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Eight-week exclusivity period extended until end of April as contract negotiations continue

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Mar-2025

The exclusivity period for the eight prospective buyers of stakes in the Hundred has been extended until the end of April, after concerns were raised about the terms of the agreement, in particular those relating to future broadcasting rights.The ECB’s landmark equity sale concluded in mid-February and is expected to result in a cash injection of approximately £520 million into English cricket, following the sales of at least 49% stakes in each of the eight existing teams.However, as reported by the Daily Telegraph, the ECB has received pushback on the terms of the agreement from four of the interested parties, including the investors in both London Spirit and Oval Invincibles, the two London-based teams that received the highest valuations in the sales process.Reliance Industries, owned by India’s Ambani family, is set to pay £60 million for its 49% stake in Oval Invincibles, while Cricket Investor Holdings, the American tech consortium in negotiations with MCC, valued its own 49% stake in London Spirit at £145 million.Related

The Hundred to introduce player auction for 2026 season

ECB consider 'de-coupling' Women's Hundred in bid for standalone sell-outs

Lancashire CEO: Give BCCI Hundred stake to unlock Indian players

Hundred sale explainer: Who has bought what and for how much?

Moeen Ali set to skip Hundred as part of English domestic retirement

The Indian owners of Manchester Originals and Northern Superchargers are also understood to have reservations about the ECB’s participation agreement, a key legal document which will determine how the tournament’s television rights are sold in the future.The Hundred is currently part of the ECB’s exclusive domestic rights deal with Sky Sports, which also covers international cricket and is up for renewal for the 2028 to 2032 cycle. The new owners are understood to have queried this model, arguing that the competition ought to be available as a separate entity to the highest bidder.None of the eight franchises are planning to sign their agreements until all of the new owners are satisfied with the arrangements. ESPNcricinfo understands that an extension to the eight-week exclusivity period had always been likely given the complexity of the negotiations.No major changes are anticipated for the 2025 edition of the tournament, which commences on August 5, when London Spirit host Oval Invincibles at Lord’s.

There will be a player draft as well as a round of pre-draft signings ahead of the tournament

ESPNcricinfo staff11-Jan-2025The 13th edition of the men’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will be held from August 14 to September 21 this year, Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the CPL announced on Friday. “Once again there will be no clash with West Indies international matches,” a CPL statement said.”We are pleased to have once again worked with Cricket West Indies to find a window that allows the very best players from across the region to take part in the CPL,” Pete Russell, the CPL chief executive, said. “The 2024 season was our most successful to date and we are looking forward to building on that success in 2025.”As has been the case since 2022, there will be 30 league-stage matches featuring the six teams, followed by four playoffs – the eliminator, two qualifiers, and the final. St Lucia Kings are the defending champions, and the tournament will feature losing 2024 finalists Guyana Amazon Warriors, Barbados Royals, Trinbago Knight Riders, St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and Antigua and Barbuda Falcons, who replaced Jamaica Tallawahs before the 2024 edition.Lynford Inverary, acting chief executive and chief operating officer of CWI, said, “While CWI continues to take a leading role in shaping our overall cricket calendar, the CPL remains a key part of our cricketing ecosystem, playing an important role in the development and promotion of the game throughout the Caribbean.”Specifics in terms of venues, fixtures, etc will be announced later. There will be a draft as well as a round of pre-draft signings for the teams to get their squads in place.

Next season feels like it’s going to be a massive one for Chelsea.

Enzo Maresca’s side are coming off a brilliant campaign in which they secured Champions League football, won the Conference League and even beat Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the Club World Cup.

Add to that the brilliant work the club have been doing in the transfer market by signing players like Joao Pedro and Jamie Gittens, and it’s hard not to see them taking another step forward.

Moreover, the West Londoners appear to be looking to do even more in the market, with links to Xavi Simons heating up in recent days.

However, to bring him in, they may need to offload another attacker first, or simultaneously.

Why Chelsea would want to sign Simons

Chelsea have been linked with Simons for what feels like a couple of weeks now, but it’s been in the last few days that things have started to heat up, with some reports claiming personal terms have already been agreed, and that RB Leipzig are holding out for a fee of around £61m.

Now, that is most certainly a lot of money, but with how well the Dutchman has played in recent seasons, and the potential so many believe him to possess, that could be a fee that looks like fair value a few years from now.

For example, in just 33 games last season, totalling just 2763 minutes, the 22-year-old “game-changer,” as dubbed by talent scout Jacek Kulig, scored 11 goals and provided eight assists.

That means the 22-year-old phenom managed to average a goal involvement every 1.73 games, or every 144 minutes, which is made all the more impressive by the fact that Leipzig struggled massively and ended up finishing in seventh place, outside all European places.

Another reason the Blues should be looking to sign the former Paris Saint-Germain prospect is his positional versatility.

For example, while one analyst recently described him as “one of the best 10s in the world,” the Amsterdam-born dynamo is more than capable of playing on either flank, and has even made several appearances up top.

In all, Simons is worth splashing the cash on, but to make room for him in the squad and to help with the financial side of things, Chelsea might need to move someone on first, and it looks like they may well do so.

The star Chelsea could move on

Chelsea have already made several sales this summer, with Noni Madueke and Kepa Arrizabalaga making the increasingly common move to Arsenal, and most recently, João Félix moving to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

However, it now looks like they could be making even more room for new attacking signings by potentially moving on Christopher Nkunku.

At least that is according to a recent report from Sports Zone, which has revealed that during talks about Simons, Leipzig have expressed “genuine interest” in re-signing the French forward.

The 27-year-old moved to Stamford Bridge for £52m in the summer of 2023, and it’s not entirely clear whether he’d go back to Germany for a fee or as part of a swap deal, but this feels like an exit the Blues should facilitate.

It’s not that the previously “unstoppable” attacker, as journalist Zach Lowy described him during his time with Leipzig, has been terrible for the West Londoners, but he has been undeniably underwhelming.

Yet, while his tally of 18 goals and five assists in 62 appearances isn’t dreadful, it’s important to note the competitions in which the vast majority of those goal involvements came.

For example, of his 18 goals, five came in the Conference League, two in the qualifiers and three in the League Cup – in other words, he’s been a second-string player at best.

What makes that somewhat of a problem is the fact he’s not earning the wage of a second-string player; instead, he’s taking home a hefty £195k-per-week, which made him the fourth-highest earner last season.

Ultimately, if Chelsea can move on Nkunku this summer and get his wages off the books, that would be great, and it’d be even better if his exit helped facilitate a move for Simons.

A better signing than Garnacho: Chelsea make contact for £43m PL "monster"

The international star might be just the player Chelsea need.

By
Jack Salveson Holmes

Aug 1, 2025

Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird is in no rush to appoint Nick Hockley’s successor, with the outgoing CEO’s March exit still a flexible date.Hockley addressed his last AGM as the sport’s boss on Thursday, as Cricket Australia delivered a better-than-expected AU$31.9 million loss for the financial year.Officials have launched a global search for Hockley’s replacement, after the chief executive announced his impending exit last August.Related

• ICC could introduce dedicated fund to reinforce Test cricket outside Big Three

• Nick Hockley to step down as Cricket Australia chief executive

Players’ union boss and former NRL CEO Todd Greenberg remains the front-runner for the role, while AAP is aware of interest from other CA executives.Hockley had flagged a March exit when he announced his decision to move on, but remains open to staying beyond that if a replacement is not readily available.”The process is under way,” Baird said. “There is not surprisingly a huge amount of interest in the role. We will run through that in a considered way as a board, there is no rush.”We want to make sure we get the right person for the next phase. Nick remains here and has a huge amount to do. We expect to be able to meet the timeline, but we’re very relaxed.”CA’s annual loss came in what was always expected to be a down year for the organisation, with neither England or India touring last summer.The deficit was also greater than in the 2022-23 season, given that year’s finances were propped up by hosting the men’s T20 World Cup.The annual result left the sport’s cash reserves at $25.7 million amid estimations of the Covid pandemic leaving the sport with a $100 million hit.”The expectation is at the end of these two years we will have reserves in excess of $70 million,” Baird said. “It’s obviously a huge uplift relative to where we have been … we’re very bullish about the next two [summers] and it’s reflected in the forecast.”Hockley insisted moves had been made to make CA’s budget more resilient against summers without India or England, through new content, investments, cost-efficiency moves and greater digital assets.Baird also indicated Australia were pushing ahead with plans for a Test fund with the ICC, in a bid to support nations outside of the big three and safeguard the red-ball game.Meanwhile, CA directors Lachlan Henderson, Greg Rowell and Clea Smith were all re-elected at Thursday’s meeting. Fellow director Paul Green announced he would soon step down.

West Ham United fans will be hoping Graham Potter finds his groove in the Hammers’ hot seat this coming Premier League season, after experiencing an underwhelming start to life in East London.

Potter won’t want another blunder damaging his managerial CV, akin to his Chelsea misfire, with only five victories coming his way last season from 19 games.

He will be nervous about what lies ahead, therefore, especially as he grows accustomed to not having Mohammed Kudus at his disposal, with the ex-Irons star costing London rivals Tottenham Hotspur £55m to snap up.

Still, there’s plenty of time for West Ham to make a splash in the transfer market with some of their own exhilarating signings, as a new £35m ace emerges on their radar.

West Ham weighing up £35m transfer

In all fairness, away from the disappointment of Kudus leaving, West Ham have made some impressive signings here and there.

Indeed, Jean Clair-Todibo has now made his Hammers move permanent this summer, alongside both El Hadji Malick Diouf and Kyle Walker-Peters joining in quick succession to further bolster Potter’s options at the back.

Now, the task at hand will be to improve the attack at the London Stadium in the wake of Kudus upping and leaving, with reports now suggesting West Ham are weighing up a £35m move for Manchester City outcast James McAtee.

The Telegraph has stated that this is City’s asking price amid interest also coming from Nottingham Forest, but the Hammers and the Tricky Trees, who are pushing to seal his signature, would much rather do a deal around the £20m-25m price range instead.

Potter’s side might just have to bite the bullet if Pep Guardiola’s outfit isn’t willing to budge, with McAtee perhaps going down as a bigger talent to obtain than Harvey Elliott, who has also consistently been talked about as another West Ham target this summer.

How McAtee could be a bigger talent than Elliott

Both midfielders in question are at a crossroads in their careers, having been talked up as shining, homegrown talents once upon a time, only to now find themselves stuck on the periphery.

Between them last season, both McAtee and Elliott would only start a meagre five Premier League clashes, with a fresh move to the London Stadium just the switch the ex-Sheffield United loanee needs to show off his class on a more consistent basis.

Despite such limited opportunities, McAtee still managed to chip in with a high seven goals in all competitions, with three of those efforts coming his way in the bread and butter of the top-flight, on top of also managing to break his initial City duck in the illustrious Champions League.

Elliott falls just behind McAtee in his regard, with a slightly lesser five strikes managed on his end, with the hope now that the 22-year-old can come in and fill Kudus’ hole effectively, having displayed more of a flexibility across his fledgling career to date than his Reds counterpart has shown off.

AM

68

24

14

CM

47

26

14

RM

12

4

3

CF

8

3

3

RW

6

3

1

SS

4

0

1

LM

2

0

0

LW

1

0

0

McAtee could well morph into a new Kudus-like figure for Potter on his arrival, with the Salford-born talent an adaptable presence.

Indeed, he can line up as a number ten, as a right winger, or as a left winger, much like the Ghanaian, as seen in his impressive 38 goal contributions from the central number ten slot, on top of his equally high 40 goal-and-assist count as a traditional central midfielder, further highlighting his malleable nature.

On the contrary, the Liverpool number 19 has amassed just 12 goals and assists himself as an out-and-out number ten, with plenty more to frighteningly come from McAtee if he’s handed consistent minutes in East London.

The “incredible” number 87, as he’s been labelled previously by Guardiola, will be champing at the bit to be a leading man for a Premier League side – after also just lifting the Euros with the England U21s alongside Elliott – with West Ham perhaps gifting him that opportunity very shortly if £35m is coughed up.

Payet 2.0: West Ham in talks for £22.5m star who's "made for the big stage"

West Ham United have reportedly made contact to sign a player for just £22.5m, and he could be as good as Dimitri Payet in East London.

ByBen Gray Jul 18, 2025

He will miss Strikers’ first game due to the final Test of England’s tour of New Zealand

ESPNcricinfo staff22-Aug-2024England’s current stand-in Test captain Ollie Pope has signed with Adelaide Strikers and West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has joined Sydney Sixers to complete the pre-draft names in the BBL.Pope, who is leading England against Sri Lanka due to Ben Stokes’ hamstring injury, will be available for Strikers after the Test tour of New Zealand which finishes on December 18 which means he will miss at least their first match.Related

Paine makes rapid climb to Adelaide Strikers head coach

Shamar Joseph nominates for BBL draft; Harmanpreet confirmed for WBBL draft

Warner signs for full BBL, Smith inks three-year Sixers deal

Pope will be looking to build on a T20 record of 1295 runs at 28.77 and a strike-rate of 132.82. He had a lean time in the recent Hundred for London Spirit where he made 35 runs in five innings.He will have a chance to team up with Ashes adversaries Travis Head and Alex Carey, the latter who has signed a new four-year deal, when they are available for the BBL for a short window after the India Test series.”Ollie Pope is an exceptional talent with a proven track record at the highest level,” Tim Paine, Strikers’ new head coach, said. “His dynamic batting style and wicket-keeping abilities are a fantastic addition to our squad.”It was confirmed earlier in the week that Strikers had not taken allrounder Jamie Overton as their pre-draft signing but they will be able to use their retention option if needed during the draft itself if they wish to bring back the England allrounder who had a huge impact last season.AAP reported that Rashid Khan has not nominated for the draft meaning he will miss the BBL for the second consecutive season after being ruled out by injury last year. Afghanistan have international cricket scheduled during the first part of the BBL then Rashid has signed for the SA20.Akeal Hosein fills Steve O’Keefe’s shoesMeanwhile, Sydney Sixers have identified Hosein to fill the gap created by Steve O’Keefe’s retirement although he is only due to be available for the first seven games of the season due to an ILT20 deal with MI Emirates.From 2025-26 players signed under pre-draft agreements have to commit to the full BBL season but that is not the case for this season. Hosein took 13 wickets in nine matches for Melbourne Renegades in 2022-23 and played one further game for them last season as a late replacement.”With the retirement of Steve O’Keefe last season, we identified a gap for us to fill and Akeal is going to play a key role for us in that position,” Sixers general manager Rachael Haynes said. “We expect him to bowl some really important overs for us, but we also know he’s a talented fielder and a capable tail-end batter who’ll be able to provide crucial runs in the back end of an innings if required.The BBL draft will take place on September 1.BBL pre-draft signingsAdelaide Strikers: Ollie Pope
Brisbane Heat: Colin Munro
Hobart Hurricanes: Chris Jordan
Melbourne Renegades: Tim Seifert
Melbourne Stars: Tom Curran
Perth Scorchers: Finn Allen
Sydney Sixers: Akeal Hosein
Sydney Thunder: Sam Billings

أعلن توماس توخيل، المدير الفني للمنتخب الإنجليزي، عن تشكيلة فريقه لمواجهة أندورا، اليوم السبت، ضمن منافسات تصفيات كأس العالم 2026.

كأس العالم سوف ينطلق خلال شهر يونيو من العام المقبل، حيث تقام المسابقة في ثلاث دول وهي كندا والولايات المتحدة الأمريكية والمكسيك.

وتعتبر إنجلترا قريبة من التأهل إلى كأس العالم، وذلك بعد حصولها على تسع نقاط بالعلامة الكاملة من ثلاث انتصارات.

وتقع إنجلترا في المجموعة الـ11 إلى جانب كل من أندورا، وصربيا، وألبانيا، ولاتفيا.

تابع .. لاعب توتنهام عن شعوره كأول لاعب مسلم يمثل منتخب إنجلترا: نعمة من الله

وشهد تشكيل منتخب إنجلترا وجود مفاجآت كبيرة، حيث عول توخيل على خدمات لويس سكيلي، لاعب آرسنال الشاب في مركز الظهير الأيسر خلال لقاء اليوم.

كما يشارك لاعب نوتينجهام فورست الشاب، إليوت أندرسون في مركز خط الوسط، في حين يلعب دان بيرن، لاعب نيوكاسل يونايتد في مركز قلب الدفاع إلى جانب مارك جويهي، قائد كريستال بالاس. تشكيل إنجلترا اليوم أمام أندورا في تصفيات كأس العالم

حراسة المرمى: جوردان بيكفورد.

خط الدفاع: رييس جيمس، مارك جويهي، دان بيرن، لويس سكلي.

خط الوسط: إليوت أندرسون، ديكلان رايس، إيبيريتشي إيزي.

خط الهجوم: ماركوس راشفورد، نوني مادويكي، هاري كين.  

Rashid reiterated they’re happy to play the team, but have no direct control of things that happen beyond cricket

ESPNcricinfo staff23-Jun-20242:53

Rashid Khan: ‘Cricket is the only source of happiness back home’

Rashid Khan wishes “we could do something and wish there was a solution for it” but can’t do much about “some things which is not under the control of anyone in cricket.” The Afghanistan T20I captain was responding to whether beating Australia at the T20 World Cup on Saturday night in St Vincent gave them extra satisfaction.The backdrop to the question was in relation to Cricket Australia’s decision to not play Afghanistan bilaterally due to “a marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls” in the country. Earlier this year, Cricket Australia postponed a scheduled three-match T20I series with Afghanistan. CA have also postponed the hosting of a one-off Test for the same reason.”Well, we are sportsmen, and we love sports,” Rashid said at the post-match press conference. “People back home love sports. And I mentioned earlier, cricket is the only source of happiness back home. That’s the only source left in Afghanistan where people could celebrate. And if we keep that source away from us, I don’t know where Afghanistan will remain.Related

No bilateral cricket with Afghanistan till there's 'a level of progress', says CA chief

Afghanistan women request ICC to help set up a refugee team in Australia

Khawaja: Australia 'should be playing Afghanistan'

'Basic human rights is not politics' – CA responds to criticism from Afghanistan

Rashid after Afghanistan's win: One of our greatest T20 performances

“We sportsmen only think about the cricket. Everyone is saying sports bring the nation together and bring everyone together. So, for me, we’re always happy to play against any side, and that’s the only way where our cricket can improve day by day. Some things which are not under the control of anyone in cricket, and that’s something we can’t do anything about it. Wish we could do something, and wish that was a kind of solution for it, we would have been happy, but I don’t know what’s the solution for that.”Rashid had threatened to withdraw from the Big Bash League in 2023 after CA decided to postpone their ODI series. Rashid’s public stance joined a chorus of protests from Afghanistan’s male cricketers soon after ACB had termed CA’s statement over refusing to play Afghanistan due to the human rights crisis as “pathetic”.Rashid Khan reiterated Afghanistan are happy to play Australia•ICC/Getty Images

Rashid eventually softened his stance and put his name up in the drafts but was forced to miss the tournament through injury. On Sunday, Rashid reiterated they’re happy to play the team, but have no direct control of things that happen beyond cricket.”We’re happy to play any side, but as I mentioned earlier, some things, government, and political things, I don’t know much about these things, and I don’t like it as well. So, I have no answer for this, but my only thing always in mind is I love to play against the big teams. I love to travel all around the world to play and I have received so much so much love from everyone.”Whenever I go to Australia for Big Bash, I think I have got so much love and support from the fans there. They have given me so much love. In 2022 T20 World Cup, when we were playing in Adelaide against Australia, I got more support than them. And that was so satisfying.”Rashid reminisced the love and support he received in the aftermath of his father’s passing during the BBL in 2019, and termed fans in Adelaide [he plays for Adelaide Strikers] as “family”, while maintaining “cricket isn’t the solution for politics.””Playing in Australia, I’ve got massive support in every city. The hospitality I got in Australia, especially during the tough days in 2019 when my dad passed away, that was the hardest time for me when I was in Australia. And the amount of love and support I got from everyone in the team, and also the fans [was immense], I think I call them a family.”But as I said, I love to play all around the world. And those things which are not under the control, and cricket is not the solution, I don’t think we can bring sports into that. If there is another solution, you can take that. But don’t think cricket is the solution of politics and things like that.”So, yeah, if we play in the World Cup, why don’t we play in bilateral series? I think we’re happy to play against the best side. We learn from them. We get better day by day. But that’s the only thing I can say.”

Liverpool know they are heading into next season without Trent Alexander-Arnold amid his impending move to Real Madrid, and they could be set to lose another star player to the Spanish giants in the future, per reports.

Liverpool look to freshen up in the summer window

Arne Slot has done a miraculous job in the eyes of many Liverpool supporters and will be given backing by FSG to shape his squad following their Premier League title victory.

Nevertheless, Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid on a free transfer has delivered a sting in the tail, with the Dutchman now left without one of his best creative outlets from the end of this month.

Virgil Van Dijk and Mohamed Salah’s contract extensions have softened the blow somewhat, but there is a clear acknowledgement that the summer window will be a decisive one as the Reds seek to claim further silverware.

With the time for transfer business fast approaching, Liverpool are expected to make a ‘serious move’ for Lyon winger Malick Fofana despite Arsenal also remaining attentive to his situation.

Dean Huijsen and Murillo are candidates for the Reds to strengthen their backline from Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest respectively, though it remains to be seen whether either will arrive at Anfield to shore it up ahead of another challenging campaign.

Related Fabrizio Romano reveals what he's heard about Liverpool signing De Bruyne

Could a shock move to Anfield materialise this summer?

Posts ByHenry Jackson May 9, 2025

Second-season syndrome isn’t an evil Liverpool want to experience. Forward planning will be needed to ensure that doesn’t happen, and contingency plans have to be identified early to avoid uncomfortable scenarios.

Nevertheless, they could now be set for another considerable blow after the news that Real Madrid are lining up another one of their most talented assets on a free transfer.

Real Madrid looking to press ahead for Ibrahima Konate

Per reports in Spain, Real Madrid want to sign Ibrahima Konate from Liverpool in 2026 should the Frenchman opt against extending his current terms at Anfield.

The report notes that he has shown no willingness to sign a new contract and that his demands have created internal ‘tension’ on Merseyside, which may pave the way for an acrimonious exit next summer.

Ibrahima Konate’s statistics in 2024/25 – all competitions

Appearances

39

Goals

2

Assists

2

Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Manchester City are also keeping eyes on Konate’s situation, though Real Madrid are said to be in the box seat due to their experience in landing lucrative players without having to pay a transfer fee.

Labelled “outstanding” by Virgil van Dijk, the 25-year-old has won 128 duels this season on Premier League duty, becoming a mainstay in Slot’s Premier League-conquering side alongside the aforementioned Netherlands international.

Mooted to earn £70,000 per week at Liverpool, Konate may well be in the hunt for a significant pay rise – something his current employers haven’t been able to find an agreement on as of yet.

With his future firmly up in the air, the Reds may need to sit down sooner rather than later with his entourage to thrash out a deal.

It’s now a widely held opinion that the first point of call for Arsenal in the transfer window this summer should be a new striker.

In fact, it seems to be an opinion held by the club as well, with what feels like an endless steam of reports linking them to every prolific forward going.

However, the name that appears to be popping up more than any other at the moment is Viktor Gyokeres, who has been on fire for Sporting CP over the last two seasons, racking up 95 goals and 28 assists in just 100 appearances.

The Swedish marksman would undoubtedly improve the Gunners’ first team, but based on recent reports, the club may also be looking to smash their transfer record on another attacker, someone even more exciting than Gyokeres.

Arsenal's hunt for a new forward

Before getting to the star in question, it’s worth looking at some of the other exciting attackers linked with Arsenal in recent weeks, like Daizen Maeda and Rayan Cherki.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Expand Collapse

The former is said to be available for around £25m in the summer, and while he might not be the most exciting name around, his unreal output of 33 goals and 12 assists in 49 games this season more than makes up for that.

If the club would prefer to shop in a top-five league, then £30m for Cherki wouldn’t be the worst idea, as in just 43 games for Lyon this year, the Frenchman has scored 12 goals and provided 19 assists.

However, for a player to truly be more exciting than Gyokeres, they need to have been performing at a top level for quite some time, like Rafael Leao.

According to a recent report from GIVEMESPORT, Arsenal are one of several teams interested in the AC Milan star.

The report has revealed that the Portuguese international has made it onto the North Londoners’ shortlist ahead of the summer and that new Sporting Director Andera Berta is a big fan of his.

However, on top of some stiff competition from the likes of Chelsea and Barcelona, there is a chance the Gunners would have to pay the player’s £150m release clause, which would blow their previous transfer record of £105m on Declan Rice out of the water.

With that said, if Arsenal can find a way to sign Leao this summer, they should do it, as he’d be an incredible asset to the team and an even more exciting acquisition than Gyokeres.

Why Leao is more exciting than Gyokeres

Okay, so the first thing to say here is that, in an ideal world, Arsenal would sign both of these players, and given the incredible number of goals Gyokeres is scoring, there is a strong argument that he is what they need more.

However, we are not here to argue about the most necessary transfer; we’re just considering who would be more exciting at the Emirates, and for our money, that would be Leao.

After all, what is it that really gets fans off their feet during a game of football? It’s moments of magic, technical brilliance and inventiveness, which the AC Milan star has in spades.

Fans want to see their star players take defenders on and win, which is exactly what they’d get from the former LOSC Lille star, as The Athletic’s Alex Barke’s claim that he’s “one of the best dribblers in the world” is more than backed up by the data.

According to FBref, the “world-class” winger, as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, sits in the top 5% of all attacking midfielders and wingers in Europe’s top five leagues for successful take-ons, the top 6% for carries into the penalty area and the top 7% for attempted take-ons, all per 90.

If that’s not enough to convince you that the 25-year-old would have the Emirates crowd in the palm of his hands, then perhaps the description of him being like an “early Thierry Henry” from former Milan coach Stefano Pioli will.

Finally, while we are focussing on what the Almada-born entertainer is capable of doing in the build-up to goals, he’s no slouch when it comes to output either.

Leao’s Milan record

Appearances

259

Minutes

17698′

Goals

70

Assists

62

Goal Involvements per Match

0.50

Minutes per Goal Involvement

134.07′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

In 259 appearances for Milan, totalling 17698 minutes, the 39-capped superstar has scored 70 goals and provided 62 assists, which comes out to a goal involvement every 1.96 games, or every 134.07 minutes, which is unreal across a six-season period.

Ultimately, Arsenal should be looking to sign Gyokeres and Leao this summer, but when it comes down to pure entertainment value and their ability to excite the fans, we reckon Leao has an edge.

Related A sensational Havertz upgrade: Arsenal join race to sign £100m PL star

The talented goalscorer would add another string to Arsenal’s bow.

Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes May 15, 2025