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The Gunners are showcasing serious ambition this summer, having already completed a host of major signings, and Arsenal are not slowing down with just under two months to go before deadline day on September 1.

Berta to offer "emerging star" in Arsenal swap deal for near-£70m signing

The Italian really wants to bring him to N5.

ByEmilio Galantini Jul 9, 2025

Arsenal confirmed the arrivals of Kepa Arrizabalaga and Martin Zubimendi recently, with the Spaniards poised to be joined by Premier League stalwart Christian Norgaard, who completed his medical earlier this week (David Ornstein).

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£65m

Zubimendi’s capture, in particular, was the result of a serious back and forth between Real Sociedad and Arsenal, which seemed to go on for several months, but Mikel Arteta at long last secured his new midfield star last Sunday.

“Martin is a player who will bring a huge amount of quality and football intelligence to our team. He will fit in really well and he has all the attributes to be a key player for us,” said Arteta about Zubimendi’s arrival, in official statement.

“The standard he has consistently performed at over the last few seasons for both club and country is exactly why we are so excited to have him with us. We all welcome Martin and his family to the club.”

After Zubimendi and Norgaard, it appears the players most likely to join Arsenal next are currently Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres or Chelsea’s Noni Madueke.

Arsenal are now in club-to-club talks with Chelsea over Madueke after agreeing personal terms (Fabrizio Romano), but supporters are clamoring for Berta to end the club’s search for a new number nine.

The Sweden international, according to various reports, is in advanced talks to join Arteta’s side after also agreeing personal terms, like Madueke, and if Berta has his way, the 27-year-old will be the man to end Arsenal’s pursuit of a prolific goalscorer.

Gyokeres’ 97 goals in 102 appearances for Sporting over the last two years is a massive draw for Arsenal, not least because of their trouble finding the net last season in comparison to their previous two campaigns.

Arsenal "will" sign Viktor Gyokeres after "positive" Berta talks

Understandably, updates on the 27-year-old’s potential move to north London are coming by the hour.

Football Transfers have chipped in with information of their own, sharing the timeline Arsenal supporters can expect when it comes to finalising a deal for the ex-Coventry City star.

Arsenal want to get Gyokeres over the line in time for their pre-season tour of Asia, with Arteta’s side set to take on AC Milan in Singapore on July 23. Berta has just arrived back in England after jetting out to Portugal for “positive talks” with Sporting, and FT move to reassure fans that Arsenal “will” get a deal done for Gyokeres, even if there is some light work to do on the final fee.

They’ve offered an initial £56 million, plus £4 million in add-ons, for the centre-forward – but Sporting want the £60 million to be a paid as an unconditional fixed fee.

Therefore, just £5 million separates the two sides right now, and there is an expectation that they will eventually reach a compromise, as Arsenal look to seal this deal within the next fortnight.

يشهد اليوم السبت 6-9-2025 زخمًا كرويًا كبيرًا على مستوى المنتخبات، حيث تتواصل منافسات التصفيات الإفريقية والأوروبية المؤهلة إلى كأس العالم 2026، بجانب المواجهة الودية المرتقبة لمنتخب مصر الثاني أمام نظيره التونسي، في أول ظهور له قبل خوض بطولة كأس العرب المقبلة.

ويخوض منتخب مصر الثاني، تحت قيادة حلمي طولان، مواجهة ودية أمام منتخب تونس على ملعب هيئة قناة السويس في الإسماعيلية، ضمن برنامج التحضير لبطولة كأس العرب التي ستقام في قطر ديسمبر المقبل.

وفي القارة الأوروبية، يخوض المنتخب البرتغالي بقيادة نجمه كريستيانو رونالدو اختبارًا أمام أرمينيا في الجولة الأولى من التصفيات، فيما يلتقي منتخب إنجلترا مع أندورا، وتجمع قمة أخرى بين إيرلندا والمجر.

أما في القارة السمراء، فتتجه الأنظار إلى مواجهة نيجيريا مع رواندا، ضمن منافسات التصفيات الإفريقية المؤهلة إلى المونديال.

طالع أيضًا | وسط برود ديشامب.. منتخب فرنسا يفجر غضب باريس سان جيرمان بسبب ديمبلي مواعيد مباريات اليوم السبت 6-9-2025 والقنوات الناقلةمواعيد مباريات تصفيات إفريقيا لكأس العالم اليوم

نيجيريا ضد رواندا، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، ولم تُعلن أي قناة عربية عن نقل المباراة. مواعيد مباريات تصفيات أوروبا لكأس العالم اليوم

لاتفيا ضد صربيا، الساعة 4 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، ولم تُعلن أي قناة عربية عن نقل المباراة.

أرمينيا ضد البرتغال، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 2”.

إنجلترا ضد اندورا، الساعة 7 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 1”.

إيرلندا ضد المجر، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 2”.

سان مارينو ضد البوسنة والهرسك، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 3”.

النمسا ضد قبرص، الساعة 9:45 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “bein sports 4”. موعد مباراة مصر وتونس اليوم

منتخب مصر الثاني ضد تونس، الساعة 8 مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسعودية، وتُذاع عبر قناة “on time sports 1”.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنــــا

A former Manchester United player was once dubbed the ‘next Cristiano Ronaldo’, but went against Sir Alex Ferguson’s advice in a move that may well have ruined his career.

Man Utd wonderkids who flopped after leaving

The Red Devils are famous for their academy, with numerous first-team stars being made in Carrington. From the Class of 92 to more recent graduates such as Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, Man Utd regularly have one of their own in a matchday squad.

Ferguson was influential to the success of many Man Utd youngsters making the grade at Old Trafford and once described how to get the best out of them.

However, some youngsters who had been tipped for greatness didn’t hit the heights at Old Trafford.

Man Utd youngsters who didn’t live up to expectations
Player	Man Utd appearances
Adnan Januzaj	63
Cameron Borthwick-Jackson	14
Ravel Morrison	3
Timothy Fosu-Mensah	30
Nick Powell	9
Scott Wootton	4
Ryan Tunnicliffe	2
Tyler Blackett	12
James Wilson	20

Not every Man Utd academy graduate to make a first-team appearance has gone on to enjoy the career of a Gary Neville, David Beckham or a Ryan Giggs, with many still playing at a lower level, and perhaps none fit the flop category better than Federico Macheda.

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Ross Kilvington

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Macheda the 'next Ronaldo' who went against Ferguson at Man Utd

There were high hopes for Macheda at Old Trafford, especially after he burst onto the scene with a late winner against Aston Villa in the Premier League in 2009.

In fact, Macheda was called ‘the next Ronaldo’ in Manchester, but that goal against Villa would be as good as it got for the Italian under Ferguson.

Now coming into the twilight years of his career, Macheda left England in 2016 and has been playing his football in Italy, Greece, Turkey and Cyprus.

Federico Macheda’s career in pictures

Talking back in 2017, Macheda recalled when he decided to go against Ferguson by moving to Sampdoria on loan instead of remaining in the Premier League, something he now regrets.

In 2025, Macheda is currently playing his football in Greece with Asteras Tripolis and would make just 19 Premier League appearances in total for Man Utd, a figure which could have been more if he had listened to Ferguson.

The campaign approaches its final stage, but for Liverpool, it’s all done and dusted. In the best way. Arne Slot has won the Premier League in his first season as the Anfield head coach.

Who saw this coming? Certainly not BBC Sport’s experts, for none of the 30 pundits listed Liverpool as champions in their pre-season predictions.

We should cut the analysts some slack; after all, the Reds had just lost Jurgen Klopp, and recent history tells the tale of a decline when iconic managers depart after so many successful years.

The odds were stacked against Slot’s Liverpool, but they have prevailed to clinch the club’s 20th top-flight title. So many players stepped up, but none more so than Mohamed Salah, who fulfilled a promise in putting the Merseysiders back on their perch.

And he’s ready to do it all over again.

Why Mo Salah can go again next season

Salah is surely a shoo-in for the Premier League’s Player of the Season award. Not only has he clinched the league title, but he’s done so with an absurd haul of 28 goals and 18 assists across 36 matches, with two fixtures still to go.

1 – Mohamed Salah

28

18

46

2 – Alexander Isak

23

6

29

3 – Bryan Mbeumo

18

8

26

4 – Erling Haaland

21

3

24

5 – Cole Palmer

15

9

24

Salah needs just two goal involvements from his final two games to break Alan Shearer and Andy Cole’s long-held shared record for contributions in a single Premier League season (47), and those hauls were from a 42-match campaign.

But wait, he’s 33 this summer. Surely now is the time for the Egyptian king to regress, to accept the call of Father Time and take a seat on the back bench.

This is unlikely. Salah’s as hungry as ever, if not more so, with time against him. Slot has tweaked his talisman’s game to provide him with greater freedom in the final third, fewer duties from a defensive standpoint.

Salah is an elite athlete and his tactical intelligence has never been finer tuned. As per Sofascore, he’s only averaging 0.6 tackles per game this season but has seen an upswing in dribble and duel metrics. And, of course, he’s never been more prolific.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been spoken about ad nauseam this season, and at least now there’s clarity regarding his future. However, Liverpool do need to source a new creative lifeforce, and if Jeremie Frimpong is the man for the job at right-back, it won’t be him.

That’s okay, Trent is a unique kind of playmaker. But Slot still wants someone to adopt the new playmaking mantle, and FSG appear willing to grant the coach an incredible new star.

Liverpool in contact with marquee signing

You’ll likely be somewhat aware of the incipient Florian Wirtz saga, with the German playmaker looking to leave Bayer Leverkusen this summer.

Transfer Focus

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

Bayern Munich had been thought to hold the lead in the race but The Athletic have since reported that Manchester City and Liverpool have made contact with the 22-year-old’s representatives.

One of the most coveted talents in world football, Wirtz’s signing would send shockwaves across English and European football, should he alight at either end of the M62.

It goes without saying that he’d cost a pretty penny, £126m, in fact, according to reports.

Why Florian Wirtz is Salah's dream signing

Wirtz is only young, but after being crowned last season’s Bundesliga Player of the Year as an invincible champion, it’s fair to say he’s “probably the best midfielder in the world”, and former Leverkusen star Patrick Helmes has said exactly that.

Wirtz has plundered his way through Germany’s finest competitors in recent years, having scored 57 goals and supplied 65 assists across 190 senior appearances for Leverkusen since graduating from their youth ranks.

This season alone, he’s created 21 big chances across the Bundesliga and Champions League, as per Sofascore, having scored six goals across nine fixtures on the continent to underscore his ability to do it on the biggest stage.

This talented playmaker would replace Trent and relocalise Liverpool’s creative focus. Given that he’d be in close proximity to the inswinging Salah, he could be the perfect signing to keep the leading forward firing across the final two years of his Liverpool career.

Attacking midfield

169

48

57

Left winger

21

4

5

Right winger

17

8

5

Centre-forward

15

7

7

Central midfield

5

0

3

Wirtz’s dynamism is a wonderful thing, but he’s typically found in a roaming central role, with license to thrill.

Salah would be sure to benefit from this presence, for the Leverkusen man ranks among the top 8% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 7% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

Contrast Wirtz’s creativity with that of Dominik Szoboszlai, for example, and you begin to see why Liverpool are so invested. The Hungarian, tireless and tenacious as they come, has provided only 14 assists across 90 games as a Red.

He’s also made just 12 big chances across 34 Premier League fixtures this season, and with Alexander-Arnold heading out the door, the addition of a creative player of Wirtz’s ilk is only magnified.

Whether Liverpool prevail in this race will remain to be seen for the immediate future, but the fact FSG are pushing is a good thing, especially when considering the importance of keeping Salah performing at the top of his game.

Stagnancy begets decline, but Liverpool are ready to throw the kitchen sink at exciting signings for Slot’s title-winning squad.

More exciting than Frimpong: Liverpool make enquiry for "world-class" star

Liverpool could be about to make a move for a star who could be more exciting than Jeremie Frimpong.

ByEthan Lamb May 14, 2025

Despite the new owners not being situated at Ibrox just yet, Rangers’ summer rebuild starts now.

After their bitter rivals were crowned Premiership champions for the 13th time in just 14 seasons on Saturday, those from across the city have plenty of work to do over the summer to bridge that gap.

The 17-point chasm that exists at the top of the table is despite the fact Rangers have won both Old Firm derbies in 2025, 3-0 winners at Ibrox in January and 3-2 victors at Parkhead in March, with the latest Glasgow derby coming up on Sunday.

Off the field, the Light Blues could soon have new owners, Paraag Marathe of 49ers Enterprises seemingly set to complete his 51% takeover imminently, with big summer signings promised, including the potential arrival of a “special” youngster from within the SPFL, finally filling the void vacated by the club’s best striker of the modern-era; Alfredo Morelos.

Alfredo Morelos' Rangers career

Back in 2017, two days before his 21st birthday, Morelos joined Rangers from Veikkausliiga champions HJK Helsinki for a reported fee of £1.5m, and what a bargain this would prove to be.

Nicknamed el Búfalo, the Colombian striker was a key figure as the Light Blues went from a laughingstock to Premiership title winners under Steven Gerrard, as outlined by the table below.

Appearances

269

Goals

124

Assists

57

European goals

29

Goals vs Celtic

3

League titles

1

Scottish Cups

1

Red cards

8

As the table suggests, Morelos especially excelled in UEFA competition, breaking Ally McCoist’s all-time club-record for most goals scored in Europe, six of his 29 coming in 2021/22, as the Gers made it all the way to the Europa League Final.

Many supporters would argue the Colombian has never been properly replaced, but could that be about to change?

Rangers' interest in the SPFL's most in-demand striker

According to a report by The Chronicle, Rangers are ‘tracking’ Heart of Midlothian striker James Wilson, with both Celtic and Newcastle United reportedly interested too.

Matthew Lindsay of the Herald describes Wilson as a ‘gifted young striker’, claiming that Hearts fear losing him for an ‘absolute pittance’, valued at around £1m.

So who is he, and why is he in such demand?

Well, let’s take a look at his statistics to help answer this question.

Age

18

Age of debut

16

Appearances

31

Minutes

1,549

Goals

6

Assists

2

Despite only making his debut as recently as January 2024 against The Spartans, Wilson has established himself as a regular in the Hearts first team.

Indeed, he’s already scored in an Edinburgh derby at Easter Road in October before opening his European account at Tynecastle against Petrocub Hîncești in the Conference League a couple of months later.

The teenager was also sent off for a high-tackle on Dundee United’s Luca Stephenson last month, which is a very Morelos thing to do isn’t it?

In a more positive development, back in March, Wilson was handed his senior international debut by Steve Clarke against Greece during a UEFA Nations League tie at Hampden, becoming Scotland’s youngest-ever male player, breaking John Lambie’s record that had stood for a staggering 138 years.

Teammate for club and country Craig Gordon described Wilson as a “great talent” and “pretty special”, believing “he’s going to go really far”, while Hearts left-back James Penrice praised the teenager’s “brilliant season”, adding “I’m very impressed with him”.

So, it’s easy to understand why he is in such high demand.

Thus, if Rangers are able to get their hands on Wilson, could he replicate Morelos’ time at Ibrox?

Like the great Colombian, he’d be arriving as a youngster for not very much money, but potentially making a huge impact by scoring a high number of goals.

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ByDan Emery Apr 30, 2025

He has frequently made it easier for others in India’s line-up to score big by reducing the need for them to take risks, in what has been a golden phase for him in ODI cricket

Sidharth Monga06-Mar-20251:42

Kumble lauds Iyer’s ‘proactive’ innings vs NZ

Those who followed Indian cricket in the 1990s will remember with great pain how Saleem Malik, often without a helmet, used to give up his stumps well before a spinner got in his delivery stride and then manipulate the bowling seemingly effortlessly. It was part mockery, part dare, but fully an attempt to mess with the mind of the spinner.During this Champions Trophy, Shreyas Iyer has batted with the same chutzpah against spinners on tracks that might not have turned square but have been slow and have generally aided spin. He has moved away from the stumps regularly, even as the spinner is running in, but has hardly ever been done in. An Indian middle-order batter controlling the game against Pakistani spinners is quite the turnaround from the 1990s.Iyer is marginally behind the leading run-getter against spin in the tournament, and easily the most prolific against spin in Dubai. He has done so despite not getting to start against pace; all his knocks have begun against spin with the field spread-out and the ball old.Related

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This tournament has brought out a new side to Iyer. He has scored his career’s slowest fifty during this tournament. This is overall his second-slowest series of all time. On pitches that have produced 1990s-style ODIs, Iyer has adapted to play an old-fashioned game, not unlike Malik. In the game against Pakistan, he and Virat Kohli stabilised the chase before he took the lead to push India ahead of the asking rate. Against New Zealand, he rescued India from 30 for 3 with his slowest half-century.Iyer might not have scored a century or claimed the Player-of-the-Match award so far, but this display of adaptability has put him among the premium middle-order batters in the world. He had already been among the most impactful since the 2019 World Cup. He is one of the six who have scored 2500 or more runs in this period, but all others bat in the top three and none of them is quicker.However, since February 2022, Iyer has entered a golden phase. He has frequently made it easier for others in the India line-up to score big by reducing the need for them to take risks. Rohit Sharma does that job in the top order with his ultra-aggressive approach, Iyer in the middle only with more consistency. Shubman Gill, Kohli and KL Rahul dovetail nicely with the responsibility of scoring big around these two impact players.Of the 43 batters that have batted 30 or more times in this period, Rohit has the best runs-to-non-striker-runs ratio. Iyer has the tenth-best. There are no Indians between them. It means Rohit and Iyer frequently score quicker than their partners, letting them play the accumulators’ role with ease. Among these ten high-impact batters, Iyer is the most consistent run-getter as well.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn this period, 69 batters from the Full-Member teams have batted post the powerplay 20 or more times. Only five among them average 50 or more and go at better than a-run-a-ball in non-powerplay overs. Four of them average better and score quicker than non-strikers: Heinrich Klaasen, Aiden Markram, Iyer and Gill. Only Iyer and Klaasen do so even when non-strikers are going at a strike rate of 100 or more.It’s wild that at the start of this ODI season, India were flirting with the idea of dropping Iyer. In fact, had Kohli not injured his knee on the eve of the first ODI against England, Iyer might have lost out on the one format he regularly plays, after a rather unsavoury exit from the Test plans. After playing a match-winning hand in what must have seemed like his only chance at that time, Iyer made it a point to let us know it was he who had replaced the injured Kohli, and not Yashasvi Jaiswal.It just speaks to the incredible amount of batting talent in the country and the constant need to keep improving. The team management was desperate to introduce a left-hand batter among the five specialist batters to make it an even more formidable unit. Rohit is the captain, Kohli is among the greatest ODI batters of all time, Gill is the most prolific in recent years, and Rahul keeps wicket. That made Iyer the only one dispensable if India wanted to experiment.That experiment was dropped in a hurry, and seven matches averaging 53.71 later, Iyer is not so dispensable anymore.

Aka things we’re anticipating from this edition of the tournament

Alan Gardner and Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Sep-2023Rejoice, the ODI World Cup – the proper one – is almost here! Sure, give it a week and we’ll have remembered that it’s too long, too bloated and way too predictable. But for now, we’re excited enough to have compiled a non-exhaustive list of things we’re looking forward to about the tournament (whether they’re actually going to happen or not…)England getting the band back together
The UK obviously adores its national treasures, such as the Koh-i-Noor, the Benin bronzes, and Kevin Pietersen. Which is why England have stuck with the gang of legends who lifted the trophy in 2019 after their famous victory* at Lord’s, to the extent that pretty much everyone from the squad four years ago who’s still fit and able – sorry, Jason Roy – has been awoken from their cryo chamber and bundled onto the plane for one last tour. Will they smash it in India as well as they smashed it in England? Because so many of them have played in the IPL over the years, they might arguably smash it better. God, how they love smashing.*TieAssociates
Don’t laugh. There an Associate team at the World Cup, despite the best efforts of the ICC to weed out such plucky upstarts. Now all Netherlands must do for the next six weeks is run through fire, dodge swinging boulders and avoid being hit by a volley of poison darts in order not to be cast as a laughing stock whose very presence degrades the tournament itself (not to mention threatens those sweet, sweet broadcasting revenues).West Indies
Seriously, don’t go there. It’s still too soon. Light a candle, put David Rudder on the stereo, spray yourself with a little Daren Sammy 88. We’ll get through this.Related

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India fans rage-quitting the tournament
Never mind that it’s been almost impossible to buy a ticket, with the BCCI employing the methodology of social-media hucksters trying to flog their new energy drink (“Doesn’t matter how we distribute it, or at what price, we know you idiots will keep coming back”) – you can be sure the stands will be emptier than ICC gestures about growing the game just as soon as there’s any prospect of India’s World Cup being over. Sure, the format pretty much guarantees against total disaster – thanks for that, 2007 edition – but India had better make the final or else the swathes of empty stands in the Narendra Modi Stadium () will be visible from space.Stokes’ latest Laws loophole
Like the old secret agent who is asked to come out of retirement to complete one final mission, Ben Stokes is back in one-day pyjamas. His return was described as “a bit me, me, me” by Tim Paine – you remember, the sexting guy – and, to be fair, Stokes did look a bit of a show-off after smacking 182 from 124 balls against those poor schmucks New Zealand the other day. Big-game player, Bazball pioneer, purveyor of outrageous feats, you can see why England wanted him back. But can he still absolutely middle the living daylights out of throws from the outfield through an unprotected fine leg the way he did in the last final? Or was that merely a fluke?Boring middle overs
Do sports really need to be always interesting? Yes? Ugh. We thought you’d say that, you attention-span-of-a-goldfish 21st-century stimulant-chaser. You’re probably reading this on a phone, aren’t you? Of course your kind wouldn’t understand the profound pleasures of watching batters nurdle singles and twos endlessly through the middle overs while the spinners are in operation. Disgusting. You don’t deserve this tedium.How loudly will the echoes ring around the Narendra Modi Stadium if India don’t make it to the World Cup final?•Robert Cianflone/Getty ImagesBoundary countback
Just kidding, New Zealand fans. Sorry, this one should have come with a trigger warning. The ICC, in all its wisdom, has of course done away with using boundary countback as the tie-breaker in knockout games. But just as with the rain rules used in 1992 or the farcical end to the 2007 final, cricket’s pinnacle event (outside of every IPL season ever played) is bound to come up with some dumb new way of looking stupid, and we can’t wait to find out what it is.The Modium
The 2015 World Cup memorably gave us the #MCGsobig hashtag on Twitter, amid suggestions New Zealand might be overawed by the size of the venue for the final (and boy, did they put paid to that idea). But anyway, stick this in your pipe and smoke it, MCG – because the Narendra Modi Stadium is just about the biggest thing cricket has ever seen. And like a divorced uncle with a brand-new Ferrari that definitely isn’t compensating for something, the BCCI is very keen for you to see the Modium. They’ve made it the venue for the opening game and the final, as well as the in-no-way-small group fixture between India and Pakistan. The “New Home of Cricket”, you might say. Or you will if you know what’s good for you.Sri Lanka being the new Pakistan
This trend was apparent four years ago, but Sri Lanka have really been nailing the geniuses-one-day-doofuses-the-next routine. From a record-breaking run of 13 consecutive ODI victories – behind only the great Australian meat-grinder of 2003 – to facepalming their way to 50 all out in the Asia Cup final, they have displayed a range that even the most mercurial mavericks would struggle to match. Expect them to lose their opening four games before unleashing a Mary run to the final that would make Pakistan proud.RONSBU
This has to happen. India is the spiritual home of running-out the non-striker backing up. There have been high-profile recent examples at the IPL and the Asia Cup, and there are a number of candidates to be the first to do it in a World Cup – R Ashwin (if he squeezes into India’s squad), Fazalhaq Farooqi, even Mitchell Starc, despite confusion in Australian circles about which side of the Line RONSBU falls. Ideally, it will happen against one of those countries who moralise and wring their hands about not doing it. Maybe at a crucial moment in the final, say, causing the defending champions to unravel… Sorry, England, it’s only fair after last time.

The allrounder has evolved into a consistent scorer of Test runs, a run-out specialist, and is possibly the second-best spinner in the format

Jarrod Kimber07-Aug-2021People made fun of Ravindra Jadeja for making three first-class triple hundreds. It’s not easy to make one and he got a few; that only intensified the jokes. They called him Sir Ravi J, mockingly. It’s easy to dismiss those triples (Kerry O’Keefing is the technical term) as the teams he played against weren’t always strong. Still, there are some interesting bits to those innings.Before the triples there was a double. In that match, only one other batter scored over 80 runs, and that guy turned out pretty handy.His second triple century was almost 60% of his team’s total, and no one else made a hundred, even though it was a two-innings game.The 331 against Railways was out of a total of 576 runs and, in Murali Kartik and Sanjay Bangar, it came against a pair with nearly 1000 first-class wickets between them. Railways made just four more runs than he did in their first innings.In his first 36 matches for Saurashtra, he made six centuries, which is an okay conversion rate for a player with a second skill, but four of those were 232 or higher.After those seasons, as you would expect given that he could bowl, he didn’t stay with Saurashtra and ended up with India. And while he never became the triple-century Goliath, he was a top-quality international bat for the position he played from 2013 to 2017.

Jadeja is the second-best spinner called Ravi (incorrectly in R Ashwin’s case) in his team. Jadeja is playing like a build-your-own computer character, but Ashwin is a supervillain

It’s just that if you have built up this narrative of huge scores, averaging 29 in Tests (until the end of 2017) didn’t quite cut it. But it’s quality for a guy who batted eight or below more times than he didn’t. And 34 in ODIs with a strike rate of 92 batting at seven.These may not sound like inspiring numbers, but those are outstanding records for where he batted. No. 8s in Tests averaged 23 with the bat for this era, so he was well above normal. In ODIs, No. 7s score at the same rate as Jadeja, but he was averaging eight runs more.But, he was being compared to himself, and in India, where the only averages that are respected are the over-50 kind, he wasn’t popping.This, the IPL suspension, the moustache, the celebrations, the underserved (to some) arrogance, and the fact it seemed like MS Dhoni was operating him by remote control all meant that Jadeja was seen as a comedic figure, instead of the incredible player he is. He had a few runs, but more memes.Ravindra Jadeja’s first-innings half-century at Trent Bridge was the difference between India having a lead and not•Getty ImagesBut things have changed. Many like to look back at the Sanjay Manjrekar bits-and-pieces remarks as the point his career turned. Before it he averaged 31 across all forms of cricket with the bat, and after it has been 54. In truth, though, his form with the bat in Tests had already turned, so that theory doesn’t hold up.In fact, just as the global batting averages were about to drop, Jadeja took an enormous leap.Let me put it this way, when the global batting mark was a normal 31.76 from 2013 to 2017, Jadeja averaged 29.40. Since then a global pace-bowling pandemic has dropped the averages down to 28.08, and he has upped his average to 50.88.No one around the world can make a run right now, and a No. 7 everyone used to laugh at is averaging 50.It’s such a good record some fans want him batting up the order. Yet as good as he has been, he feels more like a No. 7 doing well rather than a top-order player. A bit like Daniel Vettori; his batting had a homespun nature to it, a by-any-means necessary style. And if you throw them up the order, with newer balls, and more pressure to build long innings, you can’t guarantee success.Related

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Vettori averaged 39 with the bat at No. 8, and when he went up the order to No. 6 and 7, he was just under 30. So far Jadeja averages 31 at No. 7. Most of his runs come at No. 8 (a bit low) or No. 9 (that’s some batting order). But from eight innings at No. 6, he’s managed three fifties.Vettori struggled up the order because while he was good at making runs, he had never learned how to build an innings like a batter. He just hung around incredibly well. Jadeja certainly had the construction skills as a young man, even if he’s only managed one hundred (exactly 100, in fact) in Tests.But batting up the order is different to what he’s been doing. And there’s no reason for him to be promoted. While Rishabh Pant is batting at No. 6, Jadeja at seven unlocks what allrounders should; the ability to have seven batters and five bowlers. That’s the dream.And this has got the feel of a wonderful dream.ESPNcricinfo LtdIf you look at Jadeja’s figures since the start of 2018 in Tests, he looks like the most valuable player on paper. India loses nothing with the bat. In fact, he’s miles ahead of most top-order players in terms of average. He’s going at 26 with the ball; not quite the silly numbers of some seamers going around, though he could have surely lowered that had he bowled against England at home this year.Put it this way: if you were drafting players to put in your Test team right now, and you could pick anyone, who would you take before him? Because he bowls spin, you can use him far more with the ball than Ben Stokes, and while he’s not in that class as a batter, he’s making more consistent runs. Jason Holder has been incredible with the ball and played some strong innings at home. Still, Jadeja probably has him beat and can bat higher right now. What of the specialists? Well, Jadeja has the fifth-best batting average (for a minimum 750 runs scored) and the 20th-best bowling average (with a minimum of 50 wickets) in this time. And he’s a run-out specialist with his arm.You may not still draft Jadeja at No. 1, but as far as allrounders go, the only one better in the world than him right now is Shohei Ohtani.It’s hard to get your head around all this because it is possible Jadeja is the second-best spinner in Tests, and also the second-best spinner called Ravi (incorrectly in R Ashwin’s case) in his team. Jadeja is playing like a build-your-own computer character, but Ashwin is a supervillain.Go to YouTube any day ending with ‘Y’ and some cricket nerd has made a new video about how Ashwin moved his pinky finger a millimetre and has thus changed reality as we know it. And there is a more prosaic wind-up toy nature to how Jadeja bowls. According to Cricviz, he doesn’t vary his pace much at all compared to high-class spinners. That means that Ashwin is the thinking cricketer we all wish we could be, and Jadeja is the bowling automaton who delivers through physical gifts.Actually, as much as anything, Jadeja has worked out how not to be dismissed•Getty ImagesBut, then, what of his batting? Where he went from a handy lower-order player who chips in, into a constant scorer of Test runs? Right now he looks like a player who can bat for any situation that’s thrown at him lower down the order. He’s worked on his game, tightened what was more of a wild-axe swing, taken batting up the order more seriously, and is now making regular runs.Actually, as much as anything, Jadeja has worked out how not to be dismissed. Batting at seven is a pretty simple job if you can bat. There are more not outs, and the new ball is a long distance from you. Jadeja has five not outs in 23 innings at No. 7. But he’s had four not outs batting at six as well. No matter where he enters, he’s got a huge amount of red ink. This isn’t just outlasting a shambolic tail. This is him being harder to dig out than an Alabama tick. This is Imran Khan of the 80s or late-career Vettori.It is only 23 innings, but almost a third of his career knocks. And that is one of the weirdest things, that he’s clearly close to the most complete cricketer in the world, and perhaps the most valuable. But he’s 32, and because of circumstances, he’s only played 53 Tests.On Friday, his dismissal was the only surprising thing. He negated England’s swinging ball, built a partnership with KL Rahul, and then squeezed runs out of the tail with the sort of exciting batting he showed when he was younger.It will go down as another fifty, a handy knock but it was more than that. His innings was the difference between India having a lead and not. Sometimes a fifty is worth more than 300.If you’re still making jokes about Ravi Jadeja’s batting, then you’re just not paying attention. Arise, Sir Ravi J, the quality No. 7.

Leeds United have only scored 11 goals in their 11 Premier League matches so far this season since they won promotion from the Championship last term.

The newly-promoted side have struggled to find the back of the net on a regular basis. That has not been because of a lack of creativity, though, as the Whites have created 14.7 xG in the division, per WhoScored.

Leeds’ biggest xG underperformers
Player	xG	Goals	xG differential
Dominic Calvert-Lewin	2.89	1	-1.89
Jayden Bogle	0.88	0	-0.88
Brenden Aaronson	1.79	1	-0.79
Joel Piroe	0.73	0	-0.73
Pascal Struijk	0.65	0	-0.65
Dan James	0.47	0	-0.47
Jack Harrison	0.41	0	-0.41
Stats via WhoScored

As you can see in the table above, too many players have been wasteful with the chances that have been created for them in the Premier League so far this season.

Summer signing Dominic Calvert-Lewin, in particular, has not been clinical enough as the starting number nine for the West Yorkshire outfit, underperforming his xG by roughly two goals.

With the team’s struggles in front of goal in mind, supporters may be thinking about what the club could do to solve the issue, whether that is through promoting academy talent, making signings in January, or recalling players from their loans.

One star who is currently shining out on loan away from Elland Road is centre-forward Joe Gelhardt, but he looks set to remain at Hull City until at least the end of the season.

Why Joe Gelhardt will not be returning to Leeds United in January

HullLive recently reported that the English striker is expected to remain with the Championship club until next summer, despite the Whites having the option to recall him in January.

The report claimed that Leeds do not have any plans to recall Gelhardt from his loan because they feel that he is in the best place to develop as a player at Hull, who are interested in a deal to sign him permanently next summer.

This shows that Daniel Farke and his coaching staff do not believe that the 23-year-old marksman is the answer to their current problems in the Premier League, or else they would be planning to bring him back to Thorp Arch to bolster the squad for the second half of the season.

The Leeds loanee has plundered seven goals and two assists in 13 Championship starts for the Tigers so far this season, per FotMob, which is why there may have been some supporters wondering if the club would look to recall him.

Stat	Gelhardt	Percentile rank vs STs
xG	4.59	Top 4%
xG on target	5.98	Top 3%
Goals	7	Top 2%
xA	2.48	Top 7%
Assists	2	Top 20%
Chances created	13	Top 24%
Stats via FotMob

As you can see in the table above, Gelhardt has finished his chances at an incredibly efficient rate, outperforming his xG by just over two goals, but Leeds have reportedly decided that he is not the answer for them in the Premier League.

This means that Farke will have to look elsewhere to solve his team’s goalscoring woes, and he should forget about Gelhardt to unleash a young star from the academy.

Leeds' Gelhardt replacement

17-year-old centre-forward Harry Gray made his first-team debut for the Whites against Stoke City in the Championship last season, but he has yet to make an appearance in the Premier League in the current campaign.

Derby County, Swansea City, Charlton Athletic, and Hull City are four Championship sides reportedly chasing a deal to sign the teenage marksman on loan for the second half of the season when the January transfer window opens for business.

Leeds, though, should reject their advances and, instead, look to unleash Gray in the first-team with the hope that he can provide the goalscoring touch that has eluded their current options up front.

The England youth international, who was hailed as a “powerful” player by Como scout Ben Mattinson, has been in fantastic form for the club’s academy in the 2025/26 campaign, with his most notable moment being his hat-trick against Scunthorpe in the National League Cup in September.

On top of that hat-trick, Gray has also scored five goals in six Premier League 2 games and two goals in two EFL Trophy matches, per Transfermarkt, which means that the teenage forward has racked up ten goals in all competitions this season.

The 17-year-old talent had the chance to play against a League Two first-team, Accrington Stanley, in the EFL Trophy before the international break, and showed that he can make an impact against senior opposition.

Vs Accrington	Harry Gray
Sofascore rating	8.6
Shots	3
Shots on target	3
Goals	2
Pass accuracy	71%
Fouls won	3
Ground duels won	4/8
Aerial duels won	2/7
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Gray did struggle with the aerial duels in the game, understandably as a 17-year-old against first-team centre-backs, but he did hold his own in physical contests on the deck and scored two goals in the game.

This suggests that he is ready to compete against experienced defenders, even if battling for aerial balls is not his strength, which is why Farke should look to reward him with a chance to impress in the Premier League this season.

The impressive teenager has done all that he can do to impress the head coach with his performances this season. He has scored goals at an exceptional rate in every competition for the U21s, showing that he can be ruthless in front of goal and find the back of the net on a regular basis.

As aforementioned, Leeds have not taken enough of their chances in the Premier League so far this season, which is why they need a lethal marksman who can make the most of the opportunities that are being created.

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With this in mind, Farke must unleash Gray in the first-team to see if he can make the step up, whilst Gelhardt is left to see out the rest of the season with Hull.

Gabriel Jesus has taken another significant stride toward ending his lengthy spell on the sidelines, with the striker set to feature in a friendly against Manchester United with the Arsenal Under-21s on Saturday as part of his carefully managed rehabilitation programme. It marks the latest stage of a gradual return from a devastating anterior cruciate ligament injury that has kept him out since January.

• A difficult 2025 for Jesus

  Jesus' injury occurred during Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat to United at the start of the year, when he ruptured the ACL in his left knee and was forced into immediate surgery. The blow came at one of the most congested points in the season, at a time when Mikel Arteta's attacking options were already depleted, as both Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz were in the treatment room. 

  Speaking in May, Arteta recalled the moment with a mixture of frustration and helplessness.  He said: "It's very difficult now to understand that, if I could pause the game and say, Gabriel Jesus, we brought you back to life. You know, you are doing incredibly well. You're going to now get injured, so stop. I would stop him, bring another player in and continue to play the game. Unfortunately, we cannot do this in football."

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  First steps back on the pitch behind closed doors

  Jesus has spent the past 11 months rebuilding his fitness, working through an exhaustive conditioning programme designed to ensure he returns fully prepared rather than rushed back prematurely. After rejoining full training in recent weeks, he was named on the bench for Arsenal’s matches against Chelsea and Brentford but did not make it onto the pitch. Instead, the club opted to give him controlled exposure by organising a private friendly as he played behind-closed-doors against Watford in late November. Arteta said the session offered valuable insight into how the Brazilian’s body would respond to the intensity of real competition.

  "It did happen. Gabi participated, and Ethan as well, because he wanted some minutes," he said. "We took the opportunity; they wanted a bit of exposure to competition, and providing that was very positive."

  Now, it has been revealed that Jesus is involved in a friendly against United, held at St George's Park. A statement on the Arsenal website read: "Gabriel Jesus and Max Dowman have travelled with the under-21s for a behind-closed-doors friendly against Manchester United at St George's Park as they look to build up their match fitness."

• Jesus nears the final phase of his long recovery

  For an Arsenal side that has battled through injuries to key attacking figures, Jesus's return will be timely. Havertz is still sidelined, while Leandro Trossard made a return against Aston Villa on Saturday but was forced off again. Whereas, the Gunners are also struggling in defence as their first-choice centre-back pairing of William Saliba and Gabriel are also sidelined. But games keep coming thick and fast with a busy festive schedule set to test Arsenal's squad depth. 

  However, Arteta was not eager to pay much heed to the fixture congestion and said: "The only thing I can say is that whenever it's possible to help and give the players an extra day or hours to fulfil their maximum potential, let's do it. That's it. We are ready for tomorrow's game, that's for sure. Consistency, again, to perform at the highest level and win another game and then we'll go back to the same question, to the Champions League and then next weekend, because that's the nature of the game, and that's exactly how we have to take it every game."

  When asked if he was happy with the summer business and the squad that he has at his disposal, Arteta provided a measured response.

  "We've built a squad that I believe was the best one to give us the possibility to do it," he said. "Is it what I want it to be? No, because of the injuries that we have, to have a squad means that the players have to be fit and available because that has a lot of consequences not only during matches but also in the way that we prepare for the week and the options that we have to change and keep the presence in the team. But certainly very happy with how we deal with certain situations."

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  What comes next for Jesus?

  If his performances in training are any indication, Arsenal supporters may not have long to wait before seeing Jesus back in competitive action. Saturday’s quiet run-out against United will be another vital step, and perhaps one of the final hurdles, before the Brazilian returns to the spotlight. Arsenal play against Wolves in the Premier League next weekend, and the striker might get to feature at the Emirates after a lengthy break.