Westley makes 68 as challengers secure handy first-innings lead at Chelmsford

ECB Reporters Network30-Aug-2024

Michael Pepper added a maiden first-class century to two hundreds in this season’s T20 Blast to put Essex in command of their Vitality County Championship match against Worcestershire.The 26-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman had only passed fifty once before this summer, and his previous highest red-ball score of 92 came three years ago at Durham, but his unbeaten 125-ball 112 turned the tide in Essex’s favour as they seek to end a run of three games without a win.Pepper was joined at 227 for 7 by Shane Snater (53) and the pair put on 136 in 26 runs to not only overhaul Worcestershire’s 266 but lay the foundations for a 138-run first-innings lead. Tom Westley had set the ball rolling with 68 from 126 balls before he became the first of Amar Virdi’s three wickets for 126 in a marathon 37.4-over spell. Ethan Brookes also picked up three wickets before Worcestershire reduced the deficit by two runs without loss in five overs in the evening.Before the game was effectively taken away from them, Brookes had been an unlikely terminator of Essex’s serene second-wicket partnership that had put on 65 in 13 overs after the loss of Dean Elgar to the last ball of day one. Brookes had never taken a first-class wicket before he broke Robin Das’s middle-stump with a bit of extra pace followed by a jubilant running leap into the air.The 23-year-old seamer did not have long to wait for his second as Jordan Cox, released by England the day before to play for Essex, showed the first real attacking intent in his uncharacteristically obdurate 21-ball innings when he drove uppishly to short midwicket.Brett D’Oliveira brought himself on for an over before lunch and with his third ball had Matt Critchley lunging forward before being rapped fatally on his front pad.Westley settled into an innings that mixed abandon with caution before reaching his fifty from 95 balls. Early on he hit three fours in an over from Tom Taylor, two off his legs through midwicket and the third driven crisply through extra cover. Yet he managed only two more boundaries in reaching his fourth half-century of the season.The Essex captain had put on 55 with Paul Walter when he received a delivery from Virdi that jumped up and caught the edge of his bat before ending in Gareth Roderick’s gloves. Six balls later, Walter’s forceful knock was over when he slashed Logan van Beek to slip the ball after chipping him over extra cover for his fifth four.Brookes returned for a cameo in which he strangled Simon Harmer down legside to claim a third wicket in only his seventh over of the innings. The majority of the heavy lifting was done by the loaned-in pair Virdi and van Beek, who bowled nearly 60 of the 107.4 overs Essex faced.Essex overtook Worcestershire’s first-innings 266 soon after the new-ball had been taken and shortly before Pepper and Shane Snater chalked up their first fifty partnership in 12 overs – 22 runs coming in the first three overs of the new Kookaburra – their second fifty spanning a further 11 overs. At one point they needed just six overs to move from 300 to 350 as the tempo increased.Pepper is renown for his 360-degree game and outrageous shots in the short form, but his most audacious effort was when he chopped Joe Leach over slip’s head to the third-man boundary. The majority of his runs were orthodox shots, mainly between extra cover and cover points. Snater went past fifty from 73 balls with successive fours off van Beek but fell next ball when beaten for pace. Sam Cook batted freely before Virdi got one past his defences.Pepper scampered a two off Brookes to reach three-figures from 116 balls and celebrated with a further 10 runs from the next three balls, including a six high over midwicket. Jamie Porter hung around long enough to see the centurion over the line before he was Virdi’s third victim.

After officially welcoming Kyogo Furuhashi and sealing the return of Demarai Gray, Birmingham City have reportedly set their sights on two more arrivals this summer.

Kyogo instantly sets sights on Premier League

Whilst things didn’t work out at Rennes, Kyogo remains undeniably talented. It wasn’t so long ago that he was the star of the show at Celtic and even earning reported interest from Manchester City. Now, however, he is set to take St Andrew’s by storm after arriving in a deal that could eventually cost Birmingham around €12m (£10m).

The Japanese forward has instantly set his sights on the Premier League too, telling Birmingham’s official website after putting pen to paper: “I’m very happy to be here. I’m looking forward to working together with you all.

“I get fired up more in bigger games, but I score goals because of team-mates, so I’m grateful for that. I’d like to achieve the same here, and hopefully my goals will make everyone happy.

“I have good memories (from Celtic) with lots of titles, so it was a wonderful three and a half, four years. Lots of fans still say hello to me, so I felt I was really lucky. But this is a new place, and I’d like to do my best here.

“I’m here to help the team. I’d like to express what I can do on the pitch. I don’t want to talk a lot, but there’s a chance that we can go up to the Premier League. We all want to aim for that and after nine months, it will be great if we share the happiness of achieving that.”

What would once be a dream target could yet become realistic for the Blues next season, as Tom Brady and Tom Wagner reportedly turn their focus towards two more potential arrivals for Chris Davies.

Birmingham now eyeing Hara alongside free agent

As reported by Caught Offside, Birmingham and Wagner are now eyeing a move to sign Taichi Hara from Kyoto Sanga as well as an unnamed South Korean winger who is close to becoming a free agent. Both could yet arrive and take the Blues’ list of incomings to as many as 11 in another transformative summer at St Andrew’s.

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Named target Hara has already featured in Spain with Alaves and in Belgium with Sint-Truiden, but currently plies his trade in Japan with Kyoto Sangra. It’s there that he has earned plenty of praise from Japanese Football, with the X account taking the chance to speak about the forward’s “great” form back in September.

At 26 years old, Hara could now get the chance to add English football to what is a diverse CV if Birmingham push on with their interest and make their move this summer.

ذكرت تقارير صحفية إسبانية أن هناك أزمة متوقعة قد تحدث بين الأرجنتين وريال مدريد بسبب الجناح الشاب فرانكو ماستانتونو الذي تم التعاقد معه الصيف الماضي.

وبحسب “الشيرينجويتو” الإسبانية فإن منتخب الأرجنتين يرغب في مشاركة فرانكو ماستانتونو في كأس العالم تحت 20 عاماً في وقت لاحق من هذا العام.

وتبدو أن فكرة تمثيل ماستانتونو لمنتخب الأرجنتين مثيرة بلا شك للاعب الشاب إلا أنها قد تشكل مشكلة كبيرة لريال مدريد.

وستقام منافسات كأس العالم تحت 20 عاماً في تشيلي عام 2025 في الفترة من 27 سبتمبر حتى 19 أكتوبر، وتقع الأرجنتين في المجموعة الرابعة إلى جانب منتخبات إيطاليا وأستراليا وكوبا.

أقرأ أيضاً.. إعلان ملعب نهائي دوري أبطال أوروبا الموسم المقبل

ويبدأ منتخب الأرجنتين مشواره في 28 سبتمبر بمواجهة كوبا ثم يلتقي منتخبي أستراليا وإيطاليا في الأول والرابع من أكتوبر على التوالي.

وفي حالة تأهل منتخب الأرجنتين للمباراة النهائية يوم 19 أكتوبر فقد يغيب ماستانتونو عن ما يصل إلى سبع مباريات مع ريال مدريد.

وسيشمل هذه الفترة غيابه عن بعض المباريات المهمة مثل ديربي مدريد ضد أتلتيكو مدريد ولقاء في دوري أبطال أوروبا ومباراة في الليجا ضد فياريال.

وقد لا يكون ماستانتونو متاحاً للاعتماد عليه من جانب تشابي ألونسو مدرب ريال مدريد في مباريات مارسيليا في دوري الأبطال ومباراة إسبانيول في الليجا أيضاً وكذلك خيتافي في مرحلة أدوار خروج المغلوب.

وقد تصل مدة غياب اللاعب حتى منتصف أكتوبر على الأقل في حال تأهل الأرجنتين ومع ذلك فإن القرار النهائي بمشاركته في كأس العالم يعود لريال مدريد.

Manchester United have plenty of decisions to make this summer and Andre Onana’s future at Old Trafford may now have taken another twist, according to a report.

Andre Onana's Manchester United future uncertain

On the face of it, Onana is a name that divides opinion across the Red Devils’ support and his inconsistent performances last campaign won’t have won any favour among the undecided.

The Cameroon international conceded 65 times in 50 appearances across all competitions, and a string of high-profile errors have led Manchester United to look at the likes of Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez as a potential replacement.

Shedding light on the rumours, ex-Premier League scout Mick Brown stated: “Man United have made it clear they would like to sign Martinez. They’ll take whatever they can get for Onana, and then they’ll make contact with Aston Villa and see if they can get a deal over the line.

“He’s seen as a huge upgrade on Onana so they’re prepared to take a hit to get things moving. If Man United could swap Onana for Martinez tomorrow, they’d jump at it. Martinez is in his 30s now, but he’s a very capable goalkeeper and they’re not concerned about that.“

Intriguingly, Manchester United have also been given the green light to pursue Porto stopper Diogo Costa, lending credence to the notion that they could be set for a change between the sticks this summer.

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Plenty of names may enter the hat to replace Onana if he is moved on, though it remains to be seen how events develop over the next few weeks.

That said, the Red Devils could now have their house in order on that front as Ruben Amorim tries to sort out his goalkeeping situation.

Man Utd could loan out Onana with John Victor lined up

According to The Sun, Manchester United could loan out Andre Onana this summer and sign Botafogo’s John Victor as a replacement for as little as £6 million.

In the case of Onana, Monaco are said to have asked the question over a temporary move, but his £120,000 per week wages have proved to be a stumbling block. The Red Devils would prefer to conduct a deal with a European club over a Premier League rival.

Victor may have a smaller sample size than Onana, but purely for demonstrative purposes, his statistics do stand up to scrutiny when evaluating the consistency levels needed for a Manchester United goalkeeper to succeed at Old Trafford.

Keeping ten clean sheets in 29 appearances across all competitions this season, he could be the man to succeed the Cameroon international, even if there will be difficulties to overcome in sanctioning his exit.

Says he sees himself playing the T20 format longer than the other two

Andrew McGlashan20-Aug-2024Steven Smith has not ruled out the possibility of pushing to represent Australia at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles with T20 likely to be a format he keeps playing longer than others although he has no retirement plans in his mind.Smith has signed a new three-year deal with Sydney Sixers in the BBL, which means he will be playing professional cricket until at least 2026-27. But he would need to force his way back into Australia’s T20 set-up were he to be realistic about the Olympics the following year having been omitted for this year’s T20 World Cup.”I could still be playing T20 cricket in four years, so you never know,” he said. “It’s a format I can see myself playing probably for a lot longer than some of the others, especially with the franchise stuff around the world. I’ve signed on here for three years so it’s only another year after that. It would be cool to be part of an Olympics.”Related

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But as far as the various international formats go, it remains the status quo for Smith. “I don’t have any plans,” he said. “I’m just enjoying playing at the moment, I’m pretty relaxed and looking forward to this summer.”Of more immediate significance for Smith is the upcoming international schedule. He will return to action in the ODIs in England next month (having again been left out for the T20Is) before the main event of India’s visit. Amid the conjecture around whether he will remain Australia’s Test opener, Smith is relishing the prospect of facing India over a five-match series.1:42

Smith happy to open or bat at No. 4 against India

It will be the first time the two teams have taken on each other across five Tests since 1991-92 although there has been no shortage of drama in the four-match contests in recent times. Australia are aiming to regain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time in ten years, having not beaten India since the 2014-15 series on home soil.”You can’t really hide in a five-Test series like you probably can in a two-match series for instance,” Smith said. “If someone gets the wood on you, it can be hard coming back from that. It’s going to be a wonderful series.”We are probably the two best teams at the moment in Test cricket. We played the World Test Championship final last year and beat them there. They’ve been great out here the last couple of times, they’ve played really good cricket, hopefully we can turn the tables. It’s been ten years since we last won the Border-Gavaskar trophy so need to do that this year.”

"I’m happy to bat anywhere. Batting at four, I could be in after the first two balls. I’ve been in early on many occasions and faced the new ball”Smith on the debate around his batting position

If Australia retain the batting order they have had since David Warner’s retirement in January, Smith will be opening against the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. Smith, who has a chance to pass 10,000 runs this summer, was elevated up the order when he told the selectors he was keen for the role. It also allowed Cameron Green to return at a more natural No. 4 but results were mixed for Smith across four Tests with 171 runs at 28.50 although that included a superb unbeaten 91 against West Indies.It is likely to be a topic that will dominate the next few months with Smith set to have some Sheffield Shield cricket before the India series.”The conversations I’ve had so far is that we’ll go to England… I’m there for the one-dayers, then make a decision after that,” he said. “There’s conversations happening in the background. You see some comments that guys like Usman [Khawaja] has said he likes me down at No. 4, think Marnus is of a similar thought pattern. We’ll wait and see. I’m happy to bat anywhere.”For me, it’s just a position. Batting at four, I could be in after the first two balls. I’ve been in early on many occasions and faced the new ball. For me, it’s kind of just a number. I batted at three for a long period of time as well and we lost wickets inside the first over and I’ll come out and score runs. The only real thing I had to get used to was how quick a turnaround it is when you come off the field and you only have ten minutes, particularly with the amount of mucking around I have in the changing rooms.”

Enzo Maresca has not only led Chelsea to a stunning Club World Cup triumph this summer, but he has also significantly bolstered his first-team squad.

With the likes of Liam Delap and Joao Pedro impressing stateside, the latter notably scoring three in three matches, plus Jamie Gittens and Estevao ready to make their mark, Maresca is brewing something special at Stamford Bridge.

While these signings could prove to be vital should Chelsea wish to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League next season, the Italian is still on the hunt for more.

His centre-forward options are far more varied now, as too are his wing options, but Maresca must be keen on adding another playmaker to his squad.

Cole Palmer is fantastic, but he can’t do everything on his own. Not only that, should the Englishman continue to shine throughout the upcoming campaign, it might be hard for the Blues to keep him next summer.

As such, signing another youngster who has the capability to grow is at the forefront of Maresca’s thoughts.

That certain someone could turn out to be another version of Eden Hazard. His signing in 2012 paved the way for the Belgian to become one of the finest attacking midfielders of his generation.

What made Eden Hazard so special

Chelsea’s status as Champions League winners in the summer of 2012 certainly helped in their pursuit of the best talent around.

Hazard helped Lille win Ligue 1 in the 2010/11 campaign, but it was performances the following year which caught Chelsea’s eye.

Indeed, the winger scored 20 goals and grabbed 18 assists in Ligue 1, emerging as one of the brightest talents on the continent in the process.

Hazard settled in nicely at the Blues, especially during Jose Mourinho’s second spell with the club between 2013 and 2015. His 24 goal contributions in the Premier League during the 2014/15 season saw the Stamford Bridge side win their first title in five years.

It wasn’t just under Mourinho that Hazard shone. The winger was arguably the key to Antonio Conte’s system which saw the Blues win the league title in 2016/17. Even in his last season at the club, Hazard scored 21 goals and won his second Europa League trophy.

Overall, the playmaker netted 110 goals and registered 88 assists for Chelsea across 352 matches.

His sublime dribbling abilities, dynamism in the final third and turning up for the big matches not only endeared Hazard to the supporters but also ensured he goes down as a modern club legend.

It can be argued that Chelsea haven’t quite had a playmaker like him since his departure in 2019 to Real Madrid. Of course, Palmer has been sensational, but Hazard’s creativity and natural talent made him a true joy to watch.

Could Maresca finally land Hazard 2.0 for the Blues in the coming weeks?

Chelsea eyeing move for Dutch sensation

Maresca has focused on bolstering his options in the final third so far this summer but with Palmer running the rule over the number ten position since joining in 2023, the club haven’t sought to add any more playmakers to the squad.

This could change soon, however, as the manager is keen on exploring a move for Xavi Simons, according to journalist Simon Phillips.

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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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Via his Substack, Phillips discussed Chelsea’s interest in the Dutchman, first declaring that while Arsenal are interested in the midfielder, they are focusing on signing Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze instead.

Phillips continued: “Sources feel Chelsea could have come in and snapped Simons up by the time that happens anyway. So this one is certainly brewing up and all connected. Further to this, our sources have heard that Simons ‘would love to join Chelsea’ this window, so there would be no problem on the player side. Chelsea, expected to make more enquiries on Simons this week now.”

The RB Leipzig starlet has been valued by his club at a staggering £95m, according to other reports.

It’s a lot of money, sure, but if they do manage to seal his signature, Maresca might just have his very own Hazard.

Why Chelsea must sign Xavi Simons

While Hazard operated on the left flank for the majority of his career, Simons has shown plenty of similarities to the Belgian, especially regarding his displays for Leipzig, where he has played on the left and as an attacking midfielder.

Indeed, the Dutchman can count dribbling, key passes and through balls as his key strengths, according to WhoScored, while regarding his style of play, he loves to dribble and regularly gets fouled due to his attacking prowess.

This echoes the skills that Hazard used to demonstrate at Stamford Bridge during his seven years in London.

Last season, Simons scored 11 goals in all competitions for the German side, recording eight assists in the process. Once again, exuding the talents that Hazard was famed for, being clinical in the final third.

Not only that, but Simons also ranked in the top 3% for through balls (0.96) per 90 in the Bundesliga when compared to his positional peers, while he also ranked in the top 6% for progressive passes (5.86) and in the top 3% for carries into the final third (2.97) per 90 last season.

Simons’ statistics in the Bundesliga last season

Goals

10

Assists

7

Key passes per game

2

Big chances created

12

Successful dribbles per game

1.3

Shots per game

2

Via Sofascore

Still only 22, it feels as though Simons has been around forever. Last summer, respected analyst Ben Mattinson not only hailed the youngster as a “superstar”, but also declared that he could be “one of the best in the world in the future” just prior to the 2024 European Championship.

He has certainly proven his worth since then, and it is evident that a move to the Premier League would help enhance his reputation and improve him further as a player.

If Maresca can land Simons in the coming weeks, it might just be the final piece of his attacking jigsaw at Chelsea.

The comparisons with Hazard are impressive. Could he have the same sort of impact as the Belgian? Only time will tell.

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Liverpool won the Premier League last season, and they are acting like it. Arne Slot’s side have spent a lot this summer, and there is more still to come, with FSG recognising the importance of consolidating this position of power.

With Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike on the cusp of sealing his £79m move to Merseyside, Liverpool have the Darwin Nunez upgrade they crave.

Though much work has been plied in the summer market, there is more to be done. Luis Diaz is slated to move to Bayern Munich, after all.

Should he leave, there’s no question that the Reds will need to find themselves a replacement.

Liverpool's shortlist of Diaz replacements

With Diaz looking more and more likely to leave Liverpool this summer, the likes of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo and Newcastle United star Anthony Gordon have been touted as potential replacements.

The problem with such targets is that they would cost a steep amount of money. Perhaps too steep. While Liverpool could pull such deals off and remain within profit and sustainability good books, would it not be more worthwhile to target an up-and-comer for a shrewder figure, with so much quality already within Slot’s squad?

That’s why the Reds are seemingly ready to lodge a bid for Lyon’s Malick Fofana, who has been making waves in Ligue 1 over the past 18 months.

According to reports, the sale of Chiesa will advance FSG’s transfer plans, with the Belgium winger having been on Liverpool’s radar for many months. The Merseysiders are “expected to move for the Belgian” once the Italian departs.

Lyon value the 20-year-old as high as £51m, but Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes will be set on securing his signature for a cheaper fee, chopped into instalments.

Why Liverpool should sign Malick Fofana

Fofana is a top talent, but he’s not yet even sighted the horizon on which his full potential is surmounted. Still, across 62 appearances with Lyon (whom he joined from Belgium club Genk in January 2024), he’s scored 15 goals and supplied seven assists.

Last term, the versatile winger hit 17 goal contributions despite only starting 23 matches across all competitions.

There’s a long way to go, but Fofana might even emerge as an even bigger talent than Ekitike in the long run, who is at a further stage in their development right now, true, but with Fofana already doing as well as he has over the past few years, there’s little question that he could be among the finest wideman in football in just a few years.

And looking at how Slot succeeds at coaching young talents to incredible levels, this is underscored further. Journalist Antonio Mango has drawn attention to Fofana’s “game-changing potential”, while journalist Dev Bajwa has praised his “electric” pace.

Should Liverpool sell Diaz, this is the man to go for. And that’s without even shining a light on Cody Gakpo, who played with regularity off the left flank for Slot’s team last term and thus would ease the burden that a youngster like Fofana would shoulder when making their way onto the senior Premier League stage.

You need only look at Ekitike’s growth in recent years. The 23-year-old left Reims for Paris Saint-Germain in a £30m deal in 2022 (rejecting Newcastle United) where he got lost in the crowd and jumped over to the Bundesliga, with Frankfurt.

Ekitike’s final term in Ligue 1 was with PSG in 2022/23, and from that peripheral campaign you perhaps don’t get the most accurate gauge on his skill set during that youthful stage in his homeland.

But the season before, with Reims, makes a firmer comment. From that, we can examine the teenage Frenchman’s quality and see how he compares to Fofana, who turned 20 in March.

Matches (starts)

29 (16)

24 (15)

Goals

5

10

Assists

4

3

Shots (on target)*

1.1 (0.5)

1.3 (0.8)

Big chances missed

4

6

Pass completion

84%

71%

Big chances created

6

3

Key passes*

0.9

0.7

Dribbles*

0.8

1.0

Tackles*

1.1

0.8

Duels won*

2.9

4.1

Ekitike is a centre-forward, but he’s mobile and athletically dynamic. At that point in his journey, the soon-to-be Liverpool star was fielded out on the left, arcing inwards in a showing of that natural predilection for goalscoring.

Both, furthermore, are firm defensive presences, tackling at a rate that bespeaks their quality as their side’s first line of defence.

But goals are Fofana’s forte, and his innate clinical edge could see him become an even more dangerous force than Ekitike, who is three years his senior.

Fofana ranked among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for non-penalty goals scored and the top 2% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, perfectly illustrating that whipped blend of pace and potency.

It goes without saying that there would be a period of transition in which Fofana would not perform with the smooth completeness of Diaz, not look on the same level as Ekitike (who might himself require a bit of time to adapt to the pace of the English game).

But, nonetheless, Liverpool could strike gold by opting against spending something in the £100m ballpark on one of Gordon or Rodrygo and instead spending a more astute figure on Fofana, who is young and talented and hungry to prove himself.

It would be a better deal in the long run, and one which would see Liverpool enjoy the fruits of their labour which will have grown the wide forward into one of Europe’s most feared players all the same.

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Arsenal are closing in on their next major signing of the summer, with sporting director Andrea Berta sealing a huge transfer coup.

Earlier this week, the Gunners officially announced Cristhian Mosquera’s arrival from Valencia – nearly a fortnight after news emerged that they reached an agreement to sign the defender for a potential £17 million.

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Arsenal have paid Valencia an initial £13 million for the 21-year-old, but it could rise by a further £4 million with add-ons. According to Fabrizio Romano, Mosquera “only” wanted to join Mikel Arteta’s side, and Berta thinks he’s a very exciting new addition to the squad.

“We’re very happy and excited to have signed a hugely talented young player in Cristhian Mosquera,” said Berta in an official statement.

“We identified Cristhian as one of the strongest young defenders in European football, and he is an important signing for our future.

“Cristhian is a versatile defender who will strengthen our squad. We cannot wait to see him playing for us. Together with everyone at the club, we warmly welcome Cristhian and his family to Arsenal.”

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£153m

After Mosquera, it is widely reported that Arsenal are about to end their long-winded pursuit of a prolific number nine with the signing of Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

Berta and co actually reached an agreement in principle to sign Gyokeres at around the same time as they made a breakthrough for Mosquera (The Athletic), but negotiations dragged out due to issues surrounding bonuses and add-ons in the deal.

However, a breakthrough has since been made, and Gyokeres is set for an imminent Arsenal medical ahead of his potential £64 million move (Fabrizio Romano).

Viktor Gyokeres agrees £135,000-per-week Arsenal contract

Now, A Bola have also lifted the lid on some key contract details.

According to the Portuguese newspaper, via The Daily Cannon, Gyokeres has agreed a £135,000-per-week contract to join Arsenal, which will run for five years, and they back up that the 27-year-old will soon be announced as Berta’s next new incoming in a major boost for Arteta.

One of this summer’s most drawn-out transfer sagas is now coming to an end, and barring a last-second catastrophe, supporters can look forward to having a proven goalscorer lead their line next season.

According to journalist Duncan Castles this week, Gyokeres and his camp even had to navigate a legal row with Sporting before sealing his move to N5.

“Sporting wrote to Gyokeres to inform him he was in breach of contract, to which his lawyers replied, saying they didn’t feel he was in breach of contract because Gyokeres had promises from the club that they would allow him to leave this summer if his agents brought a certain fee and the club had reneged on those promises,” said Castles on The Transfers Podcast.

“There’s now a legal dispute between player and club in the background, and a general sense that I’m getting from Portugal is that Sporting want to make this as difficult for Gyokeres as possible.”

Australia have shown their depth over the first two matches and will be favourites to clinch the series in Durham

Andrew McGlashan23-Sep-2024

Big PictureAustralia have played like world champions, England have played like a team that has only just come together and are trying to figure out their next style of one-day cricket. Which is exactly the position of both sides.What will (or at least should) frustrate Harry Brook and Marcus Trescothick – stand-in captain and coach – is that England have had their opportunity in both games: at Trent Bridge they were 213 for 2 in the 33rd over before falling away to Australia’s collection of spinners and at Headingley they had the visitors 161 for 6 and 221 for 9 before Alex Carey swung the momentum.Related

Could more crushing ODI failure be just what England need?

Carey takes his chance to silence hostile Headingley

In both matches, Australia have found key performances from potentially unlikely sources, firstly with Marnus Labuschagne’s three wickets then Carey’s superb 74 off 67 balls from an opening that only presented itself due to Josh Inglis’ injury.With Australia struck down by illness ahead of Trent Bridge, it always felt as though that was going to prove a big missed opportunity for England and so it proved as Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Glenn Maxwell returned at Headingley and combined to take 7 for 119. With an eye to the future, Aaron Hardie’s performance was also significant with 2 for 26.England have some of the building blocks to make their attempts at rejuvenation a success. Ben Duckett is in excellent form, Jamie Smith is a high-class batter whatever colour ball he is facing, Brydon Carse could yet replicate the Liam Plunkett role – even if Carse says it’s never been spoken about – Adil Rashid remains world-class (although replacing him is a concern) and there is a collection of quicks with genuine pace.However, at the moment they seem unable to quite find their groove, especially with the bat, with Brook’s comments about not caring whether batters are caught attempting to clear the boundary not yet carrying the weight of when Eoin Morgan backed his team’s ultra-aggressive mantra in 2015. There is time yet for the rebuild to come together; Chester-le-Street would be a good place to start to at least ensure this series remains undecided for a few more days.Form guide(last five completed matches, most recent first)
England LLLWL
Australia WWWWW4:07

The Huddle: Smith recalls his battle with Archer in Ashes 2019

In the spotlight: Phil Salt and Steven SmithPhil Salt appears to have the task of playing the ultra-aggressive opener but he hasn’t looked entirely convincing in the first two matches. At Trent Bridge he seemed somewhat perplexed when bowled as he gave himself room against Ben Dwarshuis then at Headingley he was given a working over by Josh Hazlewood. He survived a review for a caught behind and was dropped at slip as he flayed at Hazlewood’s relentless short-of-a-length line around off stump before edging through to Carey. He will, no doubt, be fully backed to continue in the same vein but Australia’s quick bowlers are not easy to smash off their lengths.Back home, Steven Smith is at the centre of the key debate in Australian men’s cricket – or at least as much as these things raise attention during the September football final season – about where he will bat when India arrive for the Test series. For now he’s been at No. 3 and 4 in this series and would no doubt like a decent score. He looked in good touch in the opening game before offering a return catch to Liam Livingstone then was beaten by a superb delivery from Matthew Potts at Headingley. There is a good chance of a second rematch with Jofra Archer which always makes for compelling viewing.Team news: Archer in line for return, Australia hopeful illness has passedArcher would appear likely to slot back in having been given his expected rest at Headingley. Who he replaces will be interesting: Olly Stone bowled with good pace in Leeds, Potts was excellent and Carse adds some batting depth at No. 8. England felt potentially a seamer light in the last game, but without a true pace-bowling allrounder it’s hard to squeeze another option in.England: (possible) 1 Ben Duckett, 2 Phil Salt, 3 Will Jacks, 4 Harry Brook (capt), 5 Jamie Smith (wk), 6 Liam Livingstone, 7 Jacob Bethell, 8 Brydon Carse, 9 Jofra Archer, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Matthew PottsBen Dwarshuis has flown home after picking up a pectoral injury which restricted him to just four overs on debut in Nottingham. However, other than that Australia are hopeful of having a full squad to select from for the first time in the series. If Inglis is fit it creates an interesting call to make after Carey’s success in the last match. Inglis could play as a specialist batter, but there isn’t room for that, either, unless there’s some rotation. The north of England in September may require an extra pace-bowling option with Cameron Green and Sean Abbott available.Australia: (possible) 1 Travis Head, 2 Matthew Short, 3 Mitchell Marsh (capt), 4 Steven Smith, 5 Marnus Labuschagne, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 Glenn Maxwell, 8 Aaron Hardie, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam ZampaPitch and conditionsTeams were forced to train indoors on Monday but the forecast for game day is a little better, albeit with the chance of showers. To say it will be mild might be stretching things. Overhead conditions could assist the bowlers although pitches at Chester-le-Street are usually pretty good for batting in one-day cricket.Stats and trivia Starc needs one more wicket to move into fourth spot alone in Australia’s ODI tally. He equalled Mitchell Johnson on 239 during the previous game. England have two ODI centuries in the XI which played at Trent Bridge – one apiece for Duckett and Salt – while Australia had 28. England have a 3-1 winning record at Chester-le-Street against Australia. In 2018, Aaron Finch and Shaun Marsh struck centuries but England comfortably chased 311 as Jason Roy made 101 off 83 balls. Only three players from that game will likely appear this time: Carey, Travis Head and Adil RashidQuotes”There have been big changes, new batters, new bowlers. It will take time. It will always take time when it is a rebuilding process. We have got every base covered in terms of bowling, batting, keeping. Everything is there for us.”
Adil Rashid on England’s new era“There’s been a big emphasis on being flexible, being adaptable, there’s so many players who have cemented their spots – Travis at the top, Mitch [Marsh] through the middle then you’ve got Smith, Labuschagne – so it’s just about filling the roles as they pop up, whether it’s with the bat or ball, just being adaptable, jump up and down the order, and be able to contribute wherever possible.”

Nottingham Forest have now made an approach to sign an “unstoppable” forward, who is set to be available for a fee of £39m this summer, according to reports.

Nottingham Forest eyeing replacement for Elanga

Anthony Elanga is set to sign for Newcastle United in a £55m deal, meaning Edu Gaspar’s first task as Global Head of Football will be to find a replacement for the winger, although it may not be a quick process.

Speaking about the way in which he goes about making new additions to the Forest squad, Edu said: “You can’t just sign for the sake of signing. It has to be a process that takes weeks and weeks. Right there on my desk, I have reports with over 180 pages on a player. It’s really detailed.

“Physical, technical, and mental profiles, whether they have Premier League experience, whether they’ll be able to adapt. It’s all there. We analyse our weaknesses, where we can improve, where we can invest, and then we go looking for that new name.”

Seemingly PSV Eindhoven’s Johan Bakayoko ticks a lot of boxes for Edu, as Forest have now entered talks over a deal for the winger, who is viewed as a direct replacement for Elanga.

However, the 22-year-old is not the only option on the shortlist, with the Tricky Trees also making an approach to sign Benfica winger Kerem Akturkoglu, according to an update from reporter Kutlu Akpinar on X.

Forest were the “first” team to make contact over a deal for the forward, and they were told that €45m (£39m) would be enough to get a deal done, although there could be competition for his signature.

The Turk has made it clear that the only team he wants to play for in his home country is Galatasaray, but there could be rival interest from within the Premier League, as Sunderland and Everton are also named as potential suitors.

Nottingham Forest join race to sign "fantastic" £50m+ Elanga replacement

Newcastle are still pushing to sign Elanga.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 7, 2025

"Unstoppable" Akturkoglu could be fantastic signing for Forest

Once lauded as “unstoppable” by U23 football scout Antonio Mango, the Benfica star was a regular source of goals and assists last season, picking up 22 goal contributions in the Liga Portugal alone.

With Forest set to embark on a European adventure, Nuno Espirito Santo will also be keen to bring in players with experience in the biggest competitions, and the 26-year-old also caught the eye in the 2024-25 Champions League, netting four goals.

Considering the former Galatasaray man has predominantly featured at left-wing throughout his career to date, it is unclear whether he would be viewed as a direct replacement for Elanga, but he could be a fantastic addition to the squad nonetheless.

Not only that, but Forest should be in a strong position to beat Sunderland and Everton to Akturkoglu’s signature, given that European football will be on offer at the City Ground next season.