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أعلن أحمد عبد الرؤوف، المدير الفني المؤقت لنادي الزمالك، قائمة البدلاء في مواجهة طلائع الجيش، التي تقام مساء اليوم على استاد القاهرة الدولي، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثالثة عشرة من بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويخوض الزمالك اللقاء تحت قيادة فنية مؤقتة بقيادة عبد الرؤوف، الذي تولى المهمة عقب رحيل البلجيكي يانيك فيريرا، بعد قرار إدارة النادي بتوجيه الشكر له بسبب تراجع النتائج خلال الفترة الماضية.

ويدخل الزمالك المباراة وهو يحتل المركز الرابع في جدول ترتيب الدوري برصيد 19 نقطة من 11 مباراة، بعدما حقق الفوز في خمس مواجهات وتعادل في أربع وخسر مرتين.

وفي المقابل، يدخل طلائع الجيش اللقاء محتلاً المركز السادس عشر برصيد 10 نقاط، ساعيًا لتحقيق نتيجة إيجابية للهروب من منطقة الهبوط.

طالع أيضًا | أحمد عبد الرؤوف يعلن تشكيل الزمالك أمام طلائع الجيش.. الجزيري يقود الهجوم بدلاء الزمالك اليوم أمام طلائع الجيش في الدوري

المهدي سليمان، محمود حمدي”الونش”، وأحمد فتوح، وأحمد ربيع، وسيف فاروق جعفر، وعبد الحميد معالي، وشيكو بانزا، وعمرو ناصر، وعدي الدباغ.

For all the concerns surrounding Newcastle United’s lack of cutting edge this season, their defence has remained reassuringly reliable.

Eddie Howe’s side may still be searching for rhythm in attack, but defensively they’ve been among the Premier League’s most resolute outfits.

They’ve kept six clean sheets already this campaign and boast the second-lowest expected goals conceded (4.9) in the division, behind only Arsenal.

That solidity has been essential in keeping Newcastle within touching distance of the top four, particularly given their Champions League commitments.

Malick Thiaw, signed from AC Milan, has seamlessly filled the void left by Fabian Schär’s injury, forging a composed, ball-playing partnership with Sven Botman at the heart of defence.

Calm on the ball and dominant in duels, the German has been one of Newcastle’s most consistent performers so far.

Yet, just as things were settling, Howe has been hit with significant defensive injuries.

Both Tino Livramento and Lewis Hall – the club’s two starting full-backs – have suffered setbacks that will sideline them for an extended period.

Their absence leaves Newcastle light in wide defensive areas, forcing a reshuffle that may test the depth of the squad during a congested autumn fixture list.

For a side competing on multiple fronts, rotation is vital.

But with natural full-backs out and makeshift options stepping in, the coming weeks will reveal whether Newcastle’s defensive solidity can withstand the strain.

Hall and Burn's success at Newcastle

Few players symbolise Newcastle’s progress under Howe more than Hall.

Still only 19, the left-back has made the position his own since arriving from Chelsea, blending energy with composure in possession.

His overlapping runs and delivery from wide areas have been key to Newcastle’s attacking transitions, while defensively, his pace allows the team to hold a high line.

However, Hall’s hamstring injury – which Howe has confirmed “won’t be short-term” – is a major blow.

It leaves Newcastle without their first-choice full-back during a period when they face high-pressing, counter-attacking sides both domestically and in Europe.

In his absence, Dan Burn has been tasked with filling the void.

The 6 foot 7 defender has long been a fan favourite for his commitment and leadership, but left-back is far from his natural role.

Burn’s experience and aerial dominance make him a solid stopgap, yet his lack of recovery pace can be exposed, particularly when facing quick, direct wingers.

One-on-one duels and balls played in behind remain areas of weakness.

Howe’s tactical adjustments have tried to compensate, with Botman often covering wider to protect Burn.

But upcoming fixtures present new challenges.

Newcastle’s next league outing sees them travel to Brighton, where Yankuba Minteh’s speed and trickery could test Burn’s positional awareness.

Stronger sides than Nottingham Forest – who rarely exploited the left channel in Newcastle’s last league match – will certainly target this imbalance.

There’s also the question of whether Newcastle could turn to the free-agent market for temporary cover.

While Howe is reluctant to disrupt squad chemistry, the defensive injuries are stretching his options thin.

With both full-backs unavailable and Champions League fixtures piling up, the pressure is mounting for a new solution – perhaps one that already exists within the club’s own ranks.

Newcastle's academy left-back solution

Enter Leo Shahar, the 18-year-old full-back who many within Newcastle’s academy believe is ready to make the leap.

A natural right-back who is also comfortable on the left, Shahar joined from Wolves last year after a decade in their youth system, where he was regarded as one of the most technically gifted defenders of his age group.

Since arriving at St James’ Park, he has quietly impressed at youth level.

Shahar has already made four Premier League 2 appearances this season and featured twice in the UEFA Youth League, scoring once.

Premier League 2

4 appearances

299 minutes

UEFA Youth League

2 appearances

180 minutes

His consistency and versatility have earned him a growing reputation, and his development was rewarded when he made his first-team debut in pre-season against Atlético Madrid.

Internationally, Shahar’s rise has been just as rapid.

Having represented England across multiple youth levels, he made his under-19 debut in September, capping off a year of steady progress.

Youth coach Thomas Hammond has described him as a “promising talent,” words that suggest he may soon be trusted with senior minutes.

Tactically, Shahar fits the modern mould Howe demands from his full-backs: quick, comfortable in tight spaces, and adept at playing out from the back.

His natural balance on either side of the pitch could be invaluable as injuries continue to bite.

And unlike Burn, he offers the pace and agility to handle one-on-one duels – an attribute that Newcastle have missed in Hall’s absence.

With Newcastle set for a gruelling run that includes Champions League clashes and key Premier League fixtures, Howe may have little choice but to dip into his academy talent.

It’s a risk, but one with potential reward. Giving Shahar his chance now could accelerate his development while easing the load on an injury-hit squad.

Newcastle’s long-term vision under Howe has always been about building sustainably – blending elite signings with homegrown talent capable of stepping up when needed.

Leo Shahar might just be the next example of that philosophy in action.

Anderson 2.0: Newcastle have "next young English superstar" on their hands

Newcastle sold homegrown talent Elliot Anderson for PSR reasons – now he’s starring for England

ByWill Miller Oct 10, 2025

سجل الإسباني تشابي ألونسو رقمًا مميزَا بعدما قاد ريال مدريد للفوز على نظيره برشلونة في المباراة التي جمعتهما ضمن منافسات الدوري الإسباني.

وحقق الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي ريال مدريد فوزًا مهمًا على حساب نظيره برشلونة في إطار منافسات “لا ليجا”.

واستضاف ملعب “سانتياجو برنابيو” مباراة الكلاسيكو بين ريال مدريد وبرشلونة، ضمن منافسات الجولة العاشرة من بطولة الدوري الإسباني “لا ليجا”.

وتمكن ريال مدريد من حسم نتيجة المباراة بثنائية مقابل هدف، في المباراة التي جمعتهما اليوم، في تمام السادسة والربع مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة ومكة المكرمة.

بتلك النتيجة، تصدر ريال مدريد جدول ترتيب الدوري الإسباني برصيد 27 نقطة، فيما تجمد رصيد برشلونة عند 22 نقطة.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | “تتحدث كثيرًا”.. لاعب ريال مدريد يوبخ لامين يامال بعد خسارة برشلونة

ويعتبر هذا الكلاسيكو الأول الذي يحقق فيه ريال مدريد الفوز بعدما خسر في آخر 4 مواجهات الموسم الماضي خلال حقبة كارلو أنشيلوتي.

ويعتبر هذا أول كلاسيكو في مشوار تشابي ألونسو التدريبي خلال فترة قيادته لريال مدريد واستطاع أن يفوز به ليكون المدرب الأول الذي يحقق الفوز في أول كلاسيكو له منذ زين الدين زيدان بموسم 2016.

أي أنه مع آخر 8 مدربين لريال مدريد تاريخيًا لم يستطع أي مدرب تحقيق الفوز في أول كلاسيكو له سوى زيدان وألونسو.

ويقدم ألونسو موسمًا متميزًا حتى الآن رفقة ريال مدريد إذ يتصدر جدول الدوري الإسباني لكرة القدم برصيد 27 نقطة من 10 مباريات، كما يتصدر جدول ترتيب دوري أبطال أوروبا برصيد 9 نقاط بالعلامة الكاملة.

It looked like an ideal game for Royals, first posting a 200-plus total and then almost all their bowlers combining for a comprehensive win

Karthik Krishnaswamy05-Apr-20251:25

Boucher: Archer’s pace and rhythm show he’s back

Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring runs. Jofra Archer continuing the rhythm he seemed to rediscover against Chennai Super Kings (CSK). Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga coming into their own.All these things may have been on Rajasthan Royals’ (RR) wishlist coming into Saturday night’s match against Punjab Kings (PBKS). All three wishes were fulfilled, as RR consigned PBKS, playing their first home game of IPL 2025, to their first defeat of the season.Jaiswal and Riyan Parag provided the sparks at the start and finish for RR to become the first team to post a 200-plus IPL total in Mullanpur. With this only being the sixth IPL game at the venue, it wasn’t yet clear if 205 was a winning total, but only until Archer made his entrance.Six legal balls into their chase, PBKS were two down, with Archer finding movement at upwards of 145kph to take out Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer. RR struck two more blows in the first seven overs, and PBKS were always playing catch-up thereafter, even when Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell added 88 for the fifth wicket.Theekshana and Hasaranga did their bit to stifle the partnership’s scoring rate, and then struck one after the other to remove both set batters. And that was that for PBKS; they only hit one boundary in the last 5.4 overs as RR wrapped up victory by 50 runs.Jaiswal and Samson lay the foundationJaiswal got off to a scratchy start, slashing and missing against the left-left new-ball pair of Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen, who both found early swing. Jaiswal miscued a pull just beyond the reach of a backtracking mid-on, and scored just 12 off his first 14 balls.But perhaps all he needed, after starting his season with scores of 1, 29 and 4, was a bit of time in the middle and a bit of luck. The fourth over brought him back-to-back sixes off Jansen – a ramp over the keeper and a slog over midwicket – and he seemed to be up and running.Sanju Samson, captaining RR for the first time this season after a finger injury had restricted him to a batting-only Impact Player role thus far, began more fluently but had less of the strike early on. When RR ended their first wicketless powerplay of the season on 53 for 0, he was on 20 off 14 and Jaiswal on 32 off 22.2:28

Did the two teams read the pitch differently?

PBKS hit back with slower ballsFrom 40 for 0 after four overs, RR only scored 45 in their next six. The legspin of RR old boy Yuzvendra Chahal and the slower cutters of Lockie Ferguson and Marcus Stoinis had a lot to do with this, on a pitch that was just a touch grippy and two-paced.Samson fell in the 11th over trying to force the pace against Ferguson, and Jaiswal seemed to be getting stuck. But from 46 off 39, he found that elusive higher gear, crunching Chahal down the ground to bring up his fifty before slog-sweeping his next ball for six. He hit Stoinis for a six and a four in the next over – the 13th – before becoming Ferguson’s second victim, swinging too early at a well-disguised, stump-bound knuckleball.Parag breaks free after slow startParag, batting at No. 3, began much like Jaiswal had, struggling initially to get to grips with the surface. At one stage, after four successive dots against Arshdeep’s cutters, angling across the right-hander and turning further away, Parag was on 12 off 14 in the 16th over.Then he paused for breath, and took strike transformed, a batter able to hold his shape for a split-second longer. He hit the next two balls from Arshdeep for fours, and that began a hitting spree that brought him 31 off his last 11 balls at the crease. With Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel contributing cameos as well, RR rushed past 200 in the final over. Stoinis, whose first two only went for 12, leaked 36 in his last two, which again told the tale of RR’s batters coming to grips with the conditions and finding a way to master them.Archer hits the bull’s eyeThe first ball Archer bowled could not have been bettered. Perfect length, rooting Impact Sub Priyansh Arya to the crease. Movement from leg to off, at 144.6kph. The left-handed Arya defended down the wrong line and the ball slid past his outside edge to flick the top of off.0:53

‘Wadhera a winner who wants to be in the tough situations’

None of this seemed to make any impact on Shreyas Iyer, though. The PBKS captain began in a manner befitting someone whose head coach had likened his previous innings to a purring Rolls Royce, stroking Archer for two fours through the covers in his first four legal balls at the crease. Then he got greedy, exposing all his stumps to try and make room for another off-side hit, and Archer burst a 148.6kph ball through him.RR stay in control despite Wadhera and MaxwellWickets kept falling even when Archer didn’t have the ball. Stoinis popped a return catch to Sandeep Sharma off a fairly innocuous seam-up delivery in the fourth over, and Prabhsimran Singh slog-swept Kumar Kartikeya to deep midwicket in the seventh. The required rate kept mounting too; PBKS needed 163 from 82 balls when Maxwell joined Wadhera.PBKS’ hopes began to stir when both batters hit sixes off Kartikeya in a 19-run tenth over, but Theekshana and Hasaranga immediately got to work, conceding just five and 12 – the latter an impressive recovery after Wadhera slog-swept the first ball of the over for six – in the 11th and 12th overs.But as Maxwell ramped and reverse-swatted Yudhvir Singh for a pair of fours in the 13th, Wadhera launched Hasaranga for a straight six to bring up a 33-ball fifty in the 14th, and then began the 15th with back-to-back fours off Theekshana, PBKS began to dream once again.Then the two Sri Lankan spinners brought their defensive skills to the fore again, asking the batters to try and fetch balls dangled wide of their hitting arcs. Maxwell sliced a catch to long-off at the end of the 15th over, and Wadhera slog-swept to deep midwicket at the start of the 16th. PBKS were six down and needed 75 off 29. It was never going to happen as they continued to lose wickets.

Arne Slot singled out one Liverpool star for blame as the Reds went down 2-1 against Crystal Palace on Saturday in the Premier League. The loss at Selhurst Park also ended Liverpool's perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign as they suffered their maiden defeat of the season. Slot was understandably unhappy after the game as he dissected his team's performance.

Liverpool's first defeat of the season

After making a perfect start to the 2025-26 campaign as they won their first seven matches across all competitions, including five wins in a row in the Premier League, Liverpool tasted defeat for the first time on Saturday. Crystal Palace were the more dominant side at the start of the game and rightfully took the lead through Ismaila Sarr's goal in the ninth minute. Federico Chiesa then scored the equaliser three minutes before the regulation time ended but Eddie Nketiah netted the winner from a long throw-in as Oliver Glasner's side had the last laugh. 

AdvertisementGetty Images SportSlot indirectly blamed Frimpong for Nketiah's goal

While dissecting his team's performance after the match, Slot told reporters: "We can only blame ourselves for defending the way we did. One of our players ran out because he wanted to play a counter-attack, which was of no use because time was up, so it was only about defending. One player was too offensively minded in that moment, which led to them scoring the winner and us losing the game."

Slot's comments appeared to be directed at Frimpong as the summer signing stepped away from Nketiah who went on to bag the winner.

"It was a disappointing first half and disappointing end to game. Credit to Palace – with the Community Shield it’s not the first time we’ve lost to them. They deserved to be two or three up in the first half," he added. "The second half was much better from us, we created chances that not many teams do here. It took us a while to score a goal – and when we did, to concede another set-piece goal is just as disappointing as the first half. If one team deserved to win today it was Palace."

Liverpool's set-piece woes

Slot also admitted that the Reds have been struggling to tackle opponents' set-piece moves as he added: "If you want to compete and want to be right up there you need a very positive balance in set pieces. That is what I always say, for years, and in this league that is probably even more the situation. That was one of our biggest strengths last season. We hardly conceded a set piece. Now against Newcastle we conceded two and today we conceded two so that is something we need to do better. But this league is more and more about set pieces.

"We had to defend a lot of them as well and the margins are small. One of our players in the last minute runs forward to maybe try to counter attack for a second goal but in that area the ball falls for a Crystal Palace player who scores."

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Getty Images SportTough week of football awaits Liverpool

The English champions will now prepare to face Turkish giants Galatasaray in the Champions League on Tuesday, before they make their trip to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in the Premier League on October 4. 

Tottenham Hotspur’s summer hasn’t quite been Newcastle United levels of rejection bad, but it has been a trying first few months in the hot seat for Thomas Frank.

While everything would appear rosy on the field, notably defeating Manchester City on Saturday, it’s not been plain sailing off it.

The treatment room has a new visitor in the form of James Maddison, who will reside there for a lengthy time, while moves for Morgan Gibbs-White and then Eberechi Eze fell through.

They were two game-changers capable of taking Frank’s side to the next level. They will have to settle for alternatives instead.

Tottenham's plans for the last week of the window

Missing out on Eze in midweek was a gut-wrenching blow for the Lilywhites but they responded emphatically by beating City this weekend.

Transfer Focus

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

Yet, their chances of picking up more vital points across the campaign will depend on what happens in the remaining week of the window.

The Lilywhites still want to do a deal for Savinho and are reportedly preparing a club-record move for the Brazilian to get it over the line.

Also of interest, according to Fabrizio Romano, is Como midfielder Nico Paz.

Claims suggest that Spurs have already come forward with a clear move to sign the Argentine, offering a fee of £60m.

That being said, the Italian outfit, managed by Cesc Fabregas, are reluctant to let the player go. As it happens, the midfielder isn’t too keen on leaving Como behind yet either.

He wants to stay alongside Fabregas for the time being, while Spurs were also faced with fending off his former side, Real Madrid, who are set to match any proposal that comes his way.

How Nico Paz compares to Mousa Dembele

Mousa Dembele, eh? Spurs have longed for a player like him in the middle of the park ever since he left White Hart Lane all those years ago.

Joao Palhinha, scorer at the Etihad on Sunday, may well be a player capable of evoking those qualities in north London again.

But, he’ll have to go some to replicate that impact. After all, in the words of Kyle Walker, “Dembele was probably the best player I’ve ever seen play football.” Former Spurs man Eric Dier also suggested that he was “a freak of nature”.

Very few midfielders have been capable of providing just what the Belgian could for Spurs. To put it simply, he was an all-action machine.

One of his best years at Spurs came in 2015/16 where he was involved in four goals, registered 2.9 successful dribbles per game and won 3.6 tackles per match. He was everywhere, he did it all.

Well, Paz is very similar in that regard. Back in January in a game vs Atalanta, the Como sensation completed four dribbles, won ten duels and also scored. It was a Dembele-esque performance.

As analyst Ben Mattinson notes, he’s capable of “crashing the box” and “playing killer final balls.” Like Dembele, he’s capable of getting forward and influencing play in front of the defence as well.

“One of the best playmakers in Europe” according to scout Jacek Kulig, throughout the course of the campaign, Paz registered 14 goal involvements and his all-round game was akin to that of Dembele.

Shots

3.1

0.8

Key passes

1.5

1.0

Dribbles

2.0

2.9

Times fouled

0.9

1.1

Tackles

1.5

3.6

Analysing the data, what we can gather from Dembele in his prime is that he was more defensive than Paz. The Como superstar had more of an influence in the final third, but their ability to manoeuvre the ball, dribble and progress play via their excellent carrying makes them so similar.

Over the last 365 days, the 22-year-old ranked in the top 2% of positionally similar players in Europe’s top five leagues for progressive carries, as well as in the top 7% for tackles, via FBref.

So, while Spurs may not quite get the defensive coverage Dembele brought to the Lane, they would be getting another all-action asset who’s capable of dominating in a whole host of phases of play.

He's better than Eze: Spurs make approach to sign "sensational" £80m star

Tottenham Hotspur have already identified a new target after missing out on Eberechi Eze.

ByEthan Lamb Aug 22, 2025

Everton are now preparing a fresh offer for a player who is valued at £40m by his current club, according to a new update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Everton "not ready" for new Premier League season

Blues supporters may be growing a little restless at the lack of activity on show at the club this summer, even though The Friedkin Group have made plenty of funds available for David Moyes.

While it is clearly a case of bringing in the right players rather than rushing into deals, Moyes has admitted that Everton are “not ready” for the start of the Premier League season currently, which may cause some alarm among the fanbase.

That’s not to say that the Blues haven’t already conducted some strong business, including Thierno Barry and Carlos Alcaraz, but more new faces are needed if the Merseysiders are to make a genuine impression next season.

Southampton youngster Tyler Dibling has emerged as a hugely exciting target, with the reliable Paul Joyce of The Times reporting that they have seen a £27m bid turned down for the Englishman.

Everton preparing second offer for "special" £40m star

According to Romano on X, Everton are now preparing a new offer for Dibling – one that is likely to be closer to the £40m that Saints reportedly value him at.

The idea of Dibling in a Blues shirt is mouthwatering, with the attacking midfielder one of the few bright sparks for a Southampton team that were comfortably relegated from the Premier League last season.

The 19-year-old popped up with two goals apiece in the league and the FA Cup, catching the eye with his left foot from either a right-sided or central role, both of which have to be areas of focus for Everton this summer.

Dibling has shown that he can excel in the Premier League in a struggling team, so hopefully, he will shine even more alongside superior players than at Southampton.

Everton pushing in race to sign "superb" Douglas Luiz alternative for Moyes

Moyes is still seeking reinforcements.

By
Tom Cunningham

Jul 31, 2025

If the Blues had Iliman Ndiaye on one flank and the Saints star on the other, it could make for highly entertaining viewing for supporters in their new stadium.

Liverpool have been one of the most active clubs this transfer window with numerous high-profile incomings and outgoings. Arne Slot is using the momentum from his first Premier League trophy to build a formidable side.

Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike are some of the biggest names to have arrived at Anfield this summer. All three of them have found recent success in the Bundesliga and this is a league where recent recruitment from has paid off for Liverpool, with the likes of Dominic Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

They’ve funded these big moves through a combination of on-field success, low spending in previous seasons and by letting go of some big-name players. Luis Diaz and Jarell Quansah have already left for Germany and now Darwin Nunez is set to move to Saudi Arabia and become the latest high-profile departure, while Harvey Elliott may not be far behind.

While most of Slot’s reign has gone the way Liverpool had hoped, they could be on the verge of losing a player they want to keep and one who is integral to the team.

Pérez targets Konate signing

According to reports in Spain, Real Madrid’s President, Florentino Pérez, has identified Ibrahima Konate as a key Real Madrid target next summer, when he is available as a free agent.

This is a strategy that Madrid have enacted in the past, as this summer they secured the signing of Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free after his Liverpool contract expired. Pérez’s hope will be to reunite the pair under the new Madrid manager, Xabi Alonso, so that they may rekindle their defensive connection.

Konate’s current contract sees him earn £70,000 a week, which is less than a third of what his defensive partner Virgil Van Dijk earns. Liverpool’s Director of Football, Richard Hughes, has attempted to rectify this wage disparity and has reportedly offered a new contract that Konate turned down. A report from The Times indicated that the defender wants around £200,000 a week.

Whilst there still seems to be some distance between the two parties’ preferred wages, French journalist Abdellah Boulma has indicated that talks are still ongoing with both Hughes and Konate open to working out a deal.

Konate's significance to Liverpool

There’s a reason both Real Madrid and Liverpool desperately want Konate in their squad for the start of the 2026 campaign – his presence on the pitch has a clear impact on results and defensive form.

Liverpool’s 2024/25 Premier League Record

With Konate

Without Konate

Games Played

31

7

Wins

21

4

Draws

7

2

Losses

3

1

Win %

67.7%

57.1%

Avg. Goals Conceded per game

1.47

1.71

Statistics from statmuse

Indeed, Liverpool win 10.6% more games when Konate features, over a 38-game season that will result in between an extra 8 and 12 points. The second major stat is that they conceed 0.24 fewer goals a game when Konate plays, 9.12 goals over a full Premier League season.

Based on their business in the last few windows and their on-field success, Liverpool clearly have more money to spend in order to bring in a Konate replacement if he did leave next summer. However, the difficulty that the club faces is in actually finding a player of high enough quality to replace him.

The latter stage of Arsenal’s transfer window is likely to throw up many twists and turns yet, with Mikel Arteta sending a clear message to the board ahead of their pre-season clash with AC Milan in Asia.

Top 2% of goalscorers: Arsenal now make approach for "world-class" £43m forward

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Arteta, in his first press conference since returning from Arsenal’s summer break, was adamant that his side still need to reinforce the squad with more depth and quality, as the Spaniard attempts to end their two-decade-long wait for a Premier League title.

“It’s like shaking the tree again,” said Arteta about Arsenal’s new signings, with Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi and Christian Norgaard all included in the squad for their trip to Singapore.

“Bringing new faces, they bring new excitement, new energy as well. We signed very important players as well. I think everybody feels that the heights have to go to different level, and it’s what we are seeking.”

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

Sporting CP’s striker Viktor Gyokeres is a top target for the Gunners, and a deal has now been given Fabrizio Romano’s famous ‘here we go’ tagline, with the striker set to sign a five-year deal at the Emirates.

After Gyokeres, Arsenal will prioritise the signing of a central attacking midfielder (Ben Jacobs), and there are still suggestions that sporting director Andrea Berta could add another high-profile winger after Madueke.

TalkSPORT reported recently that Arsenal maintain an interest in Real Madrid star Rodrygo, following their talks over signing the Brazil international earlier this window, which proved “very complicated” at the time, according to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg.

Now, Fabrizio Romano has shared an update on the 24-year-old’s uncertain future under Xabi Alonso.

Rodrygo set to decide Real Madrid future after early summer Arsenal talks

Writing in his GiveMeSport newsletter, Romano claims that Rodrygo is set for talks with Real Madrid over his career in the coming days, and there is still a possibility that he could choose to depart Los Blancos.

However, his price tag could come in as high as £86 million, so it is unclear whether Arsenal could somehow fit him.

“I’m told, also in this case, it’s still early stages,” said Romano.

“Rodrygo has to speak to Real Madrid again in the next days, decide whether he wants to go or stay, and get a final price, likely to be over €100m (£86m) at the start of talks. It’s not an advanced deal now.”

The former Santos starlet bagged 14 goals and 11 assists in all competitions for Real last season, and his creativity would be a very useful asset for Arteta up against teams in the low block, which they struggled to deal with a lot last season.

AC Milan midfielder and Whites legend Luka Modrić has also already branded Rodrygo a “world-class superstar”.

Head coach says his side are in “good spirits” ahead of second Test at Trent Bridge

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Jul-2024West Indies coach Andre Coley has called on his players to channel the resilience they showed in Australia earlier this year in their ongoing series against England, as they look to respond from an innings defeat in the first Test at Lord’s.At Adelaide Oval in January, West Indies were thrashed by 10 wickets by Australia in the first of two Tests before responding with a famous win at the Gabba, with Shamar Joseph taking seven second-innings wickets. Ahead of the second Test at Trent Bridge, which starts on Thursday, Coley implored his players to believe they can set up a decider at Edgbaston.”They would’ve taken a lot of positives from that,” Coley said on Monday, when asked about the Gabba Test. “In terms of how we were able to bounce back, the process that we went through to be able to do that I believe is a lot more powerful [than the result].”It reinforces the fact that in a series you could actually not start well but then compose yourself and come back in the series and be quite competitive, potentially set it up for a game-three decider. So there are real positives to be taken away, not only from the first Test here, but what we would’ve [faced in the] last six months.”West Indies Test coach Andre Coley at a training session•Getty Images

Coley suggested that his side have learned from the first Test, despite their heavy defeat. “Having been here now about two weeks, having a bit of time to acclimatise to conditions and actually getting time in the middle… yes, the result was not what we would’ve wanted and planned for, but I do believe that there’s a lot to be had in terms of learning and takeaways.”We admit that the side we have, it is young and emerging… but we are still very positive about how we are approaching the second Test. Everybody’s in good spirits. We’ve been catching up with the players one-on-one and this will really be the first time that we’ll be settled as a squad.”There’s been quite a bit of activity on and off the field leading up to the first Test and it’s been a lot, I can imagine, for some of our players to have been able to absorb. So it’s a massive learning for everyone, players and staff, and we are still very positive as we head to Nottingham.”Related

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Coley said there were positives to take from how his team fared with the ball in the first Test, having bowled England out for 371 in their only innings. But he called on his batters to try and put longer partnerships together, and also told them to raise their intensity in the field.”We know the conditions will be testing: that’s why it’s called a Test match,” he said. “We’re not playing at home. Our conditions are going to be slightly different, but we do have it within our ranks to be at our best and to compete with England.”There were periods in the game where [England] actually had to show really good application and grit… Jayden Seales, Jason Holder; you had Alzarri Joseph, his pace was back up; Gudakesh Motie played a fantastic role in terms of helping the captain, Kraigg [Brathwaite] to be able to control and [took the] key wicket of the captain [Ben] Stokes.”So yes, quite a few positives. I would love to see us with a lot more intensity that we’re known to show in the field. I thought in this Test match, we weren’t at our best in terms of imposing ourselves on the England batters. That is definitely something that we need to be better at for the next Test.”Shamar Joseph suffered stiffness in his left hamstring during the first Test, at one stage leaving the field mid-over. A CWI spokesperson said that no decision has been made on his availability for the second Test, with West Indies due to train at Trent Bridge on Tuesday morning.