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Sri Lanka have a three-month gap in their international schedule after the Champions Trophy, which could allow their Test players to feature in the early stages of the county season

Matt Roller28-Aug-2024Dhananjaya de Silva hopes that his Sri Lanka team-mates can earn more opportunities in county cricket through their performances in England, which he believes would be particularly beneficial to their batters.Counties have been allowed to field two overseas players in their XI in each format since 2021. A relaxation of visa criteria has enabled a series of players with minimal or no international experience to win deals, yet Sri Lanka’s squad have largely found themselves overlooked – in part because of their touring commitments.Vishwa Fernando is the only member of the 18-man touring party to feature in the Championship this year, playing three matches for Yorkshire after making two appearances for Durham at the end of last season. Dimuth Karunaratne (three games for Yorkshire) and Asitha Fernando (two for Nottinghamshire) have also featured previously.Related

Pope's truth: Captaincy may be an honour, but batting remains the future

Dinesh Chandimal revealed in Manchester that he has been trying to secure a county contract without success. “The last few years, I wanted to get a county deal,” Chandimal, who has scored 15 Test hundreds, said. “I didn’t get it so far. If I can do well in this series, hopefully I will be picked by one of the counties. It is my dream to play a season of county cricket.”Speaking ahead of Thursday’s second Test at Lord’s, Dhananjaya confirmed his own aspirations to play in the Championship. “Playing in these conditions will be better for the batsmen,” he said. “We are only getting the chance while we’re touring here. But if the batsmen can play county [cricket], it’ll be nice for them.”Sri Lanka have a three-month gap in their international schedule after the Champions Trophy, which could allow their Test players to feature in the early stages of the county season. Wanindu Hasaranga, who is not part of their Test squad, has twice signed for Manchester Originals in the Hundred but has been denied No-Objection Certificates by SLC.Dhananjaya said that Sri Lanka have prepared well for the second Test and will make two changes, with Pathum Nissanka – who has thrived in ODIs this year – and Lahiru Kumara replacing Kusal Mendis and Vishwa Fernando. “Overall, Pathum is the best batter in the country at the moment,” Dhananjaya said. “He has a good mindset and he has a good technique.”He also played down the absence of Mark Wood, suggesting that Chris Woakes had been harder to face. “The speed is not troubling me, but the line and length,” Dhananjaya said. “The opening bowler, he bowls in one area for 20 to 30 balls and that’s the problem we have: with the swinging ball, not the pace… if the plans work here, we’ll get on top.”

Liverpool’s backline will already have a fresh look next season, amid the arrivals of both Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong at full-back, although that might not be the end of the overhaul if reports are to be believed.

Indeed, the search for a long-term partner or successor to Virgil van Dijk continues, not least with the Merseysiders having already cashed in on 22-year-old starlet, Jarell Quansah, following his £35m switch to Bayer Leverkusen.

A key part of England’s success at the U21 European Championships this summer, the academy graduate has somewhat surprisingly been let go by Arne Slot, albeit while having been restricted to just four Premier League starts last time out.

That departure may not be too much of a blow when taking that limited involvement into consideration, although further upheaval could lie in store, with Ibrahim Konate reportedly holding out for a move to Real Madrid next summer.

Reports have indicated that the Frenchman – who has just 12 months left on his contract – is willing to run down that deal in order to follow Trent Alexander-Arnold to the Bernabeu, with that uncertainty only heightening the need for at least one new recruit in the centre of the defence.

Latest on Liverpool's centre-back search

Speaking of contract uncertainty, reports have suggested that the Reds could be ready to make the most of Marc Guehi’s situation at Crystal Palace, with the Eagles skipper also into the last year of his deal at Selhurst Park.

There have been claims that personal terms have already been struck with the England international, although any noise has quietened down of late, with those at Anfield having also previously been in the mix for ex-Bournemouth sensation, Dean Huijsen.

With the Spaniard having since sealed a £50m switch to Madrid, Liverpool have been left seeking alternatives, with talkSPORT outlining that the Premier League champions could well be in the mix for Parma teenager, Giovanni Leoni.

As per the report, Liverpool, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur appear to be among ten top-flight clubs in England who have made an enquiry for the 18-year-old, with the youngster fresh off the back of an impressive first season in Serie A.

Transfer Focus

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

A swift exit could well be on the cards as a result of that fine start to life in Parma, albeit with it yet to be seen whether the Inter Milan target would be willing to move to the Premier League, with his preference said to be to remain in Italy.

Why Liverpool should make a move for Leoni

At a time when Konate appears to be angling for an exit in the near future – with Quansah already departing – there might well be a desire for Slot to acquire a ready-made, proven option like Guehi to partner Van Dijk, with the 24-year-old having only recently played his part in Palace’s shock FA Cup triumph.

That said, a more long-term option like young Leoni certainly shouldn’t be overlooked, with the in-demand defender arguably “one of the most complete teenage centre-backs in Europe”, in the words of talent scout Jacek Kulig.

While the former Sampdoria and Padova starlet has only enjoyed a solitary season in Serie A, that relative lack of experience should not be of too great a concern, not least considering the impact that the aforementioned Huijsen made for Bournemouth last season.

Signed from Juventus after a six-month stint with Roma at the end of 2023/24, the Netherlands-born star had made just 14 Serie A appearances prior to joining the Cherries, with a period of adaptation likely to have been expected.

As it proved, the now 20-year-old proved to be a real standout figure in Andoni Iraola’s exciting side, having made 32 Premier League appearances in all, with pundit Jamie Redknapp highlighting the way he “makes the game look effortless”.

That gamble more than paid off for those on the south coast, with perhaps now the time for Liverpool to replicate that trick with Leoni, with journalist Graeme Bailey even noting the likeness between the Italian and Huijsen:

“One scout has told me that Leoni is probably the best young defender he saw last season – composed, elegant and defensively astute. He actually compared him to Dean Huijsen.”

Games (starts)

14 (4)

17 (14)

Goals

2

1

Assists

0

0

Key passes*

0.1

0.1

Pass accuracy*

88%

89%

Tackles & interceptions*

1.0

1.7

Dribbled past*

0.2

0.3

Total duels won*

49%

61%

Possession lost*

4.7

5.1

A right-footed, 6 foot 5 centre-back – much like Huijsen – what particularly sets Leoni apart from his peers is his quality in possession, having averaged an 89% pass accuracy rate in Serie A last term, having lost possession just 5.1 times per game on average, as per Sofascore.

For context, Huijsen averaged 84% and 9.2 for those same two metrics last season, respectively, albeit while having featured 32 times in the league, with Leoni only making 17 appearances in Italy’s top-flight.

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Mohamed Salah would get plenty of service in this side…

4 ByBen Goodwin Jun 18, 2025

Like Huijsen too, the Parma ace was only dribbled past 0.3 times per game, while he didn’t make a single error leading to a goal, thus showcasing an innate composure that perhaps belies his years.

And so, while Liverpool may have missed the boat on Madrid’s new hero, the opportunity to sign the next best thing is certainly not one to turn down.

Perfect Diaz replacement: Liverpool weighing up move for £68m "superstar"

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ByAngus Sinclair Jul 8, 2025

Chelsea are showing no sign of slowing down in the transfer market this summer, despite having already spent millions on fresh faces.

Chelsea now "advancing" talks to sign £70m star, formal bid expected soon

The Blues are making progress in their pursuit of an “exceptional” player, journalist Ben Jacobs has revealed.

ByDominic Lund Jul 28, 2025

Enzo Maresca saw £145 million trio Liam Delap, Jamie Gittens and Joao Pedro join the club most recently, when the west Londoners were successfully tackling their Club World Cup campaign, but the Italian is set to be backed even more.

Financially, the Blues are in excellent stead, having raised around £100 million through player sales already, which is due to rise to around £126 million through João Félix’s move to Al-Nassr.

Cole Palmer

7.33

Moises Caicedo

7.02

Enzo Fernández

6.95

Nicolas Jackson

6.88

Noni Madueke

6.82

via WhoScored

The Saudis agreed an initial £26 million deal for Felix, plus hefty add-ons, and Chelsea could even bank close to £43 million in future thanks to a sell-on clause.

Chelsea’s £87.5 million financial windfall from winning the CWC, not to mention Champions League revenue, also contributes to Maresca’s side being comfortably far away from breaching the PSR threshold.

While Chelsea remain keen to balance out their squad by selling more players, partly due to pressure from UEFA, there is scope for BlueCo to seal more squad upgrades in time for the 2025/2026 season.

Ajax starlet Jorrel Hato has already agreed personal terms with Chelsea over a move to Stamford Bridge, and talks are at an advanced stage to sign the Dutchman, who could come in as both cover for Marc Cucurella and as another centre-back option.

Another Netherlands international could also join Hato in London pretty soon – RB Leipzig playmaker Xavi Simons.

The 22-year-old has been on fire for Leipzig since signing for the Bundesliga side on an initial loan in 2023/2024. His move was made permanent in January, with Simons bagging a total of around 21 goals and 23 assists in all competitions over the last two seasons.

Leipzig even made Simons the highest-paid player in their history on a contract worth around £192,000-per-week, but the attacker is already prepared to seek pastures new.

Chelsea to submit opening offer for Xavi Simons

Chelsea talks for Simons, according to some sources, are advancing in quick fashion (Simon Phillips), but they’re yet to place an opening offer.

Journalist Ben Jacobs, sharing another update for talkSPORT and on X, claims Chelsea are poised to submit their first bid for Simons after positive club-to-club talks.

Interestingly, Jacobs reports for talkSPORT that Bayern Munich have called Simons “several” times in an attempt to convince the playmaker to join Vincent Kompany’s side, but he much prefers a move to the Premier League with personal terms agreed.

Leipzig are prepared to green-light Simons’ sale for around £61 million, but there is a belief within Chelsea that they could strike a deal for less.

“We can’t make mistakes against him tomorrow,” says Prabath Jayasuriya

Andrew Fidel Fernando22-Sep-2024If you’re a batter, your first Test at one of the most trying venues on the planet tends not to go well for you. Rachin Ravindra, though, is proving across formats, that he’s not your run-of-the-mill batter out of New Zealand.His fourth-innings vanguard, which by the end of day four has brought him 91 not out off 158, and pushed New Zealand into a spot where they still have an outside chance of victory, has been full of bravado.Sri Lanka’s offspinners attacked him outside off stump, figuring that as he likes to play shots out there, there will eventually be an edge that comes off his bat. The edge never materialised but plenty of runs did – 40 of his runs coming in the arc between backward point and cover, Ravindra’s shot-making frequent and consistent even when the pitch was spitting towards the end of the day.Related

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“I’ll be honest, the pitch isn’t easy – but there were periods there when Rachin made it look very easy,” said Ajaz Patel, who partnered Ravindra through the last few overs of the day.”He’s a phenomenal player. I think he’s world class. With his batting out there today, you saw him sticking to a solid plan for long periods, and trusting his skills. He’s got an amazing future in front of him. I’m grateful he’s on our team. He’s a headache to bowl to in first-class cricket.”When Sri Lanka switched to bowling straighter at him, Ravindra was no less proficient through the legside. He was ruthless when the bowlers erred even slightly on length, preferring the pull to the sweep as his main run-scoring option on the legside.In fact, four of his nine fours, and his one six all came through midwicket, with the six coming off a full toss.Opposition left-arm spinner Prabath Jayasuriya had serious praise for Ravindra too.”I mostly tried to bowl into the rough to him and turn it into him. Sometimes he was very good at latching on to the short balls.”There was some little chances that came off him. But he kept his patience and batted nicely. He hit the loose balls away and kept the good ones out. He played like someone who understood his game, and was sticking to a game plan. Sometimes we tried to take his wicket and bowled aggressively, but he turned those into scoring opportunities.”Sri Lanka now need two more wickets to win, while New Zealand need 68 for victory. Ravindra has to score those runs in the company of No. 10 Patel, and No. 11 Will O’Rourke. If he gets through that challenge, it may be the finest moment of his career to date – in Tests, at least.”We can’t make mistakes against him tomorrow,” Jayasuriya said. “We have to take those two wickets.”

It feels like a very long time ago now since Enzo Le Fee put pen to paper on a permanent stay at Sunderland.

The confirmation of the dazzling Frenchman staying put at the Stadium of Light past his standout loan spell did occur way back at the start of June, long before the Black Cats had added in the likes of Habib Diarra for a whopping £30m, on top of also boldly convincing Granit Xhaka to return to the Premier League.

Sunderland’s ninth venture into the transfer market is nearly complete as well, as Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu set to join the building on loan very soon after passing his medical. Expect that number to soon hit double digits, too, if the ongoing Black Cats rumour mill is anything to go by.

Sunderland in the mix for £26m attacker

Every passing minute on Wearside seems to throw up another tantalising rumour.

TalkSPORT recently revealed that Sunderland had been plotting an ambitious free-agent swoop for former Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin, only to be met by the ex-England international keeping his options wide open, as a move further up the top-flight rankings is preferred.

Sunderland may well also face an uphill battle to land this explosive left winger off the back of new, emerging rumours coming out of Turkey.

Indeed, as per a fresh development from Turkish outlet Saba Spor – via X – Galatasaray are unwilling to let their star-man Barış Alper Yılmaz leave the Super Lig giants this summer, unless an ‘astronomical’ offer is forthcoming.

This will be a setback for those keeping an active eye on Yilmaz’s situation, with Atalanta, RB Leipzig, and West Ham United all named in the mix to pick up the exciting 25-year-old, alongside Sunderland, having been previously tipped to have a £26m price tag above his head.

It remains to be seen what amount would satisfy his current employers’ excessive wants, but if Sunderland were to win Yilmaz’s services down the line, he could go on to be viewed as another statement, Le-Fee style capture.

How Yilmaz can be another Le Fee level signing

After all, it was immediately apparent from minute one of Le Fee’s Sunderland adventure that the Frenchman had a higher pedigree about him.

Before heading to England to link up with his former Lorient boss in Regis Le Bris, the silky 25-year-old had amassed a bumper eight goals and 15 assists for the French side.

Unfortunately, a subsequent move to AS Roma just didn’t work out, but the Serie A outfit’s loss ended up being the Black Cats’ gigantic gain, as seen in him picking a single goal and three assists last season to steer Le Bris and Co. immediately up a division.

Yilmaz will hope he can be an instant spark, too, even as Sunderland wrestle with the difficulties of the punishing Premier League, having more than proven himself as an attacking force in his native Turkey.

He has routinely gotten the passionate Galatasaray masses out of their seats with his direct, rampaging approach in attack, with a hefty 25 goals and 20 assists next to his name from 156 appearances for the Super Lig giants.

12 of those strikes would come his way last season as his team reigned supreme again in the Turkish top-flight, with his sublime ability to carve out openings for his teammates also putting him on the same pedestal as Le Fee, as seen in him creating eight big chances in total from those 32 league encounters.

Games played

32

Goals scored

12

Assists

3

Shots*

2.4

Key passes*

1.4

Big chances missed

11

Big chances created

8

Total duels won*

6.3

Yilmaz might even find his game is elevated to that next level partnered alongside Le Fee, with the 25-year-old becoming even more of an “animal” – as he’s been dubbed by football journalist Uğur Karakullukçu – in front of goal as the French playmaker feeds him chances.

Sunderland never know when they’re beaten during this transfer window to date, with another big move in the offing if Le Bris and Co. are willing to splash the cash on another pricey buy.

Better signing than Xhaka: Sunderland make £26m "warrior" their top target

Sunderland is still interested in the prospect of landing this £26m star.

ByKelan Sarson Aug 6, 2025

Aymeric Laporte’s dream return to Athletic Club fell apart over paperwork, but Besiktas are now set to hand him an Al-Nassr escape route.

Besiktas reportedly agree loan deal with Laporte and Al-NassrDefender's transfer to Athletic Club was blocked by FIFA last weekThe Turkish club will pay half of the Spaniard's salaryFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Spaniard's hopes of leaving Al-Nassr have been revived after Turkish giants Besiktas stepped in with a loan offer. According to , the Black Eagles’ president Serdal Adali has agreed personal terms with the 31-year-old defender and formally offered a proposal to the Saudi Pro League side on Tuesday morning.

Besiktas are ready to pay half of Laporte’s €13 million (£11m/$14m) annual salary, with no loan fee attached. The deal also includes an option to buy in May 2026 for €15m. 

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Laporte had been on the verge of sealing a return to Athletic Club for €10m, but the move fell apart at the last moment. Athletic had filed their paperwork with La Liga before the deadline, but Al-Nassr failed to submit the required documents to the Saudi federation in time. Without international clearance, FIFA blocked the transfer, ruling that the centre-back will have to wait until the winter window to get registered.

Laporte's move to Besiktas would be a major blow for Athletic, who are already short in defence. With Unai Egiluz out injured and Yeray Alvarez suspended after a positive doping test, manager Ernesto Valverde has only Dani Vivian and Aitor Paredes available as experienced centre-back options.

DID YOU KNOW?

Laporte is no stranger to San Mames, having come through Athletic’s academy before making a move to Manchester City in 2018. In five years in England, he won multiple titles before joining Al-Nassr in 2023. After two seasons in Saudi Arabia alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, he terminated his contract this summer in a bid to return to Spain, only for the move to collapse.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR AYMERIC LAPORTE AND ATHLETIC CLUB

With his Athletic return blocked, Besiktas are moving quickly to finalise a loan that would give Laporte a fresh start in Turkey. The deal could be completed within 24 hours, handing the 31-year-old an immediate escape route from Al-Nassr. At the same time, the Basque club have not given up entirely. Los Leones have reportedly appealed their case to FIFA, with a ruling expected as early as Thursday, though the chances of a decision in their favour are slim. 

Chopra will lead UAE at the ICC CWC League 2 tri-series in Oman in November

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Oct-2024Muhammad Waseem has stepped down as UAE men’s ODI captain after 26 matches in charge between 2023 and 2024. Wicketkeeper-batter Rahul Chopra has been named the new captain, and will lead UAE at the next round of ICC Cricket World Cup (CWC) League 2 games in Oman against the hosts and Netherlands in early November.”I have decided to step down as captain to concentrate on my batting in the ODI format,” Waseem, who remains part of the ODI squad, said. “My best wishes are with the new captain, I will be giving him my full support.”Chopra, the new captain, has played just seven ODIs to go with six T20Is.Waseem, the 30-year-old top-order batter, took over the ODI captaincy from CP Rizwan during the 2019-23 CWC League 2 for UAE’s match against Nepal in March 2023. Under him, UAE won just seven ODIs and lost 19, with Waseem the standout performer for the team in the matches they won – he averaged 64.28 in those seven games, hitting his only century in the format,119 vs Papua New Guinea, and three half-centuries in those games.In the 19 they lost, Waseem’s average was 21.10, closer to his career number of 25.44.UAE are currently playing the 2024-27 edition of the CWC League 2, where they lost their last game – Waseem’s final game as captain – to Namibia by eight wickets after folding for 190. UAE are bottom of the eight-team table at this stage after playing seven games – of which they have won only one – which might have contributed to Waseem’s decision to step down.Waseem also remains a regular member of UAE’s T20I team, and played his part in the team winning the tri-series in Namibia earlier this month, where USA were the third team. Waseem top-scored in the tournament with 159 runs in four innings as UAE won three games and lost one to finish on top.

The Brazil international has yet to unlock his full potential at the Emirates Stadium, and could soon find himself on the fringes of the line up

Just over two years ago, Arsenal welcomed Nottingham Forest to the Emirates Stadium for their first Premier League game of the 2023-24 campaign. After a cagey first 25 minutes, Gabriel Martinelli conjured up the moment of magic his team were crying out for. There didn't look to be much on when the Brazilian picked the ball up on the left flank with two defenders closely tracking him, but he dribbled towards the byline before deceiving them both with an outrageous pirouette backheel pass to Eddie Nketiah, who subsequently shimmied inside and fired low into the net to give the Gunners the lead – with the aid of a slight deflection.

It was an instant assist-of-the-season contender that set Arsenal on their way to a 2-1 victory, a sublime piece of skill that very few players would even dare attempt, but Martinelli has always had that in his locker. The problem is, he hasn't pulled it out consistently enough.

Arsenal are preparing to host Forest again on Saturday, six years on from Martinelli's stunning introduction to English audiences, and he has yet to unlock his full potential. The enigmatic 24-year-old still has the capacity to be a match-winner, but more often than not, he frustrates with his decision-making and execution.

Time is now running out for him to change that. The summer arrivals of Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke in north London have significantly increased competition in attack, while Leandro Trossard has agreed terms on a new contract, and Martinelli's position will come under serious threat if he continues to fall short with his end product. The former Ituano wonderkid has played a key role in Mikel Arteta's revolution to this point, but Arsenal need a lot more from him if they are to take the next step and get their hands on some major silverware.

Getty Images SportCrisis of confidence

On the plus side for Martinelli, he does still enjoy Arteta's full trust. Speculation over the winger's future raged throughout the summer transfer window, with Bayern Munich among the clubs credited with an interest in his services, but the Arsenal boss never considered letting him go.

“I think Gabi has been a super-important player for us and he's going to remain very, very, very important,” Arteta said before deadline day. “He’s needed, especially in the front line, to start the game and to finish the game. So, I’m very happy with what we have.”

That was a surprisingly strong vote of confidence considering how Martinelli has started the new season. He was substituted on the hour mark in Arsenal's 1-0 win at Manchester United after an ineffective display, and Arteta dropped him to the bench for their subsequent 5-0 thumping of Leeds United at the Emirates. Madueke struggled on his first start and also came off early against the newly-promoted side, which – coupled with an injury to Bukayo Saka – paved the way for Martinelli to return to Arteta's line up for the Gunners' trip to Anfield on August 31. He again failed to seize the opportunity.

Martinelli only managed 15 touches in his 70 minutes on the pitch and didn't complete a single dribble. In one particularly worrying first-half sequence, he sprinted out of Arsenal's half to lead a counter-attack and could have easily played in Viktor Gyokeres, but instead went alone and eventually ran the ball out for a goal-kick. 

Arsenal fans are becoming all too used to that kind of wastefulness from Martinelli. He should have been able to make mincemeat of makeshift Liverpool full-back Dominic Szoboszlai, who scored Liverpool's spectacular winning goal in the game, but it turned out to be an easy afternoon for the Hungarian against a player who is clearly suffering from a crisis of confidence.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportMadueke offers more

Martinelli's mediocrity was symptomatic of Arsenal's collective effort against Liverpool, with Arteta's conservative tactics playing into the champions' hands. But the Gunners did have one bright spark in Madueke, who filled in on the right wing for the injured Saka. 

The former Chelsea star gave Martinelli a lesson in how to attack your full-back as he tormented Milos Kerkez with his pace and guile. All of Arsenal's best moments went through Madueke as he shook off the nerves from his underwhelming full debut in impressive fashion. He certainly did enough to keep his place until Saka returns in a few weeks, and as we saw in the Leeds game, Arteta is not afraid to start them both, either.

Unlike Martinelli, Madueke is a two-footed player who is equally as dangerous on the outside as he is coming inside. Right now, he is a better fit for Arteta's system on the left; he'll commit defenders to create more space in central areas for chief creators Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice, and will also deliver crosses from that side for Gyokeres to feed on.

These days, it's far too easy for opponents to mark Martinelli out of the game, because he constantly looks to cut in on his stronger right foot and doesn't get his head up enough. 

Getty Images SportElectric Eze

That all being said, the man most likely to take Martinelli's place is Eze, who joined Arsenal from Crystal Palace in a £60 million ($81m) deal on August 23. The 27-year-old came on for Martinelli in the final 20 minutes of the Liverpool clash, and gave the Gunners an instant lift with his incisive runs and slick passing. 

Eze did squander a golden scoring opportunity, but was generally far more dangerous than Martinelli as he offered Arsenal something different. Like Madueke, Eze is a versatile player with great balance and deceptive strength who breaks through the lines regularly, while he's also an accomplished playmaker who is capable of opening up tight games in the blink of an eye.

Martinelli just doesn't match up in terms of imagination or penetration in his current guise. He is still a hard worker with bags of pace, but appears to have lost the fearless streak that made him so thrilling to watch in his earlier years at Arsenal.

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Getty Images SportVictim of change

In fairness to Martinelli, Arsenal have not been set up to play to his strengths. His best season at the club came in 2022-23 as he delivered 20 Premier League goal contributions in 36 appearances, when Arteta played a far more expansive brand of football.

Martinelli thrived with plenty of space to drive into and built up a telepathic rapport with fellow countryman Gabriel Jesus. The former Manchester City man would often drift towards the touchline, which allowed Martinelli to get into central positions and wreak havoc. Jesus' persistent injury problems have, however, directly led to Martinelli's reduced impact.

He also linked up well with Granit Xhaka and Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left side during that stellar season, but both men have now left the club, while over the last two years, Arteta has also encouraged Arsenal to be more measured in their build-up play, while prioritising compactness in the middle of the park for more defensive stability. That tactical tweak led to Martinelli becoming just a cog in a well-oiled machine instead of a maverick operating off the cuff. 

The defending champions lead by just 72 runs with three wickets in hand and an injury concern over Ashton Agar

AAP17-Nov-2024Victoria were in sight of victory over Western Australia and the outright lead in the Sheffield Shield standings, despite resolute innings by Hilton Cartwright and Joel Curtis.Seamers Fergus O’Neill and Sam Elliott made regular inroads at Junction Oval on Sunday to have the visitors 278 for 7 at stumps, a lead of just 72 runs with a day to play.Related

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Western Australia wicketkeeper Curtis played a defiant knock to keep his side’s faint hopes alive. But WA spinner Ashton Agar has a shoulder injury and there is a question mark over whether he will bat.O’Neill ended Cartwright’s 166-ball vigil on 78 with a perfect cutter that tickled the outside edge. The 23-year-old, who also snared three wickets in the first innings, has proven to be a revelation for Victoria, and also starred for Australia A against India A.Cartwright held the three-time reigning Sheffield Shield champions’ innings together with support from skipper Ashton Turner and Curtis.The visitors resumed on day three at 34 for 1 and were made to battle before and after rain took the players off the field either side of lunch.Strapping allrounder Elliott hit the pitch hard and snared Sam Fanning and Jayden Goodwin in the morning session, both edging into the bucket hands of first slip Peter Handscomb.Victoria, with vital bonus points from the match, will go top of the ladder if they can secure victory.In four Shield matches this year Cartwright has scored 420 runs at an average of 70 in a reminder of why he played two Tests for Australia in 2017.His defiance may not be enough to salvage anything for his side from this match, but along with Curtis he has made the Victorians fight hard.

It’s a massively exciting time to be a Nottingham Forest fan at the moment.

Nuno Espírito Santo has transformed a side that looked destined for relegation scrap after relegation scrap into a top Premier League side, one that’ll be playing in the Europa League this season.

While there are stars all across the team, from Matz Sels between the sticks to Chris Wood up top, the star of the team is undoubtedly Morgan Gibbs-White.

The England international is often at the heart of everything the Tricky Trees do in attack, so fans should be excited about reports linking them to a midfielder who’s won recent comparisons to him.

Forest target the new Gibbs-White

While Forest haven’t been as busy this summer as they’ve been in the past, they’ve still brought in several exciting additions to Nuno’s side.

Transfer Focus

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

Dan Ndoye, for example, scored nine goals and provided six assists for Bologna last season; Igor Jesus produced ten goal involvements in 29 games for Botafogo, and Jair Cunha looks like a promising pickup at the back.

However, with the window not closing until the start of next month, the Garibaldi appear determined to complete at least one more signing and bring in a player who’s been compared to Gibbs-White.

At least that is according to a recent report from the Daily Mail, which has claimed that Forest are one of several sides interested in Facundo Buonanotte.

Alongside the Tricky Trees, the report has revealed that West Ham United, Leeds United, Tottenham Hotspur, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund have all shown an interest in the 20-year-old gem.

The good news is that Brighton & Hove Albion are happy to let the Argentine leave for a Premier League side this summer, but the bad news is that they want him to go on loan, although stories from earlier this summer suggested that the Seagulls could be willing to sell for around £30m.

Regardless of how Forest go about it, they should do what they can to sign Buonanotte this summer, as he’s a seriously exciting player and could become the new Gibbs-White.

How Buonanotte compares to Gibbs-White

In this instance, the comparison between Buonanotte and Gibbs-White stems from FBref, which looked at players in similar positions from Europe’s top five leagues and concluded that the Forest ace has been the ninth most similar attacking midfielder or winger to the 20-year-old over the last 365 days.

We can gain a better understanding of how this conclusion was reached by examining the underlying metrics in which the pair ranks closely.

In this case, these include statistics such as non-penalty expected goals, expected assists, progressive carries, key passes, interceptions, clearances and more, all per 90.

Non-Penalty Expected Goals

0.23

0.20

Expected Assists

0.14

0.15

Progressive Carries

2.31

2.22

Shots on Target

0.71

0.67

Passing Accuracy

76.4%

78.3%

Key Passes

1.42

1.64

Interceptions

0.71

0.74

Clearances

0.83

0.93

Carries into the Penalty Area

0.53

0.42

These key numbers help to paint the young Argentine as a midfielder who could match the Englishman when it comes to attacking output, while also being able to chip in with some of the defensive work he’d need to do in a Nuno system.

It’s not just their underlying numbers that are surprisingly similar, though.

For example, in his 3142 minutes of first-team football for last season, the former Wolverhampton Wanderers star scored seven goals and provided ten assists, which comes out as an average of a goal involvement every 184.82 minutes.

For his efforts, the Brighton “magician,” as he was dubbed by Rising Star XI on X, scored six goals and provided three assists in just 1701 minutes of football for Leicester City last season, which, amazingly, comes out as an average of a goal involvement every 189 minutes.

Ultimately, while fans probably shouldn’t expect Buonanotte to be on the same level as Gibbs-White right away, it does seem like he’s not too far off.

Therefore, even if it has to be on loan to begin with, Forest should be doing all they can to sign the 20-year-old dynamo this summer.

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