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Arsenal have made a real splash in the market this summer, completing an array of high-profile deals with more to follow, but they’ll also need to sell this summer.

The north Londoners, once they announce their £50 million-plus deal for Noni Madueke, will have spent around £125 million on transfers, and that isn’t including their potential moves for Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres and Crystal Palace star Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

25/26 – summer

£75m

Arsenal are in advanced talks to sign Viktor Gyokeres, according to credible media sources, and the Swede is even refusing to train as he eyes a dream move to the Emirates Stadium.

Meanwhile, positive discussions have been held with Eze’s representatives too, and the 27-year-old could join Arsenal in an entirely separate deal to Madueke – so Andrea Berta could easily take Arsenal’s spending to over £200 million if these moves come to fruition.

The signing of Madueke has brought up question marks surrounding both Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard’s futures.

Given Arsenal need to balance the books, either one of the left-wingers could realistically depart, with The Athletic previously reporting that Arsenal are not averse to a suitable bid for Martinelli and will consider selling for the right price.

The Brazilian’s contract also expires in 2027, but Arsenal do have an option to extend it by a further year. However, the same cannot be said for Trossard, who’s now entered the final 12 months of his deal, and this window represents a final opportunity for Berta to make any cash back off the 30-year-old’s exit.

Fenerbahce "working tirelessly" to sign Leandro Trossard from Arsenal

According to Turkish news outlet Ntvspor, via Fener Ajans, Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce could give Arsenal an avenue to agree Trossard’s departure before his contract expires.

What’s more, they could do it in imminent fashion, with Fenerbahce “working tirelessly” to sign Trossard for pre-season, which begins in just three days, as the Süper Lig giants fly out to Portugal and begin their camp on July 14 (Daily Sabah).

The Belgian has been a very useful impact player for Arteta since his move from Brighton, and perhaps underrated, with Trossard featuring in every single Premier League game for them last season.

Trossard also bagged 10 goals and 10 assists across 56 appearances in all competitions during 2024/2025, and he’s thought of highly by Arteta, so his departure would certainly come as bitter-sweet.

“Trossard, great player. He’s a little magician,” said Arteta about Trossard in 2024.

“He can score on any surface, and he’s a big threat; so composed, so cool, he can play in different positions. It’s just a joy to have him in the team.”

USA, who began the tournament on fire, haven’t won since their upset over Pakistan in the group stages

Danyal Rasool21-Jun-20243:08

Anatomy of West Indies’ dot-ball problems

Big picture: WI must avoid defeatThis isn’t a match the tournament expected, but one it deserves all the same. The co-hosts of this T20 World Cup found ways of getting through the group stages, in different fashion and to varying degrees of surprise. West Indies’ unblemished record in the group punctuated by a 104-run hammering of Afghanistan cemented their status as legitimate title contenders. The USA’s progress, meanwhile, depended on a dream of a performance against Pakistan that culminated in Super Over heroics, as well as inclement Florida weather that guaranteed Pakistan would not be offered the opportunity to get back up off the canvas.But the group stages are a distant memory all of a sudden, and both sides have experienced the cold, unforgiving reality of the Super Eight. West Indies’ hopes of a third title and first on home soil suddenly looks much shakier than it did one game ago, after a reprieved England rediscovered their best form in St Lucia to put them to the sword. Another defeat would put them on the brink of elimination.Related

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West Indies also have to assess how to replace top order batter Brandon King after he suffered a side strain and was forced to retire hurt against England. While runs have been scarce for him this tournament – just 63 in four games in the group stages – he looked at his most dangerous against England. He was unbeaten for 23 off just 13 as West Indies flew off the blocks, with his side briefly losing momentum when he was replaced by Nicolas Pooran.Above all, this is the first time West Indies find themselves under the pressure of their margin for error diminishing. The USA may not have won since that upset against Pakistan, but have shown no signs of fading away tamely, and briefly looked like running South Africa extremely close in their first Super Eight game before ultimately succumbing to an 18-run defeat.Aaron Jones’ side, too, need a win to retain realistic hopes of qualification, but they will be aware the weight of expectations remains on their opponents. The game against South Africa was the USA’s weakest bowling performance on a belting track, and still gave South Africa a few jitters. Against a West Indies side who weren’t really close to their best with either bat or ball against England, the USA will know an improved bowling performance on their part gives them a realistic shot at keeping their fairytale campaign alive and kicking.Form guideWest Indies: LWWWW (last five completed matches, most recent first) USA: LLWWLIn the spotlight – Russell and TaylorHe has been one of T20 cricket’s most valuable players for the best part of the last decade, but Andre Russell has been kept uncharacteristically quiet for the best part of this World Cup. A pair of unbeaten cameos against PNG and Uganda are about as good as it’s good for him with the bat, and though he continues to chip in with wickets, it is that explosiveness at the death West Indies really need him for. Part of it simply has to do with the batters higher up making sure he wasn’t required, but on the two occasions he was – against New Zealand and England – he fell cheaply. As a veteran of both of West Indies’ triumphant World Cup campaigns, he will know he’s expected to be a lot more influential for his side in the second half of this tournament if they are to go the distance again.Steven Taylor’s rise appeared to be proof that cricket in America was capable of attracting US-born athletes to this sport. A precocious rising star through his teenage years, he has been involved with American cricket for well over a decade. This World Cup should have been his crowning glory, but while Aaron Jones, Andries Gous and Saurabh Netravalkar have shone, Taylor has struggled to convert starts into substance at the top of the order. Born to Jamaican parents, he has history with the West Indies, and was once stripped of the US captaincy after he chose to play the CPL over a USA World Cup qualifier. He now comes up against the side he once declared an intention to play for, and the stakes could hardly be higher.It’s been a memorable tournament for USA and Saurabh Netravalkar thus far•ICC/Getty Images

Team newsKing’s unavailability means West Indies need a replacement at the top of the order. Shimron Hetmyer is likely to get the call-up.West Indies: 1 Shimron Hetmyer 2 Johnson Charles 3 Nicolas Pooran (wk) 4 Rovman Powell (capt) 5 Roston Chase 6 Andre Russell 7 Sherfane Rutherford 8 Romaria Shepherd 9 Akeal Hosein 10 Alzarri Joseph 11 Gudakesh MotieUSA captain Monank Patel has not played since the game against Pakistan due to a shoulder injury, and remains a doubt for this contest. Jasdeep Singh, meanwhile, endured a horror game that saw him concede 28 off his first five balls, which could bring Shadley van Schalkwyk back into the frameUSA: 1 Steven Taylor 2 Andries Gous (wk) 3 Nitish Kumar 4 Aaron Jones (capt) 5 Corey Anderson 6 Shayan Jahangir 7 Harmeet Singh 8 Nosthush Kenjinge 9 Shadley van Schalkwyk 10 Ali Khan 11 Saurabh NetravalkarBrandon King retired hurt in the fifth over of West Indies’ innings during the game against England•AFP/Getty Images

Pitch and conditionsBridgetown has seen relatively high scores in comparison to the rest of the tournament, though it did play host to the low-scoring tie between Namibia and Oman at the start of the tournament. It will be a humid evening, with chances of rain low.Stats and trivia The USA are looking to become the first non Full Member to make the semi-finals of an ICC event since Kenya reached that stage in 2003. West Indies have played two T20 World Cup matches in Barbados, both at the 2010 tournament. They split the games, losing to Sri Lanka before beating India. Obed McCoy and Akeal Hosein are both closing in on wicket-taking milestones, one and two wickets away respectively from 50 T20I scalps.

There looks set to be plenty of change at Ibrox this summer after Russell Martin was officially unveiled as the new manager for Glasgow Rangers.

There could be plenty of inward and outward business for the Scottish giants before the window slams shut at the start of September, and one player who could be on his way out of the club is central defender Robin Propper.

The latest on Robin Propper's exit from Rangers

At the start of this month, RangersReview reported that the Dutch defender is ‘expected’ to seal a permanent exit from Ibrox before the end of the window.

It was then claimed by Dutch media that FC Twente would like to pay a fee of £1m to bring the Gers flop back to the Netherlands, and that he had already agreed a three-year contract with the Eredivisie side.

Fast forward to the present day, and the latest update on Propper’s future is that he is waiting to hear from Rangers about what they want to do with him heading into next season.

FC Twente sporting director Jan Streuer explained the situation earlier this week, saying: “We have to wait and see with him. Robin wants to hear from his club on what they’re going to do.”

It now remains to be seen whether or not Propper, who scored two goals in the Scottish Premiership in the 2024/25 campaign, will be at Ibrox next term.

The former FC Twente skipper is not the only Rangers star who could be on his way out of Ibrox, though, as another player is reportedly closing in on a transfer.

Rangers star Dessers reaches agreement to leave Ibrox

According to reports relayed by The Daily Record, centre-forward Cyriel Dessers has agreed a £30k-per-week contract with Greek side AEK Athens ahead of a move to the club this summer.

The report claims that they have made the Nigeria international their number one transfer target, and now they have reached an agreement with him to ditch Ibrox for the Agia Sophia.

Appearances

35

35

Goals

16

18

Big chances missed

27

21

Ground duel success rate

29%

34%

Aerial duel success rate

40%

31%

Dessers, who has missed 48 ‘big chances’ in two Premiership seasons with the Light Blues, is keen on making the move, per this report, and it is now down to the two clubs to agree a transfer fee for the player.

The Daily Record adds that the club’s new American owners are prepared to hold out for a significant fee for the Nigerian marksman, and that AEK Athens are expecting to pay a fee in excess of £5m to land their number one target.

As aforementioned, the 30-year-old attacker, who journalist Josh Bunting claimed is “awkward” to play against due to his physicality, has been incredibly wasteful with the ‘big chances’ that have come his way in the Premiership since his move from Cremonese in the summer of 2023.

Cashing in on the experienced forward, despite his respectable goal return, could provide Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell with the opportunity to target a more ruthless striker who can be relied upon in the big moments when the big chances fall their way.

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Celtic could now make a move and sign an “excellent” 19-year-old, who is taller than every Hoops player, according to a new report.

Celtic begin preparations for the summer

The Hoops will be slowly turning their attentions to the summer, as they plan a recruitment drive that can not only help them stay top of the Scottish Premiership but can also help them when it comes to competing in the Champions League.

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It’s been reported that Celtic remain interested in signing Million Manhoef from Championship side Stoke City, despite the fact that he is valued at £10 million. The Hoops are also in the race to sign striker Moussa Soumano from AC Ajaccio, but they face stiff competition as Premier League-bound Leeds United are also keen on the player.

Signing a striker seems a priority for Brendan Rodgers this summer, as West Ham’s Danny Ings has also been mentioned as someone the Scottish champions could look to sign at the end of the campaign.

But as well as looking at proven players, Celtic are also in the market for young, exciting talents, and according to TBR Football, the Hoops have spoken to the representatives of Jesse Derry, who currently plays for Premier League side Crystal Palace. There are several teams from Britain and abroad who are chasing the signature of Derry.

Celtic could sign 19 y/o gem who is taller than every Hoops player

Derry is not the only young star the Hoops are chasing ahead of the summer, as according to George Shields, manager of Tayport, Celtic could be interested in signing goalkeeper Nathaniel Nwosu.

Nwosu is currently playing for Tayport, who are a team in the sixth tier of Scottish football, and the shot-stopper claimed his fourth clean sheet in a row on Wednesday evening. Shields has revealed that the Hoops could be about to make a move for his goalkeeper.

“He’s six foot eight, and I can see him getting a contract someplace, especially in Scotland,” he told The Herald.

“I don’t think he’ll have a problem getting a contract up here if I’m being honest. He’s only 19 years old, so he has plenty of growing to do. Maybe not physically, but he can clearly play at a good level. There is some word that Celtic might want a look at him, as well but we’ve not had confirmation of that yet.

“He has done really well playing for me at Tayport up to now, and we’ve put him in the shop window for these clubs. There’s no question that he has all the attributes to play at a high level.”

Nathaniel Nwosu’s height compared to Celtic’s tallest players
Nathaniel Nwosu	1.93m
Adam Idah	1.90m
Auston Trusty	1.90m
Viljami Sinisalo	1.90m

Nwosu, who has been dubbed “excellent” by Sheilds for his distribution, could join Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo and Scott Bain at Parkhead.

Celtic could wrap up the Scottish Premiership title this week as they prepare to travel away from Parkhead to face off against Dundee United on Saturday.

The Hoops head into the game off the back of a thumping 5-0 win over St. Johnstone in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup at Hampden Park on Sunday, securing their place in the final against Aberdeen.

Brendan Rodgers knows that a win against Dundee United this weekend will secure the league title for the second time in as many seasons under his leadership, and for the fourth time in as many seasons as a club.

This means that there is still a chance for Celtic to win the domestic treble this term, after they failed to do so last season, if they can win the title and go on to beat Aberdeen at Hampden Park in the final of the SFA Cup.

Focus will then turn to the summer transfer window and how the Hoops can make changes to their squad in order to continue their success next season.

Celtic are already, reportedly, fighting to keep hold of one of their players ahead of the summer, as they are attempting to tie Greg Taylor down to a new deal.

The latest on Greg Taylor's Celtic future

The Daily Record reported last week that the club are in talks with the Scotland international over the possibility of a contract extension for the full-back.

It was claimed that the Scottish giants want to tie him down to a new three-year contract to extend his stay in Glasgow, with his current deal due to expire at the end of this season.

The outlet added that the three-year deal that has been tabled for the defender would see his wages significantly increased. They currently sit at £15k-per-week, but it is not revealed what they would be increased to if he put pen to paper on this three-year extension.

Despite this, there remains uncertainty over Taylor’s future at Celtic because the report outlined that he would still have to play second-fiddle to the returning Kieran Tierney next season.

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The Daily Record also outlined the level of interest in the left-footed star’s services. He has an offer on the table from Dinamo Zagreb and has interest from unnamed clubs in the MLS, in Italy, and in England, which suggests that he has plenty of options to pick from and would not be left without a club by leaving the Hoops.

It now remains to be seen whether or not Taylor would be happy to remain at the club to be behind Tierney in the pecking order, with the carrot of a wage increase that could see him move further up in the club’s top ten earners.

Celtic's top ten wage earners

The Scottish defender’s £15k-per-week wages at the moment place him tenth in the wage bill, as per Salary Sport, although they are yet to add Jota’s wages to their data since his move from Rennes in January.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Callum McGregor are supposedly the joint-highest earners in the squad with wages of £37k-per-week, over £20k more per week than Taylor earns.

Cameron Carter-Vickers

£37k

Callum McGregor

£37k

James Forrest

£19k

Daizen Maeda

£18k

Alistair Johnston

£16k

Reo Hatate

£16k

Arne Engels

£16k

Adam Idah

£16k

Luis Palma

£16k

Greg Taylor

£15k

As you can see in the table above, most of the top earners in the team are the regular starters in Rodgers’ team who have earned their place in the top ten earners, including the likes of Daizen Maeda, Reo Hatate, and Arne Engels.

Luis Palma, who earns more than Taylor, however, does not fall into that category. In fact, his lack of impact in the first-team led to him joining Olympiacos on loan in the January transfer window.

Why Celtic must finally sell Luis Palma

The Hoops must finally cash in on the Honduras international when the summer transfer window opens for business because he is clearly not a part of the manager’s plans and is, therefore, bleeding the club dry with his high wages.

Olympiacos reportedly have an option to sign him permanently for £3.4m, but it has been claimed that they are not going to exercise that option. This means that Palma is due to return to Parkhead in the summer, as it stands.

Dynamo Kyiv are reportedly interested in a deal to snap up the forward ahead of next season, though, and Celtic must push to do a deal with them in the coming weeks and months, in order to finally part ways with the flop.

Appearances (starts)

28 (18)

8 (1)

Goals

7

0

Big chances created

14

1

Assists

9

0

Key passes per game

2.4

1.5

As you can see in the table above, his game time and his performances regressed from the 2023/24 campaign to the current season, which suggests that Rodgers lost faith in the attacker – culminating in his loan exit to Olympiacos in January.

Palma has had some good moments in a Celtic shirt, including the spectacular goal in the clip above, but his lack of minutes and goal contributions this season suggests that the club are wasting significant wages on him.

Earlier this term, former Hoops striker John Hartson was not afraid to be scathing in his assessment of the winger. The Daily Record quoted him as saying: “For me I am watching him thinking ‘go, make something happen’ and it just comes to nothing. For me as a winger Palma doesn’t do enough. He is just too wasteful.”

Palma has, therefore, not impressed pundits, not impressed Rodgers, and not impressed his loan club enough to seal a permanent move to Olympiacos, with zero goals and zero assists in six Super League matches for his temporary team.

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It is now down to the board to find a suitor, whether that is Dynamo Kyiv or another club, to finally part ways with the £16k-per-week dud ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.

South Africa’s all-right-hand batting lineup faces a growing test against left-arm spin, a tactic opponents are exploiting early in the tournament

Vishal Dikshit08-Oct-20254:32

Preview: Left-arm spin to the fore in Vizag?

Around the time Pakistan’s Nashra Sandhu was running through the Australia middle order in Colombo with her left-arm spin on Wednesday, India captain Harmanpreet Kaur was taking left-arm spin throwdowns in Visakhapatnam to prep for their next clash. That match is against South Africa, who had dramatically crumbled to the left-arm spin of Linsey Smith in their opening game.The theme of left-arm spin kicked off this World Cup especially after South Africa had rolled over for 69 in Guwahati, that too against the new ball, when Smith struck in each of her first three overs with deceptive use of her drift and natural variations. If Laura Wolvaardt and Tazmin Brits hardly moved their feet, Marizanne Kapp tried to reach the pitch of the ball and still saw the ball go through the gate, making the top order look clueless against left-arm spin.But do South Africa really have a problem against left-arm spin?Related

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Wolvaardt had been prepping with batting coach Baakier Abrahams on match eve for England’s left-arm spinning duo of Smith and Sophie Ecclestone, and the use of Smith with the new ball turned out to be key for England. It was, however, no surprise that Wolvaardt dismissed any similarities between that and how South Africa lost six wickets to Sandhu – four by the 17th over – in the third ODI against Pakistan just before the World Cup, because in the series before that, South Africa didn’t look troubled while facing left-arm spin against West Indies and in the tri-series involving India and Sri Lanka earlier this year. In fact, since the start of 2024, the South Africa batters average a solid 42.50 against left-arm spin, which ranks third among Full Member teams, after England and Australia.But it’s for a reason that England handed the new ball to Smith as soon as they opted to field. South Africa’s scoring troubles against left-arm spin appear more prominent when the ball is new: since the start of 2024 and until that match against England, South Africa had been scoring at just 4.03 an over in the powerplay against left-arm spin – much slower than England, West Indies, Sri Lanka and India – even if they weren’t losing as many wickets (just three in 192 balls).1:33

De Klerk: ‘We do expect to be spin-heavy for game against India’

England were also not the first ones to use the left-arm spin threat against South Africa, who have faced the most such deliveries since the start of 2024 (192 in 11 innings), while India have had to face just 120 such balls in 10 innings. Even if England employed Smith early on to put the brakes on South Africa, the Guwahati pitch that had turn and grip on offer worked wonders for her, while the South Africa batters played the wrong lines.It obviously doesn’t help South Africa that their entire line-up is stacked with only right-hand batters, which gives the opposition the luxury of attacking or strangling them with left-arm spinners. It’s a tactic New Zealand, South Africa’s next opponents, could not employ as their only left-arm spinner – the uncapped Flora Devonshire – was ruled out of the World Cup just before their clash, and South Africa had no issues in tackling the New Zealand’s offspinner or legspinner on a much flatter track in Indore.But why are left-arm spinners tougher to face for right-hand batters than offspinners or legspinners?”…Especially with the conditions that we’ve got in Guwahati and in Sri Lanka with the ball gripping and turning a bit, it’s always an advantage for a [left-arm] fingerspinner,” India’s Jemimah Rodrigues said on Wednesday. “And if someone has that good quality who can mix it up with bowling in (angling it in) and bowling out (turning it away), I think that’s where the challenge comes. I think it’s always great to have a good left-arm spinner on your team.”Laura Wolvaardt will be key for South Africa against India’s spin threat•ICC/Getty ImagesCome Thursday, South Africa will be up against a team who have two left-arm spinners in the squad, even though only Shree Charani has played the two India games so far while Radha Yadav has sat out. Whatever the conditions in Visakhapatnam, if India pick the more experienced Radha as well, it will surely plant a seed of doubt in South Africa’s mind of how to go about their approach against them.It’s not all doom and gloom for them though. Even if South Africa have the third-worst powerplay scoring rate (2.60) and the most wickets lost (three) against left-arm spinners in the early stages of this World Cup, they can take confidence from the fact that their captain Wolvaardt, who opens the innings, doesn’t fall too often to left-arm spinners and has largely picked up her scoring rate against them since her debut in 2016, averaging 67 and 51 while facing them in 2024 and 2025 respectively. South Africa will hope she leads them from the front on Thursday and then against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan as well, who can all slot a few left-arm spinners in their XIs.

A recap of some of the standout numbers from a run-fest in Guwahati

Sampath Bandarupalli28-Nov-202321 Runs needed for Australia at the start of the 20th over in Guwahati. These are the most target runs successfully chased by any team in the 20th over in T20Is. The previous highest was 19 runs by West Indies against England in the 2016 T20 World Cup final and Sri Lanka against Australia in the last year’s Pallekele T20I.4 Hundreds for Glenn Maxwell in T20Is, the joint-most by any batter in the format, equaling Rohit Sharma.ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 out of 4 T20I hundreds by Maxwell have come in run-chases. That is the most by any batter in men’s T20I chases, going one ahead of KL Rahul, Babar Azam and Muhammad Waseem. All three hundreds from Maxwell came while batting at No. 4 and lower, which is also a record.123* Ruturaj Gaikwad’s score in this match is the second-highest individual score for India in T20Is, behind Shubman Gill’s 126* against New Zealand in Ahmedabad in February. Gaikwad’s 123* is now the highest T20I score by any batter against Australia, surpassing Brendon McCullum’s 116* in 2010 in Christchurch.Related

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1 Number of individual T20I scores higher than Gaikwad’s 123* to be on the losing side. Shane Watson’s unbeaten 124 against India in 2016 at the SCG remains the highest T20I score in the losing cause.1 Maxwell also became the first batter to score a century in their 100th T20I match. The previous highest score in career’s 100th T20I game was 85 by Rohit Sharma against Bangladesh in 2019.47 Balls Maxwell needed for his century, the joint-fastest by an Australian in men’s T20Is, equaling Aaron Finch (vs England in 2013) and Josh Inglis (vs India in 2023).ESPNcricinfo Ltd3 Instances of two batters scoring hundreds in the same men’s T20I before Gaikwad and Maxwell did in Guwahati. Twice it was by the opposing batters – Evin Lewis and KL Rahul in Lauderhill in 2016 was the first, while Johnson Charles and Quinton de Kock replicated it earlier this year in Centurion.Sabawoon Davizi and Dylan Steyn, the Czech Republic openers, scored hundreds in the same game against Bulgaria in 2022, the only instance of two centuries in a men’s T20I innings.223 The target chased down by Australia in Guwahati is the highest in T20Is against India, surpassing South Africa’s 212-run chase in Delhi last year. It is also the second-highest successful chase for Australia, behind the 244 against New Zealand in 2018.ESPNcricinfo Ltd68 Runs conceded by Prasidh Krishna in his four overs are the most for India in a T20I match. Yuzvendra Chahal’s 64 runs against South Africa in 2018 were the previous most.53 Runs between India and Australia in the 20th over of this match. These are the most runs aggregated in the 20th over of any men’s T20 game, where ball-by-ball data is available. Maxwell, who bowled the 20th over in the Indian innings, conceded 30 runs but helped Australia score 23 in the chase, with 18 runs in four balls he faced.

Who has scored the most first-class hundreds without ever making a double-century?

Steven Lynch19-Apr-2022Dewald Brevis made his IPL debut before playing a single first-class match. I know some Indians have done this, but is it unique for an overseas player? asked Shekhar Mehra from India

Mumbai Indians’ 18-year-old South African signing Dewald Brevis – one of the stars of the recent Under-19 World Cup – is actually the sixth overseas player to appear in the IPL before making his first-class debut. The first was the Jamaican seamer Krishmar Santokie, for Mumbai Indians in 2014, and he’s been followed by the Afghan spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Nepal legspinner Sandeep Lamichhane in 2018, Australian allrounder Chris Green in 2020, and the hard-hitting Singapore-born batter Tim David in 2021.Santokie played a dozen T20Is for West Indies, and 119 T20 matches in all, but never did appear in a first-class match; Green (137 T20 games) and David (91, including 14 internationals) have not yet played first-class cricket. Mujeeb has played just one first-class match to date, and it was a Test – Afghanistan’s first one, against India in Bengaluru in 2018.No fewer than 63 Indians have played in the IPL before making their first-class debuts.I notice that Shan Masood has a List A average of 57.46. Is he top of the list? asked Tom McGuirk from Canada

The Pakistan left-hander Shan Masood, who has made such a good start to his county career with Derbyshire, is actually third on this list at the moment (given a qualification of 50 innings). His current List A average of 57.46 puts him just behind Michael Bevan (57.86), but ahead of Virat Kohli (56.83) and Babar Azam (56.07).The identity of the top man is rather a surprise: it’s Warwickshire’s Sam Hain, who’s yet to play for England despite a List A average of 59.78.Keshav Maharaj took seven wickets in the second innings of both recent Tests against Bangladesh. How many people have done this? asked Richie Knight from South Africa

South Africa’s slow left-armer Keshav Maharaj, who took 7 for 32 in Durban and 7 for 40 in Gqeberha, was only the tenth man to take seven-fors in successive Test matches, a list headed by the old England bowler George Lohmann, who actually did it in three consecutive matches, against South Africa in 1895-96.The others to manage two were England’s Tich Freeman (1929), Clarrie Grimmett (in what turned out to be his final two Tests for Australia in 1935-36), England’s Alec Bedser (in his first two, in 1946), South Africa’s Hugh Tayfield (1956-57; he took 8 for 69 and 9 for 113), Tony Lock of England (1958), the distinguished Pakistan trio of Imran Khan (in the year 1982), Abdul Qadir (in the year 1987) and Waqar Younis (1990-91), and India’s Harbhajan Singh (in two matches against Australia in 2000-01 in which he took 28 wickets in all). Of these, only Tayfield, Lock and Maharaj took both their seven-fors in the second innings.Keshav Maharaj became the tenth man to take seven-fors in consecutive Tests•AFP/Getty ImagesWho has scored the most first-class hundreds without ever making a double-century? asked Gokul Mohan from the UAE

The leader here is the New Zealand opener John Wright, who made 59 first-class centuries with a highest score of 192, for Canterbury against Central Districts in New Plymouth in 1986-87. Next come the former England batter Arthur Milton, whose 56 first-class centuries included a highest score of 170, and Bill Athey (55, highest score 184). The most first-class runs without a double-century is 34,994, by Brian Close, whose 52 tons included a highest of 198 for Yorkshire against Surrey at The Oval in 1960.In Tests, both Mohammad Azharuddin (highest score 199) and Colin Cowdrey (182) made 22 centuries without a double, while Alec Stewart scored 8463 runs with 15 centuries, the highest being 190.Further to last week’s question about one-cap wonders, how many people have played just the one Test for Australia? asked Kraig Tyrrell from Australia

To date, 72 men have been lucky enough – or unfortunate enough, depending on your point of view – to win just one Test cap for Australia. That includes a few who might yet play again, notably opener Will Pucovski and seamer Michael Neser, who both made their debuts during 2021. The stories of the other 70 have been collected together in a beautifully produced book, Fifteen Minutes of Fame, by the industrious Melbourne writer Ken Piesse (for details, see his website www.cricketbooks.com.au).There are also 40 women (again including some current players), who have played one Test for Australia.Shiva Jayaraman of ESPNcricinfo’s stats team helped with some of the above answers.Use our feedback form, or the Ask Steven Facebook page to ask your stats and trivia questions

Arsenal have now reportedly joined Liverpool in the race to sign Jean-Philippe Mateta from Crystal Palace, as contract talks continue to drag on between the striker and the South London club.

The Gunners return from the international break looking to get back to winning ways after entering it off the back of a dramatic 2-2 draw against Sunderland and it doesn’t get much bigger than the North London derby. Up against rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Mikel Arteta’s side will be aiming to prove their title credentials once again and at least maintain their four-point lead at the top.

Speaking to reporters ahead of the derby, Arteta reiterated just how big a rivalry it is, saying: “It’s just different. it’s a big city, but it’s a big rivalry; it’s a part of London that we want to conquer, and they want to do the same.

“There’s been a lot of shifts as well over the years, we’ve been more dominant and it’s just beautiful, especially when we play at home in front of our people, we know what it means to them.

“The energy that they’re going to bring, the energy that the team is going to bring in every single action, it’s just a privilege to play those kind of games. We cannot wait to get to Sunday.”

Arteta must axe Eze & unleash Arsenal star who's "very similar" to Bergkamp

With Eberechi Eze failing to catch fire at Arsenal, Mikel Arteta could seek a replacement against Spurs.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 22, 2025

It marks the beginning of a crucial week for Arsenal, who have the small task of playing host to Bayern Munich just days after the Tottenham clash before then travelling to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Three points from three in such a run would highlight just how serious the Gunners are about winning major honours.

In their current run, it would also be difficult for many players to turn Arsenal down and that may even be the case for Palace star Mateta.

Arsenal join race to sign Mateta

According to Caught Offside, Arsenal have now joined the race to sign Mateta from Crystal Palace in what could be their second major signing from the Eagles following their recent move for Eberechi Eze.

The Frenchman is set to become a free agent in 2027 and with contract talks yet to reach a resolution, the South London club may be forced to cash in sooner or later – allowing the Gunners to make their move.

A player who’s already been on the scoresheet at the Emirates in the past, Mateta could yet get the chance to wheel away in celebration every week in North London. Such a move would certainly be well-earned, too. From initial struggles, the 28-year-old has become one of the best strikers in the Premier League.

Minutes

959

800

Goals

6

4

Assists

0

0

Expected Goals

8.1

4.6

There’s a reason why Palace boss Oliver Glasner has dubbed his star striker “excellent” in the past and the comparison with Gyokeres shows the level that he’s operating at. If Arsenal want to ensure that their goalscoring problems are ended for good, then they should sign the Palace star.

Arsenal hold talks with £71m ex-Man Utd star after post-Old Trafford transformation

Hampshire have recruited Australia allrounder Amanda-Jade Wellington as one of their overseas players for the 2026 season.Wellington, 28, has previous experience of playing at the Utilita Bowl with Southern Brave in the Hundred – she is the second-highest wicket-taker across five seasons of the competition – and joins after a successful campaign with Somerset in the inaugural women’s Tier 1 season earlier this year.”I’m really excited to join Hampshire for the upcoming season,” Wellington said. “I had a great time at Utilita Bowl in my two years at Southern Brave and I look forward to catching up with familiar faces and making new memories which will hopefully result in trophies come end the end of the summer.”Related

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An attacking legspinner and capable batter, Wellington has played 23 times for Australia across all formats, but not since 2022. She is expected to be available throughout the summer for Hampshire.Regional director of women’s cricket, Adam Carty, said: “We’re really pleased to secure Amanda-Jade for the whole of next season. She’s a friend of the club and a vastly experienced cricketer, who boasts a fine record with bat and ball in England having featured effectively in the Hundred and in Tier 1.”We look forward to welcoming her back to Utilita Bowl in 2026.”