Derby County have been blessed with some potent goalscorers up top this season in their time of need, with James Collins bagging 13 league goals as the main source of goals in attack.

Free agent signing Dwight Gayle had also helped himself to three goals from six League One games, before injury disaster struck.

Paul Warne will hope Collins, who is back in the first-team fold after injury issues of his own, and the rest of his Derby teammates can get over the line as the Rams try and seal automatic promotion in the matches to come to return to the Championship.

The East Midlands outfit will stray on the side of caution splashing the cash if they do jump back up to the second tier, knowing that they could be suspectible to falling victim to another transfer blunder like this one back in 2007.

Robert Earnshaw's time at Derby

A lot was expected of Robert Earnshaw on his arrival to Pride Park, having netted 17 times from just 50 appearances for West Bromwich Albion before moving to Derbyshire.

Bagging an impressive 27 goals from just 47 Norwich City appearances too before joining the Baggies, it must have been a foregone conclusion in Derby's head that the prolific Welsh attacker would become an instant Rams hero.

The reality would be far more bleak unfortunately, with the £4.6m statement signing – as per TotallyFootball's Transfer Index – going on to score just two times for the Rams before departing for arch-rivals Nottingham Forest.

To add further insult to injury, Earnshaw would go on to be a star for Derby's main nemesis and come back to haunt his former employers with many a goal in matches that followed between the bitter neighbours.

When looking over this disastrous deal in the here and now, taking into account inflation courtesy of TotallyMoney's Transfer Index, the transfer mishap is exposed as being even more of a costly misfire.

Robert Earnshaw's transfer value in 2024

If the same ill-fated switch was to happen today, the Welshman would demand a far more substantial £11.9m fee to win his services – as per Totally Money.

Looking at Derby's record arrivals, that would see the Rams dud surge to the very top of the list – beating Matej Vydra to the golden medal spot in the process, who is far more well-liked by those in Derbyshire to this day for notching up 27 goals from 80 appearances.

1. Matej Vydra

€9.4m (£8m)

2. Krystian Bielik

€8.2m (£7m)

3. Bradley Johnson

€8.1m (£6.9m)

4. Tom Ince

€6.7m (£5.7m)

5. Martyn Waghorn

€5.6m (£4.8m)

Earnshaw flopping at Pride Park likely wasn't helped by Derby finishing rock bottom of the Premier League during his only season there in truth, rooted to the foot of the table with a still record low points haul of 11.

Describing his Rams ordeal as a "difficult" time in his career during a tell-all interview with DerbyshireLive journalist Chris Watson in 2018, the now-retired striker will take some solace in the fact he managed to bounce back with Forest even if that makes the failure from a Rams perspective even harder to stomach.

No doubt, Derby failing to win promotion up to the Championship this campaign would be even more sickening with Warne keeping his fingers crossed that Collins and Co can continue firing on all cylinders.

The Derby dud who now plays in a league 14 places below English football

Derby County supporters will have forgotten about this dire flop’s existence.

ByKelan Sarson Mar 27, 2024

Arsenal have made an approach to sign a big-name star ahead of Liverpool, according to a new report.

Arsenal already have summer transfer targets

The Gunners are doing well on the pitch as we head into the crunch period of the season, with Mikel Arteta’s side currently top of the Premier League and into the Champions League quarter-finals, where they will face Bayern Munich.

Arsenal eyeing move to sign "special player" in free transfer

Mikel Arteta has worked with the target before.

By
Charlie Smith

Mar 20, 2024

Summer additions Declan Rice, Kai Havertz and David Raya have all played their part at the Emirates, and by the looks of things, sporting director Edu Gaspar is already planning for the upcoming market. Talking to the media last month, Edu admitted Arsenal already have their targets in mind.

“Well, I understand what the fans are asking for but we already have our targets. We have planned a lot ahead of what we’re going to face and I will be worried if we don’t score a lot of goals and if we’re not creating chances, which is the opposite because we are creating a lot and scoring a lot of goals.

“The plan is to try to get better every year and I think we are in a good moment. Let's see if we can keep improving.”

A new attacker appears to be on the agenda for the Gunners, with Napoli striker Victor Osimhen and Sporting CP Viktor Gyokeres both heavily linked with moves to north London.

More recently, Shakhtar Donetsk attacking midfielder Georgiy Sudakov is another name on the radar for Arsenal, however, a Real Madrid star is now being linked with a move to England.

Arsenal targeting Real Madrid star Rodrygo

According to reports in Spain, relayed by Sport Witness, Arsenal and top-flight rivals Liverpool are monitoring winger Rodrygo and have even made contact with Real Madrid over a possible transfer.

Those at the Bernabeu view Rodrygo as non-transferable, although the report adds that any transfer would need to be for at least €100m (£85m). Rodrygo is aware he could lose his place in the Madrid side over the coming years, with the arrival of Endrick and the possibility of Kylian Mbappe signing.

The Brazil international, on £205,000-a-week, has been with Los Blancos since 2019 after leaving Santos in a big-money deal. Since then, the 23-year-old has made more than 200 senior appearances for Madrid, contributing to 90 goals.

Rodrygo's Real Madrid honours
La Liga	2
Champions League	1
Spanish Cup	1
Spanish Super Cup	3
UEFA Super Cup	1
FIFA Club World Cup	1

Capable of playing anywhere across the front three, Rodrygo appears to be at the peak of his powers with a career-high €100m Transfermarkt valuation, so Arsenal could be getting an immediate star if they pulled a deal off.

Rodrygo has also been hailed by current manager Carlo Ancelotti, who said back in 2022: "He is a special striker, he can play in all positions. He is fast, smart and effective one on one. The learning is over. He is a Real Madrid player for all purposes."

Daniel Brettig13-Dec-2019A nearby grass fire wafted the unmistakable odour of smoke across Perth Stadium early on another enervating day in the west. By the close the only fire was that being breathed by Mitchell Starc, as Australia cornered New Zealand’s batsmen under lights despite the damaging loss of Josh Hazlewood to a left hamstring strain.Two grinding sessions in daylight saw Australia eke out 416 following the loss of early wickets before the pitch and the match burst into furious life in the third, floodlit session. Starc and Hazlewood blasted out Tom Latham and Jeet Raval in their opening overs, only for Pat Cummins to be drafted into early service when Hazlewood pulled up lame before delivering his ninth ball of the Test match.Ross Tayor and Kane Williamson threatened to form a pivotal stand with Australia’s bowling resources shorn by a quarter, only for Starc to coax an edge from New Zealand’s captain that was intercepted by the flying right hand of Steven Smith diving into where third slip might have been. Henry Nicholls and Neil Wagner were swiftly accounted for, and Starc had a hat-trick ball bunted away by Taylor before the close.Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head had earlier looked capable of dominating for the hosts, but both were dismissed in circumstances they would have been disappointed by as part of eight wickets shared between Wagner and Tim Southee.That meant the remainder of the innings was something of a slog for the Australians, as the captain Tim Paine forged partnerships with Cummins and Starc in an effort to not only advance the scoreboard but also ensure that New Zealand’s innings would commence in the harder batting conditions under lights at day’s end.Latham certainly looked to have trouble finding the Starc short ball that lobbed off the shoulder of the bat and back to a grateful bowler to the delight of a crowd of 20,018, and Raval was even further away from a Hazlewood in-dipper that clattered his stumps after several deliveries angled across him towards the slips.Williamson was fortunate to survive early on when a thin edge – picked up by snicko – evaded the attention of every Australian but Smith, whose strangled appeal and brief attempt to call for a review was ignored by Paine, who did not enjoy an entirely pleasant evening with a couple more painful blows to his troublesome right index finger. The early loss of Hazlewood from the attack even had Paine resorting to Matthew Wade’s speculative right-arm mediums inside the first 10 overs.Nathan Lyon’s extravagant turn out of a day two pitch pushed Taylor into a thrilling counter-attack, and at 2 for 77 the visitors had a toehold on the match. But Starc returned and beat Williamson with one superb delivery moving away from him, and then the New Zealand skipper fenced at a wider ball to give Smith the chance to make what is now a trademark full length dive to his right for a spectacular catch.Nicholls, never entirely comfortable, touched one of Starc’s few ordinary deliveries for the evening down the legside to Paine, and next ball Wagner was too crooked and late on a yorker that he dragged onto the stumps. Taylor and BJ Watling did well to survive the day’s remaining deliveries, but they will be starting the third afternoon with a yawning deficit of 307.Labuschagne had begun the second day with designs on a third consecutive score in advance of 150, after a fluent start, as he and Head asserted themselves. But he was left annoyed and confounded by Wagner, who found another way past an international batsman of strong repute when he angled a fullish ball into Labuschagne from around the wicket and snaked it behind the No. 3’s pads and into leg stump. Wagner’s celebration was prolonged, indicating that like most of his wickets, this was no accident.Head was then left with the responsibility for building the innings, but on 56 he leaned back to hammer Southee through the off side and picked out the fieldsman at cover. Head threw his head back in disgust at the dismissal, as did the former captain and sometime Australian team mentor Ricky Ponting in the commentary box.Paine, who had made a circumspect start, was joined by Cummins, and the pair worked their way to the long break in the hope of adding plenty more to the total. They re-emerged with a clear plan to bat for as long as possible, even to the exclusion of scoring, to keep New Zealand in the field and also to ensure that the home side’s bowlers would get to use a new ball once the sun had gone down.This made for some absorbing if not exactly pulse-quickening cricket, as the partnership soaked up 135 balls for 38 runs. Cummins was teased out by the part-time leg breaks of Jeet Raval, bowled around his legs trying to sweep after the bowling had convinced Kane Williamson to bring the deep backward square leg in from the boundary. The arrival of Starc brought a rise in the scoring rate, but Australia’s 400 was still their second slowest in a home Test since 2000.Starc ultimately fell when an attempt to hit Southee out of the stadium finished in Williamson’s hands, and Nathan Lyon hooked a couple of boundaries before picking out fine leg to hand Wagner his fourth wicket. Paine hooked Southee into BJ Watling’s gloves to end the innings on the stroke of the tea break. Fireworks would follow.

Jude Bellingham has been issued a Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo “advertisements” warning, with the Real Madrid star needing to focus on football.

Article continues below

Article continues below

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• England international starring for club & country
• Boasts unwavering belief in his ability
• Needs to avoid distractions in order to join greats

• Getty Images
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Serious potential has been unlocked in the midfielder’s game, allowing him to tread a career path from Birmingham to Madrid via Borussia Dortmund. Bellingham, at just 21 years of age, has also become a talismanic presence for England – while claiming La Liga, Champions League, Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy titles.

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• WHAT MILLS SAID

  Unwavering self-belief and confidence has carried Bellingham to the top, but has also led to arrogance claims being levelled at him. Former England international Danny Mills – speaking in association with – has told GOAL when asked about any potential attitude issues: “It’s not a bad thing. He obviously has supreme confidence and self belief, which you need to get to that level – especially at his age, and what he’s done is magnificent. You do have to be careful not to overstep that line at times. You can do anything you like if you are putting in the performances. I know he scored an amazing overhead kick [at Euro 2024]. Actually, I thought the first goal that he scored in the tournament [against Serbia] was a better goal. The overhead kick is a freak goal, it’s something that happens once in a blue moon. The header that he scores is brave, he’s determined, his desire to get across the defender to get that in the back of the net, that’s a proper midfielder running from deep. That’s what Steven Gerrard used to do, knocking the defender out of the way.”

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Mills added on the need to avoid off-field distractions in order to rub shoulders with greats of the game: “I think you have to be careful. By all accounts he is a very grounded lad, but the media have hyped him up to be a Ballon d’Or winner and be magnificent. He has still got improvements to make in his game. Is he as technically good as Phil Foden? Not quite. Foden is technically a better footballer than him at the moment. He has other attributes – his strength, his power, his desire, his ability to get in the box and score goals. He is a very young man, he still has a lot of room for improvement. He just needs to make sure that football comes first. All the adverts and all the sponsorship deals will come as secondary. First and foremost, be a great footballer. Just concentrate on that and worry about everything else afterwards. If not, it will be thrown at him. Ronaldo had it, Messi has had it at times. If you are a top player and you are courting the media and the press and the advertisements, you have to perform.”

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• DID YOU KNOW?

  While the odd question has been asked of Bellingham’s character on the field, the likes of Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have become poster boys for what can be achieved when refusing to listen to outside noise. Mills added on that mindset: “All of those got there and stayed there and performed. Ronaldo performed in tournaments. Zlatan performed. Jude at this tournament [Euro 2024] scored a couple of goals, but probably hasn’t seen the performances that he expected and everyone else expected from him. When you talk about the greatest of players, first of all you talk about their football performances. I don’t think we are talking about Jude for his football performances in general after this tournament.”

Reporter Pete O'Rourke has dropped a worrying update regarding the future of Everton centre-back Jarrad Branthwaite, ahead of a potentially major summer saga.

Everton incomings & outgoings

The Merseysiders will be hoping to get to the end of the season as unscathed as possible, retaining their Premier League status amid a number of point deductions.

As long as Everton avoid relegation to the Championship, they should still be able to entice good players to the club, and VfL Wolfsburg centre-back Maxence Lacroix has been linked with a move at the end of the current campaign.

Juventus youngster Samuel Iling-Junior, who has been hailed as an "assist machine", has also been backed to join the Blues in the near future, with the young Englishman struggling to nail down a regular spot at his current club. He has scored seven times for England at youth team level, representing six different age groups including the Under-21s.

There are also plenty of players who could leave Goodison Park this summer, with Amadou Onana arguably the player who has been linked with a move away most often. The Belgian midfielder is thought to be wanted by a host of big clubs, including Premier League pair Arsenal and Newcastle United, along with La Liga giants Barcelona.

Branthwaite is also a target for some huge teams, from Manchester City to Manchester United, with the centre-back possibly feeling that now is the right time to enjoy a new challenge at a club challenging for major honours. He has been hailed as "magnificent" by Alan Shearer and "very brave" by Ian Wright.

It remains to be seen if Jordan Pickford will still be an Everton player when the 2024/25 season gets underway, too, but Roma goalkeeper Mile Svilar has been lined up as a positive replacement for him, should he move on.

Everton suffer brutal Jarrad Branthwaite update

According to Football Insider's O'Rourke, Everton could now lose Branthwaite for a cut-price amount in the summer, having wanted £70m for him originally. It is described as an "unexpected and demoralising twist", as the club may be forced to cash in for a lower sum in order to raise funds before the next financial accounts deadline on June 30.

Losing the 21-year-old in the summer is bad enough, considering what a fantastic young player he is, but having to let him go for less than the desired amount would be an extra blow, especially at a time when the Blues are having financial issues already.

In truth, it almost makes the most sense for Everton to cash in on Branthwaite, using the funds to bring in a number of strong signings instead rather than one outright replacement. The same applies to Onana, but it should only be for massive figures that both balance the books and allow for reinvestment into the team.

Appearances

28

Starts

28

Clearances per game

4.5

Aerial duel wins per game

2.7

Tackles per game

1.9

Interceptions per game

1.6

Pass completion rate

79.4%

The hope is that the situation surrounding the Englishman and his price tag changes, but it would be typical of the Blues' struggles at the moment to have to accept losing a prized asset on the cheap.

‘If anyone at CSA has spoken to Bedingham, they will understand the reason” he left, suggests Cobras coach

Firdose Moonda31-Jan-2020

Ashwell Prince is the Cobras head coach•Getty Images

Ashwell Prince has blamed Cricket South Africa for the departure of Cobras batsman David Bedingham to Durham for the 2020 season. Bedingham has obtained the right to work in the UK through an ancestral visa, rather than a Kolpak deal, and is unavailable to play for Prince’s Cobras in the domestic one-day competition which started today.Bedingham will be joined at Durham by Farhaan Behardien, the allrounder who last played for South Africa in November 2018. Behardien has signed a two-year deal for the club, and joins the likes of Morne Morkel, Hashim Amla and Vernon Philander in choosing to end his careers abroad.Bedingham, on the other hand, is about to enter his prime and was in his second season as a contracted Cobras player. He played in the Western Cape throughout his career and represented the South African Under-19 side in 2013, and Prince believes more could have been done to keep him in the country.”It’s high time that CSA sits down and look at things a little bit closer and don’t beat around the bush of why people are leaving. Get to the crux of why people are leaving. Face it, confront the brutal facts. That’s where we are at,” Prince said. “If I had to criticise CSA, maybe they think people who can play at the highest level, you can walk around every corner and you find two or three but you don’t. It’s one percent of people who play cricket who can play at the highest level. If you are losing all of your one-percenters then what are you left with. You’re left with… I don’t know.”ESPNcricinfo understands that CSA were made aware of Bedingham’s plans. Acting director of cricket Graeme Smith said he would comment at a future date.Prince said he had a “good understanding,” of why Bedingham opted to leave South Africa. “It is the same reasons you get every day, for everyone that leaves. It’s about opportunity, it’s about uncertainty, same old, same old,” he said.The Cobras, according to Prince, “tried everything to keep David here,” but could not provide him with the security he needed. That is only likely to come for players when the restructuring of the domestic system, which is currently sub judice, is resolved. As things stand, CSA plans to cull the six-tier franchise system and install a 12-team provincial system, a move which could see up to 70 cricketers lose their jobs. That decision is on the verge of being rescinded but that may come too late for Bedingham.Another oft-cited reason for players who leave South Africa relates to limited opportunity, which, for white players is a direct result of the transformation target. At domestic level, teams must play six players of colour, of which a minimum of three must be black African, leaving five places for white players. Prince, who was recently named coach of the South Africa A side after turning down a role as national team batting consultant, has made plain his unhappiness with the target at two of CSA’s internal forums.At both the coach’s conference and the transformation indaba, he was among those who lobbied to eliminate the distinction between players of colour and black African players. If that were to happen, it would not create space for more white players, but would allow for flexibility in picking players of colour, who occasionally have to displace white players to meet the target.Even if that were to occur, it would not guarantee Bedingham the game time to stake a claim for higher honours, which Prince believes he could do. “My honest opinion is that he has got a better chance of playing international cricket for South Africa if he had stayed. But you don’t know what’s going on in the players’ head. I don’t think he would struggle to get a contract at this level. And when I say this level, I mean franchise of county cricket it’s the same level. Where does he have a better chance of playing international cricket? I think it’s here,” Prince said.”Some people might say he hasn’t done enough yet at this level. That might be true but you could also argue he should be in and around the SA A squads, at least. He has not had an opportunity at that level.”Behardein signed a two-year deal with Durham. “I have loved representing South Africa for many years, but now is the time to explore a new chapter,” Behardien said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for me to support Durham’s ambitions and play a key role moving forward in their success.” The pair join two other South African-born players – Gareth Harte and Brydon Carse – in the Durham squad.While Bedingham has been part of the Cape Town Blitz squad in the Mzansi Super League, he has not been considered for any national representative sides since age-group level. Until late last year, Bedingham held out hope of that changing.In an interview with in November 2019, Bedingham appeared committed to the national cause but did not rule out seeking an opportunity abroad. “My dream is still to play for my country. Once you believe you can’t play for your country, though, you do have to look at options like Kolpak,” he said.”There is obviously money and security abroad, as guys like Simon Harmer and Duanne Olivier have shown. One doesn’t always know how they will fare abroad, though, with the different conditions, pitches, lifestyle, etc. It’s different for everyone. Some are happy to take the risk to earn the money. Others are more family-orientated and might need to decide otherwise. I’m not there yet, but if I do get there, I’ll look at all the aspects with perspective and decide accordingly.”Two months later, he has made his decision.

MatériaMais Notícias

Titular no último jogo do Santo André pelo Brasileirão Série D e marcando o gol na estreia do Ramalhão no campeonato, Hayllan conversou com o LANCE! sobre o trabalho que tem feito junto dos seus companheiros e falou sobre a disputa pela titularidade que há no elenco e como impacta dentro de campo.

– Vejo de uma forma muito positiva, o grupo é muito qualificado e isso é sempre bom. Estar disputando o seu lugar sol, sua oportunidade com outros do elenco, isso é bom também para nossa evolução, porque cada dia você tem que dar o seu melhor, até mesmo se não tivesse tantos jogadores na minha posição, eu deveria dar o meu melhor porque é o meu trabalho a fazer. Acho que isso aumenta o nível da equipe e é importante ter isso na Série D.

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Neste sábado (19), o Santo André encara a Portuguesa pela terceira rodada da Série D 2021 e o atacante do clube do ABC paulista destacou o que está em jogo na partida contra os rivais paulistas no Canindé.

– É um jogo de suma importância, tanto para nós quanto para eles. Creio que as duas equipes irão querer a vitória, assim como todos os jogos que a gente vem entrando e espero que possamos fazer um bom trabalho e gratificado com a vitória no sábado – comentou Hayllan sobre o jogo contra a Lusa.

Ao ser pergutado sobre o que esperava do Santo André quando chegou ao clube, Hayllan não se escondeu e afirmou que a briga de todos lá dentro é em busca do acesso para a Série C e sabe do desejo em ir bem nesta temporada.

– É uma expectativa grande, porque podemos deixar o nosso nome na história do clube. Então espero que a gente possa fazer um bom trabalho nessa Série D e consequentemente conseguir o acesso, acho que todos nós do clube almejamos isso é e disso que nós vamos atrás.

O Santo André não é a primeira equipe paulista que Hayllan defende na carreira, antes o atacante atuou pelo Juventus e o Nacional. Assim o jogador classificou o peso que é jogar pelo Ramalhão e quer retribuir com vitórias.

– Não vejo como o mais difícil, vejo como uma oportunidade de poder vestir essa camisa do Santo André e fazer um bom trabalho juntamente com os meus companheiros. Automaticamente, espero que as coisas deem certo, estamos trabalhando muito para isso e estamos focados para que possamos fazer uma grande Série D, sempre honrando a camisa do Santo André, como eu falei, é pesada e máximo respeito por ela.

Ever since Granit Xhaka left Arsenal last summer to join Bayer Leverkusen, the Gunners have really felt his absence. Manager Mikel Arteta has struggled to replace the midfielder, who became an integral part of Arsenal’s title challenge in 2022/23.

They have tried and tested several players in the advanced number eight role in which Xhaka played. Kai Havertz was initially signed to play there, although he has found joy up front recently, and has been in good goalscoring form of late, scoring five in his last eight league outings.

Arteta has also experimented with Declan Rice in a more advanced role, playing Jorginho behind him as a regista, and asking Rice to get further forward and into the final third. However, this can leave Arsenal quite exposed at the back, with no Rice to screen the back four.

The other player Arteta could trial on the left-hand side of centre midfield is Oleksandr Zinchenko. The Ukrainian has yet to play there for Arsenal, but it is a role he is used to, given it is where he plays for his country.

However, there is one option, in the transfer market who Arteta could turn to as a replacement for Xhaka, who is now a Bundesliga champion with Leverkusen.

Arsenal’s Xhaka replacement option

The player in question here is Zinchenko’s fellow Ukraine international, Georgiy Sudakov, of Shakhtar Donetsk. The 21-year-old is widely considered to be one of the most exciting midfield talents in Europe and could be who Arsenal target to replace Xhaka.

According to CaughtOffside, Sudakov has been linked with a move to Arsenal, although they are yet to make a formal approach for the midfielder. The 21-year-old told CaughtOffside that whilst it is nice to be linked to big clubs like Arsenal, he wants to “focus on my football, my development and my team as much as possible”.

The midfielder has a release clause of £128m, and Napoli had a £34m bid rejected for him in January. However, CaughtOffisde believes a £60m deal would be enough for Shakhtar to sell him.

How Sudakov compares to Xhaka

Just like Xhaka last season for Arsenal, Sudakov is a wonderful box-crashing midfielder. Whilst he is not quite putting up the same numbers as the Swiss did at Arsenal in his final season, Sudakov only has three league goals compared to Xhaka’s seven last season, he still gets into good goalscoring positions.

Compared to the Bundesliga champion, Sudakov’s passing numbers leave a little to be desired. The Switzerland international averages 11.26 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and 10.7 final third passes per 90 minutes, both of which rank him in the top 1% amongst midfielders in Europe according to Fbref. As the numbers suggest, he is an elite creator in midfield.

In comparison, Sudakov averages 5.63 progressive passes per 90 minutes, and 5.38 final third passes per 90 minutes, which place him in the 70th percentile and the 78th percentile respectively, as per Fbref.

These are not bad numbers from Sudakov’s point of view, and he has an incredibly high ceiling. Whilst compared to Xhaka he has lower numbers, there is no doubt the Shakhtar star could hit the same heights in a few seasons under Arteta.

However, where Sudakov does trump Xhaka is his progressive carrying stats. The youngster averages 2.13 per 90 minutes, placing him in the top 18%, compared to Xhaka’s 2.07 per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 20%.

No doubt, Sudakov is a very similar profile to the former Arsenal star last season and would be able to play the role the Swiss vacated last summer very well, due to his box-crashing ability and control on the ball.

Also of note is that the Ukraine international “shone in the Champions League” this season, as football analyst Ben Mattinson put it on X. He scored away to Barcelona, no doubt a very special moment for him.

Should Arsenal decide to spend the money on Sudakov, they might well find the perfect Xhaka replacement. He could make a big difference as they look to kick on and finally conquer the Premier League and taste European success.

Related Xhaka isn't the only "world-class" star Arsenal must now regret selling

Granit Xhaka sealed the Bundesliga title on Sunday evening.

Posts ByMatt Dawson Apr 15, 2024

Big picture

Well, here we are again, and that’s not meant in a ho-hum, repetitive sense, but rather in the enticing, stay-tuned-for-the-next-episode tone of a trilogy that promises to be a cracker if the cliffhanger first installment is any guide. The tension of South Africa’s one-run victory, achieved on the last ball of the contest in East London, hung largely on England’s collapse in the face of some brilliant death bowling by Lungi Ngidi.But the threads of a gripping tale were woven earlier in the hosts’ failure to capitalise on a flying start which saw them reach 105 for the loss of just one wicket off the first 10 overs before managing just 30 runs in the next five and 42 after that. England welcomed the return of Jason Roy, whose 70 off 38 balls made the pursuit of 178 for victory look infinitely achievable, while captain Eoin Morgan contributed 52 off 34 before he was left “fuming” with himself for holing out and leaving his side needing seven off the last over. Cue Ngidi’s nerveless display in which he conceded just five runs and claimed two wickets before Adil Rashid was run out on the last ball.So here we are, with South Africa claiming a 1-0 series lead, just as they did in the ODI series, which ended up 1-1 after rain forced the abandonment of the second match in Durban, the site of their next encounter, and England hit back in the final match. There is no doubt the tourists will come out fighting again on Friday. The fact that they only lost by one run – and Morgan acknowledged that Ngidi was the difference – will allow England to back themselves to put things right.But while England are the stronger side on paper, there is something to be said for the confidence boost such a win will give to a relatively inexperienced South Africa side. Should England level the series at Kingsmead, there is a sense that the hosts will enter the finale in Johannesburg on a less-than-level pegging in the self-belief stakes. Don’t forget, they had a 1-0 lead in the Tests, too…

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)South Africa WWLWW
England LTWLL

In the spotlight

Lungi Ngidi thrust himself into the spotlight with his 3 for 10 off two overs in the closing stages instrumental in England’s capitulation in the first match but can he back it up? England will be particularly wary of his slower ball, which brought them undone, and, if he looks like nailing it to the same effect in the next match, they will know to go after someone else. Ngidi must have found his resurgence particularly satisfying after sitting out the Test series against England with a hamstring tear. In his comeback match, the first ODI against England, he went wicketless in seven overs, conceding 42 runs. In the second, he bounced back with a final spell of 3 for 11 in four overs after his first five overs had cost 52. Following his star turn at East London, he was understandably keen to maintain a hold on his place in the side after so long on the sidelines, suggesting he could remain dangerous.England have handed Joe Denly a prized opportunity to stake his claim on a place at the T20 World Cup. Having gradually worked his way to some sense of security in the Test set-up and proved himself handy in the ODI format in South Africa, the jury is out on the shortest format. His T20I record is unspectacular, with 95 runs in 11 matches at an average of 10.55 and strike rate of 97.93 with a highest score of 30. But he was the leading run-scorer in the Vitality Blast in 2017 and was top again for Kent the following year, indicating his potential. There is no better time to fulfill that promise than now. Denly didn’t look comfortable in scoring just 3 while batting at No. 5 in the first T20I and he had a day to forget in the field. With Dawid Malan in the squad but so far unused, it is clear there are alternatives. That particular alternative may require shuffling the top order, but England have the versatility to do that.

Team news

It is hard to see South Africa changing a winning team, although they may look to lengthen their batting by bringing in Reeza Hendicks and dropping Dwaine Pretorius. Beuran Hendricks, used late, did enough with the ball to justify his retention, although Sisanda Magala will undergo yet another fitness test ahead of the match in hopes of throwing himself into the mix.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (capt, wk), 2 Temba Bavuma, 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 Rassie van der Dussen, 5 Jon-Jon Smuts, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Beuran Hendricks/Dwaine Pretorius, 9 Dale Steyn, 10 Tabraiz Shamsi, 11 Lungi Ngidi.Given Eoin Morgan’s positive outlook on the defeat – being tested under pressure, learning from mistakes, and the narrow margin – it seems likely that England will stick with the same line-up to see if they can improve on their previous performance. This was backed up further by Morgan’s stated desire for “guys to get absolute clarity in their positions”, which makes sense with a T20 World Cup on the horizon, and confirmation that England would continue to play their strongest available XI for this series. Given the lack of potency England’s seamers showed in the Powerplay at East London, they could tinker with their attack, perhaps bringing in Sam Curran for brother Tom.England (possible): 1 Jason Roy, 2 Jos Buttler (wk), 3 Jonny Bairstow, 4 Eoin Morgan, 5 Joe Denly, 6 Ben Stokes, 7 Moeen Ali, 8 Sam Curran/Tom Curran, 9 Chris Jordan, 10 Adil Rashid, 11 Mark Wood

Pitch and conditions

The good news is there is no rain forecast for Durban on Friday so there should be no repeat of last week’s ODI washout. The bad news is temperatures are expected to reach around 30 degrees – not bad, you say – but with humidity around an energy sapping 80% – not so pleasant.

Stats and trivia

• South Africa have won their past three T20Is at Kingsmead and five of the seven completed T20 matches they have played there in total.
• Dale Steyn moved ahead of Imran Tahir as South Africa’s leading wicket-taker in T20Is after both were tied on 61. He needs two more wickets to do it again in the overall standings, with Tahir’s tally of 63 including two wickets playing for a World XI.
• England have never won a T20 in Durban, although they haven’t visited since the 2007 ICC World T20, when they lost group matches to New Zealand and India, the latter featuring Yuvraj Singh’s six sixes off a Stuart Broad over en route to a record 50 off just 12 balls.

Quotes

“We don’t want a situation where we go to Centruion 1-1. We’ve probably got the upper hand on the English side at this point in time so it will be important that we use the advantage that we have and not to allow them to get back into the series.”
“It’s another challenge for us, we’ll have to try and come back with another counter plan to him or try and target somebody else.”

Just like last season, Arsenal are in the depths of a Premier League title race, and they will hope to learn from their mistakes last season this time around.

Mikel Arteta’s side has once again been exceptional, but there seems to be a missing piece to the Gunners’ puzzle that could really take them to the next level.

The position in question is the centre forward role, with Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus unable to provide the number of goals needed to lift the trophy.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at an Arsenal transfer target who’s frequently been compared to club legend Thierry Henry.

Arsenal want to sign a centre-forward

According to a report from The Guardian, Arsenal have made Alexander Isak one of their 'primary targets' this summer.

The Newcastle United striker has been absolutely fantastic since joining the Premier League, progressing to new heights this season.

However, Arteta could have already gotten his hands on the Swedish star, as the Gunners had previously scouted the forward before his move to the Magpies.

This time around, it’s expected that Isak would cost around the £100m mark, which is almost a £40m increase from what they could have gotten him for.

Isak would be a huge upgrade on Jesus

During his first season in England, Isak instantly made himself at home and showed his quality, scoring an impressive ten goals in 17 starts.

However, he’s been even more incredible this season, scoring 17 goals in 24 Premier League matches, a tally that’s only bettered by Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer, and Ollie Watkins.

This would make the former Real Sociedad ace the top scorer in the Arsenal squad this season, scoring three more goals than Bukayo Saka and eight more than Havertz.

Yet when you compare his statistics to the Gunners’ main number nine, Jesus, Isak seems to have all of the former Manchester City player’s strengths, but with goals on top of that.

Goals

0.27

0.87

Goals/shot

0.08

0.23

xG

0.41

0.81

Successful take-ons

2.20

1.58

Progressive carries

2.26

2.55

Progressive passes

2.59

2.86

As you can see, both players are extremely dangerous attackers who have a very well-rounded skillset that allows them to thrive in any game state against any opponent.

Yet the main difference is Isak’s superior goalscoring ability, which is ultimately the main role of a centre forward, as shown by their xG to goal ratio and their goals/shot, with Jesus' lack of clinical edge often frustrating the Arsenal faithful.

However, both attackers are extremely confident on the ball, boasting a strength of dribbling and ball-carrying, which helps their side unlock defences and be less predictable in the final third.

This is where Isak’s comparisons to Henry come into the picture, with journalist Dougie Critchley saying that the Swede reminds him of the French superstar in terms of “the way he runs with the ball, the way he manipulates defenders," as well as the fact that he can operate up front or on the left-wing.

Even Newcastle manager Eddie Howe admitted to seeing the similarities between the two during a press conference, referring to their “speed, build, and frame.”

With the "world class" Isak, as dubbed by journalist Craig Hope, now adding more goals to his game to the point where he’s amongst the best in the division, he could certainly hold the key to Arsenal’s future hopes of lifting the title yet again, potentially even having a similar impact to a certain Henry.

Arsenal lining up move for £60m ace to finally replace Granit Xhaka

He is wanted by many of Europe’s top clubs

ByJoe Nuttall Apr 19, 2024