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Daniel Drew made an unbeaten double century in the home side’s first innings

AAP11-Feb-2023

An unbeaten double century from Daniel Drew and fine work from Nathan McAndrew and Wes Agar have South Australia into a commanding position In their Sheffield Shield clash against Western Australia.SA ended day two at Adelaide Oval on 2 for 31, giving them an overall lead of 307. Drew, unbeaten on 208 when SA declared at 7 for 438 at lunch, was trapped lbw for 4 by Matthew Kelly in the final over of the day.Related

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Drew accumulated 25 boundaries in his 345-ball first innings, which far exceeded his previous best first-class score of 130.He featured in an unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 78 with McAndrew, who blasted four sixes in an innings of 56 off 59 balls.With Western Australia in to bat, McAndrew and fellow paceman Agar claimed the first six wickets between them, with the visitors skittled for 162, a deficit of 276.WA were 2 for 5 after two early strikes by Agar and lost 3 for 0 to slump to 6 for 63 after Cameron Bancroft and Aaron Hardie each made 27. They were reeling again at 7 for 71 shortly after tea.A determined Marcus Stoinis, batting at No. 7 in his first first-class match since March 2020, stuck eight fours and a six before being run out by a direct hit from Drew at mid-on. He added 81 for the eighth wicket with Charlie Stobo.In South Australia’s first innings – pacemen Stobo and Kelly apart – the WA attack struggled, with David Moody leaking 129 of 28 wicketless overs and spinner Corey Rocchiccioli taking 1 for 135 off 32.Batting for the second time towards the end of play on Saturday, SA had Jake Carder caught at short cover off Stoinis for 8 before losing Drew to the second ball of the final over.

Peshawar Zalmi put up spirited batting performance but target of 242 proves too stiff for Babar Azam’s side

ESPNcricinfo staff26-Feb-2023

Gaddafi Stadium witnessed a clinic in six hitting on Sunday, as the home side Lahore Qalandars pumped 18 sixes while posting 241 for 3, the season’s highest batting total. After that, Shaheen Shah Afridi ran through the Peshawar Zalmi batting unit to finish with 5 for 40, thereby ensuring a 40-run win for Qalandars in a high-scoring mid-table tussle.The game was set up by Qalandars’ top order, with Abdullah Shafique (75) and Fakhar Zaman (96) putting on 120 in 10.3 overs. Shafique was the majority contributor in that partnership, thumping five fours and five sixes in his 41-ball innings. Once he fell, Fakhar took over proceedings, mauling 10 sixes and three fours while charging towards a third T20 century. However, he fell four short of the landmark when he mistimed a drive to cover.With Fakhar gone, Zalmi had the opportunity to bring Qalandars’ run-rate down in the slog overs. But No. 4 Sam Billings did not let that happen, crunching 47 runs in 23 balls to leave Zalmi chasing an imposing 242. The 18 sixes struck by Qalandars also set a PSL record while their total was the third-highest in the competition’s all-time list.The Zalmi chase began terribly with Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam falling prey to Shaheen’s new-ball spell. However, half-centuries from Saim Ayub (51) and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (55) in quick time on a batting-friendly surface kept Zalmi’s run-rate high, taking the side to 119 for 2 in 10 overs. They played a big part in Rashid Khan going for 1 for 49 in his four overs, his worst spell in PSL history.But both batters fell in the space of six deliveries and the experienced middle order could not come to the fore. Bhanuka Rajapaksa, James Neesham and Rovman Powell produced short-lived cameos but the side needed more runs from them with the target so stiff.Shaheen returned in his second spell and capitalised on the Zalmi batters looking for the big shots. He picked off Saad Masood, Wahab Riaz and Neesham with the older ball – his fifth five-for in T20s – to take the sting out of the contest, and Zalmi fell well short of the target despite a spirited batting performance, finishing on 201 for 9.Overall, it was a day to forget for bowlers, conceding 441 runs in 40 overs. Zalmi’s Arshad Iqbal (0 for 28) and the Qalandars pair of Zaman Khan (2 for 28) and Haris Rauf (1 for 38) were the only three bowlers to finish with single-digit bowling economies.

He is expected to fly home at some point in the coming weeks for the birth of his daughter

Matt Roller25-Apr-2023

Mark Wood is set to miss the final stages of IPL 2023 to attend the birth of his daughter in late May, but the majority of England players involved in the competition are expected to stay in India for the whole season.Wood has missed Lucknow Super Giants’ last two matches due to illness but has been a revelation for them this season, taking 11 wickets in his four appearances including 5 for 14 on his debut against Delhi Capitals.He and his wife Sarah are expecting their second child towards the end of May, and Wood will fly home at some point in the coming weeks in order to be present at the birth. At this stage, it appears unlikely that he would return to India afterwards.Related

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Super Giants play their next fixture against Punjab Kings on April 28, before back-to-back home matches against Royal Challengers Bangalore and Chennai Super Kings on May 1 and 3. In Wood’s absence, they have selected the Afghan seamer Naveen-ul-Haq, who has bowled tight spells in his first two games.England play a one-off Test against Ireland at Lord’s on June 1, four days after the IPL final, but ESPNcricinfo understands that the ECB does not intend to pull players out of the tournament against their will, having previously indicated to the BCCI and to franchises that they would be available for the full season.The ECB has actively encouraged players to travel to India to gain experience at the IPL over its last eight seasons, and the current hierarchy believe that being involved in high-stakes, knockout fixtures serves as ideal preparation for playing in semi-finals and finals of world events.In previous seasons, the board has set a fixed return date for players involved in their first international commitments of the home summer, but they will manage them on a case-by-case basis this summer. The league phase of the IPL ends on May 21, with play-off fixtures on May 23, 24, 26 ahead of the final on May 28.Ben Stokes, who has not played for Chennai Super Kings since April 3 due to a couple of niggles, has previously indicated that he may leave the IPL early in order to prepare for the Ireland Test, but does not have a fixed return date set as things stand.A potential early departure will depend on his own fitness, whether CSK reach the knockout stages, and whether or not he wins back his place given the success of their four incumbent overseas starters: Devon Conway, Moeen Ali, Maheesh Theekshana and Matheesha Pathirana.The other England players likely to be involved in both the IPL and the Ireland Test are Joe Root – who is yet to feature for Rajasthan Royals – and Harry Brook, whose Sunrisers Hyderabad team appear unlikely to reach the play-offs after suffering their fifth defeat in their first seven games on Monday night.Jofra Archer, who returned to Mumbai Indians’ XI for their defeat against Punjab Kings on Saturday night, will not be rushed straight back to Test cricket after two years without playing a first-class game, though remains hopeful that he will be involved in the Ashes at some stage.

‘Never thought I’d live to see the day where West Indies are trying to qualify for major tournaments,” assistant coach says

Deivarayan Muthu17-Jun-2023

Former West Indies captain and current assistant coach Carl Hooper has called the team’s current position “distressing”. West Indies are ranked tenth right now in ODI cricket, below Bangladesh and Afghanistan, and will have to compete with nine other teams in Zimbabwe to qualify for the ODI World Cup, which will begin in October in India.Earlier last year, West Indies had failed to make it out of the qualifier to the T20 World Cup proper in Australia, losing to Scotland and Ireland.”The position hasn’t changed,” Hooper said ahead of the ODI World Cup qualifier in Harare. “The point is can we go lower than this? Yes, we can go lower than this and if we don’t qualify, we go a step lower. Never thought that I’d live to see the day where West Indies are trying to qualify for major tournaments. I sat in Australia, and we struggled to get through it in the T20s and here we are in Zimbabwe.Related

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“No disrespect to the other teams, but we’re playing against the likes of the USA, Nepal and Scotland. Even Afghanistan is ahead of us, and Bangladesh has gone ahead of us. So, this is distressing, and can we go lower? Yes, we can go lower. This game continues to remind you that until you start doing the right things, you can go lower. As I said before, I never thought I would live to see this day, but here I am in Zimbabwe, starting a game on Sunday. We’ve got to try and beat the USA.”After West Indies crashed out of the T20 World Cup in Australia, Phil Simmons decided to step down as head coach and then Nicholas Pooran also gave up white-ball captaincy. Daren Sammy, Shai Hope, Hooper and Co have tuned up for the World Cup Qualifier with a 3-0 sweep of the UAE earlier this month. West Indies have been bolstered further by the return of their IPL stars who had rested during the UAE tour.”We’re ready. I mean you get a feel, and you get a vibe for the energy in the team,” Hooper said. “I think Daren Sammy, as you know, is a fabulous, inspirational leader. Now he has been tasked, trying to get West Indies into the qualification, which will be massive for us. So, the energy so far in Dubai and with the other boys joining us here in Zimbabwe has been great. We’re looking forward to the game on Sunday and I’m sure we will do well.”Nicholas Pooran and Shai Hope are among the senior players in the side•AFP/Getty Images

Hooper was also pleased with how some of West Indies’ players have adapted quickly to the Harare conditions, despite not getting enough game time in the IPL. Allrounder Romario Shepherd, who got just one game at Lucknow Super Giants, hit the ground running in Harare, smacking 53 off 34 balls and then bowling three overs in West Indies’ 91-run victory over Scotland in the warm-ups. Rovman Powell, who played just three matches for Delhi Capitals for the IPL, got cracking with 105 off 55 balls, including eight sixes and as many fours, in West Indies’ 114-run win over UAE.”What we’ve tried to do is guys who are going to be an integral part of our campaign get a chance to spend some time in the middle,” Hooper said. “We’ve had quite a few players coming from the IPL. I believe five or six of the boys…while they’ve been involved in the IPL haven’t played a lot apart from maybe Pooran. So, the important thing was to get them some time in the middle.”Having said that, the games that we’re going to play here in Zimbabwe are going to start pretty early in the morning. So, we noticed that in the two games we bowled, it certainly swung around. So, we’ve addressed that, and we’ve been having conversations, so there’s not much you can do technically but you can I suppose raise an awareness of conditions and how we might approach them to get the best out of the batting group.”

The two-match Test series between these two teams which was originally scheduled for this year will now be played in 2025

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Mar-2024

Bangladesh will host Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series in May, with one eye on the 2024 T20 World Cup. This comes days after the BCB announced that the team will be touring the USA for three T20Is in May, ahead of showpiece event that will be co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies from June 1.The first three T20Is, from May 3, will be played in Chattogram, while the last two matches will be held in Dhaka.The BCB also said in a release that the two-match Test series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh which was originally scheduled for this year will now be played in 2025. It will be the first Test series between the sides since 2018.Related

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The last time the two teams played against each other in a bilateral T20I series was in July 2022 in Harare, when Zimbabwe defeated Bangladesh 2-1. Overall, Bangladesh hold a 13-7 win-loss ratio against Zimbabwe in the shortest format.Bangladesh will start their T20 World Cup campaign on June 8 against Sri Lanka scheduled in Dallas. They are part of Group D along with Nepal, Netherlands, South Africa and Sri Lanka.Bangladesh vs Zimbabwe fixtures

1st T20I: May 3
2nd T20I: May 5
3rd T20I: May 7 (first three games in Chattogram)
4th T20I: May 10
5th T20I: May 12 (last two games in Dhaka)

Zimbabwe failed to qualify for the 2024 T20 World Cup, with Uganda and Namibia advancing from the Africa leg of qualifiers for the 20-team event. They had also failed to make the cut for the 2019 and 2023 ODI World Cups, but will be part of the 2027 ODI World Cup as co-hosts.

Skipper says domestic players can stake claims ahead of T20 World Cup and the Ashes

Matt Roller19-Apr-2024

Heather Knight, England’s captain, has challenged her squad to “go out and dominate” in regional cricket this summer and hopes domestic players will stake strong claims for selection ahead of the T20 World Cup and the Ashes later this year.The 50-over Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy begins on Saturday with a full round of games and while many of England’s centrally-contracted players will miss the opening weekend to attend Tammy Beaumont’s wedding, they will have some opportunities to feature for their regions ahead of England’s T20I series against Pakistan, which starts on May 11.”It’s never a closed door, if people are performing well,” Knight said at the ECB’s launch of a national tape-ball competition. “The standard of those regional games has gone through the roof in the last couple of years, so those performances are worth more. It’s a really exciting time and obviously we’ve got huge competition in the squad as well.”You want to see England players go and dominate, and really put their name forward to keep being in that England side. It’ll be an individual basis as to who plays what… most of us will miss the first round at least. But I always keep a close eye on what’s going on, what young talent is coming through, and it’s going to be no different this year watching those games.”Related

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There is substantial competition for places in England’s T20 set-up ahead of the World Cup in Bangladesh later this year, and Knight took confidence from the recent 4-1 series win in New Zealand. “We’ve got Mahika Gaur [who missed the tour due to school commitments] and Freya Kemp coming back from injury as well,” she said. “We’ve got a real depth of players we can pick from.”It’s super exciting. It makes selection a lot of tougher and sometimes you have more unhappy players – which is completely fine. It’s a really good place to be. With that World Cup in October, it’s really important that we keep moving forwards… Bangladesh is a tough place to go and play, so that’s the focus of the summer: trying to get in a really good place, ready for that tournament.”England were without four first-choice players for the first three T20Is in New Zealand due to their Women’s Premier League commitments, which gave them the opportunity to test their depth. With the chance to bat in the top three, Maia Bouchier was the tour’s breakout star and finished the T20I series as the leading run-scorer with 223 in five innings.Knight bats at the ECB’s launch of a national tape-ball competition in Birmingham•ECB/Getty Images

“She had a really good tour, particularly in the T20s off the back of a really good summer last year,” Knight said. “She’s always had the talent, but she’s just starting to work out how to manage herself in the middle and how to convert her talent into performances. That has been pretty cool to watch. She’s someone that you watch and think, ‘how does she play that shot?'”It’s remarkable, some of the shots she’s played. Obviously she had a brilliant tour, and now for her it’s about building on that and having that consistency. She’ll get a bit of a run in the team, particularly in that T20 opening spot which we haven’t quite nailed on so for her to grasp that [means that] she’ll get a little bit of a run. Hopefully, she continues the form that she’s had.”Edgbaston have already sold more than 10,000 tickets for England’s opening match of their T20I series against Pakistan, and Knight believes that the ECB’s joint marketing campaign with the men’s series against the same opposition can help build on the commercial success of last summer’s Ashes series.”It was a really awesome summer to be involved with: you felt the support and momentum for cricket around the country,” she said. “It’s obviously slightly different to an Ashes summer, but the amount of people that came along and – anecdotally – have said, ‘we want to come back, we want to come watch you guys’ has been pretty cool. Hopefully we can put on a show.”

Liverpool and FSG have reportedly made contact to sign a new striker who has been compared to Manchester United struggler Joshua Zirkzee.

Liverpool charging for Premier League title as Man Utd and Zirkzee struggle

The Reds are on course to lift the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season in charge at Anfield. It has been a brilliant campaign under the Dutchman, however, it could still be an extremely busy summer on Merseyside.

The likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract at the end of June, with the former set to move to Spain with Real Madrid. Talking recently, Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool need to sign “at least five” players ahead of the 2025/26 season.

“I’m excited to see where Arne Slot will take Liverpool because it looks like they’re going to win the league, but there are still so many areas to improve. He needs a centre-back as back-up to the two that we have, he’ll need a right-back with Trent Alexander-Arnold likely to leave.

“I think he needs a centre midfielder to replace Endo, someone younger and that he trusts, a centre-forward to play and a left-winger. There are at least five or six players he needs to get in – three to go straight in the team and three to be strong back-ups.”

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Meanwhile, Liverpool’s rivals, Man Utd, have had a season to forget under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils have been in the bottom half of the Premier League for large parts of the season, and one player who has struggled is Zirkzee.

It has been claimed that Man Utd regret signing the forward from Bologna last summer and are looking to sell him alongside goalkeeper Andre Onana. Interestingly, Liverpool have now made contact to sign a striker who has been compared to the Man Utd forward.

Liverpool in contact to sign Mohamed Amoura

According to reports coming out of France and shared by Sport Witness, Liverpool are one of three clubs who have made a move to sign Royale Union Saint-Gilloise attacker Mohamed Amoura.

Currently on loan at Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, Amoura could sign permanently for the German side this summer for €14m plus €4m bonuses. However, Wolfsburg may then sell the Algeria international for €40m (£33.3m) and make a quick profit, with Liverpool chiefs making contact over a deal.

Fellow top-four rivals Arsenal and Nottingham Forrest have also made an approach, but it is unclear if the three teams have contacted Amoura and his agents, Royale Union Saint-Gilloise or Wolfsburg.

Forwards Amoura has been compared to

Club

Joshua Zirkzee

Man Utd

Omar Marmoush

Man City

Lois Openda

RB Leipzig

Charles De Ketelaere

Atalanta

Florian Thauvib

Udinese

Compared to Zirkzee by analytics site FBref, Amoura has netted 10 Bundesliga goals for Wolfsburg this season, and by the looks of things, a move to the Premier League is on the cards.

Aston Villa are now in a three-way race to sign an “incredible” midfielder who is ready to leave his current club this summer, according to a report.

Villa stepping up midfielder pursuit

As we approach the summer transfer window, Villa seem to be particularly keen on adding a midfielder to their ranks, having submitted an offer for Rosenborg’s Sverre Nypan last week, and Fabrizio Romano has recently dropped a further update.

A deal for Nypan appears to be edging closer, but given that the Norwegian is just 18-years-old, Unai Emery may be keen on bringing in a central midfielder with a little more experience at the top level, and contact has been made over FC Barcelona’s Marc Casado.

Back in October, it was revealed that Emery had personally requested the signing of Athletic Club’s Oihan Sancet, with the manager being left “captivated” by the midfielder’s performances, which indicates the Spaniard is a big fan.

Now, there has been a new update on Aston Villa’s pursuit of Sancet, with a report from Spain revealing they are now in a three-way race for the 24-year-old, alongside Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.

The Villans are said to be closely monitoring the Spanish midfielder’s development, and their presence in the Champions League should give them a good chance of winning the race for his signature.

The Pamplona-born maestro is ready to leave Athletic Club this summer, but a deal will not be cheap, with the La Liga side set to hold out for his release clause of €80m (£69m).

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The attacking midfielder has previously been lauded as “incredible” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and he has been one of his side’s top performers in La Liga this season, having averaged a 6.97 match rating.

The Spain international has been particularly impressive in front of goal, having scored 16 goals in all competitions, including 15 in 23 La Liga games, which is a phenomenal record for a midfielder.

As a result, the Athletic star ranks in the top 2% for non-penalty goals per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers, while also ranking very highly on some other key metrics for midfielders.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.64 (98th percentile)

Pass completion %

82.3% (86th percentile)

Progressive passes

5.78 (86th percentile)

Sancet could be a fantastic signing for Aston Villa this summer, and they should be well-placed to compete for his signature, should they manage to qualify for the Champions League once again.

Celtic are likely to have several reinforcements up their sleeve this summer and may look to strike in the market for a proven goalscorer to supplement their options in attack.

Brendan Rodgers set for an exciting summer at Celtic

With the Scottish Premiership season now hurtling towards the final hurdle, Celtic are now waiting to find out the order of their post-split opponents to determine where they will confirm themselves as league champions.

The Bhoys’ convincing win over Kilmarnock, coupled with Rangers’ draw at Aberdeen the following day, has left Brendan Rodgers’ men needing one point to clinch a fourth successive top-flight title to cap off another excellent campaign.

While the prospect of a domestic treble is firmly in sight, the Irishman has already turned his attention to the summer transfer window, and Celtic are said to be lining up a deal for Mathias Kvistgaarden to strengthen their forward line.

The Brondby star is a long-term target at Parkhead, though he is unlikely to be the only name pursued in Rodgers’ mission to bolster the ranks ahead of upcoming Champions League qualifiers.

Slovan Bratislava forward David Strelec is another on Celtic’s wishlist. After the Hoops tried and failed to land his services in January, he may be attainable for a package of £5.9 million inclusive of add-ons.

Celtic’s slim pool of striking options – should Brendan Rodgers target reinforcements?

Daizen Maeda

Appearances – 45 Goals – 31 Assists – 9

Adam Idah

Appearances – 47 Goals – 14 Assists – 1

Johnny Kenny

Appearances – 5 Goals – 0 Assists – 1

Another action-packed window is nearly upon us and the reigning Scottish champions are expected to make inroads in their quest to beef up a slim pool of talent at centre-forward.

Now, there could be an intriguing target on the agenda, according to former Liverpool star turned prominent pundit Didi Hamann.

Hamann: Danny Ings is 'certainly' on the radar of Celtic

According to reports relayed by The Daily Record, Hamann noted that West Ham forward Danny Ings will ‘certainly’ be on Celtic’s radar. The German pundit has backed the England international to prove a hit north of the border should a move to Parkhead materialise.

He stated: “Could Danny Ings be a success at Celtic? Absolutely. His playing time at West Ham has been restricted, and I think Celtic would be a great option for him.

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“The standard of football is not quite as high as the Premier League, and I think he could get a new lease of life up there. He will certainly be on the radar of Celtic and maybe Rangers because he has a proven record of putting the ball into the net. If you make chances for him he will show you where the goal is for sure.”

Earning £125,000 per week at West Ham, Ings has scored 121 career goals in total, with 120 coming at club level alongside a solitary goal for the Three Lions against Wales in 2020.

Despite the initial concern about his wages, the 32-year-old is set to leave the London Stadium on a free transfer at the end of the season, which may appeal to Celtic in their pursuit of a prolific marksman.

After a period where he has been limited to 15 appearances at the Hammers, most coming as a substitute, there could be a viable route to Ings reigniting his career under Rodgers.

While he hasn’t got everything right since taking the job at Arsenal, it would be fair to say Mikel Arteta has signed some incredible players.

The likes of David Raya, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhaes and Jurrien Timber have all played their part in taking the club forward, but when it comes to the Spaniard’s best signing, one name stands out above all others: Declan Rice.

There was plenty of pressure on the former West Ham United captain’s shoulders when he moved to the Emirates for a club-record £105m in 2023, but since then, he’s more than proven his worth, as exemplified by his two Man of the Match Awards against Real Madrid in the Champions League this month.

So, fans should be excited about recent reports suggesting the manager could be about to make his best signing since the Englishman.

Arsenal transfer news

Regardless of what happens in Europe, this summer looks set to be a massive one for Arsenal, and as such, the club have been linked with a whole host of extraordinary players, such as Nico Williams.

According to reports from late last week, the Gunners have maintained their intense interest in the Spanish international and would be willing to activate his £50m release clause, which could be a fair price considering he’s scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 42 games this term.

Another talented winger from Spain who has reportedly caught the North Londoners’ attention in recent weeks is Real Betis youngster Jesús Rodríguez, who has a release clause of around £42m in his current deal.

However, while there is plenty of excitement around the 19-year-old, he is far rawer than the Athletic Bilbao star, and with just four goal involvements in 25 senior appearances this season, he might be too big of a gamble, which some might have said about Benjamin Šeško a couple of years ago.

Yes, according to a recent report from journalist Graeme Bailey, it’s now claimed that the RB Leipzig dynamo, who was also a target last summer, is said to hold ‘strong interest’ in joining the Gunners this summer.

In fact, the report goes a step further, revealing that talks have already taken place between the player’s camp and new Sporting Director Andrea Berta as the Gunners look to make a fast start to the upcoming transfer window.

Regarding a potential fee, the story reiterates reports that the Slovenian has a £58m release clause in his current deal, which, given his age and output this season, may prove to be a bargain a few years from now.

Transfer Focus

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

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It would still require a significant investment from Arsenal, but Šeško looks like a player worth bringing to the Emirates, and he could even end up being Arteta’s best signing since Rice.

Why Šeško would be Arsenal's best signing since Rice

So, when it really comes down to it, there are two reasons why Šeško would be Arsenal’s best signing since Rice, and the first is his output.

For example, despite it being his first campaign in a top-five league, the Slovenian “monster,” as dubbed by analyst Ben Mattinson, managed to rack up an impressive tally of 18 goals and two assists in 42 first-team appearances, totalling just 2057 minutes.

That means the Radeče-born phenomenon managed to maintain an average of a goal involvement every 2.1 games or every 102.85 minutes, which, again, is undeniably impressive for his first season in the big-time.

Sesko’s RB Leipzig record

Season

23/24

24/25

Appearances

42

41

Starts

22

37

Miniutes

2057′

3041′

Goals

18

20

Assists

2

6

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

0.63

Minutes per Goal Involvement

102.85′

116.96′

All Stats via Transfermarkt

This season, he’s managed to score 20 goals and provide six assists in just 41 appearances, totalling 3041 appearances, which comes out to an average of a goal involvement every 1.57 games, or every 116.96 minutes.

Just imagine the level of output at the tip of this Arsenal side, with the likes of Bukayo Saka, Martin Odegaard and a recently rejuvenated Gabriel Martinelli, or even Nico Williams, around him – he’d surely be the 20-goal-a-season striker the team so desperately need.

Now, that alone could be what makes the former RB Salzburg gem the Gunners’ best signing since Rice.

However, what makes him an even more attractive acquisition is that he’s still just 21 years old and 6 foot 5, so not only could he get exponentially better over the next five to six years, but he also should have the physicality to thrive in the Premier League.

Ultimately, while he’s not going to be cheap, Arsenal should do what they can to sign Šeško this summer, as he might be just the player they need to reach that next level.

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