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Arsenal and sporting director Edu Gasper by extension are prepared to move for an "elite talent" who manager Mikel Arteta loves.

Who have Arsenal signed this summer?

The Gunners have prepared for this 2023/2024 Premier League season by showing real ambition over the summer window, having sealed deals for club-record signing Declan Rice, defender Jurrien Timber, forward Kai Havertz and sweeper keeper David Raya.

All four major signings, barring Timber due to his ACL injury sustained on the opening weekend, look set to provide Arteta with both quality and significant strength in depth.

Arsenal are gearing up for a fierce title challenge with last season's treble-winners Man City, coming after they fell just short of their first league crown in nearly 20 years last term.

So far, they've won three out of their opening four league matches; with victories over Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and, most recently, Man United at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal haven't exactly been firing on all cylinders so far, having just scraped their wins over Forest and Palace, while also dropping points at home to Fulham courtesy of a dramatic late equaliser from Joao Palhinha.

However, the fact they remain unbeaten and near the top despite not playing at their very best is the sign of a very, very good side who simply need to click into gear.

Arsenal also didn't strengthen certain areas of the squad, like their failure to sign an out-and-out striker, but reports suggest they have their eyes on Napoli star Victor Osimhen for next year.

Lead by transfer chief Edu, the Gunners may already be working on ways to reinforce Arteta's squad further heading into the new year.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

According to reports out of Europe this week, Arsenal have their eyes on exciting talent abroad, and could well move for one player in the near future.

Indeed, Sporting Lisbon defender Ousmane Diomande is said to be a player attracting their very serious interest, with a report by Record sharing the latest on their pursuit of the Ivorian.

Arsenal boss Arteta is apparently a fan of his, and while they didn't make a move during the summer, it is believed a move next year is certainly on the cards.

According to the Portuguese newspaper, as translated and shared by Sport Witness, Diomande could well end up at the Emirates Stadium in 2024.

Arsenal were ready to offer €35 million (£30m) for the 19-year-old over the transfer window. Sporting weren't willing to entertain such a bid, with Diomande's release clause coming in at around £69 million.

However, Record say that Arteta's side and Edu have made a "promise" to go back in for the Ivorian next year.

In terms of Diomande's quality, Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig has been effusive in his praise for the starlet recently.

"You rarely see a player with such high ball-playing and pure defender skills," said Kulig on X.

"There are some tactical improvements but I'm quite sure this kid will play for the best teams in the world. The signs of elite talent."

While Arsenal may have to spend big on the African, claims like this suggest that there is certainly a player of huge potential there.

Only 65.1 overs were possible on another rain-affected day on which Tasmania’s third-wicket pair put on an unbroken partnership of 160

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2018Getty ImagesPersistent batting from the Tasmanian pair of Beau Webster and Jake Doran and persistent rain have combined to frustrate New South Wales at the SCG.After much of day two was lost to rain, further weather delays meant only 65.1 overs were bowled on day three.The Blues made an early breakthrough with Steve O’Keefe deceiving George Bailey seven balls into the start of play to leave Tasmania two down and trailing the home side’s first-innings total by 369. But that was the only joy for New South Wales as Webster and Doran put together an unbroken stand of 160 in 64 overs.Webster reached his fourth first-class hundred in the penultimate over of the day, having faced 253 balls to get there. Doran remained not out on 86 at close. The two sides will face a challenge on the final day trying to manufacture a result.

The spinner was a leading candidate for the role ever since the franchise signed him for USD 1.1 million at the player auction in January

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-20182:25

Can IPL 2018 revive Ashwin’s limited-overs fortunes?

Kings XI Punjab have announced that R Ashwin will captain them in the 2018 season of the IPL. The India spinner was a leading candidate for the role ever since the franchise signed him for INR 7.6 crores (USD 1.1 million) at the player auction in January. While he has never captained in the IPL before, Ashwin has frequently led his state Tamil Nadu in various domestic competitions.”The best quality in Ashwin is that he is very smart and he understands this T20 format better than anybody else,” Virender Sehwag, Kings XI team director and mentor said. “This year we decided to do something different and I think he is the perfect choice for the captaincy.”Ashwin, 31, played for Chennai Super Kings from 2009 to 2015, before spending the 2016 season with Rising Pune Supergiant following his hometown franchise’s suspension from the tournament. He sat out the entire 2017 season with sports hernia.This season is a new beginning for Ashwin in more than one way. He has expanded his bowling skillset, and has revealed he will bowl legspin as well as his regular offspin. A good IPL season could also push his claims for a recall to India’s limited-overs sides; while he is firmly India’s No. 1 spinner in Tests, he has not played an ODI or T20I since July 2017.This season will also be his first for an IPL team not led by or including MS Dhoni, and is therefore an opportunity for him to show his leadership skills. Ashwin is known to be an innovative captain in domestic cricket, frequently setting unorthodox fields and making imaginative tactical decisions.

Manchester City have started the Premier League season exactly how you'd expect a treble-winning side aiming for a fourth consecutive title to get a campaign underway – Pep Guardiola's side have remained absolutely ruthless.

The Blues opened their season with a convincing win over Burnley on the opening day, and have not looked back since, defeating Newcastle United, Sheffield United, and, most-recently, Fulham.

They are the only side in England's top flight with a 100 percent record, scoring 11 goals and conceding just two in four games.

One negative has been the absence of Guardiola, however, after the Spaniard suffered a back injury. And the injury trend only looks set to continue, too, with one City star ruled out of their 5-1 thumping of Fulham.

What's the latest Manchester City injury news?

As things stand, City are missing Guardiola in the technical area, as well as Kevin de Bruyne and Zack Steffen on the pitch. But, even without De Bruyne and Guardiola, in particular, they have not missed a beat so far this season.

With injuries adding up, though, we could begin to see the Premier League champions struggle, especially as games come thick and fast when the Champions League returns later this month. Their latest injury blow seems to be Jack Grealish, who missed his side's win over Fulham but has bizarrely still been included in the latest England squad.

Speaking on the injury, City's assistant manager Juanma Lillo said, via CityXtra: "Difficult for Jack [Grealish] to make it for the [England] national team call-up. I am not a doctor and it will be difficult for me to explain.”

This will, of course, leave Gareth Southgate disappointed, having included Grealish in his England team for the forthcoming international break. The midfielder's potential absence could, however, result in the call-up and potential debut of another star man.

If he does miss the international break, questions regarding the extent of Grealish's injury will undoubtedly come to the fore. As of right now, though, it remains to be seen how long the former Aston Villa man will be out for.

How has Jack Grealish performed this season?

Much like the rest of his Manchester City teammates, Grealish has hit the ground running at the start of this season, and looks more comfortable than ever at The Etihad.

The numbers reflect that, too. According to FBref, Grealish is in the top 96 percentile for progressive passes, as well as the top 97 percentile for progressive carries, and 96 percentile for pass completion rate. The Englishman is at the top of his game.

If he does recover from his injury blow during the international break, then Grealish could get the chance to impress once more for City, this time against West Ham United, who are also unbeaten so far this season.

Meanwhile, if his injury forces him to watch on from the sidelines, the 27-year-old could miss the busiest spell of the season so far, with the return of the Champions League fast-approaching.

From City's point of view, they'll be hoping to have as much of their squad available as possible as they look to do the unthinkable by defending their treble.

Australia captain Steven Smith will not play the fourth Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, after the ICC gave him the maximum penalty for tampering with the ball

Daniel Brettig in Cape Town25-Mar-2018Australia captain Steven Smith will not play the fourth Test against South Africa in Johannesburg, after the ICC gave him the maximum penalty for tampering with the ball on the third day of the Newlands Test. Fielder Cameron Bancroft, the player to actually tamper with the ball, was given three demerit points and fined 75% of his match fee after accepting the Level 2 charge.Earlier on Sunday, Smith was stood down as captain by Cricket Australia for the rest of the ongoing Cape Town Test, while David Warner was removed as vice-captain. Both players took the field under the temporary leadership of wicketkeeper Tim Paine.ICC chief executive David Richardson laid the charge against Smith under Article 2.2.1 of the ICC Code of Conduct which prohibits to ‘all types of conduct of a serious nature that is contrary to the spirit of the game’. Smith accepted the charge and the sanction of two suspension points, which equates to a ban for the next Test match, and the 100% fine of his match fee. He will have four demerit points added to his record.”The decision made by the leadership group of the Australian team to act in this way is clearly contrary to the spirit of the game, risks causing significant damage to the integrity of the match, the players and the sport itself and is therefore ‘serious’ in nature. As captain, Steve Smith must take full responsibility for the actions of his players and it is appropriate that he be suspended,” ICC CEO David Richardson said.”The game needs to have a hard look at itself. In recent weeks we have seen incidents of ugly sledging, send-offs, dissent against umpires’ decisions, a walk-off, ball tampering and some ordinary off-field behaviour. The ICC needs to do more to prevent poor behaviour and better police the spirit of the game, defining more clearly what is expected of players and enforcing the regulations in a consistent fashion. In addition and most importantly Member countries need to show more accountability for their teams’ conduct. Winning is important but not at the expense of the spirit of the game which is intrinsic and precious to the sport of cricket. We have to raise the bar across all areas.”The ICC confirmed that the umpires had been made aware of the possibility of ball tampering by television replays on the big screen at Newlands. The on-field umpires Richard Illingworth and Nigel Llong then spoke to Bancroft and Smith, before they the third umpire Ian Gould and fourth umpire Allahudien Palekar, laid the ball-tampering charges. They did not replace the ball nor award South Africa five penalty runs because they did not believe the ball’s condition had been changed.The match referee Andy Pycroft said he hoped Bancroft would learn from the episode. “To carry a foreign object on to the field of play with the intention of changing the condition of the ball to gain an unfair advantage over your opponent is against not only the Laws, but the Spirit of the game as well,” he said.”That said, I acknowledge that Cameron has accepted responsibility for his actions by pleading guilty to the charge and apologising publicly. As a young player starting out in international cricket, I hope the lessons learned from this episode will strongly influence the way he plays the game during the rest of his career.”

It has not been the start to the new Premier League season that was hoped for Manchester United, with the Red Devils currently languishing in mid-table after winning just two of the opening four games thus far.

With the most expensively assembled squad in the world – at a cost of £999.1m – the Old Trafford outfit should likely now be far closer to challenging rivals Manchester City at the summit, although the current six-point gap between the pair would suggest that United's decade-long wait for the title is set to continue.

To still appear someway off their Etihad foes despite the funds that have been spent is an indication of just how unwisely the club have splashed the cash in recent times, with manager Erik ten Hag facing a huge challenge trying to lift the mood following the international break.

Among those costly additions who have failed to hit the heights that were expected is former Borussia Dortmund sensation, Jadon Sancho, with the Englishman facing an uncertain future in Manchester after publicly calling out his manager on Twitter – following his exclusion from the matchday squad for the defeat to Arsenal.

Despite the 23-year-old's own belief that he has become something of a "scapegoat" at the club of late, it is hard to argue that United have not received value for money from the winger thus far, with his displays having been a far cry from what was on show in Germany.

Why did Man United sign Sancho?

On the evidence of his woes over the past two years there will be those questioning the Red Devils' decision to sign the London-born trickster, although it is easy to forget just what a superstar the forward was during his time at Dortmund.

Having moved to Westfalenstadion back in 2017 from Man City on a £10m deal, the 5 foot 11 ace went on to prove something of a revelation for the Bundesliga giants, scoring 50 goals and providing 64 assists in just 137 games in all competitions over the next four years.

Described as a player who has "got everything" by ex-United man, Rio Ferdinand, Sancho was particularly impressive in the Champions League for the German giants, with 11 goals and assists in just 21 appearances in the competition prior to his return to England.

A truly scintillating talent, the City youth product appeared to have everything that a modern-day winger could need, with Bayern Munich legend Lothar Matthaus notably saying of his talents:

"He’s a natural footballer. A player who has everything: fantastic speed, great technique, a good eye for his colleagues and that key pass. For me he is a perfect player.”

Such form had caught United's interest as far back as 2019, while the club were also unsuccessful in their pursuit a year later, ensuring they were forced to endure a lengthy wait to finally get him to the Theatre of Dreams – a wait that has ultimately not proved worth it.

How much did Man United pay for Sancho?

Having been quoted more than £100m for the fleet-footed talent in 2020, United ultimately managed to strike a deal for £73m just a year later, with Sancho joining as part of a summer spree that also saw Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo snapped up by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co.

2017/18

12

1

4

2018/19

34

12

18

2019/20

32

17

17

2020/21

26

8

12

Stats via Transfermarkt

Speaking prior to that move, former Man United man Luke Chadwick suggested that the ex-Dortmund whiz could potentially prove to be the next Ronaldo – or even the next George Best or Ryan Giggs – such was his sky-high potential:

"Sancho would be a huge signing. They’ve got gifted players in that position already but Sancho is a talent that doesn’t come around too often.

“He looks like a Manchester United player from years gone by if you think about George Best, Ryan Giggs, Cristiano Ronaldo. He can be of a similar ilk as those players in the future and can appease the fans."

That comparison to the Portuguese ace was also made by the aforementioned Ferdinand following the completion of the deal, with both supporters and pundits alike having been desperate to see the wing wizard in action following the protracted period of negotiations.

What has gone wrong for Sancho at Man United?

For some, that move now looks like a "complete waste of money" – as per pundit Paul Parker – with the £250k-per-week dud having scored just 12 goals and registered only six assists in 82 games across all fronts in that time – the same number of goal involvements that Dan James achieved from just 74 outings for the club.

Despite a handful of high points – including his goal in the win over Liverpool last term – Sancho has been unable to maintain his form over a consistent period, with even a break from the action earlier this year having failed to have the desired effect upon his return.

Now into his third season at Old Trafford, it would be no surprise if it proved to be the 23-cap international's final campaign at the club amid the fallout of his recent outburst, with reports earlier this month indicating that a move to Saudi Arabia was potentially on the cards.

Even prior to this recent saga, treble winner Dwight Yorke had suggested that the Englishman was on "borrowed time" due to his failure to perform, while Ten Hag himself was also said to have been growing 'increasingly impatient' earlier this year.

Looking like a shell of the player that once shone in Germany – as the aforementioned Parker stated "he is slowing down the tempo, he is dribbling too much and is not beating people as he should be doing" – it is hard to see just what he is offering to the Red Devils at present.

While at just 23 time is still on his side to turn things around, on the evidence of the last 24 months the wideman has certainly not been a successful signing and has certainly not hit the heights of the great Ronaldo, who won three league titles and the Champions League during his glittering first spell in Manchester.

With the club recently confirming that Sancho is set to 'remain on a personal training programme away from the first-team group', an already turbulent stint appears to have hit a new low.

More emphasis could be placed on furthering opportunities in white-ball and women’s cricket as ECB agrees to take over a markedly successful scheme from MCC

ESPNcricinfo staff17-May-2018MCC and ECB have announced a new approach to the development and funding of University Cricket from 2020.Under the arrangement, ECB will resume the funding of University Cricket following MCC’s decision to end its support for the current programme in two years’ time.The decision ends months of uncertainty about whether a successful and proven pathway into first-class cricket will be protected and is sure to be widely welcomed within the game.Both organisations will work together to develop a new scheme with input not only from the existing MCCU centres – involving six Universities identified as deserving of support – but also additional Universities, British Universities Colleges Sports (BUCS) and the first-class counties.Discussions are already underway with a view to widening the scope of the existing programme which will extend opportunities in limited-overs cricket as well as providing greater support for elite women cricketers in higher education.The current programme was initially set up as the University Centres of Cricketing Excellence (UCCE) by the ECB in 2000, with MCC taking over funding and administration in 2004.Since then, MCC has invested over £7.5million in the six MCCUs, which are based at Oxford, Cambridge, Loughborough, Cardiff, Durham and Leeds/Bradford.While MCC has been supporting the scheme, 18 MCCU cricketers have been selected to represent their native countries and 119 players have secured first-class county contracts.The announcement follows a wider review by MCC of its cricket strategy. To enable ECB and the Universities to have sufficient time to make alternative arrangements, MCC has given more than two years’ notice of its intention to end its funding of the scheme.In that time, ECB will devise and fund the new programme with the continued aim of maximising opportunities for talented cricketers to combine a University education with furthering their aspirations for a career in professional cricket.John Stephenson, MCC’s assistant secretary (cricket) said: “MCC is proud to have been such a long-time supporter of an initiative that has helped in the development of a number of county and international players, including Sam Billings, Jack Leach, Toby Roland-Jones, Tom Westley and Monty Panesar.”In addition to those who have made a career as professional players, there are many more who are contributing to the game in other ways as administrators, physios, coaches, community cricket champions and sponsors.””While it is sad that MCC’s investment will be coming to an end, the scheme is in very good shape and I hope that University cricket continues to thrive under the ECB.”MCC’s retreat from the scheme emphasises that their financial priority is the development of Lord’s, a matter which has been the constant source of debate in recent years.David Graveney, a former chairman of selectors and now ECB’s national performance manager, will oversee the ECB’s approach.He said: “Our continuing support for this programme reflects the ECB’s long-term strategic plan for growing the game – Cricket Unleashed. We remain fully committed to delivering a scheme which will allow talented young players to maximise their cricketing potential without compromising their educational aspirations.””We will be aiming to develop a new programme which continues to develop white-ball cricket as well as the red-ball game and provides greater opportunities for our most talented young women’s cricketers too.”

Celtic have endured their fair share of injury troubles in recent months, but Brendan Rodgers could be handed a timely shot in the arm heading into a busy fixture schedule, according to recent reports.

What's the latest news involving Celtic?

At the weekend, Celtic reacted in resilient fashion to their disappointment in the Champions League against Feyenoord by sweeping Livingston aside 3-0 at the Tony Macaroni Arena, despite being reduced to ten men following a straight red card for goalkeeper Joe Hart, as per BBC Sport.

Reo Hatate, Matt O'Riley and Daizen Maeda were the scorers for Celtic in an excellent all-round display, something which Hoops boss Rodgers alluded to in his post-match press conference. Rodgers stated: "We have to show another side to us when we go down to ten men. I thought the players dealt with it brilliantly. Tactically they were very good. Defensively we were strong. It was an outstanding win for us. Huge credit to the players. It's a monumental effort on the back end of a Champions League week."

As per BBC Radio Sportsound via The Daily Record, former Celtic goalkeeper Patrick Bonner has claimed that the Hoops should look to bring in Liverpool number two Caoimhin Kelleher to potentially succeed Hart between the sticks, as he said: "There was talk about [Caoimhin] Kelleher coming up from Liverpool. I don’t know if Liverpool will let him go from that point of view. Because he fits their bill and that would have been an ideal situation to see. Could he come in and Joe Hart then might have to phase out and become a support goalkeeper to him. But at the moment I think he’s number one."

According to Sky Sports journalist Anthony Joseph, Denmark Under-21 midfielder O'Riley could be set to receive a call-up to his nations' senior international side owing to his consistent performances in 2023/24.

Who could break into Celtic's first-team?

As per Football Scotland, summer signing Marco Tilio, who has been injured for the majority of his time at the Scottish Premiership champions, took to the field for Celtic's second string on Sunday against Ayr United in a testimonial for the home side's veteran striker Michael Moffat.

Fringe men Kwon Hyeok-kyu, Mikey Johnston, Yuki Kobayashi and Rocco Vata also participated in the encounter, earning valuable minutes in a game where the Hoops' B team salvaged a draw courtesy of a late Corey Thomson strike, as per The Daily Record.

Australia international Tilio, who was labelled "fantastic" by Bruce Djite earlier this year, joined Celtic for a fee in the region of £1.5 million from A-League side Melbourne City in June; however, he has yet to make an appearance for his new employers.

During his time at Melbourne City, Tilio featured on 83 occasions in all competitions, registering 20 goals and 19 assists in the process, as per Transfermarkt, and now looks to be on the mend and nearing a return to proper first-team action.

Celtic winger Liel Abada is currently out with a thigh injury that will see him spend an extended period on the sidelines, which could pave the way for Tilio to enter the fray in the near future to try and stake a claim for first-team action.

According to a statement released by NZC on behalf of his wife Lady Dianne Hadlee, he has undergone surgery to remove a tumour, and ‘has made an excellent recovery’

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jun-2018Sir Richard Hadlee has been diagnosed with bowel cancer. According to a statement released by New Zealand Cricket on behalf of his wife Lady Dianne Hadlee, he has undergone surgery to remove a tumour.”Last month, Richard had a routine, 3-year colonoscopy, and we discovered that he has bowel cancer,” the statement said. “He has since had an operation to remove the tumour. This operation went extremely well and he has made an excellent recovery from surgery.”As a safeguard, further treatment in the form of chemotherapy will commence shortly and last for a few months. It is expected that, in time, he will have a full recovery.”Hadlee, 66, is widely considered New Zealand’s greatest ever cricketer, and was one of the four great fast-bowling allrounders of the 1980s alongside Imran Khan, Ian Botham and Kapil Dev. He took 431 Test wickets – a world record at the time of his retirement – in 86 matches at an average of 22.29, and also contributed 3124 runs at 27.16.His performances were central to New Zealand’s rise as a serious cricketing power, as match figures of 7 for 130 and 10 for 100 in their first ever wins over Australia and England, respectively, would suggest. In all, he took 173 wickets at 13.06 in New Zealand Test wins.During his last tour of England, in 1990, he was knighted for his services to cricket.

Jenna Nighswonger made USWNT history when finding the target in the Gold Cup quarter-final victory over Colombia.

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United States into the semi-finalsRecords broken against ColombiaMajor silverware back in their sightsWHAT HAPPENED?

The United States swept to a 3-0 victory in that fixture, booking themselves a semi-final showdown with arch-rivals Canada. Lindsey Horan opened the scoring from the penalty spot as she displayed nerves of steel, before Nighswonger doubled that advantage in the 22nd minute.

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That strike saw the record books rewritten, with the Gotham FC star becoming the first USWNT player to score in a competitive knockout stage match for the States within her first five international appearances – with Angela Hucles, who netted when earning her ninth cap, nudged down the pecking order.

DID YOU KNOW?

Teenage sensation Jaedyn Shaw grabbed the United States’ third goal against Colombia, as she maintained her perfect record in the final third. The 19-year-old has become only the second USWNT player, after Shannon Boxx, to find the target in each of her first three starts.

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WHAT NEXT FOR USWNT?

The USWNT will be back in action on Wednesday when they lock horns with Canada at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego. Victory in that contest would present them with another shot at major silverware, as they continue to rebuild on the back of a disappointing showing at the 2023 Women’s World Cup.