Everton could submit an offer for an overseas forward during the transfer window in January, and a new report has revealed that his club are hoping they receive a bid from the Premier League.
Who did Everton sign this summer?
Over the summer, Sean Dyche’s side recruited five fresh faces in the form of Beto and Youssef Chermiti on a permanent basis, whilst Arnaut Danjuma and Jack Harrison joined on loan, alongside Ashley Young who put pen to paper on a free transfer from Aston Villa.
Whilst that particular window has now closed, Toffees chiefs are already assessing their options in the market ahead of January where they have been linked with Blackburn Rovers midfielder Adam Wharton, as well as Manchester United’s Harry Maguire who could be allowed to leave on loan should his game time not improve.
Beside those, Sevilla’s Adnan Januzaj is the third player to have emerged as a target for the Merseyside outfit after Spanish reports credited them with an interest in the right-winger, and there has now been a fresh update regarding the club’s pursuit of the 28-year-old.
Are Everton signing Adnan Januzaj?
According to VamosMiSevilla (via Sport Witness), Everton tabling an offer for Januzaj would be a "real miracle" for Sevilla, who are hoping to receive money to help with their financial struggles in La Liga.
Jose Luis Mendilibar reportedly wants to keep his prized asset in the building, but having not played a single minute of football so far this season, it's clear that he's out of favour and low down in the pecking order to the point where he's not getting a look in.
The Toffees could at the very least make a loan proposal that would see them cover the attacker's wages, and having previously played for Manchester United, there's always a chance that he may want to return to the Premier League.
Istanbul Basaksehir's former forward Adnan Januzaj.
How many goals has Adnan Januzaj scored?
Since the start of his career, Januzaj has posted 89 contributions (42 goals and 47 assists) in 332 appearances, form which has seen him described as a “gifted footballer” by ESPN editor David Cartlidge, so whilst he’s not yet hit the ground running at Sevilla, he could still be a fantastic addition for Dyche should he sign on the dotted line at Everton.
Sponsored by Nike, the Belgium international is also a versatile operator having been deployed in an outstanding seven different positions since first bursting onto the scene, including everywhere across the frontline and even three roles in the midfield, so this is another attribute that the boss may well find attractive alongside how prolific he can be in the final third.
Furthermore, the £52k-per-week earner already knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured five senior trophies throughout his professional life, including the Premier League and the FA Cup titles, so he could be able to pass his winning mentality onto the rest of the squad who are already at Goodison Park, making this one to watch over the coming months.
It will be his first time playing the IPL, stepping in for Mitchell Starc, who has been ruled out with injured shin
ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2018Surrey and England fast bowler Tom Curran has signed up for Kolkata Knight Riders for IPL 2018. It will be his first time in the tournament after he was announced the replacement for Mitchell Starc, who was recently ruled out with injured right shin. Curran is expected to join the Knight Riders squad before their first match on April 8 against Royal Challengers Bangalore.Curran went unsold at the auction in January with a base price of INR 1 crore (USD 1,56,000 approx) and was picked by Knight Riders for INR 1.62 crore (USD 2,53,000 approx).*England players in the IPL
Ben Stokes (Rajasthan Royals) Jos Buttler (Rajasthan Royals) Moeen Ali (Royal Challengers Bangalore) Jason Roy (Delhi Daredevils) Alex Hales (Sunrisers Hyderabad) Chris Woakes (Royal Challengers Bangalore) Mark Wood (Chennai Super Kings) Sam Billings (Chennai Super Kings) Chris Jordan (Sunrisers Hyderabad) Tom Curran (Kolkata Knight Riders) Jofra Archer (Rajasthan Royals, qualifies in 2022)
“I’m thrilled and excited to be joining Kolkata Knight Riders for the IPL,” Curran was quoted by the Surrey website. “I know from chatting to other players I can learn a lot from being in that environment, skills that I hope will benefit Surrey and my chances of representing England again this year and if selected, for next year’s World Cup.”Although he does not bowl express pace, or left-arm, Curran’s skills include a deceptive, back-of-the-hand slower ball, and a superb yorker. He used both of them to good effect to pick up a maiden five-wicket haul in a thrilling ODI against Australia at the new Perth Stadium in January.Curran was a hit in his first T20I as well, taking a wicket with his second ball, against South Africa last June. He is also a handy lower-order batsman, with a strike-rate of 128, accumulated over 51 T20s, and a highest score of 51 not out. Curran is the 11th player from England to take part in the league after Alex Hales was recruited by Sunrisers Hyderabad two days ago. He joins a promising brigade of young fast bowlers in the Knight Riders squad alongside Under-19 World Cup winners Shivam Mavi and Kamlesh Nagarkoti.The new-look squad is, however, expected to regain some of its old flavour with KKR chief executive Venky Mysore claiming opening batsman Chris Lynn and allrounder Andre Russell should recover in time for their opening game which they will play at home.*1415 GMT – The figure was added after a release was issued by the BCCI
Brighton & Hove Albion's impressive recruitment strategy has rarely seen them shop on English shores in recent seasons.
The Seagulls use a data-driven approach to their transfers, meticulously scouting for gems outside of Europe's top five leagues and picking up undervalued young players who have shown above-average talent.
Rarely signing anyone above the age of 25, Brighton have cherry-picked talent from all around the globe, picking them up for cheap, developing them into world-class stars and selling them on for an obscene amount of money.
Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo were the biggest examples of this strategy coming to fruition. The duo were picked up on the cheap, and grew rapidly into the Brighton fabric, helping them qualify for Europe before being sold to Liverpool and Chelsea this summer, with Caicedo breaking the British transfer record after moving to Stamford Bridge for £115m.
While that pair were the latest to depart the club for astronomical fees, Roberto De Zerbi still has a whole host of talented stars at his disposal, including explosive wing back Pervis Estupinan, teenage prodigy Evan Ferguson and the skilful speedster Simon Adingra, but none have yet usurped the impact that the sensational Kaoru Mitoma has made.
How much did Brighton pay for Kaoru Mitoma?
When Graham Potter's enthralling and imaginative style was taking the Premier League by storm, the Englishman unearthed several gems, including the silky Belgian Leandro Trossard and ball-winning machine Yves Bissouma but in the summer of 2021, Mitoma would be the latest to join their roster of talent.
The Japanese arrived from Kawasaki Frontale for just £2.7m and as a part of his development, was instantly loaned out to Belgian side Union St Galloise to become accustomed to the physical demands required to play European football.
Kaoru Mitoma for Brighton
This decision would turn out to be a stroke of genius as Mitoma was able to showcase his pace and trickery on a regular basis, posting nine goal contributions in 21 appearances in the Belgium Pro League, including a hat-trick off the bench to single-handedly bring his team from behind to go top of the league.
While the Japan star was balling out in Belgium, he would return to the South Coast and do similar as he proved to be the missing piece to Brighton's attacking puzzle.
How much is Mitoma worth now?
Predicted to become the next £100m asset to be sold by Brighton – in the words of pundit Karen Carney – Mitoma's value has risen exponentially over the course of two years and according to Football Transfers, he is valued at around £23m (€27.5m).
Southampton's Romeo Lavia in action with Brighton & Hove Albion's KaoruMitoma
Although this is an astronomical 751% increase on top of what the club shelled out for him, the 26-year-old's value to Brighton is far greater than the aforementioned figure having helped fire De Zerbi's side into Europe last season.
He was labelled as "incredible" by former Premier League striker Jermaine Defoe on the back of his impressive run of form last term, chalking up 18 goal contributions in 41 appearances in all competitions.
Mitoma showcases his greatest strengths when slaloming between defenders using his low centre of gravity, manipulating the ball onto his strong foot through his agility and tormenting defenders with his rapid pace, placing in the top 10% for successful take-ons, top 4% for progressive carries completed and top 7% for touches in the attacking penalty box when compared against players positionally similar to him in the Premier League last season, as per FBref.
While the £10k per-week sensation is one of the best wingers in the league at beating defenders in one-on-one situations and fashioning space to have a shot, he's also bought into De Zerbi's pressing system, possessing the stamina to be able to win possession back for his team in the opposing half.
He ranked within the top 15% for tackles in the attacking third, aerials won and top 18% for the percentage of dribblers tackled, showcasing that he's not only a crucial entity to Brighton's thrilling attack but also their defensive unit.
After a splendid first season in English football, Mitoma has already made the headlines on numerous occasions this campaign, however, the biggest applause directed towards the silky winger came following his stunning solo goal against Wolves as the Seagulls posted a 4-1 victory.
This magnificent goal unsurprisingly earned him the Premier League Goal of the Month award, but the biggest recognition he received was a comparison to Lionel Messi, who has his very own highlight reel of solo goals.
While his value currently stands at £23m, if Brighton were to cash in on their next prized asset, they would surely hold out for a fee closer to triple figures.
Hong Kong scored their first ever ODI win over a Full Member when they beat Afghanistan by 30 runs on a rainy afternoon at the Bulawayo Athletic Club
The Report by Liam Brickhill in Bulawayo08-Mar-2018 ScorecardHong Kong scored their first ever ODI win over a Full Member when they beat Afghanistan by 30 runs on a rainy afternoon at the Bulawayo Athletic Club. The victory was built around Anshuman Rath’s half-century and was sealed by an outstanding spell of offspin bowling from Ehsan Khan, backed up by some inspired fielding.As a result, Afghanistan were left needing a miracle to qualify for the 2019 World Cup. They have lost three out of three matches in this tournament so far and will need several things going their way to stay in contention.Afghanistan were trundling along steadily in pursuit of 242 when Ehsan was brought on from the clubhouse end in the 16th over. With loop and flight, he tempted Rahmat Shah into an expansive drive. With dip and turn, he spun the ball sharply in between bat and pad to disturb the stumps. With that, Afghanistan were 56 for 2, and Hong Kong had their opening. Before his first over was up, Ehsan had also dismissed the set Ihsanullah for 20, a gloved sweep landing in the hands of Rath, tumbling to his left at slip.At 57 for 3, with Mohammad Nabi still to bat, Afghanistan might still have considered themselves in a favourable position. But Hong Kong’s bowling attack never let the pressure drop, with Tanwir Azfal’s medium pace particularly effective. Bowling a wicket-to-wicket line with Scott McKechnie up to the stumps, Afzal didn’t give the batsmen much to work with. Having made the first incision with the wicket of Javed Ahmadi for 22, his figures in his first spell were 6-0-15-1.The pressure built up by the bowlers brought desperate strokes against Ehsan at the other end. With the required rate closing in on six an over, Samiullah Shenwari bent low to sweep but missed the ball entirely to be bowled for 9, as Afghanistan slipped to 73 for 4.Hong Kong gather around wicket-taker Ehsan Khan•ICCStill, though, Afghanistan were not entirely out of the match. Mohammad Nabi shepherded the middle order, helping to keep a fidgety Najibullah Zadran in accumulation mode. They nudged and pushed their way through a 59-run stand.With the required rate climbing and ominous rain clouds closing in from the north, Najibullah eventually decided to have a go at Nadeem Ahmed’s left-arm spin. He couldn’t get anything on his slog sweep, however, with the ball crashing into his pad and the umpire upholding a vociferous lbw shout. Two overs later, Sharafuddin Ashraf missed a huge slog across the line and was bowled for 1; Afghanistan 134 for 6.Hong Kong’s discipline soon brought results, Ehsan Nawaz sprinting around at short third man to cut off a dab, and firing a flat throw to McKechnie to find Nabi short of his ground and run out for 38.Fifteen minutes later, rain, thunder and lightning arrived to force the players from the field. When they returned, Afghanistan’s total was revised to 226, with three overs left to play. Dawlat threw the bat around, but they were never going to get close. For his career best figures of 4 for 33, Ehsan was named Man of the Match.Earlier in the day, Rath provided the bedrock of Hong Kong’s innings, helping them recover from an early wobble which saw them reduced to 43 for 3. He put together stands of 50 with captain Babar Hayat and 67 with McKechnie to keep Hong Kong ticking over, looking particularly effective when playing off the front foot through the covers.Rath, who was Hong Kong’s leading run-scorer during the World Cricket League Championship with 678 runs at 75.33, started in measured fashion against both pace and spin. His innings eventually gained momentum, and he came out on top during a fascinating duel with Afghanistan’s quicks, cutting and pulling both Dawlat and Shapoor Zadran. With Tanwir Afzal smashing 22 from just 9 deliveries towards the end, Hong Kong reached a total that would prove more than enough.
Newcastle United's newfound wealth has created a domino effect that only spells sustained success on Tyneside, with manager Eddie Howe's side's feats on the pitch buttressed by a restored infrastructure.
Indeed, the positivity has suffused across the Premier League club, with a recent feature from the Guardian detailing how morale has been boosted throughout the staff and the club's women's team has been provided fully professional status.
The youth academy is also receiving attention unseen under the drab, dark cloud that was the ownership of Mike Ashley, a despised figure at St. James' Park due to his severing of trust after a series of failed promises, also viewed as incompetent in his ownership after steering the club into the second tier on multiple occasions.
While Newcastle are now a Champions League outfit after Howe orchestrated a fourth-placed league finish last term and boast a lucrative transfer pool capable of procuring top talents to bolster the ranks, there is a new level of commitment to rivalling some of England's most productive academies.
Who is Newcastle's biggest academy talent?
Over the years, the Magpies have never boasted the most productive of youth systems and have seen the scant few homegrown talents of exciting value leave prematurely.
Andy Carroll joined Liverpool in a £35m deal as a 22-year-old in 2011 – a decision that was met with disdain by the Toon masses, with manager Alan Pardew stating that he was not for sale before Ashley's head was turned by the shiny value of allowing him to leave.
With the new look of the club, there will be optimism anew that the rising talents earn a shot at the first-team action, with Howe already entrusting a few with roles in his squad.
Indeed, Sean Longstaff has been a resurgent figure for his Toon team, hailed by pundit Paul Merson as the "unsung hero" after impressing in the midfield last term.
sean-longstaff-newcastle-premier-league
Similarly, Elliott Anderson broke into contention under Howe's stewardship and could be set for a big campaign ahead, with the homegrown ace, aged 20, lighting up the side's pre-season, scoring four times during the summer preparations.
The icing on the cake for the fast-rising outfit is that 17-year-old Lewis Miley has also impressed since the 2022/23 campaign's culmination, with former U21 coach Elliott Dickman stating that the dynamic midfielder's rise has been like "watching a duck take to water".
Who is Lewis Miley?
It's May 28th, 2023. Newcastle are approaching the closing stage of their final match of the Premier League season, away against Chelsea, set to leave Stamford Bridge with a point and a place in next year's Champions League proper.
Howe provided Miley with his professional debut in the 76th minute, who, earning an impressive Sofascore rating of 6.80, strove to make a positive impact with age-belying confidence and swagger.
Soccer Football – Friendly – Newcastle United v Rayo Vallecano – St James' Park, Newcastle, Britain – December 17, 2022 Newcastle United's Lewis Miley reacts Action Images via Reuters/Craig Brough
Recently hailed as "brilliant" by The Chronicle's Lee Ryder, Miley has "bags of potential" and already looks a frightening prospect as a budding No. 8.
Especially after making 45 outings across United's youth ranks, scoring six goals and supplying eight assists, with journalist Mark Carruthers describing him as "a powerful runner, good close control and can pick a pass."
As he is nurtured to prominence, the Toon's midfield conductor Bruno Guimares could prove to be the perfect mentor, with the Brazilian absolutely paramount to the side's success since signing from Lyon in a £40m deal in January 2022.
Hailed for his "world-class" talent by teammate Dan Burn, Guimaraes has made 61 displays for his side and been the centrepiece of the long-lost verve.
Bruno Guimaraes
As per FBref, the all-encompassing midfielder ranks among the top 15% of positional peers for shot-creating actions, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 16% for successful take-ons and the top 26% for tackles per 90.
Having such a refined, rounded star to absorb the fruits of his labour is imperative to Miley's ascent, and in Guimaraes, he can learn the various facets of the central game and sharpen his skills, discerning what kind of player he wishes to be.
It's important to remember that Miley is still only young, very young, in the embryonic stage of his career and likely some way away from unlocking the full scale of his potential on Tyneside.
That being said, such a precocious kid will have the Newcastle masses eager to watch their star boy rise to the fore, and he could even prove to be the club's best talent since Paul Gascoigne, an eternally endeared figure in English football.
Initially the 'new Gazza' had been a phrase bestowed upon fellow academy graduate, Anderson, but those in the know will know it's likely Miley who now boasts the same, if not more potential.
Gascoigne was said to be an "inspiration" to Barcelona icon and all-time midfield great Xavi, who also remarked that he was "one of the best midfield players" he had ever witnessed.
Graduating from the St. James' Park academy, the silky offensive midfielder made 104 appearances for his boyhood club, scoring 24 goals, before signing for Tottenham Hotspur in 1988.
Proclaimed to be “the crackerjack of British football" by legend Stuart Pearce, who also said the 56-year-old was "the most talented individual I’ve played alongside", few have captured the awe and endearment of English football fans like 'Gazza' – as he was affectionately known.
To put Miley, still yet to reach his 18th year, on the same pedestal would be ludicrous, but given his innate talents, there is no reason why he cannot be nurtured to a prominent role as one of England's foremost midfielders in the future, thus eclipsing the entirety of the Magpies' home talent since the fateful day of Gascoigne's emergence on the scene.
Howe would somewhat be throwing the dice by providing Miley with a regular starting berth this season, with the teenager of immense talent, that is without question, but very inexperienced at senior level and likely not ready or deserving of an unmoving spot on the starting teamsheet.
That being said, he is a bona fide Premier League prodigy and must now be nurtured to prominence at St. James' Park, and with a 'world-class' midfield general in Guimaraes capable of complementing his skills perfectly, it might be the perfect time for the Magpies manager to kickstart a career that could shoot right to the very top.
South Africa’s senior-most batsman has conceded that India’s wristspinners have ‘assessed conditions better than us’, and have bowled lengths that have denied his team the chance to hit the ball down the ground
Firdose Moonda in Cape Town08-Feb-20181:51
‘Series is not lost yet’ – Duminy
South Africa’s inability to pick the variations of India’s wristspinners, in particular the googly, is the chief cause of their woes in the series so far, according to JP Duminy.As the senior-most batsman in the squad in match terms and the top run-scorer on an otherwise dismal card in Cape Town, Duminy was tasked with explaining what went wrong at Newlands. He did not have all the answers but he was convinced South Africa’s discomfort at the crease was caused by uncertainty of what’s coming at them.”We haven’t picked the wrong ‘uns and when you are not picking their wrong un’s, you are not necessarily going to comfortable at the crease so you are always going to be a little bit tentative,” Duminy said. “Once you become comfortable with picking their deliveries, that’s when you can play with confidence, with ease, with freedom. We need to find a way to get that right.”Strictly speaking, the googly is not the only reason South Africa have been outspun. While Duminy was the victim of a Kuldeep Yadav wrong’un in Durban, wickets have fallen to long-hops, like Quinton de Kock in Centurion, to flight, like Aiden Markram in Cape Town, and to just to the variation of unorthodox left-arm spin, like Chris Morris, twice in three matches.What India’s spinners have done particularly well is prevent South Africa from coming at them, like they would like to do, by holding back their lengths. Kuldeep and Yuzvendra Chahal have slowed down the pace at which they bowl and made a mockery of South Africa’s game plans to rotate strike and are now forcing the hosts to head back to the drawing board and come up with something else.”They’ve assessed conditions better than us. They’ve bowled a touch slower than our spinners. They haven’t bowled the ball full enough for us to get to the ball, to hit down the ground. That’s where we have been successful in South African conditions, and they haven’t allowed that. We need to make sure we have different strategies, not only scoring boundaries but finding the one square of the wicket as well,” Duminy said. “Yes, we have game plans and they’ve bowled well enough not to give us the balls to play in our game plan. We’ve got to come up with different ways of countering how good they’ve been.”Getty ImagesDuminy did not delve into the other options South Africa can look at but promised that despite the two-day turnaround between games, South Africa would debrief, regroup and seek out a new strategy. He also accepted the blame, on behalf of everyone in the batting line-up, for their failures so far. “We’ve spoken about how crucial partnerships are. We haven’t had the opportunity to put together partnerships. The only standout performance was Faf’s in the first game. As a batting unit we’ve got to make sure we are better. We’ve got take it on the chin and take responsibility and know we are better than that,” Duminy said. “Throughout this series so far, we’ve lost wickets in clusters so we haven’t given ourselves a chance. It comes down to execution. We’ve got plans of how to counter their spin but we haven’t managed to execute.”The expected return of AB de Villiers for the next three matches, which Duminy called a “massive boost”, will go some way to lifting morale and to adding some seniority to an otherwise inexperienced group. “He will bring confidence to the team and his leadership within the group will add a lot of value as well.”As for the player who is actually leading, Aiden Markram, Duminy showed solidarity with the young captain and confirmed Markram has been leaning on seniors including himself as he tries to get the team through this difficult period. “He has confided in a few guys on different ways of doing things. This is the quickest way to learn, going through difficult times. The type of character he is, he will get through it,” Duminy said. “It’s not a case where he needs to go through this process alone. We are a team and the team has not played well – it’s not that he hasn’t led well. As a captain you can only do so much, you can only say so much, you can only motivate so much. We’ve got to stand up and put in the performances we’ve been paid to do.”
Arsenal's summer was a largely positive one, wrapping up the bulk of their incomings early on to give Mikel Arteta ample time to integrate them into his starting side.
Kai Havertz's arrival was poised to offer versatility in attack, whilst Jurrien Timber did the same across the backline. However, the star acquisition came in the form of Declan Rice, who shattered the Gunners' club-record fee by joining in a £105m move, with his importance to the side not to be understated.
The Athletic even wrote: "The West Ham United captain was everything to Mikel Arteta this summer. Those inside the club had repeated for months that it could not be overstated how central he was to the Arsenal manager’s vision.
"Without him, Arteta’s plan to take his team to the next level in the fourth year of his reign simply did not add up. Every other transfer target was inextricably linked to Rice as the centrepiece, the nucleus that would make everything else make sense."
Declan Rice of Arsenal
Fighting off Manchester City's advances made the deal even sweeter, and it seemed they were now ready to truly topple the Premier League monopoly their rivals hold.
However, reports persisted that suggested Edu still wanted to offload some of the deadwood, with their pursuit of Mohammed Kudus hinging on those outgoings. In the end, not enough came, and the Ajax star instead opted to join the Hammers' revolution.
Meanwhile, a few key reminders of failed regimes of the past linger, with two duds standing out more than most, one of which is Nicolas Pepe.
Will Nicolas Pepe leave Arsenal?
One such name that somehow remains at the Emirates is Nicolas Pepe, who coincidentally is the man whose record fee Rice recently usurped.
The Ivory Coast international was signed back in 2019 for a mouth-watering £72m, with his big-money arrival expected to usher in a new era following the departure of legendary boss Arsene Wenger. However, it quickly became clear that his capture had in fact hindered Unai Emery, who has since admitted he craved someone else.
He told The Guardian: "We signed Pepe. He’s a good player but we didn’t know his character and he needs time, patience. I favoured someone who knew the league and wouldn’t need to adapt. Zaha won games on his own: Tottenham, Manchester City, us. Incredible performances. I told them: ‘This is the player I know and want.’
"I met Zaha and he wanted to come. The club decided Pepe was one for the future. I said: ‘Yes, but we need to win now and this lad wins games.’ He beat us on his own."
The 28-year-old has since featured just 112 times across his four years in north London, registering an admittedly admirable 27 goals and 21 assists, but far from enough to merit his price tag.
Pundit and former Arsenal winger Jermaine Pennant even weighed in on the doomed deal back in July, noting: "There have been some awful Arsenal signings down the years but because of the amount, how much he’s played and the performances then you have to say Pepe is one of the worst signings. I remember we bought Igors Stepanovs, he was a terrible signing but he was free.
“If you’re paying £72m you want something back, and it’s been nil. Put those together and he’s probably been one of Arsenal’s worst-ever signings.”
Therefore, it will come as a delight to Arteta that he could still receive a late fee for the underwhelming wide man, with the Saudi Arabia transfer window still firmly open for business.
However, those reports are suggesting that a figure of just £2m will be recouped should this turn into a reality, marking a truly damning indictment on the club's recruitment policy of the time.
Whilst his exit will likely be championed, it seems increasingly likely that another underperforming dud will remain on their books for at least another few months, as Cedric Soares has clearly failed to secure his departure from the club too.
How good is Cedric Soares?
Although the Portuguese defender has been a well-liked figure around the Emirates during the early parts of his tenure there, it seems that as time has gone on he has just become more of a financial burden than anything.
2022/23 (Arsenal)
2
6.72
2021/22 (Arsenal
16
6.86
2020/21 (Arsenal)
8
6.41
2019/20 (Southampton & Arsenal)
19
6.82
2018/19 (Southampton)
16
6.67
All stats via Sofascore
Signed on a free transfer, he was handed a lucrative salary on favourable terms, as is often the way with these deals. As such, the three and a half years he has spent in north London has been rather expensive, especially considering how much he has actually offered.
Although the 32-year-old only has one year left on his £75k-per-week deal, he seems increasingly unlikely to add to his 59 appearances made given the ever-improving squad he inhabits, compared to his dwindling stature.
cedric
Once a proven Premier League stalwart, his signing offered brief cover in a problem position for the Gunners. They likely looked back on his displays during the 2015/16 season for justification of this deal, given he maintained a 7.07 average rating buoyed by 1.1 key passes, 2.2 interceptions and 2.9 tackles per game, via Sofascore.
However, those figures are truly well behind the former Southampton man, who most recently could only muster a 6.72 average rating, starting twice last campaign in the league.
It should come as no surprise to see him included in that aforementioned report outlining players whom Edu sought to offload, and therefore explain why Darren Bent touted his exit too when speaking to TalkSPORT:
"They need to bring in players in the right areas. They need good squad players. When Tomiyasu was out, Cedric came in – but he is not good enough. They need to bring players in that are good enough, even from the bench.”
With staff at the club and pundits clearly in agreement, this is certain to be Cedric's final year at Arsenal after an up-and-down period with the club. That is, unless, they can spring a bidder from the Saudi Arabian market, with their window still very much open for business.
Few can fault his effort levels and work rate, but in the end, the playing squad has severely outgrown him. Unfit to be anywhere near Arteta's starting lineup, it marks a shame that they haven't been able to recoup a fee for him this summer.
Afghanistan sprung a surprise on New Zealand by handing them a massive 202-run drubbing in Christchurch
ESPNcricinfo staff25-Jan-2018 Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsAfghanistan sprung a surprise on New Zealand by handing them a massive 202-run drubbing in Christchurch to storm into the semi-finals of Under-19 World Cup. Afghanistan not only scored 309 after opting to bat, they then routed New Zealand in under 30 overs to register their third win in four matches of the tournament and set up a semi-final clash against Australia.Afghanistan’s innings was marked not by an individual effort but by several useful partnerships. Openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran set the tone with a stand of 117 runs in just over 20 overs. Gurbaz was the quicker of the two with his 69 off 67 balls, studded with seven fours and three sixes, and Ibrahim stroked a patient 68 off 98 balls. They lost two wickets in quick succession before No. 4 Bahir Shah took over to pile on more runs with the lower order even as Afghanistan were 226 for 5 in the 45th over. From there, Bahir and Azmatullah Omarzai smashed 79 runs in under six overs to storm them past 300, highlighted by two sixes in each of the 47th, 49th and the 50th over – all struck by Omarzai who hammered 66 off only 23 balls. Bahir remained unbeaten on 67 off 72.New Zealand’s chase started on a poor note as an in-form Rachin Ravindra was run out for a duck in the second over. Offspinner Mujeeb Zadran, who has already played ODIs and the BPL, dented them further by rattling the stumps of opener Jacob Bhula (5) and captain Kaylum Boshier for a duck. New Zealand then slipped from 18 for 3 to 20 for 4 before Katene Clarke (38) and Dale Phillips (31) put on 66 runs for the fifth wicket. But legspinner Qais Ahmad trapped both batsmen lbw in the space of three deliveries and New Zealand never recovered from 86 for 6.Mujeeb and Ahmad wiped out the tail too and finished with 4 for 14 and 4 for 33 respectively.
Arsenal star William Saliba has ranked the top three defenders in the Premier League, admitting that they are "better" than him for now but he hopes to one day surpass all of them.
William Saliba ranks the top three Premier League defenders
Despite still only being 22 years old, and having only played one season in England's top flight, the French centre-back has already established himself as one of the best players in the country.
After all, this was proven by the fact that he was one of four Gunners to make the 2022/23 PFA’s Premier League Team of the Year; alongside Aaron Ramsdale, Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka.
This impressive feat is made all the more impressive as just the season before that, Saliba was named as named the Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year after his fine loan spell with Marseille.
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Having proven himself in two of Europe's strongest leagues now, there aren't many defenders in the game with a better reputation than the Arsenal ace at this moment in time.
However, Saliba has accepted that there are three defenders in the Premier League who are currently better than him. What's more, he has ranked those players.
Indeed, while speaking on the Sky Sports Premier League YouTube channel, he was asked by host Adam Smith to put in order Virgil van Dijk, Thiago Silva and Ruben Dias from best to worst.
The Arsenal star said at this moment in time: "Right now, honestly, it's Ruben Dias [first]. But van Dijk normally, for me, is the best in the last four years, he was the best in the world. But for me, in the last season or even two seasons ago, it was Ruben Dias."
Indeed, he placed the Liverpool icon behind the Manchester City star, saying: "Van Dijk second," before moving on to put Chelsea's veteran in third – although he did point out that over the whole course of his career, Silva is potentially the best.
He explained: "Thiago Silva, if you took all of his career, it's him because he was so good for such a long time. But right now I think it's Ruben Dias [first], Van Dijk [second] and Thiago Silva [third]."
He then elaborated on his choice of putting Dias in first, stating: "I think in the world for the last season, he was the best for me."
After this, Saliba also noted that he hoped to one day surpass all the defenders even though he still had work to do to reach their level, saying: "Right now, they are better than me, but I hope one day I will be better than all of them."
What age is Saliba?
Born 24 March 2001, the French defender is still only 22 years old and with Dias (26) the youngest of the three centre-backs in question, Saliba has plenty of time to reach their level.
Truth be told, he hasn't even got much experience for Arsenal, having only played 37 times for the club in all competitions. Still, when you see him play, you could be forgiven for thinking he's been a part of Mikel Arteta's plans for a number of years.
It will be interesting to see how Saliba and his teammates get on this season, especially after they came so close to winning the Premier League last term. If the defender can help bring glory to the Emirates he would no doubt cement his status as one of the game's top defenders.
Mason Crane has created a good impression in Australia, but on his English county form his selection would represent a considerable promotion
George Dobell in Sydney01-Jan-20181:57
‘Dreamed of playing in Sydney’ – Stoneman
Mason Crane looks set to make his Test debut in the final match of the Ashes series in Sydney.Crane, the 20-year-old leg-spinner, is set to come into the team in place of either Moeen Ali or Tom Curran as England take the opportunity to blood a new player with the series already decided and the whitewash averted.While it remains possible that Moeen could retain his place if it seems conditions will justify the selection of two spin bowlers, it appears Crane will be first choice if England go in with only one slow bowler.The selection would continue a remarkable journey for Crane. Just over a year ago, he was in Sydney playing Grade cricket for Gordon in a bid to gain experience. So well did it go – he claimed four five-fors and three seven-fors on the way to becoming the leading wicket-taker in New South Wales premier cricket – he was selected for New South Wales’ Sheffield Shield side. That made him their first overseas player since Imran Khan in 1984-85, and their first English player since William Caffyn in the 1960s. He performed admirably, too, with five wickets in the match.But his selection for a Test would be a huge promotion. He claimed only 16 Championship wickets in 2017 – at a cost of 44.68 apiece – and was far from an automatic piece in Hampshire’s side. On this Ashes tour, he has claimed five wickets in first-class matches at a cost of 58.29 apiece.MacGill backs Crane debut
Stuart MacGill, the former Australia legspinner and a mentor of Mason Crane, is adamant that his Test career should have got underway earlier in the Ashes series. “I think England’s missed a trick by not playing him earlier in the series to be honest, particularly seeing the bowling hasn’t had the penetration they could have hoped for,” he said. “One of the big differences between me and Mayso, he’s very resilient. When I was young, it took me a long time to be able to cope with getting smacked around a bit. “I know this guy has got what it takes to cope with a bad day. I’m a big believer in that being a real guide whether or not a slow bowler will make the grade – and Mayso can.”
Moeen has endured a grim tour, however. As well as claiming just three wickets in the first four Tests at a cost of 135 apiece, he has looked devoid of confidence with the bat and averaged just 19.42. That miserable run culminated in a reckless, frantic innings of 20 in 14 deliveries in Melbourne that suggested he had lost faith in his defensive game against both spin and pace and ended with a catch in the covers.Now, with the Ashes gone and England deciding that Moeen may benefit from a spell out if the firing line, Crane looks set to win his Test debut.But while Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, admits that Moeen has had a miserable tour, he remains confident that, in the “long term” he will again prove himself a top England player.”There’s no time like the present to find out if Mason is ready,” Trevor Bayliss, the England coach, said. “We think he’s a guy that has got the goods and the more he plays at this level the better he will get. You have got to start somewhere.”Like any player, you go through highs and lows. The number of runs and wickets makes it one of his lows. But just a couple of months ago we were singing his praises as one of the best all-rounders in the world. Conditions are a bit different here and it’s taken him longer than he would have liked to feel comfortable; there’s not a lot of spin.”He’s different to Nathan Lyon, who gets over-spin. Mo doesn’t and things don’t happen as quickly, without the bounce that Lyon gets. Mo is a free spirit and one or two shots or wickets and he will be off and running. So I’m not concerned long term.”The fact that Australia have called up slow left-armer Ashton Agar suggests they, too, feel that the pitch will spin. And, if England are of the same mind, it seems inevitable they will want both spin options in the side.Mason Crane in action in an England practice session•Getty Images”The type of wicket we play on might play a part too,” Bayliss said. “Normally that you can easily play two spinners but looking at the wicket it looked like it had a decent covering of grass.”I think it will still spin towards the end of the game – it’s still the same soil – but we will just have to take a look. There’s been no decision right now. And with the series lost it gives us an opportunity to look at some different people.”Meanwhile England confirmed that Saqlain Mushtaq and Stuart MacGill – both spin bowling consultants – would be working for England in the coming weeks. Saqlain, who has worked for England in a part-time capacity for some time, has recently signed a new contract committing him to more hours than ever in 2018, while MacGill, who worked with Crane when he was playing Grade cricket a few months ago, will join the squad ahead of the Sydney Test.