Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery made some difficult decisions over the summer transfer window as he opted to cash in on a number of talented young prospects.

Who did Aston Villa sell this summer?

The Spanish boss, who led the club to qualification for the group stages of the Europa Conference League last month, decided to sell three U21 prospects who enjoyed impressive loan spells in the Championship last term.

Player sold

Age of player

Aaron Ramsey

20

Jaden Philogene

21

Cameron Archer

21

Wesley

26

Keinan Davis

25

Marvelous Nakamba

29

Aaron Ramsey and Cameron Archer both spent the second half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan with Middlesbrough and Philogene spent the season with Cardiff City.

However, they did not do enough to convince Emery that they would be part of his long-term plans and that could open the door for other young players in the academy to make their way through the ranks.

One talented ace who could have the potential to be a future star for the former Villarreal boss is Scottish centre-forward Rory Wilson.

The teenage marksman has been a prolific scorer at youth level and could be a lethal partner for current first-team attacker Moussa Diaby further down the line.

How old is Rory Wilson?

He is a 17-year-old striker who does not turn 18 until January of next year. This means that the Villans prospect still has plenty of time left on his hands to develop and there is no rush for him to emerge as a first-team option in the immediate term.

The Villans signed him from Scottish giants Rangers in the summer of 2022 for a reported development fee of £300k after the prolific teen enjoyed a phenomenal 2021/22 season.

Journalist Barry Anderson claimed that the former Gers academy prodigy racked up a mind-boggling 49 goals for the Light Blues and Scotland's youth teams combined.

However, there was no guarantee that Wilson would be able to carry over his form to English football with Villa or to a higher age group.

How many goals has Rory Wilson scored for Aston Villa?

The Scotland U21 international has slapped away any concerns over how he would adapt to life in England as the sublime forward has produced an eye-catching 20 goals in 25 games for the club's academy sides to date.

Wilson started the 2022/23 campaign with the U18 team and quickly became a reliable source for goals through the middle of the pitch as he found the back of the net 11 times across 11 outings in the U18 Premier League and FA Youth Cup.

His sensational form in front of goal earned the Scottish talent progression to the U21 squad and he scored four goals and provided one assist in seven Premier League 2 clashes.

Although, the youngster has started the 2023/24 campaign with the U18s and has fired in an exceptional five goals in three league matches so far.

This means that Wilson, who was once described as a "goal machine" by journalist Jonty Colman, has scored 16 goals in 14 U18 games for Villa since making the move from Rangers ahead of the 2022/23 season.

The Villans appear to have a terrific goalscoring talent on their hands and he could be a future star for Emery's team alongside Diaby in attack.

Villa's current first-choice striker Ollie Watkins, 27, is ten years older than Wilson so the potential is there for the Scottish ace to eventually take over from the England international if he is able to develop into a first-team option.

Diaby, however, only turned 24 in July and could be heading into his prime years as Wilson enters his 20s. They could, therefore, form a dream partnership at the top end of the pitch.

How many career goals has Diaby scored?

The France international has produced 64 club career goals to date and has bagged twice in four Premier League outings since his move to Villa Park from Bayer Leverkusen over the summer.

Diaby, who scored 22 Bundesliga goals in his final two seasons in Germany combined, is able to provide a big goal threat from out wide and could be a lethal player to play alongside Wilson as they could both pose questions to the opposition goalkeeper with their respective finishing ability.

However, the summer signings' creative ability is why they could work so well together. The French wizard has created three 'big chances' and assisted one goal in four top-flight games for the club this season, as per Sofascore.

He also showcased his ingenuity in Germany with 14 'big chances' created and 1.8 key passes per game in the Bundesliga last term. That came after Diaby conjured 15 'big chances' and 1.9 key passes per match for his teammates during the 2021/22 campaign.

Meanwhile, no Aston Villa player managed more than 1.2 key passes per Premier League clash throughout the 2022/23 season, suggesting that Diaby can be Emery's outstanding creator in the final third.

This could make him the perfect partner for Wilson as the former Paris Saint-Germain academy starlet has the quality to consistently put chances on a plate for the striker.

The teen, who has scored 16 goals in 19 appearances for Scotland at U17 level, could thrive off the winger's superb service into the box as he has proven himself to be a prolific scorer for club and country, albeit he is yet to showcase his skills in a senior environment.

The next step for Wilson is now to establish himself as a regular goalscorer for Villa's U21 team and to then catch Emery's eye, whether that is in pre-season or by securing a loan move to gain consistent first-team exposure.

There is no rush for the Scotland youth international to make that next step as he still has plenty of time to develop, but his superb statistics suggest that the potential is there for him to make an impact at first-team level in the future if he can adapt his game to senior football.

قال محمود الخطيب رئيس مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، إن فكرة أنشاء استاد للنادي الأهلي، حلم بدأ منذ سنة 76، موضحًا تفاصيل الاستاد الذي سيكون في مدنية الشيخ زايد بأكتوبر.

وأقام النادي الأهلي، مساء اليوم الثلاثاء، في مقره بالشيخ زايد، احتفالية للإعلان عن تفاصيل استاد الأهلي الجديد (حفل تدشين مشروع القرن).

وقال الخطيب خلال الاحتفالية: “دخلت النادي كلاعب سنة 71، أتذكر ملعب التتش، كنت من الناس الذين يحلمون بالمرور بجوار سور النادي الأهلي، وهذا حدث وأصبحت لاعبا بل وحققت أشياء لم أكن أتخيل أنني سأحققها، وأشياء أكثر”.

وأضاف: “حلم الاستاد بدأ سنة 76 عن طريق الفريق مرتجي، عندما تحدث مع محافظ القاهرة وطلب أرض جديدة لإنشاء الاستاد، وتم تخصيص مكانين الأول في مدينة نصر والثاني في المعادي، والمجلس اختار مدينة نصر”.

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وتابع: “بعد ذلك جاءت مجالس إدارات بقيادة صالح سليم والكابتن عبده صالح الوحش، وبدأوا يتفاوضون على على إنشاء الاستاد في مدينة نصر، لكن هيئة الطيران المدني رفضت بسبب ارتفاع الاستاد وهو قريب من المطار”.

وواصل: “ثم جاءت الفكرة سنة 92 بأن يكون الاستاد في 6 أكتوبر، وحصلنا على أرض 126 فدانا، الاستاد سيكون على سعة 43 فدانا”.

وأكمل: “حصلنا على الأرض سنة 2004 وقت مجلس إدارة حسن حمدي، فكرنا في إنشاء الاستاد بالشيخ زايد، بعد هذه المرحلة تم تكليفي برئاسة النادي الأهلي آخر 2017، كان لدينا هدف رئيسي أن يوجد دستور للنادي الأهلي من خلال لائحة النظام الأساسي، من خلالها استطعنا إنشاء شركات وأخذ خطوات سريعة، منها شركة الأهلي للمنشآت الرياضية”.

وأستمر: “نفس المشكلة واجهتنا وهي الارتفاع، لأن الارتفاع المحدد في مدينة الشيخ زايد هو 6 أمتار فقط، وهذا أمر صعب، وسيجعلنا نحفر 25 مترا تحت الأرض، وخلال سنة ونصف أو سنتين نتفاوض مع المسؤولين على مسألة الارتفاع حتى حصلنا على الموافقة بارتفاع 30 مترا”.

واستطرد: “بدأنا نُفكر في جهة مسؤولة عن هذا الأمر، وهي شركة الأهلي، والتي تتمتع بقامات وخبرات كبيرة، والمدينة الرياضية سيكون بها أمور كثيرة جدًا، ولن يوقفنا شيء”.

وأردف: “من حق جمهور الأهلي أن يذهب للاستاد بسهولة ويدخل ويخرج بسهولة بأدوات التشجيع، ويأخذ أبنائه ويقضي يوما في الاستاد، والأجيال الجديدة تعرف قيمة النادي الأهلي”.

وأوضح: “أصل أي مشكلة هي التمويل، تحدثت مع شركة الأهلي للمنشآت، حول كيفية خلق أفكار تمويلية مبتكرة، وأن المهم أن الأهلي لا يتحمل أي أعباء مالية حالية أو ديون مستقبلية، وهذا أمر مهم جدًا وتحقق”.

وواصل: “نقول ذلك لأننا كمجلس إدارة المفروض نأخذ في اعتبارنا الفرق الرياضية، والتي جعلت الأهلي الأول في العالم في تحقيق البطولات، فلا بد أن نصرف عليها، وليس من الطبيعي أن يصرف الأهلي مليارات على الاستاد ولا نصرفها على الفرق الرياضية وأعضاء النادي وإسعاد الجماهير والتطوير المستمر، وبناء فروع جديدة”.

وأستكمل: “كل هذا في ظروف اقتصادية صعبة جدًا، هنا تحركت شركة الأهلي وبدأت تظهر مشكلة التمويل، وهنا ظهرت شركة برئاسة الوزيرة داليا خورشيد، والتي كانت تتمتع بحماس شديد لإنشاء المشروع”.

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وتابع: “لكي نصل للاتفاق الإطاري في 30 صفحة، يجب أن أشكر الدكتور خالد سري صيام وهو أحد أعلى الكوادر في العالم والذي عمل على مدار شهور كثيرة، لكي يضع اتفاق إطاري في 30 صفحة”.

وأوضح: “الخطوات القادمة تحتاج عملا كثيرا، لكن قبل أن أتحدث عنها فهذا اليوم تاريخي لأننا لو تذكرنا آخر مباراة لعبت في استاد التتش كانت سنة 75 وكانت مباراة رسمية، أي قبل 49 سنة والحلم موجود”.

واختتم: “نحن الآن الأقرب إلى تحقيق الحلم ببناء مشروع القرن، وأتمنى أن أرد جزءًا من جميل النادي برؤية فريق الكرة يلعب في استاد الأهلي”.

Despite prior reports that new Tottenham Hotspur boss Ange Postecoglou was looking to move on a host of first-team assets following his appointment at N17, the window came and went with a number of the 'deadwood' having remained on the books.

The likes of Eric Dier and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg both stayed put despite claims that the north Londoners were open to offers for the experienced pair, while long-serving goalkeeper Hugo Lloris is also yet to find a new home, after previously stating his desire to move elsewhere.

There may well be a sense of frustration that those departures did not occur, although the Lilywhites have at least since been able to shift two more figures who appeared to be surplus to requirements, with Davinson Sanchez and Tanguy Ndombele – both of whom were signed during Mauricio Pochettino's time in charge – having joined Turkish giants Galatasaray.

Those long-awaited exits have brought to an end a tumultuous spell in the capital for the pair, with Spurs likely ruing the hefty investment that they made in the duo – with regard to both transfer fees and wages – over recent years.

How much did Sanchez cost Spurs?

In the case of Sanchez, the Colombian international was snapped up by Pochettino and co back in the summer of 2017, having caught the eye after playing his part in Ajax's run to the Europa League final during the previous season.

The promising talent had been acquired for what was a then club-record fee of around £42m, with the Lilywhites having been keen to provide greater depth in the centre-back ranks, behind the first-choice pairing of Toby Alderweireld and Jan Vertonghen.

Six years on from that high-profile switch to England, the 54-cap dud has since moved on to Istanbul for a reported fee of just £12.8m, with that representing a stark decline for a player who has been branded "one of the worst players" to have ever played for the club, according to talkSPORT pundit Jamie O'Hara.

What did Sanchez earn at Spurs?

Having "had question marks hanging over him ever since he came in", according to pundit Noel Whelan, the 2022/23 campaign proved to be a particular low point for the centre-back as he was restricted to just eight Premier League starts in total.

The 6 foot 2 enigma's time at the club also reached its undoubted nadir during the 3-2 defeat to AFC Bournemouth earlier this year, as he was brutally withdrawn by interim boss Cristian Stellini early in the second half, despite having only entered the fray midway through the opening period.

That error-strewn outing ultimately led to Sanchez being booed by his own support on the day, with there seemingly having been no turning back from such a disastrous day, hence the player's departure earlier this week.

In truth, it is fair to say that the one-time Atletico Nacional man – who made 207 appearances in total – did not warrant the £65k-per-week salary that he raked in after signing back in 2017, with that totalling up to roughly £20m in wages.

Such a sizeable outlay will no doubt sting for chairman Daniel Levy considering the defender's woes, with Whelan having perhaps best summarised just what a dismal signing Sanchez proved to be for the club:

"He’s been inconsistent, there are mistakes in him – very crucial mistakes which dictate the outcome of games."

It could be argued, however, that the addition of Ndombele proved to be even more of a transfer howler for both Pochettino and Levy, with the Frenchman having been a particularly costly mistake on reflection.

How much did Tottenham pay for Ndombele?

Despite having splashed out £60m on Richarlison last summer in order to prise the Brazilian from Everton, incredibly it is Ndombele who remains the club's record capture, having joined from Lyon on a £63m deal back in 2019.

As his recent loan switch to the Super Lig has indicated – a deal that includes an option to buy for the Istanbul outfit – the 26-year-old is no longer deemed a worthy squad asset for those at N17, having regularly flattered to deceive over the last four years or so.

While perhaps a victim of the sacking of Pochettino just a few months into his time in England, Ndombele didn't exactly do his best to try and win over the likes of Jose Mourinho and Nuno Espirito Santo, notably being called a "disgrace" by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher back in 2020 for his apparent lack of work ethic.

Although there had been whispers that Postecoglou was willing to give the player a fresh start during pre-season, the news of a temporary departure will not have come as a shock to most, with the midfield maestro having spent the past 18 months at both Lyon and Napoli after falling out of favour at his parent club.

While those recent exits have helped to cover the cost of the maverick's hefty wages, like Sanchez the Frenchman has also rather bled Tottenham dry after being unable to warrant the faith in his talent.

What does Ndombele earn at Tottenham?

After spending four years on the books at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the 5 foot 11 dud has thus far scored just ten goals and provided only nine assists in 91 games in all competitions, hardly proving worthy of his reported £200k-per-week wages.

Excluding the time he has since spent out on loan, Ndombele's first two-and-a-half seasons in north London reportedly costly Levy and co around £25m – as per FBref – with his total cost coming in at around £88m, when factoring in his transfer fee.

Add to that the £42m fee that was spent on Sanchez – as well as the centre-back's £20m in wages – and, as journalist Paul O'Keefe alluded to, the club have forked out in the region of £150m on the pair in total.

That is a truly mammoth, eye-watering figure, particularly for two men who have distinctly underwhelmed during their times at N17, with the hope being that it won't be too long before Ndombele joins Sanchez in making a permanent exit from the club.

For many of a Tottenham persuasion, it will likely be a case of good riddance to the pair of them.

كشف محمود حسن تريزيجيه لاعب منتخب مصر، كواليس حديث حسام حسن المدير الفني للفراعنة مع محمد صلاح قائد المنتخب خلال مباراة غينيا بيساو، وحقيقة رفض الأخير التغيير.

وكان منتخب مصر تعادل مع غينيا بيساو، 1-1، في المباراة التي أقيمت بينهما الإثنين، بالجولة الرابعة من عمر مرحلة المجموعات من تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

وترددت بعض الأحاديث عقب نهاية مباراة مصر وغينيا بيساو، أن محمد صلاح رفض التغيير والخروج من أرضية الملعب.

وقال تريزيجيه خلال تصريحات عبر قناة mbc مصر 2 لبرنامج “الكورة مع فايق”: “محمد صلاح لم يرفض التبديل أمام غينيا بيساو، حسام حسن سأله فقط عن حالته وكان رد صلاح أنه بحالة جيدة”.

وأضاف: “محمد صلاح قائد خارج الملعب وداخله وكل اللاعبين تستفيد منه، يحب بلده جدًا ويريد تحقيق شيء لمنتخب مصر، يقول ذلك في المحاضرات أنه حقق كل شيء ما عدا كأس أمم إفريقيا”.

وتابع: “حسام حسن قال لنا بين الشوطين في مباراة غينيا بيساو لن نخرج من هنا إلا ونحن فائزين ولذلك غير من طريقة اللعب في الشوط الثاني”.

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وواصل: “مباراة غينيا بيساو كانت صعبة جدًا، والذي يجلس في التكييف ويشاهد المباراة ويحلل غير المتواجد في الملعب، لا أحب الأعذار ولكن أرضية الملعب ليست أرضية لكرة قدم”.

وأكمل: “استطعنا أن نحقق الذي نريده من المباراة والنتائج ساعدتنا وهذه التصفيات مثل الدوري، لا تتنظروا كرة قدم في ملاعب مثل تلك”.

وتحدث تريزيجيه عن إصابة محمد صلاح في كأس أمم إفريقيا الأخيرة بكوت ديفوار ومغادرته المنتخب، قائلًا: “الإصابة كانت قوية وكنا نعتقد أنها إصابة بسيطة، هو كان غير قادر على استكمال البطولة ورحيله كان خسارة كبيرة”.

وأوضح: “أُصبت بفيروس من الأكل وسقطت وأنا أصلي الفجر، وعمر مرموش أيضًا تعرض للإصابة قبل مباراة الكونغو، إذا كنا في حالة جيدة ولم تكن هناك إصابات كنا سنعود بالبطولة”.

وأردف: “أي شخص يتمنى خسارة منتخب مصر لديه مشكلة كبيرة في حياته، على الورق هذه أسهل تصفيات ولكن في الملعب شيء آخر، أصبح لا يوجد منتخب سهل في قارة إفريقيا”.

واستكمل: “ساديو ماني لاعب منتخب السنغال بعد المباراة النهائية في كأس أمم إفريقيا 2021، قال لي نحن أول مرة نفوز بكأس أمم إفريقيا بينما أنتم تمتلكون سبعة بطولات”.

وأتم: “لن أرحل عن منتخب مصر إلا بعد الفوز بكأس أمم إفريقيا”.

England’s all-consuming emphasis on World Cup preparations could kibosh the tournament in 2019, but Andrew Strauss imagines it might return in an expanded form

David Hopps24-Mar-2018The North v South Series is unlikely to take place before the start of next season because of the all-consuming emphasis on England’s staging of the 2019 World Cup.The likelihood that the series will be suspended was confirmed by Andrew Strauss, the ECB’s director of England cricket, after the North had taken the series 2-1 with victory in the final match in Barbados.”We do these things on a year-by-year basis, so we’ll review this one,” Strauss told ESPNcricinfo. “Next year, the challenge is it’s getting very close to the World Cup, and operationally there’s a lot of things going on. However, I think what we’ve found is that this has stuck, and interest had built.”Far from quietly shelving the tournament, Strauss floated the suggestion that the North v South rivalry could even be extended into red-ball cricket – an area that might be viewed as a higher priority given England’s recent Test struggles.”I really think we’ve got something to build on here – and in my mind this North-South rivalry has a really strong future,” he told the ECB website.”We’ll take a bit of time to speak to everyone involved and review this year’s series, but we’ve got an opportunity to think about it creatively – whether as a way of ensuring our leading white-ball cricketers have the stage to play some high-quality 50-over cricket after the introduction of our new domestic structure from 2020, or maybe taking this North-South rivalry into red-ball cricket.”Strauss’ bullish tone came despite the fact this year’s tournament was affected by a number of injury withdrawals.”There was a real feeling of taking a step forward this year in terms of the way the rivalry had become established between the teams, and also in the level of media interest in the series,” he said.”Barbados has proved an excellent venue, most importantly for the quality of cricket facilities but also in encouraging some spectator interest and creating a bit of a buzz at the grounds.North captain Steve Mullaney receives the trophy from Andrew Strauss•Getty Images

“The coaches play a big part in setting the tone for what has been a seriously hard-fought series, and I’d like to thank them and all the players for that.”One player whose stock has risen during the tournament is the Worcestershire and England Lions batsman, Joe Clarke, who picked up the Man of the Series award after a matchwinning century in the final game.”I’m absolutely delighted,” Strauss said. “What we were trying to do is give an opportunity for some of these guys to show what they can do in a different environment from the county setting, and we’ve had a lot of individual performances that have been quite illuminating.”For those of us that are here scouting players, we’ve had plenty to ponder. I think when we’re looking beyond 2019 to the 2023 World Cup, there’s a lot of reason for optimism.”

Sheffield Wednesday are considering a swoop for a new free agent, and a reliable journalist has confirmed that he’s already in the building at Hillsborough.

What's the latest transfer news at Sheffield Wednesday?

Over the summer, Xisco Munoz was extremely busy in the market bringing in 12 fresh faces, where Djeidi Gassama and Pol Valentin both joined permanently for transfer fees and the likes of Jeff Hendrick and Ashley Fletcher put pen to paper on loans, as per Transfermarkt, but there were also plenty of outgoings.

In terms of departures, Fisayo Dele-Bashiru, Dennis Adeniran, Jack Hunt, Jaden Brown, David Stockdale and Ben Heneghan all completed exits which has created space in the squad for future signings, and the boss has already set his sights on one star in particular.

At Nottingham Forest, Lyle Taylor left Steve Cooper’s side at the end of last season following the expiration of his contract, meaning that he is now a free agent on the market and waiting to be snapped up by a new club, and he could be on his way to the Championship.

On Tuesday evening, Montserrat’s international was spotted at the stadium for the 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough, and if the following update is to be believed, the centre-forward is currently at work behind the scenes in a bid to earn a move to South Yorkshire.

Are Sheffield Wednesday signing Lyle Taylor?

Taking to X, Darren Witcoop revealed that Sheffield Wednesday have offered a trial to Taylor, who has been training with the first-team in the hope of securing himself a permanent deal with Munoz's side in the near future.

“Free agent striker Lyle Taylor is training with Sheffield Wednesday in a bid to win a contract. Taylor, who left Nottingham Forest in the summer, has turned down contract offers from a host of League One clubs as he wants to play in the Championship.”

How many goals has Lyle Taylor scored?

Since the start of his career, Taylor has racked up an impressive 211 contributions (156 goals and 55 assists) in 463 appearances, form which has seen him described as a “natural finisher” by journalist Josh Bunting, so he could certainly be a fantastic addition for Sheffield Wednesday.

The Greenwich-born talent is also a versatile operator alongside the prolific attacker that he is in the final third having been deployed in four various positions over the attack since the start of his career, including three roles across the frontline and even in attacking midfield.

The Owls target even shares the same agent, SMI Sports Management, as both Barry Bannan and John Buckley, so the fact that his representative already has an existing connection to the club should give chiefs a strong chance at getting a deal over the line should he impress on trial.

The Hillsborough outfit will be aware that Taylor is now 33 years of age so it would make sense for them to only offer him a short-term deal, but nevertheless, he’s definitely a player who could be worth adding to the books for the remainder of the season.

Tottenham Hotspur have cruised through almost all of their Premier League matches thus far to open the season, but face a very difficult task this weekend as they travel to bitter rivals Arsenal.

Perhaps Ange Postecoglou, in an effort to add some more steel to his front line, could be best served unleashing Richarlison from the start once again.

How did Richarlison play vs Sheffield United?

Having started their clash last weekend with Sheffield United on the bench again, he was forced to watch his side endure a profligate game play out as he sat on the sidelines.

Patiently waiting until he was called upon, the Brazilian entered the field with just ten minutes left, seemingly with a determination to prove everyone who had rushed to criticise him wrong. After all, in the run-up to the clash, the 26-year-old had captured great media attention for admitting his mental struggles and the psychological help he sought to employ.

So, it was likely a welcome sight for most to see him head home a late equaliser to snatch what they thought would be just a point. However, he was far from finished.

Collecting a neat inside ball of Ivan Perisic, his outside-the-foot pass found Dejan Kulusevski, who would cut inside and fire home the winner. A quick turnaround completely instigated by Richarlison.

Having suffered greatly since moving to north London for a whopping £60m, perhaps handing him a solid run of starts off the back of such a performance could help hand him the show of faith needed to earn some consistency in front of goal.

Who should Richarlison replace?

Given he would score just one league goal in the whole Premier League season last year, it bodes well that he has scored again just five games into this campaign.

As a man who simply could not find the net no matter what, journalist Danny Hall even sought to mock one effort he had in an EFL Cup clash with the blades, suggesting rather than worrying the goalkeeper it instead "threatens the corner flag".

The £90k-per-week finisher clearly thrives off the backing of his manager though, outlining one experience with Marco Silva which helped him feel at ease and ready to develop: "He is always helping me out and I’ll continue to improve. Everyone can see my development here at Everton. Marco Silva has been really important in this aspect, he will show me videos of my performances, what I’ve done well and what mistakes I’ve made and how I can correct them."

However, if Richarlison is to earn a recall, one of the dangerous front four must drop out.

Although Heung-min Son struggled to shine on the weekend, his place is likely never really in threat due to his captaincy. Then, with Kulusevski scoring the winner, it would be harsh to then drop him too.

5

2

2

8.10

2

0

2

7.37

5

2

0

7.40

5

3

0

7.72

3

1

1

6.88

Therefore, perhaps the South Korean could return to his more natural left wing, where he has terrorised the Gunners in the past on numerous occasions, allowing the former Everton marksman to replace Manor Solomon and start up front.

After all, they are unlikely to boast the control they have enjoyed in other matches with a visit to the Emirates. They need battlers, and people willing to rise to the occasion and give their all to claim something from the match.

So, who better than the hard-working ace with a point to prove and a chip on his shoulder? For his own confidence to build on his recent display, Richarlison must start.

The Australia women captain has said her team will respond better to pressure against a resurgent Indian side ahead of the first ODI in Baroda

Annesha Ghosh in Baroda11-Mar-2018While they have never lost an ODI series against them, it’s unlikely Australia will have forgotten recent reversals at the hands of India. In January 2016, an emergent Indian side picked up their maiden T20I series win over Australia. Eighteen months later, Harmanpreet Kaur ran amok in Derby to turn Australia’s World Cup campaign “to custard”.As she prepares to resume captaincy duties, a fit-again Meg Lanning insisted that Australia have long buried ghosts of the past, and are a more “evolved” unit that is raring to outdo a “tough opposition” on their home turf.”India are definitely up against a team that will respond better to the pressure they put on us in the semi,” Lanning said on the eve of the three-match ODI series-opener in Baroda, where she’ll be making her first international appearance since Australia’s exit from the World Cup.”There’s no doubt that that loss [in the World Cup semifinal] hurt us, and we learned a lot from that and we do feel like we are in a better space now as a team. We’ve improved on some things, we have to come out here and play really well. We’re looking forward to testing our skills in tough environment.”Acknowledging team changes during the multi-format Ashes as a rectification of fielding a batting-heavy XI at the cost of a frontline bowler at the World Cup, Lanning exuded confidence in how the side has shaped up since landing in India on March 3. Besides their emphatic warm-up victories over India A, Lanning pinned her optimism on the uncapped talents – allrounder Nicola Carey and left-arm spinner Sophie Molineux – roped in via the WBBL.”We’re blessed with a number of all-round options now,” Lanning said. “We knew going into that World Cup, it was one way or the other, team balance wasn’t right. Best teams evolve and learn from their mistakes. That’s something we have done really well. Opportunities for some of us to step up in this series. We’ve picked a number of players in good form from our WBBL competition.”Lanning also sounded confident about the team’s ability to cope with two new balls on their first assignment in the subcontinent, given the swing the Australian bowlers enjoyed during the practice matches. Echoing Lanning’s thoughts, head coach Matthew Mott said: “Agree, we’re blessed with having a bit more of a crack at it domestically. I think our players have got their head around it, how to respond in the field.”Mott acknowledged the progress made by the Indian side, and said the series would boil down to winning clutch moments. “I think they have been a strong side for a long time. It’s been great to see the profile of some of the Indian players expand. Unfortunately, we were on the back end of the victory. I think for the world game, it’s been very exciting to see some household names there, and India’s woken up to what women’s cricket can bring to the sport. There’s going to be no quarter given in those couple of games. Whoever takes those critical moments will end up on top.”As confident as India would be following their successful South African tour, Harmanpreet Kaur, the vice-captain, was wary of the impact Lanning’s return would have on the visitors. “She’s got this knack of scoring big, so the team is greatly dependent on her,” she said. “That’s her plus point. So, it’s a big advantage for them. Lanning and [Ellyse] Perry have done really well against us in the past. Our main focus would be on these two. And there’s [Elyse] Villani, too. Theirs is a strong side, so we need to keep an eye on pretty much everyone.”Even more, India would be wary of their fielding, which has been up and down. The South Africa tour featured a spectacular Jemimah Rodrigues catch and an airborne Smriti Mandhana stop in the deep, but also missed stumpings and seven dropped catches. Besides, their lower order has tended to cave in under pressure, when the top four have been dismissed early.”I know we have not been consistent in the [South Africa] series with our fielding,” Tushar Arothe, the India head coach, said. “But Biju [George] sir is working really hard at it, and we’ve made plans – assigning different positions to different fielders to give them confidence – and I’m expecting positive results from them.”Our lower-order batting is pretty weak. Given our top order has been getting the job done, our lower order hasn’t quite got enough opportunity. But it’s an important aspect we’re focused on. Since I’ve taken over, every member in the squad has been getting time to bat [in the nets]. In South Africa, too, we created match situations, where all the team members batted. This is a concern we are well aware of, and hopefully, in the coming years, things will get a lot better.”Arothe expected the batting-friendly pitch at the Reliance Cricket Stadium, with scant grass cover, to assist the quicks only in the first 30-45 minutes, but the absence of the injured Jhulan Goswami may give Australia a chance to test the hosts’ pace contingent.”All these years, Jhulan has been doing extremely well, but at the same time, Shikha and [Pooja Vastrakar] need to carry the weight, especially Shikha Pandey. We have always played with 2-3 fast bowlers, like you must have seen in South Africa, we went in with three fast bowlers. That’s a bit unusual for the Indian side. But this is what we did and we were successful. So we’ll take a look at the wicket tomorrow and take a call as to whether or not we should go in with two or three fast bowlers.”

South Africa have claimed the moral victory after the stairwell saga which culminated in Quinton de Kock being found guilty of a Level 1 offence, fined 25% of his Durban match fee and earning one demerit point after a hearing on Wednesday evening. Despite the sanction – which was less than David Warner’s 75% fine and three demerit points – South Africa believe they were able to “get a point across” that de Kock was responding and not instigating.”If you know Quinton’s character, you know that he is a very quiet guy,” the captain Faf du Plessis said. “He doesn’t say a word. I struggle to get a word out of him on the field, so I know he is a very relaxed, laidback guy. The point leading up to that was a lot of stuff said to Quinton, and a lot of personal stuff. Once again, that line of where it gets personal can be talked about. But I thought he handled himself well in terms of all the stuff that was said to him as he walked off the field. Eventually he reached a point where he said enough is enough. Any guy in the world, depending on how far you pushed him, eventually he’s going to say something back. He said something back.”De Kock admitted what he said to Warner as they left the field and entered the staircase was offensive but also claimed what was said to him by Warner was incessant and personal. “It was for them (the ICC officials) to understand that there’s a lot of things that happened before that moment,” Du Plessis said. “I just wanted to get that point across and to see if they understand that that’s the case. But according to them, you need to be accountable for your actions, and that’s fine.”Now, South Africa can turn their attention to the advantage they have over Australia because Warner is only one offence away from a ban. Du Plessis and Kagiso Rabada are also in the same situation and as a result have been rather quiet on the field. Warner may have to be similarly vigilant, especially as South Africa could look to incite him.”I didn’t think of it before the series,” du Plessis said. “It’s probably smart by being like that. If you can entice someone to make a mistake to get them to miss the rest of the series, that’s a tactical move. When we came into the series and I looked at the demerit points, it was all on South Africa’s side. Now that it’s happened, it’s possibly an angle we can look to get to. But it’s more about your presence on the field than the stuff that comes out of your mouth”Faf du Plessis congratulates Lungi Ngidi upon picking up his maiden Test wicket•BCCI

Like Ottis Gibson on Wednesday, du Plessis prefers aggression in action rather than words and though he sees “nothing wrong,” with chirping, would prefer South Africa to minimise their talk and maximise their walk.”We don’t look to push that line. We don’t look to find the grey areas. For me it is very obvious, we try to play a positive brand of cricket with good body language. You look the guy in the eye and show them you are here to play today, you’re there to compete and win a game of cricket,” du Plessis said. “If you look in the past, we are not a team that flirts with that line when it comes to vocals. We try to let the cricket do the talking.”Recently, Kagiso Rabada was disciplined for his words – once when he told Ben Stokes to “f*** off,” at Lord’s last year and then when he waved “bye, bye,” to Shikhar Dhawan during an ODI against India in February – while Imran Tahir was fined for a sledging spray on Warner during an ODI in October 2016.But South Africa have not made a habit of launching prolonged verbal attacks on oppositions and there’s a certain naivety about their attempts at mind games. Du Plessis did not even know that the ICC guidelines stipulate that the stump microphones should be turned down when the ball is dead. Australia, on the other hand, were heard saying rival sponsors names within earshot of the stump mics during the Durban Test in an attempt to get their volume lowered.”They are a team that have always done it [mind games] and they will always do it,” Du Plessis said. “They are not going to change overnight. They’ve always had characters in their team. It’s not even the whole team. There are just two or three guys that you can see it’s almost their job in the team, to go that route.”Nevertheless, South Africa view Australia as their most competitive rival. “I have a lot of respect for every team that we play against,” Du Plessis said. “The style of play that that team comes with is probably the style of play that they feel they need to play at. If you play New Zealand, they are the nice guys. They’re really friendly and they don’t believe that they need to play like that. Us as a team, and me as a captain, we are very similar in that I don’t see much value in what you say on the field having an impact on the performance you have as a team. For me it’s about focusing on what sort of presence you have, what sort of body language. It’s not our style of play, but Australia probably believes that’s the way they are the best team they can be, by being that sort of team.”

Manchester United are now weighing up a move for an "exciting" midfielder, and Erik ten Hag is personally driving the deal, according to a report.

Who are Man United signing in January?

If Man United want to bring in extra reinforcements during the January transfer window, there may have to be a couple of sales, with Football Insider reporting they could sanction the departure of midfielder Scott McTominay, amid interest from Bayern Munich.

The report makes it clear United will need to be "financially savvy" if there are to be any new arrivals this winter, following a summer of big spending, and McTominay does not feature prominently in Ten Hag's plans, despite starting against Brighton.

Selling the Scotland international could generate "big funds", which the Red Devils may choose to reinvest on a new central midfielder, having been linked with LDU Quito's Oscar Zambrano, who is attracting the interest of a number of Europe's top clubs.

Ten Hag may also have to think about replacing Jadon Sancho, with the winger now open to an exit in the January transfer window, meaning Bayern Munich's Serge Gnabry could be targeted, alongside Athletic Bilbao's Nico Williams.

According to reports from Spain, Man United are also closely following the performances of Royal Antwerp midfielder Arthur Vermeeren, following his breakthrough campaign in the Belgian Pro League last season (via Man Utd News).

Ten Hag is said to be a big fan of the midfielder, which indicates the manager is driving the deal, but there will be competition for his signature, as Barcelona are also named as potential suitors.

Xavi will have the chance to assess the 18-year-old during Barca's Champions League clash against Royal Antwerp at Camp Nou this evening, after keeping tabs on his progress so far this season.

How good is Arthur Vermeeren?

Although he is only 18-years-old, the maestro has already established himself in the Royal Antwerp team, having started every game in all competitions this season, weighing in with a total of two assists in nine appearances.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has lauded the Royal Antwerp starlet as "incredibly mature", while also branding him "one of the most exciting prospects in Belgium", so it is exciting news that Man United are in the race for his signature.

The central midfielder has also been hailed as a "breakout star" by Goal Features Editor Tom Maston, in light of the impact he made for Antwerp in the 2022-23 campaign, scoring a vital goal in the title race back in May.

With McTominay potentially set to be on the move in the January transfer window, it is vital that Ten Hag brings in a replacement, and the Belgian is showing signs he could be ready to slot right into the first team, despite his age.

That would make Vermeeren an ideal signing for Man United, rather than bringing in a player like Zambrano, who is yet to prove himself outside the Ecuadorian Serie A, and would need more time to adjust to the Premier League.