Marseille are set to sign Matt O'Riley from Brighton as a potential replacement for Adrien Rabiot.

O'Riley to join MarseilleClubs have agreed for a loan dealMidfielder had been linked to JuventusFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

To fill the void left by Rabiot, who is set to join AC Milan in Serie A after being banished from the French club, Marseille have decided to bring O'Riley from Brighton. According to , the clubs have reached an agreement for a loan deal, but there will be no purchase option in his contract.

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O'Riley, who was born in England, plays for Denmark and has four caps to his name. He signed for Brighton last summer from Scottish giants Celtic and made 21 appearances in the Premier League, registering two goals and two assists. Marseille were in the market for a new midfielder after deciding to sell Rabiot following his altercation with Jonathan Rowe.

O'Riley had been linked with a move away from Brighton all summer, with Juventus eager to sign him at one point.

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Marseille have announced the arrival of midfielder Arthur Vermeeren from RB Leipzig, who also joins on loan. West Ham left-back Emerson Palmieri is also in the city as his announcement is expected on Monday. 

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR MARSEILLE?

After suffering a loss at the hands of Lyon yesterday, Marseille will return to action on September 14 when they face Lorient at home.

IPL’s breakout star produces another fast-paced innings after Rocky Flintoff top-scores for England

ECB Reporters Network supported by Rothesay27-Jun-2025India U19 178 for 4 (Suryavanshi 48, Kundu 45*) beat England U19 174 (Flintoff 56, Mohammed 42) by six wicketsIndia’s 14-year-old sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi scored 48 from just 19 balls as India’s Under-19 side made short work of beating England in the first of five Youth ODIs at Hove.Suryavanshi, who became the youngest-ever century maker in men’s T20 when he hit 101 off 38 balls for Rajasthan Royals in the IPL earlier this year, made a startling debut to competitive cricket in England, putting on 71 in 7.3 overs with his captain, Ayush Mhatre as England were overwhelmed, losing by six wickets with 26 overs to spare.The young India side have made a memorable start to their tour of England. Three days earlier they had won another 50-over game, against a Young Lions Invitational XI at Loughborough, by 231 runs.Here, Suryavanshi was the star attraction, bludgeoning five sixes and three fours. Jack Home’s first over cost 21 runs as the left-hander top-edged his pull shot for six before driving over mid-on and pulling to cow corner for other sixes. But when slow left-armer Ralphie Albert came on Suryavanshi immediately skied to point.It was a different game after that, with India losing three more wickets before crossing the line, keeper Abhigyan Kundu leading the way with an unbeaten 45.England had been bowled out for a disappointing 174 in 42.2 overs, with only Rocky Flintoff (56) and Isaac Mohammed (42) reaching the 20 mark.There was a constant cloud cover and a green tinge to the pitch but it was India’s spinners, Mohamed Enaan and Kanishk Chouhan, who caused most problems, sharing five wickets and proving the most economical of the bowlers.England, who had chosen to bat, had started so positively, with Ben Dawkins and Isaac putting on an aggressive 39 for the fist wicket. The left-handed Isaac, one of two debutants in the team, along with French, was particularly exciting, pulling Henil Patel over square-leg for the first of his four sixes – there were also three fours in his 28-ball innings.The 17-year-old is related to England’s Moeen Ali and Worcestershire’s assistant head coach Kadeer Ali. He signed a three-year contract for Worcestershire from the Warwickshire Academy earlier this month.England lost their first wicket in the eighth over when Dawkins edged to first slip. But Isaac responded by striking Yudhajit Guha for successive sixes to bring up the 50 in the ninth over. Isaac then pulled Enaan over square-leg and out of the ground for another six. But three balls later he was caught at backward square-leg going for another big hit.Flintoff, the youngest player to score a century for the side, again looked in fine form. But his efforts were compromised by the constant fall of wickets at the other end. Ben Mayes looked in good touch when he drove through mid-on for four, but he was caught behind next ball to make it 80 for three and then captain Tom Rew was caught behind third ball.Flintoff, unsure whether to stick or twist, waited for some decent company but it didn’t arrive. Joe Moores and Albert fell cheaply to the off-spin of Chouhan and then Home was run out for five to make it 129 for seven. Flintoff was finally forced to hit out, and there were three sixes and three fours in his 90-ball innings before he was last out, going for another heave.

West Indies may be ranked eighth in Test cricket right now, but captain Jason Holder believes that by the time the World Test Championship is done, they have a “realistic” chance of being in the top four.Holder led West Indies to a nine-wicket win against Afghanistan at the Ekana Stadium in Lucknow, with the match completed in just over two days. Holder himself hastened the end on the morning of day three, making short work of Afghanistan after they had resumed on an overnight score of 109 for 7 on Friday. They were bowled out for 120 with Holder picking up all three wickets, and West Indies chased their target of 31 in just 6.2 overs.”I think by the end of the Test Championship, I don’t see it being impossible for us to be fourth or fifth in the world,” Holder said at the post-match press conference. “That would be a significant achievement in a two-year period. We’ve got some tough series coming up. We’ve got England, then South Africa coming to the Caribbean, then we’ve got New Zealand… all good cricket sides. But I don’t think it’s beyond us to beat them. We’ve just got to make sure we keep building and developing. Once we do that, we can compete with any side in the world. A realistic target in two years would be to be ranked three or four in the world.”This Test wasn’t part of the World Test Championship, though Holder believed his team did most of what could be asked of them. Holder had chosen to bowl on winning the toss, a decision that came under question early on, because West Indies were playing with three spinners and there wasn’t too much on offer for pacers. However, Rahkeem Cornwall’s career-best figures of 7 for 75 meant the desired result was achieved, though via a path that wasn’t envisaged at the start of the match.”We did expect the spinners to play a heavy role in this game, but with the new ball we probably expected a little more from the fast bowlers,” agreed Holder. “As the ball got older, I felt it did a little bit more. Their openers played well and pretty much saw off the new ball. Our spinners really came into effect with the harder ball, so I think it all worked out the way it was supposed to. Credit to Rahkeem [Cornwall]. He bowled an exceptional spell in the first innings and then backed it up really well in the second innings, supported well by the other bowlers.”I don’t regret the decision at the toss. In the end, we played a really good cricket game, and we were clinical. I asked the guys to make sure we don’t leave any stones unturned. Probably would have liked a little bit more in our first innings in terms of our batting, but having said that, we had a lead of 90. I think leads win games. Once you have a hefty lead, it puts pressure on the opposition.”The only point that left Holder unsatisfied was West Indies’ batting, though thanks to a maiden century by Shamarh Brooks and their own bowling performance, the total of 277 that West Indies got in the first innings proved to be substantial enough. Looking at the future though, Holder felt that improving the batting was key to his goal of taking West Indies higher up the rankings.”I’ve said it in the last couple of series we’ve played: more responsibility needs to be taken by our batters,” Holder said. “Once they do that and take the bull by the horns, I think our bowling attack has shown it can compete with any attack in the world. We’ve shown glimpses of brilliance, which is all well and good, but consistency is the name of the game. In order to be a world class team, you have to be consistent with your batting. You have to get 20 wickets of course, but you have to set it up with the bat. First innings’ count for a lot. If we can put teams under pressure with our first innings scores, more often than not, West Indies will be up there among the top-ranked sides in the world.”

Tottenham Hotspur were dumped out of the FA Cup by Manchester City on Friday night as Nathan Ake's controversial late goal secured the win for the visitors.

Ruben Dias blocks on Guglielmo Vicario went unpunished and that allowed the Dutch central defender to prod the ball into the back of the net from close range.

There were positives to come out of the match for Ange Postecoglou, though, and one of them was the return of James Maddison, who came off the bench during the second half, from injury.

The England international made his first competitive appearance for Spurs since the 6th of November, against Chelsea in the Premier League.

He has been a terrific addition since his summer switch from Leicester City as an outstanding creative force in the middle of the park for Tottenham.

Daniel Levy and Postecoglou could provide the English wizard with another quality operator to create chances for if they are able to land another striker to the squad before the deadline passes on Thursday this week.

Tottenham's search for a striker

One exciting marksman who has been linked with a possible move to North London is Besiktas and Turkey U19 number nine Semih Kilicsoy

Turkish outlet Fanatik reported earlier this month that Spurs are one of a number of clubs keeping tabs on the talented young centre-forward.

The outlet stated that Aston Villa, Borussia Dortmund, and Napoli are also monitoring the 18-year-old attacker as they eye up a possible swoop for his services.

They claimed that scouts from several European sides came to watch the promising talent in action in January, with the teenage whiz breaking into the first-team squad with the Turkish giants this season.

According to Milliyet, via TurkishNewsWorld, Besiktas will demand a fee of at least €25m (£21m) from any of the interested parties to part ways with Kilicsoy this month.

This would be a club-record departure for the Super Lig side as it would be €2.5m more than the €22.5m they received from Premier League side Everton back in the summer of 2018.

The report suggests that their staggering valuation of the teenage starlet speaks to how highly they rate him and his potential to improve over the years to come.

It, however, remains to be seen whether Spurs are prepared to go in with an offer for his services during the current window or if they will wait until the summer to make a move. There is also no mention in either of the reports if any sides are willing to meet Besiktas' £21m valuation of the young finisher.

If Levy can secure a deal for Kilicsoy, though, then Tottenham could bring in a lethal partner for Maddison in the final third, based on his impressive form for Besiktas at youth and senior level.

Maddison's immense creativity for Spurs

The 27-year-old magician is a striker's dream because he has the quality and vision to consistently create high-quality chances for his teammates at the top end of the pitch.

A centre-forward playing with Maddison behind them does not have to worry about a lack of service as the attacking midfielder is almost guaranteed to produce an excellent opportunity for them week-in-week-out.

Over the last 365 days, the former Foxes star ranks within the top 2% of his positional peers across the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for shot-creating actions (6.43) per 90, and the top 4% for Expected Assisted Goals (0.37) per 90.

This shows that he has been one of the best creative threats in Europe over the past year, for Spurs and Leicester, with his defence-splitting passes to create shooting opportunities for his teammates.

His form in the Premier League for Tottenham this season has been particularly impressive as he ranks within the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers within the division for shot-creating actions (8.17) and progressive passes (9.91) per 90 respectively.

This shows that he has been an outstanding creator for Postecoglou in the English top-flight, which is why he is a dream for strikers to play with.

Appearances

11

Sofascore rating

7.91

Goals

Three

Assists

Five

Big chances created

Six

As you can see from the table above, Maddison offers goals and assists from a number ten position and Kilicsoy, if Spurs win the race for his signature, could love to play alongside him.

Kilicsoy's impressive goal record

The 18-year-old marksman is in the early stages of his career and it would be a gamble for Tottenham to bring him to England as he is yet to prove himself out of his home country.

However, his impressive goal record for Besiktas and Turkey at youth and senior level suggests that he has the potential to be a lethal partner for Maddison, who has the ability to create plenty of chances for the young number nine.

The teenage dynamo, who analyst Ben Mattinson hailed as a "powerful" player, caught the eye for his club's U19 side with a phenomenal return of 42 goals and six assists in 64 appearances from the 2020/21 campaign through to the end of last season.

He has also excelled for Turkey's youth teams with 21 strikes in 27 outings throughout the U14, U15, U17, and U19 age groups for his country.

That staggering form for the academy team earned him a first-team chance with Besiktas and he has grasped that opportunity with both hands this season.

Appearances

Ten

Sofascore rating

7.36

Expected Goals

2.85

Goals

Five

Assists

Two

As you can see from the table above, Kilicsoy, who was described as a "hidden gem" by the aforementioned Mattinson, is a lethal finisher who has more than made the most of the xG that has been created for him.

This suggests that he has the quality to outperform his xG, which is a sign of a clinical goalscorer, and that is why he could be a fantastic partner for Maddison in the final third.

The current Spurs whiz excels at creating high-quality chances – providing his teammates with big xG opportunities – and Kilicsoy could turn those key passes into assists for the England international with his superb finishing, if he can translate his form over to England.

Therefore, they could form a lethal partnership at the top end of the pitch for Spurs and Levy should push to secure a deal for his services either this month or in the summer.

Liverpool will not be able to host Real Madrid again in the Champions League next season due to a new UEFA rule.

• Liverpool face Real Madrid again in UCL
• Won't be able host them next season
• New UEFA rule forbids it

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  In this week's Champions League draw, Liverpool drew Madrid at home as one of the eight games in the league phase of the competition. The Reds beat Los Blancos 2-0 at Anfield last season but UEFA's new rule means they cannot lock horns at the same stadium if they both play in the 2026-27 edition of the competition. Here's why.

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• Getty/GOAL
  

  THE EXPLANATION

  According to paragraph 16.03 of the UEFA Champions League regulations: "UEFA administration may determine alternative conditions for the draw in accordance with the principles set by the Club Competitions Committee and may adapt any of the conditions of the draw to avoid deadlock situations and/or take into account any relevant constraints in light of decisions taken by the UEFA Executive Committee.

  "The UEFA Club Competitions Committee has determined an additional condition that may be applicable to the UEFA Champions League draw for the 2026/27 season, deciding that any individual fixture between the same two teams may not be repeated in the same competition with the same home team for three consecutive seasons.

  "This means that if any teams that already played against each other in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in the 2024/25 season are again drawn against each other, with the same home team, in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League in this 2025/26 season, those teams will not be able to be drawn against each other with the same home team in the 2026/27 season."

• DID YOU KNOW?

  While Liverpool cannot host Madrid at Anfield in next season's Champions League, the Spanish giants would be able to entertain the Merseyside outfit at the Santiago Bernabeu. Incidentally, the two teams have met on 12 occasions in European football's top club competition. Madrid have won seven, lost four, and drawn one of their meetings.

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT?

  Arne Slot's Premier League champions will play host to Xabi Alonso's Madrid on November 4 in this season's Champions League in what will be their fourth match of the competition. A lot of football has to be played between then and now, though.

The fast-bowling allrounder had missed the first Test, which West Indies lost by 318 runs, due to an ankle injury

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Aug-2019Keemo Paul has recovered from his ankle injury and has been drafted back into the West Indies squad straightaway for the second and final Test against India in Kingston, replacing Miguel Cummins, the man who had filled in for him in Antigua.

WI squad for second Test

Squad: Jason Holder (capt), Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Shamarh Brooks, John Campbell, Roston Chase, Rahkeem Cornwall, Jahmar Hamilton (wk), Shimron Hetmyer, Shai Hope (wk), Shannon Gabriel, Keemo Paul, Kemar Roach.

That was the only change to the squad for the first Test, which India won by 318 runs. Shai Hope kept wickets then, and might continue to do so with first-choice Test wicketkeeper Shane Dowrich back in Barbados continuing his rehabilitation from an ankle injury, even though back-up keeper Jahmar Hamilton is among the 13 in Jamaica.Cummins didn’t have a particularly good time of it in Antigua, conceding 69 runs in 20 wicketless overs across two innings, as India piled up 297 and 343 for 7 declared while bowling West Indies out for 222 and 100 to earn 60 World Test Championship points.While batting was West Indies’ weak link in the first Test, the bowling unit did let India off the hook somewhat after having the visitors down on the mat at 25 for 3 – Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli among the batsmen out – on the first morning. “We got the early wickets we were looking for but I thought that we tried a bit too hard, we didn’t stick to coming down the channel, we tried a bit too hard with the short-ball plan and stuff like that,” Roston Chase, the only spinner in the XI for the first Test, had said of that performance.West Indies will hope that changes in the second Test. With Cummins out and Paul in, that might be a straight swap in the XI at Sabina Park, unless the conditions call for an international debut for Rahkeem Cornwall, the 26-year-old offspinning allrounder from Antigua.

It's well known that Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is hoping to add another player to his ranks this winter, and after welcoming centre-back Radu Dragusin and versatile forward Timo Werner, this will likely be a midfielder.

Indeed, recent reports confirm this, with Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher seemingly the top target for transfer before the close of the January transfer window; Wolverhampton Wanderers' Joao Gomes has also been touted.

But Spurs definitely don't have a myopic attitude toward their spending, with chairman Daniel Levy seemingly earmarking several exciting players for a summer transfer, when the money flows more freely.

Despite the capture of Werner and the deals struck last summer, Harry Kane was sold to Bayern Munich in August and there is still room for another forward-placed player, which could be a key theme upon the conclusion of the 2023/24 campaign.

Spurs transfer targets – forwards

While Spurs have been sniffing around for an out-and-out centre-forward – Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke and Dutch Eredivisie champion Santiago Gimenez are both on the radar – the search for summer reinforcements is not exclusive to one position.

Tottenham now eyeing £34m Brazilian as well as Conor Gallagher – Sky Sports

He’s having a very good season.

ByEmilio Galantini Jan 18, 2024

For this reason, there may well be truth behind a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey claiming that Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise is "set to leave" Selhurst Park in the summer, with all of the Premier League's top outfits interested and Tottenham understood to have made an enquiry.

Chelsea fought and failed to sign the Frenchman last summer but Steve Parish is expected to allow his star to leave this year, though he does now have a rumoured £60m release clause in his contract.

Michael Olise's season in numbers

Olise has been regarded as an exciting talent for several years now, earning the 2020/21 Championship's Young Player of the Season award before completing an £8m transfer to south London in July 2021.

Last season, he showcased his creative brilliance and racked up 11 assists from 31 starting appearances in the Premier League, leading talent scout Jacek Kulig to name him as “one of the best wide playmakers in Europe."

Since the summer, however, the 22-year-old has flipped the switch and started heaping emphasis on his shooting skills, which, it has to be said, has proved to be an undisputed success during his time on the pitch.

As per Sofascore, he has posted five goals and one assist across just seven starts and complemented this prolific return with 2.2 key passes and 3.8 ball recoveries per game, completing 81% of his passes, succeeding with 77% of his dribbles and winning 60% of his contested ground duels.

Olise only made his seasonal debut in November after an extended period of convalescence following a hamstring injury, and his resounding return to action was then paused earlier this month, with Roy Hodgson confirming that he is likely to miss the remainder of January action with another muscular issue.

Nonetheless, the £100k-per-week star – who can play across the frontline but is finding a permanent home on the right flank – has demonstrated by so many outfits are eager to add him to the ranks, with Postecoglou's project only reaching new heights with his deployment.

How Michael Olise compares to Heung-min Son

Given Olise's newfound ability to wreak havoc on opposing defences with his own striking, the early signs are there that he could be the successor to Heung-min Son's spot at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Once dubbed "world-class" by Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, Son has scored 157 goals and provided 85 assists across 393 appearances for Tottenham since signing from Bayer Leverkusen for £22m way back in 2015.

He's considered one of the finest Premier League forwards of his generation and replacing him is certainly not an easy task, but should Olise make the cross-London move, the club could indeed land the dream heir.

9

20

0.67

0.64

0.13

0.27

3.47

2.71

5.87

3.83

71%

81%

4.53

4.47

3.87

3.03

3.20

1.17

1.07

0.43

0.67

0.37

0.93

0.21

4.53

2.45

0.40

0.16

It is… astounding. Looking at the table above, the sublime form Olise has been in this season really is illuminated, trumping Tottenham's talisman across nearly every single facet.

Now, the respective players have played a vastly differing amount of football this term, Son playing just over 1000 minutes more in the English top-flight, but this does not diminish the incredible feats achieved by Olise during his time on the pitch.

Moreover, the fact that he has featured so irregularly as he battles against injuries only enhances the argument that he has been performing at a level to rival any star this season.

For example, Son has plundered 12 goals and five assists across 20 Premier League fixtures so far and has looked equally devastating across both centre-forward and wide roles, also creating 11 big chances for his teammates – a tally bettered only by Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The South Korean star might be trumped across the lion's share of metrics but he is easily one of the finest forwards in the Premier League and his prowess may actually be the gold standard for a rising phenom such as Olise to mould his game to.

Indeed, Olise has unearthed a rich vein of goalscoring form recently but Son's consistency throughout many years of service in north London is more than admirable, with the £190k-per-week machine actually ranking among the top 4% of positional peers for goals scored per 90, underpinning his prolific might.

Olise, too, only scored twice across 40 appearances in all competitions last campaign and there is not yet enough evidence to suggest that he can maintain his shooting success and rival the cutting edge of a player like Son.

But, from the snippet received over the past few months, there is an undoubted level of talent to propel Olise right to the forefront of the European game, with his recent feats the first times of latent world-class talent stirring.

Son is now 31 years old and there are still years in the tank for the Spurs skipper, but his influence will not last forever and for this reason, Olise's signature must be prioritised to ensure Tottenham's offensive fluency is preserved over the coming years.

Afghanistan lost their last six wickets for only 21 runs, crumbling swiftly on a slow and used Sharjah surface

Himanshu Agrawal09-Nov-2024First, Afghanistan’s spin quartet ended with combined figures of 38-0-144-7. Bangladesh’s trio replied with 21.3-2-72-5. But where Afghanistan’s quicks bowled 12 overs for 108 runs without a single wicket, Bangladesh’s fast bowlers were more incisive with four wickets in 22 overs, which went for only 111. That was the difference in the end as Afghanistan fell 68 short in their pursuit of 253 and Bangladesh levelled the three-match series with one game to play.Bangladesh’s win was set up by captain Najmul Hossain Shanto’s 76. When Shanto fell on his 119th ball in the 41st over of the first innings, his innings appeared to be too slow. But the value of his runs was visible when the Afghanistan batters struggled to get going, justifying that batting wasn’t easy on a slow and used Sharjah surface. Six of Afghanistan’s top eight scored at least 14, but only one could go on to score a half-century. Rahmat Shah’s 76-ball 52 remained the highest.Afghanistan’s chase of 253 began in sedate fashion. The Bangladesh quicks started with tight lines and lengths with the new ball swinging, but their first two breakthroughs were down to some fantastic catches. Soumya Sarkar anticipated a ball rushing onto him at wide slip to have Rahmanullah Gurbaz caught off Taskin Ahmed, while Mehidy Hasan Miraz – at square leg – leapt and plucked one to send Sediqullah Atal back off Nasum Ahmed’s first ball.Atal departed for 39, ending a 52-run second-wicket partnership with Rahmat, but his dismissal started a sequence where Nasum and Mahmudullah kept a check on Afghanistan, conceding only 19 runs across the next seven overs.Mehidy took over captaincy duties after Shanto had to leave the field with a hand injury, and brought himself back to bowl in the 24th over. One over past the halfway mark, Afghanistan’s required rate had crossed six runs an over, and the slide began in the 29th.Mustafizur Rahman had Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi caught at fine leg for a 40-ball 17 and then Nasum bowled Azmatullah Omarzai for his second duck of the series with a beautiful ball which turned away to hit off stump.Three balls later, Rahmat paid the price for a mix-up with Gulbadin Naib, who pushed one to cover and called. With Naib watching the fielder, Rahmat was halfway down the pitch, and ultimately both ended up running towards Jaker Ali, the debutant wicketkeeper. Jaker, playing in place of the injured Mushfiqur Rahim, threw the ball to Nasum at the other end and Rahmat was well short.Thus, Afghanistan lost three wickets in the space of six deliveries, and although Naib swung his bat around for an entertaining 26, and added 44 for the sixth wicket with Mohammad Nabi, his dismissal left the rest with too much to do. They lost their last five wickets for only 21 runs and folded for 184 in 43.4 overs.That batting performance made Shanto’s half-century and Jaker’s death-overs batting cameo look even better. Bangladesh had lost Tanzid Hasan early in the afternoon, but Shanto and Soumya accelerated. Despite a Shanto slowdown after the powerplay, Bangladesh made 82 in 14 overs.However, it took a further 23 overs to get another 82 for Bangladesh, despite losing only two more wickets in that period. All four of Afghanistan’s spinners – Rashid, Nabi, Nangeyalia Kharote and AM Ghazanfar – operated during that phase, and conceded just two fours and a six.Rashid broke the 71-run second-wicket partnership between Shanto and Soumya when he trapped the latter lbw. Soumya, on 35, didn’t review despite a consultation, and later saw the replays show the ball had pitched outside the line.In all, Shanto took 75 balls to get to his half-century, which he completed halfway into the 28th over. Both Mehidy and Shanto struggled to put the Afghanistan spinners away, and had to rely on their running between the wickets amid a plethora of dots. In the 32nd over, Shanto was given out lbw on 55 off Ghazanfar, but he reviewed and overturned the decision.But Rashid broke the 53-run stand when he cleaned Mehidy up with a googly next over. With 12 overs to go and Bangladesh on 174, Bangladesh were on course for a strong finish but with Shanto slow but Kharote struck three times in the next three overs to dent their cause. Towhid Hridoy, Shanto and Mahmudullah all departed in quick succession.But Jaker and Nasum ensured Bangladesh would post a competitive score. The last six overs were taken for 60 runs, as Nasum started the fun with a slog sweep for six off Kharote. When Afghanistan switched to pace in the 47th over, Jaker bashed Fazalhaq Farooqi for back-to-back sixes, with one landing over the roof beyond deep midwicket. Nasum hit 25 at just better than a run a ball, while Jaker put the finishing touch. The debutant ensured Bangladesh crossed 250.

Arsenal sporting director Edu will "genuinely" look into signing a marquee star this summer as journalist Dean Jones eases FFP worries.

Arsenal endure quiet January transfer window

Despite a lot of noise in the build-up to January, manager Mikel Arteta was forced to watch on as other Premier League sides spent while the Gunners were fairly inactive.

Expert reveals Arsenal January transfer decision that Arteta may now regret

This could prove to be a decision to forget…

ByTom Cunningham Feb 2, 2024

Arsenal were widely linked with a striker, midfielder and new full-backs in the months leading up to winter, but Edu's transfer plans ultimately amounted to nothing despite their glaring need in some areas.

After spending over £200 million last summer, journalist Graeme Bailey, among others, put Arsenal's inactivity down to both a cautionary FFP approach and a limited mid-season budget.

“Arsenal spent a lot of money in the summer window. Spending the amount of money they did on Declan Rice, it has implications,” the transfer expert explained to Arsenal Insider last month.

“We’ve seen big new contracts handed out in the last season or so, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, and Gabriel Martinelli all signed new deals. In the January window, you do tend to overpay."

Brentford star Ivan Toney is one name who was regularly mentioned as a top striker target for Arsenal, and still is. The 27-year-old has just recently returned to action after serving a long footballing ban for alleged gambling breaches, and he's already bagged two goals in two league starts since.

Appearances

126

Goals

70

Assists

21

Bookings

27

Minutes played

10,710

Toney is undoubtedly going to be mentioned in the build-up to summer as well, with Jones sharing a small update to GiveMeSport while also easing some concerns surrounding FFP.

Edu set to "genuinely" look into signing Toney

Indeed, it is believed Arsenal will "genuinely" look into signing Toney and the club are actually in very healthy shape when it comes to avoiding the sanctions of breaching Profit and Sustainability Rules.

Everton and Nottingham Forest are the latest cautionary tales in regards to what could happen if you go over the line in that regard, with Sean Dyche's side already docked 10 points this season.

However, that isn't something Arsenal will have to be concerned about too soon.

"Arsenal suffered losses over the three seasons up to 2021/22 and have been rumoured to be on UEFA’s watchlist in the past in relation to Financial Fair Play," wrote Jones.

"However, UEFA’s old version of FFP is very different to the Premier League’s and the club have also stated a £122m Covid impact on revenue in their accounts.

"This figure, even before any other PSR exemptions, gets them to an adjusted three-year PSR calculation of a loss of £28.15m, well within EPL limits. Arsenal have prospects of signing a top striker and midfielder – and they may look to bring another exciting wide player too. Ivan Toney is rated upwards of £70million and is regarded as a player they genuinely will look into signing."

da fazobetai： Everton are running out of time to complete some late transfer business in January, but an encouraging update has emerged, courtesy of Sky Sports reporter Alan Myers.

Everton transfer news

da pixbet： The Blues have had a very quiet month to date during the transfer window, which may cause plenty of frustration among supporters, given the need for new faces. The ongoing takeover situation at Goodison Park is not making it easy in a financial sense, however, with Farhad Moshiri potentially not wanting to invest if his spell as owner is about to come to an end.

Everton have certainly been linked with plenty of players this month, however, with individuals all over the pitch linked with completing moves to Merseyside.

Ajax attacker Chuba Akpom is someone who has been tipped to be a late addition for the Blues, having moved to the Dutch giants from Middlesbrough last summer, struggling to make an impact in a different country and only starting three Eredivisie games this season.

Leicester City defender Harry Souttar has also emerged as a potential replacement for Ben Godfrey, should the Everton utility man seal a move elsewhere before the window slams shut, and highly-rated Benfica midfielder Florentino Luis is also reportedly being looked at as an option.

There is also a small possibility that Sean Dyche could lose players, which would be a big blow in their Premier League relegation battle, with midfield pair Amadou Onana and Abdoulaye Doucoure both linked with exits recently. The hope is that both stay put, however, with the hours ticking away.

Everton could make deadline day signing

Responding to a question from a fan on X on Wednesday evening, Myers hinted at Everton making one deadline day signing before the end of Thursday evening, saying: "Maybe one by tomorrow but don’t know who."

Blues supporters may well be buoyed by this update, with added depth something that could be so vital in the relegation fight between now and the end of the season.

Granted, Dyche's side have had to contend with a 10-point deduction in the Premier League – they wouldn't be under threat of going down otherwise – but there is arguably still a shortage of quality in certain areas.

Everton's top goalscorers this season

Total

Abdoulaye Doucoure

6

Dominic Calvert-Lewin

4

Jack Harrison

3

Beto

3

Goals continue to come at a premium at Goodison, with only 24 scored in 22 league matches this season, so snapping up someone like Akpom on deadline day could provide the manager with some priceless extra firepower.

Dominic Calvert-Lewin's fitness record makes it hard to rely on him for long periods, while Beto has struggled to convince since coming in last year, netting just once in 17 league appearances this term.

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Posts ByMatt Dawson Feb 1, 2024

It definitely wouldn't be a shock if a late move ended up not coming to fruition, but Myers is a reliable source and the hope is that his prediction comes true, giving Everton a boost ahead of a crucial period in the season.