Kevin De Bruyne's wife begins 'house-hunting in Naples' as Man City legend enters talks to join Scott McTominay at Napoli as a free agent

Kevin De Bruyne’s wife is reportedly house-hunting in Italy, with it possible that the Manchester City legend could join Scott McTominay at Napoli.

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Will leave City when contract expiresLinked with clubs around the worldMay be tempted by Serie A challengeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After 10 memorable years at the Etihad Stadium, it has been confirmed that Belgium international De Bruyne will be hitting free agency this summer when his contract expires. A new challenge is ready to be embraced.

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The 33-year-old Premier League and Champions League title winner has been linked with clubs around the world, from MLS to the Saudi Pro League, but may decide to extend his stay in Europe.

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According to , De Bruyne’s partner Michelle has already been eyeing up property in Naples. The city is familiar to De Bruyne and his family as they have holidayed there on several occasions and used to visit ex-Napoli star Dries Mertens on a regular basis.

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De Bruyne got married in nearby Sorrento and would welcome the opportunity to test himself in Serie A having already graced the English Premier League and German Bundesliga with distinction.

Taylor, Cooper return to West Indies squad for tri-series against South Africa, India

Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman also come back after injuries to bolster the pace attack

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2022Allrounder Stafanie Taylor and middle-order batter Britney Cooper have returned to West Indies’ squad for the upcoming T20I tri-series against South Africa and India. Shamilia Connell and Shakera Selman have also come back after injuries to bolster the pace attack, with West Indies naming 16 players for the tournament, which will act as their final preparation before the T20 World Cup.Taylor has been out of action since retiring hurt in the second ODI against New Zealand in September, and thus being ruled out of the entire five-match T20I series that followed. Cooper, on the other hand, last played for West Indies during the home series against South Africa in September 2021.”Our batting in the most recent series was less than par against a very good England bowling attack. We believe that with the return of some experienced batters, they will the able to support captain Hayley Matthews at the top of the order,” lead selector Ann Browne-John said of the squad.Related

India pick Shikha Pandey in squad for 2023 Women's T20 World Cup

“The team had commendable performances [during the four ODIs] in South Africa in early 2022, and we know that the entire team will be drawing on that experience as they take on the home team and India in this tri-Series and then potentially again at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup also in South Africa.”Meanwhile, Connell had been left out of the side for three ODIs against England after going wicketless in two of the ODIs and a T20I against New Zealand. Although as per Browne-John, Connell was “expected to be ready to be considered for selection later in the series” after missing out on the first two of the five T20Is against England, she didn’t play any part in the remaining three matches either.Selman too had been ruled out of those T20Is after suffering an injury during the ODIs that preceded.West Indies’ squad otherwise wears a largely-familiar look, backed by the experience of captain Hayley Matthews, Shemaine Campbelle and Chedean Nation, among the relatively newer faces like Cherry Ann Fraser.The tri-series in South Africa begins on January 21, with two round-robin matches followed by the final on February 2. All games will be played at Buffalo Park in East London. The T20 World Cup then commences on February 10, with the final squads for the tournament to be submitted by February 2.Squad: Hayley Matthews​ (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Shamilia Connell, Britney Cooper, Chedean Nation, Cherry Ann Fraser, Afy Fletcher, Shabika Gajnabi, Sheneta Grimmond, Chinelle Henry, Karishma Ramharack, Kaysia Schultz, Shakera Selman, Stafanie Taylor, Rashada Williams

Arsene Wenger claims Trent Alexander-Arnold's impending move to Real Madrid shows era of big spending is ending as Los Blancos prepare for latest free transfer bargain

Arsene Wenger claims elite players are now more prepared to run down their contracts to secure moves to clubs like Real Madrid.

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Alexander-Arnold expected to join Real MadridRight-back has announced Liverpool departureKylian Mbappe signed for Los Blancos on free transferFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has claimed Trent Alexander-Arnold's imminent move to Real Madrid reflects a growing trend of elite players no longer commanding huge transfer fees, instead running down their contracts to secure better deals for themselves elsewhere.

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Alexander-Arnold recently confirmed his decision to leave Liverpool at the end of his contract and is expected to become Real Madrid's latest marquee free transfer signing, coming a year after Kylian Mbappe was snared from Paris Saint-Germain in similar circumstances.

WHAT WENGER SAID

Speaking on beIN SPORTS, Wenger said: "I believe it shows a new trend in the game that there is no transfer [fee], for the big big players; they go all at the end of their contract because the wages are so high. 

"If you want to buy Marcel [Desailly] now, you have to pay him so much money that you can't afford the transfer fee anymore so what do they do? 

"They say two years before the end of a contract: 'We want to buy you, we'll give you these wages, and we will try to make an offer. If it doesn't work, we will come back next year and if it doesn't work we'll take you for free', it's what they did with [Kylian] Mbappe.

"Real Madrid approached Alexander-Arnold a long, long time ago."

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While Alexander-Arnold may already mentally be in Madrid where he'll link up with Mbappe and fellow England international Jude Bellingham, Liverpool still have three more Premier League games to see out the season. They take on Arsenal on Sunday before clashes with Brighton and Crystal Palace.

Moyes could unleash Bramley-Moore’s very own Cahill in ÂŁ30m Everton star

Everton have enjoyed their fair share of cult heroes during the Premier League era. Duncan Ferguson initially joined on a brief loan spell from Rangers before going on to win the FA Cup with the club just a few months later.

The Scot ended his career with the Toffees having netted 72 goals for the club and is still fondly remembered by the supporters.

Duncan Ferguson

Marouane Fellaini is another cult icon. The Belgian – famed for his Sideshow Bob haircut – shone during his time at Everton, scoring 33 goals in 171 appearances for the Goodison Park outfit.

His performances on the pitch were iconic. Arguably the finest signing in the Premier League era for Everton was that of Tim Cahill, who played for the club for eight seasons.

Tim Cahill's Everton statistics

After starring for Millwall from 1998 until 2004, culminating in an FA Cup final appearance against Manchester United, Cahill joined the Toffees ahead of the 2004/05 season.

Season

Games

Goals

Assists

2011/12

41

3

3

2010/11

28

9

4

2009/10

43

10

6

2008/09

40

9

7

2007/08

28

10

4

2006/07

21

7

1

2005/06

39

8

3

2004/05

38

12

0

Via Transfermarkt

A total of 68 goals and 28 assists were registered by the Australian during his spell at the club. Famed for his ability to score stunning goals, Cahill didn’t take long to become a cult-like figure to the fans.

He helped the club finish fourth during his maiden campaign and led them to the 2009 FA Cup final, which they lost to Chelsea.

At the end of the 2011/12 season, Cahill joined the New York Red Bulls, embarking on his next adventure in MLS. In the years since, the club hasn’t quite had a player like him.

But with David Moyes returning for his second spell, might he have found his next Cahill-esque star in current centre-forward Beto?

Everton’s next cult hero under David Moyes

Beto joined the Toffees in 2023 from Udinese, costing the club around ÂŁ30m. However, he scored just three Premier League goals during his maiden season at Goodison, failing to live up to this extravagant fee.

This season has been much better, especially since Moyes took over the reins. Indeed, before the recent 1-1 draw against Brentford, Beto had scored five goals in his previous four top-flight games, including a brace against Leicester City in a 4-0 victory.

Moyes has clearly brought the best out of the 27-year-old, subsequently finding a surprise cult hero from someone who struggled big time under the previous regime.

Indeed, it’s his recent form that has dragged the club away from the danger zone and showcased their credentials to potentially nab a European spot in the forthcoming seasons, just as a Cahill-inspired Moyes side did many moons ago.

Writer Ell Bretland has heaped praise on the centre-forward for his recent displays, demonstrating why we’re making such a comparison to the Aussie legend.

Beto’s composure in front of goal for his finishes against Leicester, Liverpool and Palace has been so impressive. Not controlling the ball to ensure he makes that connection to sidefoot it in takes real focus and calmness. His positional awareness in that situation is class.”

Cahill was a master of finding space and being aware of his surroundings, becoming a force to be reckoned with under Moyes and Beto is now the modern incarnate of the Goodison hero.

Now, the Everton faithful will be hoping the striker can maintain this current form to the end of the campaign, which will fill him with plenty of confidence heading into the new one at Bramley-Moore Dock.

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Colin Graves says he is willing to return to Yorkshire chair 'on own terms'

Former ECB chair confirms interest in succeeding Lord Patel at next AGM

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Jan-2023Colin Graves has confirmed he is willing to return as Yorkshire’s chair, but “on his terms”, following Lord Kamlesh Patel’s announcement that he will stand down at the club’s next Annual General Meeting in March.Graves, 74, made his fortune as the founder of the Costcutter supermarket chain, and stepped in to rescue Yorkshire from bankruptcy in 2002. He served as chair between 2012 and 2015 before moving onto a five-year term as ECB chair.Now, he has told the Yorkshire Post that he is ready to “ride to the rescue” again, with the club expected to report losses of up to ÂŁ3 million in their next accounts, in the wake of the racism scandal that gripped Yorkshire last year and led to the suspension of international hosting rights and the withdrawal of a raft of sponsors.However, his candidacy is sure to be divisive, not least because the club still owes some ÂŁ16 million to the Graves Family Trust, as a consequence of his 2002 bailout. While Graves himself is no longer directly associated with that debt, the link remains a contentious one, with Roger Hutton, Lord Patel’s predecessor as chair, claiming that the Trust had been a roadblock to reform at the club in the wake of Azeem Rafiq’s claims of institutional racism, in particular when vetoing of the removal of two board members.Graves himself has been referenced on numerous occasions at the DCMS parliamentary select committee hearings in Westminster, with the chair Julian Knight telling him to “put up or shut up” after he refused to appear as a witness in November 2021.”The club knows my views,” Graves told the Post. “If I come back, it will be on my terms. I’ll work with the board. But I’ll run it how I want to run it and I know I can turn it around in three years basically.Related

Yorkshire chair Lord Patel set to stand down

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“It’s up to the club. I know I can bring to the table what Yorkshire want at this point in time, which is healing all the wounds, getting the members back on side to being a members’ club, working with the board to get them in the right position going forward and to sort out the financial situation that they’re looking at.”Yorkshire’s latest accounts refer to a “a material uncertainty” over the club’s “ability to continue as a going concern”, with their total debts believed to be in the region of ÂŁ20 million. The servicing of these debts has reportedly been hindered by rising interest rates, while there is still the matter of the outstanding court case involving the former physiotherapist Wayne Morton and other staff who were sacked by Lord Patel in December 2021 in response to the racism allegations.On the playing side, Yorkshire suffered relegation on the final day of the 2022 season and will have to play second division cricket for the first time in more than a decade.A Yorkshire spokesperson added: “Lord Patel will step down as chair of Yorkshire County Cricket Club at the next AGM. A new chair will be appointed following a thorough, fair and robust recruitment process, to ensure that the right individual is in place and continue the significant progress which the club has made in his tenure.”Other names reportedly in the frame to replace Lord Patel include Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson, the former Paralympic athlete who joined the board as a non-executive director last year, and also serves as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords.

Sandeep Lamichhane set to be included in Nepal squad for tri-series

Lamichhane is currently out on bail, facing charges of alleged sexual coercion of another person

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Feb-2023Sandeep Lamichhane could be included in Nepal’s squad for their Cricket World Cup League 2 tri-series at home in Kirtipur against Namibia and Scotland, in what would constitute his first appearance since his arrest last year. Lamichhane is currently out on bail, facing charges of alleged sexual coercion of another person. Nepal’s squad for the series is likely to be announced by February 10. His name is in a 14-man squad sent to the ICC for registration purposes – as the event is an ICC tournament – but that could still change when the squad is officially announced.His potential selection had been signposted after the Cricket Association of Nepal revoked his suspension last week. Lamichhane has been training with the team at a pre-series camp.The lifting of the suspension led to protests over the weekend in Nepal, calling for a boycott of the upcoming games against Namibia and Scotland. Cricket Scotland and Cricket Namibia issued statements, to say that Lamichhane’s availability was a matter for CAN and the ICC to consider.Related

Sandeep Lamichhane named in Nepal squad for Scotland, Namibia tri-series

Nepal cricket board lifts suspension on Lamichhane

Lamichhane taken into custody upon landing at Kathmandu airport

“Cricket Scotland is aware of the reports regarding the legal status of Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane, ahead of the upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 Qualifiers.”As a governing body, and as a squad, Cricket Scotland stands firmly against all forms of abuse, which have no place in modern society.”The player’s availability for these games is a matter for the Cricket Association of Nepal and the ICC to consider.””Cricket Namibia strongly opposes all forms of gender-based violence, discrimination and abuse,” the Namibia board statement said.On Monday, the Pakistan wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan met with Lamichhane in Nepal, as part of a visit with the team and board to discuss the growth of the game in the country. The visit drew criticism of Rizwan on social media.Sandeep Lamichhane is escorted by police following his release on bail•AFP/Getty ImagesBritant Khanal, the CAN general manager, had earlier told ESPNcricinfo that the decision to remove the suspension and allow Lamichhane to play in the tri-series was with the condition that he would “respect the limitation prescribed” by the court that granted him bail in January this year. And if Nepal were to go on tour, Lamichhane’s participation would depend on whether the court gave him permission for it or not.The suspension came into effect in September last year after an arrest warrant was issued against Lamichhane in Kathmandu. He was granted bail for the equivalent of around US$ 15,300 but was barred from leaving the country until the final verdict.Lamichhane, 22, is Nepal’s most high-profile cricketer, and the only one to have played in T20 leagues in most parts of the world, including in the IPL, the BBL, the PSL, the BPL, and the CPL. When the news of the arrest warrant came out, Lamichhane was in the West Indies with Jamaica Tallawahs, his CPL team. He returned to Nepal after that, and was taken into custody on October 6.He is also the world’s second-fastest bowler to 50 ODI wickets and third-fastest to 50 T20I wickets, and last played international cricket in August 2022, in the T20I series against Kenya. He was also Nepal’s captain at the time of the arrest warrant, a position he lost following his suspension. Rohit Paudel will lead Nepal in the series against Namibia and Scotland.

VIDEO: Shake body! Chelsea Women copy Lamine Yamal's trademark dance as jubilant Blues celebrate FA Cup triumph over Man Utd

Chelsea's women's team recreated Lamine Yamal's famous dance as they celebrated their Women's FA Cup success on Sunday.

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Chelsea celebrate Women's FA Cup winPlayers danced in Wembley dressing roomRecreated Barca star Yamal's movesFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The Blues completed a domestic treble when they beat Manchester United in the final at Wembley, running out 3-0 winners to complete a domestic treble in Sonia Bompastor's debut season in charge.

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The London side were dancing for joy in the dressing room after the game, with the club sharing a video of Lucy Bronze, Wieke Kaptein, Aggie Beever-Jones and others performing their version of a dance made famoous by Barcelona star Lamine Yamal and his Spain team-mate Nico Williams.

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While Chelsea enjoyed a successful season domestically, they were unable to win a first Women's Champions League crown, losing 8-2 on aggregate to Barcelona in the semi-finals. Bompastor's side did, however, finish 12 points clear of Arsenal in the Women's Super League to retain their crown, while they also beat Manchester City 2-1 to win the League Cup in March.

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Having missed out on a place in the European final, Chelsea's season ended with Sunday's victory and the London club will begin preparing for the 2025-26 campaign.

Ranking the best Premier League football kits as Liverpool return to Adidas

Football kits are a big deal these days. Whether it’s a money-maker for clubs and manufacturers or a source of excitement ahead of the upcoming season, iconic strips can create memories that last forever.

The Premier League has featured plenty of dazzling kits over the years (as well as its fair share of eyesores), but which are the best in the competition’s history?

Liverpool recently announced that they will rekindle their partnership with Adidas from the 2025/26 season, raising hopes of an all-timer donning the likely Premier League champions next summer.

Here, we’ve listed some of the best kits the English top flight has served up in the last 33 seasons.

Ranking factors Designs Legacy Achievements 9 Liverpool 2006-08 home Previous Adidas favourite worn by Gerrard and Torres

Following the Reds’ recent announcement of Adidas returning as the Anfield club’s kit manufacturer, it feels fitting to start with one of their best kits in recent times.

Complete with the Carlsberg sponsor which had become iconic in its own right, their strip for the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons was a masterpiece, which included the trademark stripes, Liverpool’s badge and a rarely seen centred manufacturer logo.

They may not have won any trophies wearing it (Liverpool made the Champions League final wearing this), but just picturing Fernando Torres or Steven Gerrard racing off in celebration in this kit makes it a worthy one to look back on.

8 Tottenham Hotspur 2018/19 third Navy and green combo made famous by European run

Admittedly, it is Tottenham Hotspur’s exploits in another competition – the Champions League – that elevates the status of this particular kit, but it’s still a great shirt.

Spurs went all the way to the Champions League final having created some magical memories in their third strip of the 2018/19 campaign, having seen off Manchester City and Ajax while wearing it.

Created by Nike, the unique colour combination is merged with an aerial view of the local area – a classy touch.

Tottenham Hotspur's 11 best matches in European football – ranked

Spurs have had plenty of memorable matches in UEFA competitions over the years.

ByRoss Kilvington May 22, 2025 7 Arsenal 2022/23 away Gunners break records with all-black strip

Arsenal’s away kit from the 2022/23 season is the most modern kit on this list – and with good reason.

Kitted out in all black, the Gunners went on an unexpected title charge that year, enjoying impressive results against the likes of Aston Villa and Brentford away from home.

Had Mikel Arteta’s side won the Premier League, this kit may have been ranked higher, but with the sales numbers breaking records, this is a rare modern masterpiece.

The 10 best Arsenal kits of all time (ranked)

Arsenal have had some slick threads recently, but which strip is the best of the lot?

1 ByBen Browning Dec 2, 2024 6 Chelsea 1997-99 home Umbro's finest Blues kit?

Umbro’s association with Chelsea spanned 20 years from 1986 to 2006, with a bit of a mixed bag in terms of results, if we’re honest (see 1994/95’s away shirt).

While there have been many fine efforts in blue, one of, if not the best, is the home kit worn between 1997 and 1999, which came with a redesigned badge, a white collar and gorgeous yellow/navy pinstripes.

With an Autoglass sponsorship to boot, it all adds up to a beast of a football shirt, which easily deserves its place among the best.

5 Man Utd 1992-94 away Green and yellow half-and-half throwback classic

Manchester United opted for a trip down memory lane in the early Premier League seasons, with the Red Devils reimagining the strip worn by the club in the late 19th century, when known as Newton Heath.

It’s a superb shirt for the throwback genre, almost solely for the drawstring collar, handing the likes of Eric Cantona and Ryan Giggs a more rugged look on the pitch. A kit just as daring these days would surely sell by the bucketload.

4 Man City 2009-11 third Minimalistic… with a sash!

Let’s be honest, there should be more sashes on football kits. All too rarely do we see the diagonal stripe deployed, but Umbro hit this one out of the park with Manchester City’s third kit in the 2009/10 campaign.

Running for two seasons, City’s third-choice strip was unlike any other of its day, chiefly due to the sponsor being pushed right up under the badge, allowing the simplicity of the red and black stripes to take centre stage.

No snazzy designs, no unnecessary gimmicks and not a sleeve sponsor in sight. Bravo.

3 Arsenal 1991-93 away Two words: Bruised banana

This easily could have been a kit that split opinion, but it feels as though the consensus today is that Arsenal’s original ‘bruised banana’ kit is one of the league’s most iconic designs.

While a bit busy at first glance, the zig-zag pattern is mesmerising and unique, with the Adidas trefoil logo adding a superb finishing touch.

Revived in 2019 when Adidas returned as the Gunners’ kit manufacturer, this is one of those designs that should stand the test of time for decades to come.

2 Arsenal 2005/06 home Burgundy beauty bids Highbury fitting farewell

When Arsenal planned to say goodbye after calling Highbury their home for 93 years, there will have been much anticipation as to what the final home strip would be. Step forward, Nike.

The apparel giant delivered an all-timer, with the kit harking back to the Gunners’ first strip during the early Highbury days, where the squad wore a burgundy home strip.

This handed a unique look to the Gunners for the 2005/06 season, during which they saw off the likes of Real Madrid and Juventus in Europe while sealing a comeback victory in the famous ground’s final top-flight match, nicking the final Champions League spot in the process.

Crucially, they looked great doing it.

1 Newcastle United 1995-97 home A faultless and iconic black and white strip

We don’t know if there’s such a thing as perfection, but Newcastle United’s home kit from the 1995/96 season comes pretty close.

The stripes, the logo, the Newcastle Brown Ale sponsor – it’s just perfect. It’s not trying too hard nor doing too little, it’s almost impossible to fault it.

An honourable mention has to go to the away strip for that season – in which Newcastle famously went so close to winning the league – with a blue/dark red combo that still looks gorgeous to this day.

The only thing you could argue was missing were Premier League winners’ medals hung upon them.

Best signing since Odegaard: Edu hit gold on Arsenal's "incredible leader"

As Arsenal prepare to take on reigning champions, Real Madrid, in next month’s Champions League quarter-final clash, one man who will be itching to make an impact is Martin Odegaard.

The Gunners skipper made the move to the Emirates on an initial loan deal from the LaLiga giants back in January 2021, before Mikel Arteta and then-sporting director, Edu Gaspar, opted to fork out around ÂŁ30m to make that move permanent ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.

Prior to that, the former teen wonderkid had never been able to make his mark at the Bernabeu, after signing on a high-profile deal as a 16-year-old back in 2015, having been restricted to just 11 first-team appearances for Los Blancos, without registering a goal or an assist.

Farmed out on loan to the likes of Heerenveen, Vitesse Arnhem and Real Sociedad before ultimately joining the Gunners just over four years ago, the Norwegian genius has finally found a settled home in north London, a point emphasised by his status as captain and by his current total of 73 goals and assists in 185 appearances.

Unequivocally, the signing of the 26-year-old – who is now worth ÂŁ92m, according to Transfermarkt – has been a staggering success, marking himself out as one of the highlights of the Edu era.

Edu's best and worst signings at Arsenal

Arsenal’s Brazilian transfer chief made the shock decision to resign from his role at the club earlier in the campaign, with the 46-year-old reportedly set to link up with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis and oversee a raft of clubs owned by the Greek businessman.

The former Gunners midfielder has left behind a mixed legacy at the Emirates, in truth, having worked with Arteta to build a side capable of challenging for the Premier League crown, albeit with the north Londoners still yet to realise that aim.

Among the standout success stories for Edu following his arrival in 2019 is William Saliba, with the Frenchman snapped up in Edu’s first summer in charge, before ultimately forcing his way into Arteta’s plans ahead of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Brazilian was also the man at the helm when the Gunners forked out for Saliba’s current centre-back partner, Gabriel, with the duo now described as the “best partnership in Europe” by club legend, Martin Keown.

Edu can also be thanked for having made the bold decision to sign Kai Havertz from Chelsea, with the German shaking off a slow start to score 29 times since then in all competitions. The acquisition of Jurrien Timber from Ajax also stands out as “one of the best signings of the Emirates era”.

Arsenal's JurrienTimbercelebrates after the match

For all those success stories, there have been a fair few misfires, with Gabriel Jesus unable to have the desired effect since transferring from Manchester City, after scoring just 26 goals in 96 games to date.

Equally, ÂŁ34.2m signing Fabio Vieira has already found himself back on loan at Porto, while the Gunners were stung by the ÂŁ72m capture of Nicolas Pepe in that summer of 2019, with the Ivorian going on to score just 16 top-flight goals in the capital.

That high-profile blunder represented a real costly mistake for the north London side, although the club’s newest record arrival has enjoyed a far more fruitful stint so far.

Arsenal's best signing since Odegaard

For all Odegaard’s brilliance, the former Madrid man has endured a testing campaign to say the latest, having chalked up a measly total of two goals and four assists in the league thus far.

With the skipper struggling, the Gunners have had to look elsewhere for a shining example to lead the team. Enter, Declan Rice.

Described as an “incredible leader” in the side by podcaster Adam Keys following the weekend victory over Chelsea, the Englishman has emerged as a real pillar in Arteta’s team, since making his ÂŁ105m move from West Ham United in 2023.

Stat

2023/24

2024/25

Games

38

27

Goals

7

2

Assists

8

5

Big chances created

9

15

Pass accuracy*

91%

90%

Key passes*

1.2

1.8

Tackles*

2.2

1.5

Interceptions*

1.2

0.7

Dribbled past*

0.7

0.7

Total duels won*

52%

52%

Aerial duels won*

46%

57%

Possession lost*

8.7

10.3

While such a mammoth price tag can so often burden a player, the Three Lions star has risen to the challenge, seemingly relishing his role in the centre of the park, be it as a number eight or as a number six.

A return of 13 goals and assists so far this term is encouraging considering Rice isn’t part of the club’s forward line, with pundit Jamie Carragher insisting that the one-time Chelsea youth star shouldn’t be judged solely on his attacking output, with his passing range also “vastly underrated”.

Declan Rice

A real weapon with set-piece delivery – as shown in the fact that he ranks in the top 6% of European midfielders for assists per 90 – what also sets the ex-Hammers man apart is his ability to drive Arteta’s side forward with ease, as evidenced by the fact that he ranks in the top 5% for progressive carries per 90.

Not that he can’t also come up with the goods in the final third when needed, having notably fired in a stunning sweeping strike against Manchester United last weekend, to help rescue a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.

It is for moments like that which illustrate Rice has swiftly paid back his hefty transfer fee, with it potentially there to be argued that Edu struck a bargain with the deal.

Indeed, David Moyes believes that the midfield maestro could have fetched at least ÂŁ150m.

Of course, there may be more eye-catching figures in Arteta’s current crop, namely Bukayo Saka and Ethan Nwaneri, yet Rice is the glue holding it all together.

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Last chance for Alisha Lehmann! Juventus star handed late call-up to Switzerland squad for Nations League matches just weeks before Euro 2025 after initial snub

Juventus star Alisha Lehmann has been handed a late call-up to the Switzerland squad after initially been snubbed by manager Pia Sundhage.

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Lehmann originally left out of squadHanded late call-up after Swiss injury blowLast chance to impress before Euro 2025Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Lehmann has linked up with the Switzerland squad for the team's upcoming Nations League fixtures against France and Norway. The Juventus star had been left out of the initial call-up but has been given the nod after FC Koln midfielder Alena Bienz was forced to withdraw due to an ankle injury.

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The news will be a boost for Lehmann as the two fixtures come just weeks before Switzerland host Euro 2025. The Swiss side badly need points in the two upcoming fixtures to avoid relegation and players will also know they are likely playing for their places in manager Sundhage's final squad for the European Championship. Switzerland's games are Sundhage's last chance to finalise her squad before the summer tournament.

WHAT LEHMANN SAID

Lehmann celebrated her international recall with a post on social media where she showed off some pictures from a training session.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR LEHMANN

Lehmann will be hoping for minutes in the two fixtures and to be included in the Euro 2025 squad. The tournament hosts start their campaign on July 2 against Norway in Basel.

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