Arsenal could table an eight-figure transfer bid to sign an ex-Olympian, with manager Mikel Arteta personally green-lighting a move for him.

The next signing Arsenal could make after Riccardo Calafiori

The Gunners have sealed just one outfield signing this summer window in defender Riccardo Calafiori, who joined the club in an initial £34 million deal from Bologna plus add-ons.

Edu will make £22m Arsenal bid to sign "really exciting" forward this week

The Brazilian transfer chief has his eyes on a fellow countryman.

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 7, 2024

The 22-year-old comes with plenty of promise, having just stood out as a star player for Italy at Euro 2024, and was a sore miss for the Azzurri when Luciano Spaletti's side crashed out to Switzerland in the Last 16.

Calafiori also helped Bologna to qualify for the Champions League next season, with his ability to play as both a centre-back and left-back potentially coming as a very big draw for Arteta and sporting director Edu Gaspar.

That being said, if the ex-FC Basel starlet finishes this summer window as Arsenal's only major signing bar David Raya, it would be deemed an unsuccessful summer window – especially considering Arsenal's desire to finally beat Man City to the Premier League title.

After Calafiori, reports have centered around the possibility of bringing in a new midfielder and forward. Declan Rice, Jorginho, Fabio Vieira and Thomas Partey currently occupy the middle of the park for Arsenal, but the latter has been heavily linked with an exit all summer, and has entered the final year of his contract.

Partey has attracted interest from Saudi Arabia and Turkey ahead of a potential Emirates Stadium departure, but if the Ghanaian does find a new home before deadline day on August 30, Arsenal would need a replacement.

Edu and Arteta's desire to bring in a new midfielder has lead to their serious interest in Real Sociedad midfielder Mikel Merino, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Premier League this last fortnight.

The 28-year-old, like Calafiori, impressed at the Euros – scoring Spain's winner against host nation Germany in the quarter-finals. He eventually went on to win the illustrious tournament with his nation, and Merino's performances at club level weren't bad either.

He scored eight goals and registered five assists in 45 appearances across all competitions for Sociedad last season, and with Merino's contract expiring next year, the former Newcastle ace could be an astute option for Edu.

Arsenal eye opening bid for Merino after Arteta green-light

Diario AS and journalist Asier Aurrekoetxea, the player is determined to leave Sociedad for a fresh challenge, coming after other reports have claimed Merino is awaiting a move to join Arsenal specifically.

Aurrekoetxea writes that Arteta has personally green-lit an Arsenal move for Merino, and they could make a formal eight-figure opening bid of around £26 million to finally get him over the line after weeks of talks.

Elsewhere, Fabrizio Romano has stated that talks are ongoing, but it is all verbal, with no formal offer on the table just yet for the ex-Olympian who represented Spain at the 2020 competition in Tokyo.

After signing her first professional contract with the Gunners back in May, the 18-year-old is now helping Brighton bid for a Champions League spot

When England's final international break of 2024 ended this week with just one goal scored across two games, it was understandable that Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman was asked if this return concerned her. The centre-forward position is one of those in the team that really lacks depth, something exposed more by the fact that it doesn't feel as if Alessia Russo's strengths have been maximised in the system as of late. That is an issue for Wiegman to solve right now, particularly ahead of England's European title defence next summer.

Further down the line, though, there are reasons for fans of the Lionesses to believe that lack of depth up front will not be a problem. That's because there are a number of exciting centre-forwards coming through, with Michelle Agyemang prime among them.

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  Where it all began

  Agyemang is a lifelong Arsenal fan and joined the club's academy at the age of six, rising through the ranks to make her debut for the first team at 16 years old, back in the 2022-23 season.

  After being in and around the senior side throughout that campaign, she then joined Watford on loan a year later, scoring five goals in 10 games in all competitions. The young striker credits that spell in the Championship with teaching her how to be "resilient" as well as showing her the "value" of "three points" and of "working hard", with the Hornets embroiled in a relegation battle.

  Away from the club level, Agyemang also made significant progress in the England set-up, with her playing for the Under-23s for the first time, aged 18, back in October, after impressing in the younger age groups and racking up plenty of goals.

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  The big break

  Agyemang has been known as an exciting prospect for a while now, as is understandable with someone who made their Arsenal debut at 16, but it was with the Young Lionesses that she first really made a statement that caught real attention. When England's U17s went to their UEFA Championship in 2023, it'd been a few years since that age group had something to properly shout about, having suffered group-stage elimination in 2019 and, after the 2020 and 2021 editions were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, failed to qualify for the tournament in 2022.

  However, with Agyemang leading the line for a very talented generation coming through, England made it to the semi-finals in Estonia. Four group-stage goals from the teenager were vital in getting them there, with two coming in a 2-1 win over Poland and another brace helping the Young Lionesses to a 3-1 victory over Sweden.

  Spain would score two late goals to win that semi-final, but Agyemang's exploits caught the attention of women's football fans at home and only added to the hype around her.

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  How it's going

  Having signed a professional contract at Arsenal back in May, Agyemang is now enjoying her first loan spell in the Women's Super League, at Brighton for the 2024-25 season. The Seagulls are playing an exciting style of football under new head coach Dario Vidosic, and their 18-year-old forward has been a regular substitute through the first seven weeks of the season, opening her account for the club in October with a clinical strike against Aston Villa.

  Most notably, Agyemang's game time is often coming on the left of a front three, in a 3-4-3 system. It means there's more emphasis on her from a defensive point of view when compared to the role of a No.9, but she is taking to that well, not shying away from tracking runners while also growing to understand how to be a threat in the box in the space she occupies.

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  Biggest strengths

  Described by former Arsenal boss Jonas Eidevall as having tactical, technical and physical capabilities that "outmatches players at U17 level", it's no surprise that Agyemang has been able to make an impact at senior level. She's strong, which is important for a teenager just starting to come into first-team football, meaning she can compete with this new level of opponent, and that lays the foundation for the rest of her game to shine.

  As an Arsenal academy product, Agyemang is remarkably skilled with the ball at her feet. It's something that is becoming increasingly apparent at Brighton especially, where she picks the ball up in more space than she would normally when playing as a No.9, and that is helping her to create shooting chances on her own at times, as well as being able to get into the box to attack crosses from the other side.

  When she gets that service, her goal-scoring instincts are immediately apparent. Whether it's reacting quickly in the area or finishing one-on-one – she has great speed and powerful running ability when put through on goal – Agyemang is a natural goal-scorer.

Daniel Sams (Royal Challengers Bangalore allrounder)Sams tested positive for Covid-19 on Wednesday, two days ahead of his team’s opening game against the Mumbai Indians in Chennai. The Australian arrived in Chennai on April 3 and had returned a negative test at that time, according to a statement issued by the franchise. But a second test result on April 7 came out positive. He has since gone into isolation at a designated medical facility and is reportedly asymptomatic.Kiran More (Mumbai Indians wicketkeeping consultant and scout)More, the former India wicketkeeper and chief selector, tested positive on April 6. More has isolated himself in an appropriate facility in Chennai, where the team is based, and is asymptomatic. To ensure maximum safety for everyone around him, the team had cancelled its training session on April 6. Members of the squad, who were in contact with More before his positive test, all underwent tests and returned negative results.Devdutt Padikkal (Royal Challengers Bangalore batsman)Padikkal linked up with the squad on Wednesday in Chennai after recovering from Covid-19. Padikkal had been in home quarantine after testing positive on March 22, and after driving down to Chennai, he trained with the rest of the team on Wednesday, suggesting that he would be available for selection for the team’s opener against the Mumbai Indians on April 9.Members of the groundstaff at Mumbai’s Wankhede StadiumA few members of the groundstaff at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium tested positive for Covid-19 in the first week of April. The Mumbai Cricket Association, though, has expressed confidence that the matches – a total of ten, between April 10 and 25 – would not need to be moved out because they are being played in a biosecure environment. The staff on-site, meanwhile, is being tested every two days. Two of those who tested positive have already returned negative results, according to reports. The entire staff has been housed in the Garware Pavilion clubhouse, which is part of the stadium. Those who tested positive have been sent into isolation, and are expected to return into the bubble only after testing negative.Axar Patel (Delhi Capitals allrounder)Patel, one of the heroes of India’s recent 3-1 Test series win over England at home, tested positive on April 3. He had checked into the team hotel in Mumbai on March 28 with a negative report but things changed after the second test. He is currently in isolation at a designated medical facility. The Capitals take on the Chennai Super Kings in the second match of the tournament, on April 10 in Mumbai.Nitish Rana (Kolkata Knight Riders batsman)Rana tested positive on April 3 after arriving in Mumbai, but has since recovered. Rana joined the Knight Riders camp on March 21 after returning a negative test. However, he tested positive on March 22. Rana’s reports came out negative on April 1 after he was in isolation in accordance with the IPL protocols.

Leeds United have submitted a late £13m offer to sign a Championship star, with the 49ers Enterprises already receiving a reply.

Leeds win race to sign Solomon and want more

The Whites have so far brought in five new players, with Largie Ramazani being the latest from Almeria last week. Daniel Farke’s side won 2-0 at Sheffield Wednesday on Friday evening, with Ramazani in attendance, and the boss said after the game that a few more will need to join the Belgian before the deadline.

"I don't want to speak too much about the players not involved with us today and who will come in the next days, obviously from tomorrow he [Ramazani] will train with us.

"I want to spotlight a bit more the players who were involved and perhaps in the next weeks are not that much in the spotlight, like young players like Sam Chambers, or Alex Cairns.

“We have a good group to build on, we showed this today but we will also need a few additions and then we speak about them when they have trained with us. At the moment all the players deserve to be in the spotlight that were involved tonight."

One of those to link up with the Leeds squad is Tottenham winger Manor Solomon, with the Israel international set to join on a season-long loan without the option to buy.

However, a midfielder and full-back are also wanted at Elland Road, according to The Yorkshire Evening Post’s Graham Smyth, and it looks as if a bid has been made for a midfield target.

Leeds make £13m offer for Sheffield United star Hamer

According to The Star, Leeds have made a bid worth £13m for Sheffield United midfielder Gus Hamer, one which has been rejected by their Yorkshire rivals. This comes after Blades boss Chris Wilder said the club have had a bid “a million miles off” for one player, which could be Hamer.

“There have been a couple of bids for players; one was pretty close and another was a million miles off. If and when decisions on players get made by the board then I'll get notified and we have to have a plan and be ready. It's a bit of me looking into the future and trying to see who potentially might go.”

Hamer did have a release clause after Sheffield United were relegated but that has expired, with Adam Pope claiming that it is unlikely Leeds go back in with an improved offer.

"I’m told Leeds United unlikely to go back with an improved offer for Sheffield United midfielder Gus Hamer after initial bid for him rejected by Blades."

The 27-year-old, called "unbelievable" by former teammate Oli McBurnie, can play as a holding, central or attacking midfielder, but as things stand, he won’t be signing for the Whites before Friday.

Lionel Messi considers Barcelona wonderkid and fellow La Masia graduate Lamine Yamal to be the natural heir to his title of best player on the planet.

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Messi approaching the end of his careerYamal already breaking recordsNext generation of talent ready to step upFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱Getty/GOALWHAT HAPPENED?

Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is now 37 years of age and approaching the end of a remarkable career. He is expected to play on through to the 2026 World Cup, but the day is approaching when record-shattering boots need to be hung up for the last time.

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Eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo is in a similar position, as he prepares to turn 40 in February 2025, meaning that a new generation of talent needs to rise to the top of the global game. There are many exciting prospects seemingly ready to take that step.

Getty/GOALWHAT MESSI SAID

Quizzed by renowed artist on who reminds him most of himself, with the potential there to become another all-time great, Messi said at an adidas event in Germany: "There's a very good generation of young footballers who have many years ahead of them.

"If I have to choose someone, because of the age and because of the future that he has, I’ve heard that they have chosen Lamine Yamal and without doubt [it's him] for me too. I agree it depends on him and many things because that's how soccer is, but he's the present and without a doubt has a huge future."

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WHAT NEXT?

Yamal has been rewriting the history books, having made a senior breakthrough at the age of 16. He already has La Liga and European Championship honours to his name, with Barca and Spain, while also landing the prestigious Golden Boy award in 2024.

يرى كيث وينيس، الرئيس السابق لنادي إيفرتون، أن ليفربول يخوض معركة بطريقة حذرة مع النجم المصري محمد صلاح، في ظل التكهنات المستمرة حول مستقبله.

ومن المقرر أن ينتهي العقد الحالي للنجم المصري مع ليفربول في صيف 2025، أي نهاية ذلك الموسم.

وينطبق الأمر نفسه على ثنائي ليفربول، ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد وفيرجيل فان دايك، حيث سينتهي عقدهما الحالي مع النادي الصيف القادم.

وسبق أن صرّح محمد صلاح، أكثر من مرة بشكل علني أمام وسائل الإعلام هذا الموسم، بعدم وجود أي تطورات تخص مستقبله مع ليفربول.

من جانبه، قال كيث وينيس في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “فوتبول إنسايدر” الإنجليزية: “هؤلاء اللاعبون الثلاثة (محمد صلاح، فان دايك، ترينت ألكسندر أرنولد)، تكلفة استبدالهم باهظة جدًا”.

وأضاف: “لهذا السبب حث بعض المشجعين ليفربول على إتمام تجديد تلك العقود، قالتعاقد مع لاعبين من نفس الجودة سيكلفك الكثير، وهذا من شأنه أن يثير كذلك قضايا الربح والاستدامة”.

وواصل: “ليفربول ليس أحمقًا، لقد لعبوا بشكل صحيح حتى الآن، لذلك سيتعين علينا الانتظار ونرى، أعتقد أنهم واثقون من قدرتهم على تأمين خدمات محمد صلاح لعام آخر، يبدو الأمر كذلك”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. فيديو | “شيء ما يحدث بسببه”.. لويس دياز يختار محمد صلاح ضمن لاعبيه الثلاثة المفضلين

واسترسل: “يلعب كلا الجانبين بحذر شديد ولكن أعتقد أنه إذا فاز ليفربول بلقب الدوري، فإن محمد صلاح سيستمر، إذا كان كل شيء يسير بشكل جيد، لا داعِ للتغيير”.

وأفاد: “لكن بالنظر إلى المستقبل، سيكون البدلاء أمرًا صعبًا على ليفربول، يجب عليهم إيجاد مساحة لمواهب الأكاديمية والحصول على توازن الأعمار في الفريق”.

واختتم: “متأكد من أن متخصصي الكمبيوتر وتحليل البيانات الخاصة بهم تدير جميع أنواع الخوارزميات للتأكد من أنهم يفعلون ذلك بشكل صحيح”.

Looking to lift the heavy load of goal contributions from Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen next season, West Ham United have already acquired Luis Guilherme, Crysencio Summerville and Niclas Fullkrug as attacking reinforcements.

Kudus and Bowen provided 55 G/A between them, with Bowen scoring 20 goals and providing ten assists, whilst Kudus scored 18 goals and provided seven assists.

But West Ham look keen to conduct even more business in the forward department, perhaps for a younger and slightly different profile to Fullkrug, as they look to bolster their squad ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

West Ham transfer news

West Ham were linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen forward Adam Hlozek earlier this summer and according to fresh reports, he could be on the move.

Indeed, Sky Sports Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg has confirmed that there have been concrete talks with clubs from the Premier League.

According to Plettenberg, Leverkusen are after €17m-€18m (around £15m), and there is likely to be a decision made on his future soon by both the club and the player. His current contract expires in 2027.

Hlozek made 36 appearances for Leverkusen in all competitions last season, scoring seven goals, providing five assists, and totalling 1,011 minutes played.

How Hlozek compares to Bowen

Now, of course, the first thing to point out is their positional differences, Hlozek is more of a secondary striker, who can play from the left, whilst Bowen is predominantly a right-winger, who can play from a range of other zones, one being as a centre-forward when called upon.

Hlozek only started six games for Leverkusen last year, but posted some very good per 90 metrics, and this is why the "powerful" forward, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, could be a great market opportunity this summer. Said to be the most similar player in European football to Bowen, via FBref, there are some interesting parallels.

Hlozek's minutes are far fewer than Bowen's and this, of course, plays a part in the metrics. However, there are some very encouraging signs from these per 90-minute stats, his intent as a player and the qualities he brings.

Like Bowen, Hlozek – who scored against Arsenal last week in pre-season – is a high-output player, who wants to be in dangerous zones to affect the game, providing goals and assists for his team, creating chances for himself and others, and also proving to be a menace in the box.

His high shot volume, averaging 4.06 shots per 90, shows his willingness to pull the trigger, and his 0.61 assists also show he will find a teammate if they are in a better position than him, a good mixture of greed and savvy.

Hlozek, despite being only 5 foot 11, is still a nuisance to deal with, having a relentless physical profile, who wins a high percentage of his aerial duels, winning 1.57 per 90.

His link-up play with other forwards is another excellent asset of the 22-year-old, and this could prove to be a very clever move from the Hammers this summer.

More assists than Bowen: West Ham could land dream signing in PL "warrior"

Julen Lopetegui is showing no signs of slowing down with regards signing players

By
Ross Kilvington

Aug 11, 2024

Everton have been given a huge boost regarding the future of an "outstanding" player on the eve of their season opener against Brighton, according to a new update from journalist Graeme Bailey.

Everton transfer news

The Blues get their new Premier League season up and running this weekend, with a home clash against Brighton coming their way on Saturday afternoon. It will be fascinating to see how the new signings fare at Goodison Park, following a summer that has seen the likes of Jake O'Brien, Jesper Lindstrom and Iliman Ndiaye come in.

There is still time for further reinforcements to arrive at Everton, with plenty of rumours doing the rounds in recent days. That includes Strasbourg midfielder Habib Diarra, who could help fill the void left by Amadou Onana, having joined Aston Villa earlier in the transfer window.

The Blues are also believed to have made contact with Borussia Dortmund teenager Youssoufa Moukoko over a summer move after his proposed move to Marseille fell through. The 19-year-old scored five goals in the Bundesliga last season, despite only making four starts.

Another young player, Barcelona's Vitor Roque, has also emerged as a summer transfer target for Everton, with the La Liga giants seemingly happy to let him go despite only snapping him up recently. Now, a key update has emerged over the future of a current Goodison hero, too, in what could be a welcome boost for Sean Dyche.

Everton boosted over "outstanding" player

Speaking to Everton.News, Bailey claimed that Everton are "hopeful" that Dominic Calvert-Lewin will stay put this summer, despite interest from Newcastle.

"I still wouldn’t rule Newcastle out of this. There’s still two weeks to go. Newcastle like him a lot. He still hasn’t signed that contract. Nothing imminent, but I think over the last two weeks I wouldn’t rule anything out. I think there’s still interest there from a few teams.

"There’s been a few sniffs around him from what I’m hearing, but there’s not a lot Everton can do at this point. He’s got a year left, they want him to stay. From what I’m hearing they’re pretty hopeful."

Keeping hold of Calvert-Lewin would feel like a massive positive for Everton, even though injuries have plagued him down the years, preventing him from consistently finding the form that saw him score 29 Premier League goals in 2019/20 and 2020/21 combined.

When available, the 27-year-old remains a formidable striker who combines pace, power and strong finishing, with Dyche hailing him last season.

"I thought he was excellent. He's had a bit of illness. We're hopeful that has passed, he had it before the game, so I must commend him on that. His physical performance was outstanding, he's not quite over it but we hope it settles down a bit."

Everton tracking £45k-p/w Onana replacement with "insane athletic ability"

He could be perfect for Sean Dyche’s system.

ByBen Browning Aug 15, 2024

Newcastle could still potentially chance their arm, looking to make a late move for the £100,000-a-week-earning Calvert-Lewin, but if Everton can retain his services beyond this summer, it could end up feeling every bit as important as any new signing that comes in.

Eleven players and support staff received their first dose, while two squad members received their second dose

ESPNcricinfo staff19-May-2021

Thirteen members of West Indies’ red-ball training squad and management have received their vaccinations against Covid-19, CWI confirmed on Wednesday. The West Indies players and support staff are currently in a bio-secure bubble in St Lucia, preparing for the upcoming Test series against South Africa.In a statement, CWI said that they were able to secure Covid-19 vaccines for “all interested squad members” through the support of the Ministry of Health and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA).”Immunization is one of the most cost-effective public health measures in the management of infectious diseases,” Dr. Sharon Belmar-George, St Lucia’s chief medical officer, said. “Cricket is an important sporting activity in the region and ensuring that it can be facilitated safely, is of importance to us in St. Lucia. We welcome the teams here and look forward to successful and safe activities over the coming weeks.”Eleven players and support staff received their first dose of the vaccine, while two squad members also received their second dose. CWI stated that several members of the training squad had already received their first doses in their home countries, and will receive their second dose later in the summer. Last week, the West Indies women’s squad had received their first doses of the vaccine while training in Antigua.West Indies are scheduled to host South Africa for two Tests, as well as five T20Is next month.

Harry Kane has revealed who his dream signing for Bayern Munich from Tottenham would be, and there is a chance that it could happen.

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• Prolific striker left Spurs in 2023
• Enjoyed productive partnership with Son
• Would like to be reunited in Germany

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  England international Kane bid farewell to north London in the summer of 2023 after becoming a club legend at club Spurs – with a historic return of 280 goals making him their all-time leading scorer. However, those individual achievements were countered by a lack of collective success.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Kane completed a big-money transfer to Bayern in a bid to bring his hunt for major silverware to a close, with those efforts still ongoing following a trophyless debut campaign in Germany. The Three Lions captain has since been joined at the Allianz Arena by ex-Tottenham team-mate Eric Dier.

• WHAT KANE SAID

  There have been links to other familiar faces, including international colleague Kyle Walker, while Kane has revealed who he would target if Bayern were to launch another raid on the ranks at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Asked to pick his dream signing from Spurs during a supporters club event in Bavaria, Kane said: “Sonny”.

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Kane played alongside Heung-min Son in England for eight years, with the pair making 297 appearances together. Son teed up 28 goals for Kane, with 26 assisted in the opposite direction – making them the most prolific duo in Premier League history.