Manchester City are set to battle Barcelona for the signing of Joshua Kimmich from Bayern Munich this summer.
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Kimmich entering final year of dealGermany star unsettled at BayernBarcelona and City interestedWHAT HAPPENED?
According to , City are looking to capitalise on Kimmich growing 'unsettled' at Bayern following Thomas Tuchel's reign at the Allianz Arena. The midfielder is currently being monitored by both Barcelona and City ahead of the summer transfer window, with both clubs eager to secure his services moving forward.
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Pep Guardiola was in charge of Bayern when the club purchased Kimmich from RB Leipzig and is now eager to reunite with the versatile midfielder at the Etihad Stadium. The German international is entering the final year of his current deal at Bayern, meaning the Bundesliga giants could look to cash in on the player this summer.
WHAT KIMMICH SAID
Speaking to , the German answered questions about his future, saying: "I want to talk to Bayern. And when I do that, I won't go out and talk to the press about it."
He also commented on links to Barcelona, adding: "At the moment I'm not thinking about this. As I already said, I will speak to Bayern first. But of course, Barcelona and Real Madrid are amazing clubs with an amazing history."
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Despite his future at club level currently being uncertain, Kimmich must shift focus to Euro 2024 with Germany as he and his team-mates look to secure the international honour in front of their home crowd.
Unbeaten Glamorgan miss bonus batting point despite the efforts of Graham Wagg
ECB Reporters Network19-Jun-2019Rain washed away hopes of a final-day run chase at Radlett as Middlesex and Glamorgan were forced to settle for a draw.Middlesex, who held a 247-run advantage when play was halted with 58 overs scheduled to be bowled, appeared to be toying with the idea of setting their visitors a target.But the bad weather that had already disrupted days one and three returned to dispel any possibility of a positive outcome to the inaugural County Championship fixture at Cobden Hill.The draw leaves Middlesex with just one victory from their first seven Championship games, while Glamorgan remain undefeated this season and will go into the second half of the campaign occupying a promotion spot.The initial target for the Welshmen, resuming at 274 for 9 in the morning, was to try and snatch an additional batting bonus point by hitting the 300 mark.They fell 12 runs short despite the efforts of Graham Wagg, who eventually perished for 48 as he heaved a Tom Helm bouncer into the hands of Nick Gubbins, running in from the boundary.However, Middlesex appeared reluctant to force the pace and build on their 122-run lead at the start of their second innings, with tight bowling by Marchant de Lange and Lukas Carey restricting them to only two boundaries in the first 15 overs.Timm Van der Gugten made the breakthrough for the visitors, with Marnus Labuschagne snapping up Stevie Eskinazi at point, while opening partner Sam Robson hit 36 before he fell to Charlie Hemphrey’s superbly-judged catch in the deep.Gubbins did appear keen to accelerate proceedings, blazing four fours and a six in his breezy knock of 38 before he departed lbw, attempting to reverse-sweep Labuschagne, who took 2 for 25.Dawid Malan followed that up with 18 from as many deliveries, but he was caught behind off de Lange for the second time in the match as the home side struggled to gain traction.Paul Stirling and George Scott advanced the Middlesex total to 125 for 4 from 33 overs before light drizzle developed into heavier rain and the players left the field at 2.15pm.Umpires Graham Lloyd and Neil Bainton eventually abandoned the contest at 4pm, with Middlesex taking 12 points to Glamorgan’s nine.
Assuming the weather gives the players a chance, England versus West Indies ought to be one of the match-ups of the tournament
The Preview by Andrew Miller13-Jun-2019Big PictureThrill-seekers, “atten-shun!”Here’s a clash of the heavyweights to make the mouth water (assuming the water that’s currently on the Hampshire Bowl outfield deigns to recede in good time, of course). A tussle between two of the hardest-hitting batting line-ups in the tournament, not to mention some of the fastest, nastiest bowlers on display in this World Cup (a prospect that, for differing reasons, has probably taken some seasoned observers somewhat by surprise).All this is due to unfold on one of the best batting surfaces in the country – a venue where England shared 734 runs with Pakistan on their last trip to Southampton in May. And given the fireworks that these two teams laid on in the Caribbean earlier this year, there could be few better settings for what, among other things, could also be seen as an unofficial series decider – with the sides locked at 2-2 after an astonishing one-day leg of England’s tour in February, the winner clearly stands to take it all in terms of bragging rights.The jeopardy of the contest has been heightened by the events of the last few days. Australia’s defeat of Pakistan has propelled their curiously ill-balanced but spirited band of brawlers right into the semi-final mix, while the wash-out between India and New Zealand – the two remaining unbeaten teams – is a blow to those around them who would have been anticipating one or other dropping a full two points up at Trent Bridge.Instead they’ve both consolidated their statuses by a point, which means that if (IF!) there is a positive result in Southampton, the negative effect on the losers will be exacerbated. Certainly England will have earmarked this contest as an “ought to win”, given that their last three fixtures of the group stage are arguably the toughest of the lot, against India, Australia and New Zealand.Meanwhile West Indies, who tripped up from a commanding position against Australia and then were thwarted by the rain against South Africa, will need something more positive than three points to show for their enterprising start to the campaign, especially with fixtures against India and New Zealand still to come, not to mention their next outing, in Taunton on Monday, coming against the Bangladesh team that pipped them in the tri-series in Ireland last month.At ease: Sheldon Cottrell provided the early breakthrough for West Indies•Getty ImagesBut, as the players themselves will doubtless be reminded, all that matters in this World Cup is the team that’s in front of you on the day. And the dramatis personae on both sides makes for a compelling cast-list. The power of Chris Gayle on the one hand, versus the panache of Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow on the other; the silky speed of Jofra Archer versus the brutalist architecture of the fearsome Oshane Thomas.The savagery of Andre Russell’s six-hitting versus the preposterous boundary-plundering of Jos Buttler; the cultured anchor roles that Shai Hope and Joe Root can provide for their respective sides. And not to mention the battle of the captains, Eoin Morgan and Jason Holder, two of the most impressive leaders of men in the world game, whose tactical nous is matched by the degree to which they’ve managed to mould teams in their own image.It could – it should – be some of the most compelling viewing of a World Cup that may be spluttering in the puddles right at this moment, but which has already produced some outstanding match-ups on the days when the heavens have relented. Here’s hoping the clouds can give this contest a break. It’s one that promises to be unmissable.Form guideEngland WLWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first) West Indies LWLLWIn the spotlightIt’s all about Jofra, who else? There are “no secrets” in Jofra Archer’s methods, claimed Floyd Reifer earlier this week, given that he was a regular in West Indies’ age-group teams until his omission for the 2014 Under-19 World Cup prompted a move from Barbados to Brighton, and thence to the world stage. But there will be no shortage of spice when one of the bowlers of the tournament to date lines up against the men with whom he is surely sharing a dressing-room in a parallel universe. The liquid pace that he is able to generate from his near effortless run-up has already produced some startling moments in this tournament, not least the savage bouncer which rattled Hashim Amla’s grille and left him with concussion. And as he admitted in that South Africa match, the adrenalin of his World Cup debut drove his game, and his pace, to rare heights. You might presume that this contest will get his appetite similarly whetted.Trevor Bayliss apparently had a wry smile on his face when asked for his opinion of Sheldon Cottrell’s victory salutes – though the trouble with the edgiest of quotes is that they get stripped of context as soon as they are laid out on a flat page of words. And sure enough, having claimed that Cottrell’s antics “probably piss me off more than anyone else”, Bayliss laid the groundwork for some extra jubilant send-offs on Friday – “exactly, more salute to come!! Aaaatttennntiooon!” said Chris Gayle on Instagram in response to an ESPNcricinfo post. And no matter what England’s players may privately think of the man himself, there’s clearly something about Cottrell’s methods that place substance over style. He’s scalped five wickets in the tournament to date, including two in four overs on this ground in Monday’s washout against South Africa.Team newsEngland’s hopes of fighting West Indian fire with their own fully-loaded arsenal have taken a slight hit with the news that Mark Wood’s dodgy ankle has been playing up again. He is expected to undergo a fitness test on the morning of the game, but with five more group matches to come before the semis, and England reasonably well placed at this early stage of the round-robin, prudence might be the order of the day. Moeen Ali, who missed the Bangladesh match to attend his daughter’s birth, is likely to slot back into the twin spin attack, alongside Adil Rashid.England: (probable) 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jonny Bairstow, 3 Joe Root, 4 Eoin Morgan (capt), 5 Ben Stokes, 6 Jos Buttler (wk), 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Chris Woakes, 9 Adil Rashid, 10 Liam Plunkett, 11 Jofra Archer.Russell remains the biggest unknown quantity for West Indies on the eve of the contest. He was rested for the South Africa match in a bid to manage his long-term knee problem, and Holder admitted that a decision on whether he plays or not will “boil down to how he wakes up tomorrow morning and feels”. Kemar Roach is a suitable pacy understudy, although he lacks the explosive power with the bat. Evin Lewis also missed the last match after being struck on the hand in practice but is expected to be fit to return in place of Darren Bravo.West Indies: (probable) 1 Chris Gayle, 2 Evin Lewis, Shai Hope (wk), 4 Nicholas Pooran, 5 Shimron Hetmeyer, 6 Jason Holder (capt), 7 Andre Russell, 8 Carlos Brathwaite, 9 Ashley Nurse, 10 Sheldon Cottrell, 11 Oshane Thomas.Pitch and conditionsThe weather in Hampshire has been miserable all week, so it’s a matter of sitting tight and hoping for clearish skies come the toss on Friday. Quite how the pitch will have been affected is anyone’s guess – it hasn’t been seen for days. But given the life that West Indies’ quicks extracted in the 7.3 overs available to them against South Africa, it promises to be another bowl-first day.Strategy punts The tastiest match-up of this contest is surely the resumption of the nascent rivalry between opening batsman and bowler, Gayle and Archer, which has so far been limited to five innings across three T20 campaigns (one BPL and two IPLs). Gayle, true to reputation, hasn’t stood on ceremony, cracking 35 runs from 25 balls faced all told. But he has been dismissed by Archer on two occasions for an average of 17.50. By his lofty standards, Gayle’s overall record against 140kph-plus bowlers is less than stellar – he has been harassed by Trent Boult in recent match-ups and was given out three times against Mitchell Starc last week before a decision finally stuck. Another factor will be the importance of running between the wickets on one of the largest playing areas in the competition – rarely a Gayle forte, or that of many of his team-mates for that matter, who prefer to let their six-hitting do the running. With no legspinner in West Indies’ ranks, Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow may finally be presented with an all-pace new-ball attack at the top of England’s order. Cottrell enjoyed early success against both men in West Indies’ win in Barbados in February.Stats and trivia England may never yet have won the World Cup, but at least they can say they haven’t lost to West Indies in the tournament since they lifted the last of their two crowns in 1979. England were the beaten finalists at Lord’s in 1979, when West Indies successfully defended their title. Since then, they have won all five of their encounters across four tournaments – two in 1987, and one each in 1992, 2007 and 2011. With 215 runs at 71.67 and a strike-rate of 118.8, Roy has been one of the outstanding performers in this World Cup. His record, however, is a far cry from his role in the 2017 Champions Trophy, when he was dropped after a run of 18 runs in the same number of games. The focus on Friday may be on the quicker bowlers on both teams, but one of the most penetrative in recent England-West Indies games has been Holder – who has dismissed Bairstow, Root, Ben Stokes and Buttler on two occasions each.Quotes”It is not frustration because we learnt a huge amount about growing our game out in the West Indies. I think it’s important to have days where you are beaten or can’t beat a side because you then look even more into areas of improvement. You almost look outwardly and say, ‘What were we missing today?'” “I don’t think it will change, that’s just Sheldon. I guess Trevor will just have learn to accept it [smiling].”
A Spanish court has ordered an official investigation into former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique over the Spanish Super Cup's Saudi Arabia deal.
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Pique under investigation by Spanish courtRFEF deal with Saudi facilitated by PiquePique's company received funds from dealWHAT HAPPENED?
A formal investigation has been launched over the former La Roja defender's alleged role in a deal that saw the Spanish Super Cup relocated to Saudi Arabia as per The Athletic. In exchange for brokering the arrangement, Pique's company Kosmos negotiated agreements with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) that would pay it €40 million (£34 million) and give the RFEF €400 million (£340 million). The 37-year-old has now been formally added to the list of individuals who are the subject of an official inquiry into the suspected offences.
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Since June 2022, the court has been looking into whether former RFEF president Luis Rubiales committed a crime of 'improper' management when the federation decided to shift the event in conjunction with Piqué's Kosmos business. In March, police informed Rubiales—who has denied any wrongdoing—that he was a suspect in the investigation after he returned from two months in the Dominican Republic on what he characterised as a work vacation. In the corruption investigation, police searched Rubiales' house and the headquarters of the RFEF in March and detained seven individuals during the search.
DID YOU KNOW?
Pique played twice for Barcelona in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia and on both occasions, Barcelona and Pique failed to make it to the final. It wasn't until after Pique's sudden retirement in November of 2022, that the Catalan side won the tournament.
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WHAT NEXT FOR PIQUE?
The former defender has taken a hobby of streaming on Twitch over the last year, and it is expected that he will respond to the charge in due time. Meanwhile, the investigations will continue in the background.
Every transfer window, Manchester United are linked to masses of players, and that has only enhanced this January with Erik ten Hag’s side struggling to live up to the high standards of a Red Devils team.
Nevertheless, the focus for this window will be on outgoings rather than arrivals, but the boss is still keen to make at least one addition to help his side recover from their disappointing first half of the season, which sees them sit in seventh in the Premier League.
In fairness to the boss, injuries have played a role in preventing him from fielding his best side this season. That said, things are beginning to look more positive behind the scenes with Omar Berrada, previously of rivals Manchester City set to replace Richard Arnold as the club's new CEO.
Having previously helped broker deals for Erling Haaland and Jack Grealish, it's safe to say he knows a thing or two when it comes to the transfer window. Thus, what could United’s dream starting XI look like once Berrada's had a chance to get his feet under the table when he arrives later in the year?
1 GK – Andre Onana
United’s number one shot-stopper, Andre Onana, will continue to start in between the sticks.
The former Ajax star has kept the joint second-most clean sheets in the Premier League, despite dealing with plenty of critics.
2 RB – Diogo Dalot
Diogo Dalot
Diogo Dalot will face stiff competition from Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the right-back spot, but the Portuguese should start over the English full-back.
Ten Hag has favoured Dalot this season, and he has started all but three Premier League games this season while averaging the most tackles per game in the United team, 2.3.
3 CB – Jean-Claire Todibo
Nice defenderJean-Clair Todibo.
Jean-Claire Todibo is the first new name to feature in the United starting XI, with the centre-back replacing fellow French star Raphael Varane in the team.
According to reports in France earlier this month, the Red Devils are favourites to land the Nice defender, however, due to the hefty fee of around £52m, a move is likely to occur in the summer instead.
The 24-year-old has been a rock at the heart of the Nice backline, helping his side pick up eight clean sheets this season, which is why scout Jacek Kulig described him as a "French wall." Todibo would elevate United in possession and when playing out from the back, as he ranks in the top 8% for passes completed in Ligue 1.
4 CB – Lisandro Martinez
Lisandro Martinez returned from injury against Spurs last time out, which caused an almighty cheer from the Stretford End.
The Argentine is the first choice left centre-back and has been since his arrival in the summer of 2022. The World Cup winner will not be displaced in the defence.
5 LB – Luke Shaw
Luke Shaw is another player who is nursing an injury currently, but he should be back fit for Wolves away on the 1st of February.
When in the side, he offers a staggering amount of progression from deep, and last season he ranked in the top 8% among positionally similar players in the Premier League for passes into the final third, as per FBref. The 28-year-old walks into the United team when he is available.
6 DM – Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo won Ten Hag over during pre-season, and due to injuries to Casemiro, and Sofyan Amrabat failing to impress, the 18-year-old has cemented himself as a guaranteed starter in the midfield.
Despite being inexperienced, the academy prospect shows maturity in and out of possession, and given his lack of competitors, the boss should continue to show faith in the star boy.
7 DM – Youssouf Fofana
Youssouf-Fofana-in-action-for-France
The second potential new signing for Man United is Youssouf Fofana of Monaco. Towards the end of December, reports suggested that Ten Hag's team were monitoring the French midfielder and could make a move before the end of January.
Fofana – previously compared to none other than Paul Pogba on Football FanCast – is a midfielder who can operate in multiple roles within the centre of the pitch, but he is at his best in a double pivot where he can act as a box-to-box player, much like Pogba.
His shots total of 1.8 per game and his key passes of 1.3 per match highlight the 25-year-old's ability to affect the game in the final third, while his athleticism and power let him cover ground quickly.
Christian Eriksen or Scott Mctominay have been used alongside Mainoo as of late, but Fofana would walk into the team ahead of the underperforming duo.
8 RW – Alejandro Garnacho
With Antony failing to score or assist this season, Ten Hag has been forced to move Alejandro Garnacho over to an unfamiliar right-hand side role. However, since operating on the right, he has thrived and shown the United faithful what they have been missing.
The 19-year-old has the joint-second-most goal contributions with five, averages 2.3 shots per game, and 1.4 successful dribbles, for the Red Devils this season. The Argentine is most definitely nailed down in the right-wing role for the time being, but Amad Diallo could provide competition soon.
9 AM – Bruno Fernandes
michael-olise-bruno-fernandes-liverpool-opinion
Portuguese Magnifico and United captain Bruno Fernandes is arguably the only irremovable player in the starting XI. The 28-year-old started every single Premier League game he was available for last season, and he created the most big chances in the league, 32.
The number eight hasn't quite been at his best this season, but he still leads the way for shots, key passes, and assists.
10 LW – Marcus Rashford
Manchester United's Marcus Rashford.
Marcus Rashford is having a troubled campaign so far, but his performances have improved recently, and he has contributed to a goal in each of his last four.
The number ten netted 17 goals in the Premier League last season, and when he is confident, there are not many better forwards in the Premier League, never mind United. With Garnacho swapping flanks, Rashford will make the left wing his home again.
Kane Williamson says it was “a real shame that the tournament was decided in the way it was” after defeat on boundary countback
Nagraj Gollapudi15-Jul-2019Gary Stead, New Zealand’s head coach, has suggested that the possibility of sharing the World Cup was something that “should be considered” after his side were denied in a heartbreaking finish at Lord’s on Sunday. The teams could not be separated after 100 overs and also tied the Super Over, but England lifted the trophy after winning on boundary countback.Having slept on the result, Kane Williamson described the manner in which the final was decided “a real shame”. New Zealand had further cause to be disappointed, after it transpired that England should almost certainly have only been awarded five overthrows, rather than six in the final over of regulation time.”Make sense of it? I think that’ll take quite a bit of time actually,” Williamson said. “Such a fine line. May be the worst part is there is so much you can’t control in those situations and it still sort of eventuates the way it did. All in all it was a real shame that the tournament was decided in the way it was after two teams went at it. And two good teams were playing a cricket game, but it was still a tie.ALSO READ: Kimber: How the greatest ODI finish played outStead and Craig McMillan, New Zealand’s batting coach, agreed that allowing England and the Blackcaps to share the World Cup would have been an ideal finish. Asked during a media interaction at the team hotel whether he would have preferred New Zealand being declared joint winners, Stead was open to the suggestion.”Perhaps when you play over a seven-week period and can’t be separated on the final day, that is something should be considered as well,” Stead said. “But again that’s one consideration over a whole lot of things that went on over the World Cup. Everything will be reviewed, and I think that it’s a good time to do it now. But probably just let the dust settle for a while.”However, McMillan, whose contract finished with the World Cup, was more straightforward, saying sharing the trophy would have been the “right thing” in contrast to the tie-breaker in the form of the Super Over, a rule adopted last year by the ICC. “It is not going to change yesterday’s result. But what is probably fair to say at the end of seven weeks in a big tournament like this, when you have two teams can’t be separated after a 50-over match and then a Super Over and neither team did actually lose in many ways in terms of runs scored.”Then perhaps sharing the trophy would be the right thing to do. Wasn’t to be yesterday, which we all are disappointed with. But it is sport and those were the rules.”A sign signals the game is going to a Super Over•Getty ImagesThere were a number of turning points during England’s chase, with several occurring one after the other in the final half hour. The biggest was when Martin Guptill’s return throw from deep midwicket hit the back of Ben Stokes’ bat and ricocheted for four overthrows, thus reducing England’s target to a mere three runs from two balls. The on-field umpires Kumar Dharmasena and Marais Erasmus consulted the TV umpire before declaring the six runs.Subsequently, as reported by ESPNcricinfo, it seems England were actually wrongly awarded an extra run. Simon Taufel, a former ICC Elite Panel umpire, said the match officials had “goofed up”. New Zealand remained unaware of exact wording of the rule even the day after.Williamson said he trusted the match officials’ word and refused to complain about how things turned out. “I actually wasn’t aware of the finer rule at the point in time,” Williamson said. “Obviously you are trusting the umpires in what they do. You throw that into the mix of few hundred other things that may have been different that we wouldn’t be just talking about one thing.”Two great campaigns. From our side of things, we are really proud of the ay the guys went about their business. And am sure the English were as well, they had a great campaign. It sort of showed – we went toe-to-toe and it was the fine print that decided it.”Watch on Hotstar (India only) – The final overs of the chaseStead, too, tried hard to be realistic. He felt New Zealand could do nothing but accept their fate. He felt Super Over probably was currently the only way to pick a winner until the ICC devised a better solution. “That is one,” he said of the idea of having several Super Overs, again and again, until there’s a winner. “I guess a valid way as well. The hard thing I find is a 50-over competition being decided on a one-over bout, just doesn’t seem quite right, but then I don’t write the rules. That’s the way it goes.”Both Stead and McMillan were confident the ICC would review whether the Super Over was indeed the best way to deal with the scenario like a tie in a World Cup final. But for New Zealand, as McMillan said, nothing would change now.”Small margin this, isn’t it? I don’t know that rule to be perfectly honest. I have played a lot of games of cricket, watched a lot of cricket – overthrows have just been added to what has been run as opposed to the point of the throw coming in. So, again, it will be something that will be something debated, discussed, but again it doesn’t change the result.”
Former England striker Wayne Rooney believes Jack Grealish deserved a place in Gareth Southgate's squad at Euro 2024.
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Grealish surprisingly dropped from squadRooney believes Man City star deserved spotNames player he would drop for wingerWHAT HAPPENED?
Manchester City winger Grealish was cut from the squad when Southgate announced his 26-man team for the competition in Germany this summer, much to the surprise of many. Even Grealish's own Three Lions co-stars were reportedly shocked by the manager's decision and one senior player is said to have approached him for an explanation.
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Instead, the likes of Chelsea sensation Cole Palmer, Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze and West Ham attacker Jarrod Bowen were included in the squad after doing a better job than Grealish when it comes to impressing Southgate during the 2023-24 campaign. However, Rooney believes the City winger should be there, citing Bowen as the one he would drop in favour of the ex-Aston Villa hero.
WHAT ROONEY SAID
"Grealish, I would have taken him." Rooney said on podcast ahead of the tournament. "Bowen on the right, they have Saka, Cole Palmer, Foden could play out there. I would have taken Grealish instead of Bowen."
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Southgate will hope he does not come to regret his decision to leave Grealish out of the squad as England prepare to embark on their Euro 2024 journey. The beaten Euro 2020 finalists' campaign begins with a game against Serbia before they meet Denmark and Slovenia.
Arsenal's win over Liverpool on Sunday afternoon has blown open the Premier League title race.
Mikel Arteta's men were spectacular on the night and managed to amass an awe-inspiring expected goals figure of 3.76 – the most the Reds have conceded under Jürgen Klopp.
Yet, there were still a couple of notable misses from the home side, such as the header from Bukayo Saka in the first half and the one from Jakub Kiwior in the second 45 that highlighted the team's need for a clinical number nine.
Former Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema was heavily touted for a move to N5 last month, and while some fans would have been understandably disappointed that he wasn't signed, his absence means there is still a chance for one of Hale End's most impressive graduates to make his way into the team.
The Gunners' interest in Benzema
Historically speaking, the north Londoners have been interested in signing the French number nine for well over a decade at this point, with stories from 2013 touting him for a move to the Emirates when it looked as if it wasn't going to work out for him at the Bernabéu – how different things could have been.
However, in this instance, the links to the 2022 Ballon d'Or winner originated last month when a flood of stories claimed the striker was unhappy in Saudi Arabia and was seeking a move back to Europe.
A number of clubs were linked, including Chelsea, Lyon and Arsenal, but in the end, the Frenchman remained with Al-Ittihad – an outcome his accountant surely celebrated.
While the arrival of a veteran who scored 19 goals in 24 La Liga appearances last season would have undoubtedly improved the Gunners in the short-term, his absence could pay dividends in the long-term.
Arsenal's great hope
Hale End has long produced some brilliant talent for the Arsenal first team – look at Saka and Emile Smith Rowe – and it seems like it has created another star in the making, Ethan Nwaneri.
Now, the first thing to note is that, yes, the 16-year-old is currently considered to be an attacking midfielder and not an out-and-out number nine like Benzema is, but there is no apparent reason as to why he couldn't be given a chance to play there; after all, Harry Kane started out as a deep-lying midfielder as a youth player.
Moreover, the London-born gem is no stranger to the centre-forward role as it's his second most played position with Arsenal's youth sides, and his goal record suggests that he should be playing higher up the pitch to boot.
Described as "a true goal-scorer" by data analyst Ben Mattinson, in his 42 appearances for Arsenal across the U18, U21 and UEFA Youth League sides, Nwaneri has scored 20 goals and provided nine assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.44 games – a genuinely impressive return for a 16-year-old.
Ethan Nwaneri's Youth Career
Club
Arsenal
Appearances
42
Goals
20
Assists
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.69
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Arteta clearly sees a bright future ahead for the "sensational" youngster, as dubbed by Mattinson, as he made him the youngest Premier League player of all time when he gave him his debut against Brentford last season at just 15 years and 181 days old.
Arsenal can forget about Frimpong by promoting their "own Reece James"
The 20-year-old has been tearing it up in the Championship.
ByJack Salveson Holmes Feb 5, 2024
Ultimately, the chance to sign Benzema is gone, and while the club might finally add an experienced number nine to the team in the summer, the emergence of Nwaneri is something that should excite fans, and if he is given a chance to prove his abilities in the first team he could go on to do great things in north London.
With the 36-year-old Benzema would have been an eye-catching short-term fix for the title hopefuls, Nwaneri could represent a sparkling long-term solution for those at N17…
Inter Miami continue to push for inclusion in the Copa Libertadores, with Argentine talisman Lionel Messi having never graced that competition.
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Argentine left his homeland at 13 years of ageSpent time in Spain, France & AmericaHerons trying to earn invite to major competitionWHAT HAPPENED?
Despite being a South American native, Messi headed to Barcelona at the age of 13. He was forced to sever ties with the Catalan giants in 2021, but is yet to return to his roots – with a move made to Paris Saint-Germain before linking up with David Beckham in Florida during the summer of 2023.
Get the MLS Season Pass today!Stream games nowAdvertisementGettyWHAT MAS SAID
Jorge Mas is the majority shareholder at Inter Miami and has reiterated his desire to see Messi given a chance to savour a historic Copa Libertadores triumph while plying his trade in MLS. Mas has told : “We aspire to one day participate in the Libertadores. I think it is an important goal, it is a tournament that Leo has never participated in. We also want to elevate the league to have participation and would love to see if we are given the opportunity, the possibility of participating in the Club World Cup next year, and obviously again in four years for 2029. We aspire to a lot.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE
Mas has also pointed out that Inter Miami will do all they can to ensure that Messi is not the last modern day legend to grace their books, with big plans for the future being drawn up. He added: “There will always be talk of an era of before and after Messi in the development of soccer in the United States, it is the largest market in the world but it is in its soccer infancy. But I think that we are going to continue aspiring to have a team, a squad that can compete in international tournaments. We are going to continue dreaming big, always wanting the best footballers in the world to play for Inter Miami. Having Lionel here has been a blessing for the club, for football in this country. I think he is having an extremely good time, his family is happy here and we are very happy.”
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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR MESSI?
Messi is tied to a contract through the 2025 MLS campaign, but has the option of a 12-month extension. Triggering that clause would keep him in America for a World Cup in 2026 that will be co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
England’s unlikely hero at Lord’s has long aspired to contributing more with the bat
Matt Roller25-Jul-2019Jack Leach’s maiden Test fifty took plenty by surprise. It came as an opener – he faced the final over on Wednesday evening as a nightwatchman – on a difficult batting pitch, and his slightly ungainly style coupled with a first-class average a shade below 11 going into this game did not suggest a man with much natural talent.When he was finally taken at slip off Tim Murtagh for 92, he had produced the second-highest score by an England opener since the retirement of Alastair Cook. Although he fell short of getting his name on the Lord’s honours board, Leach was roundly applauded from the pitch after helping to erase England’s 122-run deficit and give them a chance in the Test after being bowled out for 85 in the first innings.Speaking to Sky Sports afterwards, Leach was proud but crestfallen at getting so close to an extraordinary slice of Lord’s history. “I was telling myself not to think about it, which probably means I was thinking about it,” he said. “Yeah, it wasn’t to be but I tried my best and that was all I could do.”Despite spending most of his career as a tailender, Leach has worked hard on his batting over the past three years in particular, revealing in interviews with BBC Somerset that he had been focusing on improvement since becoming an England contender.”It was nice to be out there this morning, trying to eat up some balls and take the shine off the ball and make it easier for the batters coming in,” he said. “That’s what I was looking at, and then it was just about seeing how far you can take it. You just take it one ball at a time, one ball at a time.”Leach has one career hundred to his name in senior cricket, and unbeaten 123 off 178 balls against Nottinghamshire’s 2nd XI back in 2015. He has also scored a pair of first-class fifties, both against Lancashire at Old Trafford in 2017 and 2018.On his Test debut in Christchurch in 2018, he scored 16 in a partnership of 48 with Jonny Bairstow to help his partner reach a hundred. In the second innings Joe Root declared with him unbeaten on 14.”I said I was on for my first Test hundred, and he declared on me!” Leach said shortly after that innings. “We can save that for another day. I want [my average] higher than 30.”Everyone’s been saying how good my batting was looking, and it’s an area I work really hard on. It was nice to form a partnership with Jonny and get him to his hundred, and just be annoying to New Zealand, so it’s an area I want to keep moving forward on, and it’s important that I keep contributing.”It shows I haven’t really scored the runs I should have done for Somerset, but I’m still learning.”In a previous interview at the start of the 2017, Leach revealed he had been working on his batting as a possible route into Somerset’s white-ball teams, after a difficult winter in which he had to remodel his bowling action.”It is something I’ve been working on over the winter,” he said. “I did quite a bit with [then Somerset coach] Matt Maynard on my power-hitting, because I feel like that’s a big area to improve on if I want to get myself into the white-ball teams for one-day cricket and T20 cricket, and that went quite well over the winter.”It is something I’m working on, and it’s a good feeling hitting it for six.”This was only his second innings opening the batting in first-class cricket, and the first had also come in a Test – against Sri Lanka in Pallekele last winter. Leach’s achievement at Lord’s was all the more remarkable having not reached double-figures in his 19 previous innings, going back to that Pallekele Test.As for the match situation, Leach’s own batting effort, as a regular No.11, suggests that Ireland are firmly in command, with a minimum of 182 to chase and one wicket left to claim. But he was confident that England’s fight was far from over – and cited a thriller against India last summer as evidence.”We talked about last summer against India where, at Edgbaston, the boys feel the wicket was better there than it is here,” he said. “They defended 180 [194], and they finished 30 short, so I think you always have to keep believing, and we will definitely be doing that tomorrow.”