Manchester United may have lost their opening Premier League game of the 2025/26 season, but there are certainly reasons to be positive for Ruben Amorim for the remainder of the campaign.

Matheus Cunha made his debut against Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, producing an excellent performance which has given the fanbase a taste of what he can produce after his £62.5m transfer.

The Brazilian featured for the entirety of the contest, completing four dribbles – the most of any player on the pitch – just needing to add the clinical edge to build on his impressive start.

However, despite being one of three big-money additions within the final third, the hierarchy could be set to make further reinforcements across other areas of the squad.

The midfield department looks set to be the next area of improvement, but it appears that one of their targets won’t be making the move to Old Trafford before the September 1st deadline.

United’s pursuit of Carlos Baleba this summer

In an attempt to bolster the options for Amorim in the middle of the park, numerous options have appeared on their radar over the last couple of weeks.

The main target as of late has been Brighton and Hove Albion star Carlos Baleba, with the Seagulls star appearing at the top of their shortlist in a quest to bolster the ranks.

Talks had previously been held with Fabian Hurzeler’s side over a move to land the 21-year-old midfielder, who made 34 appearances in the Premier League last season.

However, any deal would’ve been an expensive one, with his current employers demanding a fee in the region of £100m to part ways with the Cameroonian international.

His current boss, Hurzeler, stated last week that he was confident the player would remain at the AMEX beyond the summer, forcing the Red Devils to pursue other options this window.

Man Utd targeting move for Baleba alternative

After leaving a deal to sign Baleba, Crystal Palace’s young star Adam Wharton has once again emerged as a potential summer option for United and Amorim.

However, like a deal for the Cameroonian, it would likely cost a fee in the region of £100m, a valuation that may be out of range given their £200m spending spree to date.

The Englishman isn’t the only player currently in their sights, with journalist Fabrizio Romano stating that Sporting CP star Morten Hjulmand remains a key target before the end of the window.

He states that interest has previously been registered in the Danish international, who spent two years playing his trade under Amorim in the Liga Portugal.

Romano also claims that the player himself would be keen for a reunion with his former boss, with the Portuguese outfit currently demanding a fee in the region of €50m (£43m) for his services.

Why United’s £43m target would be their own Rodri

Rivals Manchester City have often been the side to dominate the Premier League in recent years, with Rodri often being the player who has helped them in their quest for success.

The Spaniard has cemented himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in the world, as seen by his ability to win the Ballon d’Or for 2024 – beating Vinícius Júnior to the prestigious award.

Whilst the 29-year-old has been missing for nearly a year, many Red Devils supporters would be wishing they had their own version of the world-class operator.

However, if they were to land a player of his quality, it would be an expensive addition, but a deal for Hjulmand could prove to be a bargain – especially if he can live up to Rodri’s level.

He’s been labelled as a similar player to the City star by FBref, managing to outperform him in numerous areas for the 2023/24 campaign – the last full-season he operated in before his ACL injury.

Hjulmand, who’s been labelled “complete” by analyst Ben Mattinson, dominated defensively, ranking in the 84th percentile for percentage of tackles won (58%).

Such a tally was higher than that of Rodri, who could only muster a tally of 10% less than the Dane, highlighting his ball-winning ability – something which the Red Devils desperately lack under Amorim.

Games played

30

34

Goals & assists

5

17

Tackles won

1.6

1.3

% of tackles won

58%

48%

Blocks made

1.2

0.9

Interceptions made

0.9

0.8

Take-ons completed

67%

65%

Recoveries made

7.3

7.2

Fouls drawn

1.3

1

His top-level ability out of possession is further reflected in his higher tallies of blocks and interceptions made per 90 – having the talent to finally end the club’s hunt for a new presence at the heart of the side.

Whilst Baleba may have been many of the supporters’ first choice for the midfield position, it’s vital the club spend the funds available wisely – especially considering the money already splashed in this window.

Hjulmand could provide an excellent alternative for the Red Devils, having bags of time to build on his impressive start to his career, given his tender age of just 24.

If he can continue on his current trajectory, there’s no reason as to why he can’t reach the levels Rodri’s achieved in his career, potentially being the club’s answer to the Spaniard in the process.

It's not Baleba: INEOS begin move to sign £100m Ugarte upgrade for Man Utd

Manchester United Target Crystal Palace Star in Ambitious Midfield Upgrade

1 ByWill Miller Aug 18, 2025

أعلنت رابطة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز هوية الحكم الذي سيتولى إدارة مباراة فريقي ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد، في قمة منافسات الجولة المقبلة، يوم الأحد 12 أكتوبر الجاري.

ويستضيف ملعب “الأنفيلد” مباراة فريقي ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد، في الجولة الثامنة من الدوري الإنجليزي، موسم 2025/26.

ويحتل ليفربول المركز الثاني في جدول الدوري الإنجليزي برصيد 15 نقطة، بينما يمتلك مانشستر يونايتد 10 نقاط في المركز العاشر.

اقرأ أيضًا.. إيميل هيسكي يرد على انتقادات روني ضد محمد صلاح: تركزون فقط وقت الخسارة

وحسبما نُشر، سيكون مايكل أوليفر حكم الساحة في مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد، على أن يعاونه ستيوارت بيرت وتيم وود، وسيكون الحكم الرابع دارين إنجلاند، في حين أن حكم تقنية الفيديو جيمس بيل.

وسبق أن قاد مايكل أوليفر مباراة ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد، 6 مرات، حيث كان سجل الريدز سيئًا ليفشل في تحقيق أي فوز على الشياطين الحمر تحت مسؤولية ذلك الحكم.

وفاز مانشستر يونايتد في مباراتين على ليفربول، بصافرة أوليفر، بينما سيطر التعادل على مبارياتهما مع الحكم نفسه 4 مرات.

وكانت آخر مباراة بين ليفربول ومانشستر يونايتد، تحت قيادة الحكم مايكل أوليفر، في يناير الماضي في الدوري الإنجليزي حيث تعادلا بهدفين لمثليهما.

Ousmane Dembele has joined the likes of Lionel Messi, Ronaldinho and Zinedine Zidane in an elite trophy club after being named the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was crowned the best player on the planet at a glitzy ceremony in the French capital, with the France international fending off competition from Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.

Historic campaign for Dembele & PSG

Dembele was presented with the prestigious Golden Ball after helping PSG to make history in 2024-25. The Ligue 1 giants landed another domestic title last season to sit alongside a Coupe de France success and first Champions League triumph.

AdvertisementGettyWhy Dembele beat Yamal to 2025 Ballon d'Or

Dembele registered 35 goals and 16 assists across a memorable campaign, with the 28-year-old proving himself to be truly elite after leaving Barcelona – where he played alongside Messi – and returning to his homeland in 2023.

Dembele completes stunning trophy hat-trick

He is now one of only 10 players to have completed a stunning hat-trick of major honours. Dembele won the World Cup with France in 2018, the Champions League in 2025 and now has a Ballon d’Or on his glittering CV.

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GettyNine other players completed the same treble

The first man to achieve that feat was Manchester United and England legend Sir Bobby Charlton. He was followed by German icons Gerd Muller and Franz Beckenbauer. Italian striker Paolo Rossi was next, with 1998 World Cup winner Zidane completing said treble in 2002.

Brazilian superstars Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, who starred for Barcelona in their respective careers, are also on the list alongside fellow countryman Kaka. Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi landed an elusive World Cup crown with Argentina in 2022.

MatériaMais Notícias

2023 não tem sido um bom ano para Yuri Alberto no Corinthians. O centroavante ficou dez jogos sem marcar e igualou novamente seu maior jejum de gols no clube após a derrota por 3 a 0 diante do Independiente del Valle, pela Libertadores.

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+ Del Valle expõe bagunça coletiva do Corinthians, que dá adeus à Libertadores; veja notas

Entre as derrotas contra Botafogo e Del Valle, o centroavante acertou apenas três finalizações no alvo e duas na trave, além de ter ficado seis vezes em impedimento nos dez jogos disputados. Não bastasse a falta de gols, ele errou uma das penalidades na disputa contra o Atlético-MG, nas oitavas de final da Copa do Brasil.

+ Todos os jogos doBrasileirãovocê encontra no Prime Video. Assine já e acompanhe o seu time do coração!

Seja no 4-4-2 ou no 3-5-2 de Vanderlei Luxemburgo, o Timão vem adotando postura mais defensiva nas partidas, e Yuri Alberto fica isolado como homem de referência na frente, perdendo no pivô para os zagueiros adversários.

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Porém, Yuri vem desempenhando papel tático importante com Luxa, ajudando na pressão no campo de ataque. Nos últimos jogos, ele ganhou 39 duelos (pelo chão ou no alto), segundo o SofaScore.

+ Timão se afasta do Z4? Veja tabela e os próximos jogos do Brasileirão

Desde o empate com o Fortaleza – última vez que Yuri Alberto balançou as redes – a única contribuição em gol do camisa 9 foi na vitória contra o Fluminense, quando ele deu uma assistência para um dos gols de Róger Guedes. Ao todo, o centroavante possui cinco passes para gols na temporada, e só está atrás de Fagner.

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Caso “passe em branco” contra o Cuiabá, Yuri Alberto irá chegar ao 11° jogo sem marcar, sendo seu maior jejum de gols no Corinthians.

Western Australia quick Lance Morris is set to be unleashed against New South Wales amid a complicated balancing act with his bowling load management as WA push to try and qualify for a fourth straight Sheffield Shield final.Meanwhile, Test offspinner Nathan Lyon will not play again this season for NSW as he continues to rest and rehab a hip complaint he managed through the tour of Sri Lanka. Lyon’s spin partner in Sri Lanka, Matthew Kuhnemann will return for Tasmania after being cleared of throwing following ICC testing while Usman Khawaja has also been named for Queensland.Related

• From first to last: Western Australia's Shield dynasty hits a crossroad

• Green unlikely to play Shield cricket before county stint

• Kuhnemann 'never doubted' his bowling action, looks to the future

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• Kuhnemann cleared of suspect bowling action by ICC

Morris has been named in WA’s 14-man squad alongside Cameron Bancroft who will return from the broken shoulder he suffered in the BBL to play his 100th Shield match against NSW at the WACA ground.Morris’ inclusion is the most noteworthy given he is contracted to Cricket Australia and they have been managing his playing schedule this summer. Morris, who turns 27 later this month, has played just three Shield matches this season, including WA’s most recent win against Queensland in Brisbane, but has been playing with a maximum overs restriction of 25 per game coming off a stress fracture last winter as well as a quad strain late in the pre-season.It is understood he was initially set to be rested from the match against NSW with a view to being made available for WA’s final home and away game against Victoria next week at the WACA ground. Such a schedule could have left him unavailable for the final as CA’s medical team are understandably very cautious about Morris playing back-to-back Shield games at the moment due to his extensive injury history, given he is a developing international prospect as one of the few bowlers in Australia capable of clocking speeds in excess of 150kph consistently.Morris is understood to be frustrated at being held back despite being in good shape having bowled well in the second innings at the Gabba after some rust in the first innings. Morris articulated his frustration earlier in the summer in an interview with ESPNCricinfo explaining that scans have shown a stress issue that is not causing him pain. WA have also had difficulty trying to manage his overs restrictions in games while trying to qualify for the Shield final. Morris has not bowled more than 25 overs in a match since November 2023 and has not played four Shield games in succession since late 2022.Morris’ case is a prime example of why CA has appointed Adam Griffith as the new national pace bowling coach to unify the approach to management of fast bowlers across national, state and franchise cricket. CA have also appointed current travelling Australia men’s team physio Nick Jones to a permanent Australia-based case manager role to coordinate and oversee the rehabilitation of injured players while a new team physio will be appointed to travel full-time with the team.Cameron Green is another player who will be managed by Jones as he continues his recovery from back surgery, but he is unlikely to play a Shield game before a County Championship stint with Gloucestershire.Daniel Sams and Cameron Bancroft collided when going for the same catch•Cricket Australia via Getty Images

Meanwhile, Bancroft is set to become the 13th WA player to play 100 Shield matches. He will return at the top of the order and will be fine to field in the slips but will be slow to return to throwing after breaking his right shoulder in a sickening collision with Sydney Thunder teammate Daniel Sams during the BBL.Australia’s semi-final exit from the Champions Trophy on Tuesday also opens the door for Cooper Connolly to potentially be available for WA’s next Shield clash with Victoria but it appears unlikely they will get Josh Inglis or Aaron Hardie back for either the last round of the season or a potential final given both have IPL contracts, with the IPL starting on March 21 just three days after the last Shield round of the season and five days before the Shield final.Elsewhere, Khawaja will return for Queensland to face Tasmania at Bellerive Oval in Hobart after resting from the loss to WA following his successful tour of Sri Lanka. Jack Clayton also returns to further bolster Queensland’s batting after missing the WA clash with a hamstring injury. Kuhnemann has been included in Tasmania’s squad as has left-hander Caleb Jewell who has not played Shield cricket since he was omitted from Tasmania’s first-choice side in November.Victoria have named exciting 18-year-old left-hander Oliver Peake in their 13-man squad to face Shield leaders South Australia at the Junction Oval in Melbourne. Peake is in-line to make his first-class debut having been a development tourist with Australia’s Test squad in Sri Lanka last month. Peake made 99 in Victoria’s most recent second XI match against WA and has been included alongside former NSW batter Blake Macdonald who made twin centuries in the same game. Peter Handscomb will captain Victoria as Will Sutherland has been rested.The Shield’s leading wicket-taker Nathan McAndrew has been withdrawn on match eve to manage his workload with Henry Thornton called in fresh off starring in South Australia’s Dean Jones Trophy win last weekend.South Australia can lock up a home Shield final with a win over Victoria with Adelaide Oval still an outside chance to host the game in between Australia Football League fixtures if the drop-in pitches can be transplanted back into the venue without too much disruption after being removed for the start of the football season following the One-Day final.Sheffield Shield squadsWestern Australia: Sam Whiteman (c), Cameron Bancroft, Hilton Cartwright, Brody Couch, Keaton Critchell, Joel Curtis, Sam Fanning, Cameron Gannon, Jayden Goodwin, Lance Morris, Joel Paris, Corey Rocchiccioli, Charlie Stobo, Ashton TurnerNew South Wales: Jackson Bird, Ollie Davies, Jack Edwards (c), Matt Gilkes, Chris Green, Ryan Hadley, Liam Hatcher, Hanno Jacobs, Sam Konstas, Nic Maddinson, Kurtis Patterson, Josh Philippe, Lachlan ShawVictoria: Peter Handscomb (c), Scott Boland, Xavier Crone, Harry Dixon, Sam Elliott, Sam Harper, Marcus Harris, Campbell Kellaway, Blake Macdonald, Todd Murphy, Fergus O’Neill, Oliver Peake, Mitch PerrySouth Australia: Jordan Buckingham, Brendan Doggett, Henry Hunt, Jake Lehmann, Ben Manenti, Connor McInerney, Nathan McSweeney (c), Harry Nielsen, Lloyd Pope, Jason Sangha, Liam Scott, Henry ThorntonTasmania: Jordan Silk (c), Gabe Bell, Jake Doran, Kieran Elliott, Brad Hope, Caleb Jewell, Matt Kuhnemann, Riley Meredith, Aidan O’Connor, Mitch Owen, Nivethan Radhakrishnan, Tim Ward, Jake Weatherald, Beau WebsterQueensland: Mitchell Swepson (c), Xavier Bartlett, Jack Clayton, Lachlan Hearne, Usman Khawaja, Angus Lovell, Ben McDermott, Michael Neser, Jimmy Pierson, Matthew Renshaw, Mark Steketee, Callum Vidler, Jack Wildermuth

Karim Benzema and coach Laurent Blanc admitted that Cristiano Ronaldo and Al-Nassr were just too "strong" for Al-Ittihad. Saudi football’s early-season blockbuster lived up to the hype, but it ended in utter domination from the Riyadh giants as Ronaldo and Sadio Mane got on the scoresheet to beat the reigning champions in their own backyard.

• Al-Nassr consolidate at the top

  Ronaldo reached his fourth league goal of the season, while Mane opened the scoring and provided the assist for the Portuguese legend. With this victory, Al-Nassr remain unbeaten and sit top of the table with a perfect 12 points from four matches. After the final whistle, the message was clear: at the moment, no one in Saudi Arabia can match their firepower.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  Blanc & Benzema admit Al-Nassr were better

  Al-Ittihad’s camp was blunt in their post-match analysis as Blanc and Benzema conceded that Al-Nassr were simply on another level.

  Blanc didn’t sugarcoat it: “Al-Nassr is much stronger than Al-Ittihad. This is the truth you don’t want to hear.”

  Benzema echoed his manager’s sentiment, adding, “We faced a stronger team than Al-Ittihad. That’s the truth.”

• Al-Ittihad look to regroup after Saudi Pro League loss

  With Ronaldo in top form and Mane driving the attack, the Riyadh outfit look unstoppable. Blanc and Benzema will hope to regroup quickly to prevent the early-season momentum of their rivals from spiralling out of control. However, they have a tough task ahead. The loss exposed weaknesses that will need addressing before their upcoming AFC Champions League Elite clash against UAE side Shabab Al Ahli Dubai.

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  AFC Champions League up next for Ronaldo & Co

  For Al-Nassr, the victory isn’t just about domestic dominance; it’s also a springboard for their continental ambitions. The squad now turns their focus to the AFC Champions League Two, where they will face Iraqi giants Al Zawraa in a key early test of their continental credentials.

Indian investment also not expected to shift BCCI stance on India’s male cricketers participating

Vithushan Ehantharajah13-Feb-2025Despite the fact IPL owners make up half of the new investors in the Hundred, the ECB does not expect India’s male cricketers to be made available for the tournament, nor does it anticipate issues with players from Pakistan taking part in England’s flagship competition.On Thursday, the ECB confirmed it had entered into exclusivity agreements with eight partners to secure private investment in each of the Hundred’s teams, with a total valuation of just over £975 million. Those investors now enter an eight-week negotiation period with the eight host counties. Among them are RPSG Group (owners of Lucknow Super Giants), Sun TV Network Limited (Sunrisers Hyderabad), Reliance Industries Limited (Mumbai Indians) and GMR Group (co-owners of Delhi Capitals), who were successful with bids for Manchester Originals, Northern Superchargers, Oval Invincibles and Southern Brave, respectively.While the ECB has got its wish with a variety of prospective new owners, there is a strong feeling that bringing on high-profile IPL investment will open up the lucrative Indian market. However, the ECB hierarchy do not believe these new connections will soften the BCCI stance on barring India’s active male players from participating in foreign T20 leagues. While many have graced county cricket, none have appeared in the men’s Hundred or the T20 Blast.Related

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Pakistani paranoia fuelled by Hundred snub, but reasons may be closer to home

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Hundred sale explainer: Who has bought what and for how much?

“In terms of the India TV market, the overseas market is very important for us,” ECB chief executive, Richard Gould, said. “The fact that we have got such a wide-ranging set of investors from around the globe will, I believe, help us to add extra value to our overseas broadcast rights.”In terms of availability to Indian players, that is not priced in with our plans. The BCCI’s position has been very clear. At some point we’d love to see Indian players come and play in England. We currently see them obviously in bilaterals and actually quite a lot in county cricket. But that’s not something that we have predetermined through this process.”Gould also stated the ECB will ensure opportunities for Pakistan’s cricketers won’t be limited by the IPL influence on the Hundred. Given the tensions between India and Pakistan, no player representing Pakistan has taken part in the IPL since the inaugural season in 2008.The BCCI has never handed down an edict on the matter, but teams have operated accordingly, and not just in India. The first three seasons of the SA20, for instance, where all six teams are associated with IPL franchises, has not had any representative from Pakistan. There remains little if any Pakistan representation in IPL-owned teams at both the ILT20 and Major League Cricket (MLC). By contrast, the Hundred has relied heavily on Pakistani talent for overseas slots in a bid to uphold its “best versus best” tagline.”We’re aware of that in other regions,” Gould said of the playing restrictions encountered by cricketers from Pakistan, “but that won’t be happening here.”The ECB does hope working with IPL owners more directly will, in time, give the Hundred a dedicated window. Previous editions of The Hundred have coincided with MLC and the CPL, resulting in a conflict around talent acquisition. Though the MLC will finish before the Hundred this year, there is a two-week crossover with the CPL.With three of the eight Hundred investors involved in the MLC – Reliance (MI New York), GMR (Seattle Orcas) and Welsh Fire’s prospective 50% co-owner Sanjay Govil (Washington Freedom) – and former Professional Cricketers’ Association commercial director Johnny Grave in place as the league’s CEO, there is scope for more joined-up thinking around competition windows going forward.”One of the advantages that we have with our set is that there’s a connection there with majority of the other cricket leagues around the world,” Vikram Banerjee, who oversaw the Hundred sale as the ECB’s director of business operations, said. “And for all of those [T20] leagues around the world, it makes little sense for any of us to clash if we can avoid it.”So we are now on the same side, if you like, and we can have sensible conversations going forward. For the MLC, that includes that we obviously know the new CEO there pretty well.”But for us it’s about ensuring that we can make a Hundred of real success in our window by getting the best players, and clashes make that hard. So we’ll do our best to avoid it. And I think all the people coming in understand that.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Apenas detalhes de ordem burocrática separam o Grêmio de fazer a devida oficialização da chegada do atacante argentino naturalizado paraguaio Juan Manuel Iturbe. O clube anunciou o acordo verbal entre as partes. Agora, o próximo passo é a realização dos exames médicos e a posterior assinatura de contrato.

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O vínculo de Iturbe com o Grêmio irá até dezembro. Existe a previsão de prolongamento automático por mais uma temporada.

Caso a negociação seja sacramentada, esta será não somente a primeira vez que o jogador de 30 anos de idade jogará no futebol brasileiro, mas também significaria seu retorno para a América do Sul depois do equivalente a uma década.

Revelado no Sportivo Trinidense, Iturbe foi contratado para reforçar a base do Cerro Porteño, clube onde se profissionalizou e foi negociado em 2011 com o Porto. Porém, o primeiro empréstimo realizado pelos portugueses para maior ganho de experiência do jogador foi o River Plate, em 2013. Foram 17 partidas e três gols marcados.

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Depois disso, o paraguaio rodou por alguns clubes do futebol europeu (Hellas Verona, Roma, Bournemouth, Torino e Aris, seu último clube), além do México, país onde registrou passagens por Tijuana, Pumas e Pachuca.

Arsenal are preparing to return to action against Nottingham Forest this weekend, but an intriguing transfer story has now come to light courtesy of reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Mikel Arteta’s side and Forest, now managed by former Spurs boss Ange Postecoglou, are the first Premier League sides back on the field in this Saturday’s lunchtime kick off.

Only a win will do for Arsenal, who lost their first game of the season against current English champions Liverpool prior to the international break, and they’ll be hoping to upset Postecoglou’s debut game in the Forest dugout with a convincing Emirates Stadium display.

Sporting director Andrea Berta did his all to back Arteta in the transfer market, splashing over £250 million on the signings of Kepa Arrizabalaga, Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, Noni Madueke, Cristhian Mosquera, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and Piero Hincapie, so there are no excuses for Arsenal now.

Arsenal’s confirmed summer signings

Price tag

Kepa Arrizabalaga

£5m

Martin Zubimendi

£60m

Christian Norgaard

£15m

Noni Madueke

£52m

Cristhian Mosquera

£13m

Viktor Gyokeres

£55m

Eberechi Eze

£67.5m

Piero Hincapie

Loan

The pressure is truly on for Arsenal to finally win their first Premier League title in over 20 years, following three consecutive campaigns finishing second behind Man City and Liverpool.

The signings of Eze and Gyokeres in particular will be vital, amid criticism surrounding Arsenal’s lack of creativity in the final third — something which was on full display at Anfield last month.

Arsenal hijacked Tottenham to sign Eze in spectacular fashion, while Gyokeres’ arrival ended the club’s long wait for a prolific striker to come through the door.

Arsenal were also briefly in talks for Real Madrid forward Rodrygo, but according to Romano, the Brazilian wasn’t the only Madrid player attracting serious interest from north London at one point.

Fabrizio Romano shares Arda Guler transfer revelation from Arsenal

Speaking on his YouTube channel, the respected reporter says that Los Blancos playmaker Arda Guler was also being seriously considered by former Arsenal director Edu Gaspar prior to Berta’s arrival.

Arsenal held internal talks over signing Guler, who was a concrete target for the Gunners before Xabi Alonso came in and started using the Turkey international starlet on a much more regular basis.

Guler has gone on to become a starter under Alonso, playing all of their La Liga matches so far, not to mention all of their matches at the Club World Cup. This has ruined all possibility of Arsenal signing the 20-year-old, but he was seriously under consideration at N5.

Guler has bagged two goals and three assists in nine starts since Alonso took charge, with the ex-Fenerbahce sensation’s Bernabeu career finally getting off the ground.

The trigger is an alleged incident during the 2020 T20 World Cup

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Mar-2025Reacting to allegations of sexual harassment in the West Indies women’s team during the T20 World Cup in 2020, Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) have decided to meet and review “all aspects of athlete safeguarding within West Indies cricket”.Saying in a statement on Saturday that the two bodies “take such matters seriously and remain fully committed to ensuring a safe, professional, and supportive environment for all players and staff”, CWI and WIPA added that they had “already taken significant steps to enhance player protection”. No details have been provided by CWI or the WIPA about the alleged incident.”In 2021, improved safeguarding measures were introduced for women’s tours, strengthening security and well-being,” the statement said. “In May 2023, CWI implemented additional policies, including single-room accommodations for the West Indies Senior Women’s team on all international assignments, ensuring parity with the men’s team. These are among other policy initiatives within the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the period 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2027.Related

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ICC to crack down on sexual harassment in cricket

Why cricket must take a formal stand against sexual harassment

“Additionally, the CWI Women’s Cricket Transformation Committee was established to further advance women’s cricket.”Furthermore, we have implemented and strictly adhered to UNICEF’s Children Protection Policy, ensuring that minors never share rooms with adults under any circumstance. Additionally, we have mandated ongoing training for all officials to reinforce and uphold these standards.”The 2020 women’s T20 World Cup was played across Australia. West Indies, led by Stafanie Taylor, failed to get out of Group B after winning one and losing two, while their final game, against South Africa, was abandoned without a ball bowled. Australia won the tournament, beating India in the final in front of 86,174 people at the MCG.