Category Uncategorized

He scored heaps of runs in age-group cricket, but had only 55 runs to show for his five Ranji Trophy matches before this season

Srinidhi Ramanujam17-Jun-2022Armaan Jaffer has always had an appetite for runs and long innings. At the school level, at the Under-19 level, at the Under-25 level. And now, it was visible at the senior level too, when he scored his second century of the Ranji Trophy season, on day four of the semi-final and blunted Uttar Pradesh with centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal to take Mumbai close to their first final in five years. Mumbai now lead by 662 runs.After a long gap, this hunger for runs reflected in tangible terms only recently. Having started his age-group cricket alongside Sarfaraz Khan and Prithvi Shaw, he was tipped to be the next big thing with them from Mumbai.But it was a stop-start career for Jaffer after his first-class debut in the 2016-17 season. He missed the following season due to a knee surgery but made his way back into the Mumbai squad in the 2018-19 edition after an unbeaten 300 off 367 against Saurashtra in the Under-23 CK Nayudu Trophy.However, his career never really took off at the senior level as he would have wanted it to.Before this Ranji season, Jaffer had played five first-class matches and had scored a mere 55 runs.Self-doubt started to creep in and “people also started doubting” him. It was because of the reputation he had earned and the expectations he had set after being prolific in age-group cricket. The ‘Jaffer’ tag also had its own share of pressure.Jaffer first hogged the limelight with a record 498 runs in the Under-14 Giles Shield tournament – the highest individual score in Indian school cricket in 2010. He was then picked for the 2016 Under-19 World Cup on the back of three consecutive double-centuries in the Under-19 Cooch Behar Trophy. In the same year, he was added to the Kings XI Punjab squad for INR 10 lakh.But this drive to play long innings was rekindled by Abhishek Nayar, former India and Mumbai batter, post his 2019 ACL surgery.”I didn’t want to take any innings for granted,” he said of his changed mindset.During his rehabilitation in Mumbai, Jaffer trained with Nayar for six months and those interactions helped him get into a better mental state and “not focus on personal goals.” That was a bit of a “different preparation,” he would say.”Talking to him, him sharing his experiences…that motivated me a lot.”On my chat with Nayar, I came to know that it was his dream to hit a six off the first ball on debut like Vinod Kambli did, but that could not happen because he was under so much pressure. Then he could not string good performances, he got out for consecutive zeroes, and he was left out of the team. But he did not lose his hunger of coming back into the team and playing Ranji Trophy for Bombay for many years. Eventually, he made a comeback and went on to play for India as well. That was quite motivating for me.”For me, there was a time when I played five [Ranji] matches, and post that, I did not do anything.”I had scored so many runs in age-group tournaments that there was so much expectation from everyone, and that could not be fulfilled. So there was a lot of self-doubt, but when I spoke to him [Nayar], my dad, then my mindset changed a bit. This season I think my mindset has been better. There has definitely been hard work, but I think my mindset has been better. And that is paying off through my performances.”This clarity was visible in all the three Ranji games he has played so far. In his first match this season, against Odisha in the group stage, coming in at No. 3 and witnessing Mumbai slip from 73 for 0 to 76 for 3, Jaffer cracked a 223-ball 125 and stitched 277 runs with Sarfaraz to help Mumbai take a big lead. The next opportunity came a few months after the IPL, in the quarter-final against Uttarakhand and he scored 60 and an unbeaten 17.On Friday, in the semi-final, Jaffer scored a breezy 127 in the second innings on a flat pitch at the Just Cricket Academy and put on 286 runs with Jaiswal for the second wicket to further close in on the final spot. Mumbai ended the day at 449 for 4 with another massive lead. Jaiswal made his career-best first-class score of 181, his third consecutive century in the format.”The match was on our side, especially after they got out in the first innings,” Jaffer said. “But personally, I did not want to take any innings for granted. Regardless of the match situation, I did not want to take any innings for granted and did not want to waste any innings. My focus was to score runs. That would have helped the team and me.”In general, I haven’t made too many changes to my preparation. What I was doing at the time, I am continuing with the same now. Maybe, it was not destined to happen at the time, but now it is happening. The hard work that I have put in these years is paying off now. My preparation has been normal, I train with my father.”Mumbai might be closing in on a final spot, but Jaffer still has some unfinished business.”Before the season, the message from our coach [Amol Muzumdar] was that Bombay has won the trophy 41 times, so we have to win the Ranji Trophy anyhow. That was the goal right from the beginning,” he added.The senior Jaffer – Armaan’s uncle – has won 10 Ranji titles in his career. The junior may not be far from adding one to his name.

The RCB batter says his success this season is all down to batting at a more familiar position in the line-up

Hemant Brar03-Oct-20214:21

Manjrekar: Maxwell has changed the fortunes of RCB

Harpreet Brar had conceded only ten from his first three overs. And that includes two overs against a set Virat Kohli and Devdutt Padikkal.Brar is not a mystery spinner. His method is simple and out there. He tries to hit good length with enough pace on the ball that the batter has no time to set himself up for a big shot. Such is his self-belief that whenever he is brought on and his captain asks him for the plan, he just replies, ” [You don’t worry, I won’t give runs]”.Watch the IPL on ESPN+

Sign up for ESPN+ and catch all the action from the IPL live in the US. Match highlights of Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Punjab Kings is available here in English, and here in Hindi (US only).

Now he is up against Glenn Maxwell. In the previous game between Punjab Kings and Royal Challengers Bangalore, Brar had bowled Maxwell for a first-ball duck. The batter had played back to a delivery he probably should have gone forward to and was beaten on the outside edge. On Sunday, Brar nearly pulled off a repeat. Maxwell once again went back and pushed at the ball. This time he got an outside edge but KL Rahul failed to latch on to it.By the time Brar came for his final over – the 13th of the innings – Maxwell seemed to have adjusted to his pace and length. On the second ball of the over, Brar erred a little on the shorter side, and that was enough for Maxwell to go back and across and pull it for a six. Two balls later, Brar bowled on the fuller side and Maxwell sent it into orbit over deep midwicket.Then, it was Ravi Bishnoi in the firing line, with Maxwell hitting him for back-to-back sixes. The first was a googly, which bobbled right into Maxwell’s hitting arc and was deposited over cow corner. Bishnoi went full on the next ball, only to be walloped down the ground.During his 33-ball 57, Maxwell scored only 19 off 16 balls against seamers. But against spinners, he plundered 38 off 17. In comparison, all other Royal Challengers batters scored only 27 off 37 balls against spin. In fact, this whole season Maxwell has feasted on spinners, taking 216 runs off 137 balls at an average of 54.00 and a strike rate of 157.66. So that was a match-up he nailed.Name that shot – Glenn Maxwell batted in typical Maxwell fashion against Punjab Kings•BCCIEarlier this week, against Mumbai Indians, Maxwell had used switch hits and reverse hits – against both pace and spin – to target the shorter boundary and give his side what proved to be a winning total. But that was in Dubai. This was Sharjah, where the relaid pitches have made life difficult for batters, where the average first-innings total this season had been 134, where the chasing sides had won four out of five games.So, Kohli’s decision to bat first after winning the toss wasn’t a straightforward one. And even though Maxwell seems to be batting on a different level than anyone else, he too acknowledged this wasn’t an easy pitch.”I felt probably this one was the toughest to adjust to,” he said at the post-match presentation. “It skidded on a little bit more from the spinners, which means you’ve got to be a little bit sharper at the start of the innings. The other wickets held up just a tiny bit more and gave you a bit more time on the back foot.”The ball might have been skidding on, but when Maxwell connected those sixes, it seemed to stay on his bat just a fraction of a second longer, giving his wrists enough time to whip it away. His knock propelled Royal Challengers to 164, the highest total in Sharjah this season, and eventually into the playoffs.During IPL 2020, playing for the Punjab franchise and batting mostly at No. 5, Maxwell had managed only 108 runs in 11 innings. This time, in the same number of innings, he has 407. Maxwell attributed the revival to a familiarity with the role he’s been assigned.”In T20s, I have found a nice little rhythm batting at No. 4,” he said. “It’s something I probably had for Australia over a long period of time as well, which is probably why I have success over there. Coming to the RCB, they wanted me to do the exact same role. It’s been really enjoyable to actually come into the change room and actually have to change not too much.”Maxwell has now scored three half-centuries in the last three games. If he continues his form, it could well be a first IPL title for Royal Challengers.

At 36, he is the youngest ICC chair and he was elected unopposed in August

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Dec-2024

Jay Shah served as the BCCI secretary from 2019 to 2024•Associated Press

Jay Shah has begun his tenure as ICC chair as of December 1. He takes over from Greg Barclay over the weekend, with the decision on the venue for the 2025 Champions Trophy imminent.”I am honoured to take on the role of ICC chair and grateful for the support and trust of the ICC directors and member boards,” Shah said in a statement on his first day in the role. “This is an exciting time for the sport as we prepare for the LA28 Olympic Games and work to make cricket more inclusive and engaging for fans worldwide.”We are at a critical juncture with the coexistence of multiple formats and the need to accelerate the growth of the women’s game. Cricket holds immense potential globally, and I look forward to working closely with the ICC team and Member countries to seize these opportunities and take the sport to new heights.”Related

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Jay Shah could serve two three-year terms as ICC chair

Jay Shah elected unopposed as new ICC chair

Shah was elected unopposed and at the age of 36 he is the youngest ICC chair. Before moving to the ICC, he was the BCCI secretary, and it is not yet known who will succeed him in that role. He also served as the president of the Asian Cricket Council and as chair of the ICC’s finance and commercial affairs committee.A significant decision immediately facing the ICC is the venue of the 2025 Champions Trophy, which is supposed to be Pakistan. Imran Khwaja, the ICC deputy chair, has been acting as the interim chair and presided over the short board meeting on Friday. It is expected he will see through the Champions Trophy issue as the interim chair.The tournament is scheduled to begin on February 19 and the fixtures haven’t been announced yet following the BCCI’s refusal to send the Indian team to play in Pakistan, citing government advice. The PCB had been firm in its stance that it wanted to host all the Champions Trophy matches in Pakistan, after it sent a team to play the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, but a compromise may be reached where all the matches involving India may be played at a neutral venue. A final decision is expected imminently.

Roma are targeting 18-year-old Barcelona talent Marc Bernal, who was once hailed as the heir to Sergio Busquets.

• Roma are interested in Bernal
• Suffered an injury that sidelined him last season
• Betis also eyeing the teenager

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Serie A side are keen to bring the 18-year-old to the Italian capital this summer, according to , having already made contact regarding a possible transfer. However, La Liga side Betis are also eyeing him.

Advertisement

• Getty Images Sport
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Bernal, a La Masia graduate, made his La Liga debut last season when he started in their opening game of the season against Valencia. He then started in the next two matches before a cruciate ligament injury sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign. His exceptional technique earned him a reputation as the natural successor to Barcelona and Spain's legendary midfielder Busquets.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Roma have officially completed the signings of Evan Ferguson and Neil El Aynaoui and are now close to signing Wesley from Flamengo.

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR BERNAL AND ROMA?

  Roma will hope to land the youngster as they look to reinforce Gian Piero Gasperini's team before the start of the season and a change of scenery may appeal to the youngster after his horrific injury.

Football Association CEO Mark Bullingham says Sarina Wiegman is "not for sale at any price" amid another Lionesses run to a major tournament final.

Lionesses reach Euro 2025 finalFA CEO heaps praise on WiegmanShe's "not for sale at any price"Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After the Lionesses secured another dramatic comeback win, this time over Italy in extra time earlier this week, to reach the final of this year's Euros in Switzerland, Bullingham has made it clear he wants Wiegman to stay put for a while yet. He added it would "not be hard" to persuade her to stay in the post.

AdvertisementWHAT THE FA CEO SAID

He said, via : "I want to pay tribute to Sarina. I think her record individually is phenomenal. When I spoke to [the media] before the tournament I said we were lucky to have her and I still feel that way. I think she has been incredible. Her record of managing in five tournaments and reaching five finals is phenomenal. I don't believe anyone has been anywhere near that in the past and it will be really hard to do that in the future. She's a really special coach and we're delighted to have her with us."

When asked if it would be difficult to convince her to stay on in her current role, Bullingham replied: "Not hard at all. We are committed to her until 2027 and she is committed to us. We have a new [coaching] team coming in for her. We haven't quite started working on the plans for [the 2027 World Cup] but I know her focus, hopefully after success on Sunday, will shift quite quickly to that."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Wiegman has been a huge success since becoming Lionesses boss in September 2021. She has a win percentage of 69.57, led England to Euro 2022 title glory and guided them to the 2023 World Cup final. The Dutchwoman has done a remarkable job and is likely to be attracting interest from a host of teams – but the FA won't let her go easily.

GettyWHAT NEXT?

Wiegman, who is the only manager in the men's or women's game to have reached the final at all five major tournaments she has coached in (Euro 2017 winners and 2019 World Cup finalists with the Netherlands), will hope England can upset the odds and beat World Cup holders Spain in the Euros final on Sunday.

The wheels came off West Bromwich Albion’s 2024/25 campaign alarmingly quickly.

It all started when Carlos Corberan left the building at the end of December, leaving the Baggies with the extremely tough task of replacing the Spaniard mid-way through what they hoped would be a promotion-winning season in the Championship.

Unfortunately, Tony Mowbray came in and depressingly faltered instead, with the 61-year-old subsequently relieved of his duties as his side fell out of the playoff picture.

It can’t all be blamed on the seasoned EFL manager, however.

The likes of Adam Armstrong also struggled in a league he usually shines in, as seen in the Southampton loanee only firing home a limp three strikes from 16 games after a late January swoop.

Games played

16

Games started

12

Goals scored

3

Assists

0

Big chances missed

4

Goal conversion %

12%

Therefore, this might make the Baggies think twice about going after Armstrong permanently now his loan deal has expired, with these three strikers perhaps on the West Brom shopping list instead to try and bolster their firepower.

1 Marc Guiu

West Brom could boldly go down the route of exploring the loan market once more with Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu, irrespective of Armstrong’s poor stint at the Hawthorns.

After all, the Baggies have succeeded in the past when gifting an up-and-coming starlet chances away from Stamford Bridge, with Romelu Lukaku once just a wide-eyed attacker like Guiu before exploding into life in the West Midlands.

Guiu would hope to follow in the deadly Belgian’s footsteps if he is picked up by the promotion-aspiring Baggies this summer, having previously reportedly been on their radar around the time of Armstrong’s move.

The promising 19-year-old managed to bag six goals for Enzo Maresca’s men last season despite limited first-team action, meaning more game-time to come down a division could get even more out of the raw Spaniard.

2 Willem Geubbels

West Brom could be up against it in attempting to land the services of St. Gallen star Willem Geubbels, considering he is being linked with a £4.6m move to Premier League-bound Leeds United.

But, never say never over the Swiss attacker wanting more game-time by relocating to the Hawthorns instead, having been a long-term target on the Baggies’ agenda.

His goalscoring expertise in the Swiss Super League has even resulted in football talent scout Jacek Kulig heralding Geubbels as an “absolute top talent” and for many a valid reason too, considering the 23-year-old has hammered home an impressive 17 strikes this season from 41 overall clashes.

Therefore, the in-demand Frenchman could push a returning Josh Maja for a starting spot next campaign if he were to move to England, away from also allowing West Brom to immediately forget about Armstrong’s frustrating spell.

3 Ali Al-Hamadi

Lastly, away from thinking outside the box by shopping in Europe or snapping up a rising top-flight star, West Brom could go after a centre-forward talent full to the brim with EFL experience in Ali Al-Hamadi.

The Iraq international didn’t set the world alight out on loan with Stoke City this season just gone when registering only two weak goals from 15 games, but he has proven in the past for parent side Ipswich Town in the Championship that he’s a reliable option to call upon when the deadlock needs to be broken.

Games played

14

Games started

1

Minutes averaged*

22

Goals scored

4

Assists

0

Scoring frequency*

72 mins

Staggeringly, despite only starting one league game for Kieran McKenna’s men during their promotion-winning campaign, the former AFC Wimbledon man would still fire home a blistering four strikes, leaving him with a devastatingly effective scoring frequency of every 72 minutes.

It would all just depend on whether the Tractor Boys would want to keep the dangerous 23-year-old around now they’ve slumped back down to the EFL, but if he is available again, West Brom could seriously boost their promotion efforts by landing their failed January target.

West Brom could finally replace Palmer in swoop for "exceptional" EFL star

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ByDan Emery May 23, 2025

da betsson： Manchester United’s forward line has been massively underwhelming throughout 2024/25, undoubtedly contributing to their lowly Premier League standing.

da bet vitoria： The Red Devils have only registered 42 goals in their 37 league outings to date, an average of just 1.1 per 90, highlighting the need for investment in such a department over the summer.

Ruben Amorim will want to make key changes to his squad during the off-season to try and right the wrongs of the current campaign and be a success at Old Trafford.

With the summer window right around the corner, work has already been done by the hierarchy to back the manager and hand him the tools he requires to change the fortunes at the club.

However, it’s crucial that the manager makes the right additions to the squad, with quality over quantity needed if they are to return to their former glory in the near future.

The latest on United’s hunt for new attackers this summer

Viktor Gyokeres has been a constant target for United over the last couple of months after Amorim’s arrival, understandably so given their time together at Sporting CP.

The Swede has registered 53 goals in 51 games throughout the current campaign, leading to rumours of a £60m switch to Old Trafford, with Arsenal also in the race for his signature.

However, the club have targeted alternatives over the last couple of weeks, leading to further links with Ipswich Town forward Liam Delap, according to journalist Laurie Whitwell.

His report states that the Red Devils are set to hold face-to-face talks with the striker over a move to the club after his impressive debut Premier League campaign, which has seen him net 12 times in 36 outings.

It also claims that Amorim’s side are leading the race for his signature and are willing to trigger the £30m release clause that has become active after the Tractor Boys’ relegation was confirmed.

Why United’s £30m target could be their next Rooney

Wayne Rooney will forever be a club icon at United, given their success he endured at the club over a sustained spell, breaking a whole host of impressive records.

The Englishman joined the Red Devils in a £30m deal from Everton back in 2004, with little to no fans expecting the forward to have the impact he did at Old Trafford.

He registered a staggering 253 goals in his 559 appearances, the most of any player in the club’s history, highlighting the impact he made during his spell in the North West.

Rooney also won 12 major honours during his spell at the club, including five league triumphs, something which now appears to be a distant memory given the recent slump at the Theatre of Dreams.

However, this summer, Amorim could land his own version of Rooney in a deal for Delap, following suit by joining for £30m from a smaller Premier League outfit.

The comparisons could also be made with their respective playstyles, with the Ipswich star having similar ball-striking abilities and a battering ram-like presence in forward areas.

His stats from this campaign are evidence of how much of an impressive addition he would be for the Red Devils, offering a cheaper alternative to a deal for Gyokeres.

Most goals scored by U23 STs in Europe’s top-five leagues (2024/25)

Player

Club

Games

Goals

Arnaud Kalimuendo

Stade Rennais

33

17

Hugo Ekitiké

Eintracht Frankfurt

33

15

Emanuel Emegha

Strasbourg

27

14

Benjamin Sesko

RB Leipzig

33

13

Mika Biereth

Monaco

16

13

Liam Delap

Ipswich Town

36

12

Thierno Barry

Villarreal

34

11

Joao Pedro

Brighton

27

10

Stats via Transfermarkt

Delap, who’s been labelled “phenomenal” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, has completed 1.4 take-ons per 90, along with 1.6 carries into the final third – offering the side a needed all-round presence in attacking areas.

He’s also won 1.9 aerials per 90, along with a 45% shot-on-target accuracy, handing the side the added aerial and clinical threat they’ve been lacking throughout 2024/25.

His £30m clause could prove to be a potential bargain should Amorim sign him this summer, offering a cheaper but just as impressive option in attacking areas.

Should he get anywhere near the levels produced by Rooney at Old Trafford, it would be a sensational piece of business and one that could push the side back towards their former glory.

Related The new Van Nistelrooy: Man Utd make approach for £55m Delap alternative

Man Utd are desperate to sign a new centre-forward this summer, with Liam Delap just one target to have emerged.

Posts ByRobbie Walls May 20, 2025

Dooley suffered a stroke while on holiday and had emergency surgery in Honolulu before being airlifted to Brisbane where she remains in hospital

Alex Malcolm20-May-2024Melbourne Renegades and South Australia wicketkeeper-batter Josie Dooley is in hospital in Brisbane after suffering a stroke while on holiday to Hawaii which left her in intensive care for more than two weeks.Dooley, 24, was on vacation on the Hawaiian island of Kauai in April when she suffered a stroke. The South Australia Cricket Association released a statement on Monday detailing Dooley’s condition.”On 15 April Josie was on the Hawaiian island of Kauai when she suffered a stroke as a result of hydrocephalus and was required to be air lifted to Honolulu to receive urgent neurosurgical treatment,” the statement said.”Following surgery, Josie remained in the neurosciences ICU of the Queen’s Hospital in Honolulu for 18 days before progressing to a neurosurgical ward where she remained for a further 12 days.”Once she was fit to fly, Josie was medically evacuated to her hometown of Brisbane where she was readmitted to hospital.”Hydrocephalus is a neurological disorder caused by an abnormal build-up of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles (cavities) deep within the brain.”Josie is making progress in her recovery and would like to thank her family, friends and teammates for their love and support over this challenging time,” the statement continued. “The Dooley family request privacy at this time.”Her WBBL club, Renegades, added: “Like many in the Australian cricket community, the Melbourne Renegades are thinking of our beloved team member, Josie Dooley, as she faces her current health battle.”Josie is a much-loved member of our playing group and a favorite with our fans. We see her strength, dedication and spirit during the WBBL and we know this will guide her through this challenge.”Dooley plays for South Australia in the WNCL competition and for Renegades having started her WBBL career in her hometown with Brisbane Heat in 2018-19 where she played nine matches. She has gone on to play 65 matches for Renegades in the WBBL.She also started her WNCL career with Queensland in 2018 as a teenager before moving to South Australia ahead of the 2020-21 season. Dooley has represented Australia at Under-16 and Under-19 level and played Australia A. She also played for the Governer-General’s XI against England in 2017.

Arsenal may not have won the Premier League this season, but Mikel Arteta’s squad still have it all to play for in the Champions League.

Though Paris Saint-Germain left the Emirates Stadium with a slender one-goal advantage in midweek, the Gunners have the quality and confidence to create something special at the Parc des Princes.

Some questionable officiating aside, Arsenal know the crux of their issues this season lies with the failure to provide Arteta with an elite-level striker.

Injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz in the new year sapped the Londoners’ strength at number nine, calling for an unconventional but curiously effective stopgap in Mikel Merino.

However, Arsenal need a permanent solution, one which could ease the talismanic burden Bukayo Saka wears around his neck.

Bukayo Saka's season in numbers

To be fair, Saka wears the weight of responsibility rather well, having maintained a confident stream of goals and assists through the campaign while producing influential and energetic performances.

But this only draws to attention the yawning hole at number nine, with a prolific centre-forward certain to take the England international’s game to the next level.

Saka, 23, has scored 11 goals and provided 14 assists for Arsenal this season. The three-month hamstring injury picked up in December has proved the biggest blow to his side’s campaign; Saka’s back now, but he’s still not at his sharpest.

Nonetheless, the winger’s return has restored a deeper degree of balance and fluency that must be allowed to bloom into something truly world-class next season, and a more clinical attacking partner than one of Havertz or Jesus will ensure that happens.

As per FBref, Arsenal’s starboy ranks among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 1% for goal-creating actions and the top 5% for crosses made per 90.

This man is a striker’s dream, and new sporting director Andrea Berta is ready to reward him with one of the finest centre-forwards out there.

Arsenal in talks to sign top striker

We all know Alexander Isak’s the dream. But Isak is going to cost more than £150m to convince Newcastle United to sell, and this would likely prove beyond any interested party’s means.

Instead, Berta is pushing to seal the signing of Sporting Lisbon’s Viktor Gyokeres. According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, several talks have already taken place, with the Liga Portugal champions looking for no more than €70m (about £60m) to get a deal done.

Arsenal are confident they can get a deal done, but with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United also keen, they will need to act swiftly.

What Viktor Gyokeres would bring to Arsenal

Isak has been described as “the best striker in the Premier League” this season by Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, but he’s not the only deadly goalscorer on the market.

In fact, Gyokeres has the complete take on the centre-forward role and could make it his own at the front of Arteta’s system.

The 6 foot two star’s technical quality, physicality and hunger for success have been hallmarks of his journey in Portugal, scoring 95 goals from 98 matches and winning last season’s Liga Portugal title before being crowned the division’s Player of the Year.

This level of surety in the final third is something that Arsenal have lacked across the campaign, and by instating Gyokeres in the focal role, Saka would finally have the reliable outlet from which he could direct his peerless playmaking ability.

24/25 – Sporting

48 (40)

52

12

23/24 – Sporting

50 (47)

43

15

22/23 – Coventry

50 (47)

22

12

21/22 – Coventry

47 (42)

18

5

20/21 – Coventry

19 (7)

3

0

20/21 – Swansea

12 (2)

1

0

Talk about year-on-year growth. Gyokeres, 26, has yet to make his mark in one of Europe’s recognised top-five leagues but his numbers leave little to the imagination in the best way, especially since he’s only missed 43 big chances across his past three league terms, as per Sofascore, scoring 88 times.

Havertz has his strengths, but he’s not clinical. In the Premier League this season, the German has missed 15 big chances, converting nine strikes. The 28-year-old Jesus, meanwhile, has not been available often enough to warrant Arteta’s trust as his first-choice option.

There’s no doubt Saka is among the finest players in world football, but his game is being impeded by the absence of a partner like Gyokeres. With 20 big chances created in the Premier League this season, only Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has more – and having played plenty more minutes at that.

Injury pulled from Saka the chance to immortalise his name in the Premier League’s playmaking record books, but the Three Lions sensation’s electric start to the 2024/25 season remains a welcome reminder of the level of player Arsenal have on their hands.

Moreover, it’s an arresting lever Arteta wields in convincing a player of Gyokeres’ ilk that the Emirates project is the best place for him to go from strength to strength and hit the next level in his incredible journey.

Of course, any natural goalscorer would find their game enhanced alongside Arsenal’s main man, but the Sweden star is “the hottest striker in Europe,” according to ESPN’s Mark Ogden, and the partnership might just be something that fixes the issues that have plagued the north London side’s season.

Having come agonisingly close in recent years, this would be a signing to complete the craft and finally establish Arsenal as the continent’s team to beat.

It’s not over yet; Arsenal may yet find themselves fighting for the Champions League trophy after turning it around against PSG, but in any case, Gyokeres would turn a great team into an unstoppable force.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes May 2, 2025

Dame Caroline Dinenage MP questions chair’s intentions in open letter from CMS committee

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2024Colin Graves, Yorkshire’s chair, has come under renewed scrutiny from the chair of the parliamentary committee that oversees sporting bodies, following his recent claims that a process of demutualisation could prove to be “essential” to the long-term future of the club.Caroline Dinenage, chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, queried the timing and content of Graves’ remarks, made in a letter to Yorkshire’s members on Monday, which she felt contradicted his previous assurances that the club would remain a members-owned institution under his leadership.Graves appeared before the CMS select committee on February 20, after his return as Yorkshire chair had been ratified at an EGM earlier that month. Yorkshire claimed at the time that it had engaged with more than 350 interested parties, including the former Newcastle United owner Mike Ashley, but had deemed his offer was the only one capable of retaining the club’s existing status as a mutual society.”Your return to the club was predicated on your financial support not being contingent on demutualisation of the club, in contrast to alternative bids discussed by the board,” Dinenage wrote in a letter to Graves on Thursday, which was also posted on X (formerly Twitter). “We are therefore concerned that you have now decided that converting the club to a private structure is now ‘essential’?””Prior to your bid’s approval, you reassured the members of the club on 16 January that ‘there are no discussions or plans to change the mutual status of YCCC.’ This claim was made despite your September 2023 offer to the YCCC board, which you initially denied any knowledge of to us, which was contingent on such a demutualisation.”Dinenage also queried the nature of Graves’ relationship with the family trust, overseen by independent trustees, which is a legacy of his original bail-out that saved Yorkshire from bankruptcy in 2002, and still constitutes some £15 million of the £20 million of the club’s “long-term borrowing” that Graves outlined in his letter to members.Related

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Graves’ proposed process of demutualisation would unlock those loans and open the club up to private investment – a prospect that has already be raised among county clubs via the ongoing discussions over the future of the Hundred.In his update to members, he pledged that any potential windfall “for either myself or my family trust … would be donated in full into a charitable trust supporting Yorkshire recreational cricket, both men’s and women’s”. Dinenage, however, requested more information on that commitment, and set a deadline of May 31 for a response.”You have previously told the Committee that you have no role in your family trusts,” Dinenage wrote. “We would be grateful for clarity on the following points:

Whether the trustees of the Graves family trustees have agreed to the commitment to donations, and your role in securing this agreement?

Whether the ‘financial upside’ referred to in your 20 May update includes the interest rates of 4% above base rate, which will be returned to you and your family trusts as part of the repayment of debts?

The proposed governance arrangements for any new charitable trust for Yorkshire recreational cricket.”It is the second time in as many months that Yorkshire have come under parliamentary scrutiny. In April, the committee released its “Equity in Cricket” report, in which the ECB was urged to closely monitor the club in the wake of the racism scandal, to “ensure that there is no return to the ‘business as usual’ that allowed a culture of discrimination to take root and thrive at the club”.