Wayne Rooney and Tony Bellew were among the guests as Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford turned 30 by enjoying a boozy Bongos Bingo birthday party.
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Last week, Jude Bellingham scored his seventh goal for Real Madrid since signing in a high-profile initial £88.5m move from Borussia Dortmund, but that strike had closer ties to Newcastle United than one would think.
It was a smart finish supplied by veteran striker Joselu, who was returning the favour following the prodigious England international's excellent first-half pass.
The 20-year-old is more than just the talk of the town; he is the most coveted commodity in world football right now. But his burgeoning partnership with Joselu is one to behold, especially considering the forward blossomed late after falling flat at St. James' Park only several years ago.
When did Newcastle sign Joselu?
Newcastle completed the signing of Joselu from Premier League rivals Stoke City for around £5m in 2017, with the striker, then aged 27, expected to "fight for a position in the team", as said by manager Rafa Benitez.
He had somewhat flattered to deceive for the Potters, posting four goals and four assists apiece across his sole season at the club in 2015/16 before spending the following term on loan with Deportivo La Coruna in his homeland, but despite spending two terms with the Magpies he failed to demonstrate the full scale of his skills.
How did Joselu perform at Newcastle?
Completing 52 appearances across two campaigns, the 33-year-old would only manage to clinch seven strikes, also providing two assists, certainly not endearing himself to the Toon support.
According to WhoScored, the Spaniard's average shots per game at St. James' Park (1.6 and 1.1) across his two league campaigns have not been worse ever since, while his average 62.5% pass success rate was pretty dismal and emblematic of his struggles in cementing a regular starting berth and contributing to the fluidity.
It's no wonder he was shipped off to La Liga for just €2m (£1.7m) after his second season, with United fans rueing the failure to bring out his qualities on Tyneside.
But since signing for Alaves, this dynamic phenom really has come alive and is now revelling in a role at one of Europe's pre-eminent sides.
How good is Joselu now?
The £42k-per-week talisman completed a season-long loan move to Real Madrid in the summer from divisional rivals Espanyol, and given that he has already scored four goals and supplied two assists in the top-flight – starting just four times – Carlo Ancelotti might've made one of the shrewdest moves of the summer.
The six-cap Spain star (with four goals) has posted double-digits across the past four league campaigns in Spain, and looks to be on his way to doing so once again after his fine start in the capital, with Ancelotti describing him as "crucial" to the project.
Given that he is currently matching Newcastle's club-record £63m centre-forward Alexander Isak for league goals and surpassing him for assists this season – with the Swede scoring four and yet to assist – it's quite something to think that this once-languishing frontman now plays a starring role at one of Europe's most prosperous outfits.
Additionally, as per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for aerial wins, the top 13% for clearances and the top 19% for interceptions per 90, underscoring his tenacity and the value that he brings to the front of the Los Blancos ship.
While Isak is undoubtedly the better player, it is indeed interesting to note Joselu's resurgence, and with Newcastle starting their Champions League campaign so well this year, there's every chance of a reunion down the line.
With the halfway point just a few games away, it would be fair to say that, so far, this season has been a mixed bag for Chelsea.
On the one hand, Enzo Maresca’s side have looked incredible at points, beating the likes of Barcelona and Liverpool and then holding Premier League leaders Arsenal to a draw despite being down to ten men.
However, they’ve lost to the likes of Leeds United, Sunderland, Manchester United, and Brighton & Hove Albion, which has kept them from being genuine title contenders.
Moreover, several of Chelsea’s signings don’t seem to have added all that much to the side, with Jamie Gittens being an obvious example of someone struggling to adapt to the league. However, another player could be described as an even more pointless addition.
Gittens' poor start to life at Chelsea
When it was announced that Chelsea had finally secured the services of Gittens in the summer, there was an understandable level of excitement from fans and pundits alike.
After all, here was a young English talent who had just produced 17 goal involvements in 49 games for one of Germany’s biggest clubs and was so impressive at points that Sky Sports’ Dougie Critchley even labelled him “England’s best left winger.”
However, much of the hype around his arrival has now disappeared, as while he hasn’t been disastrous for the Blues, the former Dortmund star hasn’t been impressive either.
For example, in 19 appearances, totalling 855 minutes, the Reading-born ace has scored one goal and provided five assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 3.16 games, or every 142.5 minutes.
Worse still, three of those six goal involvements came in the League Cup, two came against promoted teams in the league, and the last one was an assist in the 5-1 drubbing of ten-man Ajax.
Gittens’ recent league form
Season
24/25
25/26
Appearances
32
12
Minutes
1784′
426′
Goals
8
0
Assists
4
2
Goal Involvements per Match
0.37
0.16
Minutes per Goal Involvement
148.66′
213′
All Stats via Transfermarkt
In other words, the only times in which the 21-year-old has turned up for the West Londoners have been in relatively easy games against far weaker opposition.
With all this in mind, it’s not exactly difficult to see why one analyst labelled him a “pointless signing.”
However, that tag might be more accurate for another of Chelsea’s summer signings.
The Chelsea signing more pointless than Gittens
The unfortunate truth for Maresca and Chelsea is that fans could argue that more than a few of their summer signings fall into the pointless category, be it Liam Delap, who has one goal to his name, or Alejandro Garnacho, who hasn’t been much better than Gittens.
Chalkboard
Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.
However, when it really comes down to it, what makes a signing truly pointless?
Surely a signing is pointless if the player in question cost a significant sum of money but rarely even plays, which is the situation Jorrel Hato finds himself in.
The Dutch defender joined the Blues from Ajax for around £40m in the summer and was the subject of plenty of hype from fans and pundits.
For example, respected talent scout Jacek Kulig labelled the youngster an “immense” prospect, and based on his performances for the Amsterdam outfit, it was easy to see why.
Hato’s senior Ajax record
Appearances
111
Starts
102
Minutes
9121′
Goals
4
Assists
9
Goal Involvements per Match
0.11
Minutes per Goal Involvement
701.61′
Points per Game
1.86
All Stats via Transfermarkt
Despite still being just 19 years old, the Rotterdam-born gem had made 111 competitive appearances for the club and captained them on multiple occasions before his move to West London.
On top of that, he had also won six senior caps for the Netherlands.
However, since his move, the versatile defender has made just eight appearances across all competitions, six of which have been starts.
Moreover, his last appearance came in the 2-2 draw against Qarabağ in the Champions League, a game in which he was at least partially at fault for both goals.
What makes this lack of gametime all the more confusing is that Maresca’s other defensive options at this time have hardly been spectacular, with Tosin Adarabioyo particularly poor.
Ultimately, Chelsea might turn to Hato more as the season progresses, but as things stand, his lack of any real game time is making him look like an even more pointless signing than Gittens.
Chelsea's next star: BlueCo have signed a talent who's like Estevao & Caicedo
The hugely exciting wonderkid has been compared to two of Chelsea’s best players.
ByJack Salveson Holmes 4 days ago
Arsenal may have already spent big this summer, but they could be set to blow all other transfers out of the water with a late swoop on deadline day.
Who could Arsenal sign this summer?
With a new central midfielder in Declan Rice, and Kai Havertz offering plenty of offensive versatility, it is just the unfortunate injury to Jurrien Timber that stops this from being a near-faultless window littered with new faces.
However, with the German's stuttering start to the Premier League campaign, the frontline remains an area decidedly unimproved despite the consistent injury woes of Gabriel Jesus.
That's not to suggest that they haven't been linked with alternatives too, with FootballTransfers journalist Steve Kay even touting their interest in the towering forward Victor Osimhen, albeit for next year.
Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…
With the Nigeria international exceptionally sought-after this summer, as the window narrows with each passing hour, he somehow still remains a Napoli player.
This is likely due to his mouth-watering price tag, which reportedly sits at no less than €100m (£86m).
Perhaps sporting director Edu and manager Mikel Arteta could seek to fast-track their interest in the outstanding striker, plotting a late move to add to their numerous lucrative signings already.
How good is Victor Osimhen?
With the Spanish manager employing an economical, possession-based style of football, the likes of which often suit a smaller, more technical brand of player, this would be a signing that raised eyebrows, not least due to the price tag.
However, in today's market, such a fee is commonplace for a player of this calibre, especially given how 30-year-old Harry Kane traded Tottenham Hotspur for Bayern Munich in a similar deal.
The 24-year-old would offer a wildly different physical profile to Jesus, but perhaps that is exactly what the Gunners need to help them take the next step to usurp Manchester City.
After all, that is exactly what Pep Guardiola did with Erling Haaland, investing in the Norway international knowing that he would provide the key difference to push them to Champions League glory. His success surpassed even that though, playing a vital role in their historic treble success.
The 23-year-old scored 52 goals across all competitions, breaking the Premier League scoring record for a single season with his pace, power and proficiency proving near-unstoppable.
Given how the Cityzens went blow for blow with the north London outfit for much of the league season, a swoop for Osimhen could level the playing field by giving them their own goalscoring titan with which to feed off.
Especially given that FBref helps to emphasise their similarities by including the former Borussia Dortmund star on his 'similar players' list, likely boosted by their 6 foot 4 and 6 foot 1 respective frame, and ability to find the net with regularity.
Osihmen was a key factor in Napoli's Serie A success last term, as if to emphasise his title-winning pedigree, scoring 26 and assisting five in the league.
Such consistency unsurprisingly led to widespread praise, which writer Matteo Bonetti led:
"Victor Osimhen is absolutely world-class. What a ridiculously good goal that was."
Having shown a history of mimicking Guardiola's movements, given Edu has already plucked Oleksandr Zinchenko and Jesus from the Etihad whilst Arteta has largely borrowed from his philosophy, this emulation could mark his greatest success that truly makes for a competitive title race that lasts the entire campaign.
وقع مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي برئاسة محمود الخطيب، اتفاق مشروع القرن (مدنية النادي الأهلي الرياضية) وذلك خلال الاحتفالية التي أقيمت بمقر القلعة الحمراء في الشيخ زايد.
وأقام النادي الأهلي، مساء أمس الثلاثاء، في مقره بالشيخ زايد، احتفالية للإعلان عن تفاصيل استاد الأهلي الجديد (حفل تدشين مشروع القرن)
طالع | “حلم وحق للجماهير”.. محمود الخطيب يوضح تفاصيل إنشاء استاد الأهلي الجديد
ووفقاً للموقع الرسمي للنادي الأهلي، فإن مشروع القرن، يشمل مدنية رياضية تضم استاد بسعة 42 ألف مقعد ومتحف وجامعة ومدرسة وفندق ومستشفي رياضي، على أن يتم تنفيذ المشروع في خلال 4 سنوات.
وجاء بيان النادي الأهلي على النحو التالي:
شهد مجلس إدارة النادي الأهلي، برئاسة الكابتن محمود الخطيب مساء اليوم، توقيع الاتفاق الإطاري لمشروع القرن (مدينة النادي الأهلي الرياضية) بين شركة الأهلي للمنشآت الرياضية وشركة القلعة الحمراء لإدارة المنشآت والتي تقود تحالفًا مكونًا من 15 شركة عالمية وعربية، بهدف تمويل وتصميم وإنشاء وتشغيل مدينة الأهلي الرياضية.
وتضم المدينة الرياضية استاد النادي الأهلي الجديد بالشيخ زايد بسعة 42 ألف مقعد، ومتحف النادي الأهلي، بالإضافة إلى جامعة رياضية ومدرسة وفندق ومستشفى رياضي.
يضم التحالف 15 شركة عالمية وعربية (شركة بلتون لترويج وتغطية الاكتتاب، وشركة بالم سبورت الإماراتية، وهيلتون الدولية، والخبير العالمي ستيفن ويبرينك، وشركة الإسكندرية للخدمات الطبية، وشركة محرم باخوم للاستشارات الهندسية، وشركة أبناء سيناء للتشييد والبناء، والشركة المصرية للإنشاءات، وديستانس ستوديو للاستشارات، ومجموعة الاستشارات الهندسية، ومجموعة تروجان للمقاولات العامة الإماراتية، وشركة بوجيرتمان، وشركة كابيتال بلو للتسويق).
MatériaMais Notícias
Torcidas organizadas dos três clubes de maior torcida no estado de Pernambuco (Náutico, Santa Cruz e Sport) são alvos das operações Returno I e Returno II realizadas pela Polícia Civil estadual.
O início dessas operações ocorreram nessa terça-feira (15) onde 11 mandados de prisão e oito mandados de busca e apreensão foram expedidos nos procedimentos gerenciados pelo delegado Paulo Moraes, chefe da Delegacia de Repressão à Intolerância Esportiva (DPRIE).
Pensando na questão do sigilo e segurança da sequência das investigações, poucas informações foram confirmadas pelo órgão. Algo que não inclui detalhes sobre quais dados estão sendo buscados ou mesmo a identidade das organizadas que estão no escopo das operações policiais realizadas nas cidades deAbreu e Lima, Camaragibe,Itamaracá e a capital, Recife.
Um dos elementos que foi apurado junto as autoridades é de que a confusão envolvendo torcedores de Santa Cruz e Sport em fevereiro desse ano na festa de comemoração dos 106 anos da Cobra Coral está inclusa nas investigações em crimes como dano ao patrimônio, lesão corporal e corrupção de menores.
Segundo informação do portal ‘JC’, as operações tiveram, como um de seus alvos, o atual presidente da Torcida Jovem do Sport, Henrique Marques Ferreira.
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With fitness being on agenda, India players have become better athletes, their ground fielding has improved, but nobody from the camp has been able to say why the same fielders seem to resemble non-stick cookware at slips
Sidharth Monga06-Dec-2017This was the second time in 2017 that India’s spinners have failed to do something that used to be a given: force a result on the final day. However, considering the dead pitch, they might look back on the second and third days in the search for turning points. India were riding a massive wave of momentum and yet their slip fielders couldn’t even catch a cold despite the bad Delhi air.Dilruwan Perera, dropped once at second slip, and Angelo Mathews, let off twice, went on to bat valuable time – Mathews scored a century – that proved to be the difference in the final equation.This Indian team’s standing against those of the past will become clear over the next year but one thing is certain: the slip catching is decidedly worse, and worryingly it has not improved at all since they came together. There have to be questions asked of the fielding coach and the management because their technique remains largely faulty: fielders keep getting up too early and hands remain just as hard.There seems to be one silver lining. Cheteshwar Pujara seems to be doing okay at first slip, and he was the man left defending his neighbours after the end of the Delhi Test. “To be honest, we haven’t fielded well and I will accept that,” he said when asked about the lack of improvement in the cordon. “At the same time, there have been injuries where openers have missed out, someone like M Vijay, who used to be at first slip didn’t play due to injury, he didn’t play cricket for six months. So we had to replace Vijay with someone.”We haven’t taken many catches but we will definitely get better at it. Overall, Indian team has improved as a fielding unit but slip fielding is something we are still looking to improve.”Virat Kohli leads the team out on the third morning of the Delhi Test•BCCIWith fitness being on agenda, India players have become better athletes, their ground fielding has improved, but nobody from the camp has been able to say why the same fielders seem to resemble non-stick cookware at slips.”Difficult question to answer as I don’t know, technically, what is going wrong,” Pujara said. “I do agree that we haven’t taken enough catches, we are working hard. To be honest, we put in a lot of hard work in our fielding. We know catching is very important. All players standing in the slips are taking 50 to 100 catches every day. So we are trying to improve ourselves, and eventually the results will come.”Pujara admitted India were aware that a revolving cordon can be a problem, and were looking to zero in on the candidates before starting the South Africa series. “We are having a chat about it, and we will assign a few players throughout the away series. We will prepare a few players who will be standing at the slips. We will discuss when we reach South Africa, but we are already talking about that.”There are two areas where India don’t seem to have a problem: first slip for spin and gully for quicks. Pujara was asked why that man was not being used at slip for fast bowlers too.”When we’re talking about defining a fielding position, Ajinkya [Rahane] has been fielding at gully for quite a long time,” Pujara said. “We don’t want to disturb him from there. And the way he’s fielding when the spinners are bowling, he is anyway at slips. He is set, we can’t keep on changing fielders. When he’s at gully, he knows the angles, he has the idea of where to stay when he starts fielding at gully.”Rahane’s batting has been a talking point with his getting only 17 runs in the whole series. “He has batted well overall,” Pujara said. “Any batsman will go through a phase where he might not score too many runs, and Ajinkya is going through the same thing. I think he is one of India’s best batsmen and has scored a lot of runs in India and even overseas. We fully support him, and I think he will make a comeback.”Technically, I really don’t need to tell him anything. He knows. He is a hard worker, he puts in lot of effort in his batting, fielding and fitness. He’s an all-round cricketer, and once he gets a 50 or more, he will get his confidence back and will be a very useful player in South Africa.”
The fast bowler conceded that he had even contemplated giving up the longest format and turning into a T20 specialist following multiple injuries
ESPNcricinfo staff18-Sep-2017
Nathan Coulter-Nile is ecstatic after removing Virat Kohli for a duck•Associated Press
Australia fast bowler Nathan Coulter-Nile feared that he would not return to international cricket after being ruled out of the last home summer due to a back injury. Coulter-Nile has struggled with injuries over the past two years. In September 2015, a recurring hamstring injury forced him out of the ODI series in England. He was later in the frame to make a Test debut in the home series against West Indies in the same year but dislocated his shoulder while playing for the Perth Scorchers during the Big Bash League. A lower back issue then forced him out of the Sri Lanka tour in 2016 and put him on a lengthy rehabilitation period.Coulter-Nile returned to action in the IPL earlier this year and claimed 15 wickets in eight matches for Kolkata Knight Riders but his international future remained uncertain after he was cut from the national contracts list. Injuries to Mitchell Starc and then Josh Hazlewood meant Coulter-Nile was back in Australia’s limited-overs side for the India tour. He took the new ball in the first ODI in Chennai and claimed three wickets in an incisive opening burst.”There were definitely periods where I wondered if I was ever going to play for Australia again,” Coulter-Nile told after taking 3 for 44 in the series opener. “I was always confident I could play for WA (Western Australia) and get through a domestic season. That’s a lot easier than the rigours and travel of playing for Australia. But it’s yet to be seen if I can get through an Aussie tour yet.”I thought long and hard about [giving up first-class cricket] and I ended up trying to give it another crack. After talking to JL (Justin Langer) and a few blokes, I think it’d just be mad to give up the dream at 29.”Coulter-Nile, who was playing his first ODI since the tri-series final in the Caribbean in June 2016, hit hard lengths with the new ball and pushed India’s top-order batsmen back. He then made the incisions with full balls outside off.Coulter-Nile had contemplated giving up the longest format and turning into a T20 gun for hire last month, but he now says that playing for Australia is still the “dream”.”I think it’s the dream of every kid playing in Australia,” he said. “It’s not about earning money in the IPL, it’s about playing Test cricket and representing your country on the big stage.”Coulter-Nile is into his fifth year in international cricket, having played 17 ODIs and as many T20Is, but is yet to make his Test debut. He was in line for a Boxing Day debut in 2015, but a dislocated shoulder – sustained during the BBL – sidelined him.With Starc, Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and James Pattinson being the first-choice quicks, where does Coulter-Nile see himself in the pecking order?”I’m up near with them, but I’m not up with them,” he said. “But it’s the nature of cricket that those blokes aren’t fit all the time … which is why I’ve got the chance here. I’ve just got to be fit at the right time to get a break, I guess. My goals this year are to purely play well for WA. I’m confident I can get through for WA and just get my body into some sort of shape to play for Australia consistently.”
Russell Domingo conceded he will hand over an unfinished article to the person that succeeds him as South Africa’s head coach, but hopes he has given them plenty to build on. Domingo, whose contract expired at the conclusion of the England tour, appears resigned that his reapplication has failed and considers his four-year tenure over. Though he leaves behind a team that will require some work, Domingo reflected proudly on what he achieved in this time at the helm.”There are definite holes in the Test side that need bit a of attention, some tinkering which must take place,” Domingo said. “But I’ve loved my time. For a team that has a lot of challenges we’ve done okay.”When Domingo took over from Gary Kirsten in mid-2013, he inherited a side that had already reached their peak. Under Graeme Smith, South Africa were No.1 on the Test rankings and though Kirsten exited with an ICC tournament defeat in the Champions Trophy, South Africa were thought to be building solidly to the 2015 World Cup.Domingo’s first assignment was a limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka which went badly, but his Test team drew in the UAE and won at home against India. Then came the retirements.Jacques Kallis was the grinch who stole Christmas when he announced he would hang up his Test whites on that very day in 2013. The Boxing Day Test was his last. Three months later, with South Africa locked at 1-1 against Australia, Graeme Smith followed Kallis in the decider. The series was lost. A succession hunt bypassed AB de Villiers and found Hashim Amla, who led the team to victory in Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, and against West Indies at home. Following a wash-out against Bangladesh, India inflicted a massive defeat on their new-look team at the end of 2015. By then, the World Cup had been lost, amid political interference in selection for the semi-final. Dale Steyn and Vernon Philander were injured and a home series against England awaited.Things were tough and, when Amla gave up the Test captaincy, they got tougher. De Villiers accepted it amid anxiety over his workload and then got injured before he could bed into the role. Then came the transformation targets.After a ministerial ban on hosting major tournaments, CSA introduced a strict system for the national team that required them to field a minimum average of six players of colour including two black Africans over the course of a season. Because the national side had resisted radical change for so long, such measures had to be forced on them.The fuss that arose from this toxic mix of sport and politics – which is entirely necessary in a country like South Africa – made it seem as though all hope was lost. But when Faf du Plessis took over, South Africa enjoyed a summer of success in 2016-17 and redemption was in sight. Then came the Kolpaks.Eight recently capped Test players chose county over country, including Kyle Abbott, who walked out on the team midway through their series win over Sri Lanka, and South Africa toured England with a depleted squad, and duly lost in an ICC event and a Test series. That is how Domingo will bow out.”It’s been tricky,” is how he summed it up. “I took over a side that was established, then lost a lot of players, went through a dip, re-established some, lost a few players again, we sort of established something again, but then we lost Dale, Vernon and AB and that sets you back a little bit more.”In all of that, Domingo sees opportunity because, despite those three big challenges, South Africa continue to produce quality cricketers. He singled out two of them – Keshav Maharaj and Temba Bavuma – as future stars. Maharaj was South Africa’s second-highest wicket-taker in the England series and has operated as their sole specialist spinner since November, while Bavuma, despite only one hundred to his name, has shown the temperament and technique to score big runs.”I think Keshav is going to be the best spinner South Africa’s ever had. He’s fantastic, think of the roles he can fulfill. He’s a fantastic young bowler,” Domingo said. “And Temba Bavuma has shown so much promise. I honestly believe he’s got the technique to become one of South Africa’s best players, but you’ve got to persevere with him. You can’t just, after 20 Tests, because he’s averaging 30, get rid of him. You’ve got to invest in those types of players. You’ve got to give them time to develop.”And Domingo believes there will be many more even though that depth appears absent at the moment. “We will always produce good young cricketers because of our schooling system,” Domingo said. “The challenge is keeping the players within the system. Look at the number of players playing abroad – you could pick a pretty strong side from the players playing abroad, That’s the big challenge facing South African cricket – it’s about providing opportunities for all those players to feature in our system, somehow.”One of Domingo’s frustrations during his time in charge was the number of South Africans who played T20 leagues and then either picked up injuries or were fatigued by the time they were needed for national duty. De Villiers was a case in point. His elbow injury was at its worst after the CPL in 2016, which then ruled him out of most of the following season.CSA have tried to prevent that from happening again with the introduction of their own franchised T20 tournaments, which will kick off this year. Although that means South African players will have wall-to-wall action from the end of September, when they host Bangladesh, until the beginning of April, when they play Australia, Domingo hopes the league will serve as an incentive to keep players in the country.”We need to make sure that you have some sort of control of your players, so they are not playing in the Caribbean League week in and week out or trying to play in the Big Bash. They’ll play in the IPL and they’ll play in our domestic T20 league – that’s sort of what you’re hoping for,” he said. “It also provides an opportunity to develop some new players, just look what the IPL has done for India, the number of young players that have come through because they are playing with some great players. It’s a massive learning curve to play with the old experienced players – there are massive benefits for them.”As for Domingo, he could end up working with some of those players. While he has no firm plans on his future, he has been linked with the South Africa A side and the under-19 side and will try to continue to serve South African cricket. “I’d like to stay in South African cricket,” he said. “I’ve got a young family, my roots are in South Africa, my family’s in South Africa, I want to stay in South Africa. Whichever level I coach at, that’s my job, that’s what I love doing and as long as I can play some part in South African cricket I’ll be glad to stay.”
Arsenal continue to be linked with a host of potential new signings despite their proactivity, yet there is one freshly touted option that could form a frightening partnership with another of their summer additions…
Who is joining Arsenal this summer?
The latest transfer claim comes courtesy of French outlet RMC Sport, who suggest that the Gunners remain interested in signing Montpellier forward Elye Wahi.
Having enjoyed a truly outstanding season in his homeland, the 20-year-old finisher has unsurprisingly begun to garner widespread interest. Although Chelsea are noted as a potential destination, it is said that Mikel Arteta has enquired regarding his availability. Talks are expected to continue in the coming days.
Having had a €40m (£34m) price tag slapped on him back in May, the Frenchman will not come cheap despite his lack of experience. He would add to a transfer window of vast change for the north London outfit, having already welcomed Jurrien Timber, Declan Rice and Kai Havertz to the Emirates.
It is the latter of this trio that would likely benefit most from the proposed deal.
How good is Elye Wahi?
With Chelsea having endured one of their toughest campaigns in recent history, their German maestro unsurprisingly suffered too. Especially since he was often deployed as a centre-forward, despite his preferred position being deeper.
As such, he was often lambasted for his lack of cutting-edge and consistency, despite scoring nine goals in all competitions.
Should Wahi enter the fold at the Emirates, to compete with Gabriel Jesus, at last, the 24-year-old magician will be allowed to move into his starring role, where he can instead shine just behind the striker, dictating the play.
After all, when compared to other forwards across Europe, he does rank in the top 9% for progressive passes per 90, and did manage to average 1.1 key passes per game last term in the league too.
Combining this kind of creativity with the speed and directness of Wahi would offer a new dimension to the slow, mediated build-up that Arteta has been famed for. The young marksman did notch 19 goals in Ligue 1 last term alongside a further six assists, as if to outline his goalscoring credentials.
He also did so with a 30% conversion rate, suggesting that should Havertz create, he can be safe in the knowledge that the German will often score.
Were the Gunners to tempt the France U21 international to join, it could even bare striking similarities with their capture of Nicolas Anelka back in 1997.
Moving from Paris Saint-Germain, the teenager joined under the newly-appointed Arsene Wenger and immediately fought for his first-team spot.
When it came, he proved instrumental in finally securing Arsenal that coveted Premier League title, recording 12 goal contributions in the league and even scoring in their FA Cup final win as they claimed the double.
The year following he would record a further 17 league goals, truly establishing himself as a fine asset for his legendary French coach.
His confidence to move to a new country at such a young age paid off, and with an injury to Ian Wright handing him his chance, he never looked back.
Wahi could seek to emulate this path, as a compatriot sharing many of the physical similarities with the 44-year-old.
The two stand at 6 foot and 6 foot 1 respectively, and were blessed with lightning-quick speed and an ability to leave defenders for dead whilst playing on the shoulder.
Such a notion is emphasised by words from his national team coach at youth level, Sylvain Rippol, noted:
"He's a racy player, a space-taking player who hurts the opponent in behind and who makes them retreat. There are not many like him. And when I see the form of Elye, over the last few months, of course, the squad needs his qualities."
Perhaps a switch to north London could kickstart his career in the same way it did Anelka's, who would go on to win two English leagues, three FA Cups, one Italian league, a Champions League and a European Championship.