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Prior success against South Africa counts for nothing in tournament-ending loss

Valkerie Baynes24-Feb-2023

Heather Knight looks down in despair after being knocked over by Shabnim Ismail•AFP/Getty Images

England Women leave the T20 World Cup determined that their shock semi-final defeat at the hands of South Africa won’t define them or do anything to alter their newly branded attacking style.South Africa stifled England with a perfect performance before a 7,507-strong home crowd at Newlands to secure a place in Sunday’s final against Australia, after asking England to break their own record for the highest successful run-chase at a T20 World Cup – they got within seven runs of doing so.England put in a scratchy performance in the field as South Africa reached a total of 164 for 4, then lost five wickets in the last five overs of their pursuit. However, Heather Knight, their captain, credited the result to the hosts’ ability to assert pressure, rather than any nerves on her side’s part.”There’s certainly things you can do better,” Knight said. “The experience of playing under what was an awesome crowd was a great experience and I think the younger players in particular will learn a lot from that. A lot of them have played in front of big crowds, but when there’s so much on it and when it’s a World Cup semi-final, that does add to it.”But I think remembering, as a side, this match doesn’t define us. The way we’ve made a mentality shift and changed the way we want to play a little bit, and really tried to take the game forward, is something we should be really proud of and we’ll keep faith in. In T20 cricket, sometimes you’re going to lose games unfortunately. And today wasn’t our day.”The more assertive approach cemented since Jon Lewis’s appointment as head coach late last year saw England, like Australia, go undefeated through the group stage where they bludgeoned 213 for 5 in a record-breaking 114-run victory over Pakistan.”The way we’ve played has certainly been entertaining and it’s certainly the way forward to being successful,” Knight said. “There’s always risk in playing that way, but it shows that we’ve nearly chased that down. That is the right strategy to go forward. I think we’re building something nicely, obviously it hasn’t quite come off in this tournament, unfortunately, and today, but I think the future looks bright.”South Africa, meanwhile, had dropped two group games, including the tournament opener at Newlands against Sri Lanka. They also lost by six wickets in Gqeberha to Australia, who have beaten South Africa in all six of their T20I meetings. England, too, had a favourable 19-3 win-loss record against South Africa heading into this match, and they had beaten them three times in as many World Cup semi-finals – once at the 2014 T20 tournament and at the 2017 and 2022 ODI events.”We certainly believed as a side that we could win,” Knight said. “The crowd behind them was certainly a factor, you certainly felt it as the opposition. I think they held their nerve pretty well. Their bowlers took it as deep as they could and picked up a few wickets, which meant the rate climbed quite quickly. They seemed pretty clear under pressure.”Related

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England were well ahead in the powerplay at 55 for 2 after South Africa had recovered from a slow start which had them 14 for 0 after four overs and 37 for 0 after six. Even at the halfway point of England’s innings they were in front, but after Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits had laid a foundation with a 96-run opening stand, Marizanne Kapp held her nerve despite Sophie Ecclestone’s two wickets in three balls in the penultimate over of the innings. Katherine Sciver-Brunt conceded 18 runs off the final over and Kapp ended 27 not out off 13 balls.England lost wickets in clusters as Shabnim Ismail and Ayabonga Khaka piled on the pressure, first with Ismail’s raw pace and later by taking pace off and making it difficult for the batters to find the boundary. Add in Brits’ record-equalling four catches, including a wonderful diving effort at midwicket to remove Alice Capsey for a duck – one of six England batters who failed to reach double figures – and the efforts of Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley to get them off to good start and 47-run stand between Nat Sciver-Brunt and Knight was negated.Amy Jones, who had contributed two valuable scores in the 40s in the previous two matches but fell victim to Khaka early on this occasion, said England simply failed to execute in the key moments.”South Africa came at us hard and in front of a home crowd really put on a show,” Jones said. “There were times when it was in the balance and we started really well for both innings and we were ahead of the game, so the back end of both innings is where we lost it and in the field at times as well.”Throughout this tournament we’ve said we want to put pressure on the opposition at any point and stick to our strengths, and in the field that looks like completely attacking the ball and throwing yourself around and supporting your team-mates as much as possible. We did that, I think it was just execution and, similarly at the back end as well with the bat, we took positive options and stuck to our strengths, but lost too many wickets.”We wanted to win this game more than anything, but I think going forward, it’s something we believe in, something that we’ll continue to do and will stand us in good stead.”

Players will be able to sign with clubs on a marquee supplementary list if they are not expected to be available to play

AAP26-Apr-2023

Clubs will have to pay their top-six men’s earners a minimum of $200,0000 each, and top-five female players $50,000 each•Getty Images

Cricket Australia will allow Big Bash clubs to sign nationally-contracted players outside of their salary cap in a bid to avoid the Steven Smith fiascos of the past two seasons.Under rules unveiled by CA on Wednesday, players will be able to sign with individual clubs on a marquee supplementary list if they are not expected to be available to play.Should the player’s circumstances change, they will then be able to be brought into the BBL’s club’s full-time roster to feature in matches.The rules come as part of a raft of contracting changes for the men’s and women’s BBL, including the introduction of an overseas player draft in the WBBL in the same model as the men’s tournament.The highest-paid overseas men’s player will command AU$420,000 in the draft, while the female counterparts will collect AU$110,000 in a major boost to the pulling power of the competitions.Clubs will also have to pay their top-six men’s earners a minimum of AU$200,000 each, and top-five female players AU$50,000 each. But the biggest change will come with nationally-contracted men’s stars.Franchises will be able to contract as many as they like inside the AU$3 million salary cap for their regular 18-man roster, as well as two additional players outside of the cap. Those players would be on a standardised AU$50,000 deal.If they end up playing, only then will their AU$50,000 deal and AU$30,000 match fees count to the cap. If the player’s availability comes through unforeseen circumstances, CA will also allow clubs to bring money out of the following season’s cap to fit them in.That would likely only be activated for any player who has been dropped from Australian duties, or if international fixtures were to change.The new rule would cover both of the Smith scenarios in the past two years, where Covid-19 caused the cancellation of a series in early 2022 and home ODIs earlier this year.Smith was unable to play for the Sixers in 2021-22 as he was not signed with them, while he and David Warner were handed marketing contracts last summer to play for the Sixers and Sydney Thunder, respectively.The new system would also allow the likes of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Pat Cummins to be aligned with clubs and appear in marketing material, with the quicks traditionally sitting out the BBL to manage workloads.CA hopes the changes open the door to more big-name talent playing, while allowing clubs to not have roster spots and significant cap space taken up by unavailable players with Tests in January this summer.”It’s always our ambition for as many of those players to be part of the BBL as possible,” Big Bash boss Alistair Dobson said. “We hope that the mechanisms will enable clubs to sign players even if they are either unlikely or not available. Because having them around the BBL and ready if available, is a really important part of the competition for us.”

Former Bengal captain requests BCCI to take steps to increase the significance of the Ranji Trophy

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Feb-2024

Manoj Tiwary retired from professional cricket after Bengal failed to make the Ranji Trophy knockouts•Cricket Association of Bengal

Manoj Tiwary feels the BCCI’s warning to its centrally contracted players and those part of the wider target pool against prioritising IPL over domestic cricket merely reiterates the concerns he has raised about India’s first-class competition over the years.”Ranji Trophy should be scrapped off from the calendar from the next season onwards,” Tiwary posted on X (formerly Twitter) earlier this month. In the post, he underlined a number of issues – poor umpiring, scheduling of games in the north and east during peak winters, and unplanned scheduling of ‘A’ tours that eroded a number of first-class teams of their top players. Bengal themselves were without Abhimanyu Easwaran, Mukesh Kumar and Akash Deep at different stages of the ongoing Ranji Trophy.The timing of the post – in the middle of Bengal’s penultimate group fixture – led to him being docked 20% of his match fees. On Monday, Tiwary added to it during a felicitation function to celebrate his nearly two-decade long career that he drew curtains on following Bengal’s Ranji Trophy exit.Related

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“In hindsight, I feel that the directive issued by the BCCI might not have been given had I not posted it on X,” Tiwary said. “Perhaps my post prompted the BCCI secretary to put the players under pressure now. The seriousness they have shown by taking this step in the crucial stage of the Ranji Trophy indicates their concern that many players, especially high-profile ones who have succeeded in the IPL with limited first-class cricket, are not giving enough importance to the Ranji Trophy.”In an email earlier this month, BCCI secretary Jay Shah had written about “severe implications” for those prioritising the IPL over domestic cricket. He said the “trend” was a “cause for concern”.”Some players have begun prioritising the IPL over domestic cricket, a shift that was not anticipated,” Shah wrote. “Domestic cricket has always been the foundation upon which Indian cricket stands, and it has never been undervalued in our vision for the sport.”The email had put in the spotlight players like Ishan Kishan and Deepak Chahar, among others, who have made themselves unavailable for the Ranji Trophy despite being fit. Kishan hasn’t played any form of cricket since withdrawing from the Test tour in South Africa citing mental fatigue. Chahar, who featured in the home series against Australia before withdrawing due to personal reasons, hasn’t played any competitive fixture since December.”I can observe that young players have adopted an IPL-centric mindset,” Tiwary said. “Those who don’t play IPL often go to Dubai or other places whenever they find some free time. However, this trend is diminishing the significance of the prestigious Ranji Trophy. IPL is a massive platform for all of us, but I also request the BCCI president and secretary to increase the significance of the Ranji Trophy.”

Division One leaders seal second win from three games inside first session on day three

ECB Reporters Network21-Apr-2024

Jamie Porter helped wrap up Lancashire’s second innings•Getty Images

Jamie Porter and Shane Snater blasted through a brittle Lancashire batting line-up to give Essex victory by an innings inside three days at Chelmsford. The Essex pace bowlers exploited a pitch playing low by taking three wickets apiece as Lancashire capitulated in just 41 overs for the second time in the match.Porter set the ball rolling with the first of nine Lancashire wickets to fall in the session to finish with 3 for 24 before Snater took his match figures to 7 for 59 with 3 for 17 in the second innings. Essex’s second win of the season, worth 22 points, took them further clear at the top of the Vitality County Championship with only three games played.”We have started the season fantastically well,” Essex captain Tom Westley said. “Even that last game against Kent we were a bit unlucky with the weather so potentially, it could have been three wins from three.”We’ve been successful for a while now as a club so every game is a big game and we look to win every single game. We’ve just played some fantastic cricket and I think this is one of our better, most complete performances.”I thought the bowlers bowled amazingly well and I think our challenge is to maintain this momentum and keep the standards as high as they currently are.”We know what a good side Lancashire are, they are always identified at the start of the year as contenders to win the division. So to control the game and win every session is a huge pat on the back for Essex.”Lancashire had started day three on 10 for 1 and requiring another 221 runs to make Essex bat again. They lost five wickets in the first hour and never recovered with the game wrapped up in extra time before the scheduled lunch interval.Essex were forced to field 19-year-old Ronnie McKenna as substitute behind the stumps when Michael Pepper pulled out with a finger injury suffered the night before. The Basildon-born 2nd XI wicketkeeper, the third to do the job for Essex in three Championship matches this season, had four leg byes sail past him down the leg side in the first over from Cook.However, 11 balls into his first-team appearance, he was celebrating a first significant contribution as nightwatcher Will Williams edged Porter into his gloves having hung around for 36 balls.That precipitated a catastrophic collapse with four wickets falling in 16 balls. Josh Bohannon lasted 25 balls before he walked across a delivery from Cook and was lbw, while Luke Wells was beaten all ends up by Snater to be bowled for a 54-ball 21. In the same Snater over George Balderson saw the umpire’s finger go up as he played down the wrong line before Tom Bruce had his off stump sent cartwheeling by Porter.There was a 10-over hiatus while Matty Hurst and George Bell put on 30 runs before the wicketkeeper scooped Snater into square leg’s hands.Offspinner Simon Harmer had not bowled much on this seamer’s paradise, but in his fourth over of the innings he had Tom Bailey walking down the wicket and patting the ball back for a simple caught and bowled. Next over Jack Blatherwick followed Bailey’s lead and gave Harmer more catching practice by chipping the ball back to the bowler.Bell had hung around for 40 balls and appeared to be heading for a third fifty in four innings at Chelmsford when he nicked Cook to Dean Elgar at first slip to wrap up the match.

With the end of the campaign in sight, the race for the Championship automatic promotion places and playoff slots is heating up, and excitement is starting to build over who will earn a shot at Premier League stardom.

Promotion hopefuls planning for top flight return

Sheffield United retain a two-point lead at this stage, but know that Leeds United and Burnley lurk directly below and will be on hand to deal a blow to their title aspirations at the first sign of complacency.

Evaluating wider competition, Sunderland, Coventry City, West Bromwich Albion, Middlesbrough and Bristol City are directly contesting each other for a place in the playoffs, creating a tense atmosphere across the division ahead of this weekend’s matches.

How the race looks with eight matches left

1. Sheffield United

83

2. Leeds United

81

3. Burnley

81

4. Sunderland

72

5. Coventry City

59

6. West Bromwich Albion

57

7. Middlesbrough

57

8. Bristol City

57

Undoubtedly, the pick of the round has to be West Brom’s home clash with Sunderland on Saturday lunchtime. The former are desperately clinging to sixth place after a run of only one win in five league games.

Tony Mowbray may even find his side knocked off their perch by Middlesbrough amid the latter’s kick-off against Blackburn Rovers on Friday evening. Either way, there is a lot of tension brewing between divisional rivals desperate for a shot at top-flight football.

On one end of the scale, Burnley would be devastated to miss out on an automatic return at the first time of asking. Meanwhile, clubs such as the Baggies and Boro have strong Premier League pedigree, even if they have spent a few years away from the dizzying heights of England’s most prestigious domestic environment.

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Intriguingly, the trio mentioned aren’t only battling on the pitch, they are also now fighting for the signature of an international player who could be available for free this summer.

West Brom, Middlesbrough and Burnley want to sign Tom Lawrence

According to The Daily Mail, West Brom are joined by Middlesbrough and Burnley in the hunt to sign Rangers midfielder Tom Lawrence, who is out of contract in Glasgow at the end of the campaign.

Competition is fierce for his signature, with Coventry City, Wrexham, PAOK, Olympiacos and Besiktas also in the mix to tempt the 23-cap Wales international elsewhere on a free transfer.

Having previously played in the Championship with Derby County, Wayne Rooney paid tribute to his “excellent” leadership skills while captain of the Rams under his stewardship.

Nevertheless, the 31-year-old’s injury struggles have limited him to just 25 appearances at Ibrox this term, during which time he registered six goals and two assists across all competitions.

No confirmation has emerged regarding Lawrence’s next steps, creating an opportunity for interested parties to present a vision that could tempt the Wrexham-born man to seek regular football in an alternative environment.

Who will win the race for his signature? It is too soon to say, but achieving promotion to the Premier League would certainly help West Brom, Middlesbrough and Burnley make a compelling case.

Newcastle United have now joined the race to sign a “future Ballon D’or winner”, who has 18 assists to his name already this season, but there could be fierce competition for his signature, according to a report.

Newcastle keen to strengthen in attack

A new striker may be required at St. James’ Park this summer, should Alexander Isak make it clear he wants to leave, with recent reports suggesting the forward wants to sign for Arsenal.

Fiorentina’s Moise Kean and Lille’s Jonathan David are among the targets at centre-forward, but in truth Newcastle will be hoping a new top striker is not required, given that it would be very difficult to replace Isak.

That said, Eddie Howe may feel some more options are required in wide areas, with the Magpies recently joining the race for Southampton’s Tyler Dibling, although the winger will not come cheap, as the Saints are set to demand as much as £100m.

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Contact has also been made over a deal for AFC Bournemouth winger Dango Outattara, with a number of options from within the Premier League being considered.

However, there are also some targets from further afield, with a report from The Boot Room revealing Newcastle are now interested in signing Lyon winger Rayan Cherki, who is set to be available for a bargain fee this summer.

Lyon are set to sanction Cherki’s departure for less than £25m, and there is no shortage of interest in his signature, with Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United and Aston Villa also keen.

The 21-year-old is viewed as one of the most talented youngsters in Europe, and his performances this season mean he could be in line for a big move to the Premier League this summer.

Cherki wowing for Lyon this season

The Frenchman has been in simply incredible form for Lyon this term, collecting eight goals and 18 assists in all competitions, having shown serious signs of development.

Given his ability to set up his teammates, the starlet ranks in the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers for assists per 90 over the past year, while also placing very highly on some other key metrics.

Statistic

Average per 90

Assists

0.68 (99th percentile)

Shot-creating actions

7.26 (99th percentile)

Progressive passes

9.75 (99th percentile)

Successful take-ons

3.17 (96th percentile)

Such is the Lyon star’s ability, The Athletic’s Alex Barker has made the bold claim he could win the Ballon D’or at some point in the future.

If Cherki is able to replicate his current numbers in the Premier League, Barker’s bold prediction is not completely out of the question, so it is very exciting news that Newcastle are in the race for his signature.

Aston Villa were knocked out of the Champions League in dramatic fashion on Tuesday night as they beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2, only to go out 5-4 on aggregate.

The Villans went 2-0 down early on but brilliantly battled back to put themselves 3-2 ahead on the night, only to fail to find a late equaliser to take the tie to extra time.

Irrespective of the final outcome, it was a sensational effort from Unai Emery’s team as they fought to the very last second to save their campaign, with impressive performers across the board – including Marcus Rashford.

Why Marcus Rashford is now undroppable

After a difficult start to the match, losing possession in the build-up to PSG’s first goal, the Manchester United loanee went on to play a key role in the spirited attempted comeback.

The England international completed four dribbles on the night and two of those came in the build-up to Ezri Konsa’s goal, as he impressively beat two defenders before putting the ball on a plate for the defender to stroke the ball into the bottom corner.

Rashford, who also had two shots on target on the night, was constantly trying to make things happen for the Villans – attempting nine dribbles – and provided the PSG defence with plenty of problems.

The United loanee has now produced three goals and two assists in his last seven appearances for Villa and should be undroppable at this point, due to his form in front of goal, but he is not the only player who should now be considered undroppable.

Chalkboard

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Expand Collapse Why John McGinn is undroppable

John McGinn stepped up with a phenomenal display for the Villans against PSG on Tuesday and should now be as undroppable as Rashford for Emery.

The Scotland international has not been a guaranteed starter at times this season, coming off the bench in each of the last two Premier League matches, but his showing against PSG should change that, as it was one that was rewarded with a 9/10 player rating by the Birmingham Mail.

McGinn, who also scored off the bench against Southampton last time out in the top-flight, was a constant nuisance to the PSG team with his all-action performance in midfield, getting stuck in as well as providing quality on the ball.

Vs PSG

John McGinn

Minutes

66

Goals

1

Assists

1

Pass accuracy

75%

Dribbles completed

2/2

Duels won

4

Fouls

3

Stats via Sofascore

The Villa star, as you can see in the table above, made three fouls and won four duels to break up play, but he also scored a deflected strike from distance and teed up Youri Tielemans for his goal.

McGinn also had more touches (40) than the Belgian wizard (31), which shows that he was constantly taking responsibility in possession to make things happen, and lost the ball 15 times.

It was a terrific captain’s performance by the Scottish midfielder and one that should convince Emery to make him an undroppable figure in the team for the weeks to come.

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Leeds United are thought to be getting closer to signing a £130,000-a-week star who has actually been compared to another rumoured target in Kalvin Phillips.

Phillips linked with return to Leeds from Man City

The Whites clinched promotion from the Championship to the Premier League on Monday evening, sparking wild scenes at Elland Road hours on from a 6-0 win over Stoke City.

Daniel Farke and the Leeds players watched on from Elland Road as Burnley beat Sheffield United 2-1, a result which sent the Whites and the Clarets up with two games to spare.

On the pitch, attention will now be on winning the title with victories over Bristol City and Plymouth Argyle, however, behind the scenes, preparations are already being made ahead of the transfer market.

A number of players have already been linked with a move to Yorkshire, including former star Phillips, who has found it difficult since leaving Leeds for Manchester City in 2022.

The holding midfielder has struggled to break into Pep Guardiola’s plans, which saw him loaned out to West Ham at the beginning of 2024 before joining Ipswich Town for the current 2024/25 campaign.

However, with the Tractor Boys on course for an immediate return to the Championship, Phillips could be on the search for another new club and is thought to be keen on re-joining Leeds. The 29-year-old is thought to be pushing for a return to Elland Road as he also looks to reignite his career at international level.

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However, Leeds, Farke and the 49ers have other midfield targets in mind, such as Borussia Monchengladbach ace Julian Weigl. Now, another midfielder has been linked with a move to Yorkshire, and it could be a sea that doesn’t cost Leeds a penny.

Leeds close to signing Everton star Doucoure for free

According to reports in France, Everton’s Abdoulaye Doucoure is ‘getting closer to Leeds’. The Toffees star is out of contract at the end of the current campaign and could therefore move to the Whites for free.

Those at Elland Road are keen on the £130,000-a-week midfielder, who recently spoke out about his Everton future. “I can’t talk too much about that but obviously you know it may be my last few months here at the moment. Everything is quiet from the club side. Obviously I love the club, I always said. Let’s see what happens in the next couple of weeks.”

When asked about signing a new deal with Everton, the 32-year-old added: “Why not? To be honest I love this club. I always said I wanted to stay. Obviously my contract is running out but I love the club.”

Similar players to Abdoulaye Doucoure

Club

Kalvin Phillips

Man City

Manuel Ugarte

Man Utd

Joao Gomes

Wolves

Amadou Onana

Aston Villa

Ilia Gruev

Leeds

Interestingly, Doucoure, who can play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder, has been compared to Phillips among others by Football Transfers. Now, a cut-price move to Yorkshire could be one to keep an eye on over the coming months.

While the fans and team will have their full attention on the second leg of their Champions League semi-final next week, the Arsenal board will already be planning for what could be a blockbuster summer of transfer business.

Last year, Mikel Arteta and Co shifted a lot of the club’s unwanted players for good money, but they didn’t really strengthen the first team enough to sustain a successful title challenge this season.

It looks like it’s going to be a totally different story this year, with links to top-level attackers like Viktor Gyokeres, Ollie Watkins and Nico Williams coming in from every direction.

However, while the frontline certainly needs addressing, the midfield could be just as important, and it seems like the club agrees; a recent report has touted one of the most exciting midfielders in world football for a move to the Emirates, a player who might just be able to get the best back out of Martin Odegaard.

Arsenal's midfield targets

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth looking at a couple of the other midfielders that Arsenal are said to be interested in, such as Hugo Larsson.

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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Reportedly available for around £51m, the Eintracht Frankfurt gem would undoubtedly be an investment for the future, but with respected analyst Ben Mattinson describing him as a “transitional monster” and comparing him to a young Jude Bellingham, he might just be one worth making.

However, the far more likely acquisition would undoubtedly be Martin Zubimendi.

The Spanish international has long been touted for a move to the Gunners, and based on more recent reports, it appears the club themselves are confident of getting their man.

However, perhaps the most exciting link of them all has been to Frenkie de Jong.

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal are now one of several Premier League sides interested in the Dutch international.

Alongside the Gunners, the report has revealed that Liverpool and Manchester City are also keen on the player.

While no price is mentioned in the story, it is said that Barcelona are being forced to consider selling him as no progress has been made on his renewal.

It would be an incredibly costly and complicated transfer to get over the line, but given his immense ability, it’s one worth fighting for, especially as he could help revive Odegaard.

Why De Jong would be perfect for Odegaard

So, if Arsenal are able to get ahead of the chasing pack and get their man, why would he be an ideal partner for Odegaard?

There are two key reasons for this; the first is his defensive qualities.

While the Dutchman is now primarily an eight and would likely join as such, he’s got plenty of experience playing as a six – making 132 appearances there – and so, were he to chip in with the defensive work alongside Declan Rice, that might allow the captain to focus all of his energy and focus at the sharp end of the pitch.

The second reason is that, on top of his defensive abilities, the former Ajax star is an incredibly technical and gifted midfielder, with former manager Xavi going as far as describing him as “one of the best players in the world.”

It’s not hard to see where the Spanish legend is coming from either, as the 27-year-old’s underlying numbers are nothing short of spectacular.

De Jong’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Goals per Shot

0.25

Top 1%

Pass Completion

94.0%

Top 1%

GCA from Take-Ons

0.12

Top 1%

Progressive Carrying Distance

169.24

Top 1%

Carries into the Final Third

3.14

Top 1%

Passes Completed

78.36

Top 2%

Goal-Creating Actions (GCA)

0.64

Top 2%

GCA from Live Passes

0.52

Top 2%

Passes into the Final Third

9.72

Top 3%

Live Ball Passes

81.56

Top 3%

Carries

57.65

Top 3%

Touches

90.29

Top 4%

Progressive Passes

7.62

Top 7%

All Stats via FBref

For example, FBref places him in the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, for goals per shot, pass completion, goal-creating actions from take-ons, progressive carrying distance, carries into the final third, the top 2% for passes completed and goal-creating actions, the top 3% for passes into the final third and more, all per 90.

So, just imagine a vastly experienced international who currently captains Barça, who can influence the game in almost all areas of the pitch playing alongside the North Londoners’ number eight – he’d undoubtedly improve as well.

Ultimately, it would be a complicated and costly transfer to get done, but with how much of a difference De Jong could make to Odegaard’s career and Arsenal overall, Arteta and Co must do what they can to get it done.

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Arsenal are progressing in talks to sign a “deadly” Premier League star, who is now “likely” to leave his current club this summer, according to a report.

Gunners keen on new forwards after injury-ridden 2024/25 campaign

Injuries undoubtedly played a part in the Gunners’ inability to finally win the Premier League title this season, with a number of their key attacking players spending differing amounts of time on the sidelines due to setbacks.

Player

PL matches missed

Gabriel Martinelli

3

Bukayo Saka

13

Kai Havertz

14

Gabriel Jesus

19

As such, it is little wonder that Mikel Arteta is looking to bolster his attacking options this summer, and a new striker is believed to be of particular interest, with talks over a deal for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres now advancing.

Botafogo’s Igor Jesus and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko have recently been named as potential alternative targets to Gyokeres, while it could also make sense to bring in a versatile forward, capable of filling in if the Gunners suffer similar injury problems next season.

According to a report from TNATS (via The Boot Room), Arsenal are now pursuing a forward who could fit the bill in that regard, with talks over a deal for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo now advancing, although there is widespread interest in his signature.

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The Gunners have made a move to sign a striker, who they are now seriously considering as a summer signing.

Posts ByDominic Lund May 18, 2025

The Brentford star has been a long-term target for the Gunners, but a deal may not be cheap, with reports from elsewhere revealing the Bees could look to hold out for a fee of £65m.

One thing that is clear, however, is that the 25-year-old could be heading for the exit door this summer, with Christian Norgaard revealing his teammate is now “likely” to leave.

"Deadly" Mbeumo could be fantastic signing for Arsenal

As mentioned, the France-born forward’s versatility could be a real bonus for Arteta next season, given that he is capable of playing at both striker and out wide, flourishing at right-wing this season, in what has been an impressive campaign for the Bees.

The Cameroon international has 28 goal contributions to his name in all competitions, scoring 19 goals in 37 Premier League games, while catching the eye due to his work-rate.

Having also been lauded as “deadly” by Statman Dave, Mbeumo has earned a move to a top club this summer, and he could be a fantastic signing for Arsenal.