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Setting their sights on a new target, Newcastle United have now reportedly joined the race to sign a Bundesliga forward who could arrive instead of Hugo Ekitike this summer.

Newcastle scout Ekitike alternative

Whilst it seems as though a fresh striker is the last thing that Newcastle need, the fact that Callum Wilson is currently on course to leave as a free agent this summer means that they could do with depth behind Alexander Isak.

It is also worth noting that the interest in signing Isak only looks likely to increase as the summer approaches, igniting a transfer window saga which may last until the very end.

Currently, Newcastle’s reported £160m valuation looks as though it could fend off any potential suitors, but if that does not prove to be the case then having added firepower from the bench will prove to be no bad thing.

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He’s enjoying an excellent season.

ByTom Cunningham Mar 20, 2025

That said, the main name mentioned on that front has been Ekitike. The Magpies very nearly signed the Frenchman before he ultimately chose to join Paris Saint-Germain in 2021 and have now reportedly ignited their interest as he rediscovers his best form at Eintracht Frankfurt.

However, the forward isn’t the only Bundesliga star on their list of options. According to The Boot Room, Newcastle have now joined the race to sign Jonathan Burkardt from Mainz this summer after sending their scouts to watch the impressive goalscorer.

Like Ekitike, Burkardt has enjoyed an excellent season in the Bundesliga to earn his way onto Newcastle’s radar alongside the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur. Potentially left with a major decision to make when the transfer window opens, the German could be on his way to St James’ Park.

"Marksman" Burkardt is more clinical than Ekitike

Although Burkardt steals fewer headlines than Ekitike, he has been in more clinical form than the Frenchman in the Bundesliga this season – even matching a long-standing Mainz record by scoring 15 Bundesliga goals in a single campaign.

Becoming the first Mainz player to do so since Shinji Okazaki in the 2013/14 campaign, the 24-year-old could now follow the same path as the former Premier League forward, courtesy of Newcastle.

Starts

21

23

Goals

15

13

Assists

2

4

Expected Goals

10.9

17.5

Dubbed a “marksman” by OptaFranz after he scored his 15th goal of the season, Burkardt has been more ruthless than ever in front of goal this season – almost outperforming his xG by five goals.

In comparison, Ekitike has underperformed by over four goals, albeit whilst creating more than his Bundesliga counterpart. Two strikers who carry different traits, Newcastle must decide whether they want a clinical finisher or the more creative Ekitike.

When the summer arrives, the Magpies’ striker department will certainly be one to watch as Wilson departs, interest in Isak arrives and decisions are made over deals for Ekitike and Burkardt.

On the balance of play, a 1-1 draw was a fair final outcome on Sunday evening as Manchester United and Arsenal both had their moments in the Premier League contest.

The visitors were ultimately punished in the first half for their lack of bite when Bruno Fernandes beautifully put away a free-kick in added-on time, whilst Declan Rice made sure the Red Devils would rue their own missed opportunities in the second 45 minutes when the ex-West Ham United titan powered home an equaliser.

Ruben Amorim would have lots of positives to hang onto at the full-time whistle despite the points being shared, with Fernandes sticking out once more as an obvious top performer for his underachieving team.

Man United's best performers vs Arsenal

Fernandes once again lit up Old Trafford with a terrific attacking display, with the free-kick effort sailing past David Raya for his sixth strike of the unfolding Premier League season.

With seven assists also next to his name, it’s clear that the 30-year-old is a key individual that Amorim relies on, especially when Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund are misfiring.

Whilst both Zirkzee and Hojlund failed to impress once more in an attacking capacity – the latter notably messing up a huge late chance to win the game as he was tackled by Rice – the likes of Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot very much did impress.

Indeed, the Moroccan wing-back notching up three key passes come full-time, whilst his left-sided counterpart would create one big chance himself away from valiantly defending.

But, whilst there were glimmers of hope on display to suggest United can push up the league away from an unsatisfactory 14th spot, there were other stale performances on show as this experienced Red Devils head struggled to ever get going against the Gunners.

Man United's worst performer against Arsenal

Fernandes has definitely cemented himself as a regular starter, but it’s his attacking midfield teammate Christian Eriksen who will worry for his spot in Amorim’s XIs moving forward, having put in a rather forgettable performance against Mikel Arteta’s opponents.

Indeed, the number 14 failed to attempt a single dribble all match as a timid performer partnering the classy Fernandes, alongside also never testing Raya with a single effort on goal. To make matter worse, he also had fewer touches than Andre Onana (53).

Minutes played

76

Goals scored

0

Assists

0

Shots

0

Touches

34

Accurate passes

18/25 (72%)

Possession lost

11x

Accurate crosses

0/1

Accurate long balls

2/5

Successful dribbles

0

Total duels won

1/4

It was a weak display from the ageing Dane in every department, with seven of his 25 passes going astray, leading to possession being given up 11 times, once every three touches.

Moreover, it could be argued that his inability to get stuck in – which saw him just one duel all game – cost his team dear when Rice struck home his fierce effort, with Eriksen the closest man to the England international but doing very little to stop him levelling proceedings.

He could find his starting spot taken up by someone fresher in games to come consequently, with Gary Neville calling for the United squad to be “ripped up” in the near future, and Eriksen is just one face who might well be moved on as his contract expires this summer.

Manchester Evening News journalist Samuel Luckhurst handed out a poor 5/10 rating to Eriksen after the game, stating that he did “very little” when the ball was at his feet, which is in-keeping with his lacklustre season to date with just one assist coming his way in the league.

Whilst certain individuals continue to show they deserve to stick it out for the foreseeable at Old Trafford, others look very close to the exit door, with Eriksen very much deep now in that unwanted group.

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MatériaMais Notícias

A vitória do Flamengo sobre o América-MG por 3 a 0 no Maracanã, no último sábado, válida pela 14ª rodada do Brasileirão, teve uma “dupla importância”. Isso porque o Rubro-Negro subiu na tabela e ampliou o leque de opções para o técnico Dorival Júnior nas oitavas de final da Copa Libertadores.

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>ATUAÇÕES: quarteto se destaca na vitória do Fla sobre o América

Diante do América-MG, o técnico Dorival Júnior promoveu sete mudanças em relação ao time que enfrentou o Atlético, no meio de semana, pela Copa do Brasil. Assim, Santos, Rodinei, Léo Pereira, Gustavo Henrique, Ayrton Lucas, Thiago Maia e Pedro ganharam oportunidade no time titular. Todos tiveram uma atuação consistente e chegam com a moral elevada para enfrentar o Tolima-COL.

A postura de fazer as mudanças, conforme explicou Dorival, não é poupar os jogadores, mas sim colocar em campo quem está melhor fisicamente naquele momento. Dessa forma, todos recebem oportunidade, mostram seu futebol e, consequentemente, sentem-se importantes para o time. O treinador, inclusive, acredita que a filosofia tem sido abraçada pelo grupo.

– Os jogadores que estão aqui é porque têm capacidade. Mudam, às vezes, características de um para outros, é um fato normal. Eles têm que se sentir importantes, participando de tudo que esteja acontecendo. E, nas oportunidades que tenham, darem os seus recados – explicou Dorival.

– Essa é a intenção. Não é poupar, é injetar quem está melhor fisicamente naquele instante e, principalmente, que eles estejam preparados e treinados. O que eu sinto é que os jogadores estão começando a entender essa filosofia, acreditarem nela e se sentirem confortáveis dentro de campo – completou.

O fato, aliás, se estende a jogadores que não foram titulares. É o caso de Marinho, que ainda mira reencontrar o melhor futebol. No último sábado, o atacante voltou a marcar e se emocionou no gramado do Maracanã. Outro exemplo é Diego. O meia teve um aproveitamento superior a 92% dos passes e passou muito perto de balançar as redes deMatheus Cavichioli.

Por fim, também cabe destacar que Dorival contará com jogadores que estavam no Departamento Médico. Matheus França, que quebrou afíbula da perna direita em abril, está recuperado. Ele, inclusive, atuou em alto nível na vitória sobre o Botafogo por 2 a 0, pelo Campeonato Brasileiro sub-20.

Outro que está liberado do DM é Fabrício Bruno. O zagueiro não atua desde o jogo de ida da final do Cariocão e precisou passar por uma cirurgiapara retirada de um fragmento ósseo no pé esquerdo em maio. Ele finalmente se recuperou e voltou a ser relacionado no último sábado.

É dessa forma que o Rubro-Negro vira a chave para Libertadores.O Flamengo volta a campo na próxima quarta-feira, às 21h30, para enfrentar o Tolima-COL no Estádio Manuel Murillo Toro. A partida é válida pelo jogo de ida das oitavas de final da competição e terá transmissão em tempo real do LANCE!.

Big picture

Over the past few years, every white-ball series has been viewed from the lens of the ICC global event that is next in line. Now that the T20 World Cup is over, the focus is already shifting to the next one in 2024, and with some transferrable skills between the two limited-overs formats, there is one eye on the 2023 ODI World Cup too.But conditions in New Zealand are nothing like India, the venue for next year’s ODI World Cup, or the West Indies and the USA, where the 2024 T20 World Cup will be held, so the spotlight during India’s T20I series in New Zealand is on personnel and how they approach and respond to in-game situations. Results are important, of course, but as most elite athletes say these days, it’s all about the process.Related

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From India’s perspective, it’s about picking up the pieces after yet another failed World Cup campaign. This series is about moving on. It’s about what sort of philosophy Hardik Pandya, who could well be T20I captain in 2024, will adopt as stand-in skipper as India attempt to tackle their T20 problem. He has led in three T20Is this year – two in Ireland and one against West Indies in Florida – and this New Zealand tour will be his sternest test yet as an international captain.The three T20Is are also an opportunity for India’s next rung of players to make a statement in the absence of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik, Mohammed Shami and R Ashwin, all of whom were part of the World Cup squad. Stand-in coach VVS Laxman said the future of India’s T20 cricket lies in specialist players and an aggressive approach. Their line-up and tactics for the first T20I are expected to walk that talk.

Watch India tour of New Zealand LIVE on Prime Video from Nov 18 to 30.

The hosts New Zealand, like India, were eliminated in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup, but they are not pivoting as sharply. They seemed to have moved on from 36-year-old Martin Guptill, but he was on the bench throughout the World Cup too. Trent Boult is also missing from the squad but that was expected after he refused a central contract, though he could continue to be a contender for big tournaments.With New Zealand closer to full strength, they start the series as favourites in home conditions, despite their captain Kane Williamson struggling for T20 form. The last time these two sides met in New Zealand in 2020, India won the T20Is 5-0, but the scoreline was not a reflection of how closely contested the series was. Two of the games were tied and decided by Super Overs.

Form guide

New Zealand LWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
India LWWLW

In the spotlight

Finn Allen began the T20 World Cup with a spectacular takedown of hosts Australia, but his tournament fizzled out after that and he finished with only 95 runs in five innings. As Guptill’s successor at the top of the order, Allen’s attacking ability is not in question, but New Zealand need him to combine his extraordinary strike rate with a little bit of the consistency that made Guptill at one time the leading run-scorer in T20Is. He will have his task cut out against the swing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh in the early New Zealand summer.India’s tearaway 22-year-old, Umran Malik, had a tough start to his T20I career. His three matches have been on small grounds at Malahide and Trent Bridge, and his high speeds have so far proven costly – an economy rate of 12.44. If India play Malik – they also have Bhuvneshwar, Arshdeep, Mohammed Siraj and Harshal Patel as specialist fast bowlers – then he will have to find a way to offer more control on the small grounds in New Zealand.Windy Wellington is the venue for the series opener•Getty Images

Team news

India’s XI will look vastly different from the line-up that lost the T20 World Cup semi-final to England. That much is certain. Their opening options are Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and… Rishabh Pant? Who among Deepak Hooda, Shreyas Iyer or Sanju Samson will slot in at No. 3? And is Yuzvendra Chahal likely to get a game after watching the World Cup from the dugout?India (probable): 1 Ishan Kishan, 2 Shubman Gill, 3 Shreyas Iyer/Sanju Samson/Deepak Hooda, 4 Suryakumar Yadav, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Hardik Pandya (capt), 7 Washington Sundar, 8 Harshal Patel/Umran Malik, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Arshdeep Singh, 11 Yuzvendra ChahalThe New Zealand XI is more settled, with Adam Milne likely to take Trent Boult’s place in the line-up.New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Kane Williamson (capt), 4 Glenn Phillips, 5 Daryl Mitchell, 6 James Neesham, 7 Mitchell Santner, 8 Tim Southee, 9 Ish Sodhi, 10 Adam Milne, 11 Lockie Ferguson

Pitch and conditions

Although T20Is in New Zealand can be high-scoring, Wellington doesn’t always follow that trend, with the average score batting first being 162. The Sky Stadium also hasn’t hosted a T20I in over 20 months. Rain is expected during the day but with the match starting only at 7.30pm local time, the conditions are expected to be chilly but hopefully clear.

Stats and trivia

• India’s 5-0 win over New Zealand the last time they met in this country remains the only 5-0 sweep in a bilateral T20I series involving two Full Members.
• Only eight India players from their 15-man T20 World Cup squad are part of this series.
• Suryakumar Yadav is 286 runs short Mohammad Rizwan’s tally (1326) of most T20I runs in a year. He has three games to make a push for the record. Phillips needs only 28 to pass Guptill’s tally of 678 runs in 2021 and become New Zealand’s highest T20I run-scorer in a year.

Quotes

“His [Hardik’s] presence in the dressing room and his work ethic are exemplary. The way he leads on the field is fabulous. He is a players’ captain; he is very approachable. All players confide in him, and that’s something I really like about him as captain.”
“It’s a hard transition to make. But those players are always trying to get better, trying to keep up with the younger guys. The younger guys have a different mentality and a team does well when you have a mix of both, they bounce ideas off each other.”
New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi talks about the future without Guptill, and perhaps, even Boult

Even with Russell Martin now gone at St. Mary’s, Southampton’s season continues to look more and more bleak with Ivan Juric at the helm.

Sunday’s defeat to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League means the dire Saints have lost an alarming 18 top-flight outings this season, with just six points amassed across 22 mainly depressing clashes.

The Croat did see some signs of life in his Southampton side to claw back two goals in the 3-2 loss at the City Ground, but he will know he needs some major fresh blood regardless to try and pull off an unbelievable relegation escape, with one new signing reportedly joining the basement club very soon.

Saints closing in on deal for Danish ace

As per French journalist Marc Mechenoua’s X account, Southampton are close to securing the services of Rennes midfielder Albert Gronbaek, with the Saints target allegedly having his medical done today.

Transfer Focus

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

The deal would see the Dane join the building on a loan-to-buy basis, with the fee needed to win the 23-year-old outright coming in at around the £13m mark according to Mechenoua.

Whilst his time in France to date hasn’t been electric, the Saints will hope they can get the Scandinavian back to his best when he was regularly exciting fans at Bodo Glimt before his switch to Ligue 1.

What Gronbaek could offer the Saints

Whilst this might not be the statement signing that will see Juric’s side stay afloat in the Premier League, it could well be a boost to morale on the South Coast anyway, with Mateus Fernandes once a relative unknown entity himself upon his arrival last summer from far-off European shores, only to now be one of the Saints’ top performers.

Before we delve deeper into Gronbaek’s glowing numbers in his native Denmark, Fernandes has been a welcome positive for Juric to latch onto during his gloomy early days as manager, with the Portuguese midfielder standing out in that defeat to Forest.

Indeed, the ex-Sporting man picked up an assist in the game when Paul Onuachu met his corner kick delivery late on, with three key passes and two successful dribbles from the bright 20-year-old constantly pushing his side up the pitch when they could have folded.

He could be joined by a new teammate in the middle of the park soon in Gronbaek, who would give the Saints even more freshness centrally away from the likes of Flynn Downes, Will Smallbone and Joe Aribo already in the building.

Whilst none of those options have been particularly woeful – away from Downes looking slightly off the pace versus Nuno Espirito Santo’s men with Juric hooking him off at the half-time interval – the new addition could end up being a repeat of the Fernandes switch, with the 23-year-old a goal and assist machine when playing in Denmark.

CM

72

25

13

LW

6

3

1

AM

3

1

2

Looking at the table above, it’s clear why Rennes took a punt on the 5 foot 9 midfielder, with an impressive combined goal and assists total of 38 managed from 72 overall games when playing in the middle of the park in his native country.

Of course, it hasn’t gone to plan for Gronbaek in his new location with just two goals and one assist picked up from 18 contests, but Southampton need an injection of more creativity to boost their slim total of just 15 strikes in the league, with Gronbaek perhaps being their desired man.

Whilst he might not be able to lift his new team out of their relegation mire on his arrival, Juric would welcome in some new bodies anyway, with the faintest glimmer of hope they can survive somehow if everything clicks into place.

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ESPNcricinfo understands Manchester Originals have signed South African batter Tristan Stubbs as his replacement

Matt Roller and Andrew Fidel Fernando04-Aug-2022Wanindu Hasaranga has been denied a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) to play in the Hundred by Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) and has been forced to pull out of his £100,000 contract with Manchester Originals as a result.Ashley de Silva, SLC’s chief executive, told ESPNcricinfo that the board turned down his request because they want him to be physically and mentally fresh ahead of the Asia Cup, which starts on August 27, and the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.Originals had previously expected Hasaranga to miss the Hundred due to a clash with the Lanka Premier League, before that tournament was postponed. They will have the option to retain him for the 2023 season if they can agree a contract with him.ESPNcricinfo understands Tristan Stubbs, the middle-order batter who hit 72 off 28 balls in the first T20l against England last week, has been signed as a replacement and will link up with Originals after South Africa’s second T20I against Ireland on Friday.Originals play their first game of the 2022 season against Northern Superchargers at Emirates Old Trafford on Friday night and are likely to fill their three overseas slots with Andre Russell, Ashton Turner and Sean Abbott. Turner is expected to drop out of the XI when Stubbs is available and then return to the side when Russell leaves for the CPL, which starts on September 1.Elsewhere, Welsh Fire confirmed on Thursday that Naseem Shah has withdrawn from the tournament after his selection for Pakistan’s tour to the Netherlands and the Asia Cup. Naseem did not play in Fire’s defeat to Southern Brave on the opening night and will not link up with the squad. They are yet to announce a replacement.Birmingham Phoenix have brought in Brett D’Oliveira, the Worcestershire allrounder, and Timm van der Gugten, the Glamorgan seamer, as injury replacements for Tom Abell and Olly Stone respectively. “We’re delighted to add two experienced players to the Phoenix men’s squad,” Craig Flindall, their general manager, said.

Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a January move for an attacking wonderkid and have already made a bid.

Tottenham defeat Liverpool as Kinsky shines on debut

Ange Postecoglou’s side recorded their first win of 2025 on Wednesday evening, defeating Liverpool 1-0 in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final.

Youngster Lucas Bergvall scored his first Spurs goal late on to secure the advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield, and it was a night to remember for new signing Antonin Kinsky.

Kinsky, who only signed from Slavia Prague on Sunday as Tottenham’s first addition of the year, was thrown straight into action by Postecoglou and kept a clean sheet, making some key saves late on from Darwin Nunez.

Taking after his first Spurs appearance, Kinsky said: “Yeah, I would say a win against Liverpool, in the semi-final of Carabao, one to zero with a clean sheet, it is a good star.

“I am a big dreamer but still with the legs on the ground. Probably this dream I didn’t have so far, so I am so happy to experience this. I am so happy that my family were here and they saw it. I am happy for them.”

The 21-year-old appears to be a shrewd signing by Tottenham chiefs, and the club may not stop there this month, with plenty of rumours over a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Randal Kolo Muani.

The France international appears to be keen on moving to north London after holding initial talks, whereas Borussia Dortmund’s Donyell Malen has also been mooted as a potential Spurs target.

In midfield, Tottenham have also been offered Inter Milan’s Davide Frattesi, who is thought to be “frustrated” at the San Siro. Now, a further transfer update has emerged over a potential star in the making.

Tottenham eyeing January move for wonderkid

Another player who has been linked with a move to Tottenham is St Patrick’s Athletic forward Mason Melia. Reports back in October claimed that Spurs made a bid to sign Melia, and this has been backed up in a new report from The Sun, who label the attacker as a wonderkid.

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They claim that Tottenham’s offer was worth £1m and was rejected, however, those in north London are still looking to sign the 17-year-old. Melia is also wanted by Celtic, Eintracht Frankfurt and Genk, but Tottenham are now looking at completing a deal this month.

The update states that personal terms won’t be a problem when it comes to a potential transfer, and should an agreement be reached, Melia won’t be able to officially move until January 2026, the first transfer window after he turns 18 in September.

A move could still be set up this month for 12 months time, though, making this one to keep an eye on in January.

Following last weekend’s 1-1 draw with Fulham, Arsenal failed to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool, remaining six points behind, having played a game more.

William Saliba’s equaliser at Craven Cottage came via the Gunners’ favourite method, a set-piece, with much of the post-match discussion concerning Arsenal’s lack of open-play creativity, with James Benge succinctly noting that Arsenal rank 13th in the Premier League for open-play xG.

So, could Mikel Arteta look to the transfer market to bolster his forward options to increase his team’s attacking output?

Latest Arsenal transfer news

According to a report by Mark Brus for Caught Offside, Arsenal, as well as Manchester City and Liverpool, will attempt to sign Florian Wirtz next year, with the German international “expected to leave” Bayer Leverkusen in the summer.

Christian Falk and Axel Hesse in Sport Bild believe Wirtz is valued at €150m (around £125m) by Leverkusen, having signed a new contract in June 2022, keeping him at die Werkself until 2027.

Nevertheless, the reigning Bundesliga champions are accustomed to selling key assets, with current Arsenal striker Kai Havertz’s £72m move to Chelsea their record sale, so could Wirtz be the latest superstar player to depart die Schwarzroten for London?

Arsenal's next Mesut Ozil

Back in October, Bayer manager Xabi Alonso described Wirtz as a “genius” and compared him to Italian great Roberto Baggio as well as former Arsenal hero Mesut Özil, having stated that he’s “a little like Baggio and Ozil”.

That comparison to Ozil, in particular, will bring a smile to the faces of many Gooners, but how do the two Germans compare?

Statistic

Wirtz 23/24 & 24/25

Özil 15/16 & 16/17

Appearances

87

105

Minutes

6,078

9,073

Goals

34

22

Goals per 90

0.50

0.22

Assists

27

38

Assists per 90

0.40

0.38

Shots

183

78

Shots on target %

47%

47.4%

As outlined in the table above, Wirtz’s attacking output since the start of last season exceeds what Özil produced at Arsenal.

2015/16 and 2016/17 was chosen because this is when Özil was at the peak of his powers, statistically speaking, but the playmaker, commonly known as the Assist King, actually averaged fewer assists than Wirtz, on a per-90 basis, during the sample sizes chosen.

This underlines Wirtz’s outstanding talent, suggesting it might be wise for Arsenal to break the bank to secure his services.

How Florian Wirtz compares to Arsenal's other attackers

As recorded by Transfermarkt, 132 of Wirtz’s 175 appearances for Leverkusen have come as an attacking midfielder, but he’s also been deployed as a centre-forward, out-wide on both flanks and even as part of a midfield trio.

Transfer Focus

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

So far this season, he’s almost exclusively been deployed centrally, but should Wirtz move to Arsenal, he may fit more naturally wide-left, with supporters frustrated by Gabriel Martinelli’s lack of end-product, calling for an upgrade.

So how does Wirtz compare to Arsenal’s current, first-choice attacking quartet: Martinelli, Bukayo Saka, Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz?

Statistic

Wirtz

Martinelli

Saka

Ødegaard

Havertz

Appearances

87

69

86

72

86

Minutes

6,078

4,064

6,882

5,978

6,588

Goals

34

13

34

13

30

Goals per 90

0.50

0.29

0.44

0.20

0.41

Assists

27

7

28

15

11

Assists per 90

0.40

0.16

0.37

0.23

0.15

Goal-creating actions

41

17

55

35

26

Goal-creating actions per 90

0.76

0.40

0.86

0.68

0.42

As you can see, Saka is, by some distance, Arsenal’s most productive attacker, taking his tally to both nine goals and 12 assists for the season already during the Gunners’ 3-0 Champions League victory over Monaco on Wednesday, scoring twice before teeing up Havertz for the late third.

However, since the start of last season, Wirtz’s numbers are largely on par with Saka, scoring the same number of goals and providing just one fewer assist during this time frame, despite having played 804 fewer minutes.

Thus, if it wasn’t clear already, the addition of Wirtz would certainly take Arsenal to the next level, albeit the Gunners would surely have to smash their current transfer record, the £105m paid to West Ham for Declan Rice, to land the German’s signature.

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Vinicius Junior's battle to fight incidents of racism in Spain has hit a roadblock, following a decision made by the Public Prosecutor's Office.

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• La Liga filed report of racial abuse aimed at Vini
• Brazilian fighting ongoing battle against racism
• Public Prosecutor's Office's decision not in Madrid star's favour

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Since Vinicius Junior arrived in Madrid from Brazil at the age of 18 in 2018, he has frequently been subjected to racism both on and off the pitch. The Brazil international has been at the forefront of a long-standing battle against racism and discrimination, although a recent decision by the Public Prosecutor's Office is likely to feel like a significant setback for the 24-year-old winger.

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  In October 2023, during the El Clasico between Real Madrid and Barcelona, Vinicius was allegedly racially abused, with reports claiming he was called a “f*cking monkey". La Liga reported the incident to authorities, leading to a legal case. However, the Public Prosecutor's Office has now requested to close the case, citing insufficient evidence to confirm that the offensive comments were a crime of incitement to hatred, according to EFE (via Mundo Deportivo).

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  Despite requesting to close the case, the Public Prosecutor's Office has recommended that the investigating judge forward the matter to the Office of Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination, per the report. This is to determine whether a sanctioning process should be initiated against those involved, should it be deemed appropriate.

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  Having already scored a game-winning goal for Brazil against Colombia last week, the 2024 Ballon d'Or runner-up will be hoping to help the Selecao register back-to-back wins to strengthen their 2026 World Cup qualifying chances when they face arch-rivals Argentina on Wednesday, March 26.

When the result of this Test series will be read about years later, it will say South Africa 2, Bangladesh 0. Many would take it as a usual occurrence since Bangladesh have usually been below-par in Tests in South Africa. However, this time around, the hosts were without their frontline bowling attack, and had lost the preceding ODI series to Bangladesh for the first time at home. Keshav Maharaj, though, made sure the IPL stars were not missed as he helped South Africa demolish the visitors by 332 runs in the second Test in Gqeberha and complete a clean sweep.

Khaled fined for flinging ball at Verreynne

Khaled Ahmed has been fined 15% of his match fee for breaching Level 1 of the ICC’s code of conduct during the second day of the Gqeberha Test, when, in the 95th over of South Africa’s first innings, Kyle Verreynne hit the ball back towards Ahmed, the bowler, and he flung it towards the batter in “an inappropriate and dangerous manner, hitting him on the right glove”.
In addition to the fine, one demerit point has been added to Ahmed’s disciplinary record. It was his first offence in a 24-month period.

Maharaj took 7 for 40 in the fourth innings to skittle Bangladesh for a meagre 80, thus becoming the first bowler in Test history to take seven-wicket hauls in consecutive fourth innings. He had returned figures of 7 for 32 when Bangladesh were rolled over for 53 in the fourth innings of the first Test, in Durban. In the process, Maharaj also completed 150 wickets in Test cricket. Simon Harmer took three wickets in this innings, as he did in the fourth innings of the previous Test, as South Africa once again embarrassed Bangladesh by just using two bowlers.Chasing 413, Bangladesh started the fourth morning on 27 for 3 and they would have hoped that there would not be a repeat of the Durban collapse. But the Bangladesh batters wilted under pressure.Related

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Mushfiqur Rahim was the first to depart, edging Maharaj to Dean Elgar at slips in the second over of the day. Mominul Haque followed in Maharaj’s next over, top-edging a sweep that he couldn’t quite reach, with Ryan Rickelton completing an easy catch at square leg. Yasir Ali then top-edged Harmer in his attempted slog sweep, giving Lizaad Williams, the only fielder on the leg-side boundary, an easy catch. By the fifth over of the morning, Bangladesh had slipped to 44 for 6.Litton Das struck five fours in his 27 off 33 balls before Maharaj lured him out of the crease. Litton missed the ball by a foot and Kyle Verreynne completed an easy stumping. Maharaj then had Mehidy Hasan Miraz caught behind and Khaled Ahmed lbw, before Harmer ended Bangladesh’s misery.The day had started with South Africa making international cricket’s first two Covid substitutions after Sarel Erwee and Wiaan Mulder tested positive and were replaced by Khaya Zondo, who got a Test debut, and Glenton Stuurman.