Arsenal are now showing strong interest in a “flamboyant” forward that one of their big PL rivals bid for in the January transfer window, according to a report.

Gunners eyeing a forward

The Gunners are still faring well in their pursuit of the Premier League title, winning their last three games to keep the pressure on Liverpool, but there is a real risk that injuries could derail their season.

Kai Havertz recently became the latest forward to be sidelined, with the German ruled out for the rest of the season due to a hamstring injury, joining Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus on the treatment table.

Ethan Nwaneri and Leandro Trossard have been called upon in the absence of some of Mikel Arteta’s key players, but the manager may want to bring in additional depth to ensure a similar situation doesn’t arise next season.

There have been widespread reports about Arsenal’s pursuit of a striker, with the likes of Alexander Isak, Benjamin Sesko and Viktor Gyokeres on the shortlist, but Arteta may also look to bring in a new winger in the summer.

According to reports from Spain, one target they have in mind is Deportivo La Coruna winger Yeremay Hernandez, with the Gunners said to be showing a strong interest in the left-winger.

Hernandez is set to be available on the cheap this summer as there is a €20m (£17m) release clause in his contract, but there may be competition for his signature, with Premier League rivals Chelsea also being named as potential suitors.

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The Blues have been eyeing the 22-year-old for a while, submitting a £8.5m offer in the January transfer window, so it is clear their interest is serious.

However, Arsenal have also entered the picture, with Arteta believing the 22-year-old would fit perfectly into his system.

West Ham United (h)

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Manchester United (a)

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Hernandez impressing in Spain

The Spaniard has been a key player for Deportivo this season, and he has regularly been in and amongst the goals, scoring nine in the second tier while also providing three assists.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has provided an overview of the Deportivo star’s abilities, describing him as a “flamboyant winger” who also has pace and impressive dribbling abilities at his disposal.

The only concern about signing the winger will be the fact he is yet to prove himself in a major league, currently plying his trade in La Liga 2.

However, given that a deal would set Arsenal back just £17m, it could well be a risk worth taking, and the Gunners should be in a strong position to win the race for Hernandez, as Chelsea’s recent form leaves them at risk of missing out on the Champions League.

أكد علاء عبده المدرب العام لـ منتخب مصر للشباب تحت 20 عامًا، أن مجموعة الفراعنة في كأس العالم، جاءت متوسطة ومتوازنة إلى حد كبير.

وأقيمت قرعة كأس العالم تحت 20 عامًا، صباح اليوم الجمعة، وأسفرت عن وقوع منتخب مصر في المجموعة الأولى، بجانب منتخبات تشيلي واليابان ونيوزيلاند.

وستقام بطولة كأس العالم للشباب، في تشيلي خلال الفترة من 27 سبتمبر حتى 18 أكتوبر القادمين، بمشارك 24 منتخبًا.

طالع | أسامة نبيه: قرعة كأس العالم قوية ونتطلع لتقديم بطولة تليق باسم مصر

وقال عبده خلال تصريحات عبر المركز الإعلامي للاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم: “مجموعة مصر متوازنة هي ليست سهلة أو صعبة مقارنة بالمجموعات التي ضمت منتخبات عربية وإفريقية”.

وتابع: “اليابان منتخب كبير ويمتاز بالسرعة والقوة، ونيوزيلندا لن تكون سهلة، أما تشيلي فإن البطولة على أرضها ووسط جماهيرها وهي مميزات كبيرة بالنسبة لها”.

وأكمل: “كل المنتخبات المشاركة فى كأس العالم لها كل التقدير والاحترام لأنها الأفضل في كل القارات ونحن نتطلع إلى تقديم صورة تليق باسم مصر مع كل أفراد الجهاز الفني بقيادة الكابتن أسامة نبيه المدير الفني واللاعبين”.

وأتم: “نتطلع لخوض فترة إعداد قوية واختيار المجموعة الأفضل من اللاعبين لتمثيل مصر في الحدث العالمي الكبير”.

Marcus Rashford is expected to snub Aston Villa to pursue a dream move to Barcelona, and he is willing to take a pay cut to make the deal happen.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Rashford has heart set on joining Barça
• £350k per week wages potential stumbling block
• United want to sell player at £40m valuation

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Manchester United attacker is believed to have his heart set on a move to Catalonia, as it has become clear that he has no future at Old Trafford with Ruben Amorim in the dugout. Villa have a £40 million ($54m) option to buy when Rashford's loan deal ends, but the 27-year-old would prefer a move overseas.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Rashford's wages of £350,000 per week could prove a stumbling block for the Catalan giants, as they continue to battle against La Liga's salary cap. A report by suggests Barcelona would be keen on signing the player, but would be unwilling to match the £40m fee agreed with Emery's side. Another loan move with the Red Devils contributing to Rashford's pay is a possibility, but the Old Trafford club would prefer to offload the player permanently this summer to bolster Amorim's transfer kitty ahead of the 2025-26 season.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Rashford may have played his last game for the Villans. The hamstring injury he picked up in the build-up to Villa's FA Cup semi-final defeat by Crystal Palace will likely keep the attacker on the sidelines for at least the next few weeks. He is ineligible to play against parent club United in Villa's final game of the season.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR MARCUS RASHFORD?

  The mounting speculation over Rashford's future suggests any hope of a reconciliation between player and manager at United is misplaced. Wherever the 27-year-old ends up, many United fans will be sad to see one of their own shepherded out the door.

One star really wanted to move to Leeds United this January, only for his club to slam the door on any potential move leaving him stranded until at least the summer, it has emerged.

Leeds United win again

Faced with familiar foe Frank Lampard, Leeds picked up another three points in their search for automatic promotion out of the Championship come the end of the season.

First half goals from Joel Piroe and Jayden Bogle proved the difference vs Coventry City to hand Daniel Farke’s side a win that moved them five points clear at the top of England’s second tier, although Sheffield United do have a game in hand on their Yorkshire rivals.

Despite having scored the most and conceded the second-fewest goals in the division, there was scope to strengthen their squad in January had the right deal emerged, with Farke himself admitting as much after the window when quizzed on why no deal could be struck.

“To find a loan option who is really improving your squad but willing to come, three months around and lots of competition, is very difficult,” he explained. “Other option is go for permanent transfer, we have also explored this, but the options in January are a bit overpriced and this makes the market so difficult, especially in a situation like we are – we don’t have a big problem. In the end, not all the boxes were ticked.”

However, one man was desperate to move to Leeds, only for his club to block any deal to let him leave.

Leeds fail with late move despite player buy-in

That player, of course, was European U21 Champion Cameron Archer, who was the subject of significant speculation in the days leading up to the transfer deadline day after Patrick Bamford suffered a hamstring injury setback.

It emerged that, even in the final hours of the window, Leeds were still pushing to try and seal a deal for the Southampton man, only for Ivan Juric’s side to refuse to entertain any offers for the former Aston Villa youngster, who is yet to start for the new Saints coach.

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Now, transfer insider Graeme Bailey has revealed that Archer was more than ready to make the move to Elland Road, largely because the Whites are likely to get promoted while his Southampton side are already on the cusp of relegation with a third of the season left to play.

“Cameron Archer wanted the move, there is no doubting that – he wants to be in the Premier League next season and in the long-term”, Bailey explained. “No doubt he feels he would be better served at Leeds than Southampton.”

Though he has struggled in his early time in the Premier League, Archer possesses undoubted quality, with the forward scoring twice in England’s U21 success back in 2023, part of a team that included the likes of James Trafford, Cole Palmer and Anthony Gordon.

But with three years left to run on his £40,000 a week deal at St Mary’s, an exit still looks difficult even if Southampton are relegated, with Leeds likely able to attract other players should the two sides swap places in the football pyramid.

The new PCB management committee, led by Najam Sethi, has terminated the contract of chief selector Mohammad Wasim and disbanded all committees formed under the now-defunct 2019 constitution. This was the first decision the new board head took after formally taking charge on Thursday.”We are going to disband all committees today because they were constituted under the 2019 constitution that has been revoked and shall reconstitute them under the new SRO,” Sethi told ESPNcricinfo.

Allrounder says calming each other whenever panic set in was a key element of his game-changing stand with Mahmudullah

Mohammad Isam07-Dec-20221:40

Jaffer: Mehidy Hasan Miraz is a ‘fighter’

Bangladesh allrounder Mehidy Hasan Miraz said that setting small goals, calming each other whenever panic set in, and not worrying about the final total were key elements of his record-breaking partnership with Mahmudullah in the second ODI against India. Their 148-run stand for the seventh wicket helped Bangladesh win by five runs and clinch their second successive series at home against India with a game to spare.Related

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Mehidy, who scored his maiden ODI century in the process, said he loved that despite being a senior player, Mahmudullah, who made 77, listened to his advice of taking the game deep.”We never had a target in mind,” Mehidy said. “We lost six wickets. So [the thinking was] how many could we score? We tried to take one ball at a time and build a small partnership and not think about setting a target. We tried to play to the situation and talked to each other regularly.”I liked that he respected me even though he is the senior player. He listened to me when I pointed out that he was panicking. I told him not to attack at times and to take the game deeper. The small conversations helped us in our partnership.”Mehidy and Mahmudullah got together on 69 for 6. From there, they kept India at bay for over 27 overs, helping Bangladesh post 271 for 7. While Mehidy bagged his second Player-of-the-Match award in as many matches, he said he did not prepare specifically to set the series alight and was only reaping the rewards of the hard work over the years.”It is a great moment for me to get my first ODI century,” he said. “I will never forget this moment. We were in serious trouble today. My partnership with Riyad [Mahmudullah] was very important. It is a big deal for me. India are one of the best teams in the world. Performing well against a big team is always great. We have won a second ODI series against India. I never really planned specifically to do really well. Luck favoured me.”I never believed that I could get the hundred. I was playing for the team, had the flow and it happened by Allah’s grace.”The 148-run stand between Mehidy and Mahmudullah helped Bangladesh recover from 69 for 6•Walton

When Mahmudullah fell, Bangladesh were 217 for 7 with 23 balls left in the innings. But Mehidy and Nasum Ahmed then added 54, with Nasum hitting 18 not out off 11 balls. Mehidy admitted to being surprised by Nasum’s innings.”I wanted to bat out the 50 overs and aimed for 240-250, which would have been tough to chase,” Mehidy said. “[But] Nasum batted outstandingly and his 18 runs were vital. Credit to him for scoring so quickly.”Defending 271, Bangladesh overcame half-centuries from Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel to have a firm grip over the match. With 65 needed from 45 balls, Rohit Sharma, who took a blow to his left thumb while fielding and had to get stitches, walked out and got the chase down to the wire. He reduced the equation to six needed off the final ball before Mustafizur Rahman nailed the yorker to seal the deal.Mehidy, though, said that the 48th over – a maiden by Mustafizur to Mohammed Siraj – was the turning point. That left India needing 40 from 12 balls.”We were prepared for Rohit Sharma and our bowlers knew what to do,” he said. “We had to take ten wickets to win the game. He played really well. But our bowlers also did well, especially at the start. They [Iyer and Axar] had a partnership, but we overcame that too. Mustafizur, Ebadot [Hossain], Shakib [Al Hasan] all bowled well. I didn’t do as expected, as I had cramps.”We believed we could win. We knew a wicket would have given us the advantage. Mustafizur’s maiden over was the turning point. He bowled really well in that over.”

Everton and Liverpool do battle in the Premier League this evening, with David Moyes looking to use his side’s three-match winning run to strike a cutting blow to his counterpart’s title challenge.

Though Bournemouth beat Everton in the FA Cup last weekend, the Blues have rediscovered themselves in the wake of Sean Dyche’s dismissal, dispatching Tottenham Hotspur (the 3-2 scoreline doesn’t reflect the manner of the win) and Leicester City at Goodison Park while narrowly beating Brighton on the South Coast.

Of course, Moyes will meet the sternest test of his second tenure at Everton in Arne Slot’s Liverpool, who will extend the gap at the top of the table to nine points with a win this evening.

This fixture was rescheduled in December after the whipping winds of Storm Darragh caused its cancellation. Everton are comfortably above the relegation zone, but a win here would propel the Toffees into mid-table talk.

It certainly won’t be easy though. Liverpool haven’t lost on the road in the Premier League this season and boast one of the most talented and balanced teams in Europe. Further to that point, Everton are nursing several injuries.

Everton team news

Everton are missing a range of first-team stars as they head into the Merseyside derby, with issues in attack. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Armando Broja, Youssef Chermiti and Dwight McNeil are all ruled out for the foreseeable future.

Moreover, Orel Mangala’s season is over after sustaining a knee injury at Brighton at the end of January. The Belgium international’s loss is offset somewhat by new recruit Charly Alcaraz, who stood out on his debut at the weekend.

There are also issues in defence. Seamus Coleman is still unavailable and Vitalii Mykolenko is a doubt. This could force the 39-year-old Ashley Young into a left-back role, which is a problem unto itself given that Moyes has revealed that Nathan Patterson is sidelined with a hamstring tweak.

Everton will have to endure, soak up pressure and attack on the counter. Luckily, there’s one forward in particular who will be ready to inflict damage on Liverpool, perhaps in a similar way to one Andy Johnson.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast's Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

Time for Everton's new Andy Johnson to hurt Liverpool

Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp described Illiman Ndiaye as “dynamite” earlier in the campaign, with the winger’s pace and potency down the flanks causing all sorts of problems for opponents.

He was a bright spark through the Dyche-led months but has taken his game to another level now that Moyes is at the helm, striking home in all three of Everton’s recent Premier League victories.

Ndiaye, who can play across the frontline, isn’t just a goalscoring component either, with the 24-year-old averaging 2.5 dribbles and 6.3 successful duels per top-flight game this season, as per Sofascore, making a firm comment on his suitability for the looming fixture.

With such a dynamic and electric set of skills, the Senegal star could be the bane of Liverpool’s evening, perhaps proving to be Moyes’ next version of one-time Toffees sensation Andy Johnson.

In August 2006, Moyes signed Johnson from Crystal Palace for a club-record £8.5m fee, providing Everton with some fresh firepower up top.

He scored 17 goals and added eight assists across two Premier League campaigns for Everton, but the brace in a 3-0 victory over Liverpool in 2006/07 is undoubtedly the highlight of his time on Merseyside.

Johnson followed Tim Cahill’s opening goal with a cool finish of his own before half-time, capitalising on Jamie Carragher’s mistake. He would double his tally in injury time, adding insult to injury as he nodded in after Pepe Reina fumbled from Lee Carsley.

Ndiaye is more of a wide player than Johnson was but his explosive pace does offer similarities to the former Three Lions star, ranking among the top 8% of Premier League positional peers for successful take-ons per 90 this season, as per FBref.

Ndiaye’s crackling style could be the perfect way to sink a high-flying Liverpool side, leaping forward on the counter and handing Everton one final Derby Day memory before Goodison Park closes its gates.

Especially since Alcaraz is in the mix and could start his first Premier League game for Everton. The attacking midfielder showed against Bournemouth that he can drop deep and control play when called upon, but his combative energy could be vital in unsettling the Reds backline, also stretching Ryan Gravenberch, and creating openings for Ndiaye to shift through and into space.

Hailed as “one of the biggest talents” to have come from Argentina in recent years by scout Jacek Kulig, Alcaraz certainly brings a fresh dimension to Moyes’ midfield and perhaps could be the difference-maker, unlocking Ndiaye and ensuring that Liverpool do not leave Goodison with all the points.

It’s doable. Liverpool are not infallible, have shown themselves to be susceptible to drilled and resistant opponents this season. Moyes has the tools in his locker to make it a historic evening for his Everton side, and with attacking outlets such as Ndiaye and Alcaraz on the field, the hosts could make it a tough evening indeed for their hostile guests.

His value has risen £35m: Everton will rue selling "monster" Ndiaye upgrade

This former Everton talent has turned into a superstar of a player.

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Leading Bengal in Abhimanyu Easwaran’s absence, Tiwary wants his team to take their game to “the next level” to try and win the Ranji Trophy

Rajan Raj16-Dec-2022Manoj Tiwary has hinted that the ongoing 2022-23 season of the Ranji Trophy could be his last in first-class cricket, but he wants to make sure “to give Bengal a Ranji Trophy title on my way out”.Tiwary, who is in charge of Bengal because regular captain Abhimanyu Easwaran is away on national duty, led the from the front as the side, chasing 257 for victory against Uttar Pradesh at Eden Gardens, got to the target for the loss of four wickets in their Elite Group A game. Tiwary got in at 156 for 3 and ended with an unbeaten 60.Related

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“We have to play like champions. We won today, but it’s not like we played exceptional cricket,” Tiwary, also a member of the legislative assembly in West Bengal, told reporters after the match. “If we look session-by-session, there were phases when we bowled badly. And our opening batters must score runs. If we want to win the Ranji Trophy, we must take our game to the next level.”Bengal have won the Ranji Trophy only twice in all these years, once way back in 1938-39 and then in 1989-90. Tiwary, who started playing first-class cricket in the 2004-05 season, has played the Ranji final thrice: in 2005-06, 2006-07 and, more recently, in 2019-20.”I am quite relaxed about leading the team,” the 37-year-old Tiwary said. “When I stepped down as the first-class captain of Bengal [during the 2018-19 season], I was told to continue as captain of the one-day and T20 sides, but I had refused, telling them that we need to groom a younger player as captain. But [in Abhimanyu’s absence], I realised I have to take this responsibility because decision-making is such a crucial part of the game.”Though he did ask for more from the bowling unit – which was missing Mukesh Kumar, who was out in Bangladesh with India A – Tiwary had words of praise for his pace spearhead Ishan Porel, who hasn’t played a lot of cricket of late but earned the Player-of-the-Match award against Uttar Pradesh for his match haul of seven wickets, including a five-for in the first innings.”Porel’s comeback has been quite good,” Tiwary said. “He wasn’t available for the Vijay Hazare [50-over] Trophy tournament, but he proved his worth here. I have spoken to him: we are playing at a level where we must forget what has happened in the past; every minute, every second, we must tell the world why I am Ishan Porel, or why I am Manoj Tiwary. That is the mentality that will help him become a champion.”Bengal’s next game is against Himachal Pradesh, also at home at Eden Gardens, from December 20.