Arsenal are poised to negotiate contract terms with a target after reaching a club-to-club agreement on his transfer fee, with sporting director Andrea Berta closing in on another potential incoming.

International captain approves Arsenal exit with talks planned in coming days

The Gunners need to balance out their squad.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 17, 2025

The north Londoners have been very active this summer, already sealing deals for Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke and Cristhian Mosquera.

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

£140m

Madueke signed his Arsenal contract earlier this week, valid until 2030 (Fabrizio Romano), and he’s joined by Mosquera after Arsenal shook hands on a deal with Valencia to sign the 21-year-old for an initial £13 million, which could rise to £17 million through add-ons.

Arsenal are also finalising a transfer for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres, following their agreement in principle with Sporting earlier this week, and reports still surround a potential Berta swoop for Crystal Palace playmaker Eberechi Eze.

They’ve maintained interest in other high-profile left-wingers as well (Ben Jacobs), despite their move for Madueke, so we can expect Arsenal to maintain their busy charge to sign fresh additions before the new Premier League season kicks off next month.

Arsenal to discuss personal terms with Will Wright after fee agreed

Earlier this week, it was reported that Arsenal appear to have won the race to sign highly-rated Salford City striker Will Wright as well (The Sun).

The Gunners made an offer of around £250,000 to sign Wright, plus hefty add-ons, beating Liverpool’s £100,000 bid, and the likelihood is that Arsenal will soon welcome the Englishman to N5.

The teenage sensation, who’s been on fire in pre-season with four goals in three games, was handed his senior debut by Salford last season and featured against Man City in the FA Cup – highlighting just how rated he really is at the Peninsula Stadium.

The Mail and journalist Simon Jones provide an update on Mikel Arteta’s pursuit of the forward, and they report that Arsenal are now set to discuss terms with Wright in the coming days after agreeing his fee – which they report to be north of £200,000.

If all goes to plan, the 17-year-old will be another Arsenal signing of the summer, after he left scouts impressed with his pre-season performances.

He also broke the record for the highest percentage contribution by an individual batter to a team’s total

Sreshth Shah20-Aug-2024Samoa batter Darius Visser has broken the men’s T20I record for most runs in an over, against Vanuatu in the T20 World Cup East Asia-Pacific Region Qualifier in Apia on Tuesday. Visser finished with a score of 132 off 62 balls.In just his third T20I, Visser, 28, smashed six sixes in a 39-run over from Nalin Nipiko. It was the fourth time a batter had hit six sixes in an over in men’s T20Is and the first time that a team scored more than 36 runs in an over.The record was broken in the 15th over of Samoa’s innings. Visser hit the first three deliveries from Nipiko over the deep midwicket boundary after which there was a front foot no-ball. The free-hit was hit for six over the leg side, followed by a dot ball when Visser’s straight hit struck the stumps at the non-striker’s end.Nipiko overstepped for the second time and then bowled another no-ball, for height, that Visser pulled over fine leg for six. The last ball of the over was a low full toss outside off stump that Visser flicked over deep square leg to achieve the 39-run over.ESPNcricinfo LtdPreviously, there were five instances of a team scoring 36 runs in an over in men’s T20Is. India’s Yuvraj Singh was the first batter to hit six sixes in a T20I, off England’s Stuart Broad in the 2007 T20 World Cup. West Indies’ Kieron Pollard repeated the feat against Sri Lanka’s Akila Dananjaya in 2021, and Nepal’s Dipendra Singh Airee did it earlier this year.The other two instances of 36-run overs that did not contain six sixes came when West Indies – aided by Nicholas Pooran – scored 36 against Afghanistan in the 2024 T20 World Cup, and when India’s Rohit Sharma and Rinku Singh combined to score 36 against Afghanistan, also in 2024.Visser is the first Samoa batter to score a T20I century and his 14 sixes were the fifth highest in a men’s T20I innings. His score of 132, out of Samoa’s total of 174, was also the highest percentage of runs scored by a batter in a team’s innings. The second-highest score for Samoa against Vanuatu was 16 by their captain Caleb Jasmat. Visser scored 75.86% of his team’s runs surpassing the previous record of 75.1% by Australia’s Aaron Finch.According to a report in St George & Sutherland Leader, Visser grew up playing in Sydney and was a fast bowler before nagging injuries and stress fractures made him switch to legspin and batting. He also picked up a wicket as Samoa restricted Vanuatu to 164 for 9 to win the game by ten runs.

Former Australia opening batter Matthew Hayden is against the idea of Steven Smith playing as a Test opener. Hayden believes Smith should bat where he has scored most of his runs, suggesting moving him to a “completely different position” is “crazy”. Hayden, Australia’s most prolific opener in Tests before David Warner went past him in December 2023, believes that the top three positions need to be “protected” in Test cricket.”The rationale that [national selector] George Bailey gave was correct in so far as that he was choosing his best top six batsmen,” Hayden said on the sidelines of the CEAT cricket rating awards in Mumbai, of Australia’s batting plans. “Now, you can’t argue with Steven Smith, he is averaging 65 [57] in Test-match cricket…. 32 Test-match hundreds.”But, the role of an opening batsman compared to a middle-order batsman is very different. And it didn’t take long to discover that when you get into challenging conditions, like they faced in the first series outside of Australia, which was in New Zealand, that opening the batting is very difficult.”Smith played as an opener for the first time in his Test career earlier this year. First, during the two home Tests against West Indies and then in New Zealand for another two games. In those eight innings, he was out for 12 or less on five occasions and scored just one half-century – the unbeaten 91 in Brisbane – at an average of 28.50. In comparison, he averages 67.07 from No. 3 and 61.50 from No. 4.Related

• Ponting tips Australia to beat India 3-1 in Border Gavaskar Trophy

• Warner signs for full BBL, Smith inks three-year Sixers deal

• Hayden: Hard to say who has the edge in Border-Gavaskar Trophy

“I, personally, as I said at the time, was on record saying that I didn’t like changing,” Hayden added. “I think it’s crazy to think that you have the world’s best-in-class batter in a certain position. And then you change to a completely different position. For a few reasons, I think that’s crazy. Firstly, why? Such a gun in that position, such a coveted player.”And then it also is not a great nod to the first-class set-up, which is very much in the Australian culture, been driving great results towards key roles, be that any one of the roles – wicketkeeping, batting, spinners, fast bowlers, opening batters. So the [batting positions of] one, two and three is a category which needs to be protected in my opinion. It sets up play.”If Australia do move Smith back down the order, they will have to look for a new partner for opener Usman Khawaja. Since Warner’s farewell Test at the SCG at the start of this year, Smith and Khawaja have opened in all of Australia’s four Tests, and moving Smith out of the opening slot would mean giving that position to an inexperienced batter. Has that second opening slot been a concern for Australia after Warner’s departure?Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja have been the Australia openers since David Warner’s retirement•Getty Images

“Yes, it is. It is,” Hayden said. “For the first time, it doesn’t feel as secure. David Warner gave a great service to Australian cricket. He gave a service that was extremely competitive, wonderfully dynamic. He really took that legacy that I’d created through the 2000s to a new level, strike rates in excess of 80 [70] and gave great momentum to the top order, which otherwise is quite a conservative, very good, but very conservative batting line-up. So I think he’s an enormous loss in terms of how do you replace him.”Clearly, they’ve gone in the direction of Steven Smith and thus far, whether they continue with that strategy, time will tell. And we have guys like [Cameron] Bancroft that are always in the pipeline, Matt Renshaw is in the pipeline.”Bancroft, when you look at his form in England, has been excellent, but that’s domestic cricket. It’s not the Border-Gavaskar-type cricket so a bit of a few things to really prove from that engine room in Australian cricket, which has been challenged right now with David’s absence.”Smith himself has said recently that he has “no idea” about his batting position for the India Tests, and that a decision would be made after Australia’s white-ball tour of the UK starting September 4, where they play a T20I series against Scotland before three T20Is and five ODIs against England. “I’m happy anywhere and I’ll bat wherever for the team,” Smith had said. Both Cummins and Bailey have also recently hinted that Australia are likely to go with the same top six as their last four Tests to begin their Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign.

Manchester United thought they had landed themselves a real talent back in the summer of 2023, after they secured a move for Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund.

The 22-year-old cost a fee in the region of £72m two years ago, but fast-forward to the present day, he’s struggled to demonstrate why the hierarchy forked out such a fee for his signature.

He only posted a tally of four league goals last season, taking his total tally of goals for the Red Devils to 26 in his 95 appearances since his big-money move.

Hojlund even went 21 games without a goal across all competitions at one stage last season, with new boss Ruben Amorim desperately needing a new talisman during the summer.

Numerous players have been on the board’s radar this window, but no new centre forward has been signed yet, despite progress appearing to be being made on a deal for one star.

The latest on United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

Ollie Watkins has been a player who’s been firmly in the club’s sights over the last couple of months, and, unsurprisingly so given his tally of 16 goals and eight assists in the Premier League last campaign.

However, any deal for the English international may prove to be an expensive one, with Aston Villa demanding a fee in the region of £60m for his signature this summer.

Moves have been made elsewhere for a new striker, with progress being made over a deal to land forward Moise Kean, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

They claim that the Red Devils have held talks with the side over a deal for the 25-year-old Italian international, who registered 25 goals across all competitions last campaign.

It also states that he has a €52m (£44m) release clause that remains active until the 15th of July, potentially facing competition from numerous sides in Saudi Arabia for his signature.

Why United’s £44m target could be a Hojlund & Osimhen hybrid

Victor Osimhen has been another player who’s been a constant target on United’s radar over the last couple of months, after he scored 37 times on loan at Galatasaray last campaign.

The Napoli forward looks certain to leave the Italian outfit this summer, with Antonio Conte not seeing the Nigerian forward as part of his plans going forward.

Despite the Red Devils’ interest, other sides in the Middle East and Europe remain in the race for the 26-year-old’s signature, potentially being a saga that could drag on throughout the summer.

Given his goalscoring record, there’s no denying he would be a superb signing, but there are concerns over his wage demands, which could prove to be out of United’s budget.

However, Kean could prove to be a viable option, with the Italian labelled as a similar player to both Osimhen and Hojlund back in the 2022/23 season in Serie A by FBref.

When comparing their respective stats to the aforementioned duo, the former Everton star managed to outperform them both, having the chance to take his career to the next level in Manchester.

Kean, who’s been labelled “world-class” by Statman Dave, managed to post a higher goal per shot on target rate, handing Amorim’s side that clinical edge they’ve been searching for.

Games played

28

32

32

Goals & assists

6

30

11

Goals per shot on target

0.5

0.4

0.3

Progressive carries

2.7

1.5

1.9

Take-ons completed

1.4

0.8

1.3

Carries into opposition box

1.8

0.9

1.5

Fouls won

1.6

1.3

1.5

He also completed more progressive carries per 90 and more carries into the opposition box per 90, having the ability to drive into the final third and create opportunities for other players alongside himself.

The Italian also completed more take-ons, whilst winning more fouls, having the all-round ability to cause problems for the opposition defenders on a consistent basis in the Premier League.

Given the time left on his release clause, the hierarchy will have to act quickly to secure a deal for his signature, potentially getting themselves a bargain transfer this window.

If they can complete a deal for the Italian, it would be one that would fill the needed position at the top end of the pitch, taking the club up a level in 2025/26 as a result.

Amorim's answer to Kane: Man Utd in talks to sign "world-class" striker

Manchester United could finally end their pursuit of a new talisman with a move for one European star.

ByEthan Lamb Jul 11, 2025

Elland Road will no doubt be packed to the rafters when Everton travel across West Yorkshire for Leeds United’s hotly anticipated Premier League opener.

Plenty of new faces are likely to line up for Daniel Farke’s men to get the top-flight season underway, with Jaka Bijol aiming to impress in pre-season to seal a starting spot, alongside fellow fresh signing Lukas Nmecha.

Plenty more purchases are surely in the works ahead of Leeds bravely venturing up a league.

Leeds make £12m star a top priority target

It’s safe to say the Whites haven’t had it all their own way in the transfer window so far with key midfield target Habib Diarra heading to Sunderland instead with a club-record £30m wrapped up.

So, with that fresh blow still fresh in their mind, they could return to Ligue 1 to seal a different signing.

Transfer Focus

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

Indeed, as per a new report from French outlet L’Equipe, Leeds are very interested in securing the cut-price services of Lyon goalkeeper Lucas Perri this summer.

Lyon will be raided for all of their top assets off the back of the French giants being relegated to Ligue 2 following financial problems and the Whites have now made the Brazilian stopper a top priority target in a bid to improve their goalkeeper options up a division.

Leeds might well have an upper hand in the race to land the Brazilian if they are adamant he’s their desired man in between the sticks, with Saudi outfit Neom also keen on the 27-year-old ‘keeper amid rumours of a £12m bid potentially being put on the table.

Farke and Co. would happily fork out such an amount, with Bijol only costing £3m more to obtain from Udinese, as the newly promoted side continues to shop in Europe to land some gems.

How Perri could be Bijol 2.0

After all, this isn’t a transfer strategy that has just come from out of the blue for Leeds, with Raphinha once purchased for a mere £17m when leaving Rennes behind in 2020.

Obviously, the rest ended up being history for the Brazilian from that point on, with Bijol hopeful he can arrive on English shores and explode into life in a similar way to Raphinha by becoming a confident and assured performer in the deep-end of the Premier League.

His numbers when excelling in the Serie A indicate that he will be a hit at Elland Road, as seen in the Slovenian brute winning an imperious 4.8 duels on average last season in the Italian top-flight, on top of collecting eight clean sheets.

Therefore, landing the 26-year-old’s services for £15m might go down as a future steal if he is a rip-roaring success story in West Yorkshire, with the extra addition of Perri to the building potentially shoring up Farke and Co even more ahead of a daunting season.

Perri’s Ligue 1 numbers for Lyon (24/25)
Stat (* = per game_	Perri
Games played	33
Goals conceded	44
Clean sheets	10
Saves*	3.5
Goals conceded*	1.3
Goals prevented	+6.05
Stats by Sofascore

Much like Bijol, Perri was a consistent top performer in a top-five league all through last season, even as off-field turbulence threatened to derail the on-field situation, with a glowing number of +6.05 goals being prevented across his 33 league encounters.

To rubberstamp how much of an upgrade he would be, Illan Meslier’s tally in that department fell victim to -2.73 goals being prevented.

Even lauded as “the best goalkeeper in the world” by his manager Paolo Fonseca earlier this campaign, it feels like a no-brainer on Leeds’ end to try and capitalise on Lyon’s financial woes and land Perri as an upgrade on the shaky Meslier.

Of course, both of these deals could unfortunately go the other way, with the defensive duo finding their new terrain to be too extreme.

But, when assessing how well they’ve done in some tough European leagues to date, snapping up both Bijol and Perri might actually be heralded as a pair of genius deals down the line.

Leeds preparing bid to sign "powerful" captain for £12m this summer

The Whites have a midfielder in their sights this summer…

1

By
Sean Markus Clifford

Jun 28, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur are making surprising strides in the transfer market this month in a bid to improve Thomas Frank’s squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Lilywhites officially completed the signing of Ghana international Mohammed Kudus from Premier League and London rivals West Ham United on Thursday night.

Kudus will be hoping to improve on his haul of five goals and three assists in 32 appearances in the top-flight for the Hammers last season, as he aims to provide a threat at the top end of the pitch for Frank.

The 24-year-old star could be joined by another attacking midfielder before long. Morgan Gibbs-White is expected to complete a move to Spurs, despite Nottingham Forest’s attempts to challenge the legality of their approach.

Whilst Spurs will be looking at players who can step in to immediately improve the team, Daniel Levy could also pursue players with a view to them being future replacements, as well as providing depth in the short-term.

Signing a player to replace Cristian Romero, for example, could be a shrewd move by the Europa League winners, given the speculation over his future and his availability record.

Why Spurs need a replacement for Cristian Romero

In terms of his future at Spurs, Fabrizio Romano claims that it has all gone quiet between Atletico Madrid and the club over a potential deal for the Argentina international.

The Italian reporter adds that the central defender is now expected to remain at Tottenham beyond the end of the summer transfer window, in what appears to be a boost for Frank.

However, the 27-year-old star’s contract at the club is due to expire in the summer of 2027 and it remains to be seen where his long-term future will be, which is why sourcing a longer-term replacement for him would make a lot of sense.

Even if Romero, as reported by Romano, remains at Spurs this summer, signing a player who can step in to replace him in the starting XI when needed would be incredibly useful for Frank.

Cristian Romero’s availability record at Spurs

Season

Games missed through injury

Games missed through suspension

Total games missed

24/25

27

0

27

23/24

3

3

6

22/23

9

1

10

21/22

28

2

30

Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the World Cup winner has not been a reliable option for Tottenham in his four seasons at the club, missing 73 matches through either suspension or injury since the start of the 2021/22 campaign.

These statistics suggest that Spurs are in need of another high-quality centre-back option to play when Romero, who scored one goal in 18 Premier League games last season, is unavailable.

This may be why Tottenham are now being linked with an interest in a new central defensive option to come in and add to their options in that area of the pitch.

Spurs eyeing move for Premier League defender

According to The Boy Hotspur, Spurs are interested in a swoop to sign Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi to come in and compete for a spot in the team.

The report claims that the club have made ‘fresh contact’ with the England international’s camp to discuss a potential transfer to North London this summer.

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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It states that the Eagles are prepared to negotiate a fee within the region of £39m for their captain because his current contract at Selhurst Park is set to expire at the end of next season, which means that they would risk losing him for nothing next year if they do not cash in on him before the end of this window.

The outlet adds that Chelsea, Arsenal, and Bournemouth are also keeping tabs on his situation, but the Gunners are not able to offer him enough guarantees of regular football because they already have William Saliba and Gabriel.

It is now down to Spurs to strike an agreement with Palace to bring the English titan to the club this summer, because he could be a dream replacement for Romero.

Why Guehi would be a dream Romero replacement

Guehi would be a dream signing for Tottenham to come in as a centre-back who can replace Romero when he is unavailable next season, whilst also having the potential to be a long-term replacement if the Argentine ace moves on in the future.

At the age of 24, he is still a young defender and could be a star at the back for Spurs for many years to come, which is one of the reasons why he would be a brilliant signing.

Another reason why Guehi would be a fantastic addition for the club is that he has a great fitness record. Since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, the English gem has only missed 13 games through injury, compared to Romero’s 67 matches missed through injury since that season.

This suggests that the Palace star, who was dubbed a “monster” by reporter Bobby Manzi, is more likely to be available week-in-week-out to start at the heart of the defence for Spurs in the Premier League, making him a very reliable option to have.

24/25 Premier League

Marc Guehi

Cristian Romero

Appearances

34

18

Goals

3

1

Tackles + interceptions per game

2.6

3.1

Blocks per game

0.2

0.1

Clearances per game

4.6

2.9

Ground duel success rate

64%

61%

Aerial duel success rate

54%

61%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Guehi and Romero produced similar statistics in a host of defensive metrics in the Premier League last season, which suggests that there may not be a big difference in quality between them.

This is yet another reason why the England international would be a dream signing to step in for the Argentine star next season, and potentially as his long-term replacement as a regular starter.

Guehi, who was described as the “ultimate” centre-back by Jamie Redknapp last season, appears to make a lot of sense for Spurs as a signing to make an immediate impact, as well as being a signing for the future, which is why the club should push to get a deal over the line.

Related Perfect with Gibbs-White: Spurs to make £60m bid for "phenomenal" talent

Tottenham Hotspur appear to be prepared to splash the cash under Thomas Frank this summer.

Posts 1 ByEthan Lamb Jul 12, 2025

Says vice-captaincy “not a massive role”, though contrast with Pope seems instructive

Vithushan Ehantharajah02-Sep-2024

Harry Brook has made one fifty in the Sri Lanka series•Getty Images

Diminishing Test returns after being promoted to a leadership role is not just an Ollie Pope problem.Since assuming the vice-captaincy for the Sri Lanka series, Harry Brook has not been his usual, ruthless self. Starts have been given away throughout and an average of 39.50 from four innings is comfortably his lowest of any series in which he has played more than one match.The struggle is relative, of course. Pope would swap his 7.50 average in a heartbeat, or barter one of his deputy’s three thirty-odd scores that followed an accomplished 56 in the first innings at Manchester. And it is fair to say they are dealing with their new roles very differently.Fresh from victory at Lord’s that gives England an insurmountable 2-0 lead ahead of the third and final Test on Friday, Pope spoke of needing to “block out the criticism”. Balancing captaincy and batting remains a challenge, if only for one more game. The subsequent judgements on his personality, particularly set against the inspirational figure of regular men’s Test captain Ben Stokes, will take longer to dispel.Related

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Brook, on the other hand, seems as he always does. In good touch even without a score of note, and typically unflustered. “It’s not a massive role really, is it?” he said of vice-captaincy.”I haven’t had to do much, to be honest. I think Popey has done an amazing job. I’ve tried to give him a few ideas here and there; he’s taken some and he’s shrugged some off so it’s been good so far.”As for the runs, he is not worried: “[It’s] frustrating to get starts obviously, but I feel like I’m batting really well. And hopefully it’s just a matter of time when a big one comes.”The contrast in dispositions is stark. Irrespective of this secondment as captain, Pope’s England career has been one of spikes even during a consistent run at No. 3 under Stokes. Brook, on the other hand, has churned consistently. Even a 14-innings wait for his fifth Test century – which came against West Indies earlier this summer – featured match-winning half-centuries in last summer’s third and fifth Ashes Tests.It is worth going back to the summer of 2022 for a moment. Upon Stokes’ appointment, Pope picked up and phone and asked for the No. 3 spot. Stokes respected the proactiveness and that Pope was willing to bite the bullet at first-drop. With the top six locked in, Brook carried drinks until he got one innings in the seventh and final Test of that season, against South Africa, after Jonny Bairstow broke his leg.Having been dropped on the 2021-22 Ashes tour, Pope regards that call to Stokes as a sliding doors moment in his career. But it also had a knock-on effect for Brook. Had he featured earlier that summer, there is every chance he would have been the man named as Stokes’ official vice-captain in May of last year, not Pope.Brook has taken a relaxed approach as Ollie Pope’s vice-captain•Getty Images

Pope’s credentials at the time were aligned with his standing in the team; comfortable in a new batting spot, popular in the dressing room through familiarity having debuted in 2018, and, at 25, the ideal age to act as a conduit between the older team-mates and newer players coming through. Had Brook (25 now) picked up more than the six caps at the time of that vice-captaincy selection, he might have been the one leading against Sri Lanka.Nevertheless, captaincy has been a feature of Brook’s 2024 after taking the reins at Northern Superchargers in the men’s Hundred. “It was different, but it was good fun,” he said of the experience, which included working with new head coach Andrew Flintoff.Superchargers narrowly missed out on making the top-three spot on Net Run Rate, losing just two matches. Brook, absent from the first defeat to Trent Rockets as it coincided with the end of the West Indies Test series, impressed tactically, with a matter-of-fact demeanour that allowed him to stay level in a volatile format. He was also Superchargers’ second-highest runscorer with 163.”Obviously I’ve played with Stokesy quite a bit now and watching the way he goes about it I’d be lying if I said I didn’t take a few learnings from him,” Brook said of his captaincy inspiration. With Jos Buttler suffering a setback in his injury recovery for the white ball fixtures against Australia, Brook may get his chance to apply those learnings on the international stage.Asked if he was keen to captain more, Brook responded with a diplomatic “we’ll see”. But it is clear leadership is on the horizon. In a Test squad that currently features seven players aged between 23 and 27, along with a 19 (Josh Hull) and 20-year-old (Shoaib Bashir), Brook is a vital part of the nucleus of England’s present and future.It remains Stokes’ show, of course, reinforced by the allrounder’s presence on the balconies at Emirates Old Trafford and Lord’s. He will be just as visible at the Kia Oval as the hosts chase a first flawless Test summer in 20 years.Should that be achieved, it will be a shared feather in the caps of Stokes and Pope. The lack of resistance from West Indies and Sri Lanka will make it hard conclude England are a force to be reckoned with as they taper towards the 2025-26 Ashes.But the main takeaway already is a clearer idea of England’s next Test captain. And it is Pope’s vice rather than Stokes’.

Chelsea are widely believed to be in advanced talks to sign both Xavi Simons and Jorrel Hato, but they’re not the only players who BlueCo have bid for after Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro were signed earlier this summer.

Fabrizio Romano: Chelsea "agree deal" to sign "sensation" with medical held

Enzo Maresca is welcoming another exciting player.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 26, 2025

Enzo Maresca, according to recent reports, is prioritising another new attacker after their £145 million triple deal for Delap, Gittens and Pedro – coming after his side were thwarted time and time again by sides in the low block last season (Simon Phillips).

This suggestion may have prompted the Blues to turn towards RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons, who is believed to be in advanced talks over a move to Stamford Bridge (Fabrizio Romano).

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

The 22-year-old, who’s bagged 21 goals and 23 assists since joining Leipzig on an initial loan at the start of 2023/2024, only made his move to the Bundesliga permanent in January, but he’s now prepared to leave Germany for the Premier League.

“Xavi is a different player,” Barcelona forward and ex-teammate, Dani Olmo, told Leipzig’s official website.

“He has shown that so far in the time he has been here. We connect really well on the pitch but he can also do things on his own. He has an amazing dribbling technique, finishing as well.

“He’s a really complete player and for us, for our system, for how we play, our ideas, the coaches’ ideas, it is perfect for us. Now he’s in a really good mood, in a really good shape so this is very helpful.”

Elsewhere, Chelsea are also closing in on a deal for Ajax defender Jorrel Hato after agreeing personal terms with the Dutchman, and he was left out of John Heitinga’s squad for their 5-1 Como Cup win over Celtic earlier this week.

Amidst these reports, Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport has now lifted the lid on a Chelsea approach for Juventus sensation Kenan Yildiz.

Chelsea make near £61 million offer to sign Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz

According to La Gazzetta, via Calciomercato, Chelsea have submitted a near-£61m bid for Yildiz, but Juventus rejected it out of hand.

The Turkey international is viewed by Igor Tudor’s side as a key player for next season as they seek to become Serie A title challengers once again, with Juve also attempting to tie Yildiz down by opening talks over a new contract.

Bayern Munich and Barcelona are named as fellow suitors for the 20-year-old, but the Old Lady are set to dig their heels in after Yildiz’s impressive 2024/2025 campaign.

He would’ve been an interesting alternative to Simons, but as talks advance for the ex-PSG starlet, Yildiz appears unlikely to make the switch to west London.

“Kenan has huge potential, he has rare qualities: he can make the difference up front with the dynamism of a midfielder,” said Tudor about the player.

“He’s a special talent, but it’s his mentality that will take him far.”

Both teams endured collapses but Stallions’ 8 for 26 was too big a slump in the end

Danyal Rasool15-Sep-2024

Zahid Mahmood’s 5 for 18 led to Stallions’ rout•PCB

Zahid Mahmood’s five-for led Markhors to a crushing 126-run win over Stallions. Chasing 232 – the lowest target of the tournament by some distance – Stallions collapsed from the relative security to 79 for 2, losing their remaining eight wickets for 26. Iftikhar Ahmed and Salman Agha’s middle order half-centuries got Markhors past the 200-mark in the first innings, with a clinical bowling performance preserving their perfect record.The tournament looked set to get its first chasing winners when Shan Masood and Babar Azam were coasting through the opening powerplay. Babar dismantled Shahnawaz Dahani with five boundaries in his only over to underscore Stallions’ dominance at that stage, bringing up the team fifty inside nine overs. But when Masood tried to cut away a Naseem Shah delivery that kept a shade low and ended up dragging it into his stumps, the game swiftly turned.A charged Naseem gave his Test captain a send-off that Masood did not appreciate, but the momentum had swung on a dime. Tayyab Tahir and Babar fell either side of the 15th over, and suddenly the spin of Mahmood and Salman began to stifle the Stallions’ gallop. Captain Mohammad Haris was dispatched shortly after, and Stallions were in a free fall. The last eight wickets fell in just 53 balls, as what looked like a straightforward chase an hour earlier turned into a comprehensive defeat.With every side batting first winning so far, it was little surprise Markhors’ captain Mohammad Rizwan opted to bat first at the toss. But Markhors were beset by regular early wickets as Jahandad Khan, who took 4 for 49, removed Fakhar Zaman for 20. Rizwan got a start but never really got going, and Markhors were teetering at 38 for 3 before three successive half-century partnerships got Markhors out of that tight spot. However, the blistering finish that has characterised first innings across this competition would never materialise as Mehran Mumtaz and Jahandad ran through the lower-middle order, with the last five wickets falling for just 10 runs.Markhors did look short at the time, but their bowlers would ensure they didn’t have much to worry about.

The Gunners are showcasing serious ambition this summer, having already completed a host of major signings, and Arsenal are not slowing down with just under two months to go before deadline day on September 1.

Berta to offer "emerging star" in Arsenal swap deal for near-£70m signing

The Italian really wants to bring him to N5.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

Arsenal confirmed the arrivals of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi recently, with the Spaniards poised to be joined by Premier League stalwart Christian Norgaard, who completed his medical earlier this week (David Ornstein).

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

£65m

Zubimendi’s capture, in particular, was the result of a serious back and forth between Real Sociedad and Arsenal, which seemed to go on for several months, but Mikel Arteta at long last secured his new midfield star last Sunday.

“Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team. He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us,” said Arteta about Zubimendi’s arrival, in official statement.

“The standard he has consistently performed at over the last few seasons for both club and country is exactly why we are so excited to have him with us. We all welcome Martin and his family to the club.”

After Zubimendi and Norgaard, it appears the players most likely to join Arsenal next are currently Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres or Chelsea’s Noni Madueke.

Arsenal are now in club-to-club talks with Chelsea over Madueke after agreeing personal terms (Fabrizio Romano), but supporters are clamoring for Berta to end the club’s search for a new number nine.

The Sweden international, according to various reports, is in advanced talks to join Arteta’s side after also agreeing personal terms, like Madueke, and if Berta has his way, the 27-year-old will be the man to end Arsenal’s pursuit of a prolific goalscorer.

Gyokeres’ 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting over the last two years is a massive draw for Arsenal, not least because of their trouble finding the net last season in comparison to their previous two campaigns.

Arsenal "will" sign Viktor Gyokeres after "positive" Berta talks

Understandably, updates on the 27-year-old’s potential move to north London are coming by the hour.

Football Transfers have chipped in with information of their own, sharing the timeline Arsenal supporters can expect when it comes to finalising a deal for the ex-Coventry City star.

Arsenal want to get Gyokeres over the line in time for their pre-season tour of Asia, with Arteta’s side set to take on AC Milan in Singapore on July 23. Berta has just arrived back in England after jetting out to Portugal for “positive talks” with Sporting, and FT move to reassure fans that Arsenal “will” get a deal done for Gyokeres, even if there is some light work to do on the final fee.

They’ve offered an initial £56 million, plus £4 million in add-ons, for the centre-forward – but Sporting want the £60 million to be a paid as an unconditional fixed fee.

Therefore, just £5 million separates the two sides right now, and there is an expectation that they will eventually reach a compromise, as Arsenal look to seal this deal within the next fortnight.