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It's been a relatively quiet transfer window for Premier League clubs this summer, and it's been no different for Tottenham Hotspur.

The Lilywhites have signed two exciting up-and-coming youngsters, Archie Gray and Yang Min-Hyeok, but as things stand, that's it in terms of new faces.

However, over the last week or so, the Lilywhites have been linked with several talented forwards, with links to Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke particularly strong.

That said, another top-quality striker has been touted for a move to N17 who would be an incredible teammate for one of last summer's major signings, Brennan Johnson.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from The Boot Room, Tottenham have maintained their interest in Brentford's star striker, Ivan Toney.

The report claims that while the Lilywhites are intent on continuing their pursuit of Solanke, they are also set to 'step up' their attempts to sign the Bees star this summer.

The story also claims that the striker is available for just £40m this summer, which is likely due to his contract expiring next year.

Signing Toney would still require a hefty investment from Daniel Levy and Co, but given his record in the Premier League, it would be worth it, especially as he could help get even more out of Johnson.

Why Toney would be a great signing for Spurs & Johnson

So, the primary reason that Toney would be a great signing for Spurs and Johnson is one and the same: his output.

Across his Premier League career, the former Newcastle United ace has proven that he's among the best strikers in the country, and while he certainly struggled slightly more than usual last season, it's easy to put that down to the fact he was banned from all footballing activity for eight months due to his betting breaches.

For example, in his 83 top-flight appearances with Brentford, the 28-year-old "monster," as manager Thomas Frank dubbed him, has scored 36 goals and provided 11 assists. This means he's averaged a goal involvement every 1.76 games for a club that, at best, are mid-table and at worst, a relegation candidate.

Appearances

33

33

17

Goals

12

20

4

Assists

5

4

2

Goal Involvements per Match

0.51

0.72

0.35

This ability to consistently impact games at the sharp end of the pitch would make the former Newcastle United ace an invaluable addition to Ange Postecoglou's team; as for all the exciting attacking football they played last season, six teams scored more goals than them in the league.

Moreover, only Son Heung-min and Richarlison scored ten or more goals across the entire campaign despite having a plethora of talented wingers in the side, including Johnson.

Appearances

36

31

34

Goals

17

12

5

Assists

10

4

10

Goal Involvements per Match

0.75

0.51

0.44

The Welsh international was actually the North Londoners' joint top-assister alongside Son last season, racking up an impressive ten assists to go with his five goals, but imagine how many more he'd have starting off the right of the "unplayable" Brentford ace, as Alan Shearer dubbed him.

The England international would help turn his half-chances into goals and even chip in with the odd assist to help the former Nottingham Forest star's goal tally creep up.

Ultimately, while the money involved would still be significant, Spurs should do what they can to sign Toney this summer. His ability to find the back of the net could prove transformational not just for the team's fortunes but also for Johnson.

Maddison repeat: Spurs want to sign "sublime" £20m Son rival

The impressive youngster could be a future star.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Aug 8, 2024

Mohamed Salah was in fine spirits during training on Tuesday, according to Andy Robertson, despite admitting he's 'more out than in' at Liverpool.

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Salah fuels exit speculationWinger's contract expires next yearEgyptian still at world-class levelFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Salah's contract bombshell may have been dismissed by Arne Slot but it went some way to proving how far apart the two sides are in contract negotiations. "I haven’t received any offers yet to stay in the club," Salah said after scoring a brace in Liverpool's win against Southampton. "I’m probably more out than in."

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The 32-year-old has come under some criticism for his comments, with Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher calling him "selfish", but they don't appear to have had an impact on Salah or the dressing room. During a press conference ahead of the Champions League tie with Real Madrid, Robertson said Salah was "one of the happiest people" at the club's training centre on Tuesday.

WHAT ROBERTSON SAID

"He didn’t look sad to me! Mo comes into training every single day with a smile on his face, he is in the gym working as hard as ever, he is on the training pitch working as hard as ever," Robertson said.

"In terms of that, he’s one of the happiest people in the training ground, that’s for sure. He enjoys every moment of being in there. You can tell that. If you can find me a picture from training today where he looks sad, fair enough! But he looks happy at all times. He’s such a focused individual, he’ll be in his house now probably focused on tomorrow night. That’s the main thing. That’s what all good players do, that’s what all the best in the world do – and Mo certainly falls into that category."

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

The Reds will try to make it five wins from five in Europe when they host reigning champions Real Madrid on Wednesday in what promises to be an enthralling encounter.

Newcastle United have made it no secret that they are admirers of Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi during the current transfer window.

With just a few days to go until the transfer window slams shut, Eddie Howe faces a race to bring the English defender north and vastly improve his squad.

Talks are ongoing between the two clubs, but could the manager perhaps sign an alternative to the Euro 2024 star for the Magpies? One that wouldn’t break the bank…

Newcastle United target move for Guehi alternative

According to reports in Spain, Barcelona could be willing to let defender Andreas Christensen go this summer, if a bid of around €30m (£26m) arrives.

It appears as though Newcastle has the Danish centre-back on their radar ahead of the final few days of the summer window, and he would certainly be a cheaper option than Guehi.

Will Howe make a move for the former Chelsea player rather than continue to haggle with Palace? As he could be a worthwhile addition to the squad.

If Christensen does move to the Premier League, he could turn out to be Howe’s very own version of Matthijs de Ligt.

Andreas Christensen’s 2023/24 season in numbers

The Dane made 42 appearances in all competitions for the Catalan side last term, scoring twice while grabbing three assists in the process.

In La Liga, Christensen finished the season having achieved a pass success rate of 94%, along with winning 3.6 total duels per game – a success rate of 56% – losing possession only 3.6 times per game and recovering 3.6 balls per match as he enjoyed a solid campaign at the heart of the defence.

Metric

Guehi

Christensen

Pass success rate

87%

94%

Total duels won per game

3.6

3

Tackles per game

1.1

0.8

Possession lost per game

7.4

3.6

Interceptions per game

0.7

0.7

Accurate long balls per game

3.4

1.6

De Ligt made the move from Bayern Munich to join Manchester United this summer, arriving as one of the best defenders on the continent. During his spell in Germany, he won the Bundesliga title in 2022/23 after an impressive spell at Juventus prior to that.

If Howe could land his own version of the Dutch titan in Christensen, then it would help improve his backline.

According to FBref, De Ligt is the most-comparable player to the Dane in Europe’s top five leagues.

Indeed, the duo also registered similar statistics last season with regard to pass success rate (94.3% vs 93.9%), shot-creating actions per 90 (1.27 vs 0.84), percentage of aerial duels won (71.1% vs 59.4%) and tackles won (14 vs 12), showcasing their similar playing styles.

Cesc Fàbregas, his former teammate at Chelsea, lauded the defender a few years ago, saying on X: “What a player. Very underrated. He’s very shy and doesn’t make too much noise because he hardly makes mistakes.”

This is clearly the type of character Howe will want in and around the dressing room, with his ability on the pitch bolstering the Magpies’ defence.

Of course, Guehi is the first choice for the club, but if they can’t work out a deal, then Christensen will be a solid alternative, no doubt about that.

Reliable journalist reveals what he’s hearing on Newcastle's £65m Guehi bid

A breakthrough is believed to be close.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 16, 2024

Ex-Liverpool midfielder Naby Keita is set to leave Werder Bremen after making only five Bundesliga appearances for the club.

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Keita endures awful spell in GermanySuspended & fined by Bremen last season29-year-old now set to leave clubFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Keita's return to Germany in the summer of 2023 was expected to help the midfielder revive his career, after he failed to become a first-team regular at Liverpool as he was hampered by injuries. But to say the transfer has been a disappointment would be an understatement. Keita has made only five league appearances for Werder Bremen and was hit with a fine and suspension last season after being accused of refusing to board the team bus for an away game.

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With it clear that a transfer would benefit both parties – Keita hasn't trained with the first team for months – the Guinean's Bremen nightmare is set to end. According to , citing Bild, Keita will join Hungarian side Ferencvaros in January on a one-year loan, with the deal expiring six months before his Bremen contract runs out.

DID YOU KNOW?

Keita apologised to his Bremen team-mates following last season's coach saga. In April, he allegedly refused to get on the team bus and instead went home after he was left out of the starting line-up for a game against Bayer Leverkusen.

"We won't tolerate Naby's behaviour," Bremen sporting director Clemens Fritz said in a statement, with Keita receiving a fine and suspension.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR KEITA?

Keita, 29, will hope to find more success in Hungary than he did during his second spell in Germany. Ferencvaros are currently second in the OTP Bank Liga and one spot above 12th-placed Manchester United in the Europa League league phase standings.

Zimbabwe may have squandered their best chance to hit Pakistan hard, losing the first game mainly because of lapses in the field

Danyal Rasool22-Apr-2021Big pictureHarare threw up a fun T20I contest in the first game, though both Zimbabwe and Pakistan were far from pleased with how things unfolded. Zimbabwe captain Sean Williams termed his side’s performance in the field “inexcusable” after they shelled no fewer than five catches, including an opportunity to send Mohammad Rizwan packing early; Rizwan went on to carry his bat and score 82 of Pakistan’s 149 runs. Babar Azam was similarly displeased, admitting the batsmen didn’t perform well enough, and that Pakistan’s 11-run victory was “not a convincing win”. Both sides promised to bounce back, an opportunity they will have in the second game, which is set to take place at the same venue on Friday.Zimbabwe may wonder if they have already squandered a big chance to give their higher-profile opposition a bloody nose; if Pakistan are quite as poor at any point across the remaining games, that will be a serious concern for the visitors. Both Azam and Rizwan spoke of the adjustment it took from the higher-bouncing pitches in the Highveld in South Africa to the less lively ones at the Harare Sports Club. Now that that adjustment has been made, presumably, Pakistan should be more attuned to the conditions and perhaps less troubled by some of the factors they deemed unknown on Wednesday.The hosts, however, would know that it was only a lack of experience that prevented them from taking a 1-0 lead in the series. They simply don’t play enough international cricket; they have only played three T20Is – all against Afghanistan – between the last time these two sides played an international series last year and now. Pakistan have been their most familiar big-name opponent of late, and matching them nearly every step of the way in the first match should have given Zimbabwe confidence that they could be competitive.Form guide
Pakistan WWWLW
Zimbabwe LLLLLBabar Azam has come out second best against Blessing Muzarabani quite a few times of late•AFP/Getty ImagesIn the spotlightBlessing Muzarabani continues to be Zimbabwe’s spearhead with the ball and arguably their most important player. He was, once more, comfortably the best fast bowler for his side in the first game, and resumed a running battle with Azam that has seen the lanky fast bowler finish on top more often than not. Of the last five times the Pakistan captain has been dismissed against Zimbabwe across formats, Muzarabani has been the bowler on four occasions. Even if the pitch isn’t quite as springy as the one at the SuperSport Park and at the Wanderers might have beenMuzaranabi is able to extract enough extra bounce to keep batsman on their toes in more ways than one.Pakistan’s middle order continues to be a pressing concern, with every combination the visitors have tried on tour blowing up in their faces. Rizwan mentioned after the previous game how he almost had a pact with Azam regarding how one of them needed to stay there till the end, and while that speaks of the confidence in their own abilities, it also shines a light on how little they appear to trust the batsmen lower down. Haider Ali remains woefully out of form, while Danish Aziz has struggled on tour, too. Mohammad Hafeez, perhaps more surprisingly, is also yet to hit his stride, which means Pakistan remain vulnerable at later stages of their innings. With games running out before the T20 World Cup later in the year, there are numerous spots up for grabs, but if only there were the personnel to grab them.Team newsBrendan Taylor missed the last game with a gastrointestinal infection but should be fit to return in the second game. Unfortunately, Craig Ervine will miss out, not just this game but the series, after picking up a right calf muscle strain while fielding during the first match. Tarisai Musakanda has been called up as his replacement.Zimbabwe (possible): 1 Tinashe Kamunhukamwe, 2 Wesley Madhevere, 3 Tadiwanashe Marumani, 4 Brendan Taylor (wk), 5 Sean Williams (capt), 6 Tarisai Musakanda, 7 Ryan Burl, 8 Luke Jongwe, 9 Wellington Masakadza, 10 Blessing Muzarabani, 11 Richard NgaravaPakistan rested Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali in the previous game, and just about got away with that. And the question of whether they trust themselves to back their secondary bowlers – as much as what they can a misfiring middle order – remains.Pakistan (possible): 1 Babar Azam (capt), 2 Mohammad Rizwan (wk), 3 Fakhar Zaman, 4 Sharjeel Khan/Danish Aziz, 5 Mohammad Hafeez, 6 Mohammad Nawaz, 7 Faheem Ashraf, 8 Hasan Ali, 9 Mohammad Hasnain, 10 Haris Rauf, 11 Usman QadirPitch and conditionsThe weather should be clear once more, and similar conditions are to be expected as in the first game. The sides would be playing on a fresh pitch, though.Stats and trivia Sean Williams needs a further 64 runs to become just the second Zimbabwean to reach 1000 T20I runs, with Hamilton Masakadza well clear at the top with 1662. Mohammad Rizwan’s lead at the top of the T20I run charts this year already stands at 108 runs – he has 426 to the second-placed Martin Guptill’s 318. Rizwan also averages 106.50 with the bat in T20I cricket this calendar year.

Rangers are thought to have made an approach to sign a towering 6ft 3in defender this summer, according to a transfer update from reliable reporter Mark Hendry.

Rangers transfer news

The Gers produced a scintillating performance on Saturday afternoon, romping to a 6-0 win at home to Ross County in the Scottish Premiership. Philippe Clement's side have made a relatively slow start to the season, including drawing 0-0 at Hearts on the opening weekend, but they look to have found another gear.

This has been a summer full of new signings, including Jefte, Connor Barron and Mohamed Diomande, but that's not to say that at least one more new face won't arrive between now and the end of the summer transfer window next week, giving Rangers the best possible chance of pipping Celtic to title glory.

Young Norwich City striker Abu Kamara has been linked with a move to Ibrox before deadline day closes, with personal terms involving the 21-year-old not expected to be an issue at all.

In terms of outgoings, centre-back Ben Davies is thought to be closing in on a loan move away from Rangers, heading to Birmingham City, and it means the search could be on for a replacement. A new transfer claim certainly suggests that that is the case.

Rangers made contact over signing defender

According to Football Scotland's Hendry, Rangers made contact with Troyes over the signing of centre-back Jackson Porozo, who spent last season on loan at Turkish side Kasimpasa.

The situation isn't an ongoing one, however, with the demands "not suitable" for the Gers, meaning they are now "set to pursue other players" instead of the 6ft 3in defender, with Porozo joining Leganes instead.

It is essential that Rangers bring in another centre-back with Davies moving on, even if the Englishman wasn't necessarily a vital player for Clement. Squad depth is so important in terms of the Gers' Scottish Premiership title tilt, with injuries and fatigue always likely to be an issue, so it would be risky not to replace the outgoing former Liverpool centre-back.

Porozo could have been a strong option for Rangers, considering he has won eight caps for Ecuador, as well as making 22 appearances in Ligue 1, showing that he can perform in one of Europe's big five leagues.

That chance has been and gone, however, which is a shame, especially as the Ecuadorian is still only 24 years of age, therefore representing a long-term capture rather than a panic buy to come and make up for the loss of Davies this summer.

Forget Dessers: 9/10 star who won 5 duels may have saved his Rangers career

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ByRoss Kilvington Aug 24, 2024

Now, it is a case of Rangers looking at alternative options in the next few days, with Almeria ace Kaiky mentioned as a possible target in the same report by Hendry. Still only 20, the Brazilian made eight appearances in La Liga last season, and one offer has already been rejected, suggesting he could be a primary target for the Gers.

Zak Crawley, Jason Holder, Mohammad Rizwan, Dominic Sibley and Darren Stevens named as Five Cricketers of the Year

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Apr-2021Ben Stokes has been named as the leading cricketer in the world for a second consecutive year in the 2021 edition of , which is published on April 15.Stokes amassed 641 Test runs at 58.27 for the calendar year, which was more than anyone else, while his 19 wickets cost just 18.73 runs apiece.The honour comes after Stokes was named leading cricketer in the world in the 2020 edition, having guided England to their maiden World Cup title in 2019 and then producing one of the great Test innings to defeat Australia in the Ashes Test at Headingley. In doing so, Stokes ended a three-year run for India’s Virat Kohli in winning the award and became the first English player since Andrew Flintoff in 2005 to be regarded as the best contemporary player in the world.”Ben Stokes becomes the first England player to be named Wisden’s Leading Cricketer in the World more than once, retaining the title he claimed in 2020,” said Wisden’s editor, Lawrence Booth. “He did it all against a backdrop of personal tragedy: his father, Ged, died in December at the age of 65.”BloomsburyDarren Stevens, the Kent allrounder, was named as one of Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year at the age of 44, the fourth-oldest on record, after a standout performance in the Bob Willis Trophy. Players are chosen by the editor with “excellence in, or influence on, the previous English summer” the main criteria, and cannot be chosen more than once in their career.”Darren Stevens is Wisden’s oldest Cricketer of the Year since Leicestershire’s Ewart Astill in 1933,” said Booth. “His 29 Bob Willis Trophy wickets for Kent at an average of 15 confirmed his status as one of the domestic game’s most unsung heroes.”Zak Crawley, Stevens’ county team-mate, was another Cricketer of the Year after his feats for England. Crawley scored 267 against Pakistan in the third Test at the Ageas Bowl, a knock bettered only once by an England No. 3, when Walter Hammond made 336 not out at Auckland in 1932-33. Crawley also scored centuries against Hampshire in the Bob Willis Trophy and the T20 Blast.He was joined on the list by fellow England batter Dom Sibley, whose stubborn presence at the top of the order was typified when he batted for more than nine hours to score for 120 and help square the series against West Indies. Jason Holder, the West Indies captain on that tour, and Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan also made the list.ESPNcricinfo Ltd”Jason Holder was a giant both on and off the field last summer,” Booth said. “After agreeing to lead his West Indies side on a tour of Covid-hit Britain, he inspired his team to victory over England at the Rose Bowl with first-innings figures of six for 42.”Holder also led a dignified West Indian response to Black Lives Matter, taking a knee with his team-mates before each Test and wearing a black glove, a gesture that recalled American sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos at the 1968 Olympics.”Mohammad Rizwan was an electric presence behind the stumps for Pakistan, pulling off arguably the take of the summer when he caught Ben Stokes high to his left during the First Test at Old Trafford. He also averaged 40 with the bat, and was later confirmed as his country’s new captain.”Australia’s Beth Mooney was named as the Leading Woman Cricketer in the World after she was player of the tournament at the T20 World Cup, her unbeaten 78 off 54 balls helping the hosts see off India in front of an 86,000-plus crowd in the final at the MCG. She was also the leading run-scorer in the WBBL.Kieron Pollard was named as the Leading T20 Cricketer in the world with 59 sixes in various competitions – at a rate of one every 5.5 balls – with a staggering strike rate of 199.07 and averaging 53.58. He also added to his considerable list of titles, with Trinbago Knight Riders winning the CPL and Mumbai Indians following suit in the IPL.The Almanack features on its cover an image that would become all too familiar in daily life, let alone around the cricket field: Stuart Broad wearing a protective face mask as the sport and the world came to terms with Covid-19.Steve Waugh, the former Australia Test captain, won the photograph of the year competition for his image of children playing cricket among sand dunes near Osian, India, taken while he was travelling around the country to film a TV documentary.The winning image in the Wisden Cricket Photograph of the Year 2020 competition•Steve WaughIn his Editor’s Notes, Booth paints a poignant picture of the impact the pandemic had on cricket, remembering players lost to the disease and praising “swift measures” taken by the ECB to ensure the game could go on amid the global health crisis.”Cricket, like everything else, had its heart ripped out… It lost family and friends,” he writes. “Cricket has never been less important than in 2020 – and never more. As coronavirus spread, it seemed frivolous to wonder when the season might start, or whether anyone would be there to watch; months later, with the UK’s death toll into six figures, even writing about runs and wickets felt wrong.”Booth also criticises the financial inequalities prevalent in the game and says the England team were wrong to stop taking a knee in the fight against racism.”For a while, cricket said and did the right things,” he writes. “The ECB admitted they had let things slip, and promised action… But cricket isn’t fond of radicalism (unless there is money to be made). Predictably, it lost its nerve. By the time Pakistan arrived, taking a knee had been quietly dropped, amid supposed concerns about the politicisation of BLM.”Cricket has been here before: a sympathetic ear, a pat on the shoulder, a promise that things will change. They never do, but this time they must… By not taking a knee, cricket raised a finger.”Elsewhere in the Almanack, Wisden marks 50 years of ODIs by naming its greatest player for each decade: Viv Richards (1970s), Kapil Dev (1980s), Sachin Tendulkar (1990s), Muttiah Muralitharan (2000s) and Virat Kohli (2010s).

Real Madrid boss Carlo Ancelotti has explained Arda Guler and Endrick's lack of game time, insisting he has no prejudices against young players.

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Explains Guler & Endrick game timeYoung pair pushing for minutesAncelotti insists no prejudicesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The young duo have shown real promise at Madrid, with Endrick in particular attracting interest for a potential loan in the January transfer window. But speaking ahead of the club's Champions League match against Atalanta on Tuesday, Ancelotti has insisted the pair aren't for sale and "need to learn" how to become Los Blancos regulars.

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Hailed the 'Turkish Messi', Guler has dazzled fans for club and country during his fledgling career, while Endrick's performances have seen him break into the Brazilian national team this year. But according to Ancelotti, patience remains crucial to their development at this early stage in their respective careers.

WHAT ANCELOTTI SAID

Asked about the lack of playing time for Guler and Endrick, Ancelotti said neither would be going anywhere come January.

“Endrick stays here, just like Guler," he said. "They may need more minutes, but I don’t have any prejudices with anyone. I only try to put the best players out there for each match, regardless of whether they are 18 or 40 years old. Sometimes, that might mean playing without Endrick or Guler. We need to be patient with young players. They bring enthusiasm, but because they’re young, they also need to learn some things."

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AFPWHAT NEXT FOR MADRID?

Both Guler and Endrick will be vying for game time on Tuesday night when Ancelotti's side travel to Bergamo for a Champions League clash with Serie A side Atalanta, the winners of last season's UEFA Europa League.

George Bartlett compiles fluent century before rain, time confirm stalemate

ECB Reporters Network06-Jun-2021Somerset opened up a ten-point lead at the top of Group Two when their LV=Insurance County Championship game with Hampshire at the Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton, ended in a draw.Set an unlikely 459 to win from a minimum of 75 overs, the visitors closed a final day curtailed by afternoon rain on 88 for 2, with Tom Alsop unbeaten on 23 and Sam Northeast 19 not out.Earlier, George Bartlett had completed a fluent hundred, including 11 fours and two sixes, and Tom Banton contributed an unbeaten 51 as Somerset extended their second-innings score from an overnight 323 for 6 to 409 for 7 before declaring.The home side took 15 points from the game to overtake arch-rivals Gloucestershire at the top of the group, while Hampshire claimed 14 and lie close in third place.Clearly feeling a draw would be a more than satisfactory outcome in their position, Somerset batted on for 75 minutes at the start of the day.Bartlett and Banton began cautiously, scoring only 14 runs between them in the first half hour before both cutting loose. Banton moved to a 54-ball half-century with a six over mid-wicket off Ian Holland, the second time he had cleared the ropes.Bartlett, unbeaten on 74 overnight, accelerated towards an assured century and reached it off 160 deliveries. When he skied a catch off the first ball of the following over, it signalled the declaration.Ian Holland and Cameron Steel began Hampshire’s second innings positively. But their hopes of batting through the remainder for the morning session were scuppered when Steel fell lbw for 14, playing across a delivery from Lewis Gregory.Lewis Gregory celebrates after taking the wicket of Cameron Steel•Harry Trump/Getty ImagesLunch was taken at that point with the scoreboard reading 30 for 1. That became 39 for 2 when Holland, already dropped by Tom Abell at third slip off Josh Davey, was bowled pushing forward to Gregory.Northeast survived a tougher chance to Abell off the unlucky Davey, having made only four. But from then on Northeast and Alsop batted solidly, overcoming a pacey spell from the River End by Marchant de Lange, including several bouncers.The pair had added 49 when what started as light rain shortly before 3.20pm quickly developed into a downpour. Umpires Steve O’Shaugnessy and Peter Hartley ruled that play could restart at 5.05pm after an inspection.But by then the 41.4 overs originally remaining in the game had been reduced to 19.4 and the captains decided to shake hands on a draw without further play.

ESPN pundit Shaka Hislop has moved to criticise a £50 million player in the Arsenal ranks, even claiming the star has "done nothing" to earn a place among Mikel Arteta's star-studded team.

Arsenal follow window with dropped points v Brighton

The summer transfer window is officially closed following Friday night's 11pm cut-off, with Edu Gaspar's recruitment team working wonders to strengthen the squad.

Edu was planning shock late Arsenal bid to sign once-£100m star pre-deadline

Chelsea were after him too.

ByEmilio Galantini Aug 31, 2024

After their previous summer deals for David Raya on a permanent transfer from Brentford, Riccardo Calafiori's transfer to the Emirates and Mikel Merino's arrival, Arsenal sealed two first-team signings on deadline day.

Edu agreed a season-long loan deal to sign Neto for Arsenal, who will replace the departed Aaron Ramsdale as Raya's goalkeeping understudy in north London. Arsenal also sealed a last-gasp temporary move for winger Raheem Sterling from Chelsea, with the England international apparently agreeing to a pay cut, as both clubs split his wages 50/50 (Ben Jacobs).

The Gunners were after an alternative for the likes of Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard out wide, and were linked with a host of high-profile names throughout the summer before eventually landing on a deal for Sterling.

Goals

19

Assists

12

Yellow cards

13

Red cards

0

Minutes played

5,335

"To be fair, we never planned really to sign him when we started the transfer window, just to be very transparent. For different reasons," said Edu on the late signing of Sterling.

"But we always say to everyone that you have to be prepared for every single scenario. So when that opportunity came to me, and I checked the squad, I checked how he plays, and spoke to Mikel of course.

"I spoke to Tim [Lewis], our vice-chairman, to check if everyone is comfortable for the step we are going to take, and it makes a lot of sense. Yes, it makes a lot of sense to have someone like him because I’m pretty sure he is going to add a lot [to] the squad.

"He has experience, he understands more than anyone the league, he’s played in the Champions League many times. He won the Premier League a few times as well, so I think he can add a lot to our squad and I feel really happy to see someone like him in our squad."

While Edu is delighted with the 29-year-old's arrival from Chelsea, the same cannot be said for Hislop.

Hislop criticises Sterling at Arsenal and questions deadline day signing

Speaking to ESPN on Friday, former top-flight goalkeeper Hislop claimed Sterling has "done nothing" in the last two years to justify such a high-profile move to Arsenal.

"I have to say I don’t get this, I really don’t,” said Hislop (via TBR).

"I understand Arsenal want bodies, want pedigree and they find that in Raheem Sterling, but Sterling has done nothing in the last two years that suggests he makes Arsenal any better, even as a squad player.

"And so if we are here talking about a £20million package or £150,000 a week for a player who is there to cover Saka, to give him a rest, to maybe add some experience to a dressing room, I find that a lot of money to pay for a player who doesn’t make you better. I just don’t see the value in this."

Sterling, who cost £50 million for Chelsea to sign from Man City in 2022, could make his Premier League debut for Arsenal in a highly anticipated north London derby clash against Tottenham after the international break.