Half-centuries from Marizanne Kapp and Fargana Hoque go in vain in their respective matches

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Mar-2022South Africa will head into the World Cup on the back of two losses in their warm-up games. After going down to India, they were handed a comprehensive six-wicket defeat to England in Lincoln on Wednesday.Heather Knight opted to bowl in a clash reduced to 35-overs-a-side, and South Africa let themselves down with the bat, slumping to 138 for 9 as Anya Shrubsole and Sophie Ecclestone picked five for 41 between them. In reply, England lost four wickets, but knocked off the runs in just 26.3 overs.Laura Wolvaardt, fresh off a 95-ball 83 against India, fell for a duck. Tazmin Brits, her opening partner, struggled to get going, making a 44-ball 13 as a follow-up to her duck against India.Shrubsole, Ecclestone, Katherine Brunt and Kate Cross were all among the wickets as the South African failed to get momentum at any stage. It was only a 65-run stand for the sixth wicket, between Marizanne Kapp and Chloe Tryon, that gave South Africa some respectability.The two got together at the fall of Brits’ wicket, and while they didn’t set the game alight, they chipped away. Tryon fell for 27, but Kapp carried on till she became the ninth batter out, for a 60-ball 52, with five fours.Stopping England short was always going to be a tall ask for South Africa, but Ayabonga Khaka gave them a great start with the ball, taking out Lauren Winfield-Hill and Heather Knight cheaply. But a 33-run stand between Tammy Beaumont, who scored 35, and Nat Sciver, who scored 33 before retiring hurt, put England in the box seat.By the time they were done, the target was just a few hits away, and Amy Jones, Danni Wyatt and Sophia Dunkley finished off the job.Fatima Sana gestures to the camera after returning a four-wicket haul•AFP/Getty Images

In an even contest, Pakistan edged Bangladesh with a seven-run (DLS) win in Lincoln, Fargana Hoque’s 95-ball 71 ending up being second-best to Fatima Sana’s 4 for 47 on the day.After keeping Pakistan to 199 for 7 in 42 overs, Bangladesh had a revised target of 202, and gave it a good tilt, mainly courtesy Hoque. Sana did the initial damage, reducing Bangladesh to 29 for 2, but Hoque and captain Nigar Sultana fought back with a 42-run stand.That, and the 49 runs Hoque and an enterprisingRumana Ahmed added for the fourth wicket, gave Bangladesh a good shot at overhauling the target, but there wasn’t much support for Hoque as Sana came back to pick up two more wickets, including that of Hoque, and Bangladesh were bowled out seven runs short with four balls remaining in the chase.Earlier, good hands in the middle order from Javeria Khan (44) and captain Bismah Maroof (32), and lower down from Aliya Riaz and Sana meant that Pakistan put up a total that was eventually enough for them.Before any of them came into the picture, though, it was the Fariha Trisna show, as the left-arm medium-pacer sent back the Pakistan top three of Nahida Khan, Sidra Ameen and Muneeba Ali with just 38 on the board by the tenth over.But the senior pros, Javeria and Maroof, took control after that with a 73-run stand in 15-and-a-half overs. Riaz and Sana then provided the innings with some muscle towards the end with a 66-run stand for the seventh wicket, the runs coming in good time, in 12 overs. That, in the end, made the different in a weather-affected game.

The Premier League is just over two weeks away, and while Tottenham Hotspur have looked good so far in pre-season, they still need to strengthen to ensure Ange Postecoglou can lead them up the table this year.

The club have been linked to a plethora of talented players this summer, from Eberechi Eze to Jonathan David, but at the moment, the only signings Daniel Levy and Co have made have been Archie Gray and Yang Min-Hyeok.

However, that could be about to change, as recent reports have revealed that the club are making progress towards signing an incredibly talented attacker who has been compared to Dejan Kulusevski in the past.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Football Transfers, Tottenham have maintained their interest in Pedro Neto and have 'intensified their efforts' to secure his services this summer.

The report claims that the Lilywhites have now held further talks with the winger, who remains high on Postecoglou's wish list this summer.

A potential fee for the £50k-per-week star is not mentioned in the story, but previous reports from this month indicate that he could cost as much as £50m to £60m.

From a purely financial perspective, that might be too high a fee for Spurs to stomach, but considering how talented Neto is, maybe Levy and Co should splash the cash a little bit on this one – his comparison to Kulusevski is just a nice bonus.

Why Neto would be a great signing and his comparison to Kulusevski

Okay, so before we look at Neto's impressive output and why he'd be so good for Spurs, let's first examine this comparison to the Lilywhites' Swedish international and where it came from.

Well, aside from their obvious positional similarity, this comparison stems from FBref, which compared all attacking midfielders and wingers in the 2022/23 Premier League season, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and concluded that Kulusevski was the most similar to the Wolves ace in the entire competition that year.

The way they came to this conclusion is by looking at their underlying numbers and then comparing how closely they rank in several key metrics, including non-penalty expected goals plus assists, progressive carries, passing accuracy, crosses into the penalty area, through balls, goal-creating actions, tackles won, clearances and carries, all per 90.

However, while it's a nice bonus and interesting to think about, Levy and Co are obviously not going to base their decision to sign the Portuguese star soley on his similarity to the former Juventus ace. Instead, they'll focus on his impressive form last season.

For example, in just 24 appearances for the Old Gold, the Viana do Castelo-born "monster", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, found the back of the net on three occasions and provided 11 assists for his teammates, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.71 games.

Moreover, this haul of 14 goals and assists would have made the 24-year-old the fourth most productive Spurs player last season, despite the lack of games he played. This brings us to the one significant drawback in signing him: his fitness, or lack thereof.

Across the entirety of last season, the former Lazio winger missed 23 games for club and country, and while that is certainly something to consider, the upside of him moving to Tottenham is that, with the brilliant wide talent already at Postecoglou's disposal, he may well get more time to rest, thus minimising his injury risk.

Contact made: Spurs move for Udogie 2.0 in "exciting" £17m sensation

The impressive youngster could follow in the full-back’s steps.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 1, 2024

Ultimately, Neto is an undeniably talented player who could light up the Premier League with the Lilywhites, and while his fee and injury history are significant, so is the potential upside. Therefore, the North Londoners should push ahead and bring him to N17 this summer, as it may just be a gamble that pays off.

Barcelona have reportedly been linked with Sao Paulo starlet Nicolas Bosshardt as they look to sign a new full-back.

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Barcelona looking for new full-backLinked with Sao Paulo's BosshardtReports contact has been madeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barcelona are keeping tabs on the 17-year-old Bosshardt as they look to strengthen their defensive options. Reports in Brazil suggest Hansi Flick's side have made 'initial contact' with the left-back's entourage to assess the possibility of signing him.

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The report adds that first-choice Barcelona left-back Alejandro Balde puts in 'irregular' performances and has been 'stagnant' in recent months. Moreover, Gerard Martin and Hector Fort are struggling to usurp him in that starting role, therefore, they have looked to young Bosshardt.

DID YOU KNOW?

Despite being highly-rated, the youngster is yet to make his first-team debut for Sao Paulo. His contract with the Brazilian giants currently runs until the end of August 2026.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Barcelona do not have long before they can dip into the transfer market as the January window is less than a week away from opening. But a Bosshardt signing may not come to pass next month.

da bet esporte： Tottenham Hotspur steadied the ship on Saturday afternoon with a thumping 4-0 win against Everton and, in turn, reminded the rest of the Premier League that at their free-flowing best, they can tear teams to pieces.

da mrbet： However, Ange Postecoglou's side don't play again until Sunday, so, like the rest of the league, their fans have shifted their focus to the transfer window's conclusion.

Thus far, the North Londoners have enjoyed a relatively fruitful summer, bringing in youngsters like Archie Gray and Wilson Odobert alongside established stars like Dominic Solanke, and while many clubs would now kick their feet up happy with their business, Daniel Levy and Co are reportedly keen to do more.

In fact, recent reports have touted a Premier League-proven midfielder for a move to N17 before 11pm tomorrow, a player who'd add some extra quality to the squad and potentially help James Maddison reach another level.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to transfers expert Dean Jones on the latest episode of the Ranks FC Podcast, Tottenham are interested in signing Nottingham Forest ace Morgan Gibbs-White.

Jones revealed that the Lilywhites are looking to bring in a player with "power" to play in the midfield and that Gibbs-White is "someone they like," even if they view him less as a traditional eight and more as someone adept at "breaking out" of midfield.

It's not mentioned how much the £80k-per-week ace could cost Spurs, but reports from earlier in the summer claimed that the Tricky Trees would demand an offer in excess of £40m.

It could be a complicated transfer to get over the line at this point in the window, but given Gibbs-White's quality, it's one worth pursuing, especially as he could help Maddison reach another level.

Why Gibbs-White would be a great signing for Maddison

Okay, so there are two main reasons that Gibbs-White could potentially help Maddison reach another level this season: his positional versatility and output.

The reason that the latter would help the former Leicester City ace is simply that if the Forest man is playing alongside him, creating chances for the 27-year-old and finishing the chances he creates for him, his goal and assist tallies will naturally improve.

For example, despite playing in a rather lacklustre team last season, the Stafford-born dynamo scored six goals and provided ten assists in 42 appearances, equating to a goal involvement once every 2.62, lending credence to journalist Josh Bunting's description of the player as "sensational."

Gibbs-White in 23/24

Appearances

42

Goals

6

Assists

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.38

All Stats via Transfermarkt

His versatility, on the other hand, could help the Lilywhites number ten in a couple of ways. The first is that, despite his experience playing in attacking midfield, his ability to play in central midfield and even out wide means he won't cannibalise the minutes his potential new teammate will be expecting this season.

The next reason is that his ability to fill in where needed should hopefully allow him to build up more of a relationship with the regular starters and, in turn, help improve the all-around effectiveness of the side.

Ultimately, while the fee is high, Gibbs-White's attacking ability combined with his positional versatility would see him become a very useful player at Tottenham and someone who could facilitate Maddison, thus helping him reach another level.

Related Like Romero: Spurs target £21m UCL winner who's a "cheat code"

The experienced international would be a great addition to Postecoglou’s squad

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 23, 2024

Champion tree-climber, swimmer and one-time fast driver Mashrafe Mortaza talks about the things that make him tick

Interview by Mohammad Isam15-Jan-2013We hear you’re an expert tree climber?
I have been climbing trees since my childhood. Whoever has climbed trees will tell you it is very hard to go up coconut and palm trees. One night I fell off a coconut tree and it hurt, but I didn’t break anything. My friends told me that since I wasn’t hurt, I should go up again. And so I did.Did tree climbing ever come handy in your fast bowling?
I think more than the climbing it was my swimming in the Chitra river that helped me. From a very young age I swam in the middle of the river, mainly against the tide. I remember I could do it for two hours at a time, so that has helped make my body very flexible, and helped me recover so many times from injury.Are fast cars still a passion?
Not only cars, I used to ride motorcycles very fast, too. But I have stopped doing both since Manzarul Islam Rana died in 2007.Is it true that Dav Whatmore, the former Bangladesh coach, wasn’t too keen on sitting alongside you while you were driving?
[] Yes, that was the day I was getting married. Dav was one of the invited guests and I picked him up from the Jessore airport. I was driving a Toyota Corolla-G. I put him in the front seat and just took off. I think he was scared, but he didn’t say much!Bangladesh’s most popular bachelor, Shakib Al Hasan, got married recently. As a married man yourself, what is one piece of advice you would like to give to him?
There’s a life outside cricket which is much bigger, so I hope he takes this opportunity to have the benefit of this new phase in his life.Tell us about one wicket you enjoyed planning and taking.

It has to be the wicket of Sachin Tendulkar in 2004, which was also the only time I got him out in Test cricket. I had him leg-before off the first ball of the second day. He was in good form after scoring a double-hundred in the first Test in Dhaka, so I just wanted to bowl as straight as possible, stump to stump. The ball moved in and I trapped him.The wicket of Rahul Dravid in the first Test, where I had him bowled, was also one I enjoyed taking, because I had planned it.What is the fastest you have ever bowled?

It was on my first tour with Bangladesh, in New Zealand in 2001. I bowled very quick at the time. I was clocked at 145-146kph.Is there a fast bowler you would like to learn one skill from?
My idol is Courtney Walsh, for his personality on and off the field and his greatness as a bowler, but one thing that I have always loved is Glenn McGrath’s line and length. In every condition, he knew where to bowl, and invariably it was the right area. I just admired his consistency, where he always bowled in one place.What is one thing a tourist should never do on the streets of Dhaka?
He cannot be careless about his moneybag and mobile phone.Tell us about a sledge you cannot forget.
I tried to get on Damien Martyn’s nerves during the Fatullah Test of 2006. He wasn’t having the best time with the bat and I kept needling him about getting dropped. He replied a few times but I kept saying things. In the end I think I had him confused with the way our conversation was going!Have you ever done anything on the field for which you got a rap on the knuckles?
During the first over of the Asia Cup final [2012], Mohammad Hafeez was having some issues with his helmet and he kept me waiting a few times. It got on my nerves and I gave away ten runs, I remember. I was quite ticked off, and had I said what I had in mind, I would have been in trouble.What has been the most high-pressure moment of your cricketing career?

I have never really had such a moment, but every time I got out injured and felt helpless because I couldn’t play, it was very stressful. That is when I was under pressure. When a player gets dropped, he can bat or bowl his way back into the team, but I have had ten major operations on my leg and every time I had a layoff, it was a long one.Is there a match from the past where you wanted to be the player who turned the game on its head?

I missed the Multan Test in 2003. I so wish, even today, I had bowled in the Pakistan second innings, especially the closing stages of that game. We were closing in on a great victory against Pakistan but we ultimately lost by one wicket. I still wonder what would have happened if I was given the ball when we needed that last wicket we never got.Tell us something we do not know about you.

I think I would have to say it is my adaptability when it comes to being comfortable with my surroundings. If you tell me to sleep in a cow shed, I think I can sleep well there. I have slept in the best of hotels, but I can adapt better than others.

With the summer transfer window now closed, Newcastle United have reportedly turned their attention towards an experienced free agent alongside a number of interested Premier League clubs.

Newcastle transfer news

It's well documented that Newcastle failed in their attempt to recruit summer reinforcements for Eddie Howe's side, with Lloyd Kelly the first and arguably biggest name through the door at St James' Park. Of course, the Magpies were desperate to sign Marc Guehi, but even an offer reportedly worth as much as £60m wasn't deemed enough for Crystal Palace to sanction a deal.

Sporting director Paul Mitchell recently spoke about that saga, telling The Telegraph's Luke Edwards, as relayed by The Athletic: “Eddie was very clear and it’s not up to me after seven weeks to say, ‘We’ll do this and that’, because I’m in a supporting role. Were there options? Of course there were, as that’s the responsibility of the department and Newcastle.

"We probably were too narrow but, coming in mid-July, it’s not my strategy to control, it’s my strategy to support. But there was no player that he (Howe) wasn’t part of deciding and saying, ‘That’s the guy I want’.”

Earns more than Gordon: Newcastle should've sold star who cost £940k a game

He’s yet to feature for the club in 2024/25.

ByEthan Lamb Sep 5, 2024

There's still time for Mitchell to make up for things by utilising the free agent market, however, which could see one midfielder arrive. According to Football Insider, Newcastle are eyeing a move to sign Yusuf Yazici on a free deal alongside the likes of Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United.

Yazici has been a free agent since leaving Lille at the start of the summer, but could now make his return in the form of a Premier League move.

"Extraordinary" Yazici is a risk-free move

Given that they wouldn't have to splash out on a transfer fee, Yazici represents a risk-free deal for Newcastle and one they could go for to add further depth to Howe's midfield. The former Lille man has plenty of valuable experience too at 27 years old and a player who has played Champions League football along with 45 caps for Turkey.

It comes as quite the shock that he is still without his next club, especially when taking a look at last season's numbers. The attacking midfielder, who can also play as a centre-forward and on the right-hand side, managed 12 goals and four assists in all competitions whilst in France last time out. If that's the type of form that he can replicate in the Premier League, then Newcastle would be landing the ultimate bargain.

Yazici also stole the headlines in 2020 when he became the first player in history to score two away hat-tricks in a single major UEFA European competition, with OptaJoe dubbing the midfielder "extraordinary" as a result.

Now it is Newcastle who may get the chance to witness such achievements if they make their move in the coming weeks.

يستعد الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي الزمالك، لخوض مواجهة قوية اليوم الأحد أمام نظيره حرس الحدود، ضمن منافسات بطولة الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويلتقي الزمالك مع حرس الحدود، على أرضية استاد برج العرب بالإسكندرية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الثانية من مرحلة حسم الدوري المصري الممتاز.

ويسعى الزمالك لتحقيق الفوز من أجل مصالحة الجماهير بعد الخروج من بطولة كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية على يد ستيلينبوش الجنوب إفريقي في ربع النهائي.

ويحتل الزمالك المركز الثالث في جدول ترتيب مجموعة حسم اللقب في بطولة الدوري المصري، برصيد 35 نقطة، بينما يتواجد حرس الحدود بالمركز التاسع، ولديه 22 نقطة.

وكشفت التدريبات الختامية للاعبي الزمالك، ملامح التشكيل الذي سيخوض به البرتغالي جوزيه بيسيرو المدير الفني مباراة اليوم أمام حرس الحدود.

تشكيل الزمالك أمام حرس الحدود في الدوري.. شلبي والجزيري يقودان الهجوم تشكيل الزمالك المتوقع أمام حرس الحدود اليوم في الدوري المصري

حراسة المرمى: محمد عواد.

خط الدفاع: محمود بنتايج – حسام عبد المجيد – محمود حمدي “الونش” – صلاح مصدق.

خط الوسط: أحمد محمود – نبيل عماد “دونجا” – محمد شحاتة – عبدالله السعيد.

خط الهجوم: مصطفى شلبي – سيف الدين الجزيري.

Long-term understudy prepares for “different experience” as undisputed No. 1 in Caribbean

Matt Roller26-Feb-2022

Ben Foakes has had to contend with high expectations ever since Alec Stewart, his director of cricket at Surrey, dubbed him “the best wicketkeeper in the world” five years ago and nothing has changed as he returns to the England Test set-up in the Caribbean.With Jos Buttler dropped after a difficult Ashes series, Jonny Bairstow viewed primarily as a batter and Sam Billings discarded after making his debut in Hobart, Foakes has the opportunity to ensconce himself as England’s No. 1 keeper over the next month. The Test team’s much-vaunted “reset” means there are no long-term guarantees but Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s interim managing director of men’s cricket, said that he expected Foakes to “get a decent run of things” behind the stumps.Strauss was fulsome in his praise of Foakes when the squad was announced two weeks ago. “[He’s] widely acknowledged as the best keeper in the world – certainly one of the top keepers in the world,” he said, “and a very, very good batsman in his own right.” He may only be eight Tests into a stop-start international career but Foakes already has a reputation to uphold.Stone, Archer join squad

Olly Stone has flown to Antigua with the England squad to continue his rehab from a strass fracture of the lower back.
Stone, the fast bowler who holds a pace-bowling contract with the ECB, admitted last year that he had considered retiring from the longer formats due to his history of serious injuries but retains his ambition to add to his three Test caps.
Jofra Archer is due to link up with the squad for the Barbados leg of the tour, having trained with the T20I squad during last month’s series.
Joe Root addressed the squad on Friday afternoon to discuss England’s plans for the series in the absence of James Anderson and Stuart Broad.

“It’s definitely a different experience to be going in as No. 1,” Foakes said on Friday, the morning after England arrived in Antigua to prepare for the first Test on March 8. “Other than one spell for a couple of games I’ve not really been No. 1, so I’ve not experienced that too much.”I would say I’ve devoted my career to trying to play Test cricket. The T20 stuff is obviously kicking off, but Test cricket has always been my passion, so getting to this level and performing is 100% what I’ve invested my time in.”The spell Foakes referenced comprised only two games on England’s most recent Test tour of the Caribbean in early 2019, when he took the gloves in a side that featured Bairstow and Buttler following an impressive debut series in Sri Lanka. But after two defeats and a series tally of 55 runs in four innings – including a couple of freak dismissals – he was dropped for the third Test and did not play again until last year, when he filled in for three Tests in India when Buttler was rested.”I didn’t expect it [being dropped] at the time, coming off the back of the Sri Lanka tour,” Foakes said. “Being on cloud nine from that, I guess it’s fair to say at the time I thought I might get a slightly longer run [but] there was always that thing of the balance of the side niggling away.Like most of England’s batters, Foakes struggled with the bat in India last year•Pankaj Nangia/BCCI

“When you’re new into a team and you’re losing, I guess you are vulnerable. I guess it’s just about trying to make sure you’re performing whenever you get the opportunity. It is international sport. It’s obviously quite a tough environment and things like that do happen, so I completely understand how it could happen but I’m hoping to get a run this time.”He was then due to take the gloves against New Zealand at the start of the 2021 summer when Bairstow and Buttler had only recently returned from the IPL, but a freak injury ruled him out the series – and most of the summer. He has played only two first-class games since, one of them on England Lions’ tour to Australia when he made 12 and 73.”We’d just finished the game,” Foakes recalled. “We’d been in the field and I stepped on my heel in my socks and I slipped down into the splits. I thought I had cramp, sat down for a bit, tried to move it but couldn’t. I tried to walk on it and it kept collapsing, so I knew it was pretty gone.Related

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Strauss: Anderson-Broad absence a chance to grow leadership options

“I guess everything hit at once. It was just a bunch of emotions: disappointment at missing out; you feel a bit guilty that you’ve let people down, let team-mates down. You’re desperate to be out there and then you worry if you’re going to come back OK. But the rehab team at Surrey were amazing and I feel my body is pretty strong now.”While Foakes’ skill with the gloves sets him apart from England’s other keeping options, he insisted: “I don’t just see myself as a keeper.” With that in mind, his tempo with the bat will be a point of interest: he scored fluently in his maiden series in Sri Lanka but struggled to pace his innings batting down the order on tough pitches in India last year, finishing the series with a strike rate of just 30.”It’s different,” he said. “Obviously with Surrey I bat at No. 5 so I get to just go out and bat. For England, if you’re batting at No. 7, I think certain situations may dictate you have to play a different way. I think the best way to go about it for me is just play my natural game, and if there are situations where I need to go outside that, then so be it. But not [by] trying to be someone that I’m not.”

Manchester City and Newcastle could be forced to change ownership if a proposal banning state-controlled clubs passes in Parliament.

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• Proposal would ban state-controlled clubs
• Added as amendment to Football Governance Bill
• Man City & Newcastle would be affected

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The proposal was put forward by Labour peer Lord Bassam of Brighton in an amendment to the Football Governance Bill, which would see an independent regulator brought in for the sport in England. According to , it is believed the amendment only has a small chance of being agreed, but Premier League teams have called for such a ban from the government.

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• AFP
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Newcastle are currently owned by the Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, which is chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, while City's owner, Sheikh Mansour, is vice-president of the United Arab Emirates. Were the new proposal to become law, both teams would have to find new owners to be given a licence by the regulator.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  The Football Governance Bill would see a new regulatory body introduced to oversee English football, bringing in new ownership and directors’ tests and establishing a new process to handle the distribution of revenue throughout the game.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  The bill and Bassam's amendment are still up for discussion in the House of Lords over the coming weeks.

While Arsenal enjoyed a brilliant summer on the pitch and have kickstarted their Premier League campaign with back-to-back wins this season, there remains some discontent among portions of the fanbase due to a lack of activity in the transfer market.

So far, the only new faces added to Mikel Arteta's first team have been Italian defender Riccardo Calafiori, and Spanish midfielder Mikel Merino, which doesn't feel like enough in the face of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City juggernaut.

If you asked fans at the start of the summer about the one area they thought the team needed to strengthen, most would have answered striker. While the likes of Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka, and Leandro Trossard have started the season in good form, that need for an out-and-out goalscoring nine still feels acute.

Fortunately, recent reports have touted one of the best poachers around for a move to the Emirates before the window closes, and he'd surely supercharge Trossard.

Arsenal's striker search

According to a recent report from TEAMtalk, Arsenal have once again entered the race for £110m Napoli star Victor Osimhen.

The report claims that following 'perceived disrespect' during negotiations, the Saudi Pro League sides interested in signing the Nigerian international this summer have now walked away from any potential deal, and while Chelsea are still a possible destination, so are the Gunners.

Interestingly, the report has revealed that in the last few days, the North Londoners have once again 'asked for information' on the striker, suggesting that there is a chance Edu Gaspar could come in with a late bid to try and secure the player's services for a cut-price fee.

Whatever that final price ends up being, Osimhen would almost certainly be worth it, as he'd bring a mountain of goals with him to N5 and, in the process, help make Trossard even more unplayable.

Why Osimhen would make Trossard unplayable

So, to get straight to the point, there is one fundamental reason why Osimhen would help get even more out of Arsenal's incredible Belgian: his output.

The Nigerian "monster", as dubbed by analyst Raj Chohan, has proven over the last few seasons that when it comes to putting the ball in the back of the net, there are few better than him, and while Trossard was incredible at doing the same himself last season, he did see his assist tally fall to just two, which feels related to the fact that until Havertz moved up top, Arteta was struggling to find a consistent goalscorer who could play down the middle.

If we compare the former LOSC Lille star's tally over the last two full seasons to that of the Gunners' main striking options, Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, we can see just how much more of a goal threat he really is.

Appearances

39

47

33

Goals

31

9

11

Assists

5

1

7

Goal Involvements per Match

0.92

0.21

0.54

Appearances

32

51

36

Goals

17

14

8

Assists

4

7

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.65

0.38

0.44

For example, across the 22/23 and 23/24 campaigns, the "world-class" marksman, as dubbed by José Mourinho, scored 48 goals and provided nine assists in just 71 appearances, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.24 games for two years, and he also led the Partenopei to their first league title in over three decades.

In contrast, Jesus scored 19 goals and provided 15 assists in 69 games, while the German scored 23 goals and provided eight assists in 98 appearances, meaning the two stars averaged a goal involvement once every 2.02 and 3.16 games, respectively.

Just imagine how much more effective the former Brighton & Hove Albion winger would be playing alongside such a clinical number nine; he'd probably still score plenty of goals himself, but he'd also see his assist tally explode, as he'd have someone there he could rely on to finish the chances he created.

Therefore, while the fee might still be significant and his £210k-per-week wages are a slight concern, Edu and Co should do what they can to bring Osimhen to the Emirates this summer.

He'd solve their Saka problem: Arsenal want to secure late £59m signing

The incredible attacker would add so much quality to the Gunners’ squad.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 27, 2024