Against the backdrop of increasing racial polarisation in South African cricket, a men’s squad of 32 will attend a culture camp in the Kruger National Park next week. The group will have a workshop around the team’s identity and environment and outline performance goals.The players who will be part of the camp are: Aiden Markram, Andile Phehlukwayo, Anrich Nortje, Beuran Hendricks, Bjorn Fortuin, Daryn Dupavillon, David Miller, Dean Elgar, Dwaine Pretorius, George Linde, Glenton Stuurman, Heinrich Klaasen, Janneman Malan, Jon-Jon Smuts, Junior Dala, Kagiso Rabada, Keegan Petersen, Keshav Maharaj, Kyle Verryenne, Lungi Ngidi, Lutho Sipamla, Pieter Malan, Pite Van Biljon, Quinton de Kock, Rassie van der Dussen, Reeza Hendricks, Rudi Second, Senuran Muthusamy, Sisanda Magala, Tabraiz Shamsi, Temba Bavuma, Zubayr Hamza .Faf du Plessis will not be in attendance because of the impending birth of his second child while Theunis de Bruyn will miss the camp for family reasons.The gathering comes in the aftermath of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement’s collision with South African cricket, which saw 24 players take a knee and wear armbands with the BLM slogan on it at an exhibition 3TC match in July and has led to an explosion of allegations of racial discrimination. Former players including Ashwell Prince, Makhaya Ntini and most recently, Thami Tsolekile, have appeared on select media detailing their experiences of exclusion in the game.Many of their, and others’ stories, took place under the leadership of current director of cricket Graeme Smith who, on Thursday, issued a personal statement in response. Smith has maintained that he was not aware of, and surprised by, the claims being made now but has committed himself to working towards change. Smith is also expected to attend the camp.Smith was a key part of the team’s previous culture camp, held a decade ago, in 2010. Then, the “Protea Fire,” brand was born which was premised on the idea of resilience because a protea flower is often the first to bloom after a bushfire. It is also South Africa’s national flower. At the time, it was also seen as a symbol of unity.”Despite the reality of our diverse backgrounds, religious beliefs and social upbringings, our common understanding has created a common purpose in the team that is built on our passion to represent South Africa,” Hashim Amla said in 2014.That same reality is being spoken about much more in the current climate, albeit not necessarily by current players. Lungi Ngidi was the first to offer an opinion on BLM when asked a question about it at a press conference after he was named CSA’s T20 player of the year at their annual awards. Ngidi said he hoped his national teammates would support the BLM movement like the rest of the world. That prompted criticism from four former national players – all white – who demanded Ngidi show the same support for the fight against farm murders.Ngidi received support from 31 former players of colour and five current coaches, from Amla and then from his national team-mates. Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis, Dwaine Pretorius, Anrich Nortje and Marizanne Kapp all allied themselves with the BLM movement and everyone involved in the 3TC, including Smith, participated in gestures on the day. Since then, the conversation in South African cricket has been divided along racial lines and CSA have formed a social justice and nation-building (SJN) committee to address past injustices.While the culture camp is not directly related to the activities of the SJN, issues of unity are expected to be high on the agenda. “We felt it was important for guys to come together to engage on some of the critical issues around the team elements that we feel needs attention,” Khomotso Volvo Masubelele, the team manager said in a statement released by CSA late on Saturday afternoon. ” What we are going to be focusing on is matters around team identity, team environment, the performance measures and models we want to put in place for the seasons to come and really for the guys to be able to come with a blueprint that they will be able to own, understand and something that resonates with them.”ESPNcricinfo understands that the coaching staff and some administrations, including acting CEO Dr Jacques Faul, will also be involved. CSA named a 45-man High Performance training squad on June 29, but not all of those players will be at culture camp. Imran Tahir, for example, will not be in attendance because he is playing at the CPL.

The Australia batsman breaks down his unorthodox and extremely effective technique

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2020Steven Smith’s unorthodox technique has confounded viewers worldwide, but its effectiveness is undoubted: he averages 62.84 after 73 Tests, and he’s well on his way to becoming an all-time great. So how does he do it? Speaking to the , the Australia batsman explained how he arrived at his current technique and why it works for him.Hitting the ball where there are no fielders
“I remember Trent Woodhill, who I worked with for a few years when I was like 16 and I think I had a hit with him, I reckon when I was 20-21 as well. I remember him saying to me… he was throwing me balls and I hit a ball [on] off stump straight down the ground. He’s like why don’t you just hit that through the leg side, and I was like, I don’t know, that’s kind of textbook, almost, to hit a ball on off stump kind of straight down the ground; why do I hit it to the leg side? I remember him saying something like, why don’t you just hit it where the fielder isn’t, essentially, you know you’ve got both options: you can hit the ball straight or you can hit it to where the fielder isn’t, and that’s batting, isn’t it? You’re trying to hit the gaps and batting is about scoring runs so why play a ball that’s on middle stump to mid-on and hit it straight to mid-on, why don’t you whip it through midwicket for four? So it was finding the sort of balance.”From bat-down to bat-up
“At that stage I was also working a lot on my defence. That was really important to me, knowing where my off stump was, leaving the ball. I used to have a bit of a different set-up. I used to tap my bat just before the bowler bowled the ball and at that stage I think my head was kind of dropping, so my eyes weren’t level, my balance wasn’t quite right. So I started to just hold the bat up. Everything just sort of felt a lot better. I had my eyes level and everything felt a lot more stable at the crease.”The changing of the guard
“I was batting on middle stump at that stage like I’d done pretty much for my whole career. It wasn’t until I got another opportunity playing for Australia, I played the whole Ashes over in England [in 2013] where I just batted on middle stump and played the way I had been playing, and then we came back home for the Ashes series here [in 2013-14] and played the same way the first two Tests. And then got to the WACA and I remember Stokesy [Ben Stokes] and Broady [Stuart Broad] in particular were bowling a fair bit back of a length and quite short at me, and I just wasn’t getting myself in a good position. So I just randomly decided I was going to take middle-and-leg-stump [guard] and I was just going to have a little shuffle and put some weight on my back foot, and get myself in a better position. So I started doing it and they pitched a few balls up and I hit some nicely down the ground. [They bowled] a couple of short ones, I was getting out of the way, and I was pulling them and everything just sort of clicked into place. I thought geez, why did I wait so long to do this?”Opening up the leg side
“The way I would go across my stumps and get to where I get to, I basically know that anything outside my eyeline is not hitting my stumps. So that’s a start. So I can just leave anything outside my eyeline. Then basically it’s like if the ball’s on my stumps, use my bat. If I’m missing it I’m probably in some trouble but I’d back myself to hit the ball 99 times out of 100 hopefully. Every now and again I’ll miss one, I’ll say, bad luck Steve, move on.”The mental aspect
“I don’t know what’s orthodox or unorthodox. I just do me and do it to the best of my ability. I’ve learned a lot over the years and got more experience the more I’ve played and understand different tempos of the game. When to up the ante, when to rein it back in. I think one of the best things that I’ve learned over the years is also catching my thoughts. I think the mental side of the game is probably 90% of the game. Sometimes out in the middle I might be facing someone and I feel in a good rhythm and it’s like I just want to smack this bloke back over his head. But then being able to catch it and go, right, you know that’s not the right thing to do right now. Yes, I might be able to do it nine out of ten times, but what if it’s the tenth time and things don’t work out? I’ll be sitting back in the sheds and I’ll be angry at myself for playing some stupid shot. So put your head back down and concentrate on the next ball and I think that’s one of the things I’ve been able to learn over time is catching my thoughts and stopping myself from giving in to urges to play different shots and things like that.”The Don Bradman comparison
“I really haven’t watched much at all on Bradman. He was obviously a fair bit before my time but he obviously had a method that worked for him. I reckon I am sort of go out with my hands and the bat, probably from Mark Waugh more than anyone. He was the person I loved watching as a kid and he sort of used to bring the bat out and round [in his backlift], so you know your hands kind of get that sort of muscle memory and it’s hard to change that kind of thing from when you’re young. So I guess that’s where it probably started for me and I just sort of carried on doing it.”

كشف أليكسيس ماك أليستر، لاعب فريق ليفربول، أن النجم المصري محمد صلاح هو من فجر خبر قرار يورجن كلوب بالرحيل عن النادي الإنجليزي، في شهر يناير الماضي.

كان يورجن كلوب قد فاجأ الجميع في 26 يناير الماضي، بإعلان قراره بمغادرة صفوف ليفربول نهاية موسم 2023/24.

وتسبب ذلك الخبر في صدمة كبرى في أوساط كرة القدم، خاصة أنه كان مفاجئًا دون أي بوادر مسبقة.

وقال أليستر، في تصريحات نشرتها شبكة “ليفربول إيكو” الإنجليزية: “لقد كان الأمر مجنونًا لأننا لم نكن نعرف أي شيء وكان يومًا نذهب فيه للتدريب وعادة ما يكون الساعة 10:30 صباحًا أو 10:45”.

وأضاف: “بينما كنت في طريقي إلى ملعب التدريب، تلقيت رسالة بأن لدينا اجتماعًا في الساعة 10:30، كان الأمر غريبًا جدًا وعندما وصلت إلى ملعب التدريب كنت بجوار محمد صلاح في غرفة تبديل الملابس”.

وواصل: “سألت محمد صلاح عما يحدث فقال إن المدرب سيغادر، من محمد صلاح، نعم، لكنها كانت مفاجأة لأن لا أحد توقع ذلك”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. محمد صلاح يُعلن موقفه من العودة للدوري المصري.. ويدافع عن لاعب ليفربول: الكثير لا يحبونه

وأردف: “أعتقد أننا كنا في ذلك الوقت الأول أو الثاني في الدوري الإنجليزي، لهذا كانت لحظة جيدة، لذلك لم يكن هناك سبب للرحيل، لكن نعم، عقدنا اجتماعًا وقال إنه سيغادر وكان علينا تقبل ذلك”.

واستمر: “أعتقد أن الجميع كانوا في حالة صدمة لأن لا أحد كان يتوقع ذلك، لماذا يرحل؟ لكننا فهمنا أنه كان قراره، كان سيغادر واحترمناه وكان لديه الحق في فعل ما يريد”.

واسترسل: “لكننا فهمنا على الفور أنه يتعين علينا إنهاء الموسم بطريقة جيدة، لا أعتقد أن ذلك أثر علينا، لا، ربما يكون هذا هو العذر ويمكننا إلقاء اللوم عليه لكنني لا أعتقد أنه أثر علينا”.

وأكد: “لقد انتهت طاقتنا في النهاية، عندما تتنافس ضد فرق مثل آرسنال ومانشستر سيتي، يجب أن تكون في أفضل حالاتك، لذلك لا، لا أعتقد أن رحيل كلوب أثر علينا ولكن بالطبع كان مفاجأة للجميع”.

David Raya has been in top form, however, the Spaniard may have picked up an injury as he was seen limping after Arsenal's 2-2 draw at Etihad Stadium.

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Raya spotted with bandaged kneeHas been in top form for ArsenalWon 'Man of the Match' against Man CityFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Raya has potentially been Arsenal and Mikel Arteta's best and most consistent player so far this season as the Spaniard has made a claim to being the most in-form goalkeeper in world football at the moment. The same was the case at Etihad Stadium during Arsenal's 2-2 draw against Manchester City, however, after the game Raya was spotted with a bandaged right knee as he limped out while exiting the Etihad.

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Raya made nine saves, eight of which came in the second half after Arsenal had been reduced to 10 men. The Spaniard was also awarded the official 'Man of the Match' award for his fantastic display at the Etihad.

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WHAT NEXT FOR RAYA?

Arsenal's next match may not be as difficult as they face off against League One side Bolton in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, September 25. As such, it is possible Raya may be awarded some rest, however, Arteta will have to play either Tommy Setford or 16-year-old Jack Porter, with Neto not eligible to appear for Arsenal in the competition.

Philippe Clement has already begun the mass Ibrox exodus as five players were released from Glasgow Rangers following the expiry of their contracts.

Borna Barisic, John Lundstram, Ryan Jack, Kemar Roofe and Jon McLaughlin have all departed with the best wishes from the club. While this means the Belgian has various gaps to plug, he is saving over £80k-per-week in wages, which will give him plenty of flexibility in the transfer market.

With over 500 competitive appearances between them, Clement may be losing plenty of experience, but the time has come for a mentality shift at Ibrox. Jack and Roofe spent the majority of the campaign injured, while Lundstram and Barisic failed to replicate past glories during the 2023/24 season.

Player

Year joined

Appearances

John Lundstram

2021

153

Borna Barisic

2018

236

Kemar Roofe

2020

102

Jon McLaughlin

2020

46

Ryan Jack

2017

210

Clement has already made one signing for the Gers, luring Brazilian left-back Jefte to Glasgow. Might another left-sided defender be on the agenda?

Rangers transfer news

Following the announcement of Jefte a couple of weeks ago, it appears Clement is not resting on his laurels as he looks to do the majority of his transfer business sooner rather than later.

According to reports last week, via the Daily Record the Light Blues are eyeing up Chilean defender Thomas Galdames in the hopes of adding the player to their squad.

His contract expires in December this year, which means the club could secure his signature on a cut-price deal this summer.

Following the initial links to the player, it now appears that he wants a move away from his current club – Argentinian side Godoy Cruz – as soon as possible.

His stock is clearly high, having been called up by Chile for the upcoming Copa América and the defender had his say about his future when speaking to Cooperativa Deportes (via the Daily Record), saying:

"I have a contract in Godoy Cruz until December and my idea is that they sell me now. I hope that is the same idea as the club.

"My representative is working on that, but these are not issues that concern me and I focus only on the games. I know that, going to Europe in a competitive league, rather than staying here in South America, will mean I continue to grow. My career has been very progressive, especially upwards. Today the market opened so I hope we will have news."

Galdames is exactly the type of player the club should be targeting this summer. At 25-years-old, he is approaching the peak years of his career while also gaining international recognition for the first time.

Add to that the fact that the defender could be sold a few years down the line for a major profit, and it is clear why Clement is pursuing a move.

The best candidates to replace Barisic

Barisic’s contribution towards the success Rangers have enjoyed since his arrival in 2018 cannot be understated, but it was clear this was one season too far for the Croatian defender.

His departure not only frees up space on the left side of the defence but frees up some of the wage bill.

Ridvan Yilmaz faces an important summer ahead as he looks to improve his fitness levels and establish himself as the first choice at left-back. He did attract interest during the January transfer window, however, and if a serious bid arrives in the coming weeks, may Clement consider it?

The club could recoup the £5m they shelled out for Yilmaz in 2022 and with Jefte joining this summer along with talented youngsters in Robbie Fraser and Jonhly Yfeko knocking on the door, it might be an ideal chance for the 50-year-old to generate some much-needed funds.

Jefte is only 20, however, which means adding a player with a bit more experience is a must, hence the interest in Galdames, and he could be the perfect Barisic heir, no doubt about it.

Why Thomas Galdames would be a good signing for Rangers

Last season for Godoy Cruz, the 25-year-old showcased his attacking abilities by scoring twice and registering three assists across 33 matches in all competitions.

His performances have been excellent during the current season, shining in a recent cup game, registering two assists, winning seven of his nine total duels and prevailing in three tackles.

South American expert Nathan Joyes has hailed the defender amid recent links to Rangers, saying: “The Chilean left-back is comfortable with both feet, confident in the final third and can produce a good delivery, both in-play and from set pieces.”

This penchant for crossing while bursting up and down the left wing suggests he could be the perfect replacement for Barisic, who at his best, was a key attacking player for Rangers.

Indeed, WhoScored lists Galdames’ strengths as crossing and direct free kicks, while he tends to deliver crosses on a regular basis.

His profile certainly fits the bill of a player who could shine for the Ibrox side next season in the Premiership and in Europe, being able to defend and attack with plenty of purpose.

He was also praised by Kai Watson, founder of the Rangers Journal, who said: “People always want a player that’s willing to put everything on the line to win the ball. Thomas Galdames may actually be a mad man.”

The praise relates to a tackle he made a few years ago which can be seen in the video below, and it is clearly a novel way to win the ball.

This sort of intuitiveness and passion has been missing from the current Rangers side for a long time, something which Clement is clearly working on already despite the season finishing just over a week ago.

The Chilean may not be a marquee name, but signing players who have demonstrated their talent in South America is certainly the way forward.

A few seasons impressing in Scotland could see Galdames move on for a massive profit in the future, thus establishing a player trading model at Ibrox which has been sorely missing in recent years.

Rangers hit gold on free signing whose value's soared 250% this season

The Light Blues struck gold when they swooped to sign the impressive ace for £0 last summer.

ByDan Emery May 30, 2024

Ex-Chelsea man Conor Gallagher says he feels "wanted and appreciated" at Atletico Madrid, while insisting he has made a step forward in his career.

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• Gallagher swaps Chelsea for Atletico
• Feels "wanted & appreciated" there
• "Pitbull" says he made a step forward

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  After being deemed surplus to requirements at Chelsea by head coach Enzo Maresca, Gallagher finally secured a move to Atletico – despite the transfer being on the brink of collapsing at one stage. Now, the 24-year-old has spoken about the Spanish team's "pitbull" nickname for him, how he is feeling at home with his new team, and reflected on his Chelsea exit.

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  WHAT CONOR GALLAGHER SAID

  He told The Athletic: “I’ve felt very wanted and appreciated, which is important for any footballer. Chelsea are a huge football club, one of the biggest in the world, along with Atletico. But I have taken that exciting step of playing Champions League football and challenging for trophies. It just builds me with even more confidence and happiness to play my best football.

  “It was just (being) full of excitement to be joining Atletico. When I look back at my memories at Chelsea, I’m very proud and honoured to play for the club. It was time to move on and Atletico is the perfect club to make the next chapter in my career. I feel very lucky and fortunate to be in this position.”

  On being announced as a "pitbull" during his signing ceremony, he added: “I think that [nickname] was something Atletico made up. Some people in England call me a dog, because of how I play on the pitch. Sometimes I just run after every ball, like a dog does in the park. It kind of stuck. (Atletico) took it from there. I don’t mind. I take it as a compliment.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Gallagher went from being a key player and a captain at Chelsea last season to one who wasn't wanted in a few short months. The former Crystal Palace loanee scored his first Atletico goal last weekend and now he feels he can kick on further with his career at the Madrid outfit – rather than at Stamford Bridge.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  Gallagher could make his Champions League debut for Atletico on Thursday when they host RB Leipzig, before returning to La Liga action on Sunday night away to Rayo Vallecano.

Arsenal are reportedly preparing a bid to sign a £51 million player targeted by Vincent Kompany's Bayern Munich, and it is believed the Gunners want to act fast to win the race.

Edu could sign new world-class striker for Arsenal this summer

Mikel Arteta's side were praised for their excellent attacking form last season, despite just losing out on the Premier League title to eventual champions Man City, who won a national record fourth league crown in a row.

European club set for talks to sign "prolific" ace from Arsenal this week

It could be a summer of change at the Emirates Stadium.

ByEmilio Galantini May 29, 2024

The north Londoners scored over 90 goals in the league alone, with the majority of their strikes coming courtesy of Bukayo Saka, Leandro Trossard and Kai Havertz. Their attacking contributions came from across the forward line in the absence of a world-class natural number nine, which is testament to the fluidity of Arsenal's side going forward.

However, it has been widely reported that sporting director Edu could soon put that to an end, as Arsenal are actively seeking a new striker this summer. Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah are Arteta's only senior options in that position right now, but both are facing uncertain futures at the Emirates Stadium.

Bukayo Saka

20

Leandro Trossard

17

Kai Havertz

14

Martin Odegaard

11

Gabriel Martinelli

8

A guaranteed 25-plus-goals-per-season front man has long been thought of as the missing piece of the jigsaw, with Arsenal chiefs eager to source it before the start of next season.

"Arsenal are seeking to sign a prime striker before their pre-season tour," wrote reliable journalist Miguel Delaney for The Independent recently.

"Mikel Arteta has already long started work on plans for next season, and wants to bring in three first-team level players while moving out three or four.

They did already considered purchasing a striker in January, with that long seen as the final main piece missing. A move for Ivan Toney was considered then, but Brentford’s £100m price put Arsenal off, and he has since fallen way down the list of targets.

"Arteta wants to get all business done early, so the squad is immediately ready to work on a campaign where they are aiming to hit over 90 points. The plans have already seen in the market as reminiscent of Liverpool around 2018."

A forward who Arsenal have been regularly linked with is Bologna star Joshua Zirkzee, coming after the Dutchman's excellent Serie A campaign.

Arsenal preparing bid for Joshua Zirkzee

According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport, as relayed by Spanish media, Arsenal are preparing an official bid for Zirkzee, but Bundesliga giants Bayern also have the striker on their list of potential targets and are "involved" in the race.

The Bavarians, who will now be lead by new manager Kompany (Fabrizio Romano), possess a buy-back clause regarding Zirkzee – which hands them an advantage. However, if they decide not to formalise their interest, Arsenal would be handed a fairly clear run.

Arsenal chiefs apparently want to move quickly for Zirkzee as they seek to end their long search for a natural striker of real quality. Stefano Pioli, commenting on the £51 million Zirkzee last season, claimed he is a striker who "has everything".

Aston Villa have plenty of incentive heading into this evening's clash against Liverpool as a win will guarantee them a place in the Champions League next season.

Along with the riches that come with qualification, Unai Emery will also be able to lure higher quality players to his side during the summer transfer window.

The Spaniard will be hoping for a much-improved display than what was on offer against Olympiacos last week as the club slumped to a 2-0 defeat.

A couple of players underperformed, most notably Moussa Diaby and his place in the starting XI could be at risk.

Moussa Diaby’s game in numbers vs Olympiacos

The Frenchman started on the left of a four-man midfield, yet really struggled to get going in a match which required a fast start from the visitors.

Not only did the winger fail to register a single shot during the match, but he also created zero big chances and made no key passes while succeeding with just 25% of his dribble attempts.

Goals

0

Assists

0

Touches

29

Total shots

0

Possession lost

11

Via Sofascore

This lack of attacking enthusiasm was combined with a lacklustre approach defensively. Despite being on the pitch for just 58 minutes, Diaby managed to lose possession 11 times while winning just one of his five contested ground duels, showing how easily bullied off the ball he was.

The player to replace Moussa Diaby vs Liverpool

The 24-year-old was replaced by Jhon Duran and perhaps the Colombian deserves a chance in the starting XI against Jürgen Klopp’s men?

The prodigious talent has not exactly enjoyed the most fruitful of seasons, but this has been down to the incredible 27-goal haul from Ollie Watkins.

Emery tends to use the Englishman as a lone striker, resulting in Duran having to settle for a place on the bench.

Against Liverpool however, the Spaniard should opt for a 4-4-2, a formation he has used a few times this term. This could see Diaby dropped to the bench while Duran partners Watkins up top.

The 6 foot 1 “handful” – as so dubbed by Gary Neville in 2023 – has scored six goals in 35 appearances this season, which isn’t exactly prolific.

Factoring in how many starts he has had – nine in all competitions – it doesn’t look as bad, relying on opportunities off the bench, especially in the Premier League.

Despite averaging just 19 minutes per game in the top flight, Duran has netted three goals, succeeded with 40% of his dribble attempts and averaged 0.7 shots per game. Not outstanding stats by any stretch of the imagination, but if he could secure a place in the starting XI more often, they would no doubt increase.

He could certainly be a wildcard option for Emery to use against the Anfield side this evening. With Champions League qualification there for the taking, the Villa players will surely need no further incentive than to go out and win the match.

The Reds have won just two of their previous six Premier League games and this should give Emery plenty of hope heading into the clash.

There is a good chance they'll fall just short, but Arsenal have had another fantastic Premier League season.

After last year's disappointing conclusion, Mikel Arteta's young side brushed themselves down and again mounted a serious challenge to Manchester City's incredible domestic dominance.

Not only have the North Londoners been able to stay in the fight for longer this time around, but they have also been even more deadly in front of goal thanks to the arrival of former Chelsea ace Kai Havertz, who has undeniably come good in his new role as the central number nine, and in good news for him and the fans, the club could sign a player who could help take him to another level next year.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent edition of the Spanish newspaper SPORT, Arsenal remain 'very interested' in signing Paris Saint-Germain's incredibly talented youngster Xavi Simons, who is currently on loan with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig.

However, the report has revealed that German giants Bayern Munich also appear interested in the ace, and while he would like to return to his boyhood club of Barcelona, the Catalans are in no financial shape to afford the €60m – £52m – PSG want for their player.

Landing the highly-rated youngster's signature might prove challenging, but the good news for fans is that whatever happens, it's unlikely to drag on too long, with the report claiming that Luis Enrique's side wants any potential deal wrapped up by May 31st.

Ultimately, it would represent a significant investment in a player who is still just 21 years old, but after impressing in the Netherlands and now in Germany, it would be a purchase well worth making by Edu and Co, especially for Havertz.

How Xavi Simons could supercharge Kai Havertz

Now, adding Simons to this young and exciting Arsenal team would likely see all the attacking talent improve, as is the quality of the Dutchman, but the player likely to benefit most from his introduction would be the starting striker, who, as things stand, is currently Havertz.

Last year, for Eredivisie giants PSV Eindhoven, the "simply fantastic" attacker, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, racked up an incredible haul of 22 goals and 12 assists in 48 games from primarily leftwing and attacking midfield.

In contrast, this season for Leipzig, he has scored nine goals and provided 15 assists from both the left and right of the attack, proving that he can do it in a top-five European league.

The fact that he has turned into more of a facilitator than a goalscorer this season is what should excite Havertz most; as for as brilliant as Leandro Trossard has been this season, he has only provided two assists in 45 games, and Gabriel Martinelli has only provided five as well.

Simons vs Trossard vs Martinelli in 23/24
Players	Simons	Trossard	Martinelli
Appearances	42	45	43
Goals	9	17	8
Assists	15	2	5
Assists per Match	0.35	0.04	0.11
Goal Involvements per Match	0.57	0.42	0.30
All Stats via Transfermarkt

This lack of service from the left-hand side has undeniably impacted how many goals the German has been able to score this season, as despite what some may believe, he is not a profligate finisher.

In fact, according to Understat, his 12 league goals have come from an expected goals figure of 11.83. This suggests that if his teammates were able to provide him with more goalscoring opportunities, he would be able to put them away more frequently, which is where the Dutch "superstar" could come in, as described by U23 scout Antonio Mango.

Arsenal's best finishers (Attackers only)
Position	Players	Goals	Expected Goals
1	Leandro Trossard	12	9.56 (-2.44)
2	Kai Havertz	12	11.83 (-0.17)
3	Eddie Nketiah	5	5.06 (+0.06)
4	Bukayo Saka	16	16.81 (+0.81)
5	Gabriel Martinelli	6	6.96 (+0.96)
All Stats via Understat

Ultimately, there is always an element of risk in spending vast sums of money on young players, but when it comes to Simons, it's almost impossible to disagree with data analyst Ben Mattionson's assessment that he possesses "superstar potential."

So, if they have the chance, Arsenal should go out of their way to bring him to the Emirates this month.

Arsenal must axe "phenomenal" fan favourite who earns more than Trossard

Despite his hefty wages, the talented ace doesn’t have a future at the Emirates.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

May 14, 2024

أصدر نادي تشيلسي الإنجليزي بيانًا رسميًا، بشأن التقارير التي تشير لتناول لاعبه الدولي الأوكراني ميخايلو مودريك المنشطات.

صاحب الـ23 عامًا، غاب عن تشيلسي خلال آخر 5 مباريات، وكانت آخر مباراة شارك فيها يوم 28 نوفمبر الماضي ببطولة دوري المؤتمرات.

صحيفة “تيليجراف” البريطانية، أكدت بأنه حسب ما يتم تداوله في الإعلام الأوكراني، فإن ميخايلو مودريك، فشل في اجتياز اختبار المنشطات، حيث جاءت إيجابية عينة اللاعب بتناوله مادة محظورة.

نادي تشيلسي، أصدر بيانًا رسميًا للرد على تلك التقارير، مؤكدًا أن لاعبه الأوكراني لم يستخدم مواد محظورة عن عمد. وجاء بيان تشيلسي كالتالي

يمكن لنادي تشيلسي لكرة القدم التأكيد بأن الاتحاد الإنجليزي اتصل مؤخرًا بلاعبنا ميخايلو مودريك بشأن نتيجة سلبية في اختبار البول الروتيني.

يدعم كل من النادي وميخايلو برنامج الاختبارات، الذي يطبقه الاتحاد الإنجليزي لكرة القدم ويخضع جميع لاعبينا بما في ذلك مودريك، للاختبارات بشكل منتظم.

وقد أكد مودريك بشكل قاطع أنه لم يستخدم أي مواد محظورة عن عمد، وسيعمل كل من ميخايلو والنادي الآن مع السلطات المختصة لتحديد سبب النتيجة.

لن يقوم النادي بالتعليق أكثر من ذلك.

وكان مودريك قد انضم إلى تشيلسي قبل عامين في صفقة وصلت لـ62 مليون جنيه إسترليني، ولكنه لم يتمكن من تقديم المنتظر منه بقميص البلوز بعد تألقه في شاختار.

ولا يزال مودريك لديه 7 سنوات في عقده مع تشيلسي، والذي مدده هذا العام، وفي حالة إيقافه لمدة عام، سيكون بإمكانه الاستئناف.