Arsenal are now racing Real Madrid and Bayern Munich for the signature of a “really exciting” Champions League player, who is likely to have a huge asking price.

Campbell suggests Arsenal need to sign new centre-back

With William Saliba and Gabriel spending time on the treatment table, Sol Campbell has now suggested it could be worth dipping into the transfer market to sign a new centre-back next month, saying: “Maybe an older centre-half who wants a six-month contract, something might happen at the back-end of January, or a loan that makes sense. Keep your options open.”

The former defender also added: “Arsenal can lose two players elsewhere on the pitch but in defence, they miss Saliba and Gabriel’s experience, knowledge and cool heads for the big moments.”

The two defenders are set to return before 2026, but Cristhian Mosquera was recently sidelined for weeks due to an ankle issue, which means it may still be worth bringing in another centre-back, heading into a busy period.

With the Gunners still competing on all fronts, they have 11 games penciled in before the end of January, so having squad depth is likely to be important, and they have now joined the race for a new defender.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Arsenal are now closely monitoring Atalanta defender Honest Ahanor, but there could be fierce competition for his signature, with Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea also keen.

In fact, the Blues could be prepared to make a bid of €60m (£52m), with the Italian club set to hold out for a huge fee, as they view the 17-year-old as a ‘future defensive leader’, rather than a player to cash-in on in the near future.

The starlet is regarded as a ‘potential cornerstone signing’ by the Gunners, and there are plenty of indications he could go on to be a future star…

Related Journalist fears Arsenal could sign AC Milan rising star amid "strong" temptation

The Rossoneri may give in and sell.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini "Really exciting" Ahanor tipped to become "one of the best"

Journalist Bence Bocsak clearly rates the teenager very highly, having described him as a “really exciting” player, while former Italy international Aldo Serena believes the starlet is capable of reaching the very highest level.

Serena said: “I don’t usually bet, but I could make an exception for Ahanor. I feel confident saying that by the age of 20, he will be one of the best in the world in his position.”

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Since making his breakthrough at senior level, the Atalanta ace has regularly displayed his dribbling skills and ability to win back possession.

Honest Ahanor’s key statistics

Average per 90 (past year)

Tackles

2.20 (91st percentile)

Blocks

2.0 (98th percentile)

Progressive carries

1.05 (81st percentile)

Not only that, but the centre-back put in an impressive showing against Arsenal’s rivals in the Champions League, with manager Raffaele Palladino saying: “He had a great game against Chelsea, and I really like his spirit: his boldness and his willingness to give 110% of every opportunity he gets.”

Ahanor clearly has the talent to become a top defender, and it would be exciting if Arsenal were to launch a January move.

Karnataka placed themselves in a position of considerable strength atthe end of the first day’s play against Goa in the KSCA Coca Cola Cup(under-25) tournament at the M Chinnaswamy stadium in Bangalore onWednesday. After dismissing Goa for 158 runs, the hosts replied with61 for no loss at stumps.Winning the toss and opting to bat, Goa ran into trouble early whenopening bowler Sunil Kumar dismissed both openers Nilosh Mulkar (0)and H Nityananand (19). with only 38 runs scored. Kapil Angle (33) andAmit Jadhav (21) then shared a third wicket partnership of 36 runs off8.3 overs. Both fell in quick succession and Goa were again shakilyplaced at 78 for four. Gourish Phadte (42) and S Prasanth (13) revivedtheir hopes somewhat with a fifth wicket stand of 31 runs off 17.2overs. But the later order succumbed meekly before the bowling of GVRavi, who finished with five for 36 off 20.4 overs. Phadte, who topscored, faced 129 balls and hit five of them to the ropes. Coming inat 74 for three, he was ninth out at 151.Karnataka openers V Pramod (39) and Shyam Ponappa (19) consolidatedthe good work done by the bowlers as Karnataka raced to within 97 runsof the Goa total by stumsps off 18 overs. Pramod, much the dominantpartner, has hit six boundaries while Ponappa has hit two.

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Millwall gave as good as they got in their gutting loss to Brighton at the weekend and can feel unfortunate not to have gone through to the semi-finals, with the Seagulls mounting a late comeback and taking the game to extra-time before progressing via penalties.

The Lions might be down in the depths of the Championship but, if they can muster performances of that latest calibre on a frequent basis, then relegation to League One looks near impossible.

Neil Harris’ side were excellent from back to front and, on another day, could have easily emerged victorious. It was extremely hard to pick a man of the match at The Den, with each and every man in blue impressing, although one player rose above a poor performance last time out to put in a solid shift at right-back.

Watch the best fails from the world of indoor football in the video below…

Mahlon Romeo was poor in the loss to Bolton – his defending for Gary O’Neil’s winner was diabolical – although he made up for it and some in the weekend’s FA Cup clash.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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Here’s what the Millwall faithful had to say about the 23-year-old’s impressive turnaround…

Stuart MacGill only managed one wicket – from a short ball – in the second innings at Hobart and is under pressure to retain his place © Getty Images

Stuart MacGill does not have time to significantly improve his fitness ahead of the Boxing Day Test and playing Pura Cup matches in the lead-up could make his knee injury worse, according to Australia’s physio Alex Kountouris. The physio’s advice came after Tim Nielsen, the coach, told MacGill his fitness would continue to be monitored, especially given Australia’s hectic upcoming Test schedule.Playing two Tests within two weeks hampered MacGill’s recovery from knee surgery and he was also struggling with numbness in his hand against Sri Lanka in Hobart. Kountouris said MacGill was free to play for New South Wales in two Pura Cup matches before the India Test series but he would have trouble regaining his fitness in the next month.”There’s not enough time, really,” Kountouris told the . “I have made him available to play in the Pura Cup, if he wants to, but that could actually be a limiting factor. It will be hard to improve his fitness during games.”MacGill, 36, had a lot of trouble landing his deliveries where he intended at Hobart, especially in the second innings, and he served up plenty of full tosses and short balls. On Wednesday he said he was undecided about how to approach the next month.”Just give me a day or so,” MacGill said. “I haven’t dissected things myself, yet. I haven’t sat down and thought about things yet. Last night was all about the team, not me, so I haven’t had time to think about it. I haven’t even talked to my wife about how her week’s been yet.”MacGill conceded that two Tests in quick succession had taken their toll on his body. “I’m getting old. I don’t think there’s any secret that I was struggling a little bit,” he said.Should Australia decide MacGill cannot handle the demands of their schedule the next spinner in line would almost certainly be Brad Hogg, who was included in a 13-man squad ahead of the first Sri Lanka Test. Hogg is 19 days older than MacGill but there are no doubts over his fitness and although he has become mainly a one-day bowler, he started the Pura Cup season with 13 wickets at 17.30 from two games.John Buchanan, Nielsen’s predecessor as the coach, said Australia would not want to make a change after only two Tests but MacGill had to take the initiative and get himself into shape. “[The selectors] were keen to see where the body and the skills were at and how he handled reappearing on the international scene,” Buchanan said in the .”I imagine, in terms of where the body is at, he hasn’t done himself any favours at all and that’s impacting on where the skills are at. I’m a big fan of Brad Hogg because he brings a lot of other things to the Test team but in terms of Stuart MacGill versus Brad Hogg as a five-day Test bowler his [MacGill’s] record speaks for itself.”

ScorecardJames Vince finally managed to score his first hundred of the season•Getty Images

James Vince rejuvenated his England one-day chances with a first century of the summer as Hampshire opened their Royal London Cup campaign with an 87-run victory over Sussex at the Ageas Bowl.Vince, who made his international bow in the washed-out match with Ireland in May, laid the foundations with an 89-ball knock of 103, which included 12 fours.Liam Dawson then starred with the bat and ball – scoring an unbeaten 73 and returning figures of 6 for 47 – to help Hampshire keep Sussex in check as the home side successfully defended an Ageas Bowl high 343.After Vince had won the toss and elected to bat first, Michael Carberry endured a second golden duck in under a week as he edged Ollie Robinson behind.Hampshire rebuilt well after the early set-back as Jimmy Adams gained some much-needed confidence with a six to the short leg-side boundary, before moving past 3,000 career List A runs.Just as Adams looked set to notch a season-reviving score he flicked Tymal Mills off his legs to George Bailey at square leg, who held on well as the opener departed for a run-a-ball 34 – after a 56-run stand with Adam Wheater.Wheater was unfortunate to pick out Ed Joyce at short extra cover off Chris Liddle after a fulsome 45 before Joe Gatting was farcically run out by Bailey.At the other end Vince was moving smoothly through his repertoire of shots and reached his fifty in 41 balls. He continued with his sensible yet classy batting and scored his first three-figure score of the season in 79 balls, his fourth format century.But he only added three more to his hundred before spinner Chris Nash bowled him, before Gareth Berg picked out Matt Machan on the mid-wicket rope – as Hampshire decelerated to 265 for 6.But a productive seven-over stand between Dawson and Chris Wood resulted in 78 runs being smashed. Dawson in particular impressed with his patient 56-ball fifty before he opened up with two sixes to finish with a flurry.Wood ended on 38 not out as Hampshire scored their highest Ageas Bowl List A score of 343 for 6.Sussex’s innings started poorly as Nash was leg before to Yasir Arafat – the batsman incredulous after attempting to flick over square leg.Machan and Luke Wright added 110 for the second wicket – with the latter taking a particular liking to Danny Briggs, smashing three sixes in one over against his former England one day team-mate. Wright reached a deserved half century in 39 balls before his partner-in-crime Machan followed him to the milestone in a more sedate 67 deliveries.Just as the pair had looked to have taken the game away from Hampshire, Wright flashed a Dawson full toss straight to Mason Crane on the long on boundary for 58.Former Hampshire batsman Bailey edged Wood behind as fast bowling returned in the 27th over before Scotland international Machan holed out to Gatting in the deep for 93 to give Crane his first List A wicket.Legspinner Crane added a second as Craig Cachopa skied to Dawson at cover as the visitors stalled in the middle overs. Luke Wells slogged Dawson for a six but found Gatting with the next delivery before Robinson was bowled and Sussex debutant Alfonso Thomas was lbw.And Dawson completed his first format five-for as he had Joyce lbw before he completed the rout as Mills offered a simple chance to Gatting as Sussex were dismissed for 256.

Glamorgan have been given a two-point deduction and ordered to forfeit their Royal London One-Day Cup match against Hampshire following an ECB disciplinary panel hearing at Lord’s.Glamorgan chief executive Hugh Morris has termed the abandonment “embarrassing” and promised a full enquiry, painfully aware that they had already inherited a two-point deduction at the start of the season for preparing a poor pitch in 2014.”Our internal investigation is ongoing and we are committed to taking whatever action is necessary to ensure that we produce the best possible pitches for the rest of this season and beyond,” said Morris.”We will provide a further update when we are in a position to draw firm conclusions.”The deduction undermines Glamorgan’s chances of reaching the last eight, but Hampshire will be delighted that they have been awarded the points from the match.Furthermore, they have also been given a further suspended two-point deduction for all competitions in 2016 which will be applied if they transgress again, along with any further punishment that might be deemed applicable.The hearing was convened following the umpires’ decision to abandon the match in Cardiff on August 2 due to an unfit pitch early in the second innings after two Hampshire batsmen were struck by balls that misbehaved.Glamorgan were also fined £9,000 of which £5,000 will be suspended until the end of the 2016 season. The remainder will be given to Hampshire to compensate the small number of supporters who made the trip to Cardiff.The panel, which was chaired by Chris Tickle, considered reports from the umpires, ECB liaison officers and pitch consultants and both counties.The ECB statement concluded: “In reaching their decision the panel noted that the club is undertaking immediate investigative and remedial work on their square at considerable expense.”

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsSteven Croft lifts the NatWest Blast trophy as Lancashire broke their duck•Getty Images

There have been many disappointments and much heartbreak along the way, but Lancashire have clinched their first limited-over silverware since 1999 with a 13-run victory over Northamptonshire in the final of the NatWest T20 Blast.Since that 1999 success in the Sunday League, Lancashire have been defeated 15 times in the latter stages (quarter-finals, semi-finals or final) of limited-overs competitions. Five times previously they had reached T20 finals day and twice they had been thwarted in the final. It is no wonder they have earned a reputation as domestic cricket’s version of South Africa.So perhaps Ashley Giles will become known as the man who performed the Heimlich manoeuvre on Lancashire. In his first year in the role of director of cricket at Lancashire, Giles has overseen promotion (it would take a miracle to deny them at this stage) and this success.This was a triumphant homecoming for the former Warwickshire coach. A few months ago, after Peter Moores was sacked as England coach, Giles was told not to bother applying for the role. His record was tainted, he was told. The world had moved on.But this was a reminder that his record, at county level at least, is exceptional. His last season at Warwickshire, in 2012, saw the club win the County Championship, while two years before that, they won the CB40 trophy. He has surely wondered many times how different the course of his career might have been had England not choked so dramatically here in the final of the Champions Trophy in 2013.It is, therefore, not surprising that some at Edgbaston want him back to fill the vacancy of chief executive. Giles insists that he is thinking of nothing other than his role at Lancashire – and to see the anxiety etched on his face in the closing stages of this match, it would be hard to disagree – but he was burned by his period as England coach. Rarely given the chance to select the team he wanted, he has admitted that he would like his long-term future to involve more management and a bit less coaching. One day, he may well make a fine successor to Andrew Strauss as England’s director of cricket.Lancashire owed this success, in large part, to the stand of 77 their openers posted in the first nine overs of the match. There are those at the club who feel that Alex Davies could go on to enjoy an even better career than Jos Buttler and here – with 47 from 26 balls – the 21-year-old produced the most fluent batting of the day. He fully deserved the Man of the Match award.Certainly he demonstrated a fine cricket brain and wide range of stroke. Showing that he had learned from the batsmen’s struggles in the semi-finals, he tried to engineer more pace on to the bat from this slightly begrudging pitch by standing outside his crease and, while others slogged and heaved, he rarely tried to hit the ball too hard. Three times in the opening three overs he square drove for boundaries and, when Azharullah came on, he danced down the pitch and drove him over mid-off for another.It was always likely that spin would play a dominant role in the final but Davies refused to let Graeme White settle, twice driving him over mid-off in his first over – once for four and once for six – and helping Lancashire post 67 from the first seven overs.At one stage it looked as if they would score in excess of 180. But Shahid Afridi, appearing at Finals Day due to the benevolence of a local sponsor and his own goodwill, and David Willey bowled beautifully, and Lancashire lost four wickets in eight balls at one stage.Liam Livingstone was bowled through the gate by a googly that turned prodigiously, James Faulkner drove to extra cover – not the first time his driving has got him into trouble this summer – and Karl Brown was caught down the leg side.But Arron Lilley, an offspinner in whom the England selectors are taking interest, ensured some late impetus, helping Lancashire take 24 from the final two overs and give Lancashire a total that, in comparison with the other first-innings scores on the day (131 and 115) looked highly competitive.If Northants were to go close, they probably required one of their openers to make a substantial contribution. But Richard Levi mistimed to mid-off and David Willey top-edged to midwicket – both men given a quite unnecessary send-off by the graceless Faulkner – and while Afridi and Josh Cobb swung merrily for a while, Lancashire always appeared to have a dozen too many.Faulkner bowled with tremendous skill and heart – despite sustaining what appeared to be a dislocated finger when Afridi thumped the ball back at him – and the spinners were predictably frugal conceding just 67 runs in their combined 10 overs.But perhaps it was the performance of George Edwards, playing just his sixth T20 match of the summer, and Gavin Griffiths, who made his T20 debut earlier in the afternoon, that will provide most satisfaction for Lancashire supporters. Both bowled with skill, control and calm in circumstances in which others might have struggled. Both have long careers in front of them for the club.Whether Giles does remains to be seen. But such issues can wait. After many years of near misses, Lancashire have their limited-overs trophy and, after the pain of losing the England job, Giles has eloquently and classily proved his point.

Fawad Alam was 24 years old when, at Colombo in July 2009, he scored a remarkable 168 on Test debut against Sri Lanka. However, he played just two more Tests thereafter before being banished from the squad for six long years.He turned 30 last week, and as if to celebrate, he is back in the reckoning. He is a member of Pakistan’s squad for the first Test against England, overdue reward for five solid years in which he has maintained a domestic batting average in excess of 50.Oddly, Fawad hasn’t been completely overlooked by the selectors in the intervening years. His career has included 38 ODIs and 24 T20s, although that format’s frenzied requirements are not exactly to his liking, as a highest score of 28 would imply. Test cricket’s tempo seems much more in tune with his strengths, and for that reason he sees the coming series as the chance for a new beginning.”I am feeling like I got a debut call for Test cricket,” Alam told ESPNcricinfo ahead of the first Test in Abu Dhabi. “Five years is a huge gap as I last played a Test when I was like 24 or 25. So this all makes me feel like I am picked up for the very first time and I have to re-gather my thoughts and I am excited for the chance.”Despite regular recalls to Pakistan’s limited-overs squads, neither the team management or the selection committee have ever made him a part of their long-term planning. His response has been to become a bona fide domestic giant, with 17 of his 23 first-class hundreds coming in the years since his exile. Though he tended to do enough in ODI cricket to warrant a place in the next series, he has always been easy prey for Pakistan’s selectorial whims. But any opportunity to play for his country is one that he embraces.”Its not about what is the right format for me, it’s about how I manage myself and how I switch myself for the respective format,” he says. “It is unfair to say that Test cricket is the right format for me. Whatever the chance I get in any format, that’s the best for me. “A good player is a good player who can play every format and adjust himself accordingly. I might not have been able to continue after 2009 but whatever chance I got I tried my best to give my best. My job as a professional player is to play cricket, whatever the role I am given, and I am out here to grab every opportunity.”Fawad Alam is back in the reckoning after six years•Getty Images

Alam’s long absence from the Test squad has been mitigated, in the selectors’ eyes, by the wealth of talent that has been at their disposal. The team has been unusually stable under Misbah-ul-Haq but the captain himself has hinted, at the age of 41, that this series might be his last, while Younis Khan won’t continue much longer either.”We never got to have a chance to pick him in the Test squad because there is a well-settled 15 men for the Test and we can’t afford to dislodge it,” Haroon Rasheed, the chief selector, said. “He had always been in our minds but we always wait for the room to fit him in.”Fawad had not expected to be named in the squad for the England series, but he is keeping his fingers crossed now that he has made it this far. “I am not sure if I will make into the playing XI but I can assure that I can do my best to make a difference with my performance. It’s entirely up to the team management but I am ready for anything.”His awkward batting stance has, he believes, been overplayed . He might not have the physique to crash boundaries at will but he backs himself in any situation. “The perception about having an old-school technique is bookish talk,” he says. “Whatever it is, old school or gold school, I don’t believe it. It has nothing to with the practical cricket as, whatever the way I play, I am scoring runs and that is much more important. If I am not scoring runs you have every right to point that out, but I am scoring runs, whatever the way I bat.”I understand we all get to improve every day, and I know the things I need to manage. So I can only say a player should be judged on his performance. That is the answer to everyone who doubts me.”

Four wickets each from offspinner Steven Jacobs and left-arm pacer Raymon Reifer helped Guyana bowl out Windward Islands for 125 in their chase of 230, for a 104-run win at the Providence Stadium. After Guyana were all out for 95 on the third day, Windwards had the entire last day to bat but lasted 46.1 overs as the hosts took 18 points compared to Windwards’ three.Guyana built on their decision to bat by posting 362 with the help of opener Rajendra Chandrika’s maiden first-class hundred (146). Several other batsmen reached double-figures but could not build on starts as Shane Shillingford troubled the middle and lower order to finish with 6 for 107. Windwards’ batting was led at the top by Devon Smith’s 52 and 46 runs from opener Tyrone Thephile before Jacobs took four in the first innings to restrict the visitors to 228, for a lead of 134 runs.Guyana were then skittled for only 95 as Shillingford ran through their lower order again, with 5 for 36, and Windwards were set a target of 230. Only four of their batsmen reached double-figures because Jacobs claimed four more to finish with career-best match figures of 8 for 91. Shivnarine Chanderpaul scored 34 in each of the innings.Barbados‘ bowling attack combined with a first-innings century from Kraigg Brathwaite to lead them to a 10-wicket win after making Jamaica follow-on to claim 17 points in the first round of the Regional 4 Day Tournament. After posting 373 in the first innings, Barbados dismissed Jamaica for 189 and 187 to chase a target of only four runs.Put in to bat, Barbados were led by Brathwaite’s 14th first-class hundred (119), followed by a 77 from No. 3 Shai Hope and useful contributions from Sharmarh Brooks (49) and Roston Chase (48). The lower order didn’t contribute much and Nikita Miller’s 4 for 100 meant they were restricted to under 400.Jamaica’s top order also fared better than their lower order, but not better than Barbados’ top order. Opener John Campbell scored 49 and Kirk Edwards chipped in with a fifty (58) before four wickets from Kevin Stoute (4 for 21) and three from left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican bowled Jamaica out for 189, to make them bat again. The second time, Campbell top-scored with 35 and only five more batsmen scored in double-digits. Miguel Cummins and Ashley Nurse took three wickets each to dismiss Jamaica again and the Barbados openers took three overs to register the win.

Dane Paterson, the Cobras quick, has been called up as an emergency replacement for Wayne Parnell in the South Africa A squad that will take on England in a three-day warm-up match in Pietermaritzburg starting on Sunday. Parnell has picked up a foot injury and will not be able to take part in the match.The news will come as a blow to Parnell’s long-form ambitions and hopes of an international recall after he was left out of South Africa’s squad to tour India in October and November. Parnell, who also plays for the Cobras, has been opening the bowling in the recently completed 20-over competition and twice opened the batting as well. He was being primed for a comeback after last playing a Test in March 2014 and took part in the South Africa A side’s tour of India.Paterson was also part of that A series and opened the bowling with Parnell. The visit was tough on both of them – they only picked up a wicket apiece – but Paterson has been on the selectors’ radar since he topped the first-class bowling charts last season. In nine matches for the Cobras, Paterson took 42 wickets at 22.54 to take his overall tally to 228 first-class wickets at an average of 21.81.He will bowl alongside Marchant de Lange, who is challenging for a Test spot, and Chris Morris in a strong A side. South Africa have named the two wicketkeeper batsmen competing for a place in the senior side, Dane Vilas and Quinton de Kock, although neither of them is part of the squad for the first two Tests, and also included left-hander Rilee Rossouw, who has recovered from a stress fracture and is the reserve batsman in the Test squad.South Africa have received some good news ahead of the Test series against England, with Dale Steyn passing a fitness test on the groin injury he suffered in India last month.