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To say Manchester United have made errors in the transfer market would be doing the whole topic a disservice.

Antony for £82m? Good grief. Harry Maguire for £80m? Wow. United have spent a shed load over the last decade or so and it’s not got them anywhere.

Erik ten Hag may have tasted FA Cup and Carabao Cup success since joining from Ajax but supporters want the Premier League, they want regular Champions League qualification.

It has been over a decade – 2011/12 – since the Red Devils last won the league. How they must crave the Halcyon days of Sir Alex Ferguson again.

He was certainly a better operator in the transfer market. No other United manager would have been able to stroll over to Arsenal and prise away Robin van Persie. It’s unlikely many other managers would have been able to secure Wayne Rooney’s signature as a teenager before turning him into an all-time great.

Perhaps he would have kept a certain Angel Gomes around too, learning from the mistake of letting a young Paul Pogba go before re-signing him.

Why Angel Gomes left Man Utd for free

The date was July 2012. Man Utd had just released Pogba after his failure to sign a new contract with the club. He went on to enjoy a fabulous time with Juventus before heading back to Old Trafford to the tune of a mega £89m transfer fee in 2016.

This time, the date is June 2020. Gomes is the midfielder in question walking away having been released by United. Now, in 2024, there are rumours they want him back, just like Pogba. It’s funny how football works, isn’t it?

So, why did the Englishman leave in the first place? Well, despite being made what was described as a ‘very good offer’ by The Athletic, talks broke down after many months due to a continued absence from the first-team picture.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer assured him that chances would be forthcoming but Gomes did not believe that and headed elsewhere. Lille came calling which is where he’s enjoying his football now.

2024 has been a breakout year for the talented ace who is now 24 years of age. He’s a true England superstar in the making.

Where Are They Now

Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.

Angel Gomes' numbers for England

Now with 123 appearances under his belt for Lille, Gomes is only going from strength to strength for Lille and it surely won’t be too long before he gets a major move.

His performances for the Three Lions certainly suggest he deserves one. Handed a first international start in the last break against Finland by Lee Carsley, Gomes started for the second time for his country against the Fins again on Sunday evening. His performance was of a first-class standard.

He linked up beautifully with Jack Grealish for England’s opener. Receiving the ball in a tight pocket of space just outside the penalty area, he delightfully turned the ball around the corner into the path of the Manchester City winger who finished with ease.

It was one of many glimpses of the 24-year-old immense talent as he went on to amass a whopping 108 touches and 97 accurate passes during his 80 minutes on the field. Only Marc Guehi completed more passes, while only Guehi and Trent Alexander-Arnold had more touches of the ball. His influence, therefore, was colossal.

Gomes also looked tidy on his previous start where his 116 passes were 34 more than the next highest player and his 130 touches were 15 more than second-best Alexander-Arnold.

England have been looking for a player in his mould for ages. They have the fancy players in Bukayo Saka, in Jude Bellingham, in Cole Palmer, but they lack the simple player, the midfielder with the ability to keep things ticking over.

Lille

123

9

19

Boavista

32

6

6

Man Utd U21

27

10

7

Man Utd U18

26

15

7

Man Utd UEFA U19

13

4

3

Manchester United

10

0

0

Total

231

44

42

They lacked that player so much that Gareth Southgate and his assistant, Steve Holland, delivered presentations to the FA detailing the type of player they wanted to see coming through.

“Someone who has those skills to receive the ball with their back to goal to start the play and keep control. We’ve seen Rodri do it for Spain and Man City. That’s one profile that we would be trying to promote within our country to try and improve,” Paul McGuinness, Gomes’ former Man Utd youth coach told Sky Sports. “We searched within the FA to try and improve that type of midfield player. That’s the type of player Angel is.”

The young Lille gem may not be of the same sort of calibre as Rodri yet but this is an individual on his way to the top. Considering how much premium midfielders get sold for in the modern market, and English ones too, he could quite comfortably be valued incredibly highly in the future.

His England colleague Declan Rice was sold for a £105m fee to Arsenal in the summer of 2023, Moises Caicedo went for £115m, Romeo Lavia headed off for £53m. Gomes is not in the same boat as Rice or Caicedo but he’s comfortably ahead in his development of Chelsea ace Lavia. Split the difference through the middle and you have what could be an £80m player in waiting. Watch this space; the former Red Devil is only going to get better.

The next Mourinho: Man Utd now chasing "Europe's most wanted" manager

Could Jose Mourinho 2.0 be on his way to Manchester United?

1 ByMatt Dawson Oct 13, 2024

After a torrid season so far, which has seen them Everton to 19th in the Premier League table, their fans might finally have some good news to celebrate.

Indeed, the Toffees are believed to be close to getting new owners at the club, after months of unhappy protesting against their current majority owner Farhad Moshiri.

The BBC, along with other major news outlets in England, have recently reported that The Friedkin Group has reached an agreement to buy Farhad Moshiri’s majority 94% stake in Everton for a whopping fee of £400m.

It is a deal that will lead to great change for Everton, which could even include a new manager.

Everton target former England manager

According to reports, the Toffees’ new owners could replace current boss Sean Dyche with the recently departed England manager Gareth Southgate.

After failing at the final hurdle of the European Championships for the second consecutive time, the former Three Lions boss parted ways with the FA and is yet to take up a new role.

Southgate’s only club job to date is that of Middlesbrough between June 2006 and October 2009 but according to GIVEMESPORT, the new prospective Toffees owner Friedkin has ‘spoken about Southgate as an ambitious option to potentially succeed Dyche’ at Goodison Park.

Sacking the former Burnley boss seems like the easy decision for the Toffees’ potential new owners to make. They are languishing in 19th, with just one point on the board and the joint most goals conceded in the top flight, 14.

Goals

5

=17th

Expected goals

6.29xG

17th

Goals conceded

14

1st

Expected goals against

11.86xGA

3rd

Points

1

=20th

Expected points

3.54xP

19th

Why Southgate would be a good appointment

The former England manager is someone who split opinion during his time at the helm of the Three Lions. Whatever your view on Southgate, who was described as “phenomenal” by journalist Mark Douglas, there is no doubt that his more pragmatic approach could be just what the Toffees could do with at the minute.

He is a great defensive coach, and that has even been pointed out by opponents in the past, as recently as Cody Gakpo ahead of the Euro 2024 semi-final.

The Netherlands winger said Southgate’s England “have a lot of quality, but they play defensively”. Given the Merseyside outfit are so leaky at the back, that defensive approach could be what they need. It got his England side results, including two Euros finals, 2020 and 2024, and a World Cup semi-final in 2018.

Games

7

7

5

7

Wins

3

5

3

4

Draws

0

1

1

2

Losses

3

1

1

1

Goals for

16

13

13

13

Goals against

11

5

4

9

Tournament finish

SF

RU

QF

RU

His overall record as England boss also reflects such an approach. In 102 matches at the helm for the 1966 World Cup winners, the former Middlesbrough boss conceded just 82 goals, a superb record.

However, it is not just defensive and pragmatic football that the 54-year-old would bring to the table if he took over at Goodison Park. His side has been known to form dangerous patterns of play which do have results.

Look at Luke Shaw’s goal in the Euro 2020 final, one of the high points during Southgate’s Three Lions tenure, which can be seen below. Note the maximum width on offer from the wing-backs, the way Harry Kane drops deep to drag defenders with him and create space, and the way they attack the box with crosses. They are all features of Southgate’s England.

Above all, what the former England boss was known for during his time with the national team was the superb atmosphere.

He is a superb motivator and created a positive environment designed to make players feel comfortable and keen to play for their country. The Guardian journalist Jonathan Wilson suggested during Euro 2024 that Southgate is “perhaps rather better at the management side of football management than the football”.

This sort of environment could work in the favour of Everton, and get the best out of their stars such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The Everton centre-forward has already thrived under the 54-year-old for the Three Lions. He has 11 caps and four goals to his name and was a member of the Euro 2020 squad.

If Southgate can get the striker firing in a short space of time with England, imagine what he can do for a longer amount of time at Goodison Park. It feels like he has untapped potential at the Toffees, with a superb skillset but just 70 goals in 252 games; the 54-year-old could get him, and his teammates, playing at their absolute best, in an optimal environment.

This appointment could be a stroke of genius from Freidkin, and the Toffees could keep survival hopes well and truly alive of they appoint the former England boss; a pragmatic results-getter and a genius motivator.

Friedkin could sack Dyche by hiring "genius" Moyes alternative at Everton

Sean Dyche faces a critical few weeks at Everton

ByRoss Kilvington Sep 23, 2024

India opener Smriti Mandhana is “stable”, but “under observation” after suffering a blow to her “left ear and lower temple” during the team’s first warm-up fixture against South Africa on Sunday. She is expected to take part in the Women’s World Cup, where India’s campaign starts on March 6.Mandhana was struck by a Shabnim Ismail bouncer in Rangiora. She was assessed on the field by the match-day doctor, who felt she was fit to continue, only for Mandhana to retire hurt an over-and-a-half later after another consultation. She was visibly shaken at the time.An ICC report said afterwards that Mandhana “felt no concussion symptoms according to the medical staff at the time, nor experienced delayed effects from the incident”. The BCCI, however, issued a statement* a day later on Monday, saying that the doctor did expect the blow to lead to “a delayed concussion”.”After further assessment, Smriti was diagnosed with a mild soft tissue injury to her left earlobe which caused discomfort while batting and therefore she had to leave the field retired hurt,” the statement said. “As a safety precaution, she was rested for the rest of the match and is currently under observation. Presently, the opening batter is doing fine and her condition is stable.”Her progress will be monitored by the medical team and a decision on her participation in the next match will be taken accordingly.”India are scheduled to play another warm-up game, against West Indies, before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Pakistan on March 6.India posted a total of 244 for 9 against South Africa, thanks to a century from Harmanpreet Kaur. After Deepti Sharma departed for 5 and captain Mithali Raj was run-out for a duck, Harmanpreet joined Yastika Bhatia at the crease and the duo put up an 84-run stand. Bhatia scored a 78-ball 58 before being dismissed by Sune Luus. While the rest of the line-up crumbled to South Africa’s quicks, Harmanpreet kept going, helping stretch the total beyond 200 before falling to Ayabonga Khaka. Khaka was South Africa’s best bowler of the day, finishing with figures of 3 for 23.South Africa put up a strong fight in the chase. Luus and Laura Wolvaardt made composed half-centuries but they couldn’t get the team across the line. India squeaked to victory by two runs with left-arm spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad picking up 4 for 46 in ten overs.

Wolves have been blessed with some incredibly talented full-backs and wing-backs in the past, one of which was Matt Doherty who was sold to Tottenham in 2020 for a fee of around £15m.

Doherty returned to the club on a free transfer in 2023 after having his contract terminated by Spurs. The 32-year-old has made 343 appearances for the Molineux outfit over the years, scoring 31 goals, providing 39 assists, and totalling 26,543 minutes played.

For Wolves, these flying wide defenders are often tasked with attacking output, delivering crosses into the box, and tracking back to defend in a five, which is a tall order, making their attacking output even more impressive.

One of their most successful of recent times happens to be the effervescent Rayan Ait-Nouri.

How much Rayan Ait-Nouri cost Wolves

Ait-Nouri is the most recent talented wingback to emerge at Wolves, signing from French club, Angers for a price tag of just £9.5m. Described as an "incredibly dynamic" threat, he has been hailed for his ability to carry the ball, and his technical qualities.

Since joining the club, Ait-Nouri has made 120 appearances in all competitions, scoring seven goals and providing nine assists, totaling 8,218 minutes played. It is the attacking firepower he gives the side that earns him his plaudits, with the ability to drive Wolves forward and deliver devastating crosses into the box.

Ait-Nouri was one of Wolves' most important players last season, making 38 appearances in all competitions, scoring three goals, providing two assists, contributing to six clean sheets in 2,669 minutes played.

Ait-Nouri's transfer value in 2024

Since joining the club back in 2021 on a permanent deal for such a small price tag, Ait-Nouri's value has exponentially increased, with Wolves only willing to part ways with the Algerian for a whopping £60m fee according to reports over the summer. That is a crazy 531% increase compared to the £9.5m he was initially brought to the Midlands.

One side that was reportedly interested in the 23-year-old this summer, was Pep Guardiuola's Manchester City, having already done business with Wolves the season prior, to acquire Matheus Nunes for £53m.

So, how does he compare across the league? We have the answer.

Goals + Assists

0.17

0.20

0.18

xG

0.13

0.10

0.10

Progressive Carries

2.59

3.33

2.54

Progressive Passes

3.82

7.30

5.74

Shots Total

1.08

0.66

1.05

Key Passes

0.97

3.02

0.75

Crosses into Pen Area

0.15

0.59

0.09

Shot-Creating Actions

2.51

4.86

2.29

Tackles

2.74

1.80

1.94

Interceptions

0.61

0.70

1.07

When comparing Ait-Nouri to two of the best left-backs in the division, he ranks extremely close in some metrics, whilst others need context due to the quality of the clubs they are playing at. Gvardiol, being a more natural central defender, doesn't rank as highly in some attacking metrics, however, Robertson is a prominent figure going forward, holding width on the left at times for Liverpool.

Ait-Nouri averages 2.59 progressive carries per 90 and averages 2.51 shot-creating actions per 90, that's more than Gvardiol but fewer than Robertson). As a result, this could further increase – just like his value will – by playing for a more ball dominant side.

The 23-year-old clearly offers defensive quality, averaging the most tackles of the trio – again these metrics are impacted by the quality of clubs they play for – whilst providing an extremely high level of technical ability, something that is desired at all top clubs.

Next summer could prove difficult to keep hold of the Algerian, especailly if he continues to impress and develop at the same rate he currently is.

Their new Jota: Wolves' "Henry-esque" star has seen his value rise by £20m

He is crucial for Gary O’Neil

ByJoe Nuttall Sep 12, 2024

علّق كلينتون موريسون لاعب آيرلندا السابق، على أداء محمد صلاح مع ليفربول، خلال الشوط الأول في المباراة أمام ليستر سيتي.

ويخوض ليفربول مباراة أمام ليستر سيتي ضمن مباريات الجولة الثالثة والثلاثين للدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”.

وحسم شوط المباراة الأول بالتعادل السلبي بين الفريقين، وتحدث موريسون عبر شبكة “بي بي سي”.

اقرأ أيضًا | أرتيتا بعد رباعية آرسنال أمام إيبسويتش: ساهمنا في تأجيل تتويج ليفربول بـ الدوري الإنجليزي

وقال موريسون: “لا أصدق! محمد صلاح يُبدع في كل شيء باستثناء هز الشباك، من السهل جدًا اختراق ليستر”.

وأضاف: “لو لم يُدرك ويلفريد نديدي أن محمد صلاح قادم من القائم الخلفي، لكان قد سجل هدفًا”.

وأشار إلى فرصة محمد صلاح: “صلاح يمر بيوم رائع! لو سدد صلاح الكرة بصدره، لكانت لديه فرصة أفضل للتسجيل، كانت فرصة جيدة”.

كما علّق على الأداء الدفاعي لـ لوك توماس أمام صلاح، قائلاً: “توماس يُنافس محمد صلاح بقوة، أداء دفاعي رائع آخر من توماس”.

Joins owners of Mumbai Indians and Manchester United FC in owning teams in the upcoming tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Feb-2022

Kiran Kumar Grandhi (L) hopes to “infinitely excite cricket aficionados” at the UAE T20 League•BCCI

GMR Group, part-owners of the Delhi Capitals franchise in the IPL, have become the third group to acquire a team at the upcoming UAE T20 League, expected to start later this year, after Lancer Capital, the owners of Manchester United Football Club, and Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Industries Limited, the owners of Mumbai Indians.”Our team has 14-seasons’ experience in managing the franchise process, through our Delhi Capital team’s involvement in the Indian Premier League (IPL), and we will integrate the same elements of these processes into UAE T20 League and help establish it as a premier and an integral part of the global cricket ecosystem,” GM Rao, group chairman of the GMR Group, said in a statement on Wednesday.Kiran Kumar Grandhi, the corporate chairman of the group, said, “UAE has a world-class niche of cross-cultural individuals with a big cricket fan following and excellent cricket infrastructure. We, at GMR Group, based on our years of experience in the IPL will harness to create a thriving cricket environment to budding players which will infinitely excite cricket aficionados.Related

UAE T20 league announces early-2023 window, set for clash of dates with BBL, BPL and CSA league

Knight Riders Group acquires Abu Dhabi franchise in upcoming UAE T20 League

Manchester United owners acquire team in UAE T20 League

KKR, Mumbai Indians set to become franchise owners in UAE-based Premier League T20

“From our solid supportive management, we will bring best practices, processes, top-notch coaches, players, and support staff to have an unparalleled professional team.”The six-team league has been sanctioned by the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), and the plan originally was to host the first edition by the end of March this year. Though that isn’t likely at this stage, the ECB said in the statement that it “remains well on track to be played in 2022 where senior committee members are encouraged by the enormous interest shown from a number of high-profile individuals and well-established corporates from across the world”.Khalid Al Zarooni, the ECB vice-chairman, said, “The standing of this League, across the cricketing world, is vitally important to us, and we have aligned ourselves with partners that share the same values toward the game; holding its spirit, integrity and longevity to the highest regard.”The ECB is also hoping that the league, once it takes flight, helps improve the playing standards within the UAE as well. “At its heart, the UAE T20 League will provide this opportunity for players within the Associate structure to play alongside world-class internationals and be provided with a much-needed opportunity to showcase their skills to a wider audience,” ECB general secretary Mubashshir Usmani said.While the owners of Manchester United FC and Mumbai Indians are already team owners in the league, the owners of the Knight Riders franchise (Kolkata and Trinbago teams) are also understood to be interested in taking over one of the teams. The statement said that the “remaining franchise partnerships” would be announced shortly.

Melbourne Renegades’ hopes of topping the WBBL ladder and earning direct entry into the final copped a huge blow after they suffered a crushing 52-run loss to Hobart HurricanesHurricanes posted an impressive 5 for 161 on the back of a 120-run partnership between Ruth Johnston and Mignon du Preez. Ellie Falconer returned figures of 0 for 29 off 2.3 overs before being taken out of the attack for bowling too many beamers.The shock upset means the second-placed Perth Scorchers (16 points) now have their destiny in their own hands. Scorchers take on the Melbourne Stars in Adelaide on Saturday before finishing their home-and-away campaign against the Sydney Sixers on Sunday. Perth’s superior net run-rate means they are guaranteed to finish first if they can win against both the Stars and Sixers.Under the new WBBL finals format, the team who finish first earn direct entry into the decider. Third plays off against fourth in an elimination final, with the winner of that match taking on the second-placed team in what is effectively a preliminary final.Hurricanes entered Friday’s game on bottom of the ladder, but their impressive display with both bat and ball saw them rise to sixth. Johnston backed up her impressive batting display with figures of 2 for 17 with the ball, while Sasha Moloney (3-17) cleaned up the tail.Sydney Thunder 5 for 162 (Johnson 52) beat Brisbane Heat 9 for 153 (Redmayne 54, Harris 50) by nine runsBrisbane Heat saw then chances of finishing top, and therefore heading straight into a home final, dashed with a batting collapse against Sydney Thunder.Georgia Redmayne and Grace Harris opened with a stand of 99 in 11 overs as Heat chased 163, but they then crashed to 9 for 153 with only Mikayla Hinkley joining them on double figures. Harris had made 50 off 34 balls before falling to Sam Bates who remove Laura Kimmince, who had been promoted to No. 3, two balls later.Thunder were excellent in the field with Phoebe Litchfield and Anika Learoyd producing run outs while Redmayne was well caught by Deepti Sharma. When Jess Jonassen cleared the fence it briefly looked like the captain could mount a late charge but she and Hinkley fell in consecutive balls to Hannah Darlington before Deepti capped off a fine bowling display with a brace of final-over wickets.Sammy-Jo Johnson’s half-century had been the centerpiece of Thunder’s innings as she again opened with Smriti Mandhana. The pair added a rapid 58 in 6.3 overs before Litchfield joined in another solid partnership for the second wicket. Three wickets then fell for six runs, but Deepti and latterly Darlington provided useful runs.The highest Heat can now finish in the table is second with one game remaining.

Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will surely be hoping to go through the summer transfer window without having to sell one of his key players.

The Northern Irish boss lost Jota to Al Ittihad and Carl Starfelt to Celta Vigo ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, and is currently at risk of losing Matt O'Riley this time around.

After an impressive year in the Scottish Premiership, the Denmark international is now attracting interest from elsewhere ahead of a potential exit from Parkhead.

How much Matt O'Riley is worth

Sky Sports reported earlier this month that Celtic believe that the midfielder is worth a club-record transfer fee of at least £25m, which was the same fee that was paid for Kieran Tierney and Jota by Arsenal and Al Ittihad respectively.

The outlet claimed that Atalanta and Juventus are both interested in a potential swoop to sign the former MK Dons central midfielder this summer.

Interest from Europe in O'Riley should not come as a surprise to anyone after his terrific exploits in the Premiership for Rodgers and Celtic last season.

23/24 Premiership	Matt O'Riley
Appearances	37
Goals	18
Big chances missed	10
Conversion rate	17%
Assists	13
Big chances created	14
Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the 23-year-old magician produced consistent quality at the top end of the pitch with a staggering 31 direct goal contributions in 37 games.

Celtic, though, could have had another player worth as much as O'Riley if they had not had a howler with academy talent many, many, years ago.

Celtic's Andy Robertson howler

Current Liverpool star Andy Robertson revealed back in 2013 that the Hoops let him go at U15 level as they deemed him to be too small to make it as a professional footballer for them.

He then enjoyed spells with Queen's Park and Dundee United in Scotland before making a move to England to try his luck with Hull, which then earned him a big switch to Liverpool in the summer of 2017.

Since his move to Anfield, Robertson has racked up 11 goals and 65 assists in 297 appearances for the club in all competitions, with his 300th Liverpool outing seemingly to come this season.

The Scotland international has won the Champions League and the Premier League during his time in Merseyside, alongside two League Cup successes and an FA Cup.

At the time of writing, Transfermarkt currently has his market value at €30m (£25m) and this means that he is worth as much as Celtic believe O'Riley to be worth at this moment in time.

This illustrates the howler the Scottish giants had when they decided to send him on his way at U15 level for being too small. Instead of waiting to see how he physically developed across the next few age groups, they parted ways with the talented youngster.

4/10 Celtic man should fear for his future after pre-season howler

The Hoops dud failed to put in a strong performance in the 4-3 win over Manchester City.

By
Dan Emery

Jul 24, 2024

Their loss ended up by the gain for multiple clubs and he has gone on to become a "world class" – per Jurgen Klopp – player in England, as he has won trophies and become an influential player for a huge club in the Premier League.

Hopefully, the Bhoys have learned from that mistake and will not dismiss potential talents due to their height at such a young age in the future.

Leicestershire win by innings and five runs as visitors’ callow batting collapses in final overs

ECB Reporters' Network15-Sep-2021Leicestershire pulled off an extraordinary victory over Sussex in an LV=Insurance County Championship match that had looked set to bring the curtain down on the season at Grace Road with a tame draw.After Hassan Azad (152) and Lewis Hill (145) had turned their hundreds into career-best scores and there was a maiden half-century for Louis Kimber, a declaration at 492 for 4 gave Leicestershire a lead of 133, but with their leading wicket-taker Chris Wright absent through injury, bowling Sussex out in the 48 overs that remained looked a long shot, even with Fynn Hudson-Prentice unable to bat after breaking a hand in the first innings.Yet after reaching 117 for 3 – just 16 runs away from wiping out their arrears – an inexperienced Sussex side containing five teenagers lost their last six wickets for 11 runs, losing by an innings and five runs with 16 balls left.Callum Parkinson took 4 for 18 with his left-arm spin and seamer Ben Mike 4 for 34 as Leicestershire won by five runs.Wright, who was awarded his county cap along with Hill during the lunch interval, was not risked after feeling a hamstring after the first innings, when his 6 for 94 took his wickets tally for the season to 46.Sussex remain without a win since beating Glamorgan in the second match of the season and are bottom of Division Three, with only a final fixture against next-to-bottom Derbyshire at Hove next week to come as they seek to avoid a first Championship wooden spoon since 2000.Resuming at 291 for 2 following Tuesday’s washout after another hour of the game was lost because of a wet outfield, Leicestershire achieved their objective of securing maximum batting points.Related

Tom Haines, Ben Brown lead with bat in hand as Sussex enjoy fruitful day

Hassan Azad, Lewis Hill drive Leicestershire with brace of centuries

James Sales seals thrilling draw for Northants with maiden first-class fifty

Two more came as Hill overtook his previous career best of 121, scored against Gloucestershire in April of this year, and Azad passed his of 144 not out against Surrey, also in April, as the pair extended their partnership to 248, a new mark for Leicestershire’s third wicket against Sussex. Hill’s runs took his tally for the season to 902.Both fell in consecutive Henry Crocombe overs, both caught on the boundary by substitute fielder, 17-year-old Bertie Foreman, whose grandfather was Denis Foreman, who played cricket for Sussex and football for Brighton and Hove Albion in the 1950s and 60s.Kimber (69 not out) and Harry Swindells (59 not out) claimed the fifth, adding 130 in just less than 19 overs before skipper Parkinson called them in.Leicestershire’s bowlers chipped away. Ali Orr was caught behind off Parkinson’s left-arm spin, first-innings centurion Ben Brown hit Mike straight to point, Tom Haines played across one from Ed Barnes and having closed to within 16 of clearing the arrears, Sussex unravelled.Rawlins edged behind, Parkinson bowled Tom Hinley, Oli Carter, who had faced 77 balls for his nine, pulled to leg gulley and Crocombe was leg before as Mike took two in two. Parkinson then trapped Jack Carson in front.Last wicket pair Sean Hunt and Joseph Sarro – both 19-year-olds – survived 30 balls to prolong the agony, but then Parkinson had the latter caught behind to spark wild celebrations.

They aren't a perfect team, but as they masterfully demonstrated last season, there are not many weaknesses in this Arsenal side.

For example, despite ultimately finishing second in the Premier League, Mikel Arteta's talented team produced the best defence in the league, conceding just 29 goals in 38 games.

Unfortunately, though, they scored five fewer than the Sky Blues, which brings us to the one position on the pitch that most fans will tell you could do with an improvement: striker.

Fortunately, recent reports have linked the Gunners with one of the most exciting centre-forwards in Europe, and a player who could be incredible at the Emirates and help players like Leandro Trossard reach another level entirely.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from Spain, Arsenal have maintained their strong interest in Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres.

In fact, the report goes a step further and claims that the Gunners have now agreed personal terms with the Swedish international, who has also caught the eye of fellow Premier League side Liverpool.

The only barrier to the North Londoners completing the deal remains to agree on a fee with the Lisbon outfit themselves, and according to the report, they are after around €80m, which converts to about £67m.

That's undoubtedly a lot of money, but it's considerably less than the £84m fee that was previously reported, and due to Gyokeres' incredible form last season, it's possibly value for money, especially as he'd help make Trossard unplayable.

Why Gyokeres would be an incredible signing

So, when it comes down to the main reason why Gyokeres would be an exceptional signing and an equally brilliant teammate for Trossard, it's very straightforward: his output.

The Swedish international is a goalscoring machine, and he proved as much last season, finding the back of the net on 43 occasions in just 50 appearances and chipping in 15 assists on top of that, for good measure.

This means he produced a goal involvement on average every 0.86 games, or in other words, he averaged 1.16 per match, which unsurprisingly, would have made him the most productive Arsenal player last season, and by quite some way.

Appearances

50

Goals

43

Assists

15

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

Now, imagine if the already effective Trossard was playing alongside a number nine as devastatingly effective as Sporting's "big game player," as data analyst Ben Mattinson dubbed him; he'd have far more goals and assists to his name.

This line of thinking is backed up by Understat's data on the Belgian. They concluded that in the league last season, he underperformed his expected assists by 2.25, which is unsurprising when the Gunners' two primary strikers, Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz, both underperformed their expected goals, the former by 3.29 and the latter by 0.47.

Ultimately, Arsenal are a talented team, but they should have scored more goals last season, and like many of his teammates, Trossard should've had more assists to his name.

This suggests that a clinical number nine would be the perfect signing this summer, and there aren't many better than Gyokeres.

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