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David Payne’s latest white-ball masterclass proved in vain as in-form Gloucestershire suffered a frustrating eight-run defeat to Kent Spitfires on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in a rain-affected Vitality Blast match at Cheltenham.Needing to win to enhance their chances of achieving a top-four finish in the South Group and a place in the knockout stages, Gloucestershire found themselves in a strong position after bowling the visitors out for 150 in 19.2 overs at the College Ground.Veteran campaigner Payne was outstanding in taking 4 for 25 in four overs, while Ollie Price finished with 2 for 26 after skipper Jack Taylor had won the toss and elected to bowl. Daniel Bell-Drummond did his utmost to rescue the visitors, scoring 76 off 52 balls and dominating partnerships of 56 and 54 with Joey Evison and Grant Stewart for the fourth and seventh wickets respectively.Gloucestershire openers Miles Hammond and Cameron Bancroft then raised 23 in three overs to ease ahead of the DLS requirement, only for the rain forecast for early evening to arrive ahead of schedule with two overs more needing to be bowled to constitute a game.When play finally resumed an hour later with the home side chasing a revised target of 145 from 19 overs, Kent reasserted themselves, Nathan Gilchrist removing Bancroft and James Bracey in the space of four balls in the fifth over. Umpires Alex Wharf and Ben Peverall took the players off for the second and last time when heavy rain moved back in with Gloucestershire on 29 for 2, now eight runs behind the newly-revised DLS figure, their hopes dashed by a disappointing two-over passage of play which served to fundamentally alter the outcome. The game was abandoned soon afterwards.Kent’s fortuitous win just about keeps alive their outside chances of progressing to the knockout stages, while fifth-placed Gloucestershire head to Taunton needing to win Sunday’s West Country derby if they are to keep pace with the leaders.Gloucestershire went into this fixture on the back of three straight wins and that momentum was further buoyed when left-arm seamer Payne claimed three wickets in a devastating 10-ball burst with the new ball from the College Lawn End.Making his debut after joining on loan from Essex, Feroze Khushi was pinned lbw without scoring in the first over, while new batter Tuwanda Muyeye fell second ball, driving uppishly to Jack Taylor at mid-on.Payne then accounted for Kent captain Sam Billings in his next over, the former England man top-edging a hook to Josh Shaw as the visitors subsided to 17 for 3 in the third.Charged with the task of rebuilding, Bell-Drummond plundered three successive fours in an over from Shaw that cost 15 runs, helping Spitfires recover to 40 for 3 at the end of the powerplay. Evison also adopted an aggressive approach in a 50 stand that occupied just 36 balls.When Evison chanced his arm once too often and hit Beau Webster straight to Hammond at long-off for a 16-ball 22 and Jack Leaning attempted to pull offspinner Ollie Price and contrived to hit his wicket, departing for a six-ball duck, Kent were 70 for 5 off 10.1 overs and badly in need of renewed impetus.Bell-Drummond was fast running out of partners, Marcus O’Riordan hoisting Price to deep backward square and falling into a carefully laid trap as the visitors further subsided to 89 for 6. Taking matters into his own hands, Bell-Drummond launched Price over the covers to raise a 39-ball 50 with his first six as the innings realised three figures in the 15th.Stewart came out swinging, contributing a 15-ball 21 in a revitalising stand of 54 in 4.5 overs before hitting the returning Payne straight down the throat of long-on. Bell-Drummond fell in the penultimate over, hoisting Shaw to deep midwicket, having accrued 10 fours and 2 sixes and almost single-handedly carried his side to a respectable total.

The spin-bowling consultant says the team is heading in the right direction and could start winning more away from home

Mohammad Isam15-Aug-2024Bangladesh’s spin-bowling consultant Mushtaq Ahmed says that Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim have lifted the team’s morale ahead of the Test series against Pakistan.”All the players are excited about the first Test match,” Mushtaq said. “Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim are the senior players. They are playing a positive role with the guys. I also give credit to the management who has been good with the players. The focus is on cricket now.”The Bangladesh players arrived in Pakistan on August 13 upon invitation from the PCB, after the BCB could not arrange a full team practice session with head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe due to political upheaval in Dhaka. Shakib reached Lahore on Wednesday and joined the team in their training sessions hours later.Related

• T20 WC blues behind them, Pakistan and Bangladesh switch focus to red-ball cricket

• Shakib and Mushfiqur: the yin and yang of Bangladesh cricket

• Hathurusinghe on the protests in Bangladesh: I hope the students' questions will be answered

• Bangladesh look to shut out the noise and find rhythm in Rawalpindi

• Injured Mahmudul out of first Test against Pakistan

Before that, he was playing for Bangla Tigers Mississauga in the Global T20 Canada where he had an eventful week. He played a match on August 5, mere hours after the Awami League government fell in Bangladesh and the prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. As a result, Shakib lost his seat in the parliament and was booed by fans during the game.He was then embroiled in controversy for not showing up for the toss in Bangla Tigers’ eliminator match against Toronto Nationals, which led to his team forfeiting the game.Mahmudul Hasan Joy was among several Bangladesh Test regulars to get some game time ahead of the Pakistan Tests•PCB

Mushfiqur is currently playing a four-day game against Pakistan A in Islamabad. This is a rare occasion when a Bangladesh A tour is connected closely to the senior team’s tour of the same country. Although the match has been affected by rain, it provided much needed game time for Mushfiqur, who last played a Test ten months ago. Other red-ball regulars – Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nayeem Hasan and Hasan Mahmud – are also playing in this match.Bangladesh have only won one Test series of two or more matches abroad, against West Indies in 2009. But Mushtaq believes they could start winning more Test matches away from home.”A cricketer has to have basics and belief to do well at this level, otherwise he loses the battle,” Mushtaq said. “Skill-level looks after itself. We will give them the belief that you can beat anyone. Bangladesh is a good side. You saw that they challenged good teams in the World Cup. They are getting good fast bowlers. They are going towards a good direction. If they keep learning and keep believing in themselves, hopefully, they can start winning games outside.”Mushtaq also praised the Bangladesh spinners, saying they were eager to learn and quite receptive to his suggestions Legspinner Rishad Hossain has really levelled up under Mushtaq’s guidance and was the joint fifth-highest wicket-taker at the recent T20 World Cup.”The spinners are very mature. They are keen to learn. My role is to talk about tactical and technical things. You have to wait for the technical things for after the match. Tactically, you have to tell the spinners which angle to use, how to read the pitch, what pace to use, field settings for particular batters. You need reminders despite your experience.”Taijul [Islam] and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz are match-winners. They are a great bunch of guys. They are coachable people. They are good listeners. I am honoured to be working with them. Hopefully, I can make a difference for them.”

da realsbet： Liverpool are now stepping up their pursuit of a £84m striker, with FSG considering the addition of a marquee signing this summer.

Reds eyeing striker with Nunez heading for exit

da fazobetai： It appears as though Darwin Nunez’s time at Anfield could be coming to an end this summer, having fallen down the pecking order, often being utilised as a substitute rather than being a regular starter in the Premier League.

Nunez is now attracting widespread interest from across the continent, with bids in the region of £50m being made by Serie A side Napoli and Bundesliga team RB Leipzig, which means the Reds could recoup a large portion of the £85m they paid for the Uruguayan.

While the 25-year-old has played a sporadic role for Arne Slot’s side this season, the manager will need to bring in a replacement this summer, should he decide to cash-in, and FSG are now weighing up the addition of a marquee signing.

Related Better signing than Frimpong: Liverpool ready bid for "world-class" talent

Liverpool are looking to make sweeping changes to Arne Slot’s squad this summer.

Posts ByAngus Sinclair May 14, 2025

That is according to a report from GiveMeSport which states Liverpool are stepping up their pursuit of Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, with scouts set to watch the striker in action for the German side this weekend.

A summer deal for Eiktike will not be cheap, with Frankfurt setting an asking price of £84m, which FSG have reservations about paying, so a delegation of scouts will watch the Frenchman against SC Freiburg to assess whether he is worthy of such a hefty price tag.

Should the Reds be impressed by what they see, they could enter negotiations over a deal for the forward over the coming weeks, with the player himself willing to consider a move to the right club.

"Phenomenal" Ekitike could be Nunez upgrade

The move to Paris Saint-Germain early in the 22-year-old’s career may not have worked out, but he has certainly managed to prove his worth to Frankfurt in the Bundesliga this season, picking up 22 goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Football scout Ben Mattinson has been particularly impressed by the Frankfurt star’s performances, taking to X to lavish him with praise earlier this season.

There are also clear signs the Reims-born forward could be an upgrade on Nunez, having outperformed the Uruguay international across a number of key attacking metrics over the past year.

Statistic per 90

Hugo Ekitike

Darwin Nunez

Non-penalty goals

0.51

0.35

Assists

0.27

0.17

Successful take-ons

1.95

0.69

That said, Liverpool are right to have concerns about forking out £84m, given that Ekitike is yet to prove himself over a sustained period of time, and they should look to get a deal done for a lower price if possible.

Whether it’s Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz, Liverpool’s central striking position has lacked something crucial this season. Arne Slot, without a doubt, has been left wanting.

And so have the rest of Merseyside’s red half. Liverpool are heading toward the Premier League title, with only the most startling of collapses enough to foil the Reds – who need to win four of their remaining nine fixtures.

Curiously, Understat record Liverpool to have created the highest xG (expected goals) of any outfit in the English top flight this year (72.90), having also outstripped their divisional rivals considerably with actual goalscoring numbers (69 goals; Manchester City are second in the scoring charts with 55).

So what’s the issue with the attacking Red arrows, then? Chiefly, Mohamed Salah’s incredible campaign has seen him tally up a remarkable haul of 32 goals and 22 assists across all competitions, 27 and 17 in the Premier League alone.

The general wastefulness of Liverpool’s forwards will leave fissured memories, but this will no doubt be mitigated by the probable lifting of the league title.

Issues from the present term can be used as a springboard for future endeavours, but Liverpool do need a new number nine, someone who can emulate the club’s former greats – like Fernando Torres, for example.

Remembering Fernando Torres

Objectively speaking, Luis Suarez is the most talented striker Liverpool have ever yielded, certainly the most devastating in the modern era.

But there was just something about Torres. The Spaniard evokes the most dreamy memories: headband on, gliding run, fearsome striking ability. The movement. So silky and purposeful. He felt indestructible, unbeatable, at Anfield, and they loved him for it. Most still do.

Fans want that feeling again. Salah is one of the greatest forwards – if not the greatest – in Liverpool’s storied history, but he’s not a centre-forward. Even Roberto Firmino, so revered, so successful, was not really the free-scoring type.

Torres scored 81 goals and laid on 19 further assists across 142 matches in all competitions. His strike rate eclipsed all other clubs – and Spain – across his career. El Nino’s connection with the city was something different, and it would take a special striker to bring that back.

Nunez, cheerful and likeable and all the rest, can’t seem to shake his tactical maladies, can’t seem to find the rich vein needed to star as Liverpool’s star forward – and most expensive in history at that.

Liverpool need something new and better. In order to achieve that, landing someone to emulate the likes of Torres and Suarez, they may need to break the bank as never before.

Liverpool lining up the new Torres

Spanish sources have some interesting news regarding Alexander Isak. You may have heard of him. It’s claimed Newcastle United’s goalscoring general is interested in jumping ship this summer, with Liverpool leading the race.

Transfer Focus

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

Barcelona are interested. Financial mess notwithstanding, there are few reasons why any elite-level player worth their salt shouldn’t prioritise a move to Catalonia, but Liverpool are some institution themselves, and Isak is only willing to hear Camp Nou’s proposal should the Reds opt against a bid. As the report states, the in-demand talent is ‘dreaming’ of playing at Anfield.

A bid, however, would be constituted by a £150m payment. This is an audacious sum; it would make Isak, 25, both Liverpool and the Premier League’s most expensive player in history.

But Liverpool’s coffers are full. There is money to spend. There are few better ways in football to spend £150m than on this Swedish sensation, truth be told.

Why Liverpool should sign Alexander Isak

A comprehensive reshuffle of a title-winning frontline would be a reckless gambit, but Nunez is expected to depart and perhaps Diaz will too. It would make sense to keep Jota on the books, experienced and – for the lion’s share of his Liverpool career – deadly in front of goal.

But Liverpool fans have been treated to Isak’s prowess on several occasions this term and it has only magnified the need for something new – him, preferably.

The cost would be steep; some would call it extreme. However, Isak is the best of the best, proclaimed to be “the best striker in the Premier League” by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher. Indeed, teammate Anthony Gordon admitted he could be the “best striker in Europe”.

Below, you can remind yourself of the Sweden star’s catalogue from 2023/24. You best believe there have been some new additions since last summer.

There’s little doubt he has what it takes to become a superstar on Merseyside, with the kind of completeness that Slot could make perfect use of.

Aged 24, Isak’s best days may well sit ahead of him too. He’s improved in seasonal increments since joining Newcastle from Real Sociedad in a club-record £63m deal almost three years ago.

Like Torres, the 6 foot 3 Isak made his name in Spain. The retired nine joined Liverpool from Atletico Madrid for about £20m in 2007. He was 23 and – like Isak at Sociedad – had demonstrated high-level qualities that had not yet been fully developed.

Isak hit 50 Premier League goals in just 76 appearances, taking marginally longer than Torres, who did it in 72. It’s not quite Erling Haaland (or Salah, for that matter), but it puts both at the highest table.

But there’s more. Isak’s stylistic approach offers shades of an in-prime Torres. The Magpies man ranks among the top 4% of strikers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 18% for assists, the top 9% for shot-creating actions and the top 8% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.

Both tall and agile players, both endowed with blistering speed and an innately easy manner in front of goal, there’s every reason FSG should throw the kitchen sink at St. James’ Park this summer.

You can see why Liverpool – and Barcelona and Arsenal and Manchester United and more – are all so keen on the maverick. Hardly just a goalscorer, Isak gets involved, works tirelessly and effectively. He’s the real deal, very much good enough to sit alongside the likes of Torres in Liverpool’s pantheon.

The Liverpool supporters are a firebrand lot, passionate for their team, its success. It’s a measure of Liverpool’s brilliance over the past decade that the anticipated triumph in the Premier League carries a slight air of ruefulness.

With Isak at the bow of the ship, there’s every chance Slot’s project can rise to the next level next season. With the spirit of Torres returned Liverpool may know no bounds.

He's like Isak: Liverpool plot move for "sensational" £55m Diaz upgrade

Liverpool are reportedly interested in the £55m star who is similar to Alexander Isak.

1

By
Dan Emery

Mar 24, 2025

MatériaMais Notícias

da jogodeouro： Após abrir negociações com Vanderlei Luxemburgo, o Corinthians encaminhou a contratação do técnico de 70 anos. O treinador, que estava desempregado, vai assinar até o final de 2023, período que termina o mandato do presidente Duílio Monteiro Alves.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansLuxemburgo negocia com Corinthians: lembre como foram as passagens do técnico pelo clubeCorinthians01/05/2023CorinthiansApós idas e vindas, Corinthians abre negociações com Vanderlei LuxemburgoCorinthians01/05/2023CorinthiansMesmo com ‘substituição precoce’ contra o Palmeiras, Fausto Vera não preocupa o CorinthiansCorinthians30/04/2023

da pinnacle： + Róger Guedes e Paulinho são os melhores na derrota do Corinthians no Dérbi

Luxa está no CT Joaquim Grava para tratar os últimos detalhes e assinar o contrato. Caso o negócio seja concretizado, ele comandará o treino desta tarde com o elenco alvinegro. Contudo, apresença dele à beira do gramado contra o Independiente del Valle, nesta terça-feira (2), pela Libertadores, é incerta. OBID (Boletim Informativo Diário) da CBFnão funciona aos finais de semana e feriados nacionais, como o caso do dia do trabalho, nesta segunda-feira.

Caso a Conmebol não permita que Luxa comande o time contra o Del Valle, oTimão poderá ter Danilo, com uma licença provisória, à beira do gramado. Ele comandou a equipe na derrota por 2 a 1 diante do Palmeiras, mas não possuia licença PRO da CBF, mínimo exigido para que profissionais comandem alguma equipe na competição continental.

Com três pontos, o Corinthians está empatado com o Independiente del Valle, adversário desta terça. O Argentinos Juniors lidera a chave com seis pontos, enquanto o Liverpool, do Uruguai, está zerado no Grupo E.

+ Assine o Star+ por R$32,90 por mês e acompanhe o Timão na Liberta quando e onde quiser!

Como o LANCE! havia antecipado, Luxemburgo despontou como favorito após a saída de Cuca, mas ele enfrentou rejeição interna da diretoria. O nome de Luxa voltou a ganhar força no departamento de futebol corintiano após as recusas de Tite e Mano Menezes, primeiras opções da direção, e a rejeição da torcida com Róger Machado.

+ Veja tabela e a situação do grupo do Timão na Libertadores

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet esporte： O Ceará oficializou a contratação por empréstimo de Léo Santos, que pertence ao Corinthians. O zagueiro de 24 anos será cedido ao Vozão até o final da temporada, quando acaba seu vínculo com o Timão.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasCorinthiansRemo x Corinthians: onde assistir, desfalques e escalações do jogo pela Copa do BrasilCorinthians11/04/2023CorinthiansYuri Alberto quer aproveitar momento e aponta trunfo para o Corinthians vencer o Remo na Copa do BrasilCorinthians11/04/2023CorinthiansPerto de marca centenária, Róger Guedes quer títulos para virar ídolo no CorinthiansCorinthians11/04/2023

da spicy bet： + Com Barletta, Corinthians chega a 19 reforços na gestão de Duílio; relembre todos os reforços

Como informado anteriormente pelo LANCE!, caso o atleta cumpra determinadas metas, o Ceará irá comprar o jogador ao final da temporada, e os clubes farão uma divisão dos direitos econômicos do defensor. Durante o Paulistão desta temporada, Léo Santos atuou emprestado na Ferroviária.

+ Guia Corinthians: onde assistir, análise dos adversários e tudo sobre o Timão na Libertadores

O zagueiro de 24 anos foi revelado na base do próprio Corinthians. No profissional do Timão, não conseguiu se firmar e disputou só 30 jogos com a camisa alvinegra. Na última temporada, atuou emprestado à Ponte Preta, onde fez 16 partidas: 10 no Paulistão, cinco na Série B e uma na Copa do Brasil.

Léo Santos não teve tanta sequência em sua curta carreira porque sofreu com diversas lesões. Ele chegou a ficar ausente dos gramados por mais de dois anos devido a uma fratura no joelho e uma tendinite no mesmo local, quando estava emprestado ao Fluminense, em 2019.

+ Veja tabela e todos os confrontos pela terceira fase da Copa do Brasil

O zagueiro se recuperou no Corinthians e foi cedido à Ponte Preta, mas voltou a ser desfalque por contusões durante sua passagem na Macaca.

continua após a publicidade

Everton have undergone an incredible transformation since David Moyes was placed at the wheel, driving up the Premier League table, away from the danger zone and toward the comfy security of mid-table.

But Moyes isn’t going to stop there. He won the Conference League with West Ham United, remember, led the Hammers through three successive campaigns on the continent.

But Merseyside is his home, Everton his club, and he wants to get them back on their perch, having struggled to impress for so long.

With The Friedkin Group replacing Farhad Moshiri at the head of the table, Moyes has been told he will have money to spend this summer, with Kevin Thelwell also exiting his role as Director of Football at the end of the term, succeeded by Leeds United’s Angus Kinnear.

Thelwell has helped to guide Everton through a turbulent period, and though he had his ups and downs, he can leave with his head held high after a promising final transfer window in 2024.

Everton's recent transfer business

Everton emerged from the 2023/24 campaign bruised but not broken. Financial breaches had allowed PSR to clamp down on Merseyside and extract eight hard-earned points from Sean Dyche’s squad, but this wasn’t enough to send them spinning to the second tier.

Thus, spending was always going to be difficult, but the sales of Amadou Onana, Ben Godfrey and homegrown Lewis Dobbin generated finances in the £70m ballpark, allowing for several deals that needed to hit the mark.

Jake O’Brien has come into his own at right-back since Moyes took to the helm, while Orel Mangala was excellent before cruelly seeing his season ended prematurely in January due to injury. He’s a loanee, but Everton have the option to sign him permanently.

Jesper Lindstrom hasn’t been brilliant on the right flank, yet to score, but at least he’s only on loan – and has provided something of a steady and industrious outlet.

Then there’s Iliman Ndiaye, signed from Marseille for £15m. Pure magic on the alternate wing, notching eight goals from 28 matches across all competitions. He’s played 24 times in the Premier League in the Toffees, but three of his six strikes came in the five appearances under Moyes’ leadership.

Thelwell did his best and fans have been receptive to his efforts, thankful for them. However, that’s not to say he invariably hit the mark when shopping, with Everton still needing to get rid of his worst signing despite the flop last kicking a ball for the Blues in 2023.

Thelwell's worst Everton signing must go

Everton have missed the mark on more than a few occasions in the 12 years since Moyes left for Manchester United, picked as Sir Alex Ferguson’s heir.

While he hasn’t been the most costly blunder, Neal Maupay’s got to be down at the nadir, certainly one of Thelwell’s biggest misfires during his time at the decision table.

After several decent Premier League campaigns in Brighton, Frank Lampard’s Everton moved to sign Maupay for a £15m fee, but his time at the club quickly devolved into a nightmare.

Maupay bagged just the one goal across 32 appearances in all competitions for Everton. Notorious for his reputation as a wind-up merchant, the French striker endured his most pitiful spell by the banks of the River Mersey.

His revival at Brentford further frustrated the Everton fanbase, but not nearly as much as his remarks last year: “Whenever I’m having a bad day, I just check the Everton score and smile.” A brazen thing to say given he’s still on the books.

With four goals and four assists apiece in Ligue 1 this season, starting only 12 matches under Roberto De Zerbi, Maupay is enjoying something of a renaissance – but that doesn’t mean he’s got a future on Merseyside.

Earning around £48k per week, the 28-year-old Everton player is still earning more than Ndiaye (£45k-per-week), emphasising the woe that cannot be shaken from this deal-that-shouldn’t-have-been.

While Marseille are likely to be covering a portion – if not all – of his salary – it still represents a hefty pack packet that was agreed upon when Everton initially welcomed him to the club with high hopes that he would become their abiding talisman.

Marseille have the option to keep Maupay at the Stade Vélodrome for about £3m, which would be decent business if Everton succeed in recouping at least something for one of their most infamous modern players.

Perhaps Thelwell orchestrated one last piece of good business in the Frenchman’s loan package. Without question, though, Maupay’s signing was a “disaster” – a sentiment shared by journalist Paul Brown – and those of an Everton persuasion just want him off the books.

Outscoring Beto: Everton must rue selling star now better than Richarlison

Everton could do with this former “menace” in their ranks this season.

By
Angus Sinclair

Mar 7, 2025

da betsson： Mikel Arteta has had to deal with a lot at Arsenal this season.

da betsul： In what really should have been the campaign in which his side finally got their hands on the Premier League title, he’s had to contend with a general drop in form and a dreadful injury crisis to his frontline.

Worse yet, instead of pushing the boat out and signing the Spaniard a new forward during the winter window, the board decided to keep their powder dry, which some saw as a white flag for the season.

This chronic lack of options up top has led to Arteta playing Mikel Merino as his starting number nine, and while the summer signing has done okay, his efforts have paled in comparison to a centre-forward sold by Arsenal for a pittance last year.

Arteta's Merino experiment

If you had asked Arsenal fans who they thought would be leading the line for the team towards the backend of the season earlier in the campaign, we’d hazard a guess that precisely none would have answered Merino.

However, this is the situation the Gunners now find themselves in, and while the Spaniard will not be playing up top next season – lest another set of disastrous circumstances play out – he hasn’t been dreadful for a central midfielder anyway.

For example, he helped the team avoid an embarrassing draw away to Leicester City with a perfect header and brilliantly placed shot in his first appearance leading the line.

Moreover, he scored and assisted a goal away to PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League and headed home the winner against Chelsea just before the international break.

However, while his tally of four goals and one assist in seven appearances up top is genuinely impressive on paper, he failed to score or assist a goal against West Ham United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester United in the league and against PSV at home.

The former Real Sociedad ace might just about work as an emergency stand-in striker for a game or two, but it has become abundantly clear that he’s not good enough to play up top for any significant period.

What makes it all the more annoying for fans is the fact that a striker the club sold for pennies on the dollar in the summer has been scoring for fun on the continent while Merino has been struggling.

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.

Expand Collapse The ex-Arsenal star who'd be their best striker

It would be fair to say that while Arsenal made a bit of a mess out of their signings last summer, they did pretty well when it came to their sales, getting £30m for Eddie Nketiah, up to £34m for Emile Smith Rowe and up to £25m for Aaron Ramsdale.

However, while fans were pretty happy with the sizable fees the club got for players deemed surplus to requirements, they may not have been aware that a young up-and-coming striker was sold to Austrian outfit Sturm Graz for just £4m: Mika Biereth.

Now, at the time, those who were aware likely didn’t care all that much, as while he managed to rack up a tally of 15 goals and nine assists on loan with Motherwell and Sturm Graz last season, he had never played for the Gunners’ first team, and with a fit Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus in the squad, it seemed like he never would.

However, the Dane’s simply sensational form this season has since proven that not only was it a massive mistake by the club to sell him for such a small sum of money, but a mistake to sell him full stop.

For example, in the first half of the season, the “crazy” talent, as dubbed by former GOAL reporter Robin Bairner, hit the ground running and by January had already scored 14 goals and provided five assists in just 25 appearances.

Biereth’s 24/25

Team

Sturm Graz

AS Monaco

Appearances

25

12

Minutes

1971′

860′

Goals

14

11

Assists

5

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.76

1.16

Minutes per Goal Involvements

103.73′

61.42′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Such a rate of return was enough to tempt AS Monaco into spending £10.8m plus £1.75m in add-ons on the 22-year-old early into the winter window and to say that the investment has since paid off would be a considerable understatement.

In just 12 appearances for the Ligue 1 side, totalling 860 minutes, the London-born gem, whom former Manchester United defender Paul Parker described as “one of Europe’s most dangerous strikers,” has scored 11 goals and provided three assists.

That means he’s currently averaging 1.16 goal involvements every game, or one every 61.42 minutes on the French Riviera, which is just the sort of attacking output Arsenal desperately need.

Ultimately, while Merino is clearly trying up top, he’s not a natural goalscorer, and had Arteta and Co kept hold of Biereth, there might not even be a discussion around the club’s lack of cutting edge at all.

Related Bad news for Nwaneri: Arsenal want to sign "unplayable" Premier League star

Ethan Nwaneri’s development might be in danger if Arsenal sign this £50m star.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Mar 26, 2025

The last few years have been something of a whirlwind for Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta has worked wonders by taking a club that were struggling on and off the pitch and turning them into a lean-mean-winning machine.

Things might be going a little wrong in terms of injuries at the moment, but it would be hard to dispute that, when all fit, the squad has come on leaps and bounds since their first Premier League title charge in the 22/23 campaign.

That said, it still feels as if the club have failed to adequately replace Granit Xhaka in the season and a bit since he left, made worse by the fact that they didn’t sign a former loanee who’s since won comparisons to the Swiss international and is having an unreal season.

Xhaka's Arsenal career

Arsenal signed Xhaka from Bundesliga outfit Borussia Mönchengladbach for around £30m in the summer of 2016, and while he certainly wasn’t a bad player in his early campaigns at the club, he wasn’t one that got the fans off their feet either.

Moreover, the midfield general had a reputation for losing his head at times, and this, combined with a period in which the club were seriously struggling under Unai Emery, led to what was undoubtedly his lowest moment in an Arsenal shirt.

He was substituted in what was a dire performance against Crystal Palace, but as he was walking off, the fans started to boo him, which led to him throwing the captain’s armband and shirt to the floor in disgust.

It was an event that probably should have signalled the end of his time at the Emirates, but when Arteta arrived at the club a few months later, he convinced the Swiss star to stay, and somehow, over the next few seasons, he managed to win the fans back onside.

In fact, his last two campaigns with the team were so impressive that both the home and away support began to sing his name, and in his final game with the club, which saw him score a brace, he was serenaded off the pitch, in what has to be one of the best comeback stories in recent years.

He moved to Bayer Leverkusen for around £21m in the summer of 2023 – where he’d go on to win the Bundesliga – and while he wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, it would be fair to say his brand of tenacious all-action box-to-box play hasn’t been recreated by anyone at the club since.

However, a player who did spend a couple of seasons on loan at Arsenal has since been compared to Xhaka.

Where Are They Now

The former Arsenal player like Xhaka

When it comes to loan players, Arsenal have had mixed luck in recent seasons, as neither Raheem Sterling nor Neto have impressed this season, but then Martin Odegaard did reasonably well in his six-month stint at the end of the 20/21 campaign.

Falling more on the side of Odegaard would be Dani Ceballos, who first joined the club on a season-long loan from Real Madrid at the start of the 19/20 season, when Emery was still in charge, and then rejoined the following year under Arteta.

During his two seasons with the club, the Spaniard was a useful player in the squad, as while he wasn’t a consistent game-changer, he did make 77 appearances, in which he scored two goals and provided five assists.

Moreover, he also scored the 91st-minute winner against Sheffield United in the quarter-final of the FA Cup the season the club won it for the 14th time, so you could argue his loans were worth it for that moment alone.

However, upon the end of his second deal, the midfielder returned to Real Madrid, where he continued to play a bit part role, until this season’s Champions League, that is.

So far, the 28-year-old has made eight appearances in the competition, four of which have been starts, picked up an assist against Manchester City in the first leg of their play-off and was so good in the second that there are now reports that Florentino Perez wants him to be offered a new deal.

On top of all of that, he’s also been likened to Xhaka by FBref, which compares players in similar positions in the Champions League this season, then creates a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and, in this instance, has concluded that the Swiss international is the sixth most similar midfielder to the Spanish dynamo.

The best way to see where this comparison has come from is to look at the underlying metrics in which the pair rank closely, including, but not limited to, non-penalty expected goals plus assists, expected assists, goal-creating actions, passing accuracy, passes into the penalty area and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, given how well Arsenal have progressed over the last few seasons, there is a strong argument that they made the right choice not signing Ceballos, but with the ambitions they have to win it all, we can’t help but imagine he’d be an incredibly helpful addition to the squad, especially now he’s so similar to Xhaha.

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Celtic have reportedly made contact to sign a new versatile international who has been compared to Hoops star Arne Engels.

Celtic transfer rumours heat up as Rodgers eyes another treble

Brendan Rodgers’ side are still on course to seal another domestic treble but could still be extremely busy in the summer transfer window.

Having already lifted the Scottish League Cup, Celtic lead the way in the Scottish Premiership and are set to take on St Johnstone in the Scottish Cup semi-finals next month.

Arne Engels

FC Augsburg

€11m

Jota

Rennes

€10m

Adam Idah

Norwich City

€9.9m

Auston Trusty

Sheffield United

€7.1m

Paulo Bernardo

Benfica

€3m

Luke McCowan

Dundee

€1.2m

Viljami Sinisalo

Aston Villa

€1.2m

Kasper Schmeichel

Anderlecht

Free transfer

Jeffrey Schlupp

Crystal Palace

Loan transfer

Alex Valle

Barcelona

Loan transfer

Away from the pitch, the Hoops have already secured a pre-contract agreement for left-back Kieran Tierney to return to Parkhead from Arsenal when his Gunners contract expires at the end of the current campaign.

Celtic have also made an offer worth €2m (£1.6m) to sign Kalidou Sidibe from French side En Avant Guingamp, who is viewed as a replacement for loanee Jeffrey Schlupp.

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Centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers could be on his way out of Celtic Park in the coming months amid rumours of a move to England, and there have been claims that Rodgers is speaking to former defender Kristoffer Ajer, who is still with Brentford, about a potential return to Glasgow.

It looks set to be a productive summer despite the club making 10 signings during the 2024/25 season, and a new target has now emerged for Celtic chiefs.

Celtic make contact for former Engels teammate Rexhbecaj

According to reports by Fussball Transfers, relayed by Sport Witness, Celtic are working on a deal to sign FC Augsburg midfielder Elvis Rexhbecaj.

It is claimed that the Hoops have made an approach to ask for information over a potential deal, as have Turkish side Besiktas and Italian outfit Parma.

Rexhbecaj is out of contract with Augsburg at the end of the 2025/26 season, with talks over an extension stalling recently.

The 27-year-old has been likened to Celtic star Engels, as per Football Transfers, and previously played with the current Hoops man at Augsburg. They turned out alongside each other in midfield on 38 occasions and played more than 2,000 minutes on the same pitch.

A Kosovo international, Rexhbecaj can play as a defensive, central or attacking midfielder, and was praised by former Wolfsburg coach Eric Schmidt, who once said: “He is an incredibly powerful, aggressive and strong player. He is quite complete and can play several positions.”

A move to Celtic for Rexhbecaj, by the looks of things, a deal will be one to watch over the coming months.