Arsenal have reportedly begun their all-important search for Edu Gaspar’s replacement, following the sporting director’s resignation at the start of November.

Rumoured Arsenal candidates to succeed Edu as director

News of the Brazilian’s departure took most by surprise, given the swift nature of its arrival, and it was seen by many as a real blow for manager Mikel Arteta – who waves goodbye to a key ally at the north London club.

Related Arsenal expected to sell £150k-per-week ace, no longer in Arteta's plans

The exit door apparently beckons.

Posts 1 ByEmilio Galantini Nov 19, 2024

Assistant director Jason Ayto has taken up the sporting director role on an interim basis while the club assess who is best to seize the mantle long-term, and it is believed the club chief has a slim chance of succeeding Edu permanently, considering just how closely he’s worked with the Brazilian over these past 12 months (Charles Watts).

However, Ayto is by no means the club’s only potential candidate.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games

Date

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

Fulham (away)

December 8

Everton (home)

December 14

There are reports that Real Sociedad’s Roberto Alabe is tempted to replace Edu at Arsenal, with the Spanish director leaving his own post at the end of the season. Alabe has held many past conversations with Arsenal over the transfers of Mikel Merino, Nacho Monreal and Kieran Tierney, so there is already a working relationship there.

Meanwhile, members of the Arsenal camp are believed to be championing Luis Campos for the role, considering his glowing reputation as one of the world’s best talent spotters, which also saw him linked with Tottenham in the past.

There are a few interesting options on the table, but a slightly more left-field name to be mentioned is West Ham’s technical director, Tim Steidten.

The German has endured a mixed spell in the West Ham boardroom and has come under fire recently for his role in appointing Julen Lopetegui, the signing of crocked striker Niclas Fullkrug and a £120 million-plus summer expenditure which hasn’t paid dividends thus far.

Mick Brown "staggered" after hearing Steidten could replace Edu at Arsenal

Speaking to Football Insider, former Premier League scout Mick Brown, turned pundit, has expressed his disbelief as Arsenal reportedly consider Steidten for the sporting director post.

“I couldn’t believe when I heard his name linked,” he told Football Insider.

“You’re instrumental in getting Werder Bremen relegated, then you go to Leverkusen and leave under a cloud, then you come to West Ham, against the wishes of the then-manager, and eventually play a part in getting him sacked.

“Then out of all of that, you’re mentioned with the Arsenal job? It’s madness. I’m staggered. You’d think, looking at his record there, the powers that be at Arsenal would look elsewhere.

“A lot of these moves are agent-driven, so that has almost certainly played a part. But his record with managers is very poor. Even just at West Ham, he’s clashed with Moyes and now he’s clashed with Lopetegui.

“Moyes even had to ban him from the training ground because he was always in the ears of the players. We know Arteta is a strong influence there, and it wouldn’t shock me to see them clash as well.

“I just can’t see this happening. I think it’s highly unlikely and everything points to it being media talk rather than any serious interest from Arsenal.”

أعلنت رابطة البريميرليج عبر موقعها الرسمي، عن الفائز بجائزة رجل مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليستر سيتي.

والتقى مانشستر سيتي وليستر سيتي على ملعب “الاتحاد” مساء الأربعاء، في إطار مباريات الجولة الثلاثين للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وتمكن مانشستر سيتي من تحقيق الفوز على ليستر سيتي بهدفين دون رد، ليرفع رصيده في جدول الترتيب إلى 51 نقطة بالمركز الرابع.

اقرأ أيضًا | تقييم عمر مرموش في مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليستر سيتي بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

وحصل المصري عمر مرموش على جائزة رجل مباراة مانشستر سيتي وليستر سيتي، بتصويت الجماهير، بعد الأداء الذي قدمه خلال اللقاء.

مرموش سجل هدف مانشستر سيتي الثاني في الدقيقة 29 من عمر المباراة، وخاض المواجهة كاملة.

وبلغت نسبة التصويت لمرموش 78.4%، متقدمًا بفارق كبير عن منافسيه، ويأتي خلفه زميله في مانشستر سيتي، جاك جريليش الذي حصل على تصويت بنسبة 9.7%.

Afghanistan in joint-fifth place, with Australia, on the ODI Super League points table

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2022
Fifties from senior pro Najibullah Zadran and debutant Riaz Hassan led Afghanistan to a 3-0 sweep of Netherlands, who were slapped with a five-run penalty by the umpires for ball-tampering.The penalty was handed down in the 31st over, bowled by Brandon Glover.What the laws say41.3 The match ball – changing its condition
41.3.4 If the umpires consider that the condition of the ball has been unfairly changed by a member or members of either side, they shall ask the captain of the opposing side if he/she would like the ball to be replaced.  If necessary, in the case of the batting side, the batters at the wicket may deputise for their captain.41.3.4.2 Regardless of whether a replacement ball has been chosen to be used, the bowler’s end umpire shall award five penalty runs to the opposing side. if appropriate, inform the batters at the wicket and the captain of the fielding side that the ball has been changed and the reason for their action. inform the captain of the batting side as soon as practicable of what has occurred.After electing to bat, Afghanistan lost their in-form wicketkeeper-opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz (12) to Clayton Floyd, who was playing his first List A match, in the tenth over. Floyd would turn out to be the most economical bowler on the day, coming away with 1 for 17 in his eight overs.Hassan made it a day to remember for the debutants by bringing up a 72-ball half-century. He got to the landmark when he cracked Glover for four in the 27th over. However, in the very next over, Saqib Zalfiqur had Hassan holing out. Rahmat Shah (48), Hashmatullah Shahidi (28) and Najibullah (71) then gave the innings the boost it needed in the middle and in the slog overs.Najibullah was particularly severe on Glover, taking him for 24 off a mere ten balls. Glover ended with overall figures of 1 for 64 in his ten overs.In pursuit of 255, Netherlands had a good start, with Scott Edwards (54) and Colin Ackermann (81) forging a 103-run opening stand. The legspinners Rashid Khan and Qais Ahmad then rattled Netherlands with regular strikes. Six Netherlands batters were dismissed lbw, including both openers Edwards and Ackermann. From 103 for 0, Netherlands subsided to 179 all out, with the third-highest score in the chase being 13.While Rashid returned 2 for 37, Qais, who was also making his ODI debut, emerged as Afghanistan’s best bowler on the day with 3 for 32. Fazalhaq Farooqi, also making his ODI debut, took 1 for 30.Afghanistan walked away with the full 30 points from the three-match series, drawing level with Australia with an overall tally of 60 points. Only Sri Lanka, Ireland, Bangladesh and England have more points than Afghanistan now in the Super League.

Enzo Maresca is now insisting that Chelsea move on from Victor Osimhen and sign a different striker to complement Nicolas Jackson at Stamford Bridge, according to a fresh report.

Chelsea's striker situation unclear

Jackson has enjoyed an excellent start to the season, grabbing six goals in ten Premier League outings so far and a further three assists. His form has been rewarded with a new contract, which ties him to the club until 2031, and his future in west London appears set in stone just 12 months after his arrival from Villarreal.

But beyond the Senegal international, Chelsea’s striker situation is far less clear. David Datro Fofana has been sent out on loan, but has started just two games so far in Turkey, while the signing of Marc Guiu from the Barcelona academy over the summer has had similar results, with the Spaniard not having been in any of Maresca’s last six Premier League squads.

Christopher Nkunku has also been overlooked regularly, with the Frenchman not having started in the top flight since the opening day of the season, and summer signing Joao Felix is yet to start a Premier League game.

The Blues were linked with a move for Napoli star man Victor Osimhen over the summer, only for a deal to fall through and the Nigerian striker to join Galatasaray on loan instead, where he has scored four times in five Turkish Super Lig outings.

Chelsea have reportedly remained in contact over a potential January move, but other options are also under consideration, and Maresca is pushing to sign an alternative.

Maresca wants Spanish star

Now, a fresh report from Spain has claimed that Chelsea boss Maresca is pushing hard to try and get Chelsea to sign new Porto star Samu Omorodion in place of Osimhen. Chelsea were in talks to sign the Spanish U21 international over the summer as part of the deal to sell Conor Gallagher to Atlético Madrid, but the deal fell through, and they moved to sign Felix instead.

Chelsea and Maresca ready to axe player who's cost them over £7m in wages

It would be a bold decision to part ways with him.

By
Ben Browning

Nov 4, 2024

Omorodion still left the Wanda Metropolitano, heading to Porto in a deal worth £12.7m plus potential add-ons, and handing Atleti a mammoth 50% sell on clause for any future deal.

He has hit the ground running in Portugal too, netting seven times in seven outings for Porto as well as four times in three Europa League outings, delivering on the “elite” label placed upon him by Football Analyst Ben Mattinson, who warned on X that he was “far too good” for the Portuguese league.

Now, Maresca is ‘insisting’ that Chelsea push to sign him once more as they look to bolster their frontline, but they will have to pay almost seven times what Porto paid to sign him, with the striker having a €100m (£84m) release clause, of which Atletico are due to get half.

It is added that “Samu is very happy with the Portuguese team”, but that should an offer come in, he could see his head turned by the prospect of a new project.

A deal in January seems unlikely, but with Omorodion having slipped through Chelsea’s net once already, they may be keen to avoid a repeat if he continues to perform.

Leeds United will be hoping to return to the Premier League at the second time of asking this campaign after failing to secure an immediate top-flight return last season.

Daniel Farke’s side missed out on the automatic spots, before suffering play-off final heartbreak against Southampton at Wembley – confining them to another year in the Championship.

Star talents Georginio Rutter and Crysencio Summerville subsequently departed Elland Road in the summer, joining Brighton and Hove Albion and West Ham United, respectively – bringing in funds of around £65m in the process.

The aforementioned pair combined for 49 goals in the Championship last campaign, undoubtedly a huge miss for Farke, but his side have started the 2024/25 season in the right way – sitting in third and just a couple of points off the summit.

Subsequent transfers have allowed other players to step up and take responsibility in the final third, to try and make the current year one to remember for the Whites.

Leeds United’s attackers in 2024/25

Striker Joel Piroe has often left the fanbase wanting more after his £10m transfer from Swansea City last summer.

The Dutchman arrived having scored 20 goals or more in each of his two seasons in Wales, but despite registering 13 goals, it wasn’t enough for some supporters.

However, he’s already started 2024/25 with a bang, scoring six times, currently sitting as Farke’s top scorer and being the go-to man in front of goal.

Brenden Aaronson has integrated himself back into the first team after spending last season on loan at Bundesliga side Union Berlin following the relegation back to England’s second tier.

The American international has made 16 appearances in all competitions since his return to Elland Road, scoring four and registering one assist as he looks to finally start to repay the board’s trust in forking out £25m for his signature in 2022.

Largie Ramazani was one of the new additions brought in over the summer, looking to soften the blow following the sales of Rutter and Summerville.

The Belgian joined from Spanish side Almeria for a fee in the region of £10m, already making an immediate impact for Farke’s side in the Championship.

He’s notched three goals and one assist in his opening eight matches, looking to hold the key to success during his opening campaign in Yorkshire.

Despite the trio’s early season form, the hierarchy are targeting reinforcements in attacking areas to bolster their chances of promotion back to the Premier League come May.

Leeds United transfer news

As relayed by CaughtOffside this week, Leeds are said to be plotting an ambitious January move to sign Manchester City talent James McAtee, but face huge competition from various top-flight sides for his services.

Nottingham Forest, West Ham United, Leicester City and Southampton have all been credited with interest and undoubtedly hold an edge given their status.

However, Farke could offer more game time to the 22-year-old and potentially allow the talent, who’s previously been dubbed “special” by boss Pep Guardiola, to progress his development.

Games played

31

Goals & assists

6

Pass accuracy

72%

Chances created

28

Successful dribbles

33

Duels won

104

Touches in opposition box

73

The Englishman could be the Whites’ new version of fan-favourite Raphinha, who made 67 appearances for the club before departing for Barcelona during the summer of 2022 for £55m.

The Brazilian captured the hearts of the fanbase with his creative talent in the final third, with his deadly left foot causing chaos in central and wide areas.

McAtee, who earns £15k-per-week at the Etihad, possesses very similar qualities to the 27-year-old as a versatile left-footer himself, having notably showcased his talents with Sheffield United during his first loan spell with the Blades during the 2022/23 season.

That campaign saw the young playmaker score nine times and register three assists in 37 Championship outings, as the Bramall Lane outfit secured promotion.

His solo run against Blackpool a couple of years ago is just a glimpse of what he is capable of, potentially allowing the fans to fall in love with him as they did with Raphinha.

Given his stature, it would undoubtedly be a huge deal for Leeds should they be able to complete it, massively supercharging their own promotion ambitions with a player – who like Raphinha – can dazzle either in a right-wing berth, or in a central role.

The competition will be fierce, but the Elland Road hierarchy must pull out all of the stops if they are to secure either a temporary or permanent deal for the talented youngster in January.

Better than Joseph: Leeds missed out on a "world-class" star in the making

Leeds United were once interested in a deal to sign the teenage sensation.

1 ByDan Emery Nov 20, 2024

KKR’s mystery spinners Narine and Chakravarthy prove unhittable; Rahane shines with the bat

Karthik Krishnaswamy26-Mar-2022MS Dhoni, 40 and no longer captain, turned the clock back with a vintage display of death-overs hitting, but Chennai Super Kings struggled either side of that as a canny bowling effort on a two-paced Wankhede Stadium pitch set up a comfortable opening-day win for Kolkata Knight Riders.All the Knight Riders bowlers contributed to restricting Super Kings to 131. Umesh Yadav was quick and incisive with the new ball, dismissing both openers, and mystery spinners Varun Chakravarthy and Sunil Narine were close to unhittable, finishing with combined figures of 1 for 38 from their eight overs.Andre Russell and Shivam Mavi bore the brunt of Dhoni’s punishment as Super Kings took 47 off the last three overs of their innings, but they had made an impact before that, teaming up with Umesh in hitting hard lengths and starving the batters of opportunities to access the short straight boundaries.The chase was straightforward, even if Knight Riders endured a spell of 29 boundary-less balls. The target was never going to challenge them as long as they didn’t lose a heap of wickets, and Ajinkya Rahane scored 44 while three others made twenties as Knight Riders got home with nine balls to spare.Umesh bosses the powerplay
Umesh has failed to attract bids higher than his base price for two auctions running, and the reason could be that he can leak runs outside the phase he excels in. But he has a terrific record in that phase, the powerplay – a better record since 2018 than even Deepak Chahar, whom Super Kings spent serious money to retain for this very skill.The ball swung early for Umesh, and a bit of dampness in the pitch also made his scrambled-seam ball nip around. Outswing got the better of Ruturaj Gaikwad, IPL 2021’s highest run-getter, in Umesh’s first over, and in his third straight over within the powerplay he dismissed Devon Conway, who, making his IPL debut, miscued a flick to mid-on while trying to break the early shackles.Super Kings ended the powerplay at 35 for 2, and the bulk of their runs came from their No. 3 Robin Uthappa, who troubled the new-ball bowlers with his big shuffle across his stumps. It allowed him to access the leg side against balls that were marginally too straight, and he hit two fours and two sixes in this manner in rushing to 23 off 16 at the six-over mark.Umesh Yadav accounted for both Chennai Super Kings’ openers•BCCISuper Kings freeze in the middle overs
Varun Chakravarthy came close to taking a wicket in his first over when a bottom-edged sweep from Ambati Rayudu shaved the leg stump without disturbing a bail. He struck in his second over, however, a sharp leg-side stumping from Sheldon Jackson after a dipping wrong’un left Uthappa stranded outside his crease.Super Kings were 49 for 3 at that stage, inside the eighth over, not a terrible position, but a moment of indecision from Ravindra Jadeja on his captaincy debut led to Rayudu being run out in the next over. Then Shivam Dube – who had narrowly avoided suffering the same fate as Rayudu after another mix-up with Jadeja – lobbed a catch to midwicket after a well-directed short ball from Russell cramped him on the pull in the 11th over.The runs, meanwhile, were drying up. Super Kings got through 48 balls without a boundary before a misfield from Chakravarthy at mid-off allowed one in the 16th over. By the end of the 17th, Super Kings were 84 for 5 – it was their third-worst first-innings score at that stage of an IPL innings.Dhoni blasts off
In the first 16 overs, the Knight Riders fast bowlers had made a clear effort to bowl a good length or just short of it. According to ESPNcricinfo’s data, 48 of the 54 balls they bowled were in those areas, and only three on a full length.The slog overs, however, put bowlers under pressure to not be predictable, and to slip in the yorker every now and then. With dew setting in, controlling the yorker became difficult: Mavi and Russell bowled four full-tosses in overs 18-20, and three of them flew to or over the boundary.That apart, the late avalanche of runs was also down to Dhoni’s still flickering late-overs genius. He used the depth of the crease to manufacture boundaries square of the wicket off Russell, and in the final over executed a bottom-handed whip of fierce power, off a near-yorker, to give long-on no chance.Jadeja, boundary-less for the first 27 balls of his innings, ended it with a sliced six over the covers, and Super Kings had a total they could conceivably try and defend.Ajinkya Rahane was solid for Kolkata Knight Riders at the top•BCCIRahane does the Rahane thing
This was the sort of chase Rahane is designed for: coast at close to a run a ball, ensure one end is locked up, and half the job is done. Rahane, making his Knight Riders debut, gave them just the start they desired. Perhaps in an effort to search for swing, Tushar Deshpande and Adam Milne erred on the full side in the early overs, and Rahane and Venkatesh Iyer hit five fours in the first five overs, four of them with front-foot drives. In between, Rahane also pulled Milne for a six that showed how quickly he was seeing the ball and getting into position.By the end of the powerplay, Knight Riders were 43 for no loss.Bravo muddies the waters, but Knight Riders cruise home
Introduced in the seventh over, Dwayne Bravo made an immediate impact by angling the ball away from Venkatesh’s hitting arc and getting him to edge behind.This brought another left-hander to the crease, Nitish Rana, and Super Kings began to miss Moeen Ali – who is serving his quarantine after visa issues delayed his arrival in India – for the second time on the night. They had missed his hitting ability against Knight Riders’ spinners, and they were now missing his offspin.After an expensive eighth over from the dibbly-dobbly Dube, Super Kings were forced to turn to one of their two left-arm spinners, and Rana immediately hit Mitchell Santner for six. But with two more Santner overs to go and with Jadeja yet to bowl, Rana fell off the last ball of the 10th over, taking on a slower bouncer from Bravo and failing to clear short fine leg.With two right-handers at the crease, Santner and Jadeja combined to peg back the scoring rate, in the process also picking up the wicket of Rahane. He had done his job, though, and also shown clear intent to keep playing his shots in the middle overs, even nailing a reverse-sweep off Jadeja.After that shot, Knight Riders went 29 balls without a boundary, before Sam Billings stretched out and swept Bravo from outside off stump to the square leg boundary in the 16th over. That shot eased the pressure that had built up; Knight Riders had needed 25 off 27 before Billings played it.Billings made the task more straightforward for Knight Riders with a skip down the track in the 17th over to deposit Jadeja over wide long-on. He was caught on the boundary attempting another sweep off Bravo soon after, but he had shut the door on Super Kings by then.

Pat Cummins is confident Australia’s fringe spinners will be ready to face Pakistan if called upon despite limited – and in Ashton Agar’s case no – first-class cricket this season.Agar and legspinner Mitchell Swepson will tour alongside first-choice Nathan Lyon for the three-Test series with a reasonable chance that Australia could field two spinners at some stage for the first time since facing Pakistan in the UAE in 2018-19 when Jon Holland partnered Lyon.Swepson, who has been with the various Test squads almost throughout Covid-19 bubble life, would be the favourite to come into the side and has at least had three first-class matches either side of the Ashes albeit in one of those against New South Wales he bowled just two overs.Related

• 'I feel incredibly safe,' Cummins says as Australia touch down in Pakistan

• Australia confident they have all bases covered for Test challenge in unfamiliar Pakistan

• Travis Head: Away series define you as a player

• Pat Cummins has an eye on reverse swing in next stage of captaincy

Last week he got through 52 overs against Victoria for a single wicket but last season’s return of 32 wickets at 23.40 for Queensland suggests he is ready for the step up.Agar, meanwhile, has not bowled in a first-class game since the end of last season having been part of Australia’s T20I set-up. He played the last of his four Tests in 2017 and in the 2020-21 Sheffield Shield season took 14 wickets at 42.21 in four matches.”Swepo has spent a lot of time around the Test side, so even though he might not have played a lot of red-ball cricket he’s been bowling lots and lots in the nets and the same for Ash,” Cummins said. “He’s been playing quite a lot of international cricket the last couple of years so while it’s a different format, different feel, really confident in their form that either of those would be able to slot straight in.”Australia’s frontline spinners for the Pakistan tour•Getty Images

It would likely require Australia to significantly alter the balance of their side for Agar to earn a spot unless injury or Covid struck. Marnus Labuschagne, who took seven of his 12 Test wickets during his maiden series against Pakistan in 2018-19, provides another spin option.Even if Australia stick with Lyon as a single specialist spinner – which would appear possible for the opening Test in Rawalpindi where quicks have averaged 27.63 in the three most recent Tests – there will still be at least one pace bowler unfortunate to miss out.Josh Hazlewood is available again after missing the majority of the Ashes with a side strain which could push new star Scott Boland to the sidelines despite taking 18 wickets at 9.95 against England.”In terms of the fast bowlers, Scotty Boland has just had a fantastic summer, Josh Hazlewood and Starc are superstars so already one of those is going to miss you would expect,” Cummins said. “Everyone realizes there will be some tough calls, not much you can do about it. The reality of having a really, really strong squad is a couple of people are going to miss out of every Test.”

For the best part of a decade, Tottenham Hotspur didn’t have to worry about signing a new starting striker, as in Harry Kane, they already had arguably the best in the world.

However, with the Englishman out of the side last season, the North Londoners found putting away their chances to be quite a bit harder, as exemplified by the fact they underperformed their open play expected goals in the league by 5.55, per Understat.

The arrival of Dominic Solanke this season has helped alleviate the problem somewhat, but even still, the club is underperforming by 1.20 in open play despite being the league’s top scorers at present.

So, it’s not all that surprising to see recent reports linking the club to another talented striker, a striker who’s outscoring Solanke and Son Heung-min and has been compared to Kane in the past.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Tottenham are one of several sides interested in Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the report has revealed that Chelsea are also interested in bringing the former Brentford ace back to the Premier League, as he is supposedly unhappy with the level of competitiveness in the Saudi Pro League and ‘has not found the same motivation’ that he did in England.

There is no price mentioned in the story, but it is said that the Middle Eastern side would demand a sizable fee to facilitate any move due to them spending around £40m on the 28-year-old in the summer and paying him a mammoth weekly wage of around £407k.

So, there are certainly some hurdles to overcome should Spurs want to sign Toney, but given his incredible ability and record in England, this is a transfer that feels worth the hassle, especially as he’s outscoring Solanke and Son, and was compared to Kane earlier this year.

Why Spurs should sign Toney

So, before we look at his record compared to Solanke’s and Son’s, let’s examine this comparison to the Lilywhites’ all-time leading goalscorer, which came from England teammate Declan Rice.

Prior to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the former West Ham United captain highlighted the then-Brentford ace’s creative capabilities as similar to the England captain’s, saying, “he’s not only an out-and-out striker, he’s a playmaker as well.”

You can see where the Arsenal ace was coming from when looking at the 28-year-old’s output from his time in England; in 141 appearances for the Bees, he provided 23 assists, which works out to one every 6.13 games.

In comparison, the former Lilywhites star provided 61 assists in 435 appearances for the North Londoners, which means he maintained a slightly worse average of one every 7.1 games despite his reputation of being a brilliant creator and a goalscorer.

With that said, how does the former Newcastle United ace’s output from this season stack up to the likes of Solanke’s and Son’s?

Unsurprisingly, given his form in England and the lower opposition in the Saudi Pro League, he blows both Spurs stars out of the water.

For example, in just 16 appearances, the “monster” striker, as dubbed by former manager Thomas Frank, has scored eight goals and provided three assists, equating to an average goal involvement every 1.45 games.

Toney vs Solanke vs Son

Player

Toney

Solanke

Son

Appearances

16

17

14

Minutes

1203′

1275′

1041′

Goals

8

6

4

Assists

3

3

4

Goal Involvements per Match

0.68

0.52

0.57

Minutes per Goal Involvements

109.36′

141.66′

130.12′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In contrast, the former Bournemouth star has scored six goals and provided three assists in 17 games, while the South Korean ace has scored four goals and provided four assists in 14 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.88 and 1.75 games, respectively.

Finally, for those who aren’t convinced by performances in a considerably weaker league, you only need to look at his Premier League record with Brentford, which stands at 36 goals and 11 assists in 83 appearances, or a goal involvement every 1.76 games.

Ultimately, despite topping the scoring charts in the league, Spurs are still missing opportunities in front of goal, and while it could be expensive, signing Toney seems like a brilliant way to solve that problem, as he’s undeniably proven at this level, even if he’s spent a few months out of the country.

Related Spurs thought "outstanding" gem was the new Ledley King but he left for £0

The talented ace didn’t live up to expectations at Spurs.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Dec 3, 2024

أكد أحمد سالم المتحدث الرسمي لمجلس إدارة نادي الزمالك أن لاعب الفريق الكروي الأول أحمد سيد “زيزو” لم يوقع لأي نادٍ كما تردد مؤخرًا، مشددًا على أن اللاعب لا يزال متمسكًا بالزمالك، والنادي بدوره حريص على استمراره.

وأوضح سالم أن ما يُثار بشأن رحيل زيزو أو غضب والده أو توقف المفاوضات لا يتعدى كونه “اجتهادات إعلامية” تفتقد للدقة، مؤكدًا أن 90% من الأخبار المتداولة حول مستقبل اللاعب غير صحيحة، وتماثل نفس السيناريوهات التي تكررت مع لاعبين آخرين.

وكانت أنباء قد ترددت بقوة خلال الساعات الماضية بشأن انضمام أحمد سيد زيزو إلى الغريم التقليدي النادي الأهلي في صفقة انتقال حر بنهاية الموسم الجاري، بعد انتهاء فترة تعاقده مع الزمالك.

وقال سالم في تصريحات تلفزيونية بفضائية “إم بي سي مصر 2”: إن زيزو يُعدّ قيمة كبيرة ونجم الشباك في السنوات الماضية، مؤكدًا أن من يحاول التقليل من إمكانياته يخدع الجمهور، وأن اللاعب متمسك بالنادي، والنادي بدوره متمسك به لأقصى درجة.

حسام عاشور: لا يوجد لاعب في مصر يستحق 100 مليون.. وكنت آخر من يوقع على بياض 

وأضاف: “كل ما يتردد بشأن عقد جلسات من عدمها يثير أزمة لا داعي لها، وكل ما يُقال عن توقيعه لنادٍ آخر لم يحدث، وبحسب معلوماتي، زيزو لم يوقع لأي نادٍ على الإطلاق، اللاعب يرغب في الاستمرار داخل الزمالك، وكل ما يُشاع عن رغبته في الرحيل غير صحيح، وهذا الكلام لا يعدو كونه اجتهادات هدفها جذب المشاهدات ليس أكثر”. 

وتابع: “أما ما يُقال عن غضب والد زيزو بسبب بعض التسريبات المتعلقة بالمفاوضات، فهو الآخر جزء كبير منه اجتهادات ومبالغات، والد زيزو رجل محترم للغاية، وله كل الحق في إدارة شؤون ابنه، ونحن نُقدّره ونُكن له كل الاحترام، هو وزيزو على حد سواء”.

وقال سالم: “حين يوقع زيزو على عقود التجديد مع الزمالك، سنُعلن ذلك بكل وضوح في مؤتمر صحفي، وأقول للجميع: من يزعم عبر السوشيال ميديا أن اللاعب وقّع لنادٍ آخر وتسلم شيكات، طالما يملك تلك المعلومات، لماذا لا يظهر هذه الشيكات؟ كل من يتحدث بلسان والد زيزو لا يُمثّله ولا ينقل الحقيقة”.

وواصل: “من الذي قال إن المفاوضات بين الزمالك وزيزو متوقفة؟ هذا غير صحيح على الإطلاق. إن شاء الله، زيزو متمسك بالزمالك، والزمالك متمسك به، والأمور تسير في اتجاهها الصحيح كما خُطط لها، 90% مما يُقال حاليًا لا يمت للواقع بصلة”. 

وتابع قائلًا: “ما يحدث الآن هو نفس السيناريو الذي حدث سابقًا أثناء مفاوضات التجديد مع أحمد فتوح، حيث خرج البعض وأقسم أن اللاعب وقّع للنادي المنافس، وفي النهاية تبيّن أن كل ما قيل لم يكن صحيحًا، ونفس الأشخاص الذين رددوا تلك الأقاويل، هم من يعيدون الآن نفس الرواية مع زيزو”.

وختم سالم تصريحاته قائلًا: “90% من الأخبار المتداولة في الإعلام المصري بشأن زيزو لا أساس لها من الصحة، وهي من خيال أصحابها فقط”.

Nat Sciver, whose 109 off 85 balls went in vain for England against Australia, moved up to No. 6 among batters

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2022

Australia captain Meg Lanning has climbed two spots to be ranked No. 2 among ODI batters. She is currently just 15 points behind the leader, team-mate Alyssa Healy. Lanning hit 86 in Australia’s World Cup opener against England on Saturday, as they opened their campaign with a close 12-run win against the defending champions.Rachael Haynes, whose 130 at the top was instrumental in Australia posting 310, has broken into the top ten. She is at No. 7 after gaining six places in the chart. The opener, who was also the Player of the Match, added 196 with Lanning for the second wicket in that match. Haynes’ knock came off just 131 deliveries, and included 14 fours and a six.Full rankings tables

Click here for the full team rankings

Click here for the full player rankings

England’s Nat Sciver, who cracked an unbeaten 109 from just 85 balls in a losing cause, also made strides among batters. Sciver jumped five spots to get to No. 6, as her quick knock kept England is sight of the target for the longest time.Meanwhile, West Indies’ Hayley Matthews moved up in all three rankings tables after her all-round contribution helped her team pip hosts New Zealand in an opening-day thriller in the tournament. Matthews hit 119 in West Indies’ total of 259, with the next highest score being 36, as her innings came off 128 deliveries, and featured 16 fours and a six.And in the New Zealand run chase, she dismissed the in-form Amelia Kerr and Brooke Halliday in an economical spell of 2 for 41 from ten overs.