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West Indies have agreed in principle to play a pink-ball Test against Pakistan in the UAE in September, ESPNcricinfo has learned

Umar Farooq19-Jun-2016As the push for day-night Test cricket gathers momentum around the world, West Indies have agreed in principle to play a pink-ball Test against Pakistan in the UAE in September, ESPNcricinfo has learned. The WICB were initially reluctant but the PCB’s offer of a practice match and training sessions under lights appears to have changed its mind.The PCB also proposed to revise the composition of the tour to three Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is, from the earlier plan of two Tests, five ODIs and two T20Is, according to the FTP.The Pakistan board has been keen to host a day-night Test and made a bid in 2013 to play one against Sri Lanka in UAE. The proposal, however, was declined with lack of practice with the pink ball cited as the reason. Earlier this year, Pakistan agreed to a day-night Test against Australia in Brisbane in December.The PCB is also set to introduce ten day-night matches in its forthcoming first-class season, which starts in September. The plan will be implemented in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches, including the semi-final and final, to ensure every top team is acquainted with the demands of long-form cricket under lights.The PCB had also weighed up Sri Lanka as an alternative venue to host West Indies, to counter the growing expenses in UAE, which has been host to Pakistan’s home series for a decade now. The proposal of playing outside UAE had emerged after the Pakistan Super League was held in Dubai and Sharjah in February; it cost the PCB more than US$ 3 million (Pakistan rupees 31.4 crore approx) to stage the tournament over two weeks. The idea, however, was dropped after assessing the drawback of playing in Sri Lanka during the monsoon.Pakistan has largely remained a no-go zone for international teams since March 3, 2009, when gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan team bus during the Lahore Test. Since then, the UAE has hosted a majority of Pakistan’s home series, with only Afghanistan and Zimbabwe visiting Pakistan for one series each.

The IPL 2016 match between Rising Pune Supergiants and Mumbai Indians will be held as scheduled on May 1 in Pune, the Bombay High Court ruled on Wednesday

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-2016The IPL 2016 match between Rising Pune Supergiants and Mumbai Indians will be held as scheduled on May 1 in Pune, the Bombay High Court ruled on Wednesday. Last week, the court had ruled that all matches after April 30 should be moved out of Maharashtra due to a severe state-wide drought, but it has permitted the match on May 1 to go ahead after an application from the BCCI.The board had sought permission from the court citing logistical difficulties due to a short turnaround time from the match between Supergiants and Gujarat Lions on April 29. In the application, the BCCI said it was “practically impossible” for the board and Supergiants to shift the match to an another venue outside Maharashtra and “make all arrangements for the same in just a single day”. The application also stated stated that the request to permit the match was “bonafide and is being made in the interest of justice” and, if refused, could cause severe prejudice, grave hardship and irreparable damage and injury to the BCCI and Supergiants.The High Court’s ruling to move matches out of Maharashtra in May has affected 13 matches, including the final, which was scheduled to be held in Mumbai on May 29. The ruling also forced Mumbai and Supergiants, the two Maharashtra-based franchises, to look for alternative home venues for the remainder of the season. While Supergiants have listed Visakhapatnam as their alternative venue, Mumbai have picked Jaipur. Bangalore is likely to host the final, while Kolkata is in line to stage the Eliminator and the second Qualifier, both originally scheduled in Pune. The alternative venues need to be ratified by the IPL governing council.

After letting England chase down a target of 230, South Africa will be desperate to get back to winning ways in the World T20 and keep qualification to the knockouts in their own hands

The Preview by Firdose Moonda19-Mar-2016Match factsSunday, March 20, 2016
Start time 1500 local (0930 GMT)1:49

Match Day: SA’s class should show against Afghanistan

Big PictureThis was the game South Africa glossed over when the fixtures were announced. They were focused on the three former champions they would be facing and not on Qualifier B1. But then they did not know how much would hinge on that seemingly throwaway match-up.South Africa find themselves in the same situation England were two days ago. Defeat in their opener means that they cannot afford another slip-up if they want to ensure the progression to the knockouts remains in their control. If they respond the way England did, they will have nothing to worry about.Faf du Plessis will demand that they do, especially after he spent the latter part of the home summer explaining that South Africa were much-improved under pressure. For that to hold true, the captain will need to look at himself first. His own strike-rate has come under scrutiny, even though it remains in excess of 125 at this level. Mohammad Shahzad’s tops 135. Those small differences can matter.For Afghanistan, it is the big difference they are after. Advancing to the Super 10s was one thing, taking down a big name while they are there will be another. They had Sri Lanka in an awkward position, but too many mistakes in the field allowed the defending champions to escape. Afghanistan will not want to let South Africa get away with similar. At the same time, Afghanistan’s own outcome hangs in the balance. Although few expect them to reach the knockouts, they will want to keep themselves in with a chance for longer than two matches.Form guide (last five completed games most recent first)
South Africa LLLWW
Afghanistan LWWWWIn the spotlight The biggest secret in South Africa’s camp is out: AB de Villiers will not open the batting as originally planned. Despite de Villiers spending the months in the build-up in that role, leaving Hashim Amla and Quinton de Kock to battle for one spot, South Africa have realised all three are too valuable and so de Villiers will hover near the top instead. With Amla and de Kock in form, it means de Villiers has the advantage of a platform to take off from and after failing against England, he will be hungry to make amends in front of an adoring crowd.Afghanistan’s spinners Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan lead the wicket-takers’ list with sevens scalps each but are likely to find the going tougher on a surface without much grip or turn. But, against a South Africa middle-order that has historically gotten itself in a spin, they may eye an opportunity to add to their spoils. Even if they don’t, their economy rate of 5.73 and 5.56 respectively could make things difficult anyway.Team news Chris Morris, the bowler, has continued to misfire which may force a change in the lower middle-order. South Africa’s only other allrounder is David Wiese but if they include him, they may also need to strengthen the batting with the inclusion of Rilee Rossouw or Farhaan Behardien, which may lead to Kyle Abbott missing out.South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Faf du Plessis (capt), 4 AB de Villiers, 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Chris Morris/Rilee Rossouw, 8 David Wiese/Kyle Abbott 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Dale Steyn, 11 Imran TahirAfghanistan brought in the experience of Karim Sadiq for Gulbadin Naib, who has struggled after the Zimbabwe series in January, but Sadiq did not do much better. He was out for a duck, which could see Gulbadin brought back.Afghanistan: (probable) 1 Mohammad Shahzad (wk), 2 Noor Ali Zadran, 3 Asghar Stanikzai (capt), 4 Mohammad Nabi, 5 Gulbadin Naib, 6 Samiullah Shenwari, 7 Shafiqullah, 8 Dawlat Zadran, 9 Najibullah Zadran, 10 Rashid Khan, 11 Hamid HassanPitch and conditions The Wankhede Stadium has already produced 824 runs in four innings, so it is fair to say the pitch is packed with runs. There is no assistance for seamers or spinners but it may be kinder to fielders with this fixture. This being a day game, dew will not become a factor which should take the emphasis off the outcome of the toss, which favoured the chasing side in the previous two matches.Stats and Trivia South Africa and Afghanistan have met once before, at the 2010 World T20. South Africa won that match by 59 runs. Interestingly, Charl Langeveldt, who is now South Africa’s bowling coach, was a star performer in that game with 3 for 12. While South Africa lamented the 26 extras they gave away against England on Friday – the most in a T20 innings this year – Afghanistan have had a similar problem. They conceded 23 extras against Zimbabwe in January.Quotes “You can’t take any team for granted. We saw how they played against Sri Lanka and in the shorter the format, the minnow teams are more in the running. We have to play our best players to beat them.””We will play South Africa like we play every country, with our own cricket. We give a tough time to every team; we not only play with them, but want to beat one or two of them as well. As long as we play more cricket with Full Members we are getting more experience, and identifying the weak areas we need to work on to compete at the elite level.”

Chelsea remain in the race to sign Victor Osimhen during the summer transfer window but face stiff competition from Manchester United, among others.

The Lowdown: Chelsea keen on Osimhen

The Nigerian has arguably been one of Europe’s standout strikers so far this season, spearheading Napoli’s relentless march to what looks like inevitable Serie A glory.

Osimhen has scored 19 goals in 22 league appearances in 2022/23 to date, as well as finding the net twice in four Champions League outings, one of which came away to Eintracht Frankfurt in the last 16.

The 24-year-old is understandably sought-after by a number of top clubs and Chelsea have emerged as front-runners to sign him at the end of the season, as they look to make further reinforcements to their squad.

United also look like strong contenders to acquire Osimhen’s signature, however, and only a huge bid will likely be able to prise him away from Napoli.

The Latest: New updates emerges

Taking to Twitter, reliable journalist Florian Plettenberg provided an update on the situation, confirming that Chelsea are still very much in the race to sign Osimhen this summer:

“News #Osimhen: Massive season & focussed on the next step.

“Been told City, #CFC, #PSG & #MUFC are all in! Different talks took place. #MCFC inquired although they have Haaland/Alvarez. No topic for Bayern. Transfer fee of at least €100m not feasible.”

The Verdict: Special striker

There is no doubt that Chelsea need to bring in a genuinely elite striker once the summer window arrives, with their attack desperately in need of one currently, with only 27 goals scored in 26 Premier League matches.

Kai Havertz has done well at times in the role, scoring in his last two appearances, but he is still more effective in a deeper position with a No.9 ahead of him further up the pitch, allowing his creativity to shine through.

If Chelsea manage to sign Osimhen, it could be a game-changing addition for Graham Potter, with Jose Mourinho even comparing the 15-goal Nigeria international to Blues legend Didier Drogba recently.

He looks to have all the attributes to be a huge success in the Premier League, possessing the strength to bully defenders, the pace to outrun them and the deadly finishing in front of goal.

At 24, Osimhen is also coming right into the peak of his career and whoever snaps him up could be getting one of the leading strikers of his generation, assuming he ends up leaving Napoli, which is far from a given.

Everton are interested in bolstering their attacking ranks with a struggling star following news of Demarai Gray's supposed departure to Saudi Arabia this month.

What's the latest on Callum Hudson-Odoi to Everton?

According to the Evening Standard, Sean Dyche's Everton could make a swoop for Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi after Fulham's reluctance to meet the £8m transfer fee, with fellow top-flight rivals Nottingham Forest also interested.

Sky Sports report Dharmesh Sheth has since corroborated such claims by stating that the Cottagers' negotiations have indeed stalled, paving the way for the Toffees to hijack the deal.

Read the latest Everton transfer news HERE…

Everton have bolstered the attacking ranks with a wealth of acquisitions this summer, but yielding no points and no goals from their first two Premier League matches, it's understandable that Dyche seeks further firepower.

How good is Callum Hudson-Odoi?

Hudson-Odoi had the world at his feet.

The fleet-footed wideman had burst onto the scene at Stamford Bridge, hailed as "brilliant" and "the big one" by pundit Darren Bent after a scintillating performance against West Bromwich Albion back in 2020, but the three-cap England international has hit his nadir after a heavy fall from grace.

He was even the subject of £70m transfer attention from Bayern Munich in 2020, though Chelsea rejected the German Bundesliga champions' advances and now look to offload their struggling star for a paltry £8m.

The talent is unequivocal, however, and there is a reason that Hudson-Odoi was earning such lucrative attention in the formative phase of his career, described as "amazingly talented" by scout Jacek Kulig.

Despite an inauspicious loan spell with Bayer Leverkusen last season, where the ace posted just one goal and one assist from 21 outings, starting 13 times, the Cobham graduate boasts a wealth of qualities that could arrest the awe of the Everton masses once provided with a platform to truly grow into his skin.

As per FBref, Hudson-Odoi ranks among the top 10% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 15% for progressive carries per 90.

Effectively, this highlights both the crispness of his ball-playing skills and his aptitude as a box-crashing vessel, and while the fluidity in decisive moments has faded, he could yet restore his impetus.

It could be an especially prudent move to make given the likely departure of Gray at Everton, with the 27-year-old poised for a move to Saudi club Al Shabab after the Toffees reached an agreement on a fee, though first will look to secure a replacement.

Enter Hudson-Odoi.

The £180k-per-week gem – who the Evening Standard claim will take a 'significant' pay cut to get his career back on track – can play across both flanks and actually trumps his Jamaican counterpart in several key elements.

Indeed, Gray ranks among the bottom 22% of attacking midfielders and wingers for progressive passes, the bottom 1% for progressive passes, the bottom 23% for successful take-ons and the top 37% for progressive carries per 90.

The £25k-per-week attacker did manage to score six goals from 36 matches across all competitions last term, but his overall game does not cut the mustard considering the sustenance of Everton as a top-flight outfit.

Hudson Odoi – roughly five years younger – has had a tough time of late and is leagues below the expectation when this prodigious bundle of talent announced himself at Stamford Bridge several years ago, but he has maintained some of the core qualities requisite for success and Dyche would do well to discard Gray and provide the Chelsea star with the opportunity to tap into his potential on Merseyside.

As Australia arrived in Adelaide for the ODI on Friday, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said that more attention needed to be paid to the way bowlers transitioned between formats

Daniel Brettig24-Jan-2018It is often said by retired players that perspective can be easier to find from outside a cricket team than within it. From his out-of-favour vantage point as surplus to Australia’s ODI team, Glenn Maxwell has a simple answer to questions about what Steven Smith’s team are doing wrong with the bat – they are batting at a tempo the world’s more confident teams have long since deemed too slow.While Maxwell feels he has made the very evolution as a batsman that Smith, the coach Darren Lehmann and the national selectors seem to be asking for, he believes that the team he was once a part of has fallen behind England and others in terms of the cruising speed they employ with the bat.Where Australia had been happy to score around six an over for the first 10 overs and then throttle back to four or five until the closing overs, Maxwell said that England had shown it was better to be more aggressive and then “chill” at a run a ball. “They’re obviously playing the new brand of one-day cricket,” Maxwell said, “which is go as hard as you can for 15 or 16 overs, chill out at 10 but still go at six an over.”I think the Australian one-day team for a while our chill-out time has been four and a half to five an over of just making sure we conserve wickets. I think these days you just can’t afford to do that. You’ve got to be a little tougher and got to be a little more boundary-conscious.”Maxwell’s words provide further impetus to the search for a refreshed approach from the Australian ODI set-up, after the selection chairman Trevor Hohns conceded that a full review of the team’s personnel and tactical approach was required in order to be competitive at next year’s World Cup. In assessing his own development, Maxwell said he was disappointed he had not been given the chance to show his evolution after being shunted up and down the batting order prior to being dropped in India last year.”I feel like I’ve changed a little bit over the last period of time where I’m able to work my way through situations instead of just going ahead and blasting it,” he said. “Looking back at the Indian ODIs, I probably didn’t have the chance to show that. The first game turned into a T20 and I came out and we needed 13 an over, and I think the game before I got dropped I was sent in with six overs to go. So there wasn’t exactly time to rebuild and work through an innings.”As the Australian team, sans Maxwell, arrived in Adelaide ahead of the dead rubber Australia Day ODI on Friday, fast bowler Josh Hazlewood said that more attention needed to be paid to the way bowlers transitioned between formats. While much work has been done around their physical preparation and workload management, Hazlewood said the different skill sets required in the shorter forms needed to be better addressed in the future.Getty Images”We haven’t quite transitioned from Test cricket to one-day cricket as well as we could have,” Hazlewood said. “England have two sets of bowlers in some regard, with only [Chris] Woakes and [Moeen] Ali backing up so they’re really one-day specialists, I guess you could say and they’ve showed us how to play. I think you still want your best bowlers playing…but you do need to work on skills from time to time. Maybe it’s a session here or there around Test cricket, you work on those skills with the white ball.”We can probably learn and do things a bit differently. I guess you have to outline some training sessions for the white-ball stuff and work on your variations even while you’re playing on a Test tour. My role in one-day cricket is a little bit similar to Test cricket, I bowl at the start a lot and a little bit through the middle. But for some guys like [Mitchell] Starc and [Pat] Cummins, their one-day game is probably closer to a Twenty20 game where they bowl a lot of overs at the end when the [opposing] batters are going.”By contrast, England have been refreshed by the changeover, something Woakes said was as much a matter of mindset as of tactics. “It’s just a different game…different format, different ball,” he said. “It’s more of a mindset thing because you’re constantly trying to hit the ball in one-day cricket whereas, in Test cricket, you’re more wary. People who don’t know the game that well would probably think it’s a red, it’s a white ball – what changes? But it’s amazing how much it does change.”Winning is a habit so we’ll be trying to do that in the last two games to secure a 5-0 whitewash. It is a huge motivation. We’re obviously delighted to win the series…but we won’t be letting up. We’ll still be trying to go out there on a big day for them, Australia Day, and turn them over. You don’t come out to Australia and win too often so, once you’ve got your foot on the throat, you want to keep it down. If the roles were reversed, then Australia would be doing exactly the same thing to us.”

Jadon Sancho was seen asking Niclas Fullkrug to let him take a Borussia Dortmund penalty against FC Koln on Saturday.

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• Sancho asked Fullkrug to let him take the penalty
• Won the penalty for Dortmund in the 56th minute
• Dortmund thrashed Koln 4-0

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Manchester United loanee, who has not scored a goal in a competitive match since May 2023, won a penalty for Borussia Dortmund in the 56th minute after FC Koln defender Rasmus Carstensen brought him down inside the box. The English winger was then seen begging Niclas Fullkrug to let him take the spot-kick but the German forward did not entertain his colleague's request and instead took the penalty himself to double the team's lead.

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• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  According to Sky Sports reporter , the England international was heard saying "Gimme the Ball! Gimme the Ball!" to Fullkrug but his request was turned down. Fullkrug has scored six goals this season, and this was his first since December's defeat to RB Leipzig.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Despite not getting a chance to score his first Dortmund since returning to the club earlier this month on loan, the 23-year-old had impressive outing and was even handed his first start by manager Edin Terzic. He has been impressive since his return to Germany and had even provided an assist for Marco Reus' goal against Darmstadt last week.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR SANCHO?

  The 4-0 win over Koln has helped Die Schwarzgelben to reduce their gap with league leaders Bayer Leverkusen to 12 points. Sancho will be next seen in action on January 28 when Dortmund face VFL Bochum in a Bundesliga clash.

Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has weighed in on the Kylian Mbappe exit rumours, revealing the pair have a "gentlemen's agreement".

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• Mbappe out of contract in summer
• Free to talk with other clubs
• PSG president reveals "gentlemen's agreement"

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The mercurial Frenchman is set to be the subject of yet another transfer saga after it was revealed his contract at the Parisian club expires in six months' time. Mbappe is now technically free to start negotiating deals with other clubs, with Real Madrid and Liverpool the frontrunners to land his signature. The possibility of him staying at PSG still exists, of course, something which president Al-Khelaifi alluded to in a recent interview.

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  WHAT AL-KHELAIFI SAID

  The PSG chief told on Tuesday: "I'm not going to hide things. Of course I want Kylian to stay, that's for sure. He's the best player in the world, and the best club for Kylian is Paris. He's at the centre of everything. It's simple. I have a very good relationship with him. A great player and a great person. He spoke after the Champions Trophy match and said he had an agreement with me. He did. It is an agreement. More of a gentlemen's agreement than a signed one. There aren't too many negotiations at the moment.

  "Today, he's 25, he's still young. He can still win a lot of trophies with us and the French team. He has the best training centre in the world, and the best coach too. And every year, we play in the Champions League and we go very far. We're with the biggest clubs. Even the French league has come a long way. And with the new Champions League format, there will be more competitive matches against teams at our level. We've got a lot of important matches coming up. I'm asking everyone to leave us alone and leave Kylian alone. I have every confidence in him. He'll never do anything to harm the club. We're all part of the same family."

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Khelaifi's reference to an "agreement" echoes the words of Mbappe himself, spoken after PSG's Trophee des Champions triumph over Toulouse a week ago. Those comments reportedly frustrated Real Madrid, who are looking to avoid a repeat of the failed saga of 2021 when the Frenchman rejected them at the 11th hour. Los Blancos are thought to have set a deadline of mid-January for Mbappe to make his decision this time around, although reports elsewhere suggest the 25-year-old will decide sometime in February, before the Champions League last 16.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE?

  Unlike in 2021, though, it looks like Real Madrid may face competition from Premier League giants Liverpool. Mbappe is thought to "admire" Jurgen Klopp's side, and it has been claimed the Frenchman was left unhappy with the January ultimatum set by Madrid. In any case, it could be a while before this saga reaches a definitive conclusion.

Manchester United are believed to be in the mix to sign Paris Saint-Germain sensation, Kylian Mbappe, with the in-demand ace facing an uncertain future at the Parc des Princes amid his expiring contract.

What's the latest on Mbappe to Man United?

As per The Telegraph, the Frenchman has been the subject of a mammoth £260m offer from Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal, with the 24-year-old's current side seemingly open to a sale rather than seeing the forward depart for nothing next summer.

The report reveals that United – as well as the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur – are among the clubs who have 'made contact' with the Ligue 1 powerhouse regarding an ambitious swoop, albeit with sources at Old Trafford having 'dismissed' the notion of making a bid.

That being said, Sky Sports have also suggested that the Red Devils are one of the interested parties in the race to prise the World Cup winner from Paris, with PSG open to 'any offer' for the contract rebel, with a loan exit for the upcoming campaign having even been mooted.

Will Mbappe join Man United?

With Erik ten Hag's side still yet to strengthen their centre-forward ranks, it would undoubtedly represent a sizeable coup if a deal for Mbappe could be agreed, with the former Monaco man likely to be the dream signing to lead the line moving forward.

At present, much of the talk is centred on the Red Devils' apparent interest in Atalanta hotshot, Rasmus Hojlund, with the 20-year-old having caught the eye after netting ten goals in all competitions during his debut season in Italy last time out.

Despite the Dane's desire to move to the Theatre of Dreams, a deal has thus far yet to be agreed due to the difference in valuation between the two parties, with Ten Hag and co reportedly unwilling to fork out more than £60m to sign the promising youngster.

While excitement has been building regarding the former Sturm Graz man due to his potential likeness to fellow Scandinavian star, Erling Haaland, that £60m fee does appear rather steep for a player who has netted just 27 club career goals to date at senior level.

With Hojlund evidently a player for the future, Mbappe, by contrast, is simply a "phenomenon" who could make an instant impact in the Premier League – as hailed by teammate, Neymar – having sparkled for both club and country over recent years.

Despite still being relatively young himself, the 5 foot 10 speedster already boasts a haul of 310 goals and assists in just 260 games for his current side, having also netted 40 goals in just 70 outings for his country – for whom he is now captain.

While young Hojlund was not even named as part of Denmark's squad for the recent World Cup, Mbappe simply sparkled yet again after netting eight goals in Qatar as Les Bleus reached the final, memorably netting a hat-trick in the showpiece thriller with Lionel Messi's Argentina.

Such exploits left former United man Rio Ferdinand to suggest that the Paris native is now "the best" in the world, with it hard to argue that Hojlund – who bagged just nine Serie A goals last term – is anywhere close to reaching such heights.

Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Red Devils have the financial muscle to be able to pull off such a mouthwatering deal, yet throwing money at Mbappe is likely to be worth every penny.

Arsenal's Thomas Partey is not close to a move to Saudi Arabia as his discussions with Saudi Pro League clubs are "not something advanced" at the moment, despite the genuine interest in him from sides in the Middle Eastern state, claims transfers expert Fabrizio Romano.

Is Thomas Partey leaving Arsenal?

It has been a frankly unbelievable start to the transfer window for Arsenal so far this summer, with the club splashing the cash in a major way on several new marque signings.

So far, the club have confirmed the £65m purchase of German international Kai Havertz from cross-city rivals Chelsea and the £34m signing of Netherlands international and Ajax star Jurrien Timber.

The Gunners have also smashed the British transfer record to sign West Ham United captain Declan Rice, despite the club yet to announce it officially.

With all of this spending, it's perhaps not surprising to hear that some players may be on their way out of the Emirates this summer, with one name consistently mentioned over the last few weeks being midfield general Partey.

American outlet CBS Sports revealed last month that the former Atletico Madrid man was on the radar of three clubs from the Saudi Pro League; Al Nassr, Al Ahli, and Al Khaleej.

It looks like things might've progressed further than interest in the last month, as Saudi journalist Nawaf Al-Aqeel reported earlier this week that Partey was now discussing personal terms with "a Saudi club."

However, Fabrizio Romano has since confirmed that these reports are untrue and that, at the moment, nothing has advanced regarding the interest from these few sides.

He explained the situation on his YouTube channel, saying:

"At the moment, for Thomas Partey, it's still not something advanced with Saudi clubs.

"They want him, I told you, it was an exclusive news a few days ago, a few weeks ago, but at the moment, it's still not something advanced, so let's see what happens with Thomas Partey, and then we will understand on the midfield for Arsenal."

Should Arsenal sell Thomas Partey?

It's an interesting question, as had it been asked in January, the answer from almost all quarters would likely have been a resounding no, such was his importance to the Gunners' title charge last season.

That said, as the north London side's campaign fell apart in the latter stages of the season, the Ghanaian international was often one of the players to receive most of the criticism.

Telegraph reporter Sam Dean highlighted his surprising drop in form on the Arsenal Beat Podcast (via Fansided), saying:

"Thomas Partey has dropped off a cliff in the past few games. He's forgotten how to play football in the same way, and watching him against City on Wednesday was bizarre."

That said, the 31-year-old is still a brilliant player, and his underlying numbers bear that out.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the Black Stars midfielder is in the top 5% for progressive passes, the top 6% for attempted passes, the top 15% for pass completion, the top 11% for successful take-ons and aerial duals won, and the top 23% for clearances, all per 90.

If the club are looking to challenge for the Premier League yet again next season, it might be wise to keep Partey in the side as he has shown, more often than not, that he can be one of the league's best midfielders.