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West Ham United are set to sign a “quick” teenage attacker from a Premier League rival, according to a new report.

Steidten and Lopetegui making mark with West Ham signings

New manager Julen Lopetegui admitted last month after joining that he wants to put his own stamp on things at the London Stadium, looking to make a “big, big noise” with the Irons.

He said: “I feel very happy, first of all, to be able to be part of the future of this big Club. We will try to put our stamp on the Club. I feel that we have a fantastic platform.

"I think the last few years have been very good years to have this base, of course, but my ambition as a coach is always to be better and better, to achieve more and bigger aims and to encourage and improve the players, the team, and to compete because football is about this – to compete. We are very ambitious about this.

“I am where I want to be. I am here because I want to be here and for us it was a fantastic day when we closed our agreement here because our commitment is 100 per cent to be here. We had other opportunities but I am very happy that West Ham chose me because I chose West Ham too, so we are really happy about this.

“We came here with the idea and the thought to make a big, big noise. That's why we came here, and we are excited by this challenge. Of course, we are going to do our best to help the Club and the team to achieve to achieve the best level and to achieve our aims. I assure the fans that they are going to be key in all our achievements.”

He is doing so already, with the help of technical director Tim Stediten in the transfer market. West Ham have already spent big on teenage winger Luis Guilherme, who arrived from Palmeiras, whereas Wes Foderingham has also signed on a free transfer.

West Ham in the mix for Antonio upgrade who’s “one of the best strikers”

This marksman is available to sign this summer.

1 ByAngus Sinclair Jun 28, 2024

West Ham are also hoping to seal a deal for Wolves centre-back Max Kilman, and further attacking additions look set to be made, with bids submitted for Galatasaray’s Wilfried Zaha and Fluminense forward Jhon Arias.

West Ham have held talks to sign Lille striker Jonathan David, who could be available for just £17m, and have also made it clear they are willing to sign Genoa forward Albert Gudmundsson.

Not all the attacking arrivals this summer will be for the first team, though, with an academy addition looking set to be sealed.

West Ham to sign “quick” young attacker from Man City

According to The Secret Scout on X, West Ham are “set to sign” David Chigwada from Manchester City. Chigwada, described as a “quick attacker”, was with Blackburn Rovers before City but now looks set to move to West Ham, who have been after a new attacking gem for their U18s.

Aged just 16, Chigwada could be one to watch in the club’s academy, and who knows, in time, we may see him progress into the first-team setup, possibly still under Lopetegui.

The Euros are coming to a climactic conclusion this weekend as England have somehow slugged their way into the final to face off against the competition's great entertainers, Spain.

The Three Lions made it past the Netherlands in the Semi-final thanks to a spot kick from former Tottenham Hotspur icon Harry Kane and a last-minute goal from substitute Ollie Watkins.

However, while the tournament has transfixed the whole country over the last month or so, Premier League clubs have been hard at work in the transfer market.

In fact, based on recent reports, the latest striker touted for a move to N17 has won comparisons to England's most recent hero, Watkins, and outscored Son Heung-min and Richarlison last season.

Tottenham Hotspur transfer news

According to a recent report from Caught Offside, Tottenham have maintained their long-term interest in Feyenoord star Santiago Gimenez.

Alongside the Lilywhites, the story has revealed that their North London rivals Arsenal and Italian giants Napoli are also keen to land the Mexican's services this summer.

No price is mentioned, but a report out of Italy in May claimed that a fee of around €50m would be enough to tempt the Dutch side into selling, which is around £42m.

It might still be a sizeable investment, but given how well he played last season and his flattering comparisons to Watkins, Daniel Levy and Co should be doing all they can to sign Gimenez.

Gimenez's comparisons to Watkins

Now, before getting onto Gimenez's impressive goalscoring record, let's take a look at this comparison to England's recent hero, Watkins.

It stems from FBref, which compares players in similar positions across Europe's top five leagues. In the Mexican's case, they consider the Aston Villa ace to be the eighth most similar forward.

This conclusion is easier to understand when looking at their respective underlying numbers.

Progressive Carries

1.79

1.74

Progressive Passes

1.41

1.54

Shot-Creating Actions

2.73

2.80

Goal-Creating Actions

0.48

0.50

Carries into the Penalty Area

1.25

1.15

Aerial Duels Won

1.44

1.37

For example, they rank very similar in metrics such as progressive passes and carries, aerial duels won, carries into the penalty area, and shot and goal-creating actions, all per 90.

It's not just his similarity to the England ace that makes the "insane" Feyenoord star, as dubbed by U23 scout Antonio Mango, worth signing; he's also incredibly prolific in front of goal.

In fact, his tally of 26 goals and eight assists is better than anything a Spurs player could muster, including Son, who scored 17 goals and provided ten assists in 36 games, and Richarlison, who found the back of the net 12 times and produced four assists in 31 matches.

Ultimately, Gimenez looks to be an outstanding attacking talent, and his comparisons to Watkins and proficiency in front of goal should be all the reasons Levy and Co need to pull the trigger and bring him to N17 this summer.

Bid expected: Spurs making move to sign their next Gareth Bale

The impressive international shares some key similarities with the Welsh icon.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Jul 11, 2024

Migael Pretorius released but South Africa can still pick from eight pace-bowling options

Firdose Moonda30-Dec-2020Left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks, who has played one Test for South Africa, has been added to their squad for the New Year’s Test at the Wanderers. Hendricks was part of the original 15-man squad that was announced on December 11 but had to be withdrawn for reasons related to Covid-19.Although CSA does not disclose the names of infected players, because of doctor-patient confidentiality, coach Mark Boucher indicated Hendricks had been affected by the virus and was undergoing tests to determine if he could enter the bio-bubble and rejoin the group. “Beuran is going through medical protocols to come into the bubble. He has needed to have one or two Covid tests as well as checking what his antibody tests are,” Boucher said at the conclusion of the Boxing Day Test.Related

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Hendricks’ inclusion comes after Migael Pretorius, who was called up to the Test as cover on December 16, had to be released because of a shoulder injury. Glenton Stuurman has also been released from the squad after suffering a left quadriceps strain. It still leaves South Africa with at least seven pace-bowling options for the second Test: the four selected for the first Test – Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje, Lutho Sipamla and Wiaan Mulder – as well as Kagiso Rabada, Dwaine Pretorius and Hendricks.Although it may appear South Africa are stocking up on seamers to go all pace on what is expected to be a spicy track, Boucher said he was “not a fan” of going into a Test without a spinner, which should leave Keshav Maharaj’s place secure. Meanwhile, Rabada, who was added to the squad during the Centurion Test after recovering from a groin injury, is not a certain starter as South Africa look to monitor his workload.The same can be said of Stuurman, who was expected to debut at SuperSport Park but missed out because of a niggle.That means Hendricks may come into contention to earn his second Test cap at his home ground. Hendricks debuted at the Bullring in January against England and took six wickets in the match, including 5 for 64 in the second innings.

The reigning champions end the weekend back at the top of the table after their main title rivals played out a draw in north London

Arsenal and Liverpool played out a 2-2 draw on Sunday in a fraught and fiery encounter between two of the Premier League's leading title contenders. The Reds end the weekend having surrendered top spot to Manchester City, while the Gunners failed to close the gap on the champions following a subpar start to the 2024-25 season.

Mikel Arteta vowed for his men to come flying out of the traps, and they duly delivered on that promise when Bukayo Saka beautifully lashed in the opening goal with only nine minutes on the clock. That joy, however, proved short-lived as Virgil van Dijk headed in an equaliser another nine minutes later.

On the verge of half-time, Mikel Merino scored his first goal in Arsenal colours when he thundered a header from a Declan Rice free-kick beyond Caomhin Kelleher, with the effort allowed to stand after a desperately long check by VAR for offside.

Liverpool found it difficult to break the stubborn Gunners down, but eventually found a way through when Trent Alexander-Arnold's searching ball found Darwin Nunez, and he cut back for Mohamed Salah to score and snatch a late point.

GOAL breaks down the winners & losers from the Emirates Stadium…

Getty Images SportWINNER: Ben White

Because he's spent so much of his spell at Arsenal as a right-back, it's easy to forget that Ben White was a damn good centre-half when he first rocked up in north London from Brighton in 2021. However, with William Saliba missing through suspension, Arteta called on the 27-year-old to play in the middle just like old times.

White's gormless grace and unbothered attitude is as good an example that looks can be deceiving as they truly come. Without much time to get readjusted to his former role, he slotted back in seamlessly and was arguably the hosts' best player on the day.

His now fully-formed partnership with Saka was also on display despite being separated by a new right-back, Thomas Partey, in his place. Only nine minutes had passed when White floated a delectable ball into the channel for the winger to chase, and after Saka turned Andy Robertson inside-out to find the net, he had an assist to his name.

The recent rise of Jurrien Timber had brought into question whether White would be made redundant in this system when everyone is fit, but this was a timely reminder of the quality he brings and why dropping him wouldn't be a simple choice. Perhaps new England boss Thomas Tuchel should consider picking up the phone and making amends between White and the national team setup; it'd be daft to not even engage in such a conversation.

AdvertisementAFPLOSER: Gabriel Magalahes

Oh, Gabriel. It was all going so well. For little over one half of football, the imposing Brazilian had nonsense-extraordinaire Darwin Nunez completely under wraps. The trajectory of the game leant itself to his second-to-none box defending and aerial prowess.

But down he went. An off-ball collision with Nunez saw Gabriel's knee buckle awkwardly. He tried his darnedest to run the ailment off and put it to the back of his mind, only to go down wincing again.

Arsenal's defence was makeshift as it was already, but this took the Gunners into territory they hadn't previously walked before. Jakub Kiwior came on in Gabriel's place and, for the most part, actually did a half-decent impression of his superior. One long Alexander-Arnold pass over the top and the Pole's confidence dried up completely, however.

Arteta will have everything crossed in hope that Gabriel's problem is nothing serious having been seen nursing his leg with an icepack upon his return to the bench.

Getty ImagesWINNER: Bukayo Saka

In more positive injury news, boy were Arsenal glad to have their starboy back. Saka lit up their fine first half and, on a day that was previously dominated by Cole Palmer's heroics across London at Chelsea, reminded the Premier League why he's still up their with the world's best.

It wasn't just that Saka scored, rather the manner in which he did so and what it meant in the context of his career so far. A seasoned veteran and former world champion like Andrew Robertson, who isn't even that far removed from his prime, will be glad to have seen the back of him.

Saka kept the Scot guessing and ground him up before lashing a fierce strike beyond Kelleher, his 50th for Arsenal in the Premier League alone and their youngest player to reach that milestone. To Saka's credit, it's a tad surprising he isn't closer to the 100 club just yet.

Arteta was also far more liberal with his demands of Saka going the other way, allowing him to stand right on the last line and stretch play, a liberation when his side needed one with Martin Odegaard still on the treatment table.

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AFPLOSER: Andy Robertson

Where do you think you're going, Andy? Oh heavens no, that criticism in the last section was far from a throwaway comment – it's time to talk about what's been going on, buddy.

For the second week in a row, Robertson has been given the runaround by the swift wingers of Premier League present, and his own standing is starting to look like one of the distant past. Noni Madueke made mincemeat of the 30-year-old seven days ago, and it's clear that Arsenal drew up a plan to similarly isolate Saka with him.

Robertson was put out of his misery early in the second half when Arne Slot called down the touchline for Kostas Tsimikas to get his shinnies on. At this rate, the Greek left-back will need to be ready from the off. This may be a mere blip and dip in form, but we see all the time players the wrong side of 30 lose their legs and that extra bit of athleticism that set them apart.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has personally reconsidered signing a £200,000-per-week after original doubts, with the Gunners now poised to move for him.

Edu targeting new forward for Arsenal after Calafiori

Fabrizio Romano shared news of Arsenal finally closing in on an agreement to sign Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna after weeks of talks, but sporting director Edu Gaspar and the wider recruitment team are by no means done there.

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Talks were believed to have stalled over a move for the Italy international defender, which was reportedly put down to the 50% sell-on clause due to FC Basel (La Gazzetta dello Sport), but discussions are now taking a positive turn as Arsenal near their first outfield signing of the window.

Calafiori's signing would shore up both Arteta's central defensive options and provide a left-back alternative, with the 22-year-old capable of playing in both positions. However, it is believed Arsenal want another goalkeeper, midfielder and forward before deadline day on August 30.

Games

29

34

Goals & assists

7

4

Progressive carries

28

13

Pass accuracy

90%

89%

Tackles won

37

28

Interceptions

56

31

Aerials won

71%

55%

Arsenal are especially keen on an alternative to star winger Bukayo Saka on the right wing. Indeed, it is rumoured that Arsenal are interested in Lille's Edon Zhegrova as cover for Saka, with the Kosovo international valued at around £17 million.

The Gunners have much bigger names on their radar as well, like Wolves winger Pedro Neto. Reports this week have claimed that Neto is prioritising a move to Arsenal, who've also held recent talks with the Portuguese's agents.

Another very exciting target linked in the last two weeks is Athletic Bilbao starlet Nico Williams. The 21-year-old, who racked up a very impressive 19 assists in all competitions last season, also starred for eventual Euro 2024 champions Spain at the tournament in Germany – even scoring against England in the final.

There has been some doubt over whether an Arsenal move is possible, though, with reliable journalist Charles Watts stating that his wage demands are a real sticking point.

“On paper, the release clause of around £50million for Williams looks a very appealing one, but as far as I’m aware it’s not as simple as that. You have to remember that release clauses in Spain have to be paid in full and that makes deals very expensive as clubs can’t spread the transfer fee out over the length of the contract like they usually do.

“But in Williams’ case, the wages are also understood to be a pretty significant issue. Athletic Club are big payers. They have to be to ensure they keep their team together given the unique way the club operates."

Arteta reconsiders signing Nico Williams with Arsenal poised to move

According to GiveMeSport, the £200,000-per-week winger's salary demands are something which Arsenal may well have in mind as they pull a U-turn. Indeed, as per their information, Arteta is personally reconsidering a move for Williams and Arsenal are poised to move as a result.

If Barcelona fail to secure a deal for the Spaniard, then Arteta's side appear ready to pounce, with this change of heart coming after the forward's exceptional performances at the Euros.

It's added that Arsenal remain optimistic about striking an agreement with Williams, despite Barca's advances, and the player is aware of their interest in him.

They'll have to contend with Chelsea, though, who are apparently willing to push the boat out and satisfy his demands.

India’s bowling coach on what went into the making of their series win

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Jan-2021Match after match you kept losing bowlers. You pretty much had a greenhorn attack. What did you tell them and how did you get them so equipped in only their second or third match they were playing? 
Australia is one of the most challenging tours, especially during these COVID times. It was a great move by Ravi Shastri also to hold back all the bowlers who had come as net bowlers. After the one-day series, most of them were supposed to go back. But then we thought if something happens to a player, then it would not be possible for anyone to come because of the restrictions. So we said, we’ll manage with everyone here. Because they were with us for a long period of time, it was possible for them to understand what it demands to be successful in Australia and work on those very lines. Them being with us did help a great deal.How do you insert belief in  bowlers like Mohammed Siraj and Navdeep Saini that they could pick 20 wickets even without Jasprit Bumrah? 
All that we were talking about was the need to be consistent. They all have ability to bowl well. They all have wickets under the belt. Test cricket is no different. The only thing is margin of error in Test cricket is very, very small and that is the thing which they need to eliminate. Every time they were in the nets, they had to decide lines they’re going to bowl and had to discuss with me.My job was to give them right feedback and assess with them how far they are satisfied with what have done that particular day. Every net session, if you are looking to improve on what you want to execute the match just becomes an extension of the net (session). Of course, the pressures are different (in Test cricket), but the players have reacted under pressure, and they have looked upon the challenge as an opportunity to excel. That is what makes champions. That is what these players have done and that has contributed in us having done exceptionally well in Australia.Do you think the Brisbane Test an indicator that as and when whenever Ishant Sharma and Mohammed Shami are not available the transition phase will be smooth with new bowlers coming in like Mohammed Siraj, Navdeep Saini and Shardul Thakur? 
It is not done right now. We have been planning this over the last three years. We said we need an excellent bench strength because if you need India to sustain doing well at the international level, you need a pool of bowlers who would be rotated time and again so that time and again they stay fresh. And at any point of time, you will be fielding a fresh set of bowlers who will be raring to go, who are very good at the international scene. So, now, we are blessed with a great bench strength. It’s very heartening to know when they were given the opportunity, they have come to the party and gone on and done great things for the country. This tour would give them the necessary confidence to do well for the country at any given point of time.We have seven fast bowlers willing to play for the country, especially the number of Test matches we are going to play. Four against England now and five against England, that’s a lot of Test matches if we need to give in our best performance. I think it will be extremely handy. More than looking at how we are going to phase them out, I think they have enough cricket, their experience is outstanding and they are still good enough to perform for India. Yes, these boys will also be there. We spoke about the rotation policy, they all will be rotated and make sure we will put out the best team on the park.Mohammed Siraj and Shardul Thakur take a victory lap with their teammates•Bradley Kanaris/Getty ImagesWhen do you know that a particular bowler is ready to play in Test cricket? 
Anyone who is selected to play for the country is ready and good enough. But the challenge at the highest level is consistency. All these boys, Saini and Shardul Thakur and Mohammad Siraj have been in and out of the Indian team in the last two-three years and they perfectly understand what it demands to be successful here.When you analyse the Indian team’s success and you look at the track records of Ishant Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami and Umesh Yadav, the bottom line would be consistency. These boys that are there with us, they have been watching and learning. When given the opportunity, I thought they took it with both hands and came to the party.You persisted with five bowlers despite the frontline fast bowlers being injured. Despite limited resources how confident were it would work against Australia? 
We had formed this five-bowler theory three years ago and most of the times with stick with five bowlers abroad. To bowl out a team, in conditions abroad, it demands a lot out of four bowlers. It’s a huge, huge  task for us to do that. In my opinion and the team’s opinion Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri have been extremely firm by saying that that we need to be playing five bowlers to be successful abroad. Yes, sometimes, you may lose matches, but the guiding principle of this team is in being fearless and honest. In the pursuit of excellence, we don’t fear losing games. We will lose a few games but then those few games will be teaching us a lot of lessons. Sport is about failures and how you bounce back from failures makes you much better sportsman and that is exactly principle that that we’re going with.Even in the last Test match (in Brisbane), there were discussions about playing the extra batsman, but we thought that would be a negative move. All of us, the captain [Ajinkya Rahane] and the support staff, felt that the five-bowler theory has worked for us, let us back that. Also the fact that Washington Sundar, the way he was batting in the nets, that he is a capable bat. Also being a left-hander, let’s be positive and take the five-bowler theory.Every since the victory in the Gabba Test there has been talk of fearlessness in this Indian team? Can you define it and how you gone about creating it? 
You fear when you have certain goals and you’re only thinking of the outcome and you do not have the process in place. There is an element of fear. You do not want to lose game, you want to play it safe. We as a team, that’s exactly what Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli have been insisting with this team, we don’t mind losing.Even after the Adelaide Test match, yes we need to learn to get over it but what Ravi Shastri said to the team is “I don’t even mind losing us 4-0, but we are known for the brand of cricket that we play, that should never change and we should never play conservative and we should always look to be more positive. That is the message that has gone to this team. Had we even lost in Australian that was not going to deter the way we play the game, the way we play cricket. Again, that paid rich dividends.The last Test they played is the testimony to the attitude of the boys. They were asked to go and express themselves and take it as it comes and see where we are tea and take a call. But the way Rishabh Pant and Washington Sundar played at that point in time, not forgetting the bravado with which Cheteshwar Pujara showed that day, he was like a warrior taking a lot of blows but he was there undeterred. What these two boys on their own have done on the last day of the Test match, taking the fight to the Aussies and not being afraid. They were not thinking of drawing the match but how to win from here. That takes a lot of courage. That is what I call fearlessness. Sometimes you are bound to lose a game but those kind of games are going to teach you some invaluable lessons which is going to make you a much better cricketer in the future.

Tottenham Hotspur have decided to extend their captain Son Heung-min's stay at club beyond the current season.

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Son set to stay at Spurs at least until 2026Has a clause in his current contractSpurs face Galatasaray on ThursdayFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The latest contract that the South Korean penned back in 2021 is all set to expire at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. However, reports that Son has a clause in his existing deal which allows Spurs to extend his stay by one more year. The club just needs to inform the player before triggering the clause and the report adds they intend to do just that.

AdvertisementAFPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The South Korea international moved to north London from Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen in 2015 and has become one of Tottenham's greatest-ever players over the past decade. He has scored double figures in every season barring his maiden campaign and is now the Premier League's third-highest scorer, with 123 goals to his name, among active players in the league behind Mohamed Salah and Jamie Vardy.

DID YOU KNOW?

After Hugo Lloris and Harry Kane's departure from the club in the summer of 2023, manager Ange Postecoglou appointed Son as the club captain. In his maiden season as the leader of the team, the striker scored 17 goals across all competitions and in the 2024-25 campaign he has netted three times in nine appearances.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR TOTTENHAM?

After a phenomenal comeback win over Aston Villa on Sunday, Spurs will next take on Galatasaray in an away fixture in the Europa League on Thursday.

Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso will reportedly leave the club next summer amid links with Real Madrid and Bayern Munich.

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Alonso enjoyed huge success at LeverkusenManager tipped for summer exitReal Madrid & Bayern Munich linked Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Eurosport, Liverpool legend Alonso will depart the Bundesliga team at the end of this season – despite being contracted until 2026. The report adds that 'all roads lead to Alonso joining Madrid next season', although Carlo Ancelotti still has 18 months left on his deal at the Santiago Bernabeu. However, it is not ruled out that the 42-year-old will end up at Bayern if Vincent Kompany underperforms this term at the German giants.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The report adds that Alonso – who snubbed the chance to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool – has already told several Leverkusen players that he will leave them at the end of this season. Much of this may depend on whether or not Ancelotti is kept on at Madrid but as they are not hitting the heights they achieved last term, the Italian could be on the move in 2025. On the flip side, the Spaniard may have to be patient in his bid to lead Los Blancos.

DID YOU KNOW?

Alonso led Leverkusen to a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in 2023/24 and the only game they lost all season was in the Europa League final to Atalanta. This campaign, however, they are down in fourth in the league and sit nine points behind Bayern after just 10 games.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

Transfer speculation aside, Alonso's Leverkusen return to Bundesliga action on November 23 at home to Heidenheim, before hosting Red Bull Salzburg in their next Champions League match three days later.

After weeks of little transfer activity, Arsenal finally announced the signing of highly-rated defender Riccardo Calafiori on Monday, much to the delight of Gooners everywhere.

The former Bologna man looks like he could be one of the next great Italian centre-backs, and while fans are still revelling in his arrival, the North Londoners appear to be moving on to a plethora of other targets.

Big-name strikers such as Victor Osimhen and Viktor Gyokeres have been heavily linked with a move to the club, while other reports suggest that a move for Euro 2024 winner Fabian Ruiz is right around the corner.

However, based on recent reports, it appears that Edu Gaspar and Co have reached an agreement on personal terms for a midfielder who has been compared to Ruiz in the past.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report from French outlet Sports Zone, Arsenal have come to a "contractual agreement" on personal terms with Real Sociedad star Mikel Merino.

The report claims that the Spaniard has agreed to a four-year deal with the Gunners and that the "next step" is for the two clubs to come to an agreement as well.

The update does not mention how much the £51k-per-week ace may cost the North Londoners, but a separate report last week revealed that he could be sold for about £25m.

It's undoubtedly still a lot of money, but within the context of modern football, landing Merino for that much seems like a steal, and the fact he's won comparisons to Ruiz in the past is a great bonus.

Merino's comparison to Ruiz

So, there are a few similarities between the Merino and Ruiz, some of which are fairly obvious and straightforward, while others are a little more complex. We'll first look at a comparison stemming from the latter.

It stems from FBref, which compared every player at Euro 2024 to those in a similar position, created a list of the ten most comparable players for each one, and concluded that the PSG star was the fourth most similar midfielder to the Sociedad ace at the tournament.

They came to this conclusion by examining the pair's underlying numbers and measuring how closely they ranked in a number of key metrics, including, but not limited to, shots on target, expected assisted goals, passes into the penalty area, completed short passes, passes blocked, and dribblers tackled, all per 90.

Shots on target

0.99

1.00

Expected Assisted Goals

0.20

0.17

Passes into the Penalty Area

1.00

1.00

Completed Short Passes

33.5

32.8

Passes Blocked

0.50

0.50

Dribblers Tackled

1.00

1.00

Now that that similarity has been cleared up let's examine some of the other, far more straightforward facts that make comparing these two players so easy.

Firstly, the pair are both fully fledged Spanish internationals now, with the former Napoli star winning 29 senior caps thus far and the Sociedad "monster", as dubbed by data analyst Ben Mattinson, trailing by one, with 28. Moreover, they both played a part in La Roja's surprise triumph at the Euros this year, with the Arsenal target's extra-time winner against Germany in the quarter-finals a particular highlight.

Next, both players are older than the typical players the Gunners have targeted in recent years, with both men coming in at 28 years old. This suggests Arteta wants to add some more experience to his side for the upcoming campaign.

Lastly, both stars play in essentially the same position, with the PSG ace making 22 starts in central midfield last season to his compatriot's 38 for the Basque side.

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Ultimately, signing Merino for potentially just £25m would be a steal, and the fact he can be compared to Ruiz so easily is just an added bonus. Therefore, Arsenal should be doing what they can to bring the Spaniard to the Emirates this summer, as his experience and quality would be a brilliant addition.

Moises Henriques played a lone hand making 67 as New South Wales were bundled out for 165

Alex Malcolm17-Feb-2021Victoria youngster Mitch Perry starred with three wickets including the prized scalp of Steven Smith as New South Wales were bundled out for just 165 on the opening day of the Sheffield Shield clash at the SCG.Moises Henriques showed why he remains in Test calculations playing a lone hand for the Blues with a composed 67 on a day where Victoria dominated proceedings after skipper Peter Handscomb won the toss and elected to bowl.Openers Nic Maddinson and Marcus Harris put on a rollicking unbeaten half-century stand in the final hour of the day to put the visitors firmly in control.James Pattinson bowled a brisk opening spell and removed Nick Larkin cheaply before Perry claimed the biggest scalp of his short career. He tested Smith’s patience wide of off stump before finding his outside edge with a superb delivery that angled in and shaped away.Pattinson followed up with an even better delivery to breach the defence of Daniel Hughes from around the wicket to leave the Blues reeling at 4 for 46.Henriques showed the value of soft hands and playing late on a pitch with plenty of sideways movement. He struck just four boundaries in his 67 and absorbed 170 balls in the process. He watched six team-mates come and go at the other end with only Peter Nevill and Sean Abbott reaching double figures.Only a delay for a fire alarm halted Victoria’s progress. Perry accounted for Nevill and later bagged Nathan Lyon to finish with three wickets while Jon Holland cleaned up the tail to bag three of his own including Henriques, whose patience finally wore thin. He was the last man out, stumped by a mile trying to hit Holland out of the ground.Maddinson and Harris rode their luck against a Test-quality attack. They were beaten repeatedly by Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Starc but punished anything fractionally loose. Maddinson sat deep in his crease and played some cracking pull and hook shots, including one high into the stands, before punching the overcorrections through the covers as he raced to 43 not out off just 36 balls.