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Liverpool celebrated on Sunday, finally lifting their 20th top-flight title after winning the Premier League five weeks ago, thrashing Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

Though Arne Slot’s side have understandably taken their foot off the gas since sealing the deal, claiming just two points from a possible 12, sporting director Richard Hughes has been working overtime, driving any number of transfer deals toward completion before the window has even opened, before the 2024/25 campaign has even wrapped up.

With Andy Robertson on the decline and Trent Alexander-Arnold on the move, Liverpool have moved quickly to advance deals for Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong, who could dominate the wide flanks on Merseyside for years to come.

Florian Wirtz is surely the pick of the bunch, though, with Bayer Leverkusen confirmed to have received Liverpool’s first official proposal on Monday morning, worth in excess of €100m (£85m).

Barring something dramatic and unanticipated, FSG will get this one done. Let’s have a look at how he might fit in.

How Florian Wirtz will fit in at Liverpool

Wirtz is only 22, but he’s already forged quite the career for himself in his German homeland, posting 57 goals and 65 assists across just 197 senior appearances with the Werkself.

Last year, he won the Bundesliga with Leverkusen, invincible and indomitable, claiming the division’s Player of the Season award for his troubles.

Rarely does a player elicit such a captivating response from fans while maintaining an energetic and industrious approach to his craft, so intelligent and aware of his surroundings, both friendly and hostile.

As per FBref, Wirtz ranks among the top 7% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues this season for goal contributions, the top 7% for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90. As a result, he could fit into a whole manner of different positions down at Anfield.

Where Wirtz could feature for Liverpool

Moreover, his productivity has been dished out with the consistency of a world-class player, the 2022/23 season standing as a lonely outlier due to his ACL injury, and injury he has bounced back from miraculously.

24/25

31 (25)

10

13

23/24

32 (26)

11

12

22/23

17 (11)

1

6

21/22

24 (22)

7

10

20/21

29 (25)

5

6

Of course, every great playmaker needs a focal point from which they can direct their creativity, and Wirtz is no different. Darwin Nunez is “planning to leave” Liverpool this summer, as per Fabrizio Romano, and FSG have already identified their dream replacement.

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Newcastle United sealed a place in next year’s Champions League after finishing fifth in the league on the final day. That means Alexander Isak’s going nowhere, so says esteemed reporter David Ornstein.

Transfer Focus

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

Well, Liverpool appear to have found the perfect alternative in Hugo Ekitike, with with reports confirming confirming FSG have turned their full attention to the Eintracht Frankfurt forward, who is now their top target.

Anfield sporting director Richard Hughes is going to need to roll his sleeves up to get this one over the line.

Why Slot wants Hugo Ekitike

Ekitike isn’t just on Liverpool’s radar; The Independent believe Chelsea are ready to make the focal frontman their top target of the summer transfer window.

It’s understandable. Described as the “next Mbappe” by journalist Graeme Bailey, Ekitike is an extraordinary profile, physical and rangy and with a killer’s instinct, but also gifted and stylish, creative in his approach and clever in his movements.

The one-time Paris Saint-Germain prospect has already demonstrated a head for thought-out career moves, jumping to the Bundesliga and flourishing. Still only 22, he’s excelled through his first full season with Frankfurt, scoring 22 goals and laying on 12 assists across 48 matches in all competitions.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has mused that he can “definitely reach world-class striker levels,” and it’s an exciting thing to think about for those of a Liverpool persuasion. It might even be a signing on the level of Wirtz, providing Liverpool with a first-rate number nine for many years to come.

Analyst Ben Mattinson has even declared Ekitike to be “one of the best strikers out there” right now, and that he’s “ready to explode” when given the chance to perform for a high-level Premier League club.

FBref record Ekitike ranks among the top 9% of forwards for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions and the top 4% for progressive carries per 90, illustrating his elite capacity.

Indeed, this dynamic repertoire has led the data-driven site to list Isak as one of his most statistically similar stars. If this young Frenchman can be willed into the robust completeness of the Magpies’ main man, there’s no telling how devastating Slot’s team could become.

To be sure, Wirtz is an audacious capture for the Reds this summer, but Ekitike has the potential to reach the pinnacle of the game, and he’s every bit as exciting.

Ekitike isn’t there yet, but he has the trappings of a world-class centre-forward, now needs to take the right step toward reaching superstardom.

Where could this be? Chelsea could do with a striker, sure, but Liverpool have proven themselves the cream of the crop under Slot’s wing, with rising stars like Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo evidence that the French attacker could skyrocket to the top if joining the fold.

Given the level he’s already at, and indeed the troubles that have beset Liverpool at number nine in recent years, this could be a move as exciting as any at Anfield this summer – and that includes Wirtz.

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With Manchester City continuing to chase Morgan Gibbs-White’s signature, Nottingham Forest have reportedly joined the battle to sign a La Liga midfielder who once played for the Blues.

Nottingham Forest's worrying form continues

Forest had been flying towards the Champions League places and even found themselves as high as third throughout the current campaign. As things stand, however, they now sit sixth and are on course to miss out on a place among Europe’s elite with three games to play. In a season full of shock form, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have seemingly run out of steam at the worst possible time.

With one win in their last five Premier League games, Forest must rediscover their form as soon as their next attempt which will see them play host to a relegated Leicester City side. They then visit a struggling West Ham United side with the same aim before they square off against Chelsea on the final day in a game likely to decide their Champions League fate.

Nuno spoke to reporters after his side were held to a 1-1 draw by Crystal Palace on Monday, saying: “I think we improved in many aspects of the game, first half we were in control, we were dominant and had good possession and we didn’t allow Palace to counterattack against us.

“We didn’t create too many, but we had a clear chance. The second half was different, it was important that we reacted from the goal and the reaction we had showed character and belief.

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“We were fighting until the end, always with the belief that we could achieve more. The boys did well, Palace have a difficult shape to break down and they always have the threat of the counterattack when they recover.”

Meanwhile, away from the pitch, those in the Midlands have also been busy setting their sights on potential summer arrivals to replace Gibbs-White amid rumours that Manchester City are pushing to sign their star midfielder.

Nottingham Forest battling to sign Yangel Herrera

According to reports in Spain, Nottingham Forest are now battling to sign Yangel Herrera from Girona this summer and face competition from the likes of Atletico Madrid for his signature. Having spent time at Manchester City in the early stages of his career, the South American has finally found his feet at Girona and could now be on his way back to the Premier League as a result.

Starts

24

31

Goals

4

5

Assists

3

7

Ball Recoveries

95

118

When compared, Herrera’s numbers show that he could be an option to replace Gibbs-White. In six fewer starts, the Girona man has managed just one less goal than the Forest man, albeit whilst struggling to create at the same level.

Potentially coming back to haunt Manchester City, Herrera could find himself on his way back to English football courtesy of Nottingham Forest this summer.

Celtic are into the final stretch of the 2024/25 campaign after coming out on the other side of the last international break of the season with a 3-0 win over Hearts.

The Scottish Premiership leaders secured all three points against the Jam Tarts thanks to two goals from Daizen Maeda and one strike from Jota last weekend.

Celtic are 13 points clear at the top of the Premiership table and are looking to wrap up the league in the next few weeks, as they close in on their fourth successive title.

The Hoops also have the semi-finals of the SFA Cup, where they will face St. Johnstone later this month, to look forward to as they attempt to win a domestic treble this season.

Brendan Rodgers may, however, have one eye on the upcoming summer transfer window and how he can improve his Celtic squad to perform even better in the 2025/26 campaign.

The likes of Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo, Kasper Schmeichel, Adam Idah, and Auston Trusty all came through the door last year, and they have helped the Hoops to continue their domestic dominance.

Brendan Rodgers' demand for the summer transfer window

According to Football Insider, the Northern Irish manager wants ‘huge’ backing from the board in the summer to ensure that the team can progress in Europe next season.

The report claims that the manager’s future is uncertain at Parkhead, with his contract due to expire in the summer of 2026, and that the club’s performance in Europe is the key to keeping him in Glasgow.

It states that Rodgers wants the board to improve the team to make them more competitive in the Champions League, after they were knocked out in the play-off stage by Bayern Munich this term.

Football Insider, however, does not mention any active transfer targets for the Scottish giants, beyond pointing out that Scotland international Kieran Tierney will arrive at Parkhead on a free transfer from Premier League side Arsenal when his contract at The Emirates expires this summer.

There is a fresh report, though, that reveals one of Celtic’s targets for the upcoming summer transfer window, and it is a player the Bhoys have been linked to in the past.

The latest on Celtic's interest in £5m forward

According to The Scottish Sun, Celtic are still interested in a deal to sign Belgian winger Michel-Ange Balikwisha from Pro League outfit Royal Antwerp.

The report claims that the Premiership leaders sent scouts to watch the forward in action against Union Saint-Gilloise, as Antwerp were hammered 5-1 last weekend.

It states that the 23-year-old whiz has been a long-time target for Rodgers, who is now plotting a fresh swoop for his services, as the manager wanted him in the recent January transfer window and last summer.

The Scottish Sun adds that the right-footed speedster is valued at £5m by Royal Antwerp, but it remains to be seen how much Celtic are prepared to spend on the winger.

Transfer Focus

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

This latest report also reveals that the Belgian side are prepared to cash in on him in the upcoming summer window because the forward will only have 12 months left on his contract, and it could be their last chance to sell the gem before they lose him for nothing in 2026.

Celtic must now push to get a deal over the line for the Pro League attacker ahead of next season, as the winger could be the club’s next version of Mohamed Elyounoussi.

Why Celtic should sign Michel-Ange Balikwisha

The Scottish giants have had many impressive left-sided wingers over the years, including the Norway international they had on loan from Southampton in the 2019/20 and 2020/21 campaigns.

Elyounoussi scored 25 goals and provided 14 assists in 67 appearances in all competitions for the Hoops, predominantly playing as a left winger but also being deployed as a second striker and as a right winger at times.

The Norwegian dynamo provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals from the left flank, and Balikwisha could follow in his footsteps.

In fact, the Belgian star was the second-most similar player, as per FBref, to Elyounoussi in the 2023/24 edition of the Champions League, with the chart below highlighting their statistical similarities – mainly out of possession and as ball carriers.

This suggests that Balikwisha could arrive at Celtic and remind supporters of their former loanee with his similar style of play, whilst his form for Royal Antwerp last season suggests that he can also deliver in the final third.

The Pro League ace, who was once described as one of a number of “incredible” young talents by U23 scout Antonio Mango, has missed a large part of this season through injury, starting two games and creating three ‘big chances’, but he featured in 33 of the club’s 38 league matches in the 2023/24 campaign.

Starts

27

xG

6.46

Goals

7

Big chances created

6

Key passes per game

1.5

Assists

5

Tackles + interceptions per game

3.1

Duel success rate

54%

As you can see in the table above, Balikwisha offered quality as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Antwerp last term, averaging three chances created every two games and outperforming his xG.

These statistics also show that he can hold his own in physical battles, winning the majority of his duels, and this suggests that the forward would be able to deal with the physicality and intensity of the Scottish top-flight.

Like Elyounoussi, Balikwisha likes to come infield onto his right foot from a left wing position to cause problems for opposition defenders at the top end of the pitch, as shown in the clip below.

Rodgers could, therefore, land Celtic’s new version of the Norway international by pushing the board to seal a £5m deal for the attacker when the summer transfer window opens for business, whilst adding another excellent wide option to his arsenal – alongside the likes of Hyun-jun Yang, Daizen Maeda, Nicolas Kuhn, and Jota.

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At the age of 23, Balikwisha also has plenty of time left on his hands to develop and improve, which means that he could be an excellent long-term addition for the Scottish giants.

Overall, the Antwerp star could be a fine addition to the Celtic squad because of the quality he could provide in the final third, as well as the potential he has to progress and grow in value in the future.

Wolves and their search for a new manager took a dramatic twist on Saturday with news of Rob Edwards standing down from the dugout for Middlesbrough’s clash against Birmingham, but he hasn’t been the only tactician on the Old Gold’s shortlist.

Their disastrous season has plunged from bad to worse, with the club now desperately scrambling to appoint Edwards after Vitor Pereira was sacked on November 2.

Wolves’ winless start has left them rooted to the bottom of the Premier League table, and they remain the only side without a victory in England’s top four divisions, having taken just two points from their opening 10 top flight games.

History is firmly against them – no club has ever survived with two or fewer points at this stage of a Premier League season — a stat which seriously threatens to condemn Wolves to relegation after eight straight years in the top tier.

Wolves 0-4 Man City

Bournemouth 1-0 Wolves

Wolves 2-3 Everton

Newcastle 1-0 Wolves

Wolves 1-3 Leeds United

Tottenham 1-1 Wolves

Wolves 1-1 Brighton

Sunderland 2-0 Wolves

Wolves 2-3 Burnley

Fulham 3-0 Wolves

Wolves have also become only the third side in Premier League history to concede 20 or more goals in their opening 10 games of two consecutive seasons, shipping 27 last season and 22 this campaign.

After Pereira’s dismissal, and following their week-long managerial search, Fosun have now turned their attention to Edwards.

The 42-year-old was once part of the club’s coaching staff, working with the U18s in 2014 before being promoted to a first-team coaching role in 2015. Since then, Edwards guided Luton Town to Premier League promotion in 2023, and made a fine start to life at Boro this season.

However, he could now be on the move just months after signing a three-year contract.

The situation reached breaking point today when Edwards was stood down from taking charge of Boro’s home game against Birmingham amid continued interest from Wolves. Edwards also didn’t take Boro training on Friday, and his pre-match press conference was cancelled, after Boro rejected Wolves’ approach seeking permission to hold talks on Thursday (Sky Sports).

Now, it is believed that Edwards is “looking likely to join Wolves” as he eyes a return to the top flight.

Boro released a statement today too, confirming that they’ve now granted Edwards permission to speak to Wolves.

All of this comes after Wolves initially explored bringing back former manager Gary O’Neil, but he withdrew from the race citing a timing issue.

Major twist on Gary O'Neil's future after advanced talks to re-join Wolves

Now, as per TEAMtalk, there’s been a “major twist” on O’Neil’s own future after his “advanced talks” to re-join Wolves.

According to their information, following a “dramatic U-turn” over returning to Molineux, with O’Neil once believed to be closing in on an agreement, it is now believed that Southampton is his most likely destination.

The Saints have made an approach to O’Neil, and talks are expected to intensify in the coming days as all parties seek to reach a swift deal.

Taking this into account, it is a wonder why O’Neil ruled himself out of the Wolves job but could now take up a position with the struggling Championship side.

O’Neil was appointed Wolves head coach in August 2023 and led the club to a 14th-placed finish and the FA Cup quarter-finals in his first season. More impressively, despite inheriting a squad in turmoil just days before the season began following Julen Lopetegui’s abrupt exit, and with minimal transfer backing, he steered the side to a respectable finish and earned plaudits for steadying the ship.

His first season included victories over Chelsea, Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur, with Wolves reaching eighth at their peak that campaign.

O’Neil apparently remains “highly respected” in Premier League circles too (Miguel Delaney), but after his rejection, Edwards appears to be closing in on the role.

The Holliday family had a full circle baseball moment when Ethan Holliday, the son of former seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, was selected by the Colorado Rockies with the No. 4 pick in the 2025 MLB draft on July 13. Not only was Ethan Holliday the second son of Matt to be drafted into the big leagues, but he was selected by the team where the elder Holliday began his baseball career.

But Holliday's selection was far from just a marquee moment for his career, as well as a monumental one for his family. It also led to the phenon making MLB history.

The Rockies signed Holliday to a $9 million deal, according to MLB.com. The deal set a draft bonus record, surpassing the previous mark, which was set by 2025 No. 1 pick Eli Willits of the Washington Nationals. The record before that was held by none other than Holliday's older brother Jackson, of the Baltimore Orioles.

Holliday, a 6' 4" infielder, is regarded by MLB Pipeline as the top prospect in the 2025 draft. He hit .617 with 16 home runs in just 32 games during his senior year at Stillwater High School.

Now, he'll literally be following in his father's footsteps.

"This is a really incredible opportunity," Holliday said on MLB Network after being selected in the draft. "I'm so driven by faith, I'm so grateful. The Lord has really been the centerpiece of my life. I don't even know what words I can put to this. The Rockies organization, I'm so thankful, obviously with the family, the background, and my dad being drafted by them, that just adds such a cool thing. Knowing everyone in the organization since I was born, I'm just so grateful."

تحدث عمرو بسيوني مدير التعاقدات ونائب المدير الرياضي بنادي بيراميدز، على بيان الأهلي بشان دعم رمان صبحي لاعب الفريق السماوي بعد أزمة إيقافه لمدة 4 سنوات من قبل الوكالة الدولي لمكافحة المنشطات وأيضًا قضية حبسه بسبب التلاعب في أوراق رسمية. 

وقال عمرو بسيوني في تصريحات لقناة “النهار”: “بيراميدز على أتم الاستعداد للمواجهة المقبلة في بطولة دوري أبطال إفريقيا أمام باور ديناموز”.  

وأضاف: “استقبلنا بيان الأهلي بتقدير شديد عن دعم رمضان صبحي، شيء ليس غريب عن الأهلي ومجلسه بقيادة الخطيب، رمضان صبحي هو واحد من أفراد عائلة بيراميدز، يمر بمشكلتين كبار جدًا في وقت قصير”.

وتابع: “رمضان صبحي يحتاج إلى جهود كل شخص متواجد في المنظومة الكروية المصرية، رمضان شاب أعطى الكثير للكرة في مصر، لاعب دولي وكان له دور كبير في السنوات الماضية ببيراميدز”. 

طالع.. ترتيب مجموعة بيراميدز في دوري أبطال إفريقيا بعد فوز نهضة بركان على ريفرز يونايتد

وتابع: “الأهلي هو أكبر قلعة رياضية في مصر هو والزمالك، خطوات الخطيب محترمة ومشرفة جدًا، دائمًا في كل مواقفنا نحرص على التعاون المستمر والعلاقة التي تسودها الود والاحترام مع الأهلي، ودائمًا نتحدث كيف نقرب المسافات المتواجدة بين الناديين، المشاكل المتواجدة على السوشيال ميديا، والعلاقة بين الإدارتين محترمة جدًا”.

وأردف: “علاقتنا جيدة بمجلس إدارة الأهلي، دائمًا عندما نتقابل في المباريات تكون هناك حفاوة، العلاقات الشخصية في المسؤولين بالأهلي هائلة ومحترمة، ولو هناك فرصة نزور الأهلي سيكون شيئًا هائلًا أو العكس”.

وشدد: “رمضان صبحي يستحق مننا تظافر كل الجهود لكي نقف بجانبه، يجب أن يشعر أن هناك ناس في ظهره وتساعده بشتى الطرق، نحترم القضاء المصري، من حقنا ومن واجبنا نقف بجانبه، وبعض الشائعات ظهرت بالأمس أن النادي لن يجدد لرمضان صبحي؟ الموسم الماضي رمضان جدد عقده لمدة 4 سنوات، هو فرد من عائلة بيراميدز، المشاكل وارده في حياتنا أهم شيء يشعر أنه يوجد أحد في ظهره، لم يطرح من الأساس فكرة ايقاف التعاقد معه أو فسخ عقده، هذا الكلام ليس وقته”. 

وأكمل: “مايلي واسامة جلال عقودهما تنتهي بنهاية الموسم، محمد حمدي عقده مستمر لموسم مقبل، ومايلي افضل لاعب في إفريقيا ومهاجم كبير وإضافة كبيرة لبيراميدز وللدوري المصري بشكل عام، ونحاول أن نحافظ على اللاعبين المميزين، سنبدأ التفاوض معه على التجديد عقده، هو حاليًا أصبح أفضل لاعب في إفريقيا ومتبفي في عقده 6 أشهر”. 

واختتم: “مايلي حتى الآن لم يوقع بشكل رسمي على التجديد، ويجب أن تكون الرغبة متبادلة بين الطرفين، ونحن نريد استمراره، وهو سعيد بتواجده في بيراميدز، وأسامة جلال لاعب هائل وصادفه سوء حظ بسبب الإصابة وفتحنا التفاوض معه ومع وكيله وفي أقرب فرصة ملف أسامة سيكون منتهيًا”.

Arsenal have made a blistering start to this season, and the theme of their success continues to be squad depth.

On Wednesday night, it was substitutes that made all the difference, as the Gunners beat Bayern Munich 3-1 in the Champions League.

Riccardo Calafiori set up Noni Madueke to score the go-ahead goal, before Gabriel Martinelli raced around Manuel Neuer to stroke home the clincher soon after, all three doing so off the bench.

In recent seasons, most notably last year, Arsenal’s title hopes have been derailed by injuries, simply not possession-requisite deputies, in terms of quality, quantity and sometimes both, to cope with key absentees.

Well, this time round, numerous key figures have been or are currently still sidelined, and this has not hampered the Gunners one bit, so do Mikel Arteta and Andrea Berta now have their eyes set on further new recruits in January?

Arsenal target a new attacker

Those who thought Mikel Merino up front had been confined to the past were very much mistaken, the Spaniard forced back into the emergency centre-forward role because, well, in recent weeks there haven’t been any other options.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Jesus and Viktor Gyökeres remain sidelined, Martin Ødegaard, Madueke and Martinelli have all made their returns this week, but Leandro Trossard is a doubt for Sunday’s trip to Stamford Bridge after suffering a knock against Bayern, the severity of which is not yet known.

So, could Arteta request the arrival of a new attacker in January?

Well, according to reports in Spain, Arsenal are interested in signing Karim Adeyemi from Borussia Dortmund, with Manchester United also in the race to secure his signature.

They add that die Schwarzgelben value the German international at £75m, but could be under pressure to sell, considering that his contract expires in 2027, hence why there is ‘intensifying’ interest from the two Premier League giants.

So, could he become the 13th German to feature for Arsenal, following in the footsteps of Jens Lehmann, Per Mertesacker, Mesut Özil, Bernd Leno, Lukas Podolski and others?

What Karim Adeyemi​​​​​​​ would bring to Arsenal

After beginning his senior career at RB Salzburg, Adeyemi joined Dortmund in the summer of 2022 for €38m (around £33m), scoring 31 goals and registering 22 assists for the club to date.

Analyst Ben Mattinson praises his “electric pace” and labels him a “transitional monster”, which is possibly best demonstrated by this goal he scored in the Champions League against Graham Potter’s Chelsea at the Westfalenstadion​​​​​​​.

Meantime, according to the Bundesliga, he is one of the fastest players in the division’s history, reaching a top speed of 22.77 miles per hour, which would result in an £80 fine if he ran that fast up Holloway Road parallel to the Emirates.

He is very much a key player at Dortmund, as the table below documents.

Goals

5

2nd

Assists

3

2nd

Shots

31

2nd

Key passes

12

3rd

Shot-creating actions

39

2nd

Goal-creating actions

7

2nd

Big chances created

4

2nd

Attempted take-ons

54

1st

Successful take-ons

24

1st

Progressive carries

35

1st

Top speed

32.2 km/h

1st

Touches in box

65

1st

Average rating

7.31

2nd

The table underlines Adeyemi’s importance to Dortmund.

Only Serhou Guirassy has scored more goals, with wing-back Julian Ryerson the only player boasting better creative numbers, but Adeyemi is currently combining the two.

The attacker also leads the way at die Schwarzgelben for all the dribbling statistics as well as top speed, registering the most touches of any Dortmund player in the opposition penalty area.

This emphasises how he is currently able to combine all the things that make both Madueke and Bukayo Saka elite – the two players noted as among the five most stylistically and statistically similar players to Adeyemi among those in their position across Europe’s top five leagues, as per FBref.

Madueke is a direct dribbler who is a major goal-threat, underlined by the fact that he ranked third in the Premier League last season for progressive carries and fifth when it came to touches in the attacking penalty box.

Saka meantime is the creator in chief, registering more shot-creating actions and big chances created than any other Arsenal player so far this season, despite a spell on the sidelines due to injury.

Well, right now, Adeyemi is able to combine all of these qualities into one, seemingly fulfilling his full potential at the age of 23, suggesting he would be an excellent addition to Arteta’s team and could be the man to fire them to that elusive first Premier League title since 2002.

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We must just turn up and wait for what treat he throws at us

Sidharth Monga21-Jun-20252:33

Manjrekar: The world knows how special Pant is

Rishabh Pant would have been right at home in England in an era gone by. Imagine him as one of the schoolboys in Cambridge in the late 1950s and early 1960s, an eccentric inspired by the Beat Generation of America, walking around with little regard for rules and convention, rejecting materialism that came with the post-war relative prosperity, looking all hip and dandy, doing things for rhyme or reason not apparent to observers, offending and confounding anyone who thinks they are an authority figure.Pant is actually quite at home even now. Only Alec Stewart and Matt Prior have more hundreds as wicketkeeper in this country. No visiting wicketkeeper has more than one. He has scored more hundreds in this country than Sunil Gavaskar and Virat Kohli.All he needs is long hair, a fisherman sweater, kohl in his eye, and he could somersault all over the streets. Rish the Beat, he could call himself, along the lines of the mad-genius singer-songwriter and guitarist of that era, Syd Barrett, who went by Syd the Beat for a while.Related

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Pant dances down the second ball he faces. Seemingly goes into his bunker. Occasionally tries to ramp-pull Josh Tongue, the bowler who troubled him the most. Plays proper dirty slogs off Chris Woakes, one of them in the last over of the day. Charges Brydon Carse early on the second morning.When the opposition wicketkeeper, Jamie Smith, tries to coax him into a reckless shot against Shoaib Bashir, Pant tells him the bowler is bowling well and the field is spread out so he can’t. And still goes ahead and slog-sweeps the next ball for the 79th six of his career, going past MS Dhoni and behind only Virender Sehwag and Rohit Sharma among Indians.He brings up his hundred with a one-handed six, having fallen in the 90s seven times, the same number as his centuries now. On three occasions, trying to hit a six. Once, he hit a six outside the ground, the ball was lost, and he got out to the replacement ball on 99.It’s like nothing really matters. What is a hundred? Just a material possession. The world is just random chaos we must embrace, we are but a minuscule part of what is just a pale blue dot, and the best we can do is live every moment to its fullest: cartwheel when we get a hundred, trudge back slower than Inzamam-ul-Haq when we miss it, sharing every expression of pain with the world. And then do the same all over again without a care for convention or hundreds or that pain of getting out to a creative shot.Rishabh Pant celebrates his century with a somersault•Getty ImagesOf course this is not the 1950s or 60s. Of course Pant is no shooting star. Since his debut, he is only the most consistent Test batter of the most high-profile and the most scrutinised Test team in the world. He just plays a high-pressure game with the lightness of a spiritually awakened person.There has to be some method to Pant’s batting. Until he himself talks about it someday – or he could choose to keep the mystery about it alive – we can only look to make educated guesses from some of the trends.He likes to go after seam bowlers early in the piece. He is more aggressive in more challenging conditions. He likes to hit balls where fielders aren’t, something ridiculously simple when spoken about but hard to execute.Pant is susceptible to balls bowled on good length and angling across or seaming away from him. It would seem all his creative shots are designed to avoid facing those deliveries as much as he can.After he charged down to Ben Stokes second ball, only one out of the next nine Stokes deliveries were pitched on that good length. In this innings, for example, he faced 108 balls of pace and played 22 false shots, a control percentage of a tick under 80. Only 35 of those 108 balls were on a good length of 6-8m from the stumps. He played 16 false shots to them.Pant had a wider range of interception points than other batters. He was likelier than anyone else to meet a quick delivery either more than 3m down the wicket or 0.5m from the wicket. And still his average interception point was further down than others.He thrives in this chaos where he has thrown the bowlers off their lengths. When he was playing just his second Test, having got off the mark with a six in his debut innings, he let Moeen Ali bowl good ball after good ball to him in Southampton. He tried to weather the storm in the traditional way. The storm didn’t subside. He ended up scoring a 29-ball duck, and said never again.There must be no rhythm or plan for bowlers when they come at Pant. The bowlers must be forced to protect as many areas on the field as possible, giving him more room for error when he attacks. Even his batting coach mustn’t know the gameplan. There must not be any yardstick to measure his processes by. We must just turn up and wait for what treat Beat Rish throws at us.

Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane will be out for revenge again when he faces Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday. Kane was once part of the Gunners' youth academy, but was released from the setup due to concerns over his physique. Since then, it has been the former Tottenham star's mission to always perform against Arsenal.

• Kane's love-hate relationship with Arsenal

  An image of Kane wearing an Arsenal shirt and celebrating the club's Premier League win in 2004 has been on social media for quite some time now. In the famous photograph, Kane can be seen alongside a fellow academy player and even his head is painted in Arsenal's red. In another viral image, Kane posed for a team photo with the under-8 squad in a full Gunners kit. However, his journey with the club did not last long.

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  Why was Kane released by Arsenal?

  has spoken to some of the coaches who were present at Arsenal's Hale End Academy in 2004, regarding Kane's rejection. Apparently, the current England captain not only had what people might describe as 'puppy fat' at the time but was also not a great runner or athlete. 

  At that time, Kane competed with Benik Afobe, who was considered as a brighter prospect and better athlete. Afobe, though, never broke into the Arsenal first team and was instead sent out on multiple loan deals before he permanently joined Wolves.

  Kane also had his own struggles as he joined Spurs as an 11-year-old, and he initially did not have much impact as at the start of his career, as he spent several years out on loan at Leyton Orient, Norwich City, Leicester City and Millwall. 

• Kane seeks revenge against Arsenal

  Kane has always been on a mission to prove Arsenal wrong and he has quite successfully done that throughout his career, registering 15 goals in 21 appearances against the Gunners. He often delivered in the north London derby for Tottenham and also played a key role in Bayern's win over Arsenal in the 2023-24 Champions League quarter-finals. In September 2024, Kane had opened up on his motivation to play against his old club as he said: "Yeah, probably throughout my whole career, really. Starting from when I was eight years old being released from Arsenal. That might have built a bit of desire to prove to them when I was that age."

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  Kane wary of Arsenal's set-piece threat

  Ahead of the Champions League clash against Mikel Arteta's side on Wednesday, Kane admitted he is worried about Arsenal's set-piece threat and has urged his team-mates to defend carefully.

  Kane told reporters: "Of course I follow the Premier League. Arsenal have done well so far in that department. We've prepared for Arsenal as usual. The best thing will be to not give them any set pieces, to control the game – and we need to defend better than we have recently when we do concede set pieces."

Everton scouts have now reportedly been spotted watching Republic of Ireland international Troy Parrott over the break, as he scored twice to shock Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal side.

The Toffees very nearly enjoyed the perfect summer. They welcomed Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish on loan from Manchester City and splashed out on one of their biggest-ever deals to sign Tyler Dibling from Southampton. In many ways, it was a statement from The Friedkin Group ahead of Everton’s move into the Hill Dickinson Stadium.

That statement came without one key part, however, and that was a clinical goalscorer. Those in Merseyside took a £27m gamble on Villarreal’s Thierno Barry, but he’s yet to score a goal for the club. Meanwhile, Beto hasn’t done much better – scoring just twice in 13 games in all competitions.

PL stats 25/26	Barry	Beto
Minutes	386	609
Goals	0	1
Assists	0	0
Expected Goals	1.3	4.1

What’s most concerning about the form of Everton’s strikers is that they’ve both had the chances to record better records than they have done. Barry is without a goal with an XG of 1.3, whilst Beto has significantly underperformed with one goal from a 4.1 XG.

It’s a clear problem that Everton must address for David Moyes in 2026 and a number of targets have already emerged as a result. According to recent reports, the Toffees have so far set their sights on Celtic’s Daizen Maeda, who wants to leave the Scottish club, Manchester United’s Joshua Zirkzee and Al Ahli’s Ivan Toney.

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All three options make sense. Maeda wants to leave Celtic and is reportedly available for just £15m. Zirkzee could offer Everton a repeat of their Grealish revival, whilst Toney may need a Premier League return to boost his World Cup chances.

The list doesn’t end there, however. Joining those aforementioned names, Everton reportedly sent scouts to watch Parrot against Portugal earlier this week.

Everton send scouts to track Troy Parrott

According to Everton News, Everton sent scouts to watch Parrott in action for Ireland against Portugal on Thursday night, as he netted a brace to hand his country a major boost towards their World Cup hopes. In the same game, Ronaldo was handed the first red card of his international career to sum up a shocking night to forget.

On a stage which featured Ronaldo, Bernardo Silva and others, it was Parrot who stole the show to take his goal total to 13 in 14 games for the season. Quite simply, he has been in sensational form for AZ Alkmaar and Ireland.

Compared to Irish legend Robbie Keane by the man himself, Parrott has scored more goals than Beton and Barry combined so far this season and there’s still plenty more to come.

As Everton’s search for a striker goes on, they may hand the former Tottenham Hotspur gem the perfect chance to complete a return to English football.

Everton hatch striker plan as Moyes moves for star with 18 goals this season