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Arsenal have enjoyed a meteoric rise under Mikel Arteta’s wing, making year-by-year progress and now not just consistent Champions League competitors but one of the most respected squads in European football.

However, it’s been five years since the Gunners added to their trophy cabinet, Arteta winning the FA Cup just months into his reign way back in 2019/20, defeating Chelsea in the final.

It’s clear that there’s a missing ingredient, that one last piece of the puzzle which will pave the way to new levels of success in the Premier League and beyond.

Arsenal need to sign a striker, and while Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres has been high on the list, it looks like sporting director Andrea Berta is instead going to move for Benjamin Sesko.

The latest on Benjamin Sesko to Arsenal

On Thursday, Fabrizio Romano confirmed that concrete talks between Arsenal and RB Leipzig are underway for the transfer of Slovenian striker Sesko, who has an €80m (£67m) release clause in his contract.

Since then, Arsenal sources have claimed that personal terms are all wrapped up, and that we’re now entering the later stages of a saga which promises the 22-year-old’s transfer to the Emirates Stadium in the coming weeks.

Sesko is considered one of the most exciting centre-forwards in Europe, having scored 39 goals across two seasons in Germany.

However, while Arsenal are desperate for more firepower, the striker’s arrival would rock the boat somewhat, with someone like Gabriel Jesus perhaps at risk of being ousted from contention next season, should Berta drive the deal over the line.

Why Gabriel Jesus needs to go

In 2022, Arsenal signed Jesus from Manchester City in a deal worth £45m, securing one of the Premier League’s finest pure finishers, chiselled into a natural winner under Pep Guardiola’s wing too.

But he’s struggled with injuries ever since first donning the Arsenal jersey, missing 61 matches due to injury absence since joining.

After tearing his cruciate ligament in January, thus ending his season after undergoing surgery, the Brazil forward’s day may well be done, with the potential signing of Sesko bound to knock him down the pecking order.

Jesus did enjoy a burst of clinical form before that blow, but consistency has been a struggle even when he’s maintained fitness levels, with pundit Micah Richards calling the 28-year-old “frustrating” after one performance against Liverpool last October.

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Kai Havertz is not a natural goalscorer, but his unique set of skills make for an interesting and dynamic option at number nine, something that could serve well as the counterpoint to Leipzig’s inbound man.

Moreover, Jesus pockets a staggering £265k per week at Arsenal, supposedly placing him behind only Havertz on the club’s wage bill. Is it justifiable for both players, neither of whom may start every week, to be on the books for the club next term?

Journalist Graeme Bailey believes that, while the Gunners are pressing ahead with contract talks for Leandro Trossard and Gabriel Martinelli, they may be warming to the prospect of selling Jesus.

His current injury may inhibit the chances of doing that this summer, but it’s looking rather likely that the arrival of Sesko will spell the end of the Brazilian’s time at the Emirates, his setback proving little more than a stay of execution.

He'd be amazing with Sesko: Arsenal make approach for "world-class" star

Arsenal could be about to land a star who could star alongside Benjamin Sesko at the Emirates.

ByEthan Lamb May 31, 2025

Tottenham Hotspur have seemingly been offered the chance to sign a noteworthy Chelsea player this summer, and he could prove a very useful addition for Ange Postecoglou or his potential replacement next season.

Tottenham transfer plans amid Ange Postecoglou uncertainty

Spurs are on course for their worst ever Premier League season, resulting in uncertainty surrounding Postecoglou’s long-term future, and reports suggest the former Celtic boss could be shown his P45 regardless of their campaign in Europe (The Telegraph).

Tottenham: Levy now plotting surprise bid for "underrated" West Ham player

It would be a real head-turner.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 30, 2025

A succession of managerial candidates have been tipped to potentially succeed Postecoglou, but as technical director Johan Lange and Daniel Levy assess Spurs’ options in that regard, they must also begin preparations for the summer transfer window.

West Ham (away)

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Crystal Palace (home)

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Aston Villa (away)

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Brighton (home)

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Tottenham are reportedly in the market for a forward, and have even been linked with a surprise move for West Ham star Jarrod Bowen this week.

Levy is apparently willing to bid around £51 million to sign Bowen for Spurs, even if this may not be anywhere near enough, but the England international isn’t their only rival player to be mentioned as a possible incoming in the last few days.

Christopher Nkunku holds talks to join Tottenham via agents

According to journalist Graeme Bailey, speaking to The Boot Room, £195,000-per-week Chelsea winger Christopher Nkunku is actively looking to leave Stamford Bridge this summer.

The Frenchman, who’s actually scored 14 goals in all competitions this season, verbally agreed terms over a move to Bayern Munich in January (Florian Plettenberg), and looks set to be one of the many men sold or loaned out by Enzo Maresca’s side when the window reopens.

Bailey writes that, while a move to Europe is more likely, Nkunku’s camp have reached out for talks with Tottenham recently, as the ex-RB Leipzig sensation’s representatives attempt to offer him to a host of clubs.

“I am told that a move to Europe is the most likely option – but his people are touching base with clubs in England,” said Bailey.

“Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Tottenham have all been spoken to in the past few months. Chelsea want to recoup as much of their plus £50m outlay, but that looks difficult at this juncture.

“I am told the player is very happy in London, and so would a move to a Arsenal or Tottenham appeal? I believe it would but as it stands those options are not advanced – but Arsenal and Spurs both have an historic interest in the player. Both want a wide forward, so you could see the fit.

“There is interest back in Germany – Bayern Munich like him, a new deal for Leroy Sane doesn’t rule out them making a move but it is not pressing. Former club RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen also admire him.”

The versatile 27-year-old has displayed real quality on occasion since his switch to London, and was a revelation in the Bundesliga. However, this could prove to be a costly operation, especially for a price around £50 million, not to mention his lofty salary.

With Spurs in for a ‘sell to buy’ summer, as per The Telegraph, these factors may well deter Levy.

Manchester City certainly don’t do things the easy way. After just 21 minutes of their Premier League clash against Crystal Palace on Saturday, they trailed 2-0.

In the 33rd minute, Kevin De Bruyne grabbed the bull by the horns and curled home City’s first goal of the afternoon. An hour later, they had five and had secured all three points to remain firmly in the mix for Champions League football.

The performance showed Pep Guardiola’s men at their scintillating best, especially throughout the second half, netting three unanswered goals.

While De Bruyne ran the show, January signing Omar Marmoush was also excellent, scoring their equaliser before the interval.

Omar Marmoush’s game in numbers vs Crystal Palace

Since joining from Eintracht Frankfurt, Marmoush has settled into the City side with ease. Across 12 games for the club, he has already racked up seven goals, including a stunning treble against Newcastle United.

With De Bruyne operating in an advanced role through the middle, the 26-year-old offered plenty from the left wing. Indeed, he created a big chance, made two key passes and attempted four dribbles (succeeding with two) against the Eagles.

He may have lost possession 14 times and won only three of his seven total contested duels, but Marmoush looks the real deal at City.

There is no doubt he will have a big part to play next season and bringing him in during the winter window was perhaps Guardiola’s finest decision this season.

Accurate passes

Rúben Dias (105)

Key passes

Kevin De Bruyne (4)

Tackles

Chris Richards and Nico Gonzalez (4)

Ground duels won

Daniel Munoz and Nico Gonzalez (5)

Shots on target

Omar Marmoush (3)

Via Sofascore

It was the performance of another winter arrival yesterday, however, that proves he is now as undroppable as the Egyptian talent – Nico Gonzalez.

Why Nico Gonzalez is now undroppable for Man City

The Spaniard has started seven of City’s eight league games since he made the move from Porto to Manchester, impressing at the heart of the midfield.

Against Palace, not only did the midfielder take 100 touches, controlling the play, but he also succeeded with 95% of his passes – 83 out of 87 – and won seven of his 11 total contested duels throughout the game.

Add in the fact that he made four tackles and lost possession only six times for City. Gonzalez is certainly proving to be an excellent signing, no doubt about that.

Like the Marmoush deal, bringing in the 23-year-old midway through the season will allow him to almost acclimatise to the demands of the Premier League – that might just be a strategy which pays off next season.

Simon Bajkowski, Manchester Evening News journalist, gave the youngster a match rating of 6/10 for his performance, stating that he ‘made some important interceptions’ throughout the game, although he could have avoided his yellow card in the first half.

January was spent bringing in five new faces to the club. On the basis of the performances by Marmoush and Gonzalez, Guardiola’s side will be hoping to end the season on a high note, thus heightening their ambitions that they can reclaim the title next term.

Pep may have found Man City's own Lewis-Skelly in "unbelievable" gem

While Myles Lewis-Skelly continues to impress at Arsenal, Pep Guardiola may have found his own “unbelievable” youngster to deploy at left-back.

Apr 11, 2025

The New Zealand legspinner talks about working his way back from a career-threatening back injury, training at the CSK academy, and his hopes for the coming year

Deivarayan Muthu05-Jul-2025″.” [My way is a unique way].New Zealand legspinner Adithya Ashok has Rajinikanth’s famous punchline from inked on his bowling arm. It’s a tribute to the actor, and to Adithya’s late grandfather, with whom he watched the movie.Last month, Adithya, now 22, reconnected with his friends and family in Vellore in north-east Tamil Nadu, where he was born and raised before his family moved to New Zealand when he was around four. He was in India to hone his skills at a two-week spin camp at the CSK academy in Chennai.”Last time I was here in India, my grandfather was a bit ill, and I was fortunate to spend the last while with him and we were having a meaningful conversation and the Rajini film was on at the time,” Adithya says. “Days after he passed away, I got this tattoo because it reminded me of a special moment we shared. It’s also a connection to my Tamil roots, to Vellore, and a popular Tamil icon and a global icon as well.”The phrase also fits as a description of Adithya’s unique path to winning a New Zealand central contract. He moved to Auckland as a child when his parents got the opportunity to emigrate to New Zealand. His mother worked as a nurse at the city hospital and his father, a cricketer-turned-radiographer, worked at the Starship Children’s Hospital.After rising through the ranks in school cricket, Adithya represented New Zealand in the 2020 Under-19 World Cup in South Africa, where he impressed with his ability to give the ball a rip.Related

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Adithya Ashok's dual goals: Tests for New Zealand and IPL for CSK (2020)

Three uncapped players in New Zealand's ODI squad for Bangladesh series

Hay, Abbas among fresh faces on New Zealand contract list

He was earmarked as a future Black Cap from then, but major back surgery forced him out of action for almost a year starting December 2023. During this period, something as simple as getting out of a car was difficult for him.”Honestly, it was a pretty scary time for me,” he recalls. “I’ve reflected on it over the last while and I think it has changed my attitude towards understanding myself as a person, and I’m grateful to be doing something like everyday chores. I feel blessed to have the support of New Zealand Cricket through all of it. They put me in touch with one of the best surgeons in the world. He was the surgeon who operated on [Jasprit] Bumrah, but I don’t think any other spinner has had this back surgery.”I also had the support of my team in Auckland, the physio, the S&C [strength and conditioning] coach, and my family and girlfriend during one of my hardest phases of life. It was a big 12-15 months, but it’s definitely something I wouldn’t trade for anything else because it gave me so much perspective on life.”After rehab and navigating through his loads on a “trial-and-error basis”, Adithya returned to action in late 2024 and played his part in Auckland’s run to the 50-overs Ford Trophy final, which they lost to Canterbury. After handsome contributions in the 20-overs Super Smash and the four-day Plunket Shield, he has worked his way back into the New Zealand A and New Zealand set-ups. In May this year, he claimed a fourth-innings five-for to spin New Zealand A to victory against Bangladesh A in the first Test in Sylhet.Adithya’s tattoo in Tamil reads “My way is a unique way”•Deivarayan Muthu/ESPNcricinfo”I think the Bangladesh tour was amazing,” he says. “Any chance you get to contribute towards a red-ball win is something that’s very close to my heart. I really enjoy playing red-ball cricket and I think just getting the opportunity to go and play somewhere foreign, have a few weeks trying to understand the conditions and then coming up with a plan to try and be effective and then for it to work, that’s the model.”I think that’s the part that I’m most happy with – having the opportunity to do that. And coming here to India is just another opportunity to do the same. In terms of trying to hit a new level, you’re always trying to push yourself to a higher standard, but I think I’ve just enjoyed the opportunity for the first time to go somewhere different, try and implement a plan, and for that plan to come away and have some success, I think it was cool.”In Chennai, Adithya tested his variations, which include the wrong’un and the square-seam slider, on various types of surfaces against local batters and New Zealand’s Rhys Mariu and Dale Phillips (brother of international Glenn), who were also part of the camp.”We don’t get the black soil, we don’t get the [same] red soil, we don’t get the clay [in New Zealand],” Adithya says. “Understanding that on red soil you don’t have to potentially bowl as much overspin as we do back home in New Zealand. Red soil is a bit more conducive, so you can afford to bowl a little bit faster, you can afford to use a little bit more of the sidespin, square-seam deliveries that you see all the Indian bowlers bowl so well with.Adithya took ten wickets at an economy of 4.9 from seven matches in the 2024-25 Ford Trophy•Joe Allison/Getty Images”Just getting accustomed to what that feels like in hand, even something as small as using the SG ball, something that I’ve never done before, so understanding what that feels like in my hands… Do I have to grip it a certain way to get the same result? We are kind of on a fact-finding mission.”Adithya credits former New Zealand spinners Tarun Nethula, his long-time mentor, and Paul Wiseman, the current New Zealand talent identification manager, for his progress.”Tarun and Paul have been massive for me in terms of my spin bowling, and [are] two people that I’ve admired and really gone to for advice or technical help or anything,” he says. “I needed to be stronger [after the back injury], so that was a big part of it.”But from a technical aspect, we were just trying to make sure that I was a little bit more aligned at the crease, trying to make sure that my approach to the crease is a little bit more direct, keeping my front arm in play for longer and trying to make sure I put as much as I can on the ball, keep imparting a lot of overspin, especially in white-ball cricket.”Any changes I need to make in order to put more sidespin on the ball or bowl a little bit faster – I think I’m very lucky to have those two in my corner to be able to be able to WhatsApp them at any point in the day. I know that when I wake up the next morning or come back from lunch, there will definitely be a message with a lot of knowledge and wisdom, which I’m very excited to read always.”During his “fact-finding mission” at the CSK academy, Adithya got to understand different soil types and how to bat and bowl on them•Super Kings AcademyAdithya is not part of New Zealand’s T20I squad for the upcoming tri-nation series against hosts Zimbabwe and South Africa but he is set for more opportunities during the upcoming season. There’s also a T20 World Cup in the horizon, but he isn’t looking too far ahead.”My priority now is to learn from Sri [Sriram Krishnamurthy, current head coach of the Super Kings academy and a former Wellington coach], stay where my feet are at the moment and experience this phase of the calendar in Chennai and Vellore,” he says. “Then there’s an A tour to South Africa and the domestic season with Auckland.”For now, I’m looking to soak up these experiences and invest into what I’m learning here, find new things, try to take some learnings away to South Africa with the A tour, learn more things there, enjoy the culture, and from there we’ll have a look at what the next little phase looks like.”Adithya’s top priority is to add to his three internationals for New Zealand and win games for them, but he also has ambitions of playing for CSK in the IPL in the future.”Ever since I moved to New Zealand, Auckland and New Zealand has been my home and I’d love to play for New Zealand as much as I can and win trophies for them. But I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a part of me that wants to connect with my heritage and local side that aligns with Chennai. That’s something that excites me, but the foremost thing is to represent New Zealand.”Adithya has travelled a long and winding road from Vellore to New Zealand and continues to tread his own path to becoming a Black Caps regular.

In the World Cup opener, England’s uncharacteristic batting innings was characterised by tentative shots more than full-blooded ones

Matt Roller06-Oct-2023As England’s players picked the bones out of the thrashing by New Zealand in their World Cup opener, Joe Root made a telling prediction. “I don’t think we’ll see guys getting caught mid-off or long-off check-driving anymore,” Root told the BBC. “They’ll be hitting it 20 rows back.”Root’s 77 was England’s top score and represented a welcome return to form for him after a quiet series against New Zealand last month. He was at the non-striker’s end for five of his team-mates’ dismissals and appeared to sense a pattern: with the exception of Harry Brook, England’s batters were not dismissed while trying to hit sixes.Take Jonny Bairstow. He fell looking to loft Mitchell Santner inside-out over extra cover, but with the ball angling straight in from around the wicket, rather than turning away, it hit the inner half of his bat and looped harmlessly towards wide long-off, where Daryl Mitchell took a good running catch to his left.Related

• Wood: 'A great trait of the group is resilience'

• New Zealand play with fire and come out unscathed

• Ravindra comes of age with an innings for the dreamers

• Conway and Ravindra record NZ's highest WC partnership

• Buttler says England 'well below par', Root warns against panic

At the death, with England looking to accelerate, Liam Livingstone had faced four consecutive dot balls from Trent Boult when he shaped to work a knuckleball away into the gap between midwicket and long-on. Instead, his leading edge hung in the air, giving Matt Henry time to run in off the boundary to settle underneath it.Brook’s downfall came about in a fashion that would infuriate many, caught in the deep trying to hit a fourth consecutive boundary off Rachin Ravindra during an over of drag-downs. So did Moeen Ali’s, playing across the line to Glenn Phillips. While Root himself was yorked while attempting to reverse-sweep the same bowler.But England’s uncharacteristic batting innings, scraping to 282 for 9 thanks to a 30-run last-wicket stand, was characterised by tentative shots more than full-blooded ones. According to ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball data, New Zealand attacked 28% of the balls they faced; England only 17%.Even Jos Buttler fell tamely. He made a clear attempt to target New Zealand’s change bowlers, hitting James Neesham and Ravindra for straight sixes. But when Henry returned, he pushed at a ball that shaped back in – “wobble-seam, trying to use the crease,” Henry explained – and was caught behind. He immediately threw his head back in frustration.England clearly tried to target New Zealand’s allrounders. With Lockie Ferguson (back) and Tim Southee (thumb) unavailable, and Ish Sodhi left out, Tom Latham had to rely on 20 overs split between Neesham, Ravindra and Phillips, who returned combined figures of 3 for 149.

“We’re not robots: sometimes you don’t play as well as you’d like. We’ll be better for the next one”Jos Buttler

But perhaps England were too deferential against New Zealand’s three main bowlers in Boult, Henry and Santner. Their combined figures were 6 for 133 in 30; Devon Conway and Ravindra showed no such caution against England’s frontline bowlers, taking down Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid and Mark Wood.Eoin Morgan, Buttler’s predecessor, was scathing in his assessment of England’s intent at the break, suggesting that they had let slip an opportunity to apply pressure after hitting Boult’s first over for 12. “You’d say that England didn’t throw many punches,” he said on Sky Sports. “They didn’t go hard enough.”After the game, he added, “They were so far off the mark. If you listened to Jos Buttler throughout the back-end of our summer, he continued to reiterate the message that you have to be more aggressive, to be brave… You have to be able to compete to say you were outplayed; for a lot of the game this evening, England didn’t compete.”1:45

Did England miss Ben Stokes?

Root expects England to be jolted into gear by their defeat. “It reinforces what we are about as a team,” he said. “We can remember how good we are, remember how intimidating we are as a batting group and double-down on it, really put sides under pressure and get those massive scores that blow teams away.”England do not need to panic. Six wins from their next eight games is almost certain to get them through to the semi-finals, and even five could be enough. “It’s one loss at the start of a very long tournament,” Buttler said. “We’re not robots: sometimes you don’t play as well as you’d like. We’ll be better for the next one.”They flew to Dharamsala on Friday ahead of their next fixture against Bangladesh on Tuesday where conditions will be very different. The weather will be cooler, the ball will travel at altitude, and a 10.30am start should ensure more uniformity across 100 overs than on Thursday, when the ball came on to the bat much better under lights.But Buttler will be frustrated that after seeming to rediscover their groove and tempo in this format last month, his batters did not exert sustained pressure on New Zealand’s bowlers. If anything, New Zealand batted more like England than England did themselves.

What is it about India that always gets James Anderson on edge?

ESPNcricinfo staff18-Aug-2021James Anderson has more Test wickets against India than any other team. He has won two Man-of-the-Series awards against India at home and even has a Player-of-the-Match award in India, for the Nagpur Test in 2012. In fact, during that tour, MS Dhoni said Anderson was the difference between the two sides after England won the series 2-1. But behind all the wickets, Anderson also has a history of getting into verbal duels with India’s players, and the tension resurfaced at Lord’s in 2021.James Anderson was accused of shoving Ravindra Jadeja during India’s 2014 tour of England•Getty ImagesThe Jadeja tunnel incident, Trent Bridge, 2014
On the second day of the Trent Bridge Test in 2014, Anderson and Ravindra Jadeja had an altercation in the corridor on the way to the dressing rooms as they left the field for lunch. The Indian team management alleged Anderson had verbally abused and then pushed Jadeja. They made a complaint to the ICC, and Anderson was charged under Level 3 of the Code of Conduct, which meant that had he been found guilty, he would have been suspended for at least two Tests. England made a counter claim that it was Jadeja who had turned aggressively towards Anderson in the corridor and Anderson had only pushed him in self-defence.The incident caused a rift between the two teams, with India insisting Anderson needed to be punished for the offence while Alastair Cook, then England captain, said it was nothing more than a tactic from the visitors to unsettle his best bowler and try to get him suspended.ESPNcricinfo LtdIn the absence of video evidence of the incident, it was one team’s word against the other’s, and the ICC found Jadeja guilty of a Level 1 offence and fined him 50% of his match fees, something Dhoni was not at all pleased with.There was further shock and dismay for India after Anderson was found not guilty, with Dhoni maintaining that he had witnessed Anderson abusing and pushing Jadeja and had no regrets about reporting it to the ICC. Eventually, Jadeja’s guilty verdict was repealed after India appealed it, but the incident was being talked about as late as September, when Anderson told Sky Sports that it was one of the most stressful periods of his career.ESPNcricinfo LtdDon’t talk about our captain, Mumbai, 2016
Anderson had dismissed Virat Kohli four times in eight innings when India toured England in 2014. By 2016, when England toured India, Kohli was captain. He had a mammoth series, scoring a century and a fifty in Visakhapatnam and another fifty in Mohali before a double-ton in Mumbai. With England on the brink of going 0-3 down, Anderson, who had not been able to dismiss Kohli in the series, was asked whether he thought Kohli had improved since 2014. He was reserved in his praise, saying that while Kohli was a good player, home pitches hid his flaws.ESPNcricinfo LtdR Ashwin thought Anderson was not being a gracious loser and decided to tell him so on the fifth day of the Mumbai Test, walking right up to Anderson when he came to the crease. Kohli had to step in to hold his offspinner back and while he found the exchange amusing, his opposite number, Cook, said it was a bit of a “sour end” to the match.1:28

Cook and Kohli on the Ashwin-Anderson chatter

Did you just bounce me? Lord’s, 2021
On the third evening of the 2021 Lord’s Test, with England nine down after having snatched a small lead, Jasprit Bumrah attacked Anderson’s body with the short ball, pinging him on the helmet once and on the gloves and arms a couple more times. Anderson seemed to take exception to the tactic and had words with Bumrah at the close of play. The tense atmosphere continued into the next day, when Anderson had words with Kohli while bowling to him, and on the last day, when England returned the favour, bowling short balls to Bumrah and Mohammed Shami. Bumrah was antagonised by something in the morning session, and it led to a lot of verbals during England’s innings, with Kohli the main protagonist.ESPNcricinfo LtdWhile the details of what was said to Bumrah and Shami are unknown, the stump microphone did pick up some unpleasant language from Kohli towards England’s batters on the fifth evening. After the game, Kohli made a point of mentioning that the verbals directed at Bumrah and Shami in the morning session gave his side extra motivation when they came out to bowl.ESPNcricinfo Ltd

A hugely influential Aston Villa player is now believed to be close to signing a new contract at the club, in a significant new development.

Aston Villa fans banned from European game

The Villans return to Premier League action on Sunday afternoon, making the trip to Tottenham for a tough game, but a key update has emerged regarding the Europa League.

On Thursday, Villa’s official website released a statement confirming that supporters won’t be able to go to the home clash with Maccabi Tel Aviv next month, due to safety reasons.

“Aston Villa can confirm the club has been informed that no away fans may attend the UEFA Europa League match with Maccabi Tel Aviv on Thursday, November 6, following an instruction from the Safety Advisory Group.The Safety Advisory Group (SAG) are responsible for issuing safety certificates for every match at Villa Park, based on a number of physical and safety factors.

“Following a meeting this afternoon, the SAG have formally written to the club and UEFA to advise no away fans will be permitted to attend Villa Park for this fixture. West Midlands Police have advised the SAG that they have public safety concerns outside the stadium bowl and the ability to deal with any potential protests on the night.

“The club are in continuous dialogue with Maccabi Tel Aviv and the local authorities throughout this ongoing process, with the safety of supporters attending the match and the safety of local residents at the forefront of any decision.”

Away from safety issues and on-pitch matters, a huge update has now dropped regarding the future of one of the most popular players at Villa.

Aston Villa hero close to signing new contract

According to The Telegraph‘s John Percy, John McGinn is now “close” to signing a new deal at Aston Villa, also describing him as “one of the bargains of the decade” on X.

The 30-year-old’s current contract expires at the end of this season, but it looks as though his stay at Villa Park will now continue beyond 2026.

This has to be considered great news, considering the leadership, experience and quality that McGinn has flowing through him at this point in his career.

Granted, he may not be at the absolute peak of his powers now, which is no great shock at his age, but that’s not to say that he doesn’t still have a huge amount to offer.

McGinn has been a magnificent signing since arriving for only £2.5m from Hibernian in 2018, and as Percy alludes to, he has been an unbelievable bargain, and there is still plenty more to come.

Forget Rogers: Aston Villa's "explosive" star looks like another Grealish

One new signing is emerging as Aston Villa’s next Grealish-type creator under Unai Emery

By
Will Miller

Oct 17, 2025

If the midfielder can help Villa win a trophy or two before his time at the club is up, he has every chance of departing as a genuine legend in the future.

Manchester United’s squad at present is full of top-level talent in numerous areas of the pitch, but Ruben Amorim has so far struggled to make use of the players at his disposal.

The hierarchy have constantly splashed the cash in recent years, with over £200m being spent on new attacking talents during the recent summer transfer window.

The likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha all made the move to Old Trafford, but they have only posted a total of eight Premier League goals combined in 2025/26.

Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system has seen Mbeumo operate in a somewhat unnatural central attacking midfield role, no doubt taking away his best asset – cutting inside off the right-hand side – away from him.

As a result, one player has indirectly suffered this campaign, with the manager recently coming under fire for his lack of faith shown in the player over recent months.

The latest on Kobbie Mainoo’s Man Utd future

Just a couple of years ago, Kobbie Mainoo was a key member of the United first-team squad, with the midfielder often starting at the heart of Erik ten Hag’s side.

He emerged out of the club’s academy setup, often popping up with key moments, as seen by his incredible achievements during the 2023/24 campaign.

The 20-year-old scored a late winner in the clash against Wolverhampton Wanderers, whilst also netting in the FA Cup final against Manchester City – resulting in a place in the England squad for Euro 2024.

However, his career has taken a nosedive over the last 12 months, with Amorim evidently not seeing the academy graduate as part of his long-term plans at Old Trafford.

Mainoo has featured in nine league matches to date, none of which have come from a starting role, leading to one journalist questioning the manager over the midfielder after yesterday’s draw.

The 40-year-old simply laughed when asked about bringing the youngster on to try and win the game at the Theatre of Dreams, which sums up the faith he currently has in him at present.

However, an escape route could well be on the cards for Mainoo ahead of the January transfer window, with Napoli constantly tracking the Englishman over a potential transfer.

The Man Utd player that Amorim is misusing in 2025/26

The reluctance to utilise Mainoo in 2025/26 is just one of Amorim’s biggest failures to date, with the youngster massively deserving the chance to thrive under his guidance.

However, his recent spell on the substitutes bench highlights the lack of faith shown in him by the manager, with a solution desperately needed in the coming months.

The same could also be said about numerous other players, as seen by the struggles endured within the final third of the pitch over the last couple of matches in the Premier League.

Mbeumo has now failed to find the back of the net in each of his last three outings, but the forward is set to go to AFCON throughout January, which could leave a huge hole in the Red Devils’ attack.

His month-long spell away from Manchester could open up the door for Bruno Fernandes to once again feature in the number ten position – a role that is no doubt his best.

The Portuguese international operated in an attacking midfield role during 2024/25, resulting in the 31-year-old registering 37 combined goals and assists across all competitions.

However, the £200m spending spree in attacking areas has resulted in the United captain dropping into a deep-lying number eight position, which has taken away his creative nature in recent months.

He still currently has a total of five assists in his 14 appearances this campaign, but there’s little denying he’s endured a drop-off from his form last season.

Bruno, who’s been dubbed United’s “best player post Fergie” by writer Kaustubh Pandey, has now had to contribute more defensively, as seen by his increased tally of tackles won per 90 compared to last season.

However, whilst he’s still managed to play a part in winning the ball back for his side, it’s come with an adverse effect – subsequently resulting in a lack of creativity in attacking areas.

He’s only scored twice in the Premier League to date, one of which was a penalty, highlighting his lack of impact in terms of goal contributions in 2025/26.

Bruno Fernandes – PL stats (2025/26)

Statistics (per 90)

Tally

Games played

14

Goals scored

2

Pass accuracy

83%

Shots on target

0.7

Chances created

1.8

Tackles won

1.8

Duels won

4.6

Interceptions made

0.6

Stats via FotMob

It’s clear to everyone but Amorim that the Portuguese star is better in an attacking role, which means one of the £200m additions may need to be sacrificed.

Such a move could open up a free role at the heart of the Red Devils side, which could allow Mainoo to have the run of games he needs to save his United career

However, if Amorim is unable to make such changes in the near future, it could result in the 40-year-old losing his job at Old Trafford in the near future – with such a decision an easy one for him to make.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Dec 5, 2025

Equipment has long had a history of causing controversy in professional sports when sanctioned and unsanctioned adjustments are made.

New basketballs were a point of contention for the NBA in 2006 (the league reverted to its previous ball in a matter of months). Deflated footballs had their moment in the NFL and helmets are an ongoing dilemma. But a continuous storyline always seems to be the ball for MLB.

Sometimes it's how players—pitchers, mainly—manipulate them. A "sticky stuff" scandal took over the league for a brief moment at the start of the 2021 season. This year, the raw baseballs are playing far differently than in years past, impacting the flight of batted balls specifically.

A piece from published Friday morning went into findings on how baseballs are flying differently this year, with an increased drag coefficient leading to fly balls coming up four feet short on equivalent hard hits compared to years prior. The coefficient adjusts for situational variants like weather and altitude.

MLB has acknowledged it, saying, "There has been no change to the manufacturing, storage or handling of baseballs this year, and all baseballs remain within specifications.”

The report went on to say that a working theory in the league office is a possible difference in seam width or height. Balls are hand-stitched, leaving room for possible imperfections and variance ball-to-ball, but as the report points out, "… something appears to be happening at scale: On all but four individual days this year, there has been more drag on the ball than last season’s average."

It could explain, in part, some of the seeming no-doubters we've seen that have stayed in the park for fly-outs. At the same time, some of the biggest sluggers are still able to put baseballs places we've never seen them before off the bat.

It was crucial that Everton put the brakes on their season for a third time with a win. And win the Toffees did. The Hill Dickinson returned to form as David Moyes oversaw a professional victory over Fulham in the Premier League.

The 2-0 win marked the end of a three-match winless run for Everton, lifting them to 11th in the standings. It’s all rather congested in the middle of the table right now, but Everton know they need to make improvements if they wish to beat off mid-table competition and push for a place in the top half.

And it’s becoming apparent that external solutions will be needed, thus turning our attention toward the looming January transfer window.

Where Everton are looking to strengthen

Everton’s winter transfer plans are currently rather nebulous, but that’s only natural given there is still a month and a half until the January market opens for business.

What is clear is that Moyes will be looking to strengthen, and the Friedkin Group are ready to back him in this endeavour. More detailed plans might be unknown, but it’s obvious that the Toffees will look to sign a striker, with Beto and £27m summer recruit Thierno Barry both toiling this term, one goal between them in the Premier League.

Were the Merseysiders playing their football with a reliable bagsman at number nine, it would not be unreasonable to suggest that European contention would already be a conversation.

That could still be the case, with a few tweaks. It’s not just up top where Everton need to remedy their tactical creases. Both full-back berths have been focus points of criticism this season, with Jake O’Brien industrious at right-back but out of position nonetheless, naturally a centre-back.

Let’s have a look at how Everton could shape up after a window of dealings.

Moyes' dream XI after January

Jordan Pickford will, of course, remain between the sticks for Everton, having extended until 2029 last month.

The return of Jarrad Branthwaite to fitness will also feel like a new signing for side who have had to make do at the rear this term. Praise must be placed at Michael Keane’s feet, the English defender having completed a U-turn before the end of last season, signing a new deal and starting every Premier League match of the campaign.

It is indeed the wide defenders who need changing, and Everton could act on their interest in Sevilla’s Juanlu Sanchez, with an October report suggesting the Blues have prepared a £17m bid ahead of January.

Sanchez, 23, is a powerful and balanced player, and in La Liga this season, he ranks among the top 14% of positional peers for progressive carries and the top 16% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

This would be an interesting deal to add width and dynamism down Everton’s right side, but it could be a move that is overshadowed by a loan bid for Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Lewis-Skelly’s reduced role in Mikel Arteta’s title-challenging team this season is not a reflection of his skillset but an emphasis on the Gunners’ remarkable rise in recent years. The 19-year-old was very much a part of that last year, his performances leading The Athletic’s Aaron Catterson-Reid to describe him as a “£100m footballer”.

Arteta has yet to name the prospect from the opening in the top flight this season, and this has given rise to chatter about a winter loan move. A number of unnamed Premier League clubs are monitoring the situation, and it’s more than likely that Everton are among that mix.

Such additions would have a marked impact on Everton’s prospects this season, giving Iliman Ndiaye and Jack Grealish more freedom and security on the attacking wings. Grealish is only a loanee himself, but there are hopes that a permanent deal can be engineered in 2026.

That leaves the big one. One of Beto or Barry could leave the Hill Dickinson this winter, especially when Everton have shown signs of interest in Al-Ahli striker Ivan Toney, who left the Premier League for Saudi Arabia in 2024.

Toney, 29, is one of England’s most talented and dangerous marksmen, and he had been coveted by Chelsea last summer, before the stars aligned for a big pay packet overseas.

The Athletic have confirmed that the former Brentford man is a player of interest heading into the January market, albeit with a host of complications relating to finances and the thick competition for such a signature at the season’s midpoint.

This would be an ambitious move, but one which could pay off handsomely if the Merseyside club play their cards right. The £30m-rated Toney, after all, is intrigued by the possibility of returning to his homeland ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

Instrumental in propping the Gtech up in the Premier League, Toney was described by Thomas Frank as being a “monster” of a striker, not only deadly in front of goal but dynamic and intelligent too.

Ivan Toney’s Premier League Career

Season

Apps

Goals (assists)

25/26

17

4 (2)

24/25

33

20 (4)

23/24

33

12 (5)

Data via Transfermarkt

It won’t be easy, wrestling the £400k-per-week Three Lions star from the Gulf region and beating the inevitable competition for his signature, but Everton need a striker, and Moyes may just canvass a compelling proposal to the proven Premier League star.

We can say without question that Everton have enjoyed an upswing in results and performances since Moyes replaced Sean Dyche at the helm. But Everton need more. There’s a bluntness to the squad’s attack, and by reenergising the widths and placing a robust and hungry option at the focal front point, Moyes might just pull off another special success.

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Posts ByAngus Sinclair Nov 7, 2025