Veteran of 2005 tour prepares to play first Test in country in 19-year international career

Vithushan Ehantharajah29-Nov-2022If you’ve been paying even vague attention, you’ll have heard that James Anderson is the only member of this England touring party to have played international cricket in Pakistan prior to this winter.Back in the winter of 2005, a younger, sprightlier but no less downbeat Anderson was part of the squad that last played Test cricket in the country. He did not get on the park during the three-match series, which the hosts took 2-0, but did take part in the subsequent ODI series, finishing with seven wickets. That included 4 for 48 in the final match – a consolation win with England losing 3-2 overall – at Rawalpindi, the venue for the first Test of this series.Given his lack of red-ball action on that tour and the time between visits, the 40-year-old Anderson is reluctant to play the role of wise old sage when it comes to predicting how things could pan out. Heading into the first Test, he and the rest of the team are happy to take cues from the conditions, while maintaining Brendon McCullum’s assertion earlier in the week that, however things pan out, a draw is not on the agenda.”No, not at all,” Anderson said, when asked if he had anything to pass on. “Seventeen years is a long time. It would be wrong if I said ‘the pitch is going to play like this, or this is what to expect’. It’s a completely different team we’re playing against, completely different conditions.”It’s about adapting when we get out there. We talk a little bit about the opposition but mainly concentrate on what we do well – that’s what we did in the summer. We don’t know how it’s going to play. Traditionally it is flat. We’ve seen Tests in recent times – the Australia game was very flat. It ended in a draw. We’ve got a captain and coach that don’t want draws. We’re not playing for draws. We’ll come out and try to win the game – we might have to be creative in how we do that.”The extent of England’s adaptation will be dictated by the varying conditions over the next month, and indeed over this first Rawalpindi Test match. England have noticed there has been dew for their morning training sessions, which will no doubt play a part early on given the 10am starts on match days, adding a bit of juice in the air and moisture into the pitch. Both of which bring Anderson to the front and centre of their plans.England have also been concentrating on honing their reverse-swing skills in anticipation of what might lie ahead. The training camp in Abu Dhabi last week saw them experiment with an assortment of balls worn to varying degrees. Anderson had also been fine-tuning his technique with the Lions in Dubai since the start of November. Both he and Ben Stokes will be the main proponents of the craft this week, with Mark Wood out recovering from injury. However, Anderson doesn’t expect it will play too big a part in the first Test.Related

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“Just looking at the pitch out here and the outfield, it looks quite lush so whether reverse will play a huge part here, I’m not sure, at this particular ground,” he said. “But we will try and cover all bases and make sure we’ve got options, if and when we need them.”As Anderson approaches the 20th anniversary of his England debut, this Test bow in Pakistan represents a new and final frontier. It will be the ninth country he has graced in the format, and even coming into this series with 175 caps and a seam bowler’s record haul of 667 wickets, there is a palpable excitement from the usually reserved Lancastrian.”Firstly, it’s amazing to be back here,” he said. “I want to say thank you on behalf of, not just myself, but the whole team for the welcome we’ve had. We know how many cricket fans there are in Pakistan and how much they love and support, not just Pakistani cricket, but cricket in general around the world. I’ve not played a Test match here so I’m delighted to have the chance to be able to play here.As for who that first red-ball victim in Pakistan might be, Anderson claims he isn’t fussed, even if he recognises that one man in particular is likely to be a key adversary in the days ahead.”We are well aware how important a wicket Babar is for Pakistan, being the captain, as well as I’d say their best player. Yes, we will give him attention, but also we need to focus on the other guys as well because they’re very strong.”And I don’t care who it is, as long as I get a wicket and try and help the team towards a win. That’s what we’ve come here for – we want to win the series, so that’s our main focus.”

علق دودو الجباس لاعب فريق بيراميدز، على الفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا وتقديم أداء جيد خلال الموسم الحالي، موضحًا رأيه في احتراف إبراهيم عادل ومشاركة الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية.

وقال دودو الجباس في تصريحات إذاعية عبر “ميجا إف إم”: “الحمد لله على الفوز، كان لدينا إصرار من أجل تحقيق البطولة، وبناء فريق بطل، يحتاج إلى وقت لتحقيق جودة اللاعبين والمدرب وتلافي الأخطاء الإدارية، وفي الموسم الحالي، تم ضبط كل هذه الأمور، وكان الجميع مستعدًا ويضع الفريق أولًا، وقد أعطى المدرب روحًا قوية للفريق”.

طالع | عبد الحفيظ: لـ4 أسباب.. الأهلي معه الحق في عدم تهنئة بيراميدز على لقب دوري أبطال إفريقيا

وأكمل: “في الماضي، لم أكن أحب الجلوس على دكة البدلاء، ولكن الآن أعرف دوري، أحب الفوز والانتصارات، وهذا هو الشغف الذي يحركني لتقديم الأفضل، والجميع يعرف ذلك عني”.

واستطرد: “أجمل كلمة سمعتها منذ يومين هي أننا نستحق الفوز بدوري أبطال إفريقيا، والجمهور يقول لنا (والله إنتم تستاهلوا الفوز، خاصة في ظل الأداء الذي نقدمه)، نحن لم نأخذ مكان الأهلي أو الزمالك، ولكن أفضل شيء في كرة القدم هو المنافسة وتقديم أداء جيد واشتعال التنافس، وأتمنى الوصول لهذا الأمر”.

وعن رأيه في احتراف إبراهيم عادل زميله في بيراميدز، أجاب: “أرى أن هذا التوقيت هو المناسب لاحتراف إبراهيم عادل، وهو الآن في رأيي أفضل لاعب في مصر، أفضل من زيزو وإمام عاشور ولا يقارن بلاعب آخر، هو إنسان رائع وقد تطور وأصبح أكثر اتزانًا، وقد يكون الله قد أخّر هذه الخطوة لتكون أفضل له، أعتقد أن التوقيت الحالي هو الأنسب”.

واختتم: “بالطبع أتمنى أن يُشَرِّفَنا الأهلي في كأس العالم للأندية، وأتمنى أن يكون لدينا كل موسم فريق أو أكثر يمثل مصر”.

Newcastle United have now turned their attentions to a new forward as they look to hand Eddie Howe reinforcements at the end of the season, with their scouts having already watched him on several occasions this season.

Newcastle transfer priorities clear

Heading into the summer transfer window, Newcastle’s transfer priorities are crystal clear, but they remain constrained by the Premier League’s financial fair play rules that have hampered their spending thus far since the PIF took charge on Tyneside.

The Magpies are desperate to add a new centre-back to their ranks, having seen several bids for Marc Guehi rejected in the summer before being outgunned by Manchester City in January in their chase of Abdukodir Khusanov, who eventually ended up at the Etihad rather than St James’ Park.

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There is now increased interest in Guehi with Tottenham among potential suitors, which could see Newcastle look at alternative options, but a defender is firmly on their wishlist.

Meanwhile, they continue to eye up a move for James Trafford as a long term replacement for Nick Pope, and the Magpies are also in need of a new forward following the departure of Miguel Almiron in January, with the Paraguayan winger completing a move to Atlanta United.

They have been linked with a move for Bryan Mbeumo in recent months, but the Brentford forward is set to cost a significant amount should he leave the Bees amid interest from across the Premier League.

Howe’s side also have a longstanding interest in Anthony Elanga and Noni Madueke, but both looked to be settled at their current clubs and again, would be costly to sign. Now though, they may have found a potential bargain alternative.

Newcastle target freescoring forward

That comes according to TEAMtalk, who report that Newcastle are now closely monitoring Celtic forward Nicolas Kuhn, who has enjoyed a phenomenal campaign under Brendan Rodgers.

The German winger has found the net 10 times in the Scottish Premiership, along with two strikes in the Champions League, and he has also created seven goals for teammates across those two competitions.

Scottish football pundit Marvin Bartley was full of praise for Kuhn earlier in the campaign, hailing his upturn in form.

“This season, he’s really taken a game by the scruff of the neck on so many occasions whether he starts or comes on as a sub. He’s been absolutely brilliant, breathtaking for them if I’m honest,” he explained.

Anthony Gordon

Nicolas Kuhn

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78

Newcastle’s scouts have reportedly “been impressed by his superb displays” at Parkhead, while they add that “a move to England is of interest to Kuhn”, who was signed from Rapid Vienna for just £3m.

Now, he is worth much more, and it is claimed that he is valued by Rodgers and co. at around £26m, a fee that would see Celtic reluctantly cash in.

Due to their financial model, it is suggested that “if an offer comes in that matches their valuation they will not be able to turn it down”, while Kuhn’s wages are unlikely to be a stumbling block either, further helping the Magpies in their efforts to navigate financial fair play.

Still just 25-years-old, the German forward could prove to be a very affordable alternative to the established names already linked with St James’ Park, and could allow Howe’s side to strengthen further in other areas this summer as they eye a return to the Champions League.

Liverpool are going to have to make do without an “outstanding” player for the foreseeable future alongside Joe Gomez, according to reliable journalist James Pearce.

Latest Liverpool news

The Reds are still reeling from their 2-2 draw away to Everton on Wednesday evening, having come within seconds of securing their most precious Premier League victory so far.

That said, a point was still no disaster at Goodison Park, leaving Liverpool seven points clear at the top of the table, and it is now vital that Arne Slot’s side respond on Sunday afternoon, as they welcome Wolves to Anfield.

In terms of Reds-related transfer news, RB Leipzig centre-back Castello Lukeba has been linked with a move to the club this summer, as Slot looks to bolster his defensive options. At 22, he is still a maturing footballer, but one who has already made 59 appearances for the Bundesliga side.

Mohamed Salah’s Liverpool future still hasn’t been sorted, meaning potential replacements for him need to be lined up, one of whom is reportedly Karim Adeyemi. The German has four goals in as many appearances to his name in the Champions League in 2024/25 to date.

Liverpool dealt injury blow to "outstanding" ace

According to The Athletic’s Pearce on X, Liverpool midfielder Tyler Morton will be “out for around three months” after a successful surgery on a shoulder injury.

That comes in the same update as Gomez, who is “undergoing further tests on his hamstring amid fears he’s facing another lengthy lay-off”, having limped out of last weekend’s 1-0 defeat away to Plymouth Argyle in the FA Cup fourth round.

Morton may not be a key player for Liverpool this season, with the likes of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott all ahead of him in the pecking order, but this still acts as a setback ahead of the business end of the campaign.

The 22-year-old has still managed five appearances so far this season, bringing poise in the middle of the park, and he was lauded by Liam Rosenior during their time together at Hull City earlier in the Reds youngster’s career.

“Some of his play, honestly. He can do everything as a midfield player. When we were recruiting in the summer, he fits completely into the way we want to play. The beauty with Tyler is he can play deep, and he can be just as effective there, but what we’ve seen in training is he can create and score goals. It was about fitting the functionality of the team around him. He was outstanding.”

It may even be that Morton has now played his final game for Liverpool, however, should he not play for the remainder of the campaign.

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The Englishman must surely feel that a permanent move away from Anfield this summer is best for his development, rather than being loaned out, and the Reds could be happy to cash in on him. It would be best for everyone concerned.

Queensland seamer Mark Steketee was almost unplayable on a green WACA pitch as he continued his strong start to the Sheffield Shield season, before Western Australia’s quicks engineered a stunning fightback as 20 wickets fell on day two of an enthralling low-scoring contest.Steketee, a late addition to Australia’s Test squad to Pakistan earlier in the year, issued another reminder to national selectors with a six-wicket haul as Queensland dismissed WA for just 115 to gain a first-innings lead of 96. He has taken 16 wickets at 13.37 in three Shield matches this season.But Queensland weren’t able to cement their advantage and were bundled out for just 97 in a dramatic last session with quicks Lance Morris and Joel Paris combining for seven wickets.Having been dismissed just three hours earlier, WA’s chase of 194 started disastrously when opener Cameron Bancroft fell to seamer Michael Neser in the first over.Though they claimed Bancroft just before stumps, Queensland were left frustrated after being in control following Steketee’s earlier heroics.Even more bowler-friendly than nearby Optus Stadium, which hogged the local limelight the past week, the WACA’s seaming pitch was tailor-made for Steketee who tore through WA’s strong batting order during a destructive morning session.He claimed Bancroft and 18-year-old sensation Teague Wyllie within three balls to leave WA reeling at 3 for 3. Steketee at one point had the remarkable figures of 5-9 from seven overs.He combined brilliantly with Neser, who also relished the conditions, as WA slumped to 6 for 29 and were in real danger of posting their lowest-ever score on their home ground and overtaking the long-time record of 50 against New South Wales in 1950.But allrounder Aaron Hardie and Paris combined for a 45-run partnership to ensure WA avoided the history books before Steketee and Neser finished off the innings to give Queensland a stranglehold of the contest.WA’s quicks needed to respond and they did so after tea with Morris, arguably the quickest bowler in Australia, grabbing the key wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja in four balls.He beat Labuschagne with sheer pace to trap him lbw before Khawaja nicked a fiery length delivery to second slip. While Morris produced the fireworks, left-arm quick Paris nagged away on a good length to finish with superb figures of 3 for 15 from 11 overs.There was some concern over the fitness of quick Jhye Richardson, who starred on day one with four wickets, when he hobbled off the ground in the final session but he returned with two wickets, including ending Matthew Renshaw’s stubborn 72-ball resistance.Western Australia’s fightback has thrown the match wide open with the only certainty being that it will finish on day three.

Chelsea will swoop for a marquee England star if they sense a dramatic late opportunity to prise him away from his current club, with the Premier League big-hitters expected to be busy in the final days of this January window.

Enzo Maresca sets his sights on two signings for Chelsea

According to credible reporter Simon Phillips, manager Enzo Maresca has personally set his sights on both a new midfielder and a striker – making his transfer desires known in a recent meeting with Stamford Bridge officials behind-the-scenes.

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There was potential for the west Londoners to reignite a move for Jhon Duran, given Aston Villa’s pursuits of both defender Axel Disasi and forward João Félix (Simon Phillips), but the Colombia starlet is now set to join Al-Nassr in a head-turning January deal with his Saudi medical booked for today.

However, the striker position remains a key area of the squad they’re looking to reinforce.

“With Chelsea, all along, it’s been kind of the messages I’ve been receiving: if there’s a deal available for the right price, then we might think about doing it,” said The Athletic’s Simon Johnson to GiveMeSport.

West Ham (home)

February 3rd

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February 14th

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February 22nd

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February 25th

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“And striker is a position that, not just this window, but for the summer, is one of the key positions they’re looking at.”

In terms of a new midfielder, Man United star Kobbie Mainoo remains a top target, even if a deal for the Red Devils sensation will be very difficult to pull off.

Mainoo has been in reliably reported talks over a new deal at Old Trafford, as he seeks an upgrade on his £20,000-per-week wages, but Chelsea apparently remain in the background – ready to tempt the 19-year-old with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea will not hesitate to make a late move for Kobbie Mainoo

According to a report by TEAMtalk, Maresca’s side are set to be one of the busiest clubs over the last few days of this winter window.

They’re indeed eyeing up late midfield options, ideally one who can play both centrally and pivot as a number six. With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Carney Chukwuemeka still likely to leave, Chelsea “will not hesitate” to make a late move for Mainoo, should a golden chance present itself.

United certainly won’t make it easy, though, and are set to demand around £70 million for the player’s services. While a transfer looks increasingly more difficult, Ruben Amorim’s side apparently aren’t completely ruling out selling some of their big-name stars.

The “brave” midfielder is technically gifted, with only Amad Diallo averaging more successful take-ons per 90 in United’s squad this season (WhoScored), and he’d be quite the capture for Maresca.

England captain says player safety was paramount but sympathises with fans at MCG

Danyal Rasool28-Oct-20221:39

Buttler: Every bowler would have had safety concerns

Jos Buttler backed the decision to call Australia’s clash against England off without a ball being bowled, saying conditions weren’t “fit to play”, and that “every bowler who bowled” would have had concerns over the playing surface.”They [the umpires] had some big concerns and, I think, rightly so,” Buttler said, after a series of inspections had led to an abandonment at 8.49pm local time. “The outfield is very wet, there are some areas within the 30-yard circle which were not fit to play. As much as we all want to play cricket, it has to be safe and it certainly wasn’t that.”The abandonment followed heavy rains which have lashed Melbourne for much of the past two days. Even though the rain had eased by the time this contest was due to start, the outfield remained too wet, with both captains understood to be reluctant to risk their fast bowlers in damp conditions.It wasn’t until almost two hours later that the game was officially called off, after yet another flurry effectively made the decision for everyone involved. It also meant that a day that should have featured a double header instead had not a single ball bowled, with heavy afternoon showers ruling out any possibility of play between Ireland and Afghanistan earlier in the evening. Chris Brown, Joel Wilson and Aleem Dar inspect the outfield after heavy rain•Getty Images

“I think every bowler who bowled there would have had concerns,” Buttler said. “Player safety is really important and it wasn’t fit to play whether it’s our bowlers or Australia’s bowlers. I think that the right call was made.”For context. Melbourne is on track for the city’s wettest October since 1975. It has experienced more than double its long-term monthly average. It is also the first time in recorded history Victorian Premier cricket has experienced five straight washouts to start a season.This latest washout means England have just one win in three games, and, barring further weather interruptions, will likely need two wins out of two to guarantee themselves a semi-final spot. It’s not a position one of the tournament favourites might have been expecting to find themselves in at this stage, but a DLS defeat to Ireland and this washout means their margin for error has shrunk considerably. Even so, the England captain said he had no complaints about the corner the weather had backed his side into.”I don’t really have any frustrations. I am not a weather expert in Australia at this time of the year, but we all want to play full games of cricket. Of course we do. Naturally we play a sport which is in the open air and the elements are a huge part of our game. They affect the surfaces we play on, they affect conditions in an intriguing way, and that’s what makes our sport really unique.”But now, unfortunately, we’ve had two games affected by the weather. You don’t want to be involved in those games, but it’s going to happen wherever you play in the world. Certainly in some places you play, you’re generally going to be affected by some weather at some point and it’s a shame tonight, especially for everybody involved.Related

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“But there wasn’t any pressure from anyone [to play today]. Common sense prevailed. As disappointing as it is, as I’ve just mentioned, for everybody involved the conditions weren’t fit.”While the ICC will be relieved that last week’s thrilling India-Pakistan game evaded the wet conditions at the MCG, this was the other marquee game the tournament will have wished the rains had stayed away from. Even with intermittent rain throughout the day, 37,565 fans showed up for the evening game, with unofficial estimates suggesting crowds of up to 60,000 would have been possible if the weather had been conducive. They were instead left to huddle around the upper terraces searching for shelter for much of the evening in chilly conditions, watching multiple pitch inspections that never amounted to much.Buttler said he sympathised with the fans, insisting England would rather have played the game, whatever the outcome, rather than take a draw without a ball being bowled.”All the fans who came to watch this game live, and everyone wanting to watch on TV, it’s disappointing for them. For players especially: Australia against England at the MCG is a must-win World Cup match, as as big as it gets in your career. They’re the games you want to be involved in, no matter what the result is going to be. It’s something you want to experience as you don’t know how often those kinds of opportunities come around. There is a element of sadness that you don’t get to win, lose or draw.”But he was adamant that, as long as England controlled their own destiny, they wouldn’t concern themselves with other results.”Until something’s completely out of our control, we won’t worry about that,” he said. “We know we’ve got two games left to play. And we want to win those two games, and give ourselves the best chance to get through to the next round.”

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O Botafogo superou episódios conturbados para conquistar uma importante vitória contra o São Paulo. Na quarta-feira, torcedores foram ao Espaço Lonier para protestar aos então resultados ruins que a equipe vinha tendo. O elenco não se deixou abalar e, com uma nova postura, se superou.

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+ LANCE! tem acesso a imagens exclusivas de torcedores do Botafogo pulando muro para invadir CT

A união fez a diferença. Um forte abraço de Joel Carli em Kayque ao final da partida no centro do gramado do Estádio Nilton Santos provou que o triunfo valeu muito mais que os três pontos. O zagueiro, que atuou pela primeira vez como titular no Brasileirão, praticamente desabafou em forma de um gesto com o volante.

O grupo se fechou em busca do resultado. O Alvinegro teve cinco desfalques durante a semana para a partida, o que obrigou Luís Castro a mudar o esquema. Deu certo: justamente a presença de três zagueiros foi fundamental para travar o ímpeto do São Paulo. Mais do que isso, para passar uma borracha no que aconteceu.

– Não… isso (invasão) não nos motiva, é uma ilusão. Já falei sobre o tema antes, então o assunto está encerrado. Já tive oportunidade de dizer que o Campeonato Brasileiro talvez seja o mais difícil do mundo. É uma pena que o Brasil não venda bem o seu campeonato. Está na hora de nos juntarmos para vender um dos melhores campeonatos do mundo – afirmou Luís Castro após a partida.

+ VEJA A TABELA DO BRASILEIRÃO

-Luís (Castro) decidiu pela mudança de esquema, tivemos alguns desfalques no departamento médico, e a partir daí eu falo que nosso grupo não são sempre os onze titulares, trabalha-se muito forte durante a semana. Quando há alguma ausência, isso faz com que o time não sinta tanta dificuldade. Isso é determinante. Ontem (quinta) foi um time que não estava com essa sequência de jogo e conseguimos controlar a partida, isso acontece quando trabalhamos bem na semana – valorizou Joel Carli.

A equipe alvinegra se sobressaiu muito pela nova postura e a forma como se adaptou ao jogo do São Paulo, algo que não apareceu antes com Luís Castro. A vitória tirou o Glorioso da zona de rebaixamento, calmou os ânimos e sacudiu a poeira.

Former Arsenal defender William Gallas has torn into the Gunners, declaring them the Premier League's flops of the season.

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Ex-Arsenal defender tears into GunnersBrands them flops of the seasonBelieves injuries are no excuseFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Gallas, who played for Arsenal between 2006-10, insists his former side have not been good enough and that he is "disappointed" with their efforts, despite their progression to the Champions League semi-finals.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT GALLAS SAID

Gallas told : "In the Premier League, Arsenal are my flops of the season. If you compare last season and the one two years ago with this season, their performance has not been good at all. I’m sorry, I’m still disappointed in them, regardless of the Champions League. After those high quality and world class performances against Real Madrid, I wanted more from them in the league."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

The Gunners have been missing Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus for long spells of the campaign, falling behind newly-crowned champions Liverpool. Gallas is "furious" about their domestic efforts and says they have one level of performance in the Premier League and another in the Champions League.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR ARSENAL?

The Gunners take on Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, but much of their focus will be on the second leg of their European semi-final against PSG on Wednesday. They trail the tie 1-0.

Real Madrid want William Saliba to lead their summer rebuild after a disappointing season, according to a report.

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• Saliba wanted by Real Madrid in summer transfer
• Frenchman has become one of world's best centre-backs
• Doubts over Antonio Rudiger and David Alaba's futures

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to Marca, Real Madrid have identified Saliba as their 'chosen one' to refresh their previously formidable defence which was breached five times over two legs by Arsenal during their recent quarter-final tie in the Champions League. The report adds that the France international has been on chief scout Juni Calafat's list of targets 'for a long time', though Bournemouth's Dean Huijsen and Manchester City's Manuel Akanji are also reported options.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Saliba has emerged as one of the best central defenders in world football since breaking through under Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, forming a brilliant partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes at the back. He was named in the 2024 FIFA The Best World XI and signed a new contract with the Gunners last season, but could now be tempted by the prospect of playing with stars like Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Saliba has helped Arsenal record the shrewdest defence in the Premier League so far this season, conceding only 29 goals in 35 matches. However, their title hopes came to an end at the weekend when Liverpool secured top spot by thrashing Tottenham Hotspur.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SALIBA AND ARSENAL?

  After knocking the reigning champions out of the competition in the last round, Saliba and Arsenal will look to take a large step towards the Champions League final when they face Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their semi-final on Tuesday.