All posts by h716a5.icu

Arsenal have wasted no time in drawing up plans for the summer transfer window, looking to finally end their two-decade wait for a Premier League title.

Mikel Arteta has done a superb job of transforming the squad during his near five-year spell in charge, but more work needs to be done to take them to the summit of the division.

Viktor Gyokeres has emerged as a huge target for the upcoming window, with new sporting director Andrea Berta making an immediate impact in pursuing a move for his signature.

Given his goalscoring record, which has seen him score 86 times in his 93 outings in the last two seasons, it’s understandable that the Gunners are pursuing a striker to bolster their forward line.

Should he move to North London in the summer, he could be joined by another player who’s been a constant target, with a new update emerging on his potential move to the club.

Arsenal make contact to land £51m talent

According to Sun Sport, Arsenal’s director Berta has already been in contact with the representatives of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi ahead of a summer move to the Emirates.

It was reported in January that a deal was on the verge of being agreed for this upcoming window, but no news has emerged since – with this the latest update on any transfer.

The Spanish international has made 29 LaLiga appearances this campaign, featuring in all but one of their league outings, showcasing his importance and quality.

The report claims that the hierarchy are still “working hard” on a deal to land the 26-year-old this summer, with the £51m release clause not thought to be an issue.

Any move for Zubimendi could provide added quality to the middle of Arteta’s side, allowing one player to return to his former best after his recent slump in form.

Why Zubimendi could decide Odegaard at Arsenal

Midfielder Martin Odegaard has been a player so often tasked with providing the goods for Arsenal in attacking areas but ultimately has struggled to deliver in recent months.

The Norwegian had a long injury layoff with an ankle issue but hasn’t been the same player since his return – leading to huge amounts of criticism in the process.

He’s also featured in more of a deeper role, taking away his best qualities with his intricate passing able to create chances for attackers within the final third.

Zubimendi, who’s a defensive midfielder, could be able to sit in front of the backline should he move in the coming months, freeing up Odegaard to go and create carnage further up the field.

The Spaniard, who’s been labelled “superb” by the Spanish Football Podcast, has excelled out of possession, having the quality to be the ball-winning talent the side have been crying out for.

He’s won 1.3 tackles per 90 to date, along with 5.4 duels won – coming out on top of the latter on 60% of the occasions he’s entered a battle with an opposition player.

Games played

29

Goals & assists

3

Pass accuracy

85%

Tackles won

1.3

Duels won

5.4

Duel success rate

60%

Dribbles completed

70%

However, he’s also got the passing ability to aid Odegaard in higher areas, registering an 85% pass completion rate, along with a 70% dribble success rate.

Whilst the club would have to fork out a pretty penny to secure his signature this summer, it’s evident that Zubimendi would be a player who could certainly increase the club’s title credentials.

As for Odegaard, he’s been an influential player in various title battles, with Arteta needing him to return to top form if they are to go one better next season – with the Sociedad star having a huge say in his fortunes if a deal is completed.

Better than Trossard: Arsenal ace who won 14 duels is hitting "cult status"

He’s been one of the bright sparks at the Emirates in recent weeks.

ByAngus Sinclair Apr 6, 2025

UAE coach Lalchand Rajput will be up against the team of his country of origin, whom he coached to the T20 World Cup truimph in 2007

Sidharth Monga09-Sep-20252:38

Best of Asia Cup feat. Kohli, Naseem, Rajapaksa and others

Big picture: It’s India against Lalchand Rajput’s UAEIt’s been a month and five days since the most lucrative banner in cricket took field. It is rare that India get such a long break from international cricket. They resume international cricket with a tournament that to the cynical mind exists so that other Asian boards can benefit from India’s economic heft and in turn support the BCCI in the boardroom. However, one mustn’t downplay the opportunity it gives to some of the smaller teams to play big-time opposition.Like UAE, India’s first opponents, who have played a full T20I tri- series since India last played international cricket. They came within a shot of upsetting Afghanistan even though they didn’t win a single match in the tournament. This is just the kind of tough cricket they needed before facing the best team in the world in a year in which their momentum of a bilateral series win against Bangladesh was thwarted by two defeats in ten days to Uganda in the Pearl of Africa series.Make no mistake, they are coming up against the reigning T20 world champions, who are not just the only team to have won every match in a T20 World Cup but one that has only got better since that campaign. India may have a small weakness in not having a specialist bowler who can hit sixes, but their specialist batting’s firepower and their specialist bowling’s uniqueness makes them strong contenders for being the best T20 empire ever created.Who else to know the powerhouse India have become than the UAE coach, Lalchand Rajput, who took India to their first T20 World Cup campaign when the superstars of the game were not even serious about the format? If Rajput and captain Muhammad Waseem can plot a win against India, it will be the upset of the year.Form guideIndia: WWLWW
UAE: LLLLLIn the spotlight: Shubman Gill and Simranjeet SinghIndia’s Test captain Shubman Gill is making a comeback into the T20I team. Not just any comeback but one as a vice-captain, which suggests he will take his opening position. There can be an argument made that he never lost the place, he was asked to vacate it as he prepared for what was perceived as more important cricket at that time. Now he comes back as India get a little more serious about their combination in the lead-up to their world title defence early next year. And he comes back with form: 650 runs in the IPL at a strike rate of 155.87 while batting within himself.Fellow Punjabi, Ludhiana’s Simranjeet Singh bowled to Gill in the nets when the India Test captain was about 12 years old. Always on the fringes of Punjab and Kings XI Punjab, left-arm spinner Simranjeet was stranded in Dubai during the Covid-19 lockdown. He ended up staying back, coaching young cricketers, and now, at 35, will come up against Gill, who has just turned 26.10:21

Does Samson get a place in India’s starting XI?

Team news: Will Sanju Samson get a chance?The big question for India is around Sanju Samson and the No. 8. If Gill takes the opening slot alongside Abhishek Sharma, does Samson bat at No. 3 or in the middle order or does he get to play at all? An ideal T20 combination won’t ask him to bat out of position or disrupt their Nos. 3 and 4, which should open the door for Jitesh Sharma to come back into the XI. Stranger things have happened, though, and there is a lot of popular backing for Samson.The other question for India is: do they play four specialist bowlers plus two allrounders and have no batting from No. 8 onwards or do they go three plus three? If they go four plus two, they could play both mystery spinners in Kuldeep Yadav Varun Chakravarthy, with Harshit Rana asked to do a batting job at No. 8. Three plus three will call for one of the spinners to be left out unless the pitch is a turner, which it doesn’t seem to be.India (possible): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Tilak Varma, 4 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 5 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun ChakravarthyAlishan Sharafu, back to opening the innings during the tri-series after an experiment to space the big hitters out through the order, should continue doing so with captain Waseem. Asif Khan and wicketkeeper Rahul Chopra should form the rest of the core of the batting. Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid and Haider Ali are the core of the bowling, with Simranjeet making an impression with figures of 4-0-24-1 in his only match this year.UAE (possible): 1 Muhammad Waseem (capt), 2 Alishan Sharafu, 3 Rahul Chopra (wk), 4 Asif Khan, 5 Muhammad Farooq, 6 Harshit Kaushik, 7 Muhammad Zohaib, 8 Muhammad Jawadullah/Saghir Khan, 9 Haider Ali, 10 Junaid Siddique, 11 Muhammad RohidPitch and conditionsWhen India played in Dubai earlier in the year, in the ODI Champions Trophy, they unleashed four spinners on a used surface. The pitches are likely to be fresher and livelier for the Asia Cup, which might call for more balanced attacks and a second specialist fast bowler to partner Jasprit Bumrah. The oppressive heat at this time of the year will test the conditioning of both the sides.Stats and trivia UAE have played India only once in T20Is, losing by nine wickets in the 2016 Asia Cup. They have also lost each of their three ODIs against India, the last of those in the 2015 World Cup. India hold a 24-3 win-loss record in T20Is since the start of the last T20 World Cup.

Southampton were hit with a hammer blow on Saturday when they conceded in the 97th minute to lose to Millwall at The Den in their last Championship game of the month.

After fighting to make it 2-2 through Fin Azaz, the Saints defence fell asleep at a crucial moment to allow Tristan Crama to sneak in unmarked at the back post to score the winner.

It was a brutal way to lose a game of football, but it was also the first loss of Tonda Eckert’s time in interim charge, after four wins in his first four games in the dugout.

The latest on Tonda Eckert's future at Southampton

Football Insider recently reported that the German tactician is in the driving seat to land the role on a permanent basis, thanks to winning his first four matches in the Championship.

Manager Focus

Who are the greatest coaches in the land? Football FanCast’s Manager Focus series aims to reveal all.

The outlet claimed that the former U21s boss is the leading candidate to take the job from Sport Republic, ahead of more experienced managers who have been on the shortlist, including, but not limited to, Russell Martin.

However, Football Insider added that Eckert will still be given more time before a final decision is made, and that a permanent appointment is not imminent at this moment in time.

With this in mind, there is still time for Southampton to look elsewhere for their next manager, which is why they should push to hire Brendan Rodgers, who was linked with the role shortly after Will Still’s departure.

Why Southampton should hire Brendan Rodgers

Sport Republic, as they will, need to consider the short and long-term consequences with their next managerial appointment, because there are two elements at play.

In the short term, they need a manager, whether that is Eckert or someone else, who can guide the team up the table and into promotion contention to get back to the Premier League.

However, in the long term, the Saints need a boss who can then guide them to safety in the top-flight, because Martin was unable to do that after winning promotion with the club, which illustrates the importance of hiring a manager who can achieve both tasks.

Rodgers, once described as “world-class” by Gabby Agbonlahor, is a highly experienced Premier League manager who knows what it takes to be successful at that level, having managed Leicester, Liverpool, and Swansea in the top-flight.

22/23 (Leicester)

28

19

21/22 (Leicester)

38

8th

20/21 (Leicester)

38

5th

19/20 (Leicester)

38

5th

18/19 (Leicester)

10

9th

15/16 (Liverpool)

8

10th

14/15 (Liverpool)

38

6th

13/14 (Liverpool)

38

2nd

12/13 (Liverpool)

38

7th

11/12 (Swansea)

38

11th

As you can see in the table above, the only season that Rodgers did not have his team competing for a top-half finish was when he was sacked with ten matches to go in the 2022/23 campaign.

His overall history in the division suggests that he has the managerial chops to keep the Saints in the Premier League if they earn promotion, whilst Eckert has no previous experience at that level and would go in as a novice in that respect, just as Martin did.

Meanwhile, Rodgers is also coming off a second stint with Celtic in Scotland, where, as shown in the graphic above, he won four trophies in two full seasons in Glasgow.

The Northern Irish boss won four Premiership titles in four full seasons with the Hoops over two spells with the club, per Transfermarkt, which shows that the experienced manager also knows how to coach a team to win matches on a consistent basis.

That is further backed up by the fact that he won the Championship play-offs to win promotion to the Premier League with Swansea in the 2010/11 campaign, before finishing 11th in the top-flight with the Welsh outfit.

Rodgers is, therefore, a manager who has a proven track record of being able to achieve what Southampton need in the short and long-term, whilst Eckert has made a strong start to life in the Championship but does not have a proven record, with no top-flight experience.

"Really great coach" in pole position to be named permanent Southampton manager

The Saints are now edging closer to appointing a permanent manager.

BySean Markus Clifford Nov 28, 2025

This is why Sport Republic should push to appoint Rodgers as their new permanent manager, if the former Hoops boss is willing to make the move, because he could be a big upgrade on Eckert with his reputation and proven coaching ability.

Pete Alonso had the MLB world stunned after he reportedly agreed to join the Baltimore Orioles on a monster five-year contract on Wednesday, leaving the only home he's ever known in New York.

Following seven productive years in Queens, Alonso will get a fresh start in the AL East in news that has both Mets fans and Red Sox fans alike feeling disappointed. The soon-to-be 32-year-old opted out of his contract after re-signing with the Mets last year; he recorded 38 homers in 2025 and has 264 home runs and 712 RBIs since his pro debut in 2019.

Alonso's massive deal is the most lucrative ever for his position, but just how much does he stand above his peers?

Here's a look at the highest-paid first basemen in the league as ranked by average annual salary according to Spotrac:

Who is the highest-paid first baseman in MLB?

The highest-paid first baseman in the MLB is Pete Alonso.

The former longtime Mets first baseman is reportedly joining the Orioles on a five-year deal worth $155 million ($31 million a year). Alonso leap-frogged Blue Jays star Vladimir Guerrero Jr. for the top spot following news of his signing.

Alonso's deal also marks the second-largest in Orioles history. The organization's last splurge signing was Chris Davis in 2016 (seven-year, $161 million contract).

Top 10 highest-paid first basemen in MLB in 2025

Player

Team

Annual Salary

Pete Alonso

Baltimore Orioles

$31 million

Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

Toronto Blue Jays

$28.5 million

Freddie Freeman

Los Angeles Dodgers

$27 million

Bryce Harper

Philadelphia Phillies

$25.4 million

Matt Olson

Atlanta Braves

$21 million

Christian Walker

Houston Astros

$20 million

Wilson Contreras

St. Louis Cardinals

$17.5 million

Rhys Hoskins

Milwaukee Brewers

$17 million

Luis Arraez

San Diego Padres

$14 million

Paul Goldschmidt

New York Yankees

$12.5 million

Shami bowled 17 overs for East Zone on the first day of their Duleep Trophy opener against North Zone

Ashish Pant28-Aug-2025Mohammed Shami has, of late, spent more time trying to prove his red-ball fitness than he has playing red-ball cricket.Since the 2023 World Test Championship (WTC) final, his only first-class game was a Ranji Trophy match for Bengal against Madhya Pradesh in November last year. It’s part of the reason he did not make it to India’s Test squad for the tour of England. Nine months on, he’s playing his second red-ball game in the Duleep Trophy season opener for East Zone against North Zone at the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence on the outskirts of Bengaluru.Shami, now nearly 35, bowled 17 overs across four spells on the first day of the 2024-25 Duleep Trophy, progressively getting more incisive as the day went on. East Zone had won the toss and opted to bowl under murky skies. He was given the first over, and while he hardly got any movement, his lines were tight. He bowled five overs in his first spell, mostly within himself, and conceded ten runs with two maidens. It was evident that Shami was trying to ease himself back into the red-ball grind, concentrating more on the seam position and his lengths.Related

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Gill and Jurel miss Duleep Trophy quarter-finals

Shami bowled his second spell just before the lunch break, a three-over burst pretty similar to his first, where he conceded ten runs. He beat the batters a few times and drew a few false shots, but the Shami sharpness was missing.That changed after the lunch break. Having found rhythm, there was a marked difference in Shami’s run-up and delivery stride. He bowled five overs in his third spell – two of then maidens – and conceded just nine runs. The batters, who were until then playing Shami fairly comfortably, were suddenly getting beaten for pace. There were plenty of plays and misses, inside-edges onto pad, and the occasional false shot. Having found his lengths, Shami’s focus was now on upping his speed.Despite the improvement, Shami did not have a wicket yet. He should have had North Zone’s wicketkeeper-batter Kanhaiya Wadhawan caught down the leg side early in his fourth spell, but Kumar Kushagra dropped a relatively straightforward chance behind the stumps. He eventually found success when he had Sahil Lotra caught behind late in the day. It was a nippy length ball well outside off stump that Lotra chased and edged to the wicketkeeper.Mohammed Shami made his international comeback in January this year•Associated PressShami bowled the second-most overs among the six bowlers East Zone used on the opening day, only behind left-arm spinner Manishi, who bowled 19. He went through the day without any visible hiccups and will hope to put in more miles on day two. In all, Shami conceded 55 runs in 17 overs for one wicket.Shami has struggled with fitness ever since injuring his ankle during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He underwent surgery after playing through pain during India’s run to the final and then missed all of India’s fixtures in 2024 due to his injury, recovery from surgery, and subsequent knee issues.He was part of India’s limited-overs series against England and the Champions Trophy earlier this year, and played nine matches for Sunrisers Hyderabad in a disappointing IPL 2025 campaign. Following that, he was not picked for the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar suggesting that Shami’s “workload is not where it needs to be.”There is still a month and a bit to go before India’s next Test series – at home against West Indies – and Shami will, through the course of the Duleep Trophy, aim to put in the work needed to prove to the selectors that he is ready to get back to Test cricket.

He will perform the role that Zaheer Khan did with LSG in IPL 2025

Nagraj Gollapudi03-Nov-2025Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) have appointed former Australia allrounder Tom Moody as their global director of cricket, which will put him in charge of LSG in the IPL, Durban’s Super Giants in SA20, and their Manchester-based franchise in the Hundred. He will join hands with former Western Australia and Australia team-mate Justin Langer, who remains head coach, and Kane Williamson, who was recently appointed the strategic advisor.Moody, who turned 60 in October, is among the most acclaimed coaches in the game, having been in charge of international and franchise teams for over two decades. Earlier this summer in England, as head coach, Moody oversaw Oval Invincibles’ run to the Hundred title for the third successive year. He had also held a similar position at Desert Vipers in the ILT20 and had a successful stint with the franchise finishing runners-up in 2023 and 2025.It is understood that both Surrey and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), the owners of Mumbai Indians who bought a 49% stake in the Invincibles earlier this year, were keen to retain Moody. However, it is understood Moody opted to take the LSG offer as it gave him a larger role.LSG, owned by RP Sanjiv Goenka Group (RPSG), made Moody’s appointment official via social media on Tuesday. They haven’t yet confirmed the length of his contract.

From strategy to success, the journey begins

Here’s to new beginnings, Tom Moody! pic.twitter.com/NZElJO4AbO

— Lucknow Super Giants (@LucknowIPL) November 4, 2025