Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta could deploy a £150,000-per-week player in a "key" new tactical role after criticism, suggests journalist Charles Watts.

Arsenal dealt Premier League title blow as Man City take charge

It's been a pretty devastating last few days for Arsenal supporters, who watched their side crash out of the Champions League to Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening and relinquish control of the Premier League title race with a 2-0 defeat at home to Aston Villa on Sunday.

Club will allow £51m star to leave as Arsenal make approach to sign him

The Gunners’ transfer plans are in full swing.

ByEmilio Galantini Apr 18, 2024

This season could end badly for Arteta and co, despite starting 2024 with real promise and boasting an imperious attacking threat on a very consistent basis. There is still hope for Arsenal to clinch a first league title in 20 years, but they will need a slip up from Man City to do so.

Wolves (away)

April 20th

Chelsea (home)

April 23rd

Tottenham (away)

April 28th

Bournemouth (home)

May 4th

Man United (away)

May 12th

Nothing less than perfect from the Gunners is acceptable in this final season run-in, as Pep Guardiola's City usually hit their stride domestically at this point of the season. They'll need their star players to perform every game, like captain Martin Odegaard, with left-back Oleksandr Zinchenko's form also a topic of discussion.

Zinchenko tipped for key new Arsenal role

Reporter Watts, speaking to CaughtOffside, has hinted that Arteta could use Zinchenko in a "key" new role at Arsenal higher up the pitch following the Ukranian's shortcomings defensively.

“Some of the criticism (of Zinchenko) is justified, but some is a bit harsh in my opinion," said Watts.

"When you look at what went wrong for Arsenal on Sunday for example, I’m not really sure Zinchenko was at the heart of it. But, judging by the amount of criticism that has come his way over the past few days, you would think he was. Yes, there were a few errors of judgement in the second half, one of which could easily have been very costly. But there were also good points in the first half which could easily have led to Arsenal opening the scoring.

“And that’s always been the thing with Zinchenko – there are undeniable positives, but there are also obvious negatives. The thing is that right now, probably for the first time since he joined, the negatives are starting to outweigh the positives. Arsenal’s side has evolved at pace under Arteta. Last season Zinchenko was an essential part of it, but now his place in the starting XI is up for debate.

“I wouldn’t say we are definitely approaching the end of Zinchenko’s time at Arsenal. I still think he could have a key role to play in this squad, potentially even higher up the pitch where his defensive deficiencies could leave the team less exposed. He’s a quality footballer who is having a difficult period, but Arteta believes in him and it’s far too early to write him off as an Arsenal player.”

It has been a tough season for Everton Football Club, who are fighting against relegation, have been hit with a points deduction for an FFP breach and have not won in the Premier League since 16 December.

On top of that, the club face losing two of their most important players. Amadou Onana is linked with an £80m transfer away from Goodison Park, including a potential move to Barcelona.

Jarrad Branthwaite is the other player who could depart the Toffees next summer with the 21-year-old reportedly eyed up by clubs including Manchester United.

With plenty of money potentially heading Everton’s way this summer, it is sure to help them out with FFP. However, they may have missed out on another major sale had they kept hold of a man who is now just as valuable as Branthwaite.

Ademola Lookman’s early career

It is fair to say that despite his exceptional form of late for current club Atalanta, Ademola Lookman’s Everton career did not go as he would have hoped.

The 26-year-old managed just four goals and two assists during his time at Goodison Park, which included only three goal involvements in the Premier League.

Lookman did go out on loan during his time at Everton. The Nigeria international spent the second half of the 2017/18 season in Germany playing for RB Leipzig, before returning to Everton and eventually joining them in 2019.

Since playing for Leipzig, the diminutive 5 foot 9 forward has had loan spells with Fulham and Leicester City, before finally settling in at his current club Atalanta.

Ademola Lookman’s transfer value in 2024

Having now found a home for himself in Italy, Lookman is valued at £26m according to Transfermarkt. That's quite a rise with the winger now worth just as much as the aforementioned Branthwaite as per the same source. That said, it's likely Everton would command a far greater fee to let their prized asset depart in the summer.

The Toffees initially sold Lookman for over £22m to Leipzig, who sold him on for a loss, charging Atlanta a nominal fee of just £13m in 2022. The Italian side have ended up with a superb deal considering his current value.

Since leaving Everton and settling down in Italy, Lookman has come on leaps and bounds, scoring 21 goals and registering nine assists in two seasons in Serie A so far.

Lookman’s pace in behind and diligent running of the channels makes him a potent threat on the counterattack. The 26-year-old can often be seen latching onto a through ball from a teammate as Atalanta look to exploit space in behind.

Lookman is a superb carrier into the final third, often driving towards defenders at pace before setting himself and looking for a pass or shot on the edge of the area. The Nigeria international averages 2.24 carries into the final third and 1.23 carries into the penalty box per 90 minutes, courtesy of Fbref. Such numbers rank him in the top 2% and best 7% of positionally similar players in Europe.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

He is calm and composed in front of goal, so much so that he can dummy a shot to buy himself more time or space. His 21 Serie A goals so far reflect just how clinical he can be, and according to Fbref, his non-penalty expected goals stands at 0.44 xG per 90 minutes.

It may well frustrate Everton fans that they did not keep Lookman beyond 2019. Had they done so, the Toffees may have had another star on their hands, who they could have sold for plenty more profit, or helped them on their quest for survival in the Premier League.

Peshawar Zalmi have roped in Hashim Amla as a batting mentor for the upcoming edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). The acquisition was announced on Twitter by the owner of the franchise, Javed Afridi. “His gracious presence in the PSL 5 festivity will not only adorn the Zalmi dugout but also inspire and craft the cricket skills of the emerging players in the squad,” Afridi said. Amla never played in the PSL, but brings vast T20 experience to the Zalmi side. The South African played 44 T20Is for his country, including three T20 World Cups. He has played in several T20 leagues around the world, most notably for the Kings XI Punjab, with whom he enjoyed a particularly prolific season in 2017, smashing two hundreds and finishing as the franchise’s top scorer for the season.Amla joins former West Indies international Darren Sammy in a mentoring capacity, with the former Zalmi captain moving into a mentoring role, starting this season. Head coach Mohammad Akram, manager Arshad Khan and spin-bowling coach Saqlain Mushtaq are also part of the backroom staff for the side. Zalmi, who reached the last three PSL finals, will look to go one better on the runners-up result they managed last season, ultimately falling short to Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Quetta Gladiators.

كشف مصدر خاص بالجهاز الفني لـ منتخب مصر للشباب تحت 20 عامًا، النقاب عن مصير “سليم طلب” لاعب خط وسط الفريق القومي والمحترف ضمن صفوف هيرتا برلين الألماني.

وكان سليم طلب قد تعرض للإصابة خلال مباراة منتخبي مصر والمغرب أمس، والتي اضطر فيها الجهاز الفني لاستبداله مبكرًا.

مواعيد مباريات منتخب مصر تحت 20 عامًا في بطولة شمال إفريقيا

وأوضح المصدر أن سليم طلب سيغادر معسكر منتخب مصر للشباب بسبب الإصابة التي تعرض لها.

وأكد أن الفحوصات الطبية أثبتت أن إصابته في أوتار الركبة لن تمكنه من استكمال مشواره مع المنتخب في التصفيات.

ميكالي يبرر خسارة مصر أمام المغرب في بطولة شمال إفريقيا.. ويصرح: هذا المنتخب جيد جدًا

وكان قد خسر منتخب مصر للشباب أمام المغرب، بهدفين مقابل هدف وحيد، في لقاء أقيم على ستاد هيئة قناة السويس بمدينة الإسماعيلية، ضمن منافسات الجولة الأولى من بطولة شمال إفريقيا المؤهلة لأمم إفريقيا.

ومن المقرر أن يواجه منتخب مصر للشباب نظيره الجزائري في الجولة الثانية يوم الأحد المقبل في الثامنة مساءً. إصابة سليم طلب في مباراة مصر والمغرب

Celtic were in the market to land a new centre-forward to bolster their options at the top end of the pitch during the recent January transfer window.

Brendan Rodgers eventually landed Norwich City marksman Adam Idah on loan on deadline day, with no options to buy, after having been linked with a move for Bologna striker Sydney van Hooijdonk, who went on to sign for the Canaries to replace the player the Hoops signed.

The Dutch number nine is the son of former Bhoys sensation Pierre van Hooijdonk, who the club hit the jackpot with during his time at Parkhead.

Celtic struck gold when they swooped to sign the attacker from Dutch side NAC Breda in January 1995 to improve then-manager Tommy Burns' attacking options.

How much Celtic paid for Pierre van Hooijdonk

The Hoops signed the Netherlands international for a reported fee of £1.2m and the impressive marksman produced four goals in 14 Scottish Premiership matches.

Van Hooijdonk followed that up with a staggering 26 goals in 34 Premiership matches during the 1995/96 campaign, to take his tally to 30 league goals in his first 18 months at the club.

The then-26-year-old fired in 14 goals in 21 league appearances for the Scottish giants during the first half of the 1996/97 campaign before a move to Nottingham Forest in March 1997.

In total, the 6 foot 4 colossus moved on from Celtic with a fantastic return of 52 goals in 84 games in all competitions, which is a goal every 1.62 matches on average across his just-over two-year spell in Glasgow.

How much did Celtic sell Pierre van Hooijdonk for in 2024 money

Per Totally Money, Premier League side Nottingham Forest splashed out a fee of £5.4m at the time of the deal to bring him down south to England in 1997.

Adjusting for the inflation of transfer fees in football over the subsequent years, per Totally Money's index, that £5.4m fee would be worth a staggering £39.4m, which illustrates how much of a blinder the Hoops played with the signing of van Hooijdonk back in 1995.

They struck gold with the prolific marksman as they made a healthy profit on the 52-goal forward, who was a star on the pitch and made them a huge sum of money by the time he moved on from Parkhead.

Nottingham Forest career
Pierre van Hooijdonk	Appearances	Goals	Assists
1996/97 (Premier League)	8	1	0
1997/98 (First Division)	39	29	0
1998/99 (Premier League)	21	6	2
Stats via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, van Hooijdonk failed to replicate his goalscoring prowess in Scotland in the Premier League with the Tricky Trees, with a return of seven goals in 29 games in the English top-flight.

The Netherlands international went on to enjoy spells with Benfica, Vitesse, Fenerbahce, and Feyenoord after his time with Forest, before his retirement in the summer of 2007.

Overall, Celtic hit the jackpot with van Hooijdonk as they got immense value out of him on and off the pitch after his £1.2m move from NAC Breda back in 1995, and it remains to be seen whether Sydney – now at Norwich – will be able to hit the same heights as his father during his career.

India’s T20I vice-captain underlines the importance of upcoming tri-series in Australia in their T20 World Cup build-up

Shashank Kishore22-Jan-2020

PTI

Smriti Mandhana thinks it is “unfair to compare” the BCCI women’s retainer contracts to their male counterparts. Speaking at an event in Mumbai, India’s T20I vice-captain made it clear the team was only focusing on winning, which would automatically bring in a bigger following, thereby more revenue.Currently, the top grade of women cricketers are paid an annual retainer of INR 50 lakh, which half the value of the lowest retainer for men – those in Grade C get INR 1 crore.”We need to understand one thing: revenue for women’s cricket. The day when women’s cricket starts generating the same revenue, I’ll be the first person to say we need same pay, but right now, we can’t say that,” Mandhana said on Wednesday. “No one is thinking about the [salary] cap or anything like that.”The focus is to win matches, get crowd and revenues coming in. It’s unfair on our part to say ‘we need same pay’. It’s not right. I don’t want to comment on the gap. If we win matches and the crowds come, all other things will fall in place, and for that we need to perform.”The Indian team will leave for Australia on Thursday, a month prior to the T20 World Cup. They will play a tri-series involving defending champions Australia and England in the run-up to the eight-team event, where India are looking to go a step ahead of their semi-final finish in 2018 in the Caribbean.Never before in recent memory have India slotted in so much match time in the build-up to a global event. Only last month, 45 of the country’s top players played two rounds of group games followed by a final in the Challenger Trophy.Also for the first time, an India A team was sent to Australia as part of a preparatory tournament, keeping the T20 World Cup in mind. As many as three players from India’s World Cup squad – Shafali Verma, Veda Krishnamurthy and Arundhati Reddy – as well as prominent players, Priya Punia, D Hemalatha and Mansi Joshi, were part of the series India lost 3-0. The results aside, it provided a young squad much-needed acclimatisation time.”Most of us have played in Australia. With India A also touring there last month, it will be a big help. Four-five players were part of that team as well,” Mandhana explained. “But the tri-series is going to be very important when it comes to judging our team composure, the targets we need to aim at on those wickets, and how our bowlers can plan better. The tri-series will help us understand that.”Over the last one year, whatever we were doing in the matches was by keeping the [T20] World Cup in mind. Now that we’re leaving for the tournament, it’s very exciting. We’ve got a mix of experience and new young players.”At a personal level, Mandhana endured a mixed 2019, struggling with patchy form and niggles. As she looks to build towards the World Cup, she has the words of head coach WV Raman on her mind. Shot selection and spending time in the middle is foremost on her mind.”More than patience, I had to work on shot selection,” she assessed. “That is one thing I spoke to Raman sir about. More than patience or mental side, I had to work on limiting my shots and understanding what the team needs, in the 50-over format.”The one thing he [Raman] told me was to try and play 30 overs in an ODI and 12 overs in a T20I. He said ‘if you do this, your game is such that you will automatically get a big score’. Being there is very important.”

Wolverhampton Wanders are set to sign a “quality player” in a permanent transfer, something which has delighted Gary O‘Neil.

Wolves transfer rumours

On the pitch, Wolves are battling for a top half finish in the Premier League with five games remaining. O’Neil has done a solid job after arriving days before the season began, but off the pitch, it has been frustrating at points in the transfer market.

Exciting Wolves transfer claim made with “very talented” striker named

It could be a busy summer at Molineux as they hunt for a forward.

ByBen Browning Apr 19, 2024

For example, in the January window, Wolves failed to sign a new striker while allowing Fabio Silva and Sasa Kalajdzic to leave on loan. O’Neil hasn’t forgotten that either, venting his frustration after the draw with Burnley earlier this month.

The club are looking to rectify that this summer and are expected to sign teenage forward Stephano Carrillo from Mexican side Santos Laguna. Wolves are also readying an offer to sign Eddie Nketiah from Arsenal, whereas speculation elsewhere claims they are in pole position to sign Southampton striker Che Adams and have made a bid for SC Braga attacker Rodrigo Gomes.

It isn’t just in attack that Wolves want to strengthen, though. Contact has reportedly been made for UD Las Palmas goalkeeper Alvaro Valles. However, one deal that looks set to be sealed relatively easily is for a current Molineux loanee.

Wolves set to sign Tommy Doyle

The Express and Star shared an update on Wolves loanee Tommy Doyle, claiming he is set to sign a long-term contract at Molineux with the club planning to activate their £4.3m option to buy from Manchester City.

O’Neil admitted he and the club are “delighted” with Doyle and is expecting a deal to be done. “I would expect him to be here next year. Hopefully we can get that done fairly quickly in the summer. I know he feels settled and I know he’s enjoying it. We’re delighted with how he’s done, so I don’t foresee any issues with that one being done.”

Doyle, on £10,000-a-week, has been a regular in the matchday squad under O’Neil, making 29 appearances in all competitions, scoring once in the FA Cup. Still just 22 years of age, he looks to have found a home with Wolves and came in for praise from Andy Edwards earlier this year.

“He’s a quality player. He’s got some real character, he’s got tenacity, he loves that side of the game. Even with the style of his running, he wants to get into tackles and disrupt players. We know his quality on the ball, some of his passing was excellent.”

Hetmyer included after passing fitness test, while Hope and Allen are back too

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Feb-2020Andre Russell and Oshane Thomas have been recalled to West Indies’ T20I squad, with Shimron Hetmyer also declared fit. All three are part of a Kieron Pollard-led 14-man squad that will face Sri Lanka in two T20Is, on March 4 and March 6, after the ongoing three-match ODI series between the two concludes.West Indies T20I squad

Kieron Pollard (capt), Fabian Allen, Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope, Brandon King, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Andre Russell, Lendl Simmons, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr, Kesrick Williams.
IN: Andre Russell, Oshane Thomas, Fabian Allen, Shai Hope.
OUT: Evin Lewis, Khary Pierre, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd.

Russell hasn’t played for West Indies since pulling up short midway through the 50-over World Cup in June 2019, though he has taken part in other matches, most notably in the Bangladesh Premier League in December and January. Cricket West Indies said in a release that Russell had “successfully completed the CWI return-to-play assessment programme under the supervision of CWI Medical Team in his native Jamaica.”Thomas, who turned 23 earlier in the week, has been selected after making a full recovery from a car accident in Jamaica.Hetmyer, who is not part of the ODI squad completed a fitness assessment earlier in the week and successfully reached the minimum required standard for selection.Along with Russell and Thomas, back in the side are Fabian Allen, who has recovered from the injury he sustained in West Indies’ series against Afghanistan in late 2019, and Shai Hope.From the squad selected for West Indies three T20Is against Ireland in January, those missing are Evin Lewis, Khary Pierre, Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd.Chief selector Roger Harper described Russell as adding potency to “every department” while saying Thomas was “raring to go”. He also said that Hope had been picked because he could double up as a keeper as well as provide an option as an opener.”Shimron Hetmyer missed out on selection for the ODI squad. He has since attained the required fitness level, becoming available for selection and has been included,” Harper said. “Andre Russell is back in the squad, having been cleared by the medical panel and successfully completing CWI’s return-to-play protocol. Andre will add potency to every department of the team. Oshane Thomas appears to be focused and raring to go. He will add pace and penetration to the bowling unit.”Shai Hope provides an opening option and cover as a back-up wicket-keeper also. Fabian Allen returns from the injury he sustained in the series against Afghanistan late last year. He will provide a spin bowling option as well as adding depth to the batting group.”Harper said that the T20Is against Sri Lanka would also serve as building grounds for the T20 World Cup later in the year in Australia, where West Indies will be defending champions.”I look forward to the team building on its recent performances and winning the T20 series in Sri Lanka,” Harper said. “This is another opportunity for the team to build on its strengths and identify areas that need improving while continuing the process of building-up with the aim of peaking for the T20 World Cup in October.”

Arne Slot says Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk can decide their own futures amid the ongoing contract sagas at Liverpool.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

Trio's contracts expire next summerSlot leading new Liverpool eraReds aiming for Premier League titleWHAT HAPPENED?

Slot is not overly stressed that his three star players – Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk – have entered the final 12 months of their respective contracts at Liverpool. It would appear to be a slightly disconcerting position for the new Reds boss, especially considering the rumours linking Salah to Saudi Arabia and Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid, but he is more focused on getting the trio to perform well on the pitch.

Advertisement(C)Getty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad reportedly made an offer to Salah worth £65 million (€77m/$86m) last year, while Alexander-Arnold has been tipped to make £500,000-a-week at Real Madrid. Van Dijk would not be short of eye-watering proposals, either. Convincing the three to sign extensions would prevent the disastrous scenario of watching them leave for free. However, Slot knows the decision ultimately lies with them and that his role is to get the best out of them for the club's benefit.

WHAT SLOT SAID

"The only thing I can do is get the best out of them," the Dutch coach told Jamie Carragher and Sky Sports ahead of Liverpool's meeting with Brentford. "If we bring the best out of them and they perform really well then it's up to them if they want to sign and us if we give them a new contract. The main thing for all of them, if you're out of contract or not, is to get the best performance as possible and there is where I should and will help them with my staff, to bring out the best of them. Until now it's been nothing but positive.

"Mo came back really strong in terms of physique, Virgil as well, Trent did the same and they brought in good performances against Ipswich which was only the first game. My main focus is on Brentford and not on contract extensions."

ENJOYED THIS STORY?

Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting

(C)Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Salah, Alexander-Arnold and Van Dijk will feature for the Reds when they take on Thomas Frank's Brentford on Sunday afternoon. Slot can expect to receive a warm reception before his first competitive match at Anfield.

تقام اليوم الثلاثاء مباريات الجولة السادسة من تصفيات آسيا لكأس العالم 2026 وذلك بمواجهة الإمارات وقطر.

ويحتضن ملعب استاد آل نهيان مباراة الإمارات وقطر، في خضم مواجهات الدور الثالث (المجموعات) من التصفيات المؤهلة للمونديال المقبل.

ضربة لـ الأهلي.. إصابة وسام أبو علي رفقة منتخب فلسطين

ويتواجد منتخبا الإمارات وقطر في المجموعة الأولى التي تضم إلى جوارهما منتخبات إيران وأوزبكستان وقرجيكستان وكوريا الشمالية.

ويحتل منتخب الإمارات المركز الثالث برصيد 7 نقاط حصدهم من فوزين وتعادل وحيد وخسارتين.

وبالرصيد ذاته من عدد النقاط يحتل منتخب قطر المركز الرابع ولكن بفارق الأهداف، بعد أن فاز في مباراتين وخسر مثلهما وتعادل في لقاء وحيد.

وتلعب منافسات الدور الثالث من تصفيات قارة آسيا بمشاركة 18 فريقًا، تم تقسيمهم إلى ثلاث مجموعات، بواقع 6 فرق في كل مجموعة.

ويتأهل صاحبا الصدارة والوصافة من كل مجموعة إلى نهائيات كأس العالم مباشرة، فيما يصعد أصحاب المركزين الثالث والرابع للمرحلة الرابعة من المنافسات.

ويتم تقسيم الفرق المتأهلة للمرحلة الرابعة إلى مجموعتين، يصعد منهما المتصدر فقط إلى مونديال 2026، فيما تقام مباراة أخيرة بين وصيف مجموعتي الدور الرابع، يتأهل الفائز منها إلى الملحق العالمي، ليكتمل نصاب قارة آسيا في المونديال. موعد مباراة الإمارات وقطر في تصفيات كأس العالم

وتنطلق مباراة الإمارات وقطر في تمام الساعة السادسة مساءً بتوقيت مصر والسابعة بتوقيت السعودية وقطر والثامنة بتوقيت الإمارات. القنوات الناقلة لمباراة الإمارات وقطر اليوم

ومن المنتظر أن تذاع مباراة الإمارات وقطر عبر فضائية بي إن سبورتس 1 والكأس 5. معلقا مباراة الإمارات وقطر

وأسندت شبكة قنوات بي إن سبورتس مهمة نقل أحداث المباراة للمعلق حسن العيدروس، فيما يتولى المهمة عبر فضائية الكأس المعلق خالد الحدي.

ويُمكنكم متابعة أحداث مباريات اليوم لحظة بلحظة من مركز المباريات من هنـــا.