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There could well be light at the end of the tunnel for Sheffield Wednesday now, the decision to sack Xisco Munoz and appoint Danny Rohl looking more and more like a masterstroke decision from the Owls hierarchy as time goes on.

The mood around Hillsborough prior to the German's arrival was one of resignation to the mire Wednesday found themselves in, rooted to the bottom of the Championship dejected and broken.

Now, there's a very real of glimmer of hope that the South Yorkshire club can mount an unbelievable relegation escape and keep their heads above water in the division – Rohl winning four matches since arriving on the scene, a breath of fresh air for the Owls fans.

Akin Famewo has been one standout performer for Wednesday in recent matches, the defender integral in helping his team shut up shop in matches to pick up rare wins.

Yet, another addition into the building that would slot into the team alongside Famewo in January could be equally as crucial – the Owls linked with young Oxford United goalkeeper James Beadle over a possible switch to Hillsborough.

Sheffield Wednesday transfer latest

The Sheffield Star have reported on the possibility of Beadle leaving the U's behind this January to make the step-up to the Championship, the Brighton loanee itching to test himself at a higher level on another loan adventure.

This potential deal could signal the end of Cameron Dawson as Rohl's number one goalkeeper in South Yorkshire, as well as potentially cutting short the ongoing loan deal at Wednesday involving 25-year-old back-up shot-stopper Devis Vasquez.

Tipped by current Oxford teammate Cameron Brannagan to go on and 'play at the top' in an interview with This is Oxfordshire, this will be an interesting transfer saga to watch unfold this January.

Alongside a rock solid Famewo, Beadle could be shrewd swoop in January to shore up a shaky Owls defence in nervy games to come in the battle to avoid relegation.

The stats that show James Beadle would be a good fit for Wednesday

Only keeping three clean sheets this season in the Championship, Dawson's days as Owls number one could well be numbered if Rohl opts to sign Beadle.

The highly rated 19-year-old has six more clean sheets playing for Oxford in all competition, picking up his ninth of the season last game as the U's romped home to a 3-0 win at the Kassam Stadium over Burton Albion.

His top-drawer displays have seen a whole host of his teammates dishing out the praise, captain Elliott Moore labelling Beadle as "immense" after a valiant display away at Derby County at the start of the season.

Whereas, Dawson – last match versus QPR – had to pick the ball out of his net despite the visitors only having two shots on target in the game – Bambo Diaby unfortunately powering a header past his own goalkeeper in Dawson, before Wednesday mounted an impressive comeback to win 2-1.

Signing Beadle could also be more in-keeping with the injection of youth Rohl has given to his side in recent weeks, Bailey Cadamarteri leading the line successfully at just 18 years of age with three goals in four.

Moreover, 20-year-old Djeidi Gassama has proven to be a useful calling card off the bench in recent games with two assists in his last three.

Beadle hasn't just burst onto the scene with Oxford out of the blue too, starring in Crewe Alexandra colours in a prior loan switch at just 18 years of age which saw him pull off a wonder save in one contest at Gresty Road to the amazement of those watching on.

Famewo would also welcome a new goalkeeper behind him, the 25-year-old excellent in recent games but has only amassed one clean sheet – as per Sofascore – when playing this season.

This is despite sterling performances against Leicester City and QPR to name a few, the Owls defender winning a combined 18 ground duels in these games to be a guaranteed name on Rohl's teamsheet.

Rohl will have to be cut-throat and axe his current number one to make way for Beadle to come in, Wednesday having to make big calls to form a team capable of going the distance and staving off the drop to avoid falling back down to League One.

Robinho has learned he will have to serve a nine-year prison sentence for rape in his homeland, years after he was found guilty in an Italian court.

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Robinho convicted of rape in ItalyStar has been in Brazil since thenMust serve sentence in homelandWHAT HAPPENED?

In 2017, the former Real Madrid, AC Milan and Manchester City star was convicted of rape in Italy but had already travelled to his homeland at the time. A request to have him extradited to Italy was rejected but a tribunal has now ruled that he can serve out his sentence in Brazil.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Eight of the 10 votes cast in the Superior Tribunal of Justice (STJ) case were in favour of Robinho's arrest and serving of the sentence on home soil, but the 40-year-old's defence lawyers can appeal against the ruling to the STJ and Federal Supreme Court (STF).

DID YOU KNOW?

Robinho recently claimed his nine-year prison sentence is a result of racism in Italy, telling : "I was convicted in Italy unjustly for something that did not happen and I have all the evidence to show that. I played four years in Italy and I got tired of seeing stories of racism. Unfortunately it happens today. That happened in 2013 and today we are in 2024, which leads me to believe that the same people who do nothing against racism are the same ones who they condemned at my trial. If my trial were for a white person, it would be totally different, without a doubt."

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR ROBINHO?

The ex-Santos star will likely appeal against the court's ruling that he will have to serve the nine-year sentence.

Southampton have seen a whole host of talent grace St Mary's over the years as demonstrated in their summer fire sale, reluctantly letting go of James Ward-Prowse, Romeo Lavia, Tino Livramento and Nathan Tella.

While those were just a few of the stars they were forced into selling following their relegation, the talent sold this summer doesn't touch the surface of the profile of players they've sold previously.

The Saints have nurtured and developed some of the game's biggest stars who have gone on to become world-beaters since departing the club, including Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Gareth Bale.

In 2013, Mauricio Pochettino came close to adding to that impressive roster – but as seen by the players he brought to St Mary's – the Argentine fell short in the transfer market.

During his 18 months in charge, Pochettino brought in Vegard Forren, Daniel Osvaldo, Victor Wanyama and Dejan Lovren, although the quality of that list would have dramatically improved if he had managed to sign Heung-Min Son at the time.

Did Southampton almost sign Heung-Min Son?

Southampton came close to signing Heung-Min Son in 2013, as revealed by Pochettino before he signed for Bayer Leverkusen.

The Argentine was on the lookout for a goalscorer to keep them afloat in the Premier League and landed on the South Korean as their target after scoring 12 goals for Hamburg in the season prior.

Pochettino knew of his talents from an early age and was desperate to bring him to England that summer, however, his attempts to sign him were thwarted and Son stayed put in Germany.

Speaking in 2019, the 51-year-old revealed they were close to landing the forward, who was 21-years-old at the time, but were unable to agree personal terms.

He commented: "We tried to sign him in Southampton. He preferred to move to Leverkusen. Then we tried again here and we got him.

"Everyone can see his performance. He is doing a fantastic job for Tottenham. We know his quality and potential.

"We were very close but in the end he was so young and his family preferred, rather than leaving Germany and the Bundesliga, to keep him there and he preferred to move to Bayer Leverkusen rather than Southampton. But we were so close."

Pochettino may have failed in his attempts to bring Son to Southampton, but he did succeed two years later when he was manager of Tottenham – and the rest is history.

How many Premier League goals has Son scored?

Becoming the most expensive Asian player in history after Tottenham signed him from Bayer Leverkusen for £22m in 2015, Son's boundless amounts of talent have propelled him into the elite bracket of Premier League players across the past decade, and of all-time.

The South Korean – who has been lavished as "world-class" on numerous occasions, notably by Jose Mourinho – is simply a joy to watch when in full flow, striking the most successful partnership in the competitions history with former teammate Harry Kane – as the pair dominated at the top end of the scoring charts for almost a decade.

In the 2021/22 season, the pair were on fire as Son finished as the league's joint-top scorer on 23, but this wasn't the only record he contributed towards that year, surpassing Frank Lampard's and Didier Drogba's record of most goal combinations as a pair (36).

Lauded by Kane as "unbelievable", the 31-year-old's unrelenting scoring power, exceptional footballing brain and explosive physical attributes have been exercised with regularity in his eight-year spell at the Lilywhites, showcasing his ability to produce all types of goals.

From mouth-watering solo goals – like his Puskas award-winning goal against Burnley – to the superbly placed curling efforts and composed finishes inside the box, Son has almost every finish in the locker with his goal-scoring record speaking volumes about the quality he possesses.

In 379 appearances for Spurs, he has chalked up an eye-watering 150 goals and a further 80 assists, demonstrating an unrelenting capacity to produce moments of brilliance in big matches, haunting Arsenal on several occasions in the north London Derby.

While he's worshipped at Tottenham, he's idolised by supporters in the Premier League after becoming the first Asian player to reach 100 goals in the competition last season.

In recent times, however, things haven't always been rosy for Son. His form took a turn for the worse last season, scoring just three times in the opening 14 league matches, but so did Spurs as they struggled under Antonio Conte.

But since the arrival of Ange Postecoglu, the 190k per-week phenom has been revolutionized, filling the void left by Kane superbly with a hat-trick against Burnley and a brace against Arsenal.

Despite managing their rivals Chelsea, Pochettino will always be remembered at Tottenham for the role he played in bringing the South Korean sensation to White Hart Lane.

Sunrisers Hyderabad topped the league stage, but lost all four games against Chennai Super Kings this season. Captain Kane Williamson lauded the way CSK handled the most high-pressure match of the lot, the final, not giving Sunrisers any opportunities while chasing what he thought was a “competitive total”.In pursuit of 179, CSK lost only two wickets and ensured Sunrisers’ most dangerous bowlers – Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Rashid Khan – went wicketless.”That is the nature of that – sometimes you do have to applaud very good cricket and that was CSK in terms of their batting today,” Williamson said. “It was outstanding, they didn’t give us opportunities, they hit it over the fence rather than to our man. Look, it is such a fine line, I know out there on the park it’s an eight-wicket win but we all saw that there were moments of pressure where the game can change very quickly, and if you’re able to pounce on those then that’s when you take your opportunity. And today, you do credit the way CSK handled those moments of pressure and carried on with their batting performance.”Apart from Shane Watson’s unbeaten 117, Williamson had words of praise for his bowlers too. After Bhuvneshwar started with a maiden over against Watson, Sunrisers restricted CSK to only 35 for 1 in the Powerplay before they took on Siddarth Kaul and Sandeep Sharma.”At the halfway stage on the surface, we thought we had a very competitive total,” Williamson said. “It wasn’t perhaps your usual surface at the Wankhede and it held a little bit and was responsive to the slower ball. So we thought that 180-mark was a really good target and you saw that from our first overs, it wasn’t very easy to get away. I think from that point onwards, that innings of Shane Watson… anyone who turns out with an innings of 100-plus in the final, it was obviously a significant effort and great contribution to their side and very difficult to stop, so a fantastic knock.”I believe after the first few overs, the [required] run rate was climbing, there were risks required and if we were able to pick up a couple of wickets, which we have been doing throughout the season, then all of a sudden it takes a very different shape. Credit to the way CSK played, they showed their experience and got through that period and took the game away from us.”When asked if the bowling of their domestic quicks, apart from Bhuvneshwar, cost them the game, Williamson said: “I’d rather look at the likes of Watson in terms of his innings. He did put us under pressure. You come into a final and that is one of the things you do need to deal with the best you can – pressure. Everybody’s feeling it a little bit and he responded to it beautifully and put us under more pressure. Once again, the way we started with the ball was outstanding, gave us an opportunity. There was a balancing point there which they ran away with.”We look at a variety of surfaces that we played on [early in the season] and I think that was huge in how our bowlers operated, and then we came on to some other surfaces, perhaps a little bit better [for batting], and we were trying to adjust as best as we could.”That’s the nature of T20 cricket, it’s very aggressive, you play looking to get on top of bowlers and at times that can happen to anyone, it’s just one of those things. But he [Kaul] has been a fantastic asset for our side throughout this whole campaign. His death bowling is of the highest quality and he’s got a fantastic slower ball as well. The likes of him and the other boys that were in our attack were brilliant throughout the whole campaign.”Williamson can indeed be proud of his bowling attack, from which two bowlers – Rashid and Kaul, with 21 wickets each – finished behind the tournament’s top wicket-taker Andrew Tye (24). Sandeep and Bhuvneshwar didn’t play all their matches but were frugal, finishing the tournament with economy rates of 7.56 and 7.66 respectively.

Two long-hops, one legspinner, two pulls: how did Bairstow go against Todd Astle?

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Mar-201870.2 Astle to Bairstow, no run, Boult has put down a sitter. Oh that is terrible cricket. Just awful from everyone involved. Astle drops it halfway down the pitch, Bairstow looks to pull and lobs it straight to Boult at mid-on who grabs at it like he hasn’t seen it at all. It’s a straightforward take, waist height, no real pace on it. Something’s gone wrong with the sight there.Todd Astle is in disbelief after Trent Boult drops a sitter•Getty Images

72.4 Astle to Bairstow, OUT, can you believe it?! Bairstow has played another pull with no control, and this time he’s found Williamson at short midwicket. Another long-hop from Astle, draws a loose shot. This one is turning away a little more than the previous one and he drags it a long way. Williamson leaps high to his right and hangs on.Jonny Bairstow picked out midwicket with a pull•Getty Images

New Zealand have struggled in the limited-overs games against South Africa, without Vettori to hold one end down

Andrew Alderson28-Feb-2012The extent to which New Zealand are missing Daniel Vettori as a key limited-overs slow-bowling option has been highlighted against South Africa. Vettori’s replacements are yet to show the same flight, drift, speed and angle variations on the world stage. To be fair, they should not be expected to yet – it takes a lot of time to displace the experience gleaned from 272 one-day internationals and 28 Twenty20 internationals – but it could be a sign New Zealand has work to do to match Vettori’s input.While Vettori has been preparing himself for the Test series by playing first-class cricket with top-of-the-table Northern Districts, New Zealand have struggled to tie down an end against South Africa. Vettori would have been useful with his valuable repertoire of deliveries, bowling to some of the world’s best batsmen, like Jacques Kallis, Graeme Smith, Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers in the shorter formats.The onus is on Nathan McCullum, Rob Nicol, Tarun Nethula and Kane Williamson to restrict the visitors in the final two one-day internationals this week. However, small grounds and pitches that have been giving little assistance to any form of bowler mean progress has been minimal.There is talk Vettori is open to returning to the one-day ranks, possibly in time for the World T20 in Sri Lanka in September. This seems unlikely, though, given he has a young family, a lucrative IPL contract captaining Royal Challengers Bangalore, and numerous prestigious Test records in his sights.Vettori has an international economy rate of 4.12 in ODIs and 5.36 in T20s. Such figures have frustrated opponents since 1997; they have often been cause for batsmen to lash out against bowlers at the other end. By comparison Nicol was the best of the New Zealand bowlers in the South African T20s (6.60 runs an over); McCullum chipped in with the best economy rate (3.57) without taking any wickets in the opening one-dayer. Over their careers McCullum (4.79 runs an over in 32 ODIs, 6.49 in 32 T20s) and Nicol (6.22 in 7 ODIs and 7.05 in eight T20s) are less restrictive but comparable to Vettori in the wicket-taking stakes. Nethula – and Roneel Hira for the T20s – are tidy operators but works-in-progress, while Williamson seems more of a go-to-guy if they’re looking for a few stock overs of offspin or a sudden breakthrough, rather than a full-time option.Meanwhile Vettori has been gearing for the upcoming Tests. He took nine wickets at 18.67 in a series of decent spells for Northern Districts against Central Districts in Gisborne and Canterbury in Rangiora which resulted in outright wins. His best bowling was 5 for 89 in 33.1 overs to win the latter match. He also produced batting scores of 17 and 46 in that game.Vettori is also edging towards a couple of significant milestones that will define his Test career. At his current wicket-taking pace of 3.3 wickets per match, he will pass Richard Hadlee’s 431-wicket mark during the tour by the West Indies in 2013-14. With 4389 Test runs and 356 wickets he is also fast closing on Indian allrounder Kapil Dev’s unique territory as the only Test cricketer to score more than 5000 runs and take more than 400 wickets.

An update has emerged on Tottenham Hotspur and their plans to bolster Ange Postecoglou's playing squad during the upcoming January transfer window…

Spurs transfer news – Raphinha

According to FootballTransfers, the Spurs head coach is eyeing up a swoop to land exciting Barcelona forward Raphinha ahead of the second half of the campaign.

The report has claimed that the Spanish giants are prepared to cash in on the Brazil international for a fee within the region of €70m (£61m) in January.

It is stated that the LaLiga outfit would be interested in a part-swap deal involving Cristian Romero, however, they also would prefer to have the full fee in cash from Tottenham as they want to generate funds, which could rule out a swap.

FootballTransfers claim that Spurs are now looking into the possibility of a deal to land the talented attacker, who could be an upgrade on current first-team winger Dejan Kulusevski.

Kulusevski's season in numbers

The Sweden international has enjoyed a solid start to the 2023/24 campaign as the forward has contributed with three goals and three 'big chances' created in 12 Premier League appearances.

His form at the top end of the pitch this term has come off the back of a return of two goals and seven assists in 30 top-flight matches, including 23 starts, for Spurs throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

This means that Kulusevski has managed five goals and seven assists in his last 42 Premier League games for Tottenham since the start of last season.

He has been solid but unspectacular for the club as a left-footed winger on the right flank and Raphinha is a player who could take them to the next level in that position.

The statistics that show why Raphinha would be an upgrade on Kulusevski

The Brazil international has not been a regular starter for Barcelona this season but has managed to rack up two goals and one assist in nine LaLiga outings, despite only starting three times.

His form throughout the 2022/23 campaign highlighted his impressive attacking qualities, though, as Raphinha produced seven goals, seven assists, and 17 'big chances' created in 25 starts.

This means that the 26-year-old gem, who was once hailed as a "magician" by former teammate Dan James, has amassed nine goals and eight assists in his last 28 starts for Barcelona in LaLiga, compared to five goals and seven assists in 35 league starts for Kulusevski in that time.

Raphinha would also come in as a proven Premier League performer as the Brazilian ace managed 17 goals, 12 assists, and 20 'big chances' created in 70 top-flight starts for Leeds across two seasons before his move to Spain.

This shows that the Barcelona ace already knows what it takes to perform in England and could, therefore, hit the ground running and translate his attacking form over to London to be an upgrade on Kulusevski.

Both players are left-footed right wingers who predominantly look to cut inside to utilise their preferred foot but the former Whites star's statistics indicate that he has far more quality in the final third.

The £61m Spurs target has scored more goals and assisted his teammates more frequently than Kulusevski in recent seasons, which is why Postecoglou could land an upgrade for his starting XI by securing a January deal to sign the ex-Rennes sensation.

Glasgow Rangers return from the international break with a new manager and, hopefully, with a newfound confidence following the dreadful Michael Beale reign.

Philippe Clement was announced as the new manager of the Ibrox side last weekend and the Belgian will need to use all his tactical acumen and managerial nous to get a tune out of some of these players.

With four domestic titles to his name during spells at Genk and Club Brugge, while also managing one of the biggest clubs in France, AS Monaco, the 49-year-old was a strong candidate for the role and the club will hope to begin the new era with a bang against Hibernian this weekend.

Beale signed nine new players for the Light Blues during his summer rebuild, yet not all of them appear up to the pressures of dethroning Celtic and returning to the summit of the Scottish game.

Sam Lammers cost £3m, yet he has scored only once in 16 matches, while £6m arrival Danilo has seen injury problems derail his impact at the Gers, and Clement must work closely with these new arrivals and try and bolster their confidence somehow.

It was the move for striker Cyriel Dessers, however, which has seen Beale’s transfer business come under scrutiny. The former Cremonese frontman arrived for a fee in the region of £4.5m, yet his performances have failed to live up to this vast transfer sum.

How has Cyriel Dessers performed for Rangers?

The 28-year-old scored six Serie A goals last season for Cremonese and Beale earmarked him as one of his main transfer targets as he looked to overhaul his attacking options following the departures of Ryan Kent and Alfredo Morelos, while Antonio Colak was sold to Parma.

£4.5m was a lot to pay for a player who is going to turn 29 in December, and the evidence of his performances so far suggests that the move has not worked out.

Across 15 games for the Light Blues so far this term, the Nigerian international has scored just three goals, while also grabbing three assists, and it is far from the return expected.

Indeed, his statistics when compared to the Rangers squad as a whole during the current league campaign are extremely underwhelming.

He ranks in a lowly ninth spot for goals and assists (one), while also ranking fourth for shots per game (2.3), first for big chances missed (six) and seventh for key passes per game (1.1), clearly suggesting that he is not having a significant impact on the pitch.

Clement will hope a new manager and a fresh playing style will benefit the former Feyenoord striker. Dessers needs to hit the ground running over the coming weeks otherwise his Gers career could be over before it even gets going.

This big spending on centre-forwards in recent years has not led to much success and, considering the volume of players the club has sold for peanuts or released for free who would be better options than Dessers, the transfer business has been poor.

Once such player was Ryan Hardie, who left the club in 2019 under Steven Gerrard and has since enjoyed a goalscoring spree down south.

What happened to Ryan Hardie?

The striker emerged through the academy to make his debut for the Gers during the 2014/15 season, as the club were trying to battle back to the Scottish Premiership.

A couple of goals signified some potential, and he then spent two loan spells at Raith Rovers, scoring 14 goals in just 34 games for the Kirkcaldy side, and he returned to the Light Blues full of confidence that perhaps he could make an impact in the first team.

Despite the Gers struggling throughout the 2017/18 campaign, Hardie made seven league appearances for the club, failing to score, and the future looked bright, especially having spent the second half of the term on loan at Livingston, helping them secure promotion to the top flight.

Gerrard sent him back out to Livi during 2018/19 and, while he netted seven times, this was not enough to convince the manager he was wanted ahead of the next campaign, as he departed for Blackpool in 2019.

It has been his stint on the South coast with Plymouth Argyle however that has seen the 26-year-old return to prominence, scoring 54 times in 176 appearances and he has shone in the Championship this season.

How has Ryan Hardie performed this season for Plymouth?

The Scot helped the club gain promotion to the Championship and this season, he already has more goals and assists than Dessers, registering eight goal contributions altogether.

His performances when compared to the rest of the Plymouth squad have also been excellent. Hardie is currently ranked first for goals and assists across the first team (eight) whilst also ranking second for shots on target per game (1.6) and shots per game (3.3) along with ranking first for big chances missed (five).

This indicates that he could have added more goals to his tally had he been more clinical with the opportunities that fell his way this season.

However, these displays have been wonderful, and it certainly looks as though the former Gers starlet is finally showcasing the vast potential he once demonstrated in flashes at Ibrox.

The fact he is outperforming Dessers in a challenging league in England is a testament to just how poorly the club have conducted their business over the previous few years.

Of course, an academy graduate making it as a regular first team player is extremely rare, yet Hardie was barely offered a chance by Gerrard, despite showing flashes of quality in the Scottish top flight.

176

54

39

15

34

14

17

3

17

2

12

1

He may not have been the answer for the current squad, but the fact he has scored over half a century of goals since leaving Glasgow is proof that players can still shine despite being told they are not good enough for either of the Old Firm.

If Hardie continues his current run of form, there is no doubt there will be plenty of attention with regard to his availability and Plymouth could well make a stunning profit on the player.

For the Light Blues, it is a case of what might have been. Instead, they have spent millions of pounds signing strikers who have been unable to adjust to Premiership football, whilst one former centre-forward is shining away from Ibrox.

From a frustrating lack of activity a few weeks ago to a new piece of news seemingly dropping on the hour, this summer is shaping up to be an incredibly exciting one for Arsenal.

Instead of second-guessing Mikel Arteta’s vision following a third successive second-placed finish in the Premier League last year, the board are doubling down on their support for the Spanish manager.

It’s not even pre-season yet, but the club has already announced Martin Zubimendi and Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Christian Norgaard is expected to be announced any day now.

Moreover, after years of fans crying out for it, the North Londoners are finally reinforcing the attack, with Viktor Gyokeres looking like the man to lead the line and Eberechi Eze being able to fill in off the left as well as in attacking midfield.

Yet, that’s not all, as reports are now linking Arsenal to another Premier League star, someone who’d be loved by the Swedish and English stars.

Arsenal eye attacker to help Gyokeres and Eze

The big topic of discussion regarding Arsenal’s transfer dealings over the last few days has undoubtedly been Gyokeres.

Transfer Focus

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

After months of deliberation over who was going to be the club’s new number nine, it looks like the Sporting CP star is the man, as he’s reportedly agreed personal terms with the Gunners and the Lisbon outfit appear ready to accept an offer of around £70m.

Things are marginally less advanced with Eze, as while he has supposedly agreed terms with the North Londoners and is incredibly keen on making the move, less progress has been made with Crystal Palace.

Stories from earlier this week claimed that Andrea Berta and Co are preparing to make an offer of £60m in three £20m instalments, but it remains to be seen if the Eagles accept anything less than the 27-year-old’s £68m release clause.

That’s not all, though, as the Premier League runners-up have also been linked with another attacking dynamo, Bryan Mbeumo.

Yes, on the latest episode of The Athletic FC Podcast, journalist David Ornstein revealed that Arsenal have “explored” a move for the Brentford star this summer.

If this is a move the Gunners are still keen to complete, they may need to hurry things along, as Manchester United remain incredibly eager to bring him to Old Trafford.

In terms of how much he’d cost, reports from earlier this summer claimed that the Bees want a fee in excess of £65m for their star attacker.

It would undoubtedly be a complicated and costly transfer to get over the line for Arsenal, but given Mbeumo’s ability, it is one worth fighting for, especially as he’d be a dream teammate for Eze and Gyokeres.

Why Gyokeres and Eze would love Mbeumo

Well, the first and arguably most crucial reason Gyokeres and Eze would love playing alongside Mbeumo is his output.

After all, goals win games, and he sure scores a lot of them.

In 42 appearances this season, totalling 3577 minutes, the Bees’ “mini-Salah,” as dubbed by pundit Jason Cundy, scored 20 goals and provided nine assists.

Appearances

42

Starts

39

Minutes

3577′

Goals

20

Assists

9

Goal Involvements per Match

0.69

Minutes per Goal Involvement

123.34′

That comes out to a brilliant average of a goal involvement every 1.44 games, or one every 123.34 minutes.

Just imagine how many assists Eze would be able to chalk up playing behind the Cameroon international, and for Gyokeres, he’d make full use of the 25-year-old’s creativity.

Moreover, the sheer weight of goals the former Troyes gem scores would force opposition defenders to pay him a great deal of attention, which in turn should help free up more space for the Swedish hitman to operate in.

However, it’s not just the output that would make the Avallon-born ace a great teammate for the former Coventry City star, but also his versatility.

For example, while the United target does spend most of his time off the right, he can play up top, or even as a second striker, which means he’d be able to fill in for the Stockholm-born goal machine when he’s in need of a rest.

This would help prevent him from burning out in what is likely to be an incredibly intense season for the North Londoners next season.

Ultimately, while it may be unlikely, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Mbeumo, as well as Gyokeres and Eze, this summer.

The Brentford star’s proficiency in front of goal and positional versatility could help them play even better.

Super agent in talks for £30m star to join Arsenal, it could be done in days

He’s trying to seal a north London move for his client.

1 ByEmilio Galantini Jul 8, 2025

Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou has been handed an injury boost as Micky van de Ven and another player "close in" on returns soon.

Injured Spurs players ruled out of action

Following the returns of Richarlison, Pape Matar Sarr and others recently, Spurs' fortunes appear to be taking a small turn as Postecoglou discovers his best side without some key squad members.

Both James Maddison and van de Ven remain absent after picking up long-term injuries against Chelsea last month, but the Lilywhites did manage to seal their first win without them against Newcastle last weekend.

Agent teases Spurs contact for "complete" defender likened to Alderweireld

The rep has been asked about his client’s future.

ByEmilio Galantini Dec 15, 2023

Their impressive 4-1 victory ended a barren run of four defeats in their previous five Premier League games, but Postecoglou has still publicly told Spurs to sign a centre-back regardless. The north Londoners' squad is paper thin right now, and just one or two injuries could put them back in a very precarious position.

As things stand, van de Ven, Maddison, Manor Solomon, Ivan Perisic, Rodrigo Bentancur, Eric Dier, Ryan Sessegnon and Giovani Lo Celso are unavailable to play right now due to fitness issues.

"Yeah look it’s still a challenge. We’ve still got eight out injured from our first-team squad, all of whom have contributed," said Postecoglou on Spurs injuries.

"Apart from maybe Ash Phillips who hasn’t played a lot. The rest have all contributed so it’s still a bit of a challenge for us. It’s not just the games it affects. It affects training. When we had all the guys fit at the start of the year, the level of our training was a lot higher, we could be a lot more intense with what we do. It’s a bit different now.

"But yeah like you said it was good to get back Pape and Richy last week, and that certainly helped us to freshen up the team. Hopefully between now and the new year when we’ll lose players to international commitments, it’s kind of where we’re going to be for the foreseeable future."

Van de Ven and Sessegnon injury update in boost for Ange

Postecoglou will want a fully fit squad, or at least something fairly close, as soon as possible. Tottenham's hopes of Champions League qualification and possible silverware could well rest on getting the likes of van de Ven back fit and firing for the second half of 2023/2024.

Sharing an update on both the Dutchman and left-back Sessegnon, journalist Wayne Veysey has some pretty good news on when they could come back.

Writing for Football Insider, he claims both van de Ven and Sessegnon are "in line" to return for Spurs next month, with the duo both "most advanced" in their recovery processes from long-term injuries.

The former pulled up with a hamstring problem during Tottenham's 4-1 loss to Chelsea in early November, while the latter has been out since February.

Van de ven and Sessegnon are said to be closing in on returns, and could be fully match fit before the end of January. Postecoglou could use some apt cover behind Destiny Udogie on the left and not have to rely on the right-footed Emerson Royal, with Graeme Souness calling Sessegnon a player of real "quality" when fit and available.