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It is always nice to see an academy player make their breakthrough and impress at first-team level, at any club, and that is why Colby Donovan’s recent emergence at Celtic has been enjoyable.

Injuries to Alistair Johnston and Anthony Ralston left Brendan Rodgers in a difficult position, facing the possibility of playing a player out of position to cover in that position.

Instead of going with a makeshift right-back, the Hoops boss dipped into the academy to provide 19-year-old Donovan with a chance to impress in the first-team in recent weeks.

The Scottish youngster made his first three appearances for the first-team in games against Kilmarnock, Partick Thistle, and Red Star Belgrade, starting all three matches, before being an unused substitute against Hibernian last weekend.

Donovan did not look out of place in those senior outings for the Scottish giants, winning five of his six ground duels without being dribbled past a single time against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League, per Sofascore.

The teenage full-back will now be hoping to kick on and establish himself in the senior side, as his fellow full-back Kieran Tierney once did when he first broke through.

Celtic's best Scottish talents since Kieran Tierney

The Scotland international first broke through into the first-team in the 2014/15 campaign, having come up through the academy ranks, and he went on to play 170 matches for the club in all competitions.

Tierney, as shown in the graphic above, enjoyed a terrific first spell with Celtic before his £25m move to Arsenal in the summer of 2019, winning five Scottish Premiership titles in the process.

Unfortunately, quality Scottish academy talents have been few and far between since the left-back’s initial emergence in the first-team for Celtic over a decade ago.

Kieran Tierney

£7.8m

Callum McGregor

£4.3m

Mikey Johnston

£2.6m

Jack Hendry

£2.1m

Liam Henderson

£1.7m

As you can see in the table above, Tierney is still the most valuable former academy star to have made at least one start for the club, whilst Callum McGregor, who came through before the defender, is the only other one who is worth more than £3m.

Ben Doak is valued at £14m, per Transfermarkt, but he only played 25 minutes as a substitute for the Hoops before his move to Liverpool, which meant that the Scottish giants did not get to experience much of his talent on the pitch.

To say that Mikey Johnston, a Glasgow-born player who has 17 caps for Ireland, is the most valuable academy graduate since Tierney at just £2.6m is slightly concerning.

Whilst Donovan will be hoping to kick on and be worth way more than Johnston, Celtic may have their biggest Scottish and academy talent since Tierney in a star who is out on loan.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast’s In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

Jude Bonnar is currently on loan in the Championship with Ayr United until the end of the season, gaining vital development and experience that he could bring to the first-team at Parkhead next term.

Why Bonnar may be the best Scottish talent at Celtic since Tierney

As aforementioned, Celtic have not had much success with Scottish talents coming through their academy system to emerge as regular starters in the first-team since Tierney, but Bonnar has the potential to change that.

The Hamilton-born starlet made his senior debut for Celtic in a 5-1 win over Aberdeen in the Scottish Premiership in February of this year, completing 100% (4/4) of his passes in a ten-minute cameo, per Sofascore.

His impressive performances as an attack-minded central midfielder for the B team earned him a chance in the senior side, after a return of ten goals in 55 Lowland League matches in the 2023/24 and 2024/25 campaigns combined, per Transfermarkt.

The teenage whiz, who was described as a “dangerous” player by writer John McGinley, also came back from his loan spell with Ayr to score and grab an assist in a Challenge Cup game against Alloa Athletic for the B team last month.

That performance and his overall form at youth level for Celtic show that he has developed a reputation for being a technical and attack-minded midfielder throughout his development in Glasgow.

However, the 19-year-old star’s loan move to the Championship with Ayr United has provided him with an opportunity to show that there is more to his game in the middle of the park.

Rodgers wants well-rounded midfielders who can provide physicality off the ball as well as technical quality in possession, as shown by the types of midfielders who play regularly for him at the moment: Benjamin Nygren, Reo Hatate, and Callum McGregor.

Bonnar’s last two outings in the Scottish Championship for Ayr United show that the versatile star, who can play in midfield or out on the flank, has added bite to his performances in the middle of the park.

Minutes

28

72

Ground duels won

2/3

4/8

Aerial duels won

1/1

2/4

Clearances

2

1

Dribbled past

0x

0x

Possession

1x

10x

As you can see in the table above, the teenage prospect has won six of his 11 ground duels and three of his five aerial duels, without being dribbled past a single time, in the last two matches.

Bonnar is currently being managed by Celtic legend Scott Brown, who knows a thing or two about what it takes to be a number eight for the Hoops, and he appears to be already developing the physical side of his game under the former Scotland international.

It looks as though sending him out on loan to the Championship to be managed by the ex-Celtic captain was a brilliant decision by the club, because the Scotland U21 international is adding physicality to go with his technical quality.

This is why Bonnar, who has delivered one goal and one assist for Ayr United so far this season, could go on to be the club’s biggest and most valuable Scottish talent since Tierney.

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The teenage talent already has the technical skills, as shown by his goal record for the B team, but his loan spell shows that he is becoming a complete central midfielder, which could make him an option for Rodgers to integrate into the senior team next season.

It will then be down to Bonnar to produce consistent performances in midfield to show that he is the biggest talent to come through the academy since Tierney.

It would be fair to say that this summer has been about as good as any Arsenal fan could have hoped it would be at the end of last season.

On top of looking pretty good on the pitch, Mikel Arteta’s side have been massively reinforced in the transfer market, with seven senior players joining so far.

Moreover, the signing of Eberechi Eze was twice as sweet for fans, as not only did they get a sensational gifted playmaker who can play on the wing, but they also managed to snatch him from the grasp of Tottenham Hotspur, who look like they have done the same thing with Xavi Simons and Chelsea.

With all that said, there are still a few days left until the window closes, and if Arsenal really want to end it with a bang, they should go back in for a player they’ve been linked with before, a player more talented than Eze and Simons.

Why Eze is such an important signing for Arsenal

Even though we are going to look at another player Arsenal should sign later, it’s important to remember that Eze is a potentially game-changing addition in his own right.

After all, one of the Gunners’ most significant problems last season was an inability to break teams down and make things happen when their star players were injured or out of form, and this is something the Englishman can solve.

For example, according to FBref, he ranked in the top 6% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for total shots, the top 10% for successful take-ons, the top 11% for shot-creating actions and more, all per 90.

Moreover, despite playing for a mid-table side at best, the 27-year-old “magician,” as dubbed by Micah Richards, scored 14 goals and provided 11 assists in 43 appearances, totalling just 3303 minutes.

In other words, the £100k-per-week superstar managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 1.72 games, or every 132.12 minutes.

He is also a big-game player, scoring in the quarter-final, semi-final, and final of the FA Cup to help Palace win their first-ever major trophy.

With all that said, the Gunners could land themselves a bigger talent than Eze and Simons by going back in for a Premier League star they’ve been linked with in the past.

The player who is a bigger talent than Eze & Simons

Now, for a player to even be compared to Eze and Simons, let alone be considered a bigger talent, they’ve got to be something quite special.

Transfer Focus

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

Fortunately, that would be an apt way to describe Morgan Rogers, who has been linked with Arsenal a number of times this summer, and might just be available for around £80m.

It would certainly be a significant investment to make in one player, but the Aston Villa star has proven he’d be worth it and then some over the last season or so.

Moreover, as the Premier League is ranked the toughest league in the world, and the Bundesliga is just the fourth, comparing all of his numbers to Simons’ is difficult.

However, thankfully, we can get a clearer picture of who the bigger talent is, thanks to both playing in the Champions League last year.

Rogers & Simons in the UCL
Players	Rogers	Simons
Appearances	12	5
Minutes	1025′	337′
Goals	4	0
Assists	3	0
Goal Involvements per Match	0.58	0.00
Minutes per Goal Involvement	146.42′	N/A
All Stats via Transfermarkt

Unsurprisingly, it is the Claret and Blue “machine,” as dubbed by The Athletic’s Jacob, who comes out miles ahead, as in his 12 appearances, totalling 1025 minutes, he scored four goals and provided three assists.

That means the often “unstoppable” midfielder, as dubbed by former Liverpool defender turned pundit Jamie Carragher, was able to average a goal involvement every 1.71 games, or every 146.42 minutes in football’s biggest club competition.

On the other hand, the Leipzig ace was unable to score a single goal or provide a single assist, despite facing some rather beatable teams, such as Sporting CP and Sturm Graz.

Now, when it comes to statistical comparisons with Arsenal’s new number ten, the Villans’ attacking dynamo does not come out on top, but his overall average of a goal involvement every 1.8 games, or every 149.86 minutes across the full campaign, isn’t far off.

Moreover, the reason we would still classify him as a bigger talent is that, at just 22 years old, he is approximately four years away from reaching his peak, according to research carried out by The Athletic.

So, when he does reach that point, based on what he’s already doing, we would expect his numbers to be better than Eze’s are today.

Ultimately, Arsenal have made an exceptional signing in the former Palace star, and it looks like Spurs have in the young Dutchman, but for our money, Rogers is still the biggest talent of the three.

Imagine him and Eze: Arsenal "closing in on" agreement to sign £52m "beast"

Mikel Arteta is close to finalising a deal that would be perfect for Arsenal and for new man Eberechi Eze.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

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Ousmane Dembele's Ballon d'Or win was a surprise to his former coach Peter Bosz, who has revealed his battles with the star's lack of discipline during his time at Borussia Dortmund. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was described as "disorganised" and "often late," but the Dutch coach feels he has undergone a transformation since joining the French side.

• Ex coach surprised by Dembele's magic

  Dembele has been crowned the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner after leading Paris Saint-Germain to a historic quadruple, securing the award by a convincing margin of over 300 points ahead of Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. However, despite a stellar campaign that included 35 goals, 14 assists, and a first-ever Champions League title for PSG, the victory came as a surprise to his former Borussia Dortmund coach, Bosz. In an interview with Dutch newspaper , Bosz praised the attacker's immense talent but detailed the off-field issues, including chronic disorganisation and poor diet, that once threatened a career that has now reached the pinnacle of world football.

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  Bosz on Dembele's 'unparalleled' but 'disorganised' talent

  Bosz, who managed Dembele briefly in 2017, expressed his shock at the 28-year-old's crowning moment. "I honestly didn't expect it, but he's one of the best players I've ever worked with," Bosz said. "What he could do with the ball was truly sensational. I honestly didn't know if he was left- or right-footed. His dribbling was unparalleled.

  "Privately, he was very disorganised. He was often late," Bosz explained. "Then he went to Barcelona, and there, too, he was constantly late. So it wasn't Dortmund's fault, but his."

  Dembele's six-year tenure at Barcelona was a turbulent period of unfulfilled potential following his monumental transfer. His time was severely hampered by a relentless series of injuries, preventing any consistent run of form. While he registered a respectable 40 goals and 41 assists in 185 appearances, these flashes of brilliance were often overshadowed by lengthy spells on the sidelines and disciplinary issues. His struggles with fitness and consistency meant he never fully justified his massive price tag before a transformative move to PSG.

• 'He needed a chef to avoid McDonald's and pizza'

  The former coach shed light on the extent of Dembele's lifestyle problems, which continued after his move to Spain. Bosz stated that the player's teammates had to intervene to provide structure. 

  "He was a very quiet, gentle boy who lacked the structure a top footballer needs," he said. "I understood that his teammates helped him there because he was still arriving late. With an alarm clock and a chef accompanying him so he would avoid McDonald's and pizza and eat well."

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• PSG move key to unlocking 'full potential'

  Bosz credits Dembele's transformation to his time at Paris Saint-Germain, where he believes the player finally matured. He highlighted the forward's improved work rate, particularly after being deployed as a central striker. "It wasn't until he reached his full potential at Paris Saint-Germain," Bosz noted. "If you look at the final against Inter, the way he applied pressure… If you had asked me in Dortmund if I thought he would ever apply that kind of pressure, I would have said no. But he did."

The EFL has confirmed that Blackburn Rovers' abandoned Championship clash with Ipswich Town will be replayed in full, despite the Lancashire club's frustration at losing their late advantage. The match was called off in the 79th minute with Blackburn leading 1-0 against ten-man Ipswich, but a majority EFL Board vote has ruled the fixture must restart.

Blackburn-Ipswich abandoned; EFL wipe unfinished match

Blackburn were leading Ipswich 1-0 at Ewood Park when torrential rain waterlogged the pitch and forced the referee to abandon play just ten minutes from time. The visitors had already been reduced to ten players after Jacob Greaves' dismissal, with Todd Cantwell's penalty putting Rovers ahead. Despite being in a strong position to have gone and win the game, the score-line has now been wiped away, as revealed by EFL's statement on Thursday.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesEFL Board reveal decision to restart game from scratch

The EFL Board said: "The Sky Bet Championship fixture between Blackburn Rovers and Ipswich Town should be replayed in full following its abandonment.

"The Board comprehensively considered all options alongside representations made by both clubs and decided by a majority that the fixture should be replayed. This decision follows recent precedents relating to abandoned fixtures and upholds the integrity of the league."

Getty Images SportBlackburn Rovers rage at EFL's decision

Blackburn responded angrily to the announcement, saying they were denied a deserved win given their late advantage in the original fixture.

In a lengthy statement, the club said: "At the time of the abandonment, Rovers were leading 1-0 and Ipswich Town had been reduced to 10 men…Rovers were on course to record a third Championship victory in four games. The club is extremely disappointed by the outcome, which fails to take into account the significant advantages Rovers held at the time of abandonment."

The 1994-95 Premier League champions confirmed they are considering an appeal.

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When will the match be replayed?

A new date for the replay will be agreed between both clubs and the EFL in due course. Blackburn will now have to refocus on their upcoming league fixtures while deciding whether to pursue further action against the ruling.

Ipswich, meanwhile, may benefit from the reset as they prepare to go again with a full squad.

In a Championship clash between two in-form American forwards, Josh Sargent and Haji Wright, it was the Coventry striker who stole the spotlight. Norwich looked set to leave the Coventry Building Society Arena with all three points, but Wright struck in the dying seconds with a chipped finish to seal a draw on Saturday..

• Coming through in the clutch

  Norwich initially stunned Coventry with Mathias Kvistgaarden scoring against the run of play in the 17th minute to put the Canaries up 1-0. Coventry dominated the visitors in every attacking stat, but couldn't find a way past the opposition's defense – shooting 28 times in the game.

  In the final second of stoppage time, Wright took advantage of Norwich's inability to clear the ball out of the box and toe-poked his shot into the goal to ensure Coventry a split of the points.

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• Watch the highlights

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  Breaking down the stats

  Wright's goal was deserved considering the shift he put in throughout the match. He won six duels, had five shots, and created a goal-scoring opportunity. It was his fifth goal in his last four matches. 

  On the other end, it was a quiet afternoon for Sargent. The striker, who had won the Championship's Player of the Month award for a sizzling August, had just one shot and one completed dribble against Coventry. 

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• Getty Images Sport
  

  Where both clubs stand

  Following the draw, Coventry remain in sixth in the Championship while Norwich are in ninth. The Sky Blues will now travel to face Leicester on Sept. 20, while host the Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney-owned Wrexham at home. 

South Africa, meanwhile, are quietly preparing for their first Test in Bangladesh in nine years

Mohammad Isam20-Oct-2024 Big picture: A new era for Bangladesh Instead of a legend’s goodbye, the Dhaka Test will now be Bangladesh’s first Test in the post-Shakib Al Hasan era, after the government advised Shakib not to come to the country, due to security reasons. Bangladesh are also dealing with a change of head coach, as the BCB has sacked Chandika Hathurusinghe and swiftly appointed Phil Simmons.South Africa, meanwhile, are quietly preparing for their first Test in Bangladesh in nine years. To counter their lack of experience in Bangladesh, the visitors are reportedly spending long hours in the nets at the Shere Bangla National Stadium.Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada are the only survivors from their last tour of Bangladesh, when rain forced both Tests to be drawn. Bavuma will miss the first Test due to an elbow injury, which means Aiden Markram leads the side. South Africa are likely to have at least one debutant in their top four to replace Bavuma. The T20 star Dewald Brevis could be the one stepping up.Related

Shakib, from darling of the masses to enemy of the people

Amid the drama, new coach Simmons wants Bangladesh to 'focus on the cricket'

Hathurusinghe questions BCB's motives after sacking

Shakib 'unavailable' for first SA Test, Murad called in as replacement

BCB terminates Hathurusinghe's contract as Bangladesh head coach

South Africa’s batting will largely depend on Markram and his opening partner Tony de Zorzi, while David Briedingham and Tristan Stubbs have to handle the middle order. The experienced Keshav Maharaj leads the bowling attack, while Rabada could be required to do mostly holding jobs if the Dhaka pitch’s last rating is anything to go by.New Zealand captain Tim Southee called it “probably the worst pitch” he had ever seen, after the spinners completely dominated proceedings last December.Bangladesh already have three frontline spinners, before adding left-arm spinner Hasan Murad in place of Shakib. At least three are likely to feature in Dhaka, which could leave them with the dilemma whether to play four or five bowlers. There is no obvious replacement for Shakib of course, but Bangladesh will be hoping they can settle on a balanced XI soon. Form guide Bangladesh LLWWL (last five Tests, most recent first)South Africa WDLLL In the spotlight: Hasan Mahmud and David Bedingham Hasan Mahmud has made a promising start to his Test career. The slim medium-pacer bowls a mean line and length on a dime outside offstump. Debuting earlier this year, Mahmud has already taken five-wicket hauls in Pakistan and India. His 20 wickets in five Tests is easily the best start by a Bangladesh fast bowler. A home Test is always a challenge, particularly at the Shere Bangla National Stadium, but Mahmud’s discipline will come in handy.Fresh off a strong county season for Durham, David Bedingham has a new challenge in front of him: playing in the sub-continent for the first time. That means the stylish middle-order batter will be up against skillful spinners. It could be an important tour for the 30-year-old who has only six Tests under his belt.A lot of South Africa’s batting will depend on Aiden Markram and his opening partner Tony de Zorzi•AFP/Getty Images Team news: Brevis could debut; Bangladesh mull five bowlersPlaying five specialist bowlers would mean Bangladesh promoting Mehidy Hasan Miraz to No 5. The other option would be to leave out one of the pacers, and bringing in Jaker Ali to debut in the middle-order.Bangladesh XI (probable): 1 Zakir Hasan, 2 Shadman Islam, 3 Mominul Haque, 4 Najmul Hossain Shanto (capt), 5 Mushfiqur Rahim, 6 Mehidy Hasan Miraz, 7 Litton Das (wk), 8 Nayeem Hasan, 9 Taijul Islam, 10 Taskin Ahmed, 11 Hasan MahmudTemba Bavuma’s injury could mean that Dewald Brevis debuts at No 4. South Africa have pace options, but the left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy could replace the injured Nandre Burger.South Africa (probable): 1 Aiden Markram (capt), 2 Tony de Zorzi, 3 Tristan Stubbs, 4 Dewald Brevis, 5 David Bedingham, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Senuran Muthusamy, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Dane PiedtPitch and conditions: Has the Dhaka pitch improved? The ICC rated the Dhaka pitch unsatisfactory in its previous Test in December last year, and it remains to be seen if the curator Gamini Silva has put in the work in the last ten months. There’s some rain in the forecast from the third day. Stats and trivia Bangladesh are yet to beat South Africa and India in Tests. South Africa have lost 10 of their last 13 Tests in the sub-continent, drawing the other three. Temba Bavuma and Kagiso Rabada are the only survivors from South Africa’s last tour of Bangladesh. Quotes “We are not thinking of the outside noise. We are focused on the match. We haven’t won against South Africa before so this is a great opportunity given our team and that the fact that we playing at home.””We have been here now for a few days and, nice and hot and sweaty for us. That’s been nice to get used to that again. conditions-wise, it’s pretty much what we’ve expected and the facilities have been really good. the hotel’s been great. People have been really accommodating towards us. So, we enjoyed our, first few days here and from the cricket side of things.”

We might still be just under a month away from the start of the Premier League season, but this week should be a good one for Arsenal fans.

Mikel Arteta’s side are currently in Singapore and kick off their pre-season campaign proper with a game against Italian giants AC Milan on Wednesday afternoon.

In addition to simply getting to see their team play again, it’ll also be the first chance for fans to see the likes of Martin Zubimendi, Christian Norgaard, and possibly Kepa Arrizabalaga kick a ball for the side.

However, it’s not just the football that fans should be excited about, as it now looks like the club could complete another signing, a player who would be a dream teammate for another of their recent targets, Xavi Simons.

Arsenal close in on dream signing for Simons

It’s been an unusually busy summer of business for Arsenal this year, as, on top of the aforementioned trio of additions who are on tour with the side at the moment, the club have also signed Noni Madueke from Chelsea and are surely set to announce Cristian Mosquera from Valencia any day now.

Transfer Focus

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

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Moreover, while links to Crystal Palace’s Eberechi Eze appear to have quieted down somewhat, the opposite is true for RB Leipzig’s Simons.

The Gunners have been linked with a £52m move for him several times over the last few days, and given his impact in Germany over the last couple of years, it’s not hard to see why.

The young Dutchman would certainly add some real quality to Arteta’s squad, and it now looks like the club are close to securing the signature of another international who’d help make the 22-year-old even better.

At least that’s according to a recent report from journalist Ben Jacobs, who claims Arsenal are in “advanced” stages of negotiations for Viktor Gyokeres.

In fact, Jacobs has revealed that a “breakthrough” is “expected soon” and that rumours of Manchester United submitting a bid for the player are unfounded.

The English journalist makes no mention of the final price in his update, but according to stories from earlier this summer, the Gunners are set to pay an initial fee of £55m, with add-ons that could reach up to £8.7m.

While it’s a substantial sum of money, it could still prove to be good value for someone so prolific, especially as he could be a perfect teammate for Simons.

Why Gyokeres would be a dream for Simons

The first thing we need to do is examine how, in terms of his output, Simons performed at Leipzig last season.

Impressively, despite being just 21 for most of the campaign, the Flying Dutchman managed to score 11 goals and provide eight assists in 33 appearances, totalling 2763 minutes, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 145.42 minutes.

The former Paris Saint-Germain gem managed to achieve this level of output in a team whose top goalscorer, Benjamin Sesko, scored only 21 goals in 45 games, and their second top-scorer, Loïs Openda, scored just 13 in the same number of games.

Therefore, while it sounds simplistic, it wouldn’t be unrealistic to suggest that with a more prolific striker playing ahead or alongside him, the Amsterdam-born magician would see his goal and assist numbers soar, and when it comes to free-scoring forwards, none are more dangerous than Gyokeres.

For example, in his first season with Sporting, the Stockholm-born “powerhouse,” as dubbed by respected analyst Ben Mattinson, scored a whopping 43 goals and provided 15 assists in 50 appearances, totalling 4169 minutes.

Gyokeres’ recent form

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

50

52

Minutes

4169′

4248′

Goals

43

54

Assists

15

13

Goal Involvements per Match

1.16

1.28

Minutes per Goal Involvement

71.87′

63.40′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In other words, the 27-year-old machine averaged 1.16 goal involvements every game, or one every 71.87 minutes, and while that is an outrageous rate of return, he managed to do even better last season.

In 52 appearances for the Portuguese champions, totalling 4248 minutes, the former Coventry City star put the ball in the back of the net 54 times and provided 13 assists, which works out to an out-of-this-world average of 1.28 goal involvements per game, or one every 63.40 minutes.

Ultimately, Arsenal should do everything possible to sign Simons and Gyokeres this summer, as they’re both exceptional players who would help elevate the team, and together, could make the Gunners one of the most formidable attacking sides in Europe.

Related Ekitike 2.0: Arsenal actively plotting move for "golden" CF after Gyokeres

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 19, 2025

Maddy Darke’s unbeaten 106 along with Katie Mack’s 68 set up Australia A’s eight-wicket victory over India A in the second one-dayer in Mackay. The openers added 131 as Australia A chased down India A’s 219 with ease to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match series.Having been put into bat, Raghvi Bist and Tejal Hasabnis hit fifties helping India A fight back with a 124-run stand for the fourth wicket. But Charli Knott and Grace Parsons triggered a collapse as the visitors slumped from 176 for 3 to 218 all out.The game started with Tayla Vlaeminck’s superb opening spell of 4-3-3-1 where she had Priya Punia caught behind. Nicola Hancock replaced Vlaeminck and dismissed Shweta Sehrawat in her first over before Knott sent back Shubha Satheesh for a 38-ball 24.Bist and Hasabnis started slowly before picking boundaries in overs from Parsons and Kate Peterson. They focused on rotating the strike in the middle overs and eased past fifties. But India’s acceleration was cut short by Parsons having Hasabnis caught and bowled and Knott having Minnu Mani caught behind in successive overs.Shipra Giri got going with a couple of fours but with Bist getting run out in the 45th over, India slipped to 203 for 6. Maitlan Brown cleaned up the tail in a triple-wicket maiden over, which included a run out, as India were bowled out in 48 overs.Mack and Darke were aided by wides and a couple of threes from Soppadhandi Yashasri and Sayali Satghare’s opening spells as Australia A coasted past fifty in the 11th over. Between overs eight and 16, every single one went for at least five as Mack reached fifty in the 16th over. Darke reached hers in the 21st over with Australia A on 121 for 0.Satghare trapped Mack lbw in the 23rd over but Darke carried on. Her 38-run stand with Knott included just one boundary but brought the asking rate well under three. Tahlia McGrath hitting four boundaries in her first 15 balls quashed the little chances for a visitors’ comeback and allowed Darke to complete a century in the 37th over. The duo stayed unbeaten to take Australia A home with 58 balls to spare.Australia A had swept the T20I series 3-0 and have the chance to repeat the feat in the ODIs at the Gold Coast on Monday.

Worcestershire 147 for 7 (Libby 61*, J Taylor 2-11, Lawrence 2-27) trail Surrey 490 (Lawrence 175, Smith 86, Sibley 76, Taylor 3-99) by 343 runsShoaib Bashir equalled the most expensive over in the history of English first class cricket while on loan to Worcestershire for the Vitality County Championship encounter with Surrey at ‘Visit Worcestershire New Road.’The England spinner, on loan for a month to Worcestershire from Somerset, conceded 38 runs including five successive sixes to Dan Lawrence.It was a wake-up call for Bashir who in the winter picked up 17 wickets in three Tests in India.Lawrence cleared the boundary with the first five deliveries of the over between long off and wide long on.The next ball went for five wides and then Lawrence took a single off a no ball before last man Dan Worrall failed to score off the eighth delivery.It equalled the 38 struck by Freddie Flintoff off Alex Tudor for Lancashire against Surrey in a Championship match at Old Trafford in 1998.Lawrence went onto to make a career-best 175 before he was last out with the Surrey first-innings total on 490.Worcestershire then slumped to 147 for 7 with only Jake Libby, with a 145-ball half century, offering much resistance as Lawrence’s fine day continued with two wickets.Lawrence surpassed his 161 for Essex – against Surrey in 2015 at the Kia Oval – in only his second first class match.The only other time more runs have been conceded in an over was a Shell Trophy encounter in New Zealand in 1990 when Lee Germon and Roger Ford (Canterbury) took advantage of contrived bowling from Robert Vance (Wellington) and hit 77.Lawrence had a scare in the middle of his sixes blitz when the third was caught by Adam Hose at long on but the Worcestershire batter carried the ball over the boundary rope.Surrey advanced from their overnight 340 for 5 in sedate fashion during the morning session, adding 88 in 29 overs for the loss of three wickets before Lawrence cut loose on the resumption.Worcestershire were without the injured pace bowler, Adam Finch (leg) and Academy player Chris Ellison deputised in the field.Tom Taylor struck in the first over of the day after Surrey had resumed on 340 for 5.Jordan Clark added only a single before he played back and picked out Bashir at midwicket.Lawrence, who had resumed on 91, completed his century in regal style with a cover drive off Taylor for his 14th boundary.Sean Abbott showed plenty of aggression in the chase for a fourth batting point but he paid the price after giving Taylor the charge and was bowled.Gus Atkinson tried to work Bashir to leg and was bowled to give the spinner his second wicket.James Taylor was run out after playing Bashir to third and attempting a second run and Lawrence’s fine knock ended when he was caught at deep backward point off Allison, his 223-ball knock containing six sixes and 16 fours.When Worcestershire batted, Sean Abbott struck with his first delivery after replacing Worrall when Gareth Roderick was caught behind from a delivery which nipped away.Kashif Ali, back in the side after his break from the game, made 17 before being strangled down the leg side off Atkinson at 59 for 2.Rob Jones was undone by a delivery of extra bounce by James Taylor to give Ben Foakes his third catch.Foakes held onto another chance after Hose (10) aimed a drive at a widish delivery from Taylor.Ethan Brookes, in his first Championship appearance for five years, then fell to a sharp catch at first slip by Ollie Pope off Clark at 99 for 5.Matthew Waite played back to Lawrence and was bowled and Tom Taylor departed in similar fashion for a duck.

Leeds United have been given a transfer boost as they eye a move for a new Brazilian attacker who has hailed former Whites star Raphinha.

Raphinha starring for Barcelona after leaving Leeds

Following promotion back in 2020, Raphinha was Leeds’ best signing in recent memory, joining from Rennes and starring at Elland Road under Marcelo Bielsa.

The Brazilian would also almost single-handedly keep Leeds in the top flight in the 2021/22 campaign before sealing a dream £50m transfer to Barcelona.

Since moving to the Nou Camp, the relentless winger has gone from strength to strength and is now a leading contender to win the Ballon d’Or after scoring 34 goals and providing 25 assists in 2024/25.

Related Leeds: 49ers lead race to sign £20m+ La Liga attacker who Chelsea wanted

He was playing amateur football in 2019.

Posts 1 ByCharlie Smith Jun 4, 2025

Raphinha, who won his second La Liga title and first Copa del Rey in 24/25, still keeps an eye out for Leeds and celebrated the Whites’ recent promotion, reacting to the club’s social media post on Instagram.

Leeds will now be looking for a player of the same ilk as Raphinha as they aim to establish themselves in the Premier League once again, and one wide attacker who has been linked with a move to Elland Road is Igor Paixao from Feyenoord.

There were claims Leeds submitted an enquiry to sign the Brazilian, however, the Dutch club would like a fee of €40m (£34m), but there has been a new update on a potential move.

Igor Paixao now open to Leeds transfer

According to Leeds Live, Paixao is open to the idea of joining Leeds this summer, however, despite previous reports, no contact has been made by the Whites at this moment in time.

Paixao would consider a move to Yorkshire, though, under the right personal terms, following an excellent individual campaign in 24/25 where he produced some impressive numbers, scoring 18 goals and registering a further 19 assists.

Talking earlier in the season, the Brazilian addressed his future and left the door open to a possible exit this summer.

The 24-year-old is a right-footed winger who primarily plays on the left-hand side and previously expressed his admiration for Raphinha, saying: “Raphinha is an example for me and all of us Brazilians.”

Wingers compared to Igor Paixao

Club

Dan James

Leeds

Bertrand Traore

Ajax

Estevao Willian

Palmeiras

Wilfried Gnonto

Leeds

Johan Bakayoko

PSV

Now, should Leeds make their move, they could soon have another exciting Brazilian winger on the books, three years after parting ways with Raphinha.