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Samson and Jadeja also played aggressive knocks as India romped home with 17 balls remaining

Hemant Brar26-Feb-20221:29

Jaffer: India’s batters making the most of their chances

Shreyas Iyer’s unbeaten 74 off 44 balls trumped Pathum Nissanka’s 75 off 53, while Ravindra Jadeja’s 45 not out off 18 outshone Dasun Shanaka’s 47 not out off 19 as India chased down Sri Lanka’s 183 for 5 with seven wickets and 17 balls to spare in the second T20I in Dharamsala. The win, India’s 11th on the trot in T20Is, gave the hosts an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.After being put in, Sri Lanka were only 111 for 4 after 16 overs but Nissanka and Shanaka ransacked 72 off the last four. Nissanka hit 11 fours during his stay, while Shanaka preferred the aerial route. He struck two fours and five sixes, two of them on the last two balls of the innings, to propel Sri Lanka to a formidable total.India lost Rohit Sharma in the first over of the chase and were 56 for 2 after eight overs, needing another 128 from the last 12. Initially, Shreyas seemed uncertain, shuffling around the crease, but once he began connecting his shots, the Sri Lanka bowlers looked helpless against his power and timing.Shreyas Iyer hit six fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 74•BCCISanju Samson began scratchily too, but he took 23 off the 13th over, bowled by Lahiru Kumara, leaving India needing 56 off 42 when Jadeja walked in. Jadeja did the bulk of the scoring from there on, and handed India a comfortable win in the end.Sri Lanka’s sedate start
Bowling first, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah made good use of the moisture in the surface. Both seamers got the ball to jag around, with Bumrah slipping in a few yorkers as well. Openers Nissanka and Danushka Gunathilaka tried to counter that by showing attacking intent but they struggled to connect their shots. In the first four overs, Sri Lanka scored only 15 runs and hit just one boundary.The step up
With the ball still moving around, there was a case to give Bhuvneshwar a third over in the powerplay but Rohit went to Harshal Patel. Harshal tried his slower one with mixed results: there were a couple of plays-and-misses in the fifth over but also two boundaries.The next three overs featured a boundary each as Sri Lanka went past 50 in the eighth over. Gunathilaka then smashed Jadeja for six, four and six off the first three balls of the ninth over, with both sixes coming via slog-sweeps. Off the fourth ball, he went for another slog-sweep but this time Jadeja shortened his length a touch and bowled it further away from his arc to induce a top-edge, which Venkatesh Iyer gobbled up running in from long-on.Pathum Nissanka played plenty of inventive shots behind the wicket•BCCINissanka, Shanaka launch onslaught
The next two overs produced two more wickets – Yuzvendra Chahal trapped Charith Asalanka lbw and Harshal had Kamil Mishara caught in the covers with a slower one – but Nissanka kept the scoreboard ticking with a couple of fours off Bhuvneshwar in the 13th over. In the 15th, Dinesh Chandimal brought up Sri Lanka’s 100 with a straight four off Bumrah but the bowler dismissed him off the very next ball with an offcutter.Nissanka reached his fifty off 43 balls with a boundary off Chahal, before he and Shanaka went all-out. Shanaka launched Harshal for two sixes in a 19-run 17th over, while Nissanka used the lap and the reverse lap to help take 14 off Bumrah in the 18th.Bhuvneshwar was the next to bear the brunt as Shanaka hit successive balls for six and four. Bhuvneshwar dismissed Nissanka with the last ball of his spell but Shanaka wasn’t done yet. He smashed Harshal for two sixes and a four in the 20th over, which also featured four leg-byes and went for 23 in all.Pace like fire
If Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah tested the Sri Lanka openers with swing, Dushmantha Chameera and Kumara troubled Indian with raw pace. Rohit played on to Chameera in the first over; it was the fifth time Chameera had dismissed him in T20Is, the most for any bowler-batter combination. Kumara began his spell with a 146.7kph thunderbolt. With his second ball, he rattled Ishan Kishan by hitting him on the helmet.In the fifth over, Shreyas hit Binura Fernando for three successive fours but Kumara got rid of Kishan with the first ball of the next over. The batter tried to whip one towards midwicket but ended up lobbing it towards mid-on.Dushmantha Chameera dismissed Rohit Sharma for the fifth time in T20Is•BCCIShreyas breaks the shackles, Samson joins in belatedly
India managed just 12 runs from overs six to eight before Shreyas stepped out to left-arm spinner Praveen Jayawickrama and launched him for back-to-back sixes. At the halfway stage, India were 80 for 2, needing 104 from the last ten overs. Shreyas hit two more sixes in the next two overs, the first one bringing up his half-century off just 30 balls.Samson was on 17 off 19 balls before hitting three sixes and a four in Kumara’s third over. He fell off the final ball of the over, trying to fetch another boundary, but the 23 runs from it had brought the equation down to 56 required from seven overs.Jadeja applies finishing touches
For the second match in a row, Jadeja was sent in ahead of Venkatesh. He opened his account by creaming Chamika Karunaratne through extra-cover and hit three boundaries off the first six balls he faced. Soon, India needed only 31 from 30 balls. In the 16th over, Jadeja got stuck into Chameera, hitting him for three fours and six to all but seal the deal.

In a follow-up to the Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) report, Mark Boucher has been charged with gross misconduct by Cricket South Africa, and will face a disciplinary hearing chaired by senior counsel advocate Terry Motau. Boucher remains in his role as head coach of the senior men’s team, and will be with the team as they take on India in the second ODI in Paarl on Friday.On Thursday, CSA named Motau as chairperson of the disciplinary hearing into the allegations of misconduct against Boucher, and said in a statement that the coach had been presented with his charge sheet.The statement said: “It is proposed that the parties [Boucher] will meet with Advocate [Motau] on 26th January 2022 to determine a timetable for the proceedings.”This follows December’s Social Justice and Nation-Building (SJN) report, which made tentative findings regarding allegations of discrimination and racism against various persons, including Mr Boucher. Specifically, during the SJN process, allegations of racism were levelled against Mr Boucher by his former Proteas team-mate, Paul Adams.Related

• CSA withdraws misconduct charges against Mark Boucher

• 'Not my job or desire to find Boucher guilty or not' – Adams to not testify against former team-mate

• Mark Boucher hearing – current South Africa players to testify on behalf of coach

• SJN follow-up: CSA will argue in favour of dismissing Mark Boucher at disciplinary hearing

• Paul Adams: I was nicknamed 'brown s*** when I was playing'

“CSA confirms that a charge sheet, containing both the disciplinary charges against Mr Boucher, as well as his rights, was provided to him on 17 January. The upcoming inquiry will also consider concerns and allegations that arose following the resignation of former assistant coach, Enoch Nkwe.”While Mr Boucher is being charged with gross misconduct, which could lead to his dismissal, CSA emphasises it is important that the independent inquiry first needs to test all allegations before any question of sanction can arise.”Responding to the development, Boucher issued a statement of his own later in the day, saying: “I look forward to dealing with and defending these allegations which have been made and will do so at the hearing in due course. For now I am solely focused on my duties as head coach of the Proteas.”*The SJN report, which was released in December, made “tentative” findings that Boucher, among others, had engaged in prejudicial and discriminatory conduct in the past on the basis of race. But ombudsman Dumisa Ntsebeza was unable to make definite findings, and recommended to CSA that a further process be undertaken for this. This secondary process is now what CSA is flagging off, with Motau at the helm.The CSA statement said further steps in this regard will be announced “in due course”. “Further steps and action by CSA to transform cricket and act on other applicable recommendations in the SJN report, aligned to the Board’s new strategic framework and pillars of access, inclusion and excellence, will be announced in due course.”*

Man Utd loanee Antony continued to capture hearts at Real Betis by giving a wholesome reaction to a disabled fan's attempt to kiss him.

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Antony capturing hearts in SpainEnjoyed heartwarming moment with Real Betis fanHas scored three goals in five appearancesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Antony was filmed posing for a picture with the fan, who tried to kiss him before the winger planted a peck of his own on her forehead. It comes as the winger gains in popularity in Spain after a fast start to his loan spell.

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Antony has scored three goals in five matches since leaving Man Utd for Real Betis on loan in January. That run includes a superb volley against Real Sociedad last weekend as his form picks up after a disastrous £86m move to Old Trafford.

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Real Betis remain in contention to win the UEFA Conference League after knocking out Gent 3-1 in the play-off round to reach the last 16. They also sit eighth in La Liga, travelling to Getafe this weekend before hosting Real Madrid next week.

Glasgow Rangers face a crucial weekend as the Ibrox side travel to Hampden Park for the League Cup semi-final against Motherwell.

For Philippe Clement, it could well be win or bust for the Belgian, especially following the midweek defeat to Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Clement led the Light Blues to the League Cup last season – their first win in the competition for 12 years – as it looked to be the catalyst for a Premiership title challenge.

If the Belgian suffers defeat to the Steelmen this weekend, will his position be untenable? A large section of the Ibrox faithful believe he should already be sacked…

Philippe Clement’s future at Rangers isn’t promising

At the turn of the year, Rangers had already won the first trophy of the season, secured the top spot in their Europa League group, and were chasing Celtic down in the league.

While the wheels fell off towards the end of the campaign, there was plenty of credit in the bank. This was boosted further by selling Sam Lammers and Connor Goldson while releasing a few players upon the expiration of their contracts to free up the wage bill.

Date

Competition

Opponent

03/11/2024

League Cup

Motherwell

07/11/2024

Europa League

Olympiacos

10/11/2024

Premiership

Hearts

23/11/2024

Premiership

Dundee United

28/11/2024

Europa League

Nice

Via Transfermarkt

With just six wins in the top flight, trailing Celtic and Aberdeen by nine points, it is clear the club won’t be winning the title. The style of football has been dreadful, with several players underperforming massively.

If Clement is sacked, who can the board get to replace him?

Kjetil Knutsen would be a worthy replacement for Clement

Sooner or later, the rumour mill will start to circle regarding who will take the reins at Ibrox. Before Michael Beale was approached, Knutsen was linked with the managerial role in 2022, but nothing materialised.

The same name appeared yet again last year without success. Might it be third time lucky this time if the board decides to go down that route?

The Dane has enjoyed plenty of success at Norwegian side Bodo/Glimt, leading them to three league titles since 2018, with a fourth potentially on its way.

He has managed to club 296 times, winning 178 games in the process while averaging 2.02 points per game. An impressive spell, no doubt, but it is his attack-minded approach to games that could please the supporters.

Knutsen tends to use a 4-3-3 formation, which is different from what Clement is utilising. His style was once dubbed as “fantastic to watch” by journalist Connor McGilligan, while Bodo/Glimt captain Ulrik Saltnes had previously hailed the style of football as “kamikaze” which could certainly see the team score more goals.

Change is needed, and fast, if the Light Blues are to salvage anything from the 2024/25 campaign. Knutsen has worked wonders in Norway, and he could be a popular choice to take over at Ibrox when Clement departs.

It would be an interesting gamble, no doubt about that, but it could pay dividends, given his proven track record of winning league titles and his exciting style of play.

Major update on Clement's immediate Rangers future from sources in Belgium

The Gers boss is under a huge amount of pressure.

ByHenry Jackson Nov 1, 2024

Glasgow Rangers have a chance to immediately bounce back from their Europa League woes as they prepare to host St Johnstone at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership this evening.

The Light Blues head into this game off the back of a 4-1 defeat to French side Lyon in Glasgow on Thursday night, thanks to braces from Malick Fofana and Alexandre Lacazette.

Philippe Clement’s side had won their last four matches in all competitions and had beaten Malmo 2-0 in their first match of the league phase in the Europa League, but were unable to build on that strong form against the Ligue 1 outfit.

The Gers found themselves 3-1 down by half-time and often played themselves into trouble, as much as the likes of Fofana, Rayan Cherki, and Lacazette showed their quality.

After Tom Lawrence made it 1-1 in the 14th minute, Connor Barron played a poor ball back to John Souttar that sent Fofana away to tee up Lacazette for an easy finish in the 19th minute, and it was all downhill after that.

Clement could look to make some changes from the starting XI that was easily beaten by Lyon and one player who should be dropped is winger Vaclav Cerny.

Why Vaclav Cerny should be dropped

The Wolfsburg loanee, once again, failed to justify his position in the line-up. It was another disappointing performance from the Czechia international, who did not make any positive impact in the final third.

Cerny had a huge chance to find the back of the net with the score at 0-0 inside the opening ten minutes. Tom Lawrence’s shot was parried straight to the left-footed forward on his favoured foot and he blazed his effort over the bar, with an open goal in front of him, from six yards out.

The 26-year-old dud has now gone five matches without a single goal or an assist for the Light Blues, and has only made two key passes in that time.

Starts

2

Goals

0

Big chances missed

2

Key passes

1

Big chances created

0

Duel success rate

33%

As you can see in the table above, Cerny has struggled badly in the two Europa League games so far, missing two ‘big chances’ and losing 67% of his duels.

The former Eredivisie star has scored one goal and provided one assist in five Premiership matches and needs to do a lot more in the final third to prove that he should be starting week-in-week-out for the Gers, which is why Clement must ditch him from the XI for this match.

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Alongside Cerny, the Belgian head coach should switch up the whole right-hand side for Rangers and boldly drop captain James Tavernier from the line-up tonight.

Why James Tavernier should be dropped

The Rangers skipper was withdrawn from the clash with Lyon in the 61st minute, after a difficult hour at Ibrox, and should now be placed on the bench against St Johnstone.

Tavernier, who was handed a dismal player rating of 3/10 by Glasgow World, struggled in and out of possession against the French outfit on Thursday.

On the ball, the Englishman lost possession 12 times and only completed 70% of his attempted passes, which shows that he gave it back to the away side too often.

The experienced defender also won just two duels in 61 minutes, also losing two, and was caught out for the fourth goal for Lyon as he failed to deal with a ball to the back post and allowed Fofana to sneak in and score from close range.

Tavernier, who is yet to score in six appearances in the Premiership this season, has recorded two assists in the league but should not be immune to being dropped, particularly after a poor showing against Lyon.

His defensive capabilities have been questioned in the past. Former Rangers right-back Steven Whittaker claimed that it is an area of his game that he “has to look at” last year.

Dropping Tavernier from the side, as the captain, could be seen as a big statement by Clement but it would also show all of the players that no one is immune to being taken out of the side. Poor performances should have consequences and that is why the Belgian boss must ruthlessly ditch him from the XI for this clash with St Johnstone.

The player who should replace James Tavernier

Neraysho Kasanwirjo came off the bench against Lyon and caught the eye with a strong display in his 29 minutes on the pitch, in which time Rangers did not concede a goal.

The Feyenoord loanee made one clearance, one block, one interception, one tackle, and one clearance off the line in his short time against the French side. Whereas, Tavernier only made one interception and was dribbled past once in his 61 minutes, with zero clearances, zero tackles, and zero blocks.

These defensive statistics, and the respective scores with each of them on the pitch, suggest that the Dutch youngster outperformed the captain at right-back at Ibrox on Thursday night.

Of course, Kasanwirjo came on with Lyon already 4-1 up and, perhaps, not as motivated to go and score more goals, but he still got stuck in to make vital interventions, which is something that Tavernier did not do during his performance.

The 22-year-old ace, who joined on loan from Feyenoord in the summer transfer window, is yet to start a Premiership match but was in the XI at left-back against Malmo last week.

Minutes played

90

Duels won

2/3

Dribbled past

0x

Pass accuracy

89%

Key passes

1

As you can see in the table above, Kasanwirjo won the majority of his duels and was not dribbled past a single time against the Swedish outfit, whilst he was also composed in possession with a pass success rate of 89%.

The 22-year-old starlet, who made 20 appearances in the Eredivisie during the 2023/24 campaign, should now be handed an opportunity to shine from the start for the first time in the Premiership this evening.

A strong performance from the Dutch ace could keep Tavernier on his toes moving forward, and motivate the skipper to bounce back after the international break.

5/10 Rangers man who lost possession 20x was just as bad as Barron

The Light Blues defender endured a frustrating evening in the Europa League.

ByDan Emery Oct 4, 2024

Tottenham Hotspur and chairman Daniel Levy by extension are plotting a January bid to sign one prolific forward for manager Ange Postecoglou, coming as his club now consider selling mid-season, regardless of his star player status.

Spurs planning January transfers amid mixed start to season

Postecoglou promised supporters that he “always” wins trophies in his second season in charge, but so far, the chinks in Tottenham’s armour have been exposed in a few Premier League matches this season.

Related Pundit: Tottenham have a "really exciting" teenager about to replace Davies

The Wales international is out of contract next summer.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Oct 17, 2024

Indeed, this was most apparent in their most recent top-flight encounter – a 3-2 defeat away to Brighton. Goals from Yankuba Minteh, Georginio Rutter and Danny Welbeck cemented a dramatic 3-2 comeback for the Seagulls, who were originally two down at half-time thanks to strikes from the in-form Brennan Johnson and playmaker James Maddison.

This ended Spurs’ previous winning run of five games on the trot in all competitions, giving Postecoglou and club chiefs things to seriously think about after what the Australian called his “worst” defeat as Lilywhites boss so far.

Tottenham’s next five Premier League games

Date

Tottenham vs West Ham

October 19

Crystal Palace vs Tottenham

October 27

Tottenham vs Aston Villa

November 3

Tottenham vs Ipswich Town

November 10

Man City vs Tottenham

November 23

“It was disappointing and I’m absolutely gutted with that,” said Postecoglou.

“It’s an unacceptable second half – we were nowhere near where we should be. Maybe we got carried away with how we were going. We kind of accepted our fate and it’s hard to understand as we’ve not done that while I’ve been here. We usually fight for everything, and when you don’t you pay a price.

“Maybe things were travelling on too smoothly. Football and life will trip you up if you get too far ahead of yourself and that’s what it looked like in the second half. It’s a terrible loss for us, as bad as it gets, and there’s only one way to fix it and that’s my responsibility.”

Tottenham take on West Ham United in a crunch London derby clash, their first game back after the international break, and Postecoglou will need to rally his side to a much more convincing performance than their trip to the Amex.

January represents a golden opportunity to strengthen Postecoglou’s ranks as well, and they’ve already been linked with a few forwards. Spurs have their eyes on Espanyol winger Javi Puado, and an update has just come out of Spain on the matter.

Tottenham could make January bid for Puado

As per La Razon, Tottenham could make a January bid for Puado, as his contract is ticking towards expiry, and he may even be available for a cheap fee as a result.

Espanyol are considering a sale of the Spaniard, despite his star player status and the fact he scored 17 goals in all competitions for them last season. Puado boasts a further three goals from their opening eight La Liga games this campaign, starting the season off in fine fashion and attracting interest from England.

حقق فريق الأهلي فوزًا كبيرًا على حساب الغرافة بنتيجة 4-2، في اللقاء الذي جمع بينهما في إطار لقاءات بطولة دوري أبطال آسيا.

والتقى الأهلي أمام الغرافة القطري، على أرضية ملعب استاد مدينة الملك عبدالله الرياضية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثامنة لمرحلة الدوري من دوري أبطال آسيا.

طالع | ترتيب دوري أبطال آسيا بعد تعادل النصر وفوز الأهلي

وتقدم خوسيلو بالهدف الأول أمام الغرافة في الدقيقة 6 من ضربة جزاء احتسبها الحكم لصالح فريقه، بينما سجل إيفان توني هدف التعادل لصالح الأهلي بالدقيقة 21، بعد تلقيه تمريرة عرضية حولها مباشرة في المرمى.

وأضاف فيرمينو الهدف الثاني للأهلي في الدقيقة 34 بعد تحويله التمريرة العرضية داخل منطقة الجزاء إلى الشباك مباشرة.

وأحرز جالينو الهدف الثالث للأهلي بالدقيقة 44، بعد خطأ من حارس الغرافة الذي أهمل السيطرة على الكرة بعد تصويبة مهاجم الفريق السعودي.

واختتم رياض محرز الرباعية لصالح الأهلي من ضربة جزاء بعد عرقلة لـ توني زميله، ونفذ المهاجم الجزائري الكرة بنجاح في الدقيقة 59 من عمر اللقاء.

وقلص ياسين براهيمي الفارق بتسجيله هدف ثاني لصالح الغرافة في الدقيقة 80، من ضربة جزاء. أهداف فوز الأهلي أمام الغرافة في دوري أبطال آسيا

وبعد الفوز في مباراة اليوم وصل رصيد الأهلي إلى 22 نقطة في المركز الأول في ترتيب الدوري، بعد الفوز بـ7 انتصارات وتعادل وحيد دون تلقي أي هزائم.

أما فريق الغرافة فيحتل المركز التاسع برصيد 7 نقاط حصدهم من انتصارين وتعادل فيما نال 5 هزائم، ليخرج من منافسات التأهل إلى دور الـ16 من دوري أبطال آسيا.

Nottingham Forest are interested in signing a forward who Virgil van Dijk says "has everything", seeing him as an alternative to Santiago Gimenez.

Nottingham Forest miss out on Gimenez

The Reds have suffered a setback with one high-profile transfer target, with a move for Feyenoord striker Gimenez possibly not materialising after plenty of interest emerged in him from the Premier League side.

The Mexican looked like a hugely exciting option for Forest, considering what a key performer he was for his current club last season, scoring 23 goals in just 29 starts in the Eredivisie, as well as netting twice in four appearances in the Champions League.

With Gimenez potentially no longer a target for Nuno Espirito Santo's side between now and the end of the summer transfer window this week, having rejected a switch to the City Ground, they could do with finding an alternative target.

It looks as though they may have found that player, with a new report suggesting as much, as Forest look to give themselves the best possible chance of enjoying a solid Premier League campaign.

Nottingham Forest eyeing attacker who "has everything"

According to Football Insider, Nottingham Forest are now "ready to turn their attention" to signing Ajax striker Brian Brobbey this summer, looking to acquire his signature before the window closes on Friday.

The Reds have "set their sights" on the Feyenoord ace, seeing him as an ideal option in place of Gimenez, but with his contract not expiring until 2027, the report does state that "it would take a big fee to try and prise him away from Amsterdam".

Brobbey stands out as a shrewd option for Forest in the coming days, and if they were able to entice him to the club, it could make up for the blow of missing out on the prolific Gimenez.

The Ajax ace is a top-quality player in his own right, and still only 22 years of age, scoring 49 goals and registering 19 assists for Ajax to date, as well as winning three caps for the Netherlands. His international captain Van Dijk has spoken highly about his compatriot's qualities, too, saying:

"I think he’s a great boy. He is a great talent and basically has everything. He is fast, strong and can finish well. He had said in an interview that he would score against us, but luckily, we were able to prevent that. He can be a very good weapon [for the World Cup], but it’s up to the national coach."

Forest signing Brobbey may feel like a real coup, given his international pedigree and the praise he has received from such a huge player in Van Dijk, and he scored a combined 31 league goals in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons combined.

Brian Brobbey's career stats	Appearances	Goals	Assists
Ajax	124	49	19
Ajax Under-19s	41	37	7
Ajax Under-21s	34	17	5
Ajax Under-17s	25	26	6
RB Leipzig	14	0	3

The £48,000-a-week Dutchman may only improve, too, given his tender years, so the idea of him in a Reds shirt for many years to come is an exciting prospect for Reds supporters.

Arsenal would sign a £200,000-per-week forward before deadline day if they could, and it is claimed he'd be open to joining them.

Arsenal looking at last-minute chance to sign forward after Merino

As per reliable media sources like journalist Fabrizio Romano, there is a belief that Arsenal are looking at "last-minute" opportunities to sign a new forward as we fast approach the transfer window cut-off.

Arsenal monitoring £179k-per-week Nketiah replacement with late bid possible

The Gunners have just sold him to Palace.

2

By
Emilio Galantini

Aug 29, 2024

Bayern Munich winger Kingsley Coman has been heavily linked with a late switch to Arsenal in the last week, with GiveMeSport even writing that the Frenchman was offered out to the Gunners at some point recently.

While Mikel Arteta has the likes of Gabriel Martinelli, Leandro Trossard, Reiss Nelson, Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka at his disposal, who are all capable of playing out wide, the Gunners and sporting director Edu Gaspar could enter the market for an alternative Saka.

“I think it’s not going to be a super big name. I don’t expect Arsenal to go for a central striker," said Romano on Men in Blazers (via TBR).

"There was some fear around the injury of Gabriel Jesus, but I’m told it’s quite positive. The idea of Arsenal is to sign a winger rather than a number nine, looking at a last-minute opportunity on the market."

This comes amid their attempts to bring in a new second-choice keeper to replace the departing Aaron Ramsdale after Southampton agreed a deal worth up to £25 million for the England international (BBC).

Arsenal have submitted a bid for Espanyol keeper Joan Garcia to fill the role, but the La Liga side want his full £26 million release clause to be paid in full, so it remains to be seen just how much the north Londoners will be able to splash out on a new winger as well.

It's been a very busy week at the Emirates Stadium, with Arsenal also announcing their capture of Mikel Merino, who will don the number 23 shirt and could make his Premier League debut this weekend.

Mikel Merino's all-time stats for Real Sociedad in all competitions
Appearances	242
Goals	27
Assists	30
Yellow cards	56
Red cards	2
Minutes played	19,449
via Transfermarkt

Arsenal would sign Nico Williams before deadline day if they could

Speaking on the Ranks FC Ultras podcast, journalist Dean Jones says Arsenal are still very fond of Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams, even if he doesn't look likely to be leaving any time soon.

Jones says that, if it were up to them, Arsenal would sign Williams "tomorrow", and he wouldn't say no to joining despite preferring Barcelona as a destination.

“Nico Williams, they still love up to right now. I think they would sign Nico Williams tomorrow if they could. There are problems more around his wages than an actual transfer fee that would be needed,” Jones said (via TBR).

“There’s also the desire of the player. I don’t think he doesn’t want to join Arsenal, I just think he’d prefer to join Barcelona. I’m waiting to see if that can crop up again for Arsenal.”

The £200,000-per-week player starred for Spain at the Euros, and there is a very serious case to be made that he's one of Europe's brightest talents right now.

With just days left until the summer transfer window comes to a close, West Ham United could be in for a late flurry of arrivals, having been linked to a defensive reinforcement alongside Carlos Soler.

West Ham transfer news

The Hammers are undoubtedly among the transfer window's winners this summer, having welcomed several fresh faces who are all ready to make an impact under new manager Julen Lopetegui. They've signed the likes of Crysencio Summerville, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Jean-Clair Todibo, Niklas Fullkrug and others in an incredibly impressive window at the London Stadium.

Even after those arrivals, however, West Ham are seemingly not done there. Recent reports have linked those in London with a deal to sign Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Carlos Soler in a move that could be worth £20m in the remaining days of the window. Whilst that rumour continues though, the Hammers are also reportedly eyeing up a defensive reinforcement.

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According to Will Unwin of The Guardian, West Ham and Lopetegui are also eyeing a move to sign Victor Nelsson alongside Soler in a deal that could reportedly be worth just £12m this summer.

Nelsson would likely arrive to replace Kurt Zouma, who looked set to leave earlier in the summer before his move to Shabab Al-Ahli collapsed. With the Frenchman's future still in doubt, however, they could swoop for Nelsson to replace the veteran defender before the end of the month.

That said, they're not the only side supposedly interested in the 25-year-old's signature, with Sevilla, Lille and Bologna also eyeing moves to sign the Galatasaray man.

"Superb" Nelsson could complete Lopetegui's options

With both Kilman and Todibo to choose from already, it's unlikely that Nelsson would instantly emerge as a starter in Lopetegui's star-studded side this season. But squad depth is key and the Dane would undoubtedly add that.

Now 25 years old and potentially on course to seal his biggest move yet, Nelsson's rise is one that Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig saw coming, dubbing the Galatasaray man a "superb centre-back" back in 2020.

There could be plenty more to come from Nelsson too, especially if he completes a move to the Premier League. Potentially replacing Zouma at West Ham for just £12m, the Dane may become another shrewd summer signing at the London Stadium.

As time runs out in the summer transfer window, however, the Hammers may need to make their move sooner rather than later to sign the central defender.