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Arsenal are currently working to tie up a few key summer deals for Mikel Arteta, as the Gunners also prepare to kick off their pre-season tour of Asia against AC Milan on Wednesday.

After announcing the signing of England international winger Noni Madueke from Chelsea for an initial £48.5 million, rising to £52 million with add-ons (Sky Sports), defender Cristhian Mosquera is poised to follow soon.

£50m "game-changer" would now love to join Chelsea despite Arsenal approach

The Blues have been handed a boost in their pursuit of an attacker.

ByDominic Lund Jul 21, 2025

Arsenal reached an agreement with Valencia to sign the 21-year-old some time ago, and reports suggest he’s undergone a successful medical in north London (Tribuna Deportiva Valencia).

However, sources from both sides are refusing to disclose the reason for Mosquera’s announcement delay (Tribuna Deportiva Valencia), and they’ll likely delay unveiling his capture until after their tour of the Far East.

19/20 – winter

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20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£140m

Arteta’s side are in the market for a central attacking midfielder too, with both Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze and now RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons among Arsenal’s chiefs targets for the role.

Bolstering that area of the squad and bringing in someone to complement captain Martin Odegaard will immediately be prioritised once they finally seal a deal for Sporting CP striker Viktor Gyokeres.

Arsenal reached an agreement in principle with Sporting over the signing of Gyokeres midway through July, for a total fee of around £64 million including add-ons (The Athletic), but it is taking some time to fully finalise his transfer to N5.

The final round of negotiations has reportedly centered around the conditions of those add-ons and bonuses involved, which could take the fee up to £69 million (The Guardian), with Gyokeres’ agent even agreeing to waive his fee to make this move happen.

Viktor Gyokeres has "chosen to go to Arsenal" with Man Utd rejected

The hold-up has prompted reports that Man United could mount a late hijack for the 27-year-old, and Fabrizio Romano even confirmed this morning that intermediaries have invited the Red Devils to make a bid of their own.

Now, journalist Duncan Castles has told The Transfers Podcast that Sporting are unhappy with Gyokeres’ conduct, informing the striker last week that he’s in breach of contract for refusing to train.

His lawyers defended against this by accusing Sporting of going back on their gentlemen’s agreement that Gyokeres could leave Sporting for a certain fee. So, there is a legal dispute apparently going on in the background, and the sense is now that Rui Borges’ side are attempting to make his exit as difficult as possible.

In some good news for Arteta, though, Gyokeres has “chosen to go to Arsenal” and will continue forcing through a move to north London, with United facing a brutal knockback if they decide to enter the race.

“There was a story in Portugal over the weekend that Manchester United had come in and gone over the top of Arsenal’s offer and that Sporting were very close to agreeing a transfer fee with Manchester United for Gyokeres,” said Castles.

“I’m told by sources at Manchester United that that’s not true, and also by people close to Gyokeres that it’s absolutely not true, and even if it were true, Gyokeres would not go to Manchester United. He has chosen to go to Arsenal, and he will continue to force that move.”

Gyokeres bagged 54 goals in all competitions for Sporting last season, leading the line in their charge for a first domestic double in around 20 years, but his memorable spell in Portugal isn’t about to end smoothly.

The spin-bowling consultant says the team is heading in the right direction and could start winning more away from home

Mohammad Isam15-Aug-2024

Shakib Al Hasan and Mushtaq Ahmed have a chat•AFP/Getty Images

Bangladesh’s spin-bowling consultant Mushtaq Ahmed says that Shakib Al Hasan and Mushfiqur Rahim have lifted the team’s morale ahead of the Test series against Pakistan.”All the players are excited about the first Test match,” Mushtaq said. “Shakib and Mushfiqur Rahim are the senior players. They are playing a positive role with the guys. I also give credit to the management who has been good with the players. The focus is on cricket now.”The Bangladesh players arrived in Pakistan on August 13 upon invitation from the PCB, after the BCB could not arrange a full team practice session with head coach Chandika Hathurusinghe due to political upheaval in Dhaka. Shakib reached Lahore on Wednesday and joined the team in their training sessions hours later.Related

T20 WC blues behind them, Pakistan and Bangladesh switch focus to red-ball cricket

Shakib and Mushfiqur: the yin and yang of Bangladesh cricket

Hathurusinghe on the protests in Bangladesh: I hope the students' questions will be answered

Bangladesh look to shut out the noise and find rhythm in Rawalpindi

Injured Mahmudul out of first Test against Pakistan

Before that, he was playing for Bangla Tigers Mississauga in the Global T20 Canada where he had an eventful week. He played a match on August 5, mere hours after the Awami League government fell in Bangladesh and the prime minister Sheikh Hasina fled to India. As a result, Shakib lost his seat in the parliament and was booed by fans during the game.He was then embroiled in controversy for not showing up for the toss in Bangla Tigers’ eliminator match against Toronto Nationals, which led to his team forfeiting the game.Mahmudul Hasan Joy was among several Bangladesh Test regulars to get some game time ahead of the Pakistan Tests•PCB

Mushfiqur is currently playing a four-day game against Pakistan A in Islamabad. This is a rare occasion when a Bangladesh A tour is connected closely to the senior team’s tour of the same country. Although the match has been affected by rain, it provided much needed game time for Mushfiqur, who last played a Test ten months ago. Other red-ball regulars – Mahmudul Hasan Joy, Zakir Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nayeem Hasan and Hasan Mahmud – are also playing in this match.Bangladesh have only won one Test series of two or more matches abroad, against West Indies in 2009. But Mushtaq believes they could start winning more Test matches away from home.”A cricketer has to have basics and belief to do well at this level, otherwise he loses the battle,” Mushtaq said. “Skill-level looks after itself. We will give them the belief that you can beat anyone. Bangladesh is a good side. You saw that they challenged good teams in the World Cup. They are getting good fast bowlers. They are going towards a good direction. If they keep learning and keep believing in themselves, hopefully, they can start winning games outside.”Mushtaq also praised the Bangladesh spinners, saying they were eager to learn and quite receptive to his suggestions Legspinner Rishad Hossain has really levelled up under Mushtaq’s guidance and was the joint fifth-highest wicket-taker at the recent T20 World Cup.”The spinners are very mature. They are keen to learn. My role is to talk about tactical and technical things. You have to wait for the technical things for after the match. Tactically, you have to tell the spinners which angle to use, how to read the pitch, what pace to use, field settings for particular batters. You need reminders despite your experience.”Taijul [Islam] and [Mehidy Hasan] Miraz are match-winners. They are a great bunch of guys. They are coachable people. They are good listeners. I am honoured to be working with them. Hopefully, I can make a difference for them.”

It’s no secret that Manchester United have fallen way below the high standards they’ve set for themselves this season, currently occupying a place in the bottom half of the Premier League.

The Red Devils are set for their lowest ever points tally and league finish of the Premier League era, with boss Ruben Amorim desperately needing to make changes next year if he’s to be a success at Old Trafford.

The forward line has certainly contributed to their recent failures, netting just 42 goals in their 36 outings, with Bruno Fernandes their current top scorer on just eight goals.

Strikers Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have only managed to find the back of the net seven times between them, highlighting the lack of attacking threat within the current squad.

However, the upcoming transfer window hands boss Amorim the perfect opportunity to improve the situation, with a new talisman needing to be at the top of his list this summer.

United’s hunt for a new striker this summer

With the transfer window rapidly on the horizon, United have already wasted no time in pursuing potential targets to strengthen the options at the manager’s disposal.

The likes of Liam Delap, Matheus Cunha and Victor Osimhen have all been touted with a summer switch to Old Trafford, but no deals have yet been completed for any of the aforementioned trio.

However, another name has entered the frame in the form of Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres, with a potential reunion on the cards with Amorim, according to CaughtOffside.

The report claims that the Red Devils are preparing an offer for the 26-year-old Swedish international, who’s managed to register a staggering 52 goals in his 50 appearances throughout 2024/25.

It also confirms that Arsenal and Liverpool are in the race for his signature this window, with the hierarchy needing to work tirelessly to avoid missing out on him to a divisional rival.

Why United’s latest target would be perfect alongside Amad

The Europa League final next week hands United a golden opportunity to end the season on a high, whilst also securing their place in the Champions League for 2025/26.

Amorim’s side must be fully focused on such an occasion, especially considering there is no longer anything to play for in the Premier League.

If they are to go beat Tottenham Hotspur for the first time this season and claim European glory, Amad Diallo will be a key reason, with his success this campaign nothing short of remarkable.

He’s registered 18 combined goals and assists across all competitions despite missing a large chunk of the year through an ankle issue, which required surgery.

However, he’s back and ready for action, with a fully fit 22-year-old a prospect to fear for any opposition, as seen by his contributions throughout 2024/25.

Such figures could fall perfectly into the hands of Gyokeres should he make the switch to Old Trafford, with his goalscoring tally undoubtedly improving the situation Amorim has on his hands.

The Swede, who’s been labelled “one of the best strikers in Europe” by Fabrizio Romano, has also managed to register 4.4 shots per 90, with 2.5 of which going on target – showcasing his clinical nature in the final third.

Most combined goals & assists in Europe (2024/25)
Player	Games	Goals	Assists	Total
Viktor Gyokeres	32	38	8	46
Harry Kane	30	25	9	34
Omar Marmoush	31	21	12	33
Kylian Mbappé	32	28	3	31
Mateo Retegui	34	24	7	31
Victor Osimhen	28	24	5	29
Stats via Transfermarkt

He’s also created 2.1 chances per 90 to date, along with a 52% aerial success rate, handing the side an all-round option at the top end of the pitch, which could allow Amad to increase his own tallies.

It’s unclear how much the Red Devils are set to bid for his services this summer, but it would be a phenomenal piece of business that would see the talisman link up with his former boss.

Given the interest elsewhere, the hierarchy will have to jump ahead of the opposition and make him their number one target, with Gyokeres having the tools to thrive in the Premier League and take the club back to where they belong.

He'd be amazing with Cunha: Man Utd prepare £65m bid for "sensational" star

Manchester United could land a star who would be perfect alongside Matheus Cunha at Old Trafford.

By
Ethan Lamb

May 15, 2025

Arsenal chiefs are now targeting an “all-round” forward, who arch rivals Tottenham Hotspur bid for last summer.

Andrea Berta's transfer plans for Arsenal this summer

The Gunners’ new sporting director, Andrea Berta, looks set to be a very busy man when the transfer window reopens for business.

Injury to Arsenal star stops Berta from signing two players in key position

The north Londoners had a potentially ambitious plan.

ByEmilio Galantini May 1, 2025

Manager Mikel Arteta has already admitted that the club are set for a “big” summer after Berta’s arrival, and the Spaniard is “excited” by what could be in store.

“It’s going to be a big one, and we are very excited about it,” said Arteta on Arsenal’s transfer plans ahead of next season.

Bournemouth (home)

May 3rd

Liverpool (away)

May 11th

Newcastle United (home)

May 18th

Southampton (away)

May 25th

“When you are going to go again, we want to increase the depth of the squad and the quality and the skills that we need to go to the next step. Every summer is big because it is an opportunity and especially because of the number of players we have in the squad right now, that is necessary.

“But it’s a big summer for many things, because first of all, we have to maintain the good foundations that we have and then, obviously, how can we improve and evolve the team.”

Arsenal are believed to be in the market for a second-choice keeper, full-back, midfielder, left-winger, right-winger and striker (GiveMeSport), with a host of players looking set to depart N5.

Neto will return to Bournemouth after his straight loan expires, while Kieran Tierney is off to Celtic after agreeing a pre-contract with his former club in the winter window.

Arsenal are expected to sell Oleksandr Zinchenko as well, and veteran midfielder Jorginho will be free to find a new club after his contract expires on June 30th – emphasising the need for new arrivals in key areas.

Thomas Partey and Arsenal are in negotiations over a contract extension right now, but a new midfielder remains high on Berta’s agenda, amid reports a deal for Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi is close.

Arsenal are internally behaving like they’ve already signed Zubimendi, according to David Ornstein. Meanwhile, as Arteta’s side also reportedly chase new wide options, Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey is emerging as an option.

Arsenal targeting Aston Villa star Jacob Ramsey

As per journalist Graeme Bailey, writing in a piece for The Boot Room, Arsenal are targeting Ramsey as a potential option, and a Villa Park exit for the 23-year-old isn’t entirely ruled out.

Ramsey has been a firm regular under Unai Emery this term, making 43 appearances in all competitions, where he’s predominantly featured on the left-wing. The Englishman could be a solid alternative to Gabriel Martinelli on that side, but Arsenal are not the only north London club to conjure up ideas about signing Ramsey.

According to The Times, Tottenham made a part-exchange bid for Ramsey, offering Villa £20 million plus Giovani Lo Celso, but this offer was rejected out of hand.

Called an “all-round” player by ex-Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor, Ramsey’s rumoured price tag stands at around £50 million, so Berta will have to pay a significant fee if he wishes to seal an Arsenal deal.

Sunil Narine meanwhile slammed his career-best T20 score, in his 501st game

Sampath Bandarupalli03-Apr-2024272 for 7 – Kolkata Knight Riders’ total against Delhi Capitals in Visakhapatnam is the second-highest total in the IPL. The highest is 277 for 3 by Sunrisers Hyderabad, just last week against Mumbai Indians.The previous highest total by Knight Riders was 245 for 6 against Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) in 2018 in Indore, while the previous highest against Capitals was 223 for 3 by Chennai Super Kings in Delhi last year.18 – Sixes hit by Knight Riders in Visakhapatnam – the most by them in an IPL innings. Their previous highest was 17 against Super Kings in 2018 and against Kings XI Punjab in 2019.3 – Number of times Sunil Narine has completed a fifty inside the powerplay in the IPL. Only David Warner (6) has more fifties inside the powerplay in the IPL. Chris Gayle also has three such fifties.88 – Knight Riders’ total in the powerplay is their second-highest in the IPL, behind the 105 against Royal Challengers Bengaluru in 2017. It is also the highest powerplay total against Capitals and the highest by any team in IPL 2024.135 – Knight Riders’ total at the halfway stage of their innings. It is the third-highest first-ten-overs total in the IPL, behind the 148 by Sunrisers Hyderabad and 141 by Mumbai Indians during last week’s big bash.19y, 303d* – Angkrish Raghuvanshi’s age coming into the match. He is the second-youngest of the 23 players with a fifty-plus score in their maiden IPL innings behind Shreevats Goswami, who scored 52 on his IPL debut in 2008, a day after turning 19.25 – Balls Raghuvanshi needed to bring up his fifty. It is the second-fastest fifty scored in a maiden IPL innings, behind James Hopes’ 24-ball fifty on his debut in 2008.85 – Narine’s score against Capitals is the highest of his T20 career of 501 matches. Narine’s previous highest T20 score was 79 against Barbados Tridents in 2017.*Correction: A previous version of this article said Raghuvanshi was the youngest to score a half-century in his first IPL innings. He was, in fact, 19y 303d, and not 18y 303d, when he played his first IPL innings, and therefore was the second-youngest. These details have been updated in the headline and body of the article.

That apart, the defending champions look a strong unit packed with experience and batting depth

Deivarayan Muthu24-Mar-2022Where they finished in 2021Champions, after finishing second from bottom in IPL 2020.Potential first XI1 Ruturaj Gaikwad, 2 Robin Uthappa, 3 Moeen Ali/Devon Conway, 4 Ambati Rayudu, 5 Ravindra Jadeja (capt), 6 Shivam Dube, 7 MS Dhoni (wk), 8 Dwayne Bravo, 9 Rajvardhan Hangargekar, 10 Chris Jordan/Maheesh Theekshana, 11 Adam MilneAvailabilityChennai Super Kings’ pace spearhead Deepak Chahar is set to miss a large chunk of IPL 2022, if not more, with a quadriceps injury. The New Zealand trio of Devon Conway, Adam Milne and Mitchell Santner have been released from the national side for the forthcoming white-ball series against Netherlands and will be available to Super Kings for the entire IPL. South Africa’s Dwaine Pretorius, though, will miss their opening game, since he is involved in a white-ball series at home against Bangladesh. Moeen Ali, who was vital to Super Kings’ success last season, is a doubtful starter for their opener against Kolkata Knight Riders, having failed to secure the visa necessary to travel to India for the IPL.Chennai Super Kings squad for IPL 2022•ESPNcricinfo LtdBattingSuper Kings’ batting line-up wears a familiar look, with depth all the way up to No. 11 Milne – who has four first-class fifties and one List A half-century. However, there is no Faf du Plessis at the top and there might be no Moeen in the middle order for their opening game.If Super Kings prefer to fill the Chahar-sized hole with an overseas player, then Robin Uthappa, one of the heroes in their triumph last season, will partner Ruturaj Gaikwad at the top. In the likely absence of Moeen, Super Kings could hand an IPL debut to New Zealand batter Conway, who is rated highly by head coach Stephen Fleming. Ravindra Jadeja and Ambati Rayudu’s attacking intent and experience will once again be central to Super Kings posting or chasing above-par totals. Jadeja has also been elevated to captain after MS Dhoni stepped down from the role. The addition of Shivam Dube, the hard-hitting Mumbai allrounder, lends more heft to the middle order.Super Kings are usually averse to meddling with their combination, but they have fairly decent back-ups in the Tamil Nadu pair of N Jagadeesan and C Hari Nishaanth who have been with the squad for the past few years. Should Super Kings need them, or Odisha captain Subhranshu Senapati, at some point, they can fall back on their experience of practicing on the red-soil pitches in Surat in the lead-up to this season.BowlingChahar’s injury has shaken up the bowling attack, but Super Kings have plenty of other pace-bowling options – both local and overseas. Tushar Deshpande and Mukesh Choudhary have already had stints at Super Kings as net bowlers while Chris Jordan and Pretorius are multidimensional players although neither are powerplay specialists. A left-field option to replace Chahar is Sri Lanka’s mystery spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who often fronts up to bowl in the powerplay.New Zealand quick Milne, who can pound the deck with extra pace or bowl cutters into it, will likely operate in the middle overs and death as a ‘shock’ bowler, which Josh Hazlewood has done for Super Kings in the recent past. Dwayne Bravo is no longer the T20 phenom that he once was, and has also retired from internationals, but Super Kings still value his experience. Jordan is also prone to leaking runs at the death – he has conceded 9.67 runs an over during this phase in all T20 cricket since the 2016 World Cup.Rajvardhan Hangargekar boasts serious pace as well as lower-order muscle•ICC/Getty ImagesAnother cause for concern is the lack of a potent wristspinner. One-T20-old Prashant Solanki is the only wristspinner in the roster, having been picked on potential after impressing the team management at the nets last season. Having said that, Super Kings won the last IPL without using Karn Sharma’s legspin and he played Imran Tahir in just one game.Young player to watch out forIt’s not often that the Super Kings splurge INR 1.5 crore (USD 200,000) on an unproven talent. This time, however, with an eye to the future, they bid aggressively for Rajvardhan Hangargekar to eventually snatch him from Mumbai Indians’ grasp. A raw allrounder in the mould of Hardik Pandya, Hangargekar could potentially start the tournament for Super Kings, especially in the injury-enforced absence of Chahar.The 19-year-old can hit 140kph with the ball and can also muscle sixes lower down the order, traits that also attracted the interest of Lucknow Super Giants at the auction. Fresh from winning the Under-19 World Cup in the Caribbean, he is preparing to take the next big step in his career, under Dhoni’s mentorship.Coaching staffStephen Fleming (head coach), Michael Hussey (batting coach), L Balaji (bowling coach), Eric Simons (bowling consultant), Rajiv Kumar (fielding coach), Tommy Simsek (physiotherapist)Poll