Derby County could have signed a perfect Gayle alternative in January

Despite sitting pretty in second spot in League One currently, Derby County's woes up top are still yet to be sorted out.

Paul Warne had to start Nathaniel Mendez-Laing up top in his side's narrow 1-0 win over Stevenage at the weekend, the more naturally suited winger slotting into the side as a makeshift striker owing to growing injury issues in the centre-forward ranks at Pride Park.

On top of 18-goal star James Collins being sidelined through injury, the Rams are also without the likes of Martyn Waghorn and Conor Washington with Warne reportedly pushing for a deal to be struck with free-agent striker Dwight Gayle to add more numbers to the depleted position for Derby.

Yet, if the Rams had just been more proactive in the transfer window, they could well have landed this exciting Gayle alternative with the player in question standing out now for one of Derby's fierce promotion rivals.

When Derby wanted to sign Callum Lang

Derby were once in the race to sign former Wigan Athletic attacker Callum Lang last month, with Portsmouth unfortunately coming up trumps as the winners for Lang's signature over Warne's side.

Unable to sign both Lee Gregory and Michael Smith as well, it was a subdued window in truth for the promotion seekers especially when it came to bolstering their centre-forward spots.

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Able to play down the wing and as a second striker too, Lang's signature would really have strengthened the Rams and helped plug gaps in a number of problem areas with injuries piling up.

Whereas, as much as Gayle has been a prolific EFL sharpshooter over his extensive career, there's no guarantee he will set the world alight at Pride Park if signed after a barren time at his last employers in Stoke City.

On the contrary, the former Wigan man has hit the ground running almost immediately at Fratton Park to help Pompey push away from Derby in second place.

Callum Lang against Sunderland for Wigan Athletic.

Lang's numbers with Portsmouth so far

Lang might well not boast the same reputation Gayle has for being an out-and-out goal-getter, but the 25-year-old has become an instant fan's favourite on the South Coast for his assuredness in front of goal all the same.

Three of Lang's five goals this campaign in League One have come from donning a Pompey strip, the £5.4k per week attacker bagging those strikes over a mini five-game purple patch recently.

One of those strikes came in this weekend's emphatic 4-1 win over Reading, with the former Latics forward also winning four duels along the way to help his side cruise to victory.

In stark contrast, Gayle managed to net just three goals for Stoke over a pitiful total of 50 games to showcase the 34-year-old's lack of a clinical edge as his career inevitably begins to peter out.

The ex-Newcastle man's ruthlessness in front of goal could be uncovered again making the drop down to the third tier however, but Derby will still be left rueing their decision to not go after Lang with more purpose.

The 25-year-old's current heroics for Pompey could see John Mousinho's strong South Coasters leave Derby in the dust when it comes to the hunt for the third-tier title, with the Rams potentially running out of steam amidst even more potential injuries owing to Gayle's own injury proneness, missing as many as 156 days in 2019/20.

Dwight Gayle for Newcastle.

Warne will just want to put any failure to land Lang to one side for the time being however, eager to get Gayle in through the door now to at least have another striker option he can call upon in the short term.

Flamengo x Resende: prováveis times, desfalques, onde assistir e palpites

MatériaMais Notícias

da dobrowin: Ainda com uma equipe alternativa, o Flamengo terá mais um desafio na temporada 2021. Nesta sexta-feira, o Rubro-Negro abre a 4ª rodada da Taça Rio do Campeonato Carioca em duelo diante do Resende, às 21h, no Maracanã.

+ Veja a tabela e o regulamento do Cariocão 2021

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da luck: O Flamengo chega para o duelo com uma derrota na bagagem, pois foi superado pelo Fluminense na rodada passada, quando o Resende empatou com o Madureira. Os adversários desta sexta estão com seis e quatro pontos, respectivamente, sendo que o Rubro-Negro receberá reforços caseiros, como Bruno Viana (estreante), Renê, Vitinho e Pedro.

Confira mais informações da partida entre Flamengo x Resende:

Estádio: Maracanã, no Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
Data e hora: 19 de março de 2021, às 21h
Árbitro:Felipe da Silva Gonçalves Paludo
Assistentes: Diego Luiz Couto Barcelos e Thayse Marques Fonseca

Onde ver: Cariocão TV, FlaTV+ e tempo real do LANCE!

FLAMENGO (Técnico: Maurício Souza)
Hugo Souza; Matheuzinho, Bruno Viana (Noga), Léo Pereira e Renê (Ramon); João Gomes, Hugo Moura e Pepê; Vitinho, Michael e Pedro (Rodrigo Muniz).

Pendurados: –
Suspensos: –
Lesionados: Thiago Maia e Rodrigo Caio

RESENDE (Técnico:Sandro Sargentim)
Fraga; Thiago Ryan (Flavio),Grasson,Marcão e Jeanderson;Guioto,Derli,Jean Deretti eMatheus Bastos (Paulo Víctor);Nunes e Jefinho (Mateuzinho).

Pendurados:-
Suspensos: Jefferson Luis
Lesionados: –

PALPITES: Na redação do LANCE!, 80% acreditam em vitória do Flamengo, enquanto 20%, em empate.

Milner stole the show for Liverpool

Liverpool have taken their Premier League title challenge with Manchester City down to the last day of the season after taking all three points from St Mary’s last night.

Jurgen Klopp made the decision to rest key players like Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold for their penultimate league game after a tough 120 minute FA Cup Final on Sunday against Chelsea where the club picked up their second trophy of the season.

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Luckily for the German coach his decision to rest players paid off. Although the game was tight between the two teams, Liverpool pulled through and prevailed in their efforts winning 2-1.

Despite the tight scoreline, the Kopites dominated in every area of the game with 71% possession, 20 more shots, over twice as many accurate passes and winning more duels than Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side on Tuesday evening.

The goal-scoring started with Southampton taking an early lead when Nathan Redmond found the back of the net in the 13th minute of the game, but it wasn’t enough to hold off Liverpool’s FA Cup and Carabao Cup top scorer Taki Minamino who delivered a defiant response by equalising in the 27th minute.

In the second half, the hosts struggled to contain their visitors and Joel Matip managed to put one past Alex McCarthy in the 67th minute to kill the game and ruin Manchester City’s Premier League title party and take their title chances all the way to the final day of the season.

One player who didn’t get on the scoresheet but remained resilient and put on a solid performance to become Klopp’s unsung hero in the game was James Milner.

According to SofaScore, the 36-year-old midfielder was supreme in possession, making 123 touches, 86 passes, six key passes and successfully delivering 100% of his long balls.

The former £150k-per-week England international was also superb from a defensive point of view, winning 80% of his duels whilst making four tackles, one interception and producing a clearance, proving that he was a huge presence in the centre of the pitch.

With those kinds of statistics in mind, it’s hardly a surprise that writer Taj Ali took to Twitter to describe the veteran as a “beast.”

The Liverpool vice-captain is currently negotiating a new deal with the club after Jurgen Klopp reportedly wants to keep the former Man City star at the club for next season, and spoke out on Klopp and his current contract situation recently in an interview with Alan Shearer for The Athletic:

“He’s one of the very best managers in the world and if he wants me here for another year, it would be silly not to play, wouldn’t it?”

The Merseyside giants will have to hope Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa can steal the game from Man City on Sunday if they have any chance of winning the league but Klopp’s side have done their job in making sure they can stay involved with the challenge which is all the manager can ask from his side ahead of their Champions League final clash with Real Madrid at the end of the month.

AND in other news: Liverpool eyeing bid for “complete” £36m-rated colossus, he’s even better than Fabinho…

Leeds: Phil Hay drops Calvin Ramsay update

Leeds United correspondent Phil Hay has admitted that the club are hoping to sign Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay this summer.

The Lowdown: Aberdeen green-light sale

The Whites are on the verge of relegation with just two games remaining but appear to be making a head start when it comes to potential summer signings.

[web_stories_embed url=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/web-stories/latest-leeds-united-news-43/” title=”Latest Leeds United news!” poster=”https://www.footballtransfertavern.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/cropped-2022-03-10T184055Z_1834933207_UP1EI3A1FW561_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-ENGLAND-LEE-AVA-REPORT-1-scaled-1.jpg” width=”360″ height=”600″ align=”none”]

One of those could be Ramsay, with reports at the end of April claiming Leeds have been granted permission to talk with the Scot as they plot a ‘multi-million pound’ move.

Aberdeen are ready to cash in on the 18-year-old and have green-lighted a possible move to Elland Road to bring in some much-needed funds.

Liverpool have also been name-checked with an interest in the ‘unbelievable’ (Ryan Taylor, Daily Express journalist) full-back, who has made 33 appearances for The Dons this season.

The Latest: Hay’s post

Hay took to Twitter on Friday morning to share a story on The Athletic regarding Ramsay. He said:

“This got a bit lost yesterday but Calvin Ramsay at Aberdeen is one of the players Leeds United hope to sign in the next window.

“Liverpool want the 18-year-old too and he’s getting close to make-your-mind-up time.”

The Verdict: End of Ayling?

Should Leeds end up back in the Championship next season, you’d expect that they would have to offer Ramsay regular first-team football for him to choose Elland Road over Anfield.

Therefore, Luke Ayling’s future could be in serious doubt ahead of Jesse Marsch’s first full season in charge. He’ll turn 31 in August and will be into the final 12 months of his Leeds deal.

Cody Drameh would also be an option for Marsch following his impressive loan spell at Cardiff City, and it looks unlikely he’ll leave if the Whites find themselves in the second-tier next season, meaning Ayling may have to make way for the next generation in Ramsay and Drameh.

In other news: Leeds and Orta now planning for the Championship as contact made to sign £5k-p/w flop – opinion. 

Newcastle now looking to sign Hayden Hackney as Eddie Howe concern revealed

Newcastle United are now believed to be one of the clubs who are battling to complete the signing of Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney.

The Magpies arguably have one of the most complete midfields in the Premier League currently, with the starting options at Eddie Howe’s disposal the envy of many managers.

In Bruno Guimarares, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton, Newcastle have a trio who complement each perfectly, playing a big role in their success in recent years.

Bruno’s passion acts as the heartbeat for the Magpies, with the Brazilian such a popular figure from day one at St James’ Park, while Tonali’s box-to-box brilliance is seeing him become a more highly-rated player by the week. Then there’s Joelinton, whose physical prowess is such a potent weapon for his side.

Despite this, there is a feeling that added midfield depth is required for Newcastle, which is why they have been linked with a move for an exciting young talent.

Newcastle looking to sign Hayden Hackney

Speaking to Football Insider, former scout Mick Brown talked up Newcastle’s interest in Hackney, as the Magpies look to beat others to his signature with Howe concerned at his strength in depth.

“Hackney is a top player and he’s somebody I rate very highly. It’s no surprise there is interest in him, I’m told a lot of clubs have been keeping tabs on him, and it seems Newcastle are now one of those clubs. If Hackney was at Newcastle tomorrow, I don’t think he’d get into their midfield, because the options they’ve got in there at the moment are pretty much fixed.

“But he is the sort of player they would love to have who can come into the team when needed. Howe has been a bit concerned about the players they’ve got behind those three in there. He’s a very talented player with plenty of room to grow and develop, so he could go into that Newcastle squad with a view to becoming a key player in the future.

“With the three they’ve got in midfield at the moment, he would be going in there to provide depth, and whether that’s what he will be interested in, I’m not sure. But it’s definitely something that would make sense for Newcastle.”

Hackney could be an outstanding long-term addition for Newcastle, acting as a strong squad player before maturing into a key starter over time.

The 23-year-old has shone in a Middlesbrough shirt for years now, making 127 appearances and registering 23 goal contributions, and his former manager Michael Carrick was a big admirer of his.

“He’s grounded, he’s humble, he’s down to earth and loves to learn. He loves the place and he loves the club as well. To have that, added with the talent he has got, it’s the perfect scenario. I think it just shows his consistency really, over a long period of time. It’s not easy when you’re a younger player, but he’s certainly done that.”

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Hopefully, the fact that Hackney wouldn’t have to move far works in Newcastle’s favour, also seeing the club heading in a positive direction under Howe.

Newcastle's "sensational" talent is looking like another Bruno-type player

James Maddison would "suit Tottenham"

Tottenham Hotspur’s quest to find a new attacking playmaker should see them turn to James Maddison this summer.

During a recent interview with reporters, manager Antonio Conte hinted at the fact that a no.10 could be high on the agenda during the off-season and the Leicester City gem would surely be an ideal candidate.

Earlier this month, The Sun claimed that Spurs had entered the race – alongside arch-rivals Arsenal – to sign the Englishman, who could be sold by the Foxes in a bid to bolster other areas of Brendan Rodgers’ playing squad.

Maddison is thought to be valued in the region of £60m, as per the report, and he has since been backed as a player that would suit the Lilywhites and the Italian head coach.

“He’s a very intelligent attacking player. He scores goals, gets loads of assists, and he’s a player Tottenham have been crying out for,” former Leeds striker-turned-pundit Noel Whelan told Football Insider.

“They got Giovani Lo Celso after Christian Eriksen left – that never worked out. They’re really missing that midfield player who has an eye for a killer pass.

“He’s proved he can do it in the Premier League by being a very important piece of the puzzle for Leicester.

“I think he would suit Tottenham down to the ground. With that front three in front of him, they could go to the next level with him.”

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Indeed, the north London outfit have lacked that true attacking midfielder to sit in the hole behind the likes of Harry Kane and Heung-min Son, and given his experience and current form in the top-flight, there won’t be many better candidates than Maddison.

As per Transfermarkt, the 25-year-old maestro has delivered 14 goals and nine assists across 45 appearances in all competitions this season, averaging a direct contribution once every 126 minutes, which is better than the figures Eriksen put up before his departure.

The Dane scored or assisted every 152 minutes in a Spurs shirt, whilst the bulk of Conte’s creativity has come from the usual suspects – the aforementioned attacking duo, who have combined for 14 assists alone.

Pairing Maddison with the likes of Kane, Son and winter arrival Dejan Kulusevski has got to be a mouthwatering prospect with the Leicester star once being dubbed a “special talent” by The Times’ Henry Winter.

Just like Eriksen, the £45m-rated dynamo could also provide Conte with a major threat from set-pieces, having drawn a great deal of inspiration from one of the best to ever do it, David Beckham, growing up.

An average of 1.4 key passes per game across the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup this season further highlights his creative ability and it’s one that could see Kane and co absolutely thrive upfront.

So, on the above evidence, sporting director Fabio Paratici and Tottenham’s recruitment team would be foolish to not consider the Foxes gem heading into next season.

Just as Whelan suggests, he could be the perfect fit for what Spurs need this summer.

AND in other news, Spurs can complete Conte’s frightening trio with swoop for £33m-rated “absolute beast”…

Al-Nassr submit bid to sign £200k-a-week Man Utd ace who Amorim wants out

Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr have now submitted an offer for a Manchester United star who is not wanted under head coach Ruben Amorim, according to a recent report.

Amorim confident Bruno Fernandes will have help this season

The Red Devils started their tour of the USA in an excellent manner, as they put in a strong display to earn a 2-1 win over West Ham United in what was their first of three games in the Premier League summer series.

United had captain fantastic Bruno Fernandes to thank for the victory, as the Portugal international netted in the opening five minutes from the penalty spot after a foul on Ayden Heaven. Then, Fernandes doubled their lead through a wonderful curled effort from outside the box to claim their first win of preseason 2025.

Fernandes has been heavily relied upon by United to be their creative force, but Amorim is now confident the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo will help the attacking midfielder in the upcoming campaign.

“He will have more help this season.

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“It’s impossible to play all the positions. Last year, I felt sometimes I pushed him back to have more possession in the build-up, and then we missed Bruno near the box. Cunha and Bryan have different characteristics.”

Al-Nassr submit bid to sign £52m Man Utd forward

As Amorim looks to gel Cunha and Mbeumo into the United team, the Red Devils have now been presented an opportunity to sell a player who is no longer needed. According to Foot Mercato, Al-Nassr have made an offer to sign Antony from Manchester United.

The report states that it is unknown how much Al-Nassr have offered, but United are holding out for a fee of €60 million for the Brazil international, which is roughly £52 million. Antony is under contract at Old Trafford until 2027, but he spent the second half of last season on loan at La Liga side Real Betis.

The 25-year-old, who earns a weekly wage of £200,000 at United, scored nine goals and recorded five assists in 26 games for Real Betis, but that form has done nothing to earn him a chance under Amorim. In fact, it was well publicised at the start of the summer transfer window that United are looking to sell Antony alongside other players such as Alejandro Garnacho, Tyrell Malacia, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford, who has now joined Barcelona.

Apps

17

Starts

15

Goals

5

xG

2.87

Shots per game

2.5

Chance conversion

12%

Assists

2

Big chances created

8

Key passes per game

2.2

Antony has been at United since the summer of 2022, when he joined for a hefty price tag from Ajax, as former manager Erik ten Hag wanted to link up with the winger once again. However, the Brazilian failed to make the same impact as he did in the Netherlands, as he scored just 12 goals over three seasons.

Fabrizio Romano: £100k-a-week Man City star may leave with Saudi clubs keen

Manchester City have been rocked as it has emerged that one of their first team stars may opt to quit the Etihad Stadium this summer.

Man City eyeing double

Pep Guardiola's side clinched their fourth consecutive Premier League title on Sunday with a 3-1 win over West Ham, pipping Arsenal to top spot by two points. They could yet make that a domestic double should they beat Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley this weekend, a result that would also leave the Red Devils without any European football next season, something that they have not been faced with since 2015.

Man City want another Everton youngster alongside Branthwaite in £10m move

The Premier League champions are showing concrete interest.

ByHenry Jackson May 20, 2024

But it has not been as calm as the previous season for Guardiola's side, and this summer seems likely to bring with it plenty of change, with Kevin de Bruyne's future unclear amid interest from Saudi Arabia. Equally unclear are the futures of Bernardo Silva and Sergio Gomez, with the former a long-term target for Spanish giants Barcelona.

Meanwhile, Kalvin Phillips' time at City appears up, though interested parties have been put off by the hefty price tag demanded for the midfieder by Guardiola's side, and they are likely to need to take a loss on the midfielder to move him on.

Another that the club may need to cut their losses on is Joao Cancelo, who has spent this season on loan with Barcelona but whose value only continues to decrease, with the Catalan side unlikely to be able to stump up the funds to sign him permanently for anything like the £60m City shelled out to bring him to the Etihad.

There are rumours on the incoming front too. There is long-term interest in the likes of Premier League stars Eberechi Eze, Pedro Neto and Michael Olise as the Cityzens look to flex their financial muscles once more this summer. But now, they have been stung by the news that they may lose a cornerstone of their starting XI this summer.

Ederson could depart Man City

That news comes courtesy of reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano, who reports that Ederson could be on his way out of the Etihad this summer.

The Brazilian shot-stopper, who will miss the FA Cup final after suffering a fractured eye socket against Tottenham a week ago, still has two years left to run on his £100,000 per week deal in Manchester, but it is claimed that he could leave this summer should the club and player recieve "a good proposal", with the goalkeeper "considering [his] possibilities at the end of the season".

That comes amid interest from Saudi Arabia, who are keen to continue their hefty recruitment drive having already signed teammate Riyad Mahrez 12 months ago from the Etihad outfit.

Ederson's impressive Premier League campaign 23/24

Appearances

33

Save %

70.7%

Saves per 90

1.7

Clean sheets

10

Goals prevented

1.2

However, Romano adds that "it will be up to the player" as to whether he forces a move away or not, with Guardiola known not to stand in the way of players who wish to depart.

Should he opt to leave, it means that he has already played his last competitive game for City, and it could make the potential contract renewal for Stefan Ortega even more of a priority on the blue side of Manchester.

Sri Lanka banking on 'out of the box' methods to stop England's batsmen

Captain Dimuth Karunaratne has told his team to forget about the first half of their World Cup campaign and pick themselves up for the second half

Alan Gardner in Leeds20-Jun-2019So far in this World Cup, Sri Lanka have been following the English blueprint. Unfortunately, it is not the one that has made the host nation one of the favourites to lift the trophy; rather, they appear to have channelled the spirit of various England campaigns between 1996 and 2015, in which last-minute changes to captaincy and personnel paved the way for predictably underwhelming results.At the last two tournaments, England’s defeats to Sri Lanka were particularly symbolic. In 2011, Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga raced each other to hundreds and, almost as a pleasing byproduct, knocked England out at the quarter-final stage. Four years later, Joe Root’s first World Cup century was upstaged by one apiece from Kumar Sangakkara and Lahiru Thirimanne delivering a similar punchline in a nine-wicket win.Sri Lanka have, in fact, won four of their last five World Cup encounters against England. At Faisalabad in 1996, Sanath Jayasuriya’s 44-ball 82 signposted how the game had changed – but now it is England who are bending the white-ball game into new shapes, having just broken their own world record for the number of sixes in an ODI while crashing their way to 397 against Afghanistan on Tuesday.Asked how his side planned to tackle England’s ebullient batting line-up, Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne suggested they had come up with some plans that involved “thinking out of the box”. He said the initial target was to try and limit England to less than 300, a score they have surpassed in eight of their last nine innings.”England are a good side, they have a good batting line-up,” he said. “We have to give them less than 300, so we have a couple of plans against the batters. Those are the things were are trying to do. In [our] batting line-up, the middle part have to take some responsibility, if they have scored more than 300 then we have to go for that. Those are the key things we discussed before the match.”If we don’t have pace, we have to think out of the box. That’s what we did the last few days, [work on] what we have to do with England’s batsmen. We played a home series before against them, so we have a couple of ideas.”Only six of the 16 players who took on England in October stand a chance of being involved at Headingley – a marker of how turbulent Sri Lanka’s build-up to the World Cup has been – but the strength of their opponents’ batting has become a common talking point. As well as describing each member of the England line-up as “dangerous… explosive batsmen”, Karunaratne called them best players of spin in the world.The precise nature of Sri Lanka’s tactics to counter them – inventing a new kind of delivery? Moonwalking to the bowling crease? – remains under wraps, but the sight of Nuwan Pradeep practising his slower-ball variations during training may have been instructive. Lack of pace is one of Lasith Malinga’s deadliest weapons, while Isuru Udana enjoyed some success by mixing things up at the death against Australia.

“If we don’t have pace, we have to think out of the box. That’s what we did the last few days, [work on] what we have to do with England’s batsmen.”Dimuth Karunaratne

With one win from five games (albeit two of them being washouts), Sri Lanka face a difficult route to the last four. Although they had a decent crack at chasing 335 in their last match, Karunaratne leading the way with an ODI-best 97, once again they struggled for contributions from the middle order. According to the captain, a change of mindset is what is required from the likes of Kusal Mendis and Angelo Mathews.”We have to mentally prepare,” he said. “They have lots of talent, they only do good things for Sri Lanka in the past. The only thing we need to come up with is a good mindset, that’s a key area if you’re playing against a good team. No point talking about the past matches, we know what happened and what are the key areas. There are four games left and we have to play positive cricket with a good mindset.”The middle order has lots of experience, they have proven enough for Sri Lanka and did well. The only thing is unfortunately everyone couldn’t get a start. If you take the middle order, they couldn’t get a start in the matches we played. That’s why they struggled and don’t have confidence. So that’s why I told them, forget about the last four games we have another four games to go so they have to put their hands up and play a big role here. Make sure they have a good mindset, go and enjoy the game, that’s it.”Karunaratne also clarified the role of Dhananjaya de Silva, who has batted everywhere from No. 1 to No. 9 in Sri Lanka’s ODI side. Against Australia, he dropped down to No. 8 and also delivered eight overs with the ball, while Milinda Siriwardana came in to provide greater firepower in the batting.”Dhananjaya is playing as a bowler right now in the side,” Karunaratne said. “Milinda is playing as an allrounder, he’s a much harder hitter, that’s why we brought him in. If someone can’t bowl the ten overs, then he can cover [as well]. We were trying things, we want to make sure we give everyone a chance.”

Jorginho reveals Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had been trying to sign him for years after committing future to the Gunners

Jorginho revealed Mikel Arteta had been a huge admirer of him for nearly a decade and tried to get him since he was in Napoli in the mid 2010s.

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Jorginho signed an extension with ArsenalSet to stay until 2025Believes Arteta will sign an extension as wellWHAT HAPPENED?

As his contract approached its conclusion this summer, Jorginho opted to prolong his stay, penning a short-term deal believed to span 12 months, with the possibility of an additional year. The 32-year-old midfield maestro has become a mainstay in Arteta's squad as the Gunners challenge for the top crown in England. Notably, Arteta's interest in the Italian dates back to his time at Napoli between 2014 and 2018, with the Arsenal manager making multiple attempts in the past to secure his signature.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesWHAT JORGINHO SAID

"When he (Arteta) was at City and I was in Naples, that was the first time (he tried signing me) and then he tried twice when he was here and it didn't happen," Jorginho said after signing the new deal.

"But now fortunately it happened. I am here, happy, having the opportunity to work together with him and learning a lot from him."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

With one year remaining on Arteta's contract, speculation surrounding his future has been rife. However, Jorginho remains confident in Arteta's commitment to Arsenal, citing the transformative impact the coach has had on the club.

"I feel that he could stay way longer," he said.

"I feel he feels good here and I honestly don't see him going. It is really important for the club for him to stay because him with Edu and the board, the whole club, they created something special. I don't believe he wants to go as well."

GettyWHAT NEXT FOR JORGINHO?

As Arsenal prepare for a crucial fixture against Manchester United on Sunday, Jorginho will aim to maintain the momentum garnered from recent successes. A victory against their rivals would bolster Arsenal's position at the top of the table, leaving Manchester City no room for error against Tottenham on Tuesday night.

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