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Former Test opener lured to Lord’s by long-term contract and chance to play all formats

George Dobell18-Aug-2021Mark Stoneman is to leave Surrey and join Middlesex on a three-year deal.Stoneman, the former England Test opener, had been offered a new deal to remain at The Kia Oval but has been lured to Lord’s by a long-term contract and the prospect featuring in all three formats of the county game. Stoneman has struggled to gain a place in Surrey’s T20 team.The 34-year-old, who has spent five years at Surrey having previously represented Durham, is to join Middlesex on loan immediately and is available for their final four LV= Insurance County Championship matches of the season. The deal secures his future at Middlesex until at least the end of 2024.”Mark brings a wealth of experience from the cricket side of things, and it will be great to use that experience to drive our young batsmen forward,” Stuart Law, the Middlesex head coach, said. “[He is] a tough no-nonsense bloke who will form an experienced opening partnership with Sam Robson at the top of the order.”This is a significant signing for us as we build a squad for future success here at Middlesex, and it won’t be the last signing we make before next season. There’ll be more to come on this in the coming weeks.”Related

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Stoneman started and finished his Surrey career with centuries. After making 165 in his first Championship innings for the club (against Warwickshire) in 2017, he finished with a List A century against Glamorgan on Tuesday in the Royal London One-day Cup semi-final. In between times, he won 11 Test caps and played an important role in Surrey’s Championship-winning side of 2018.”I have had a fantastic five years at Surrey and will be forever grateful to Alec Stewart for giving me the opportunity to represent the club,” Stoneman said. “They played a key part in helping me achieve an ambition of playing for England. It was an incredibly difficult decision to turn down their contract offer as I’ve loved being part of the Surrey family.”During my time at the club, I have received fantastic support both on and off the field. However, I was offered a fantastic opportunity by Middlesex and I’m grateful to Alec for his understanding of my decision.”Stewart, Surrey’s director of cricket, admitted he was disappointed to lose Stoneman, but wished him well.”We are obviously disappointed that Rocky chose not to accept our new contract, but I respect his decision and the reasoning behind his move,” Stewart said. “He has been brilliant to work with during his time at Surrey and I wish him every success as he joins Middlesex.”

The West Indies quicks had reduced South Africa to 37 for 3 before Elgar and Verreynne added 87 for the fourth wicket

Firdose Moonda18-Jun-2021Dean Elgar, in his second Test as permanent captain, top-scored with 77 as South Africa negotiated a tough batting day against a much-improved West Indian side. Facing a must-win situation to share the spoils in the series, the hosts’ four-pronged pace attack made good use of the movement on offer in seamer-friendly conditions to make inroads into South Africa’s line-up early on and kept their visitors relatively quiet, with a run rate that stayed under three an over throughout the day.Shannon Gabriel, on his return from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the first Test, was the most successful bowler on the day. Gabriel was used in short bursts, never bowling more than four overs in a spell, and took 2 for 47. Kemar Roach, Jayden Seales and Kyle Mayers took one wicket apiece and Jason Holder, whose 14 overs cost just 25 runs, held an end even though he went wicketless.Between them, the quicks reduced South Africa to 37 for 3 inside 18 overs before Elgar and Kyle Verreynne shared a fourth-wicket stand of 87. Verreynne was dismissed in the last over before tea but Elgar took South Africa to within three overs of the second new ball being due and put on 79 for the fifth-wicket with Quinton de Kock, the centurion from the first Test. de Kock remained unbeaten on 59 off 103, at a strike rate of 57.28, the quickest of the match so far.Watch cricket on ESPN+

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Under cloudy skies and after morning rain, the toss was delayed and play eventually started 15 minutes late and was interrupted after three-and-a-half overs for another ten minutes by a passing shower. By then, South Africa had already lost their first batter. In the second over, Aiden Markram chased a short, wide delivery from Gabriel and was caught at backward point by Roston Chase. This was Markram’s sixth Test duck and he equalled the most number of scoreless dismissals by any opener since his debut in September 2017.Elgar shares that record with Markram and was at risk of going past him and departing for a second duck in the series. He was beaten twice by Roach and squared up by Gabriel before the rain break and went into it scoreless. But he returned to find his first runs with a boundary and battled through most of the rest of the day.At the other end, Roach found Keegan Petersen’s outside edge but the chance fell short of third slip. Petersen did not look comfortable against the moving ball and though he survived a stifled appeal for a catch down the leg side, he did not last long after the introduction of Seales. In his second Test, Seales struck with the first ball of his third over when he tempted Petersen into the drive off a ball that moved away from him. Petersen edged to Holder at second slip.Rassie van der Dussen was bowled after shouldering arms to a Roach inducker•AFP/Getty ImagesElgar started to look more convincing when he drove Seales through mid-off but he was beaten by Holder’s first ball, a beauty that pitched on middle and off and moved away then went back into his shell. He battled on, but Rassie van der Dussen couldn’t. Roach, who had switched ends from when he opened the bowling, got the ball to move into van der Dussen several times in his sixth over to set him up, and then did the same with the third ball of his seventh when van ver Dussen shouldered arms and was bowled.Verreynne stayed with Elgar until lunch and through most of the second session showing glimpses of the aggression he has become known for in domestic cricket. But he also had his nervy moments. He was beaten several times after that and survived an lbw review off Mayers, who surprised Verreynne with a ball that nipped back into him from outside off and hit him on the back pad. West Indies reviewed but ball-tracking showed it was going over the stumps.Elgar had been watchful throughout that period but played a few shots in anger. He brought up South Africa’s hundred with a flick off a Roach full toss and his own fifty when he top-edged a Gabriel short ball, which ended up being a no-ball, off the 146th delivery he faced.Two overs later, Verreynne attempted a pull off Gabriel, who had returned for a pre-tea burst, but did not get hold of the ball as it swung down the leg side. He was given out caught behind and reviewed but UltraEdge confirmed Verreynne’s bat had made contact.de Kock picked up where he left off in the first Test and approached his innings positively. He punched a full Chase delivery between extra cover and mid-off, hit Gabriel through the covers and spurred Elgar on to some more aggressive strokes too. The captain pulled Seales through midwicket and drove Holder down the ground to enjoy some reward after an innings of mostly hard graft.The pair seemed set to take South Africa to the close but in the 78th over, Mayers bowled Elgar with a delivery that came back into him and squeezed through the bat-pad gap. West Indies ended up not taking the second new ball instead opting to wait until the morning to make use of it, when conditions may again be ripe for swing. They’ll look to repeat their first morning’s performance but will also be aware of the number of extras they gave away on the first day – 42 – the third-highest scorer in the innings.

Tash Farrant, Sophia Dunkley also called up as Nat Sciver is named vice-captain across all formats

Valkerie Baynes09-Jun-2021Emily Arlott has earned a maiden call-up to the England Women’s squad ahead of their Test against India after taking a hat-trick in domestic cricket last weekend.She joins fellow seamer Tash Farrant, who has also enjoyed a strong start to the domestic season, in an extended 17-player squad which is expected to be trimmed before the Test starts in Bristol on June 16. Also untried in the format and called into England’s squad announced on Wednesday are Sophia Dunkley, Sarah Glenn, Mady Villiers and Freya Davies.Arlott, 23, produced a four-wicket over and finished with 5 for 29 for Central Sparks in a 120-run victory over reigning Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy champions Southern Vipers on Saturday.Related

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Lisa Keightley, England Women’s Head Coach, was at Hove to witness her performance but Arlott was already on the radar, having also caught the attention of Heather Knight, the England captain, when her Western Storm side faced Sparks the previous week.”I was loving yesterday, Issy Wong and Emily Arlott – two good, young fast bowlers – coming in and bowling quick on a pitch with pace and carrying a bit in it at Edgbaston,” Knight said last week. “It’s brilliant and I’m pleased to see the England girls go well and some of the domestic players really pushing as well.”Dunkley’s call-up caps a successful week for her after she was awarded a central contract for 2021-22. Dunkley broke back into the England set-up during the five-match T20I series against West Indies last summer after an absence of 18 months and has started the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy strongly with scores of 104 not out, 0 and 92.Farrant returned to the England fold when she was recalled for the tour of New Zealand in February and March after being omitted from the central contracts list in early 2019.At the other end of the Test experience spectrum, Georgia Elwiss is in contention to play her fourth Test match almost two years since her last England appearance, having missed last summer because of injury. Lauren Winfield-Hill could also play the fourth Test of her career and her first since the 2017 Ashes in Australia.England confirmed that Nat Sciver would become team vice-captain across all formats, having stepped in on the winter tour of New Zealand for Anya Shrubsole, who was injured at the time but has returned to the England squad for the India Test.England Women’s Test squad to face India•ESPNcricinfo LtdKeightley said: “It’s been hard to pick a squad given the balance of needing cover in a COVID world while wanting to give players as much chance as possible to play cricket.”We want players to have opportunities out in the middle so we’re looking to reduce our numbers slightly ahead of the Test to give the non-selected players that chance.”India are a strong side and it’s the beginning of a two-year journey for us that takes in two ICC World Cups, an Ashes and the Commonwealth Games.”While 10 of India’s 18-member touring party are yet to play a Test, 11 players in the England squad have Test-match experience.

Julen Lopetegui has had a busy summer since becoming the new West Ham United boss, with the club acquiring eight new senior signings so far this window, and their business doesn't appear to be finished yet.

The Hammers have made multiple defensive acquisitions this summer, one of them being Manchester United fullback, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, who joined for £15m.

Wan-Bissaka – who made 30 appearances for United in all competitions last season, providing three assists, and contributing to five clean sheets in 2,411 minutes played – will be hoping to make an instant impact at the London Stadium, although Lopetegui could well be plotting to sign an instant rival for that right-back berth.

West Ham transfer news

According to reports from The Telegraph, West Ham are said to be monitoring the situation of Newcastle defender, Kieran Trippier. Other interested parties are Everton, Atalanta, and Galatasaray.

The 33-year-old is currently on £120k-per-week for The Magpies, according to Capology. This would put him on more than fellow new right-back signing, Wan-Bissaka, who is earning £90k-per-week for the Hammers.

Trippier made 39 appearances in all competitions for Newcastle last season, scoring one goal, providing 11 assists, and contributing to 11 clean sheets in his 3,079 minutes played, although is now believed to be pushing for an exit from St James' Park.

Trippier vs Wan-Bissaka comparison

Whilst both Trippier and Wan-Bissaka play at right-back, the pair are known for different aspects of their game. Trippier being a more attacking and creative outlet from fullback, and Wan-Bissaka being more of a lockdown 1v1 defender.

Gareth Southgate did describe Trippier as a "solider" during the recent Euro 2024 competition, praising his ability to step in at left-back and play through injury troubles coming into the tournament.

Stats (per 90 mins)

Trippier

Wan-Bissaka

Goals

0.03

0.00

Assists

0.32

0.11

Progressive Carries

1.41

1.49

Progressive Passes

6.52

3.94

Passes Attempted

82.9

49.8

Key Passes

2.39

0.63

Shot-Creating Actions

3.80

1.31

Tackles

2.23

2.22

Interceptions

0.84

2.25

Blocks

1.61

1.36

Aerials Won

1.08

1.00

As you can see from the metrics, Trippier offers a much more creative spark from right-back, chipping in with plenty of assists, being an integral part of build up with his 82.9 passes attempted per 90, and 6.52 progressive passes per 90.

This is an important factor for Lopetegui, who wants to use his fullbacks in the build-up, and then allow them to support the forwards as an attacking outlet too. Therefore, an ability to contribute to the first phase of the build-up, but also the attacking phase is key.

Trippier also makes 2.39 key passes per 90, which is a very telling metric as to how he manages 0.32 assists per 90, highlighting his creative mind and ability to play riskier passes to create chances for others, also highlighted by the 3.80 shot-creating actions per 90.

Wan-Bissaka, who is more known for his defensive qualities, actually only ranks above Trippier for interceptions per 90, averaging 2.25, whereas Trippier's tackle, block and aerials won metrics are actually better than those of Wan-Bissaka.

Therefore, an addition such as Trippier would have much more of a gain in the attacking phases of play, whilst not majorly losing out on defensive output numbers, perhaps opting to start Wan-Bissaka as a 1v1 defender against tougher opposition.

Lastly, Trippier, of course, is a huge set-piece threat, delivering corners, free-kicks and even striking them goal-bound himself. This would add extra dead-ball quality, especially when James Ward-Prowse doesn't find himself in the team.

All in all, the veteran defender could prove an astute pickup for the Irons to further strengthen an already star-studded squad at Lopetegui's disposal.

West Ham pushing for £20m talent who could be Lingard 2.0

The Hammers want another signing, but will need to sell first.

ByAngus Sinclair Aug 22, 2024

Manchester United are set to submit a new big-money offer for a "magnificent" long term target this summer, according to an exciting transfer update.

Man Utd transfer news

It is a matter of time until the Red Devils confirm the signings of Bayern Munich pair Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, with the defensive duo in the process of completing their respective moves from the Bundesliga giants. It has been a promising summer at Old Trafford, with Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee among those to have also come in, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe's spending may not be done there.

One recent report has claimed that United are considering making a move for highly-rated young Brighton striker Evan Ferguson, with a transfer worth as much as £50m mooted. The Republic of Ireland international is still just 19 years of age, but has been touted to become a superstar over time.

Fenerbahce and Turkey left-back Ferdi Kadioglu has also been linked with a summer move to Old Trafford, having caught the eye with his performances for his country at Euro 2024. He also averaged 3.6 tackles and two clearances per game at the tournament, enhancing his reputation in the process, and he could be viewed as a long-term replacement for the injury-prone Luke Shaw.

A move for Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong also isn't seemingly out of the question, despite United failing in their efforts to sign him so far, bidding far lower than the Catalan giants are willing to accept for his services.

Man Utd to submit bid for "magnificent" player

According to a new report from Football Insider, Manchester United have now "re-opened talks" to sign Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite in the summer window, as they look to snap him up alongside De Ligt.

Red Devils chiefs are about to submit a new bid of £60m this week and they believe the offer will be accepted by the Blues, even though their previous efforts have been unsuccessful.

Signing Branthwaite as well as De Ligt and Yoro really would represent a superb summer of spending at the heart of Erik ten Hag's defence, as they look to make huge improvements in the Premier League. The 22-year-old has enjoyed such a meteoric rise at Everton over the past 12 months or so, and he looks like a potential regular starter for England in the coming years.

Branthwaite's quality hasn't gone unnoticed by Premier League legend Alan Shearer, who has hailed him as "magnificent", while Jamie Carragher has also heaped praise on him: "Branthwaite has been outstanding. I think this lad is pretty special. He's a big part of why Everton in my eyes have a good chance of staying up, him and his partnership with [James] Tarkowski."

Report: Man Utd now considering £50m move for Premier League star

His finishing has been described as “phenomenal”.

ByHenry Jackson Aug 12, 2024

It would arguably be a surprise to see Branthwaite come in now, considering the money already spent on new defenders by United this summer, but few supporters will be against his signing, given his long-term promise.

Derbyshire have signed Australia fast bowler Billy Stanlake as one of their overseas players for the 2021 summer. The 6ft 7in quick, who is capable of bowling at 150kph/93mph, will be available across all formats, subject to clearance.Stanlake, 26, was first picked by Australia in 2017, having played only a handful of senior games. He has taken 27 wickets in 19 T20Is, as well as seven in as many ODI appearances, but has had regular injury problems and last featured in 2019.Related

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A full season with Derbyshire will allow Stanlake to work on his red-ball game, having only played eight first-class matches since making his debut in 2015.”I can’t wait to get started with Derbyshire and show the supporters what I’m all about, it’s a really exciting time for me,” Stanlake said. “I’m keen to develop my red-ball game, and this move gives me the opportunity to hopefully help Derbyshire to build on their form across the competitions. The club are ambitious, they want to win trophies and hopefully I can be a part of that success.”Derbyshire had agreed a T20 deal with Stanlake for the 2019 season, only for it to be scuppered by injury. He was also pulled out of a T20 stint at Yorkshire the previous summer, after Cricket Australia chose to manage his workload.He will line up in white-ball cricket at Derbyshire alongside fellow Australia international Ben McDermott.Derbyshire’s head of Cricket, Dave Houghton, said: “Billy is a player we’ve been watching for some time, there’s not too many players of his quality available for all formats, so it’s really pleasing to get him in. He’s tall and he bowls at a high pace with a good level of bounce and variation.”He’s someone who has made his name with the white ball, but he’s determined to show what he can do in first-class cricket as well. That hunger will be huge for us, and he’s a great addition [to our] bowling attack.”

A growing Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney’s northern beaches region is being closely monitored by Cricket Australia as state governments move to tighten their borders across the nation and force early contingency planning around the SCG Test in the new year. David Warner, who is currently in Sydney continuing his recovery from the groin injury that ruled him out of the first Test, may be flown to Melbourne early to avoid any potential further border restrictions to Victoria.Multiple Sydney-based members of the broadcast production teams in Adelaide were stood down as a precaution on Friday morning and the commentator Brett Lee flew home to Sydney, while CA issued a directive to all media covering the Test match to report if they had visited the northern beaches region in the past week.By early evening, health orders had caused another change as the former Australian captain, ABC commentator and northern beaches resident Ian Chappell was compelled to go into self-isolation in his Adelaide hotel, due to SA Health’s directive that all individuals who had spent time in “High Community Transmission Zones” since December 11 had to “self-quarantine immediately at a suitable location for 14 days” and submit to Covid-19 tests. Chappell had flown into Adelaide this week to work at the Test.As a fellow northern beaches resident, Mitchell Starc would have run the risk of facing similar conditions and thus being forced out of the Test match, if not for the fact that he had gone into self-isolation on December 11 as part of CA’s own Covid-safe protocols. The governing body sought clarification on Starc’s status with SA Health before keeping him in the match on day two.”Very early on there was but given the day/night times I was asleep when this was happening,” Australia captain Tim Paine said when asked if there was any conjecture around Starc. “We went through the appropriate channels and everything was checked off and approved by the time I got up, about 10am today. I know our manager and coach were working very busily behind the scenes to get all the information.”The cluster, centred around Avalon beach to Sydney’s north, is currently at 28 cases and counting, although New South Wales Health has successfully contact-traced all but one of these. The region north of the Spit Bridge is currently under stay-at-home orders, but the South Australian and Victorian borders – both critical to the continuing Test series between Australia and India – remain open to NSW. Victoria’s state government has announced a permit system for NSW visitors to the south, while at the same time advising their own residents not to visit Sydney for the time being.CA is understood to have remained in constant dialogue with the Melbourne Cricket Club around ensuring a pitch is ready for playing back-to-back Tests at the MCG in the event of Sydney’s outbreak growing further. However, the governing body is adamant it will not make binding decisions too quickly, while also noting that the current situation in Sydney underlines the prudence of maintaining hub protocols around the India series and the concurrent BBL, which has matches scheduled to be played in Tasmania, Queensland, the ACT and South Australia over the next two weeks.”There’s been lots of discussion and meetings of our medical experts, but this is the reason why throughout the summer we’ve had our players in bubbles in the hub,” CA’s interim chief executive Nick Hockley told SEN Radio. “We’re monitoring the situation; we’re not panicking at all, staying calm. Adelaide, a few weeks ago we had that pizza-shop outbreak and through that process we worked very calmly to get the players in Adelaide on a charter plane, out of Adelaide within 24 hours and that really saved the summer.”We’ve got the Sydney Test and the BBL in NSW after that, so the fact we’re here in Adelaide, we’ve got the next Test in Melbourne, it’s really watch, wait and see and I think the governments around the country have handled the pandemic so well, so we’ll watch, learn and stay in touch.”Hockley dismissed notions that the SCG Test was in doubt, not at this stage. “I don’t think so – this is the very reason why we have the hubs in place,” he said. “It’s been interesting as we’ve worked through to almost zero community transmission, we’ve had lots of questions about do we need the hubs. Over recent weeks they’ve not been about protecting people against coronavirus as much as getting tangled up. We knew there were going to be cases pop up, so not getting caught up in this web of people having to go into isolation.”Whether it’s the WBBL players, the BBL players, the BCCI, our own Australia squads, they have been absolutely fantastic in dealing with all the protocols. Our medical experts have been working around the clock, we’re in very good communication with health authorities around the country. It’s one of the things we’ve had to navigate with getting cricket up safely.”Should states close their borders, for instance from NSW to Queensland between the third and fourth Tests, Hockley said the matter would be handled on a case-by-case basis. “The fact all our players and support staff are in these hubs, we’ve got a very clear set of protocols,” he said. “They are business continuity measures to make sure if there are situations and restrictions around borders that we can give ourselves the best chance to move around safely.”If the game can be played safely [in Sydney] then we’ll play it there. That’s our starting point, so it’s working with the health authorities to ascertain that. We started out thinking how to play the full series as safely as possible, and we’ll take the same approach over the coming days and weeks. We’ve got contingency plans around a whole range of different options, and we’ve had to be agile all the way through. We were encouraged that it was 17 cases yesterday and ten today, and we’ll see how that plays out over the next 72 hours.”Tickets for the SCG Test remained on sale as of Friday.

Barcelona are ready to make a move for unhappy AC Milan star Rafael Leao in the summer of 2025.

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Barca tracking Rafael Leao Portuguese unhappy at AC MilanRumours of a rift with manager Paulo FonsecaFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to a report from Spanish publication SPORT, Barcelona are attentive to the situation of Portuguese winger Rafael Leao at AC Milan, amid rumours of a strained relationship with coach Paulo Fonseca.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The Catalans have begun the 2024-25 campaign with a bang, scoring 47 goals in 14 games under new manager Hansi Flick. The German coach has found his perfect front three in Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski, and Lamine Yamal.

Consequentially, Ferran Torres has had to make do being a substitute, which has put his future in uncertain territory. In case Torres leaves the club, Barca want Leao to add depth to their attack next summer.

DID YOU KNOW?

It was reported last weekend that Arsenal are pushing for a January transfer for Torres, with Unai Emery also keen to bring him to Villa Park. However, Torres is not too keen on an exit.

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Barcelona will take on Espanyol in a fierce Catalonian derby on Sunday, November 3, before travelling to Belgrade to take on Crvena zvezda in the Champions League next week.

Leao, meanwhile, will be hoping to have a more prominent role in Milan's upcoming games: against Monza in Serie A (November 2) and Real Madrid in the Champions League (November 5).

كشفت صحيفة سبورت اليوم الإثنين، حقيقة شائعات رحيل رافينها عن صفوف نادي برشلونة خلال الفترة المقبلة، حيث ارتبط اللاعب في أكثر من مناسبة باللعب في الدوري السعودي.

رافينها يعتبر من بين أبرز اللاعبين في صفوف نادي برشلونة خلال السنوات الأخيرة، وقدم الدولي البرازيلي مستويات باهرة مع البلوجرانا.

ويعتبر رافينها من رجال مدرب نادي برشلونة، هانز فليك، بينما خاض اللاعب 157 مباراة مع البلوجرانا في كافة المسابقات، سجل خلالها 60 هدفًا وقدم 48 تمريرة حاسمة.

وأشارت الصحيفة، إلى أن رافينها لا يفكر بأي حال من الأحوال في الرحيل عن صفوف برشلونة خلال الفترة المقبلة، وذلك في ظل سعيه لتحقيق المزيد من الألقاب مع النادي الإسباني.

اقرأ أيضًا .. خطوة تصعيدية من تير شتيجن ضد برشلونة قبل مباراة كأس ملك إسبانيا

وأضافت الصحيفة، أن رافينها يحظى باحترام كبير من قبل زملائه في برشلونة، وذلك في ظل التزامه الكبير داخل وخارج الملعب، كما يعتبر ابن الـ29 عامًا من قادة النادي الكتالوني.

وأوضحت الصحيفة، أن رافينها بات لاعبًا مؤثرًا حقًا في صفوف برشلونة، حيث تحسنت نتائج البرسا كثيرًا بعدما عاد اللاعب من إصابة أبعدته عن الفريق لمدة شهرين.

رافينها سجل هدفين ساعد بهم برشلونة في الانتصار 2-0 على أوساسونا يوم السبت الماضي بالدوري الإسباني، ليعزز البلوجرانا صدارته للبطولة المحلية.

وأردفت سبورت، أن رافينها لا يريد الرحيل عن صفوف برشلونة، إلا بعدما يحقق لقب دوري أبطال أوروبا، وقد رفض اللاعب عروضاً كثيرة لمغادرة البلوجرانا.

وأكدت سبورت، أن رافينها مهووس بفكرة الفوز بدوري أبطال أوروبا مع برشلونة، ولا يريد اللاعب ترك النادي الإسباني إلا بعد ترك بصمة واضحة معهم.

Wrexham co-owner Rob McElhenney has confirmed that his side are in talks with a 22-year-old Arsenal player over joining them from the north Londoners.

Players who could depart Arsenal this summer

There are many members of Mikel Arteta's squad who have been tipped for the Emirates Stadium exit door, as the transfer window looms and is set to open its doors in around three days.

Arsenal looking at £60m signing who plays a lot like Sesko

This could be a shrewd way to solve the centre-forward issue at the Emirates.

ByAngus Sinclair Jun 10, 2024

Sporting director Edu Gaspar has been tasked with upgrading the squad in key areas, as the Gunners look to mount a serious Premier League title challenge once again and hopefully make it third-time-lucky in their third consecutive race to lift the trophy.

Arteta's side have just lost out on the domestic crown to Man City in two of the last two seasons, but they've greatly evolved under Arteta in the last few years and definitely improved upon their 2022/2023 showings last campaign.

Bukayo Saka

7.67

Declan Rice

7.38

Martin Odegaard

7.37

Kai Havertz

7.16

Gabriel Magalhaes

6.99

They may just be one or two signings away from finally getting the best of Pep Guardiola. However, not every member of Arsenal's current squad will be along for the ride. Indeed, the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus, Fabio Vieira, Reiss Nelson, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Emile Smith Rowe, Kieran Tierney and Eddie Nketiah have all been named by various reports as players who could be sold by Arsenal this summer.

All the aforementioned players have cases to be sold in the next few months, whether it is down to a lack of consistent form or barely any chances under Arteta last season, or simply just not being in the Spaniard's plans moving forward after loan spells away.

Many fringe players and youngsters from the Hale End academy have also been given their marching orders already, with their contracts set to expire on June 30. Arsenal announced at the start of this month that both Mohamed Elneny and Cedric Soares will leave when their deals run out, with the senior duo among 22 players who are set to be released.

Another one is 22-year-old goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo, who spent last season on loan at Wrexham in League Two and helped the plucky Welsh side clinch promotion to League One.

McElhenney confirms talks to sign Okwonko from Arsenal

Still contracted at Arsenal, Okwonko won't be for much longer and is set to be available next month.

This has alerted Wrexham, as their co-owner McElhenney confirmed that Wrexham are in talks with Okwonko over joining from Arsenal. In an interview with talkSPORT, the It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia star said Wrexham are in constant contact with the Englishman.

“There’s a very good chance," said McElhenney on Okwonko re-joining on a permanent basis after his Arsenal release.

“We’re talking to Arthur actively right now, we know he wants to come back to Wrexham and we definitely want him. It’s just about working out the right deal that works for everybody.”