Edu Gaspar is eyeing up an Arsenal move for Brazilian left-back Ayrton Lucas this summer as he plans to give Mikel Arteta the tools required to build upon their positive 2022/2023 season.

What’s the latest on Ayrton Lucas to Arsenal?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Arsenal are keen on signing Flamengo defender Lucas this summer in order to strengthen their first team squad, although they could face stiff competition from Juventus.

With full-back Kieran Tierney heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United, Arteta will require someone to replace him as an alternative to Oleksandr Zinchenko and Lucas fits the bill.

The Brazilian isn’t likely to break the bank either as the report states he has a release cause of only €30m (£26m) and this is an attractive option for the Spaniard ahead of next term.

Could Ayrton Lucas replace Kieran Tierney at Arsenal?

Almost all left backs to emerge from Brazil get compared to the legendary figure that is Roberto Carlos, the former Real Madrid defender with thighs like tree trunks, although Lucas, according to journalist Andrew Sousa, has “embodied” Carlos and might Arteta have a reincarnation of the 127-cap hero?

This season in the Brazilian top flight for Flamengo, he averages 1.7 dribbles per game and 1.1 shots per game, suggesting he enjoys getting forward as much as possible, similar to Carlos – who bagged 97 club career goals and 125 assists – during his prime years, while he has even netted three goals.

The 25-year-old may not just replace Tierney in the squad, but he could well be an upgrade on the Scot ahead of a season which will see Arsenal take part in the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2016/2017.

Indeed, Lucas has registered more shots per 90 (1.23 to 0.79), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.09 to 1.36), successful take ons (15 to three), carries into the final third (19 to 12) and touches in the attacking penalty area (18 to 15) across roughly the same number of starts throughout 2022/2023 (8.8 to 8.1 90s).

This certainly suggests that the Brazilian could be a better-attacking option than Tierney, judging by his ability to push into the final third and create plenty of shooting opportunities, increasing his chances of scoring.

For the aforementioned fee of only £26m, Arteta would be signing a proven defender who has won the biggest tournament in South America (Copa Libertadores) while even claiming silverware from his spell at Spartak Moscow, winning the Russian Cup just last year, and he could well be another piece of the jigsaw for Arsenal heading into next term.

Sledging directed at Phillip Hughes and his batting partner Tom Cooper “in no way exacerbated the incident” in which Hughes was fatally injured, the inquest into the batsman’s death has been told

Daniel Brettig12-Oct-2016

Sledging directed at Phillip Hughes and his batting partner Tom Cooper “in no way exacerbated the incident” in which Hughes was fatally injured, the inquest into the batsman’s death has been told.The conclusion by Kristina Stern SC, the counsel assisting the New South Wales Coroner at the inquest, was made after the submission of a new statement by Matthew Day, the former Tasmania batsman and a Sydney club teammate of Hughes’ brother Jason Hughes at Mosman. Day, 29, was also a pallbearer at Hughes’ funeral in Macksville.Day’s statement corroborated allegations that the fast bowler Doug Bollinger had directed the words “I’m going to kill you” at Hughes and Cooper, highlighting divisions between the Hughes family and the cricket community.Bollinger and Cooper had both denied these words were uttered, moving Day to make the statement on Tuesday. In it he described events at a wake for Hughes, which occurred at the SCG on November 28, the evening after he died at St Vincent’s Hospital.”Whilst I was at the gathering at the Sydney Cricket Ground, I was with a group of players sitting where the players’ seats are in the home dressing room,” Day said in the statement, dated October 11, 2016. “There were six or seven players in the group. I can’t remember all of the players but Doug Bollinger was one of the group. There was general discussion regarding the circumstances of the match.”At one stage Doug Bollinger said words to the effect of: ‘One of my sledges was ‘I am going to kill you’. I can’t believe I said that. I’ve said things like that in the past but I am never going to say it again’.”Day went on to say that when he saw Jason Hughes later in the evening he relayed this words, to which he replied that “Tom Cooper told me the same thing”.The submission of Day’s statement caused a flurry of activity in the courtroom on Wednesday, before Stern offered the following words in mitigation. “One of the issues identified in my opening statement was the nature of the play that afternoon and if that in any way exacerbated the injury to Phillip Hughes,” she said. “My submission is … that there is no evidence that any comment or sledging or whatever description you wish to use, exacerbated the injury.”Day’s statement also conflicted accounts offered by the NSW captain on the day Brad Haddin, David Warner, Sean Abbott and Doug Bollinger that there were no specific plans to bowl short at Hughes. In it he alleged that Trent Johnston, then the NSW assistant coach and now the state’s head coach, had offered a different view.”I shared a taxi with Trent Johnston [who] said words to the effect of ‘I am struggling with the fact that I was a big part of the plan that New South Wales adopted, that was to bowl short to Phil, and that eventually ended with him being struck’.”In response to the new allegations, Cricket Australia outlined the process by which witness statements and testimony had been taken.”Counsel assisting the Coroner, Kristina Stern SC, in association with legal representatives retained by Cricket Australia interviewed player and umpire witnesses appearing at the coronial enquiry,” a spokesperson said.”Each person was interviewed in this process independently. These interviews were held at the request of counsel assisting in which each of the players and umpires voluntarily participated. Statements were then drafted recording these interviews and these draft statements were reviewed by both cricket’s legal representatives and counsel assisting.”Following this review, players were then sent the resulting draft statements and were asked to check the accuracy of the draft and make any amendments or additions they wished to have included before returning them.”As witnesses who have appeared at the coronial hearing have testified, these statements were finalised without talking to any other witness. We are comfortable that this process has allowed the players and umpires to provide accurate, independent and truthful evidence to the enquiry.”It has been agreed that Day will not be cross-examined following his statement. The inquest continues until Friday.

Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal has said the team has to shake off any satisfaction of having been competitive in the Chittagong Test against England in order to focus on the second Test in Mirpur. The buzz from the 22-run defeat was still present, however, as the team trained on Wednesday.”Everyone is saying that we played well but we have discussed as a team that we cannot be so happy with so little,” Tamim said. “We won’t be able to improve if we have that mentality. I know we were competitive but we should have won the game. We can take positives from the first Test, like we competed for five days. It would have been a different story had we won the game.”I know our Test record isn’t great but we will try our best in every way to win the next game, which is a belief that is held by every cricketer who plays for Bangladesh. We will try to do our job properly from the first to last ball.”The Chittagong Test was Bangladesh’s narrowest loss in terms of runs, the previous being the 77-run defeat to West Indies in 2012. Tamim, who made 78 in the first innings, said being competitive wasn’t enough anymore; Bangladesh have won only seven out of 94 Tests.Tamim said the team was less focused on the toss, the pitch, or DRS ahead of the second Test, and more on improving the batting and bowling.”I think the less I talk about the last game, the better,” he said. “It was a good Test match, but we lost in the end. Five years from now, it will read that we lost the game. We should stick to the processes and planning that we have. We are discussing more on what we can do with bat and ball, not on the wicket or the toss.”It is not easy to return to cricket after 14 months but I think the players adapted very well. The batsmen moved from T20s to ODIs to Test cricket. We have a number of Tests in the next six months, so we want to use the rhythm from the Chittagong Test for the future.”Tamim said Bangladesh should do better in favourable conditions and batsmen should look to score more runs after they were set. “The wicket in Chittagong was in our favour but we still lost the game. We have to reduce our mistakes and bowl according to the wicket.”Batting wasn’t easy on that wicket but we had our moments. I think we should have stretched those moments a bit. If the wicket remains the same in Dhaka, the batsman should score 20-25 runs more after they are settled.”The second Test against England begins in Mirpur on October 28.

أوضح لاعب الفريق الأول لكرة القدم بنادي برشلونة، فرينكي دي يونج، حقيقة رحيله عن النادي الإسباني في الموسم المقبل.

ويواجه نادي برشلونة نظيره نابولي الإيطالي، ضمن منافسات الدور الـ16 من مسابقة دوري أبطال أوروبا، غداً الأربعاء، في تمام العاشرة مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة على ملعب “دييجو أرماندو مارادونا”.

اقرأ ايضاً.. بعد ارتباط كلوب وفليك وتوخيل.. هل تتكرر أزمات التجربة الألمانية في برشلونة؟

وقال فرينكي دي يونج في المؤتمر الصحفي قبل مواجهة نابولي: “نحن دائمًا نستعد جيدًا لكل مباراة، على الرغم من ذلك، فإن دوري أبطال أوروبا هو مناسبة خاصة، يقوم الجهاز الفني بعمل رائع في إجراء تحليلهم للخصم”.

وأضاف دي يونج: “نابولي لديه فريق جيد جداً، مع لاعبين جيدين جداً، والكثير من الجودة. إنهم يعانون في الدوري، لكنهم موجودون، لذلك سيكون الأمر صعباً”.

وواصل: “كفاراتسخيليا لاعب مذهل ويمكنه إحداث الفارق، بالتأكيد شخص يجب مراقبته غدًا”.

وأكد: “انا غاضب، يكتبون أشياء عن مستقبلي غير صحيحة، تزعجني، ألا تخجلون مما تنشروه عن مستقبلي؟، أنا سعيد جدا في البارسا، وأمل أن أستمر لسنوات عديدة”.

وأشار: “ما اكسبه من راتب، بعيد كل البعد عن ما يتم نشره في الصحافة، لقد اخترعوا أرقامًا غير صحيحة”.

وأفاد قائلاً: “الأشخاص الذين أعمل معهم كل يوم هم 10 أشخاص، لا يهمني رأي الصحافة، لكن يجب عليك تغيير الأكاذيب”.

وأختتم: “لا يهم أن يتم انتقاد مستوى لعبي من قبل الصحافة، كل شخص له رأي، ولكن لا أقبل الأكاذيب”.

Wolverhampton Wanderers pulled off a huge feat in confirmed Premier League survival this season after sitting bottom of the table on Christmas Day.

Since his arrival in November, Julen Lopetegui has turned fortunes around at Molineux in less than a year at the club, bringing back silky performances to the squad and a desire to improve.

Despite completing a treacherous task in cementing survival, the former Real Madrid boss faces further challenges, as the club have to save rather than spend after a lucrative period in the transfer market has raised FFP concerns.

With players expected to depart this summer, including Ruben Neves, there is still hope that Lopetegui can make the signings he requires to take this Wolves side forward.

The latest target has emerged in a Bundesliga centre-back, who has mild experience in the Premier League having previously been on the books at Arsenal.

What’s the latest on Konstantinos Mavropanos to Wolves?

As reported by Greek news outlet Sport 24 last week – relayed by Sport Witness – Stuttgart centre-back Konstantinos Mavropanos could be on the move to Molineux this summer.

The 25-year-old “believes the time has come” for him to depart, as per the report, with both Fulham and Wolves “checking out” the promising defender’s movements ahead of the transfer window.

The report speculates that it will take a bid higher than €18m (£15.6m) to secure the centre-back’s signature, with a bid in that region being rejected in January and two years remaining on his current contract.

What could Konstantinos Mavropanos bring to Wolves?

Snatched by Arsenal at just 20, Arsene Wenger saw the Greek international’s talent, which has seen him establish himself as a recognised centre-back in Europe.

Despite things not working in north London, Mavropanos has found his feet in Germany and excelled at Stuttgart, ranking as the club's second-highest performer this season with an average match rating of 7.25, as per Sofascore.

Signing Craig Dawson in January has worked for Wolves in terms of his experience in the league, though Lopetegui must seek a long-term replacement for the 33-year-old veteran.

When comparing the two over the past year, the 25-year-old ranks up with the best in his position in Europe and could be a more inquisitive option than the Englishman in the Spaniard’s setup.

Dawson’s game relies solely on the art of defending, which is integral, but in comparison with the best in today’s game, the 33-year-old provides little option in breaking the ball out from defence into attack.

Hailed as a “gladiator” by former Stuttgart manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, the 6 foot 4 ace excels the arguably one-dimension game of Dawson, as relayed by FBref.

The Greek averages a colossal 2.01 tackles per 90, as well as 3.16 aerials and 2.50 interceptions, while the current Wolves centre-back averages 0.80 tackles, 2.02 aerials and 0.76 interceptions per 90, showing the difference in the quality of the two.

A key area that is lauded in the Stuttgart centre-back’s game is his ability to dispatch the ball, and was lauded as being “composed” and a “good passer” by journalist Mattias Karen, supported by his numbers.

As per FBref, the “monster” averages 4.43 progressive passes, as well as making 0.61 successful take-ons per 90, placing him in the top 5% of Europe’s top centre-backs in the process.

Wolves need a spell of invention in their squad, and Lopetegui could secure a bright spark and significant upgrade to his defence in Mavropanos should a deal materialise this summer.

Arsenal have reportedly submitted a bid for Galatasaray right-back Sacha Boey as Mikel Arteta looks to bolster his squad ahead of next season.

What’s the latest on Sacha Boey to Arsenal?

According to Turkish outlet Turkiye Gazetesi, Arsenal have submitted a bid in the region of €20m (£17m) for the defender, however, Galatasaray are demanding €25m (£21.5m) for one of their prized assets this summer.

According to the report, the Turkish side want to negotiate and get a deal done which matches their demands, with Arsenal ‘expected to accelerate’ in order to complete the move.

Brighton and Hove Albion are also keen on the 22-year-old, yet the lure of Champions League football next season at the Emirates will surely prove to be the main factor for Boey.

Could Sacha Boey be an upgrade on Takehiro Tomiyasu?

Ahead of Arsenal’s first foray in Europe’s premier club competition since 2016/17, Arteta will be keen to improve various areas of his squad, with the right-back area clearly one that needs to be bolstered.

Ben White was often shifted from his usual centre-back position to deputise on the right last season, whilst Takehiro Tomiyasu made 32 appearances, yet only 13 of those were starts – might Boey be an upgrade on the Japanese defender ahead of next term?

The Frenchman has underlined his importance to his team as they claimed their first league title since 2019 this season. He ranked 6th for overall rating across the whole squad (7.11), fourth for big chances created (seven), third for successful dribbles per game (1.1) and second for tackles per game (2.7), clearly playing a key role in Galatasaray’s title triumph.

Tomiyasu in comparison, ranked 18th in the Arsenal squad for overall rating (6.68), 15th for big chances created (one), 20th for successful dribbles per game (0.0) and sixth for tackles per game (1.3), clearly indicating that the 22-year-old would make for a much better option on the right side of Arteta’s defence next season.

Journalist Zach Lowy once described Boey as an “intriguing prospect” in 2021 before he made the move to Turkey, and it's fair to suggest that he has indeed developed into a well-rounded right-back, who can both defend and attack effectively, judging by his returns in the Galatasaray squad this term.

It’s evident that Arteta needs some major strength across his defence in order to sustain another Premier League title challenge in 2023/24 and luring Boey to the club for an aforementioned fee of £21.5m could prove to be a wise investment over the coming years.

ESPNcricinfo staff06-Nov-2016
ScorecardFile photo – William Somerville’s career-best 5 for 65 included the wickets of Cameron Bancroft and Michael Klinger•Getty ImagesNew South Wales were 93 runs from victory at stumps on the third day at the SCG, after spinner William Somerville claimed a career-best 5 for 65 as Western Australia were dismissed for 177 in their second innings. It meant a target of 96 for the Blues, who batted two overs before stumps and reached 0 for 3, with Daniel Hughes on 3 and nightwatchman-opener Somerville yet to score.The Warriors had started the day on 0 for 14, needing a strong batting display to set New South Wales a challenging target on a dry, turning pitch. But the loss of both openers, Cameron Bancroft and Jon Wells, to spin within the first four overs of the day was a sign of things to come. Only captain Michael Klinger (50) and Ashton Agar (35) were able to offer much resistance among the top order.Ashton Turner chipped in with 32 lower down, but the work of Somerville and Steve O’Keefe did the job for New South Wales. O’Keefe followed his five-wicket haul from the first innings with an incredibly miserly 3 for 41 from 38.3 overs in the second, while Somerville finished with match figures of 9 for 126.

Newcastle United are interested in signing Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa this summer in a move which would create some tough competition for the No. 1 spot at St. James' Park.

Manager Eddie Howe has cultivated a winning mentality on Tyneside and has sensationally qualified for the Champions League following his first full season in charge, finishing fourth in the Premier League.

Shrewd signings and astute tactical awareness has contributed to the remarkable resurgence, with goalkeeper Nick Pope, signed from relegated Burnley for just £10m last summer, playing a central role in the triumph.

Despite this, Costa has indeed found his name attached to rumours that United may swoop, with Portuguese outlet A Bola stating that, while Manchester United are leading the race, Chelsea and Howe's outfit are firmly in contention.

With a €75m (£65m) release clause, Newcastle would have to pay more than sixfold the price to clinch Pope's services for the Portugal international, but would boast one of football's most imperious shot-stopping departments should they succeed.

Should Newcastle sign Diogo Costa?

It certainly presents something of a conundrum. The 6 foot 2 Costa is one of the most promising goalkeepers on the European stage, having been a centrepiece for Porto over the past few years and winning the league and Portuguese Cup on two occasions respectively.

The 23-year-old has averaged a rating of 6.95 in the Primeira Liga this season, as per Sofascore, having kept 16 clean sheets from 35 matches, making 63 saves and making 0.8 clearances per outing.

As per FBref, the 11-cap international ranks among the top 2% of goalkeepers across Men's Next 8 divisions for goals conceded per 90, the top 18% for save percentage and the top 5% for clean sheet percentage, evidently an elite 'keeper despite his tender age.

Speaking of his compatriot, Manchester United right-back Diogo Dalot said: "I grew up with him and he’s my friend, there’s a great relationship between us.

‘I know perfectly well that he has the capacity to one day be one of the best in the world."

While some may scoff at the notion of replacing Pope after such a stellar season, injecting healthy competition might be a prudent move, especially considering the clinching of European competition after two decades away from the Champions League.

Costa is indeed young and has ample time to grow into his skin, and he certainly boasts the acumen to rival his senior positional confer in Pope, who, at 31-years-old, still has a lot of gas left in the tank but could be displaced by such a flourishing talent in Costa who is already proving himself to be among the best.

Tottenham Hotspur seem to be closing in on a new managerial target, just days after their disappointment with Arne Slot…

What's the latest on Brendan Rodgers to Tottenham Hotspur?

That's according to Football Transfers, which is reporting that the club has formally offered the manager's job to former Leicester City boss Brendan Rodgers.

Although they are keeping their options open, the Lilywhites are keen on conducting future business in a far quieter manner, to avoid potential embarrassments like that earned through this Slot saga or the Julian Nagelsmann one that came before it.

Whilst it goes on to state that Daniel Levy is not the biggest advocate for the Northern Irishman, the widespread approval from his board has led to him offering him the post. They do retain a contingency plan if they are knocked back again, however.

Would Brendan Rodgers be a success at Tottenham Hotspur?

Although his tenure at the King Power Stadium might have ended on a sour note, which could end in the club's relegation, the 50-year-old remains a top manager with a fine pedigree across England and Scotland.

Having managed some top clubs, too, he has overseen success with maintaining and improving a club's status as well as wholly transforming their fortunes. With Spurs, they will demand a unique blend of both skillsets.

Having nearly led Liverpool to the league title in a season that journalist James Pearce described as "remarkable", he would go on to earn an unprecedented back-to-back treble with Celtic before making his triumphant return to England. There, he would oversee the steady progression of Leicester into an FA Cup-winning side before things uncharacteristically went south.

Across his 689 games in management, Rodgers has maintained a 1.76 points-per-game average, with his teams scoring 1,268 while winning 361 games, as per Transfermarkt. Considering many of those matches have been played with teams like Swansea City, Reading and Watford, such figures are made even more commendable.

Trevor Sinclair even suggested he was a "genius" back in 2021, and that "if a big club needs a manager they will look at Brendan".

One of his true success stories in the Midlands was in helping Wilfred Ndidi to reach his peak, getting the best out of the Nigerian midfield monster until injuries began to thwart a promising career.

With Rodgers arriving in February 2019, the 2020/21 season that followed was arguably the 26-year-old's best, as he maintained a 7.17 average rating whilst recording two clearances, 2.3 interceptions and 3.7 tackles per game, via Sofascore. Rodgers morphed him into one of the best ball-winning midfielders in the Premier League, and could achieve similar success should he also tempt Manuel Ugarte to Spurs.

The Uruguayan continues to be linked with a move from Sporting CP, and Levy remains keen on such a swoop. He too has enjoyed a top year in Portugal, with 3.9 tackles per game and a 92% pass accuracy showing signs that the 22-year-old could emulate Ndidi.

His work in breaking up the play could prove instrumental as part of Rodgers' double pivot, underpinning his 4-2-3-1 system.

Should Levy reluctantly bring in the free agent and pair him with this midfield destroyer, it could provide the perfect foundation for a bright future in north London.

After failing to secure promotion to the Premier League, there are doubts about the future of Middlesbrough striker Chuba Akpom according to a report from Football League World.

What is Chuba Akpom's situation at Middlesbrough?

Akpom was the surprise package of the Championship season after being reintegrated into the fold at Boro. Originally the belief was the Englishman would leave after a loan spell to Greek side PAOK Salonika the previous season.

However, injuries and depth issues meant that then-manager Chris Wilder turned to Akpom to lead the line, and the 28-year-old never looked back, especially following the arrival of former Manchester United assistant manager Michael Carrick.

The forward scored 28 goals and assisted two in 40 games in the division, with 24 coming under his new manager, as Middlesbrough finished in fourth place. It earned Akpom a sport in the Championship Team of the Season, whilst he also won both the Golden Boot and Championship Player of the Season.

Despite his incredible form under Carrick, it wasn't enough to fire the club to promotion, with Boro experiencing play-off heartbreak at the hands of Coventry City, losing 2-1 across two legs.

Midway through the season, the former Arsenal man was the subject of interest from a number of clubs including Everton, Southampton and Crystal Palace, according to the Daily Mail, however, the northeast outfit exercised the one-year extension clause in the player's contract, taking his current deal to the summer of 2024.

Will Chuba Akpom leave Middlesborough this summer?

Football League World reports that the Boro striker will be 'gettable' this summer when it comes to a transfer as the club will not want to risk losing the player for free following the expiry of his contract next summer.

Due to missing out on promotion, it is reported that Middlesbrough will have to sell players this summer in order to fund Carrick's transfers this summer, much like their situation from the previous summer, which resulted in the sales of Marcus Tavernier to Bournemouth and Djed Spence to Tottenham Hotspur.

According to Alan Nixon on Patreon, the contract extension that was triggered in January does very little to secure the striker's long-term future at Boro, with the Championship side set to demand a fee of £15m, to part ways with their Player of the Season, who was hailed as "remarkable" by journalist Oluwashina Okeleji for his domestic exploits this term.

If Carrick and co were to lose the former Arsenal youngster, then it would certainly be a massive blow to their chances of going one better next season. Of course, his goals would leave behind a major void but as Boro's highest-rated player, per WhoScored figures, his influence right across the frontline will be felt, having also ranked second for dribbles per game and fifth for key passes per game too.

It is expected that the majority of clubs that held an interest in the 28-year-old will return this summer, and Akpom may well get his chance at the Premier League level for the first time in his career.