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It doesn’t take a footballing genius to work out what Arsenal need this summer.

Mikel Arteta’s side failed to get over the line in the Premier League for the third time on the bounce this season, and while they sit just one place off Liverpool, they’ve scored 14 goals fewer.

Now, part of that is undoubtedly down to injuries, but it’s incredibly evident that the Gunners need a new striker once the transfer window opens, and the board seem to agree.

However, while Alexander Isak remains the dream signing for so many fans, his potentially £150m price tag makes the idea of him moving to the Emirates seem practically impossible.

Fortunately, recent reports have linked the North Londoners with someone who could be an ideal alternative.

Arsenal's striker search

Before getting to the player in question, it’s worth reviewing a couple of the other striker targets linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, such as Viktor Gyokeres and Daizen Maeda.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The former could move to N5 for around £70m, and while that would make him one of the Gunners’ most expensive signings ever, he’d probably be worth it as, in just 48 games this season, he’s racked up 52 goals and 12 assists.

The latter could be available for just £25m, which might also prove to be an absolute steal, as in just 47 first-team appearances for Celtic this season, the Japanese international has scored 33 goals and provided 11 assists.

However, Arteta and Co might want someone with more experience of football in a top-five league, which could explain the links to Ollie Watkins.

Yes, according to a recent report from Football Insider, Arsenal are ‘planning to reignite their bid to sign’ the Aston Villa star.

The report has revealed that even though the Claret and Blue rejected a £50m offer from the Gunners in the January window, he’s back on the club’s shortlist ahead of the summer.

It’s unclear how much he’d cost, but with more time for Villa to find a replacement, it might not be far off Arsenal’s original offer, making him an incredibly appealing Isak alternative.

Why Watkins would be a great Isak alternative

Okay, so the first thing to say is that in an ideal world, Arsenal would just go out and sign Isak, but that feels incredibly unlikely to happen and points to the first significant advantage to signing Watkins over him: the price.

For example, if the reports are to be believed, then the Villa ace could cost as much as £100m less than the Swedish international, which in turn would allow the Gunners to splash the cash on several other first-team players, like Nico Williams, Martin Zubimendi and others.

Moreover, even though he’d cost a third as much as the Toon ace, it does not mean he’d be a third as good.

For example, in 50 appearances this season, totalling 3054 minutes, the Englishman, whom podcaster Rohan Jivan described as “one of the best centre-forwards in Europe,” has scored 16 goals and provided 13 assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 111.75 minutes.

In contrast, the former Real Sociedad star has scored 26 goals and provided six assists in 39 appearances, totalling 3054 minutes, which comes out to a slightly better average of a goal involvement every 1.21 games, or every 95.43 minutes.

Finally, Arteta needs players he can rely on next season, and when it comes to fitness, the former Exeter City star is far more reliable than his potential competitor.

For example, he’s missed just three games for club and country across his entire career, whereas the Swede has already missed 67, and he’s only 25 years old.

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With Isak unattainable this season, Arsenal would do well to sign Watkins as an alternative, as on top of costing up to £100m less, he’d be far more reliable.

Mega Kiwior upgrade: Arsenal initiate talks for "superb" £34m monster

The experienced international could be just what Arsenal need.

ByJack Salveson Holmes May 2, 2025

Chelsea are already making plans to prepare for the upcoming summer transfer window in an attempt to bolster the squad ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

The Blues have been linked with Inter stars Yann Bisseck and Marcus Thuram, whilst Napoli centre-forward Victor Osimhen reportedly wants to sign for Enzo Maresca’s side.

Chelsea have had success in recruiting from the Serie A in the past, with French central defender Marcel Desailly being a prime example – the titan joined from AC Milan in the summer of 1998 and went on to become a stalwart at Stamford Bridge.

He ended his time in England with 222 appearances in all competitions for the Blues, winning the FA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup, before being released in 2004 after six years at the club.

Chelsea could repeat that success and raid AC Milan once again for a defensive star as they reportedly eye up one of their present-day stars.

Chelsea plot move for Milan star

According to Tutto Mercato Web, Chelsea are one of the teams interested in a deal to sign AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan in the upcoming summer transfer window.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

The report claims that Aston Villa and the Blues are both plotting moves to sign the France international, as Maresca looks to bolster his options in the goalkeeping position.

It adds that both teams have ‘taken information’ on the shot-stopper ahead of a possible ‘concrete’ move in the summer window, suggesting that they have made contact with either Milan or the player’s representatives to see if a transfer is realistic.

There is no mention of how much it would take to take the Italian giants into selling Maignan, but Chelsea must now push to get a deal done for him ahead of next season.

Why Chelsea should sign Mike Maignan

The Blues hit the jackpot when they signed Desailly, who went on to be a regular for many years and racked up over 200 first-team appearances, from Milan and they could do the same again by improving their defence with the French shot-stopper, who has played 154 times for the Serie A side.

Robert Sanchez has been the first choice for much of the current campaign and has done little to suggest that he is the long-term answer for Maresca in that position.

The Spaniard has made three errors that have led to shots, five errors that have led to goals, and given away two penalties in his 25 Premier League appearances this term.

Maignan’s performances in the Serie A for Milan over the past two seasons, meanwhile, suggest that he could come in to provide more stability between the sticks.

Appearances

59

41

Clean sheets

20

10

Error led to shot

2

5

Error led to goal

3

6

Penalties committed

1

2

As you can see in the table above, Sanchez has made more than twice as many errors that have led to shots, twice as many errors that have led to goals, and committed twice as many penalties in 18 fewer appearances since the start of last season.

This suggests that Maignan would improve Chelsea’s defence by not making as many critical errors that lead to goals conceded, hence why his clean sheet rate is also more impressive than the current Blues goalkeeper’s.

The French ace, who was described as “world-class” by Serie A reporter Haris Mrkonja, has the potential to be an excellent addition to Maresca’s squad as a replacement for Sanchez, given his form over the past two seasons, and that is why the club must push to land him ahead of Villa.

Chelsea now interested in signing £43m Inter Milan star alongside Thuram

The Blues have identified a new target ahead of the summer transfer window…

ByDominic Lund Apr 6, 2025

Maignan, therefore, also has the potential to be Desailly 2.0 for the club as another defensive titan, albeit in a different position, to come over from Milan to the Premier League to star at Stamford Bridge.

On the eve of India women’s first Test in Chennai in 48 years, former players Shantha Rangaswamy, Sudha Shah and Shubhangi Kulkarni reminisce about their first Test there in 1976

Sruthi Ravindranath27-Jun-2024The north-east monsoon had just set in when India and West Indies arrived in Madras (now Chennai) in November 1976. It was the second match of the first-ever official women’s Test series in India. For the first Test, in Bangalore, the stadium was almost full. Not that it was something new for the India players: even the matches they played unofficially previously had drawn massive crowds.And the Chepauk crowd? The stadium was three-fourths full, even on days it rained. Ask Shantha Rangaswamy, the captain of that India side, and she falls back on that old chestnut: the “knowledgeable crowd”.Shubhangi Kulkarni, India’s legspinner, who finished as the highest wicket-taker in that series, faintly recollects the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association trying to bring girls from a nearby school in to watch the match.”My first impression was that the crowd knew their cricket,” Kulkarni says. “They were genuinely applauding the performance. They came to watch the cricket, unlike when we played in 1975 in various cities – the crowd [there] came to see whether the girls played in skirts or pants, you know. They [the Chennai crowd] were cheering both teams, cheering good performances.”Related

• India head into Chennai Test with an eye on 2025 Women's ODI World Cup

• Sudha Shah: We don't want to be compared to the men

• Shanta Rangaswamy: 'No one can take the pride away from us' (2017)

Madras, however, would not see another women’s Test for 48 years. Since that Test, India have gone on to play 39 more, 22 of them in India – four in Lucknow, three in Mumbai, three in Delhi, and the rest in various other cities. But none in Chennai.They will be returning to Chennai for the first time since 2007, when they played an ODI Quadrangular Series there, to face South Africa in a one-off Test starting June 28.Current India head coach Amol Muzumdar acknowledges the significance of playing at the venue. “It’s a historic ground and we are aware of the history that this place carries. Even though a lot of cricket has not been played on this ground [by women’s sides], we are still aware of what the demands are, the pitch and the ground. We’ll try to cater to that in the coming days.”There’s barely any information out there about the 1976 Test played at Chepauk, barring a basic scorecard. It is evident that the match wasn’t completed; West Indies and India played an innings each. India declared at 218 for 9, Rangaswamy and Diana Edulji both top-scoring with 57.Sudha Shah, who has played the most Tests for India, was the Madras local in the squad. A regular at the stadium for long, she had her entire family cheering for her from the stands in that match. She made 18 runs, getting out to Patricia Whittaker.A newspaper reports on the first day’s play of the first official women’s Test in India, in Bengaluru”It’s a punishment to make me recollect what happened 48 years back,” she says, breaking into laughter. But it doesn’t take long to jog her memory.”I played the ball, it looped out and it ricocheted off the slip fielder’s head… the gully took the catch. Everyone was saying, ‘What luck!’ None of us top-order batters scored , if I remember.”Shah remembers correctly. India’s top three were dismissed for 15, 7 and 18. Then Rangaswamy came in.”I played to build the innings, Diana played the finisher’s job,” says Rangaswamy. “Diana went hammer and tongs. She got a quickfire 50-odd, while I had to build my innings to get my fifty.”Not only did Rangaswamy anchor the innings, she also got two wickets with the ball in the game. Remarkably, she also remembers how she got the two batters out.”Pat Whittaker was caught at slips by Sudha,” she says. “I dismissed Beverly Browne with an inswinging yorker.”The match was not telecast live but there was press coverage for the entire series. Rangaswamy remembers a description of the reception she got from the Chepauk crowd in a newspaper report, in the .”It went: ‘Her arrival was greeted with cheers as is normally given to the Nawab of Pataudi and Ajit Wadekar, the other captains of India. She got a rousing send-off after her half-century’, and things like that.”West Indies ended up playing just 29 overs in the rain-hit game, making 41 for 4. Kulkarni did not bowl in the game owing to a finger injury, but the five-for she picked up in the drawn Bangalore Test had given India the hope that spinners could be crucial in keeping West Indies quiet.”We sensed that the gap wasn’t that big and because our spinners were so good, and particularly because we were playing on our wickets, which wasn’t really suiting them, we had a positive mindset that we could go for a win,” Kulkarni says.Sudha Shah (leftmost) and Shubhangi Kulkarni (rightmost) would go on to occupy important roles in the coaching and administrative setup of women’s cricket in India•Getty ImagesThe historic first Test win came in Patna, in the fourth Test of the series. The players were floored by the fans’ reaction to the win. “Right from the ground to the hotel there were crowds and even when we went to the hotel, there were people outside,” Shah says. “So we went to the balcony to wave to them. It was a thrill at the time because we’d never come across anything like that.”With the women not getting paid to play, they were treated to food or juice by the manager after a good performance.”We never got paid, in my entire cricket career,” Rangaswamy says. “Our love for the game was more. We did it for passion, not money. But I remember in Chennai, I think both the captains – Louise [Browne] and I – got a gold chain with a pendant shaped like a ball from Vummidi Bangaru Jewellers or someone.”On Friday, Shah, who is a Chepauk regular, will be at the stadium, cheering for India from the stands. “A few of us [former team-mates] are planning on going to watch the game together,” she says.Rangaswamy, who’s currently in the US, says she’ll be watching the match on TV despite the odd timings. She watched all three ODIs India played against South Africa last week, and she’s looking forward to watching her favourite, Smriti Mandhana, and her recent favourite Shubha Satheesh, play in the Test.

****

Be it cheering the opposition even when their own team loses, or turning out in massive numbers just to watch their favourite cricketer practice, you can’t talk about Chepauk without mentioning the crowd.For Radha and Parth, members of the Bucket Hat Cult, a fan group dedicated to women’s sport, it doesn’t get better than watching their favourite team play at the iconic venue for the first ever time. The group – identified by their “uniform”, the bucket hat – has been a notable presence whenever the women’s team has played in Mumbai since India’s Test against England there in 2023.Their catchy chants and songs – one of them goes, “Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle all the way. Oh what fun it is to watch Deepti play all day” – even got players to notice them. “Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues wanted to meet us after the game and appreciated our support,” Parth says.Members of the Bucket Hat Cult, a group of women’s sport enthusiasts, will be at the first Women’s Test in Chennai in 48 years•Bucket Hat Cult Considering how strong the Chennai Super Kings fan base is, Radha thinks it won’t take too long for women’s cricket to pick up in the city. The TNCA has made tickets free for the match, and there are hopes a sizeable crowd will turn up, especially on the weekend.”Just look at what RCB [in the WPL] has done for the Bengaluru crowd,” she says. “From a fan’s perspective, it is pretty evident that women’s matches are just scheduled in Mumbai or neighbouring stadiums without much thought for growing the fan base across the country.”Away from the stadium, 84-year old Vijaya Subramanian, a cricket aficionado who lives in Chennai, will be cheering the women on from her home. Her father introduced her to the sport when she was around six years old and even taught her how to create a cricket scorecard. From the age of 11, she started keeping a cricket diary, in which she meticulously jotted down scores off TV or radio commentary.”She lived for a while in Kolkata, where she never missed a game – be it men’s or women’s – before moving back to Chennai,” her son, Karthik, says. “She watches all the games irrespective of the time. Her memory isn’t great right now. We remember names like Shantha Rangaswamy, Sudha Shah and Diana Edulji now because she used to talk about them so much.”Vijaya’s face lights up when she hears the players’ names. “I’m sure I heard the radio commentary for this match in Kolkata,” she says. “I remember they played well in that series. Rangaswamy used to play so consistently.”Will she be watching the one-off Test starting Friday?”,” [I’ll definitely watch] she says.

Bangladesh have played very little cricket in the recent past, but will back themselves to punch above their weight

Firdose Moonda and Mohammad Isam04-Mar-2022South AfricaOverview
This has to be the one.South Africans say it every time a major tournament rolls around and, usually, they believe it. This time more so than in the recent past. While the men’s team’s form spiralled downwards over much of the last two years, the women’s team has been consistently good and much of the talk in local traps is that they will bring home the World Cup, back-to-back reversals in the warm-ups notwithstanding.After reaching the semi-finals in 2017, they identified the 2021 (now 2022) World Cup as theirs to win, knowing their core group of players would have matured and backing the plans of long-serving coach Hilton Moreeng. Everything was going as expected, including automatic qualification for the World Cup by beating New Zealand in New Zealand, until Dane van Niekerk slipped on the pool deck in her new home and was ruled out of the tournament with a broken ankle.South Africa have been without her for long periods over the last two years, as she’s battled back injuries, and have found a capable leader in Sune Luus, and have retained most of the group that played together five years ago. Lizelle Lee, ranked top batter in ODIs not long ago, and Laura Wolvaardt form a formidable opening pair, and at the other end, Shabnim Ismail and Marizanne Kapp are fierce with the new ball. There may be gaps in the middle but South Africa have routinely found personnel to come good on the day and as a collective, they could achieve big things.Squad
Sune Luus (capt), Chloe Tryon, Ayabonga Khaka, Lara Goodall, Laura Wolvaardt, Lizelle Lee, Marizanne Kapp, Masabata Klaas, Mignon du Preez, Nonkululeko Mlaba, Shabnim Ismail, Sinalo Jafta, Tazmin Brits, Trisha Chetty, Tumi Sekhukhune | Traveling reserves: Andrie Steyn, Nadine de Klerk, Raisibe NtozakheRecent form
South Africa have won their last five ODI series, dating back to before Covid-19 times in January 2020. They have beaten New Zealand, Pakistan, India and West Indies (home and away).Player to watch
Kapp and Ismail headline South Africa’s attack but Ayabonga Khaka is a more-than-capable third prong and has been at the forefront of some of South Africa’s best performances. With her pinpoint accuracy and reliable variations, Khaka was the bowler who kept South Africa in the 2017 World Cup semi-final with a strangling economy rate and she has developed into a genuine wicket-taking option since. She is currently the joint-leading wicket-taker in ODI cricket in 2022, and was crucial to South Africa’s victory over West Indies, where she also claimed her first five-wicket haul. All told, she lies seventh on the ODI bowling rankings, and is South Africa’s second-best in that category, above Kapp. This World Cup should also bring up an important milestone for her: Khaka is four away from 100 ODI wickets.What the captain said
“There has been a lot of pressure in the past and we didn’t always handle it well. I feel like we have been through three big semi-finals now and I don’t think our hearts can take another close semi-final. If we get to the semi-finals stage again we are going to make sure we push through even if it’s the last thing we do, so we are going to give our best to make it through to that final.”Sune LuusFargana Hoque looked in great touch during her 71 in the warm-up game against Pakistan•AFP/Getty ImagesBangladeshOverview
Bangladesh will be appearing in ICC Women’s World Cup for the first ever time, and will be banking on their recent form to take them far in the tournament. Between November and January, Bangladesh took part in two qualifying tournaments, which amounted to all the cricket they have played since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. Bangladesh missed out on a Commonwealth Games spot after Sri Lanka beat them in the deciding match in Kuala Lumpur in January. Still, for a team that has played very little cricket in the last two years, it will be counted as crucial match practice ahead of the World Cup.Bangladesh are among three teams who qualified to the World Cup on the back of their ODI rankings following the cancellation of the qualifiers in Zimbabwe, last November. Under new captain Nigar Sultana, they had already played three of their four matches, losing only to Thailand in a game affected by bad light.Bangladesh have a bit of form to work with, in New Zealand. Left-handed batter Murshida Khatun made 126 runs and left-arm spinner Nahida Akter took ten wickets in the Commonwealth Games qualifiers. Nigar is also in form, while Fargana Hoque and Sharmin Akhter both made runs in the World Cup qualifiers, with the latter hitting a century. A slight worry is Jahanara Alam’s form, but the seamer comes with vast international experience and can be expected to perform when it counts the most.Squad
Nigar Sultana (capt), Salma Khatun, Rumana Ahmed, Fargana Hoque, Jahanara Alam, Shamima Sultana, Fahima Khatun, Ritu Moni, Murshida Khatun, Nahida Akter, Sharmin Akhter, Lata Mondal, Sobhana Mostary, Fariha Trisna, Suraiya Azmin, Sanjida Akter MeghlaRecent form
Bangladesh won three out of their four matches in the Commonwealth Games qualifier, as well as two out of the three matches they played in the World Cup qualifiers. All things considered, they are still a work in progress.Player to watch
Bangladesh have a blend of young and experienced players, but even after 14 years of playing at the highest level, the buck stops with Salma Khatun. The offspinner who bats usefully lower down the order, Salma is Bangladesh’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is, and among the top three in ODIs.What the captain said
“We have never played ODIs against England, Australia and New Zealand, so it will be a new experience for us. We follow them on TV and Internet, because we knew that one day we would have to face them. Our analyst is also helping us to understand their game.”
Nigar Sultana

انضم بول باركر، لاعب نادي مانشستر يونايتد السابق، إلى قائمة منتقدي نجم نادي ليفربول، محمد صلاح، موضحًا أن الدولي المصري لا يستحق أن يلعب بشكل أساسي ولم يحترم فريقه.

محمد صلاح يعيش فترة صعبة للغاية في مسيرته الكروية، وذلك في ظل ابتعاده عن المشاركة مع ليفربول في المباريات وخروجه من تشكيلة الريدز الأساسية.

وخرج محمد صلاح من قائمة ليفربول لمباراة إنتر ميلان، وذلك لحساب بطولة دوري أبطال أوروبا يوم الأربعاء الماضي، بقرار فني من المدرب آرني سلوت.

وجاء استبعاد محمد صلاح بعد تصريحاته حول اعتراضه على جلوسه كبديل خلال الفترة الأخيرة مع ليفربول، وهاجم إدارة الريدز موضحًا أنه تم استخدامه ككبش فداء لتبرير سوء نتائج النادي الإنجليزي.

ويرى باركر في تصريحات نقلتها شبكة ليفربول إيكو، أن جناح ليفربول، فيديريكو كييزا، يستحق الفرصة وهو الأجدر باستبدال مكان محمد صلاح مع الريدز.

أقرأ أيضًا .. شيروود لـ توتنهام: انسوا هذه الصفقة.. مكانها في ليفربول لخلافة محمد صلاح

وقال باركر: “لا يمكنك السماح للاعب بالتصرف كما فعل محمد صلاح، لقد خذل زملاءه ولم يظهر أي احترام للنادي، يمتلك ليفربول لاعبين مثل فيديريكو كييزا، الذين كانوا ينتظرون الفرصة وسيغتنمون أي فرصة تتاح لهم”.

وأضاف باركر في حديثه: “كييزا يستحق هذه الفرصة، فهو لاعب مجتهد في مركز الجناح ويتحرك ذهابًا وإيابًا في الملعب، وفي كل مرة يكون فيها بالقرب من منطقة الجزاء يشكل تهديدًا، لن يسجل 25 هدفًا في الموسم، لكن ليفربول في وضعه الحالي يحتاج إلى لاعب مجتهد، خاصًة بعد رحيل لويس دياز في الصيف”.

واختتم باركر في حديثه عن محمد صلاح: “اتخذ آرني سلوت قراره، وبالنظر إلى أداء صلاح فهو لا يستحق اللعب أساسيًا، عندما تتاح لك الفرصة كما أتيحت لصلاح ليصاب بالغرور ولا يوجد من يوقفه، تكون النتيجة هي ما نراه يحدث الآن”.

Former England batter looking for “fresh challenge” after six seasons with White Rose

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Nov-2025

Dawid Malan captained Yorkshire in the Blast•Allan McKenzie/SWpix

Former England batter Dawid Malan says he is looking for a “fresh challenge” after being released by Yorkshire following six seasons with the club.Malan, 38, came through at Middlesex before joining Yorkshire in 2020. He captained the club in the Blast last season, but despite leading the way with 365 runs at a strike rate of 156.65, could not prevent them from finishing second-bottom in the North Group.During his time at Headingley, Malan was Yorkshire’s second-leading run-scorer in T20, with 1642. He also scored 2014 runs at 54.43 in first-class cricket.”I have enjoyed six happy and successful seasons with Yorkshire, but feel now is the right time for the club to make a fresh start,” Malan said. “I am grateful to the general manager of cricket Gavin Hamilton and head coach Anthony McGrath for allowing me to seek a new challenge elsewhere.”Malan, who last played for England at the 2023 ODI World Cup, has extensive experience of the global T20 circuit, featuring in the PSL, BPL, SA20 and, most recently, the Nepal Premier League.He has also started to explore a media career, commentating on BBC radio during the summer.Hamilton said: “Dawid has been a consistent run-scorer across all formats, and will always be welcome at Headingley. We thank him for his very significant contribution in recent seasons, and we wish him well for the future.”

Everton know they will have to replace Idrissa Gueye in the near future and a new update has outlined their plans in the January transfer window.

The Blues could potentially be without Gueye for as many as six games in January, due to his involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal.

Not only that, but Everton also need to plan for life without the 36-year-old, with the midfielder out of contract at the Hill Dickinson Stadium at the end of this season.

Gueye signed a one-year extension during the summer, but given his age, there is every chance that the 2025/26 campaign will be his last in a Blues shirt.

Replacing him is going to be a tall order, with the Senegalese such an influential figure at the heart of Everton’s midfield across two different spells with the club, and it looks as though the Merseysiders are preparing for life without him.

Everton eyeing new midfielder in January

According to Football Insider, “both permanent and loan deals will be explored” by Everton in January, as they plan to fill the void left by Gueye with a new midfield signing.

The report also adds that the Blues “have no plans” to offer the popular midfielder a contract extension, as he gradually nears the end of his £120,000-a-week deal, which makes him Everton’s third-highest earner.

This feels like sensible thinking by Everton, with Gueye’s absence in the winter likely to leave a gap, given his ability to cover ground and bite into tackles, even at his current age.

Appearances

11

Starts

11

Minutes played

952

Goals

2

Assists

0

Tackles per game

2.0

Clearances per game

0.8

Pass completion rate

87.1%

The Blues need to be looking at a similar style of player to come in as his long-term successor, but whoever that is will have a lot to live up to, with James Garner heaping praise on him.

“He’s getting better the older he gets. He’s a calm, assuring head alongside me. I’m still pretty young and still learning the game, and he’s helped me massively.”

It remains to be seen who Everton’s choice of midfielder will be – Real Betis ace Sergi Altimira was reportedly the subject of a bid in the summer – but a permanent move makes more sense than a loan signing, in terms of bringing in a long-term option who is in and around his best years of his career.

Idrissa Gueye was "everywhere" for Everton vs Fulham, won 100% of his aerial duels

Arsenal star Gabriel aimed a dig at Richarlison on Instagram after the 4-1 victory against Tottenham Hotspur in Sunday’s North London derby.

The Gunners capitalised on Manchester City’s slip-up at Newcastle United by defeating Tottenham at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday, solidifying their place at the top of the Premier League table by moving six points clear of nearest-rivals Chelsea.

With just under a third of the campaign played, it is still very early days for Mikel Arteta’s side, but they will no doubt be starting to believe they can finally go all the way this season, having finished second for three years on the spin.

After blitzing Spurs at the weekend, the north Londoners are now the joint-highest scorers in the Premier League, while they also have the best defensive record, having shipped just six goals this term, four fewer than any other side.

Gabriel has been key to the solid record at the back, having formed a formidable partnership with William Saliba, although the centre-back was forced to miss the North London derby after suffering a hamstring injury on international duty with Brazil.

Gabriel takes swipe at Richarlison on Instagram

Despite recently linking up with Richarlison on international duty, with Brazil suffering a 3-2 defeat against Japan, before going on to defeat Senegal 2-1, Gabriel couldn’t resist having a dig at the striker, tagging him in his celebratory Instagram post after the match.

Although the defender was ruled out for Sunday’s game, he had a dig at his compatriot, who was arguably one of Spurs’ better performers, having scored their only goal of the game, catching out David Raya with a strike from distance.

However, that long-range effort was the centre-forward’s only major contribution, having struggled to make an impact on proceedings, completing just five of the ten passes he attempted throughout the match.

Piero Hincapie, on the other hand, looked solid in Gabriel’s absence, making four clearances, one interception and one tackle to keep Spurs at bay, with the visitors being limited to very few chances.

Arteta will no doubt be hoping to have the Brazil international back soon, having recently said: “It’s clearly a blow. It’s our leader in our backline. To miss him is never a positive thing. The good thing is we have some very good options. They need to stand up now.”

However, having recruited well in the summer, signing Hincapie and Cristhian Mosquera to bolster squad depth, Arsenal should fancy their chances heading into a congested run of fixtures.

Gabriel has been named as one of the best centre-backs in the world Related The Best 15 Centre-Backs in World Football Ranked (2025)

Liverpool skipper Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world.

Posts ByCharlie Smith Nov 20, 2025

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