG

0.17

Top 14%

xAG

0.17

Top 14%

Assists

0.24

Top 6%

Shot-creating actions

2.77

Top 40%

Progressive carries

3.21

Top 9%

As you can see in the table above, the English star caught the eye as both a scorer and a creator of goals for the Villans, ranking highly among midfielders in the Premier League in several key attacking metrics.

Like Alli, Ramsey’s top three most played positions are central midfield, attacking midfield, and left midfield, which means that he can offer Frank the same positional flexibility that the former Spurs star did for Pochettino, as a playmaker who can play centrally or come in off the left.

His form in the 2022/23 season also suggests that he has the potential to provide an impressive threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from those three positions, which is exactly what Alli did throughout his time in North London.

Therefore, Frank could unearth his own version of the former England international by securing a deal for Ramsey, before helping him to get back to the kind of form he displayed at the start of his Villa career.

A bigger talent than Eze: Spurs make enquiry for "sensational" £40m star

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be making a move for another Premier League talent.

1 ByEthan Lamb Jun 28, 2025

Another Nat Sciver-Brunt batting masterclass allied a brilliant opening burst by left-arm seamer Alexa Stonehouse to ensure Trent Rockets are alive in this year’s Hundred with two huge games to come.For defending champions Southern Brave, however, with just a single victory all tournament, their difficult run shows no sign of abating.Skipper Sciver-Brunt’s unbeaten 60 from 37 balls – a seventh Hundred fifty for the England star – elevated the Rockets to a commanding 155 for 7 and took her past Danni Wyatt as the tournament’s all-time leading female run-scorer. With 933 tournament runs, she’s within sight of becoming the first woman to breach the 1000-run mark.She was given excellent support initially from Grace Scrivens (36 from 24) and then via cameos from Ash Gardner and Heather Graham. Only the death-bowling quality of Lauren Bell, who took three wickets in her final set of five, kept the Rockets in check.In reply, after Wyatt and Maia Bouchier fell to Stonehouse inside the first five balls, the latter via a beautiful inswinger that arced through the gate, the Brave were always up against it.Georgie Adams was punchy for her 27 before falling to a superb boundary throw from Katie George, and Smriti Mandhana was all touch and elegance for her 42 (27), but when she miscued a Graham off-break to backward point, the Brave were 82 for 4 after 69 balls and fading.Some lusty late-order blows by Chloe Tryon briefly threatened an upset – one six was launched 86 metres into the groundstaff’s shed – but the Rockets held their nerve to run out comfortable winners by 24 runs.MeerKat Match Hero Nat Sciver-Brunt acknowledged it was a team effort with contributions all the way through: “Their batters put us under the pump and made us go through a few plans with the ball but we found the right one in the end, and we held our nerve with our skill.”I had a good partnership with Grace Scrivens, we’d highlighted the need for that after the first few games so we were really pleased with how it went today.”After the first four games we felt pretty down – three close games and not coming out on the right side of it, so it takes some getting up for the next game, but we’ve come back really strongly and with two games to go who knows what can happen.”

The 36-year-old played 59 Tests, 25 ODIs and two T20Is picking up a total of 202 wickets

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2024

Shannon Gabriel was an imposing presence running up to the bowling crease•AFP/Getty Images

West Indies fast bowler Shannon Gabriel has retired from international cricket, ending a career that began in 2012. The 36-year-old played 59 Tests, 25 ODIs and two T20Is picking up a total of 202 wickets.”During the past 12 years,” Gabriel said on Instagram on Wednesday, “I have dedicated myself to playing international cricket for the West Indies. Playing this beloved game at the highest level has brought me immense joy, but as the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. Today, I am announcing my retirement from International cricket.”Firstly, I would like to express my gratitude to God for the numerous blessings and the opportunities my family and I have received during my time playing for the West Indies. Secondly, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to Cricket West Indies administrators, coaches, and staff members. Words cannot adequately convey the appreciation I have for your hard work and support over the years. Last but not least, I am grateful to my teammates and all those who have stood by me and supported me along the way. You have made my journey to the top truly special.”Moving forward, my plan is to continue representing my country [Trinidad and Tobago], club, and franchise teams around the world with the same love and passion I have shown throughout my career.”2:31

Archive: What’s the big deal about Shannon Gabriel?

Gabriel was at his best in Test cricket, where he used his height and his strength to great effect, sometimes even on lifeless pitches. He holds the fourth-best match-figures for a West Indian – 13 for 121, which he picked up at home against Sri Lanka in June 2018. His ability to generate pace and bounce were impressive enough that West Indies fast bowling legend Courtney Walsh compared him to Patrick Patterson and Ian Bishop. It took a while for him to tap into these gifts consistently but by 2017 he became a regular member of the team and was part of famous wins like the one against England at Headingley.The other big moment of Gabriel’s career came with the bat, when he took strike in Dominica with West Indies nine down against Pakistan. There were only seven balls left to draw the Test, and with it, the series. He went for a big slog and got bowled. This was 10 days after he put in a Player-of-the-Match performance to help West Indies to a bounce-back victory.Gabriel ran into further trouble in 2019 when he was banned for four ODIs after making an apparently homophobic remark at Joe Root. He accepted the sanction and apologised for his behaviour but did insist, later, that the incident was blown out of proportion.Gabriel last represented West Indies in July 2023 but has since been active in domestic cricket, playing for Trinidad and Tobago. Last year, he was part of the Abu Dhabi T10 as well.

It is fair to say that it has been a frustrating summer for Tottenham Hotspur and new head coach Thomas Frank since the transfer window opened for business.

In terms of first-team additions, Mohammed Kudus from West Ham United is the only new player to arrive in the building, along with permanent deals for last season’s players Kevin Danso and Mathys Tel.

The Lilywhites did think that they were on course to seal a deal to sign Nottingham Forest star and England international Morgan Gibbs-White to bolster their options in the middle of the park.

However, the Tricky Trees prepared legal action after what they deemed to be an unlawful approach from Spurs, and they have now agreed a new contract with the player.

Along with missing out on Gibbs-White, Tottenham may also lose captain Heung-min Son this summer amid interest from MLS outfit LAFC, who are willing to pay £15m for the attacker.

A decision will reportedly be made on his future after the club’s pre-season tour of Asia, but the Europa League champions are open to cashing in on him.

Why it could be the right time for Spurs to sell Heung-min Son

Son turns 34 next month and is reportedly the highest-paid player at the club on a wage of £190k-per-week, which means that the club would save a lot of money if they were able to move on from him this summer.

Due to his age, there has been a natural regression in his performances on the pitch for the Lilywhites. His return of 11 goals in all competitions in the 2024/25 campaign was his lowest goal tally since his first year in England in the 2015/16 season.

24/25

46

11

23/24

36

17

22/23

47

14

21/22

44

24

20/21

49

21

19/20

41

18

18/19

48

20

17/18

53

18

16/17

47

21

15/16

36

7

As you can see in the table above, Son has consistently delivered in front of goal for the majority of his career in England, but his powers are waning and now may be the right time to move on from him.

The South Korea international may not be able to get back to scoring 20 or more goals a season at the age of 34, given his decline last season, which is why the club should consider accepting the £15m offer from LAFC this summer.

Whilst it would be sad to see Son move on from Tottenham after ten years of service, his exit would create room for new heroes to emerge, and one of those new heroes could be a controversial figure.

Spurs eyeing swoop for Arsenal forward

According to CaughtOffside, Tottenham Hotspur are one of a number of clubs eyeing up a potential move to sign £45m Arsenal centre-forward Gabriel Jesus.

The report claims that Inter, Milan, Newcastle United, Barcelona, and Spurs are all keeping tabs on his situation at The Emirates, with a view to a possible swoop for his signature.

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It adds, though, that a move in the January transfer window may be more realistic for the Brazil international, because he is currently sidelined with an ACL injury and is not expected back until around October.

This would be a controversial move because Spurs have only ever signed two players from Arsenal at first-team level in their history, William Gallas on a free transfer in 2010, and Laurie Brown all the way back in 1964.

However, Jesus has the potential to be an exciting addition to the squad if Frank can get him fit and firing, as he could be a dream replacement for Heung-min Son.

Why Spurs should sign Gabriel Jesus

If it gets to January and the Brazilian forward is fit and available to step in and play immediately, it is a deal that could be worth exploring for the Lilywhites because of the quality that he can provide on the pitch.

Like Son, Jesus is a versatile right-footed attacking player who is comfortable playing through the middle as a centre-forward or as a winger on the left flank, which means that he could slot in and play in the two main roles that the South Korean star currently plays.

There will, of course, be concerns over the fact that he currently plays for the club’s biggest rivals, Arsenal, but if the player is willing to make the move then it should be welcomed, as he is a Premier League-proven attacker who can make a big impact when fit.

Jesus has scored 76 goals and provided 45 assists in 229 matches for Manchester City and Arsenal combined in his Premier League career to date, which shows that the forward can offer quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals.

24/25

6

3

0

23/24

17

4

5

22/23

24

11

6

21/22

21

8

8

20/21

22

9

4

19/20

21

14

7

18/19

8

7

3

17/18

19

13

3

16/17

8

7

4

As you can see in the table above, the 28-year-old attacker has delivered 76 goals in 146 starts in his Premier League career, just shy of one every other start on average.

This shows that Jesus, who was once hailed as “exceptional” by Pep Guardiola, is a consistent and clinical goalscorer when fit and available, which is why signing him could be a worthwhile gamble for Spurs this summer or in January.

The Brazilian attacker could be Frank’s new Heung-min Son as another versatile attacking option who has the potential to deliver goals and assists on a regular basis when at his best.

At the age of 28, he is also almost six years younger than the South Korea international, which means that Spurs could get more out of him in the long-term if they decide to cash in on their captain in order to fund a controversial move for the Arsenal man.

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There may be a fair bit of opposition to this, due to the Arsenal part of it, but purely based on Jesus and his quality as a player, it could be a good move for Spurs as Frank’s next version of Son.

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot proved everyone wrong when he successfully replaced Jurgen Klopp at Anfield one year ago and guided the Reds to the Premier League title.

The 2025/26 campaign will present new challenges, with all at Liverpool, both as a club and a city, mourning the tragic passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva, but Anfield have proved time and time again their ability to come together and embrace the support of their fanbase, and vice versa.

Sporting director Richard Hughes is currently faced with an imminent approach from Barcelona for versatile forward Luis Diaz, 28, having rejected the La Liga champions’ advances last month.

But La Blaugrana have not been deterred, and having missed out on top target Nico Williams after the winger signed a new contract with Athletic Bilbao, efforts have been redoubled, Diaz moving ahead of Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford on the list.

With Diaz having spent so much of the recent campaign filling in as Liverpool’s central striker, his sale would call for a new centre-forward, as has been a Reds priority for several months.

Especially with Darwin Nunez in the process of signing for Napoli.

The latest on Darwin Nunez to Napoli

Nunez joined Liverpool in 2022, arriving from SL Benfica in a deal billed as a club record at £85m. However, the Uruguayan’s struggles in England have seen a series of clauses left hanging, with the actual fee coming in at £71m.

He has obvious qualities: Nunez is tenacious, a maverick and, on occasion, jaw-droppingly ambitious in the final third. However, the 25-year-old has only scored 25 Premier League goals across his three terms, with just seven goals across all competitions coming last season under Slot’s wing.

Moreover, Slot remarked earlier in 2025 that he “can’t accept” the Uruguayan’s work rate, typically a staple, after a string of disappointing appearances.

Napoli, thus, projected confidence when sauntering over to make their move, but negotiations have since left a gap between the respective clubs’ valuation of the striker.

A fee is still to be agreed, but if and when this does happen – Nunez also has admirers in the Saudi Pro League – a replacement will be needed.

Liverpool in the race for new centre-forward

According to Portuguese outlet A Bola, Liverpool and Manchester United have registered their interest in Almeria striker Luis Suarez this summer.

This is not the famed Suarez of old, but his namesake, a 27-year-old Colombian, who has been priced at €25m (£21m) after his prolific campaign in Spain’s second division.

The one-time Watford prospect is also on Sporting Lisbon’s transfer list as they prepare to sell Viktor Gyokeres to Arsenal, and it’s for this reason that the Liga Portugal’s two-in-a-row champions are felt to have the advantage in the race as things stand.

Why Liverpool want Luis Suarez

Suarez isn’t the youngest number nine on the block, but he’s certainly shown that he knows where the back of the net is, having scored 41 goals and provided 13 assists across 79 fixtures for Almeria.

And a good haul of that came last term, in the Segunda Division. Indeed, Suarez scored 31 goals across 43 matches in all competitions, albeit with 27 goals arriving in Spain’s second tier.

Although saying that, Suarez’s hat-trick over Sevilla in the Copa del Rey emphasised his natural prolificness, something which could serve Liverpool well over the season to come.

His completeness and physicality could even see him prove to be Liverpool’s own version of Gyokeres, who indeed looks set to sign for Arsenal in a deal worth less than Sporting’s original £68m asking price.

Gyokeres is one of the most dangerous goalscorers in Europe, having scored 97 goals across 102 matches in two years with Sporting. His physicality and powerful performances are rare attributes, applied as well as they are, but Liverpool could sign someone similar in Almeria’s frontman, who has been praised for his “crazy” quality by talent scout Jacek Kulig.

Sporting have identified the Colombian as the perfect replacement, after all, with Gyokeres also 27 years old.

Suarez has his similarities; he’s prolific, but he’s also a veritable machine when it comes to ball-striking. As you can see below, Suarez is one of the most relentless shooters in the trade, hitting the target more times than Mohamed Salah, behind only Gyokeres and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe.

Suarez played the 2024/25 campaign in Spain’s Segunda division, but he’s an experienced and well-oiled player whose goalscoring ability was well received by an Almeria side who finished the term with the highest goal tally in the division (72).

Though Suarez is, of course, not on Gyokeres’ level, Liverpool could bolster their ranks with a shrewd attacking option this summer, one whose clinical nature has been underscored over the past year.

Matches (starts)

41 (41)

33 (31)

Goals

27

39

Assists

8

7

Shots (on target)*

4.1 (1.6)

4.2 (2.4)

Big chances missed

27

23

Pass completion

74%

73%

Big chances created

10

11

Key passes*

1.4

1.9

Dribbles*

1.2

1.8

Ball recoveries*

2.0

2.3

Duels won*

4.5

5.5

As you can see from the collated statistics above, Suarez’s sucess in duel, partnered with his dribbling ability and natural creativity, provide him with the dynamism and roundedness that aligns with Sweden striker Gyokeres’ own skill set.

The hunt for a player of Hugo Ekitike or Victor Osimhen’s standing continues, but if Liverpool and enrich their ranks with this shrewd signing, Slot will likely find that the price tag is repaid on the pitch.

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