The young J&K medium-pacer was with the franchise in the UAE as a net bowler

ESPNcricinfo staff24-Sep-2021

Sunrisers Hyderabad have signed up 21-year-old Jammu & Kashmir medium-pacer Umran Malik as a “short-term Covid-19 replacement” for T Natarajan, who had to be placed in isolation after testing positive for the virus before the start of the team’s game against Delhi Capitals on September 22. Malik has been with the Sunrisers team as a net bowler in the UAE.Malik has played just one T20 and one List A game in the Indian domestic circuit, after making his debut for the state team earlier this year. The T20 game was against Railways in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, where he picked up 3 for 24 from his four overs in a seven-wicket loss for his team, while the List A appearance was in the Vijay Hazare Trophy against Bengal, where he conceded 98 runs from his ten overs for one wicket as Jammu and Kashmir conceded 368 runs and lost by 82 runs.Under IPL guidelines, franchises are allowed to sign short-term replacement players during the absence of a regular squad member, so Malik will “only be a part of the Sunrisers side until Natarajan recovers and is allowed to join the team”, an IPL statement confirmed.Earlier this year, during the first leg of the IPL when it was played in India, bowling allrounder Shams Mulani became a short-term recruitment for the Delhi Capitals in similar circumstances when Axar Patel tested positive for Covid-19.Natarajan went into isolation along with six other members of the Sunrisers contingent – including allrounder Vijay Shankar and net bowler G Periyaswamy – who were identified as his close contacts on September 22. The game between Sunrisers and Capitals was, however, allowed to go ahead on schedule.All participants in the IPL had to quarantine for six days upon arriving in the UAE, and undergo testing every two days in the first week, and every fifth day from the second week. According to the guidelines in place for the IPL, anyone testing positive for Covid-19 must isolate for a minimum of ten days. They can then rejoin the team’s bubble after clearing two tests, on days nine and ten.This is the second time during the course of the two-part IPL 2021 that a Sunrisers player has tested positive for Covid-19. In May, wicketkeeper-batter Wriddhiman Saha had to isolate for two weeks in Delhi after returning a positive test.

علق مصطفى العش مدافع الأهلي على مشاركته خلال مباراة طلائع الجيش، والتي جمعت بينهما ضمن منافسات الدوري المصري.

واستطاع الأهلي الفوز على طلائع الجيش بهدفين دون رد، على أرضية استاد القاهرة في إطار مواجهات الجولة الـ17 من الدوري المصري.

وقال مصطفى العش في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة “الأهلي”: “المباراة كانت صعبة جدًا خاصة وأن طلائع الجيش كان يريد أن يكون من التسعة الأوائل، ونحن نريد حصد الدوري، فكان هناك ضغط عصبي ولكن الجماهير في ظهرنا”.

طالع | رمضان السيد ينتقد لاعب الأهلي: ما يفعله غريب و”بيزودها”

وأكمل: “من أول يوم دخلت فيه الأهلي واللاعبين قريبين مني وكل واحد يحمسني بطريقة مختلفة، وأنا أعمل كل ما لدي في الملعب والتوفيق من عند الله وليس بيدي”.

وأردف: “أنا تحت أمر الجهاز الفني سواء بتواجدي في الملعب أو على دكة البدلاء”.

واختتم: “الأهلي جاهز لأي بطولة في العالم والجمهور دائمًا في ظهرنا، وسنحقق الدوري وإفريقيا وسنعمل شيئًا جيدًا في كأس العالم للأندية”.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta personally dreams of signing a “very creative” midfielder, with the Gunners set to be front of the queue for his services next year.

Players linked with moves to Arsenal in 2025

The north Londoners and sporting director Edu Gaspar are already making transfer plans for next year, despite being fresh out of the summer transfer window with £100 million spent on five new additions.

£136 million Brazil international could now be offered to Arsenal

The South American superstar would be quite a capture.

By
Emilio Galantini

Sep 25, 2024

While the likes of Mikel Merino and Raheem Sterling arrived to contribute further forward, the bulk of Arsenal’s new signings were brought in to bolster Arteta’s defence, so the club could look to add more attacking flair in 2025.

After missing out on a deal for RB Leipzig star Benjamin Sesko, who Arsenal made an offer for alongside both Chelsea and Man United, Arteta chose to keep faith in makeshift option Kai Havertz to lead the line – as he attempts to end their 21-year wait for a Premier League title.

However, that isn’t to say they aren’t monitoring new centre-forward options for next year, with Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram, Sesko and Sporting Lisbon star Viktor Gyokeres among the strikers linked with moves to Arsenal in 2025.

Arsenal also couldn’t agree a deal for Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia, despite agreeing terms with the Spaniard (Fabrizio Romano), but it is believed that Edu could go back in for Garcia – regardless of Neto’s arrival on summer deadline day.

There have even been rumours that Arsenal could be offered Real Madrid star Rodrygo in a swap deal for defender William Saliba, although the Gunners are highly unlikely to accept this as he is a crucial player for Arteta.

Mikel Arteta dreams of signing Florian Wirtz for Arsenal

According to The Boot Room, Arsenal’s manager has a real preference in mind when it comes to transfer targets – Bayer Leverkusen star Florian Wirtz.

Germany’s sensation played a pivotal role in Leverkusen’s run to the Bundesliga title last season, and is attracting interest from elite European sides as a result.

Arteta is obsessed with the idea of signing Wirtz for Arsenal, as per TBR, and it is believed they will be right at the very front of the queue for his signature next year with the 21-year-old expected to leave.

The £73,000-per-week attacking midfielder won’t come cheap, though, as he will command a price tag of around £125 million.

“Florian is just a huge asset for this team through his carefree nature,” said former Germany boss Hansi Flick. “He’s simply an outstanding technician, loves to play, is very creative, has a good shot, runs hard and is quick. He’s got a good total package.”

David Beckham is searching for a “twin” that was “left in America” as the Manchester United icon and Inter Miami co-owner stars in Super Bowl advert.

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Ex-England captain working with Messi in FloridaWorks with several brands away from footballCountdown on to Super Bowl LIX on February 9Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

The countdown is on to the NFL’s flagship event, which will take place at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans on February 9. The Kansas City Chiefs, with Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce leading the way, remain in the hunt to defend their title.

AdvertisementWATCH THE CLIPTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The stars will be out when Super Bowl hits Louisiana, on and off the pitch, with major brands already lining up advertisements for a sporting spectacle that pulls in a global television audience of over 100 million viewers.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Ex-England captain Beckham, who is now working with Lionel Messi in MLS, will form part of the Super Bowl LIX show. The 49-year-old has teamed up with Stella Artois to star in an ad that sees him searching for a supposed “twin” that he knows nothing about.

Heading into the international break, West Ham sit 12th in the Premier League, having accrued eight points from their opening seven games, winning twice, drawing twice, and losing three times.

Julen Lopetegui wants to make the Hammers a more ball-dominant side, but so far, his side have averaged just 45.4% possession in the league, the sixth worst in the division, with an 83.0% passing accuracy (11th out of 20).

Many of West Ham’s issues stem in midfield, with a lack of mobility, a lack of progressive passers in deep areas, and an overall mindset that still seems better suited to Moyes’ style of football than Lopetegui’s

West Ham's midfield woes in 2024/25

West Ham has set up with a double pivot and often one number ten this season. Most commonly, that has been Guido Rodriguez, Tomas Soucek and Lucas Paqueta, who have started as a midfield trio on four occasions in the Premier League already in their seven games played.

The other midfielder in question is the original Declan Rice replacement, Edson Alvarez, who was signed from Ajax in 2023 for around £35.4m, as the Hammers looked to rebuild their midfield with the loss of Rice.

Alvarez made 42 appearances for the club last season, scoring two goals, providing two assists, and contributing to nine clean sheets in his 3,155 minutes played.

Yet, in the new term, the Mexican has underperformed, notably being sent off in the League Cup defeat to Liverpool last month.

Things could have been very different, as there was another name on David Moyes’ list to replace Rice, a player who has just earned a big move to Bayern Munich this summer and has been going from strength to strength.

Who West Ham wanted to replace Rice

Before the Hammers signed Alvarez, West Ham were quoted a £60m fee for ex-Fulham midfielder, Joao Palhinha, according to GOAL, as they were searching for their Rice heir.

Due to such a high fee, West Ham began to look elsewhere, going through some other names before acquiring the Mexico international.

Palhinha has since gone on to secure a big move to Bayern, joining the German giants for a deal worth around £47.4m. The Portugal international has slowly settled into life in Germany, making six appearances in all competitions, playing 154 minutes of football, and contributing to three clean sheets.

But, if we cast our minds back to one of his best seasons yet, 2022/23, how does he compare to the aforementioned names?

Progressive Carries

0.23

2.16

2.59

Progressive Passes

2.93

6.86

6.62

Passes Attempted

36.9

80.3

58.8

Pass Completion %

82.5%

88.4%

87.1%

Passes into Final Third

3.42

7.10

6.60

Tackles

4.29

2.49

2.22

Blocks

1.39

1.26

1.20

Interceptions

1.53

1.31

1.63

Aerials Won

2.06

3.36

0.95

Palhinha, described as a “destroyer” by Statman Dave, clearly shows his defensive qualities in these metrics, making a crazy 4.29 tackles per 90 during the 2022/23 season for Fulham, nearly double both Alvarez and Rice. He also made more blocks, and only 0.10 fewer interceptions than Rice, which shows the type of midfielder Palhinha is.

Alvarez, however, did produce better passing metrics, making the most passes into the final third, the most progressive passes, and having the best pass completion. This could have been part of the decision to go for the Mexican, as he could provide those on-ball qualities closer to what Rice offered to the side.

This season, West Ham have already conceded 11 goals, eight of these coming from “open play”, and a midfield option like the Portuguese could have offered the Hammers much more protection in front of their backline, thus minimising chances for the opposition, and perhaps even reducing their chances conceded.

It’s safe to say we can file this as one that got away for the Irons.

Rice 2.0: West Ham can ditch Alvarez for starlet who’s shining out on loan

He’s riding the crest of a wave this season…

ByAngus Sinclair Oct 9, 2024

Russell Domingo, the Bangladesh head coach, expects his side to bank on their familiarity of the opponents as well as the conditions when they take on Sri Lanka in their first T20 World Cup Super 12s match in Sharjah.The two sides have already played a Test and an ODI series this year, and Bangladesh are aware of Sri Lanka’s white-ball capabilities despite having won the ODI series 2-1 at home. The game is in Sharjah, where the pitches might be similar to the ones Bangladesh played on in Dhaka in August and September.Related

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“I think we have played against Sri Lanka a bit over the last couple of months,” Domingo pointed out. “We have had some good contests against them in ODIs and Tests. We have a well-balanced side with skilful bowlers and some dangerous batters. We have a world-class allrounder in Shakib [Al Hasan].”These type of conditions can suit us. Sharjah is similar to the wickets in Dhaka. Hopefully that can assist us in tomorrow’s game. We are happy with the 2pm starts – it suits us big time. It takes dew out of the equation. I think our spinners will come very much into the competition. We know a lot of the other teams are focused on the dew.”Both teams have very little experience of playing in Sharjah, with Sri Lanka having played their first T20I at this venue against Netherlands on Friday. Shakib, though, did play three games in Sharjah for Kolkata Knight Riders in the IPL recently. Domingo agreed that “scores have come down considerably since the new wickets have been laid” in Sharjah, and expected a certain kind of bowler to make a mark.”Tall bowlers who hit the wicket have always been in the game,” he said. “I came here with South Africa [eight] years ago. I remember Morne Morkel was very effective [with] the sort of hard length that he bowled. The ball skids through. If you bowl wicket to wicket, spin has opportunity here. LBWs and bowleds come into the game. We are not known as a power-hitting side, so the [shorter boundary] could favour us.”Bangladesh have been reaping rewards of contributions from the relatively unknown trio of Mahedi Hasan, Afif Hossain and Nurul Hasan, who have recently produced crucial, if not massive, performances.Although Mahedi has bowled well with his variations in flight and speeds, he still hasn’t found enough room to have an impactful innings with the bat, failing at his only opportunity at No. 3. But, according to Domingo, he can expect another bump up the batting order at some stage.”I am a big fan of Mahedi. I think the most important thing is his character,” he said. “He is always up to fulfill any role in the team. It is not easy batting up the order, [and then] down the order. He never complains. He is focused on what the team needs. He is versatile with the ball – he can bowl in the middle, at the death and up front.”He is definitely a three-in-one cricketer for us. The big thing about his preparation is that he is happy to be doing any role. He sees them as a big challenge, and takes them on 100%. I am happy with how his campaign has gone so far.”Domingo on Nurul Hasan: “His keeping [has] been magnificent, he probably saved us 10-12 runs behind the stumps”•ICC/Getty Images

Afif, meanwhile, has been coming into his own in an attacking role in the middle order, even though he hasn’t had a lot of time in the middle, while Nurul has been sharp behind the wickets, although he is yet to answer the call with the bat.”I think Afif and Sohan [Nurul] will be seriously good players for Bangladesh in this format,” Domingo said. “Sohan is our one big-hitter at the back-end of the innings. Afif got 20 off 13 balls the other day [21 off 14 against PNG]. He is playing well. I hope he can kick on in this phase. They are big players for us.”Sohan’s keeping [has] been magnificent. He probably saved us 10-12 runs behind the stumps. It is often the difference in these matches. I have been pleased with both their performances. Runs may not be massive at the moment, but what they provide to the team is of immense value.”But it all might come down to how well Bangladesh manage to control their emotions in the Super 12s phase. There has already been considerable backlash from many quarters, including BCB president Nazmul Hassan, who criticised the senior players and the side’s overall attitude following their defeat to Scotland early in the first round.”When you are playing for Bangladesh, there’s always going to be criticism when things don’t go well – it is part of international sport,” he said. “A big part of coaching is for the team to focus on what they can control. There’s nothing we can do about what people are writing and saying. We can focus on our performances – we can evaluate our performances.”As soon as we worry about those types of things, it takes your focus away from what we need to focus on. We have talked long and hard on what we need to focus on. And it’s cricket.”

Thunder captain opts to stay with her family after the birth of her son, with border restrictions making it too difficult for her to join the team

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Oct-2021Sydney Thunder captain Rachael Haynes has withdrawn from the entire WBBL due to a combination of injury, border closures, and parental leave, barring a change in quarantine arrangements for people leaving New South Wales.Haynes suffered a hamstring injury during the third ODI between Australia and India in Mackay last month and was ruled out of the remainder of the series including the day-night Test and the three T20 internationals.Related

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She returned to New South Wales to be with her partner Leah Poulton as she gave birth to their son Hugo. Haynes had always planned to miss the early part of the WBBL to be with her family, however, New South Wales residents still aren’t permitted to leave the state without doing 14 days hard hotel quarantine due to the Covid-19 outbreak in the state. Players from New South Wales and Victoria have had to do 14 days quarantine prior to the start of the tournament in Tasmania this week.With the entire WBBL to be played in Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia, and Queensland, Haynes has made the decision to miss the tournament unless there are changes to the fixture or the border conditions.”I understand the schedule needed to be rejigged due to the ongoing border closures,” Haynes said. “However, the fact it means Sydney Thunder will be on the road for the entire duration of the WBBL – along with the mandatory 14 days in quarantine – left me with no alternative but to make myself unavailable.”However, as I told the squad, I will be back if there are changes to the current border restrictions of the tournament structure.”Haynes said she will continue to rehab her hamstring with the aim of being able to play later in the tournament in the unlikely event of the state borders opening up.”As much as I want to be with the team, leaving Leah and Hugo at this stage for such a long period wouldn’t be fair on us as a family,” Haynes said. “I’ve spoken to all the players and staff, and they’ve been extremely supportive of my decision.”It just shows that in matters of the heart, the heart wins. However, I am doing my hamstring rehabilitation with the intention that I can put myself forward to play, but it would be much later in the season and contingent on state borders opening up.”

MatériaMais Notícias

Com a negociação em andamento, o Flamengo pode acertar a venda de Michael ao Al Hilal, da Arábia Saudita. Dessa forma, caso a saída do atacante se concretize, o Rubro-Negro perderia mais um jogador que atua pelas pontas. Por isso, a seguir, veja e conheçaalgumas opções que Paulo Sousa encontrará na base parar cumprir a função do camisa 19.

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Ainda não é assinante do Cariocão-2022? Acesse www.cariocaoplay.com.br, preencha o cadastro e ganhe 5% de desconto com o cupom especial do LANCE!: GE-JK-FF-ZSW

LÁZARO
​
O primeiro nome que vale ser lembrado é o de Lázaro. Apesar deainda não ter despontado entre os profissionais, ele, a pedido de Paulo Sousa,tem treinado com o grupo principal nos últimos dias.

O meia-atacante é um dos principais nomes da base e tem uma multa rescisória de cerca de 80 milhões de euros (pouco mais de R$ 491 milhões na cotação atual). O jogador tem vínculo com o Flamengo até 10/03/2025.

THIAGUINHO

Além dele, Thiaguinho é outro nome que joga pelos lados do campo e que também iniciou os treinos no dia 03 de janeiro. O jovem atacante chegou à Gávea após uma passagem importante e de destaque pelo Náutico. Na temporada passada, em 35 jogos pelo sub-20, marcou dez gols e deu três assistências. O vínculo com o clube carioca é válido até 31/12/2024.

Por outro lado, Thiaguinho, assim como os dois nomes abaixo, costumam cair pelo lado direito, enquanto Michael, pela esquerda. Dessa forma, estes jogadores seriam “improvisados” na outra ponta do campo.

WERTON

Titular nos dos primeiros jogos da Copinha, o atacante estreou no profissional do Flamengo no Brasileirão de 2021, na vitória sobre o Cuiabá. Com passagens pela Seleção Brasileira, Werton tem uma multa rescisória superior a R$ 310 milhões e contrato com o Rubro-Negro válido até 31/12/2023.

Ele, vale lembrar, fez parte do grupo que retornou da Copinha para reforçar a equipe que disputará o início do Carioca com Fábio Matias, treinador do Sub-20. Peça importante para o Flamengo na competição, além de se destacar nas duas partidas que disputou, Werton marcou dois gols.

VICTOR HUGO

O meio-campista atuou em todas as partidas do Flamengo na Copinha 2022 (entrou na etapa final duas primeiras partidas e foi titular nas demais).Com uma multa rescisória de 100 milhões de euros (R$ 614,50 na cotação atual), ele estendeu o contrato até 2027.

Ainda vale destacar que Victor Hugo foi um dos destaques do time sub-17 do Flamengo na temporada. Com 27 gols marcados, ele conquistou o Brasileirão, a Copa do Brasil e a Supercopa da categoria.

PAULO SOUSA E A RELAÇÃO COM A BASE

Na coletiva de apresentação, Paulo Sousa foi perguntado sobre como trabalharia com os jovens talentos vindos das divisões de base do clube. O Mister citou Matheus França e Lázaro, dois dos promissores talentos e que já são observados por clubes europeus, e disse que a melhor forma de ajudá-los é tendo um time com padrão definido.

– Matheus França, Lázaro… Qualquer outro jogador jovem que está na transição para a equipe principal vai ter seu espaço para progressão. A melhor forma para ajudar o jogador que vem da base é ter uma equipe bem clara, definida e organizada para poder ajudar no crescimento desse jogador. Esse jogador precisa ter potencial e atitude correta para ter o crescimento contínuo. Porque muitos jovens acham que já chegaram quando são incorporados ao elenco principal. Ainda há muito o que fazer – afirmou o treinador, antes de completar:

– Temos que investir nesses jogadores que têm capacidade de representar o nosso clube. A torcida vai cobrar porque ela não pensa no jovem. Vai cobrar por sua prestação – finalizou.

A resposta de Paulo Sousa, inclusive, vai ao encontro do que ouviu o LANCE! ao fazer um perfil sobre o treinador. Em contato com a reportagem à época da matéria, o jornalistaAndré Veloso, do jornal OJOGO e da Rádio Onda Viva, já havia revelado que o Mister poderia apostar mais rapidamente do que Jorge Jesus em jovens da base – desde que, claro, eles estejam prontos para o próximo nível.

– Ao contrário do Jorge Jesus, que dificilmente aposta em jogadores da base, só quer jogadores feitos, não quer ter o trabalho de os trabalhar, o Paulo Sousa pode apostar em jovens. E o próprio foi resultado de uma grande geração que acabou por ser campeão do mundo dos juniores -disse André.

– Foi a geração dele que começou a abrir a porta para que os jovens pudessem entrar nos anos 80, 90 nas grandes equipes portuguesas, o que era muito difícil na altura. Tendo o Flamengo uma boa categoria de base com os elementos prontos para a equipe principal, o Paulo Sousa mais rapidamente que o Jorge Jesus aposta neles – completou.

After breaking their transfer record with the addition of Dominic Solanke during the offseason, real optimism surrounded Tottenham Hotspur ahead of the 2024/25 Premier League campaign.

However, after just one win from their opening four league fixtures, doubt was cast over the club’s ambitions to secure Champions League football during Ange Postecoglou’s second season at the helm.

Their recent run of five successive wins has reignited the belief within the fanbase that the Aussie can bring success to North London during the ongoing campaign, as the club look to end their 16-year wait for a trophy.

Brennan Johnson has been a real beneficiary of the club’s recent form, scoring in five successive matches for the first time in his career, silencing some of the doubters who hurled abuse at him on social media.

Along with the Welshman, one other talent has also thrived with increased minutes in the first team, producing performances that look well beyond his tender age.

Mikey Moore’s recent form for Tottenham

It is very rare you see a 17-year-old seamlessly transition into senior football, but Spurs superstar Mikey Moore has done just that over recent weeks, making two appearances for Postecoglou’s side in the last seven days.

The forward, who is a product of the club’s academy, came off the bench during the 3-0 victory against Manchester United, before being rewarded with his first competitive start against Ferencvaros in the Europa League a couple of days ago.

Whilst it may seem a daunting prospect for a young player making their first senior start on the European stage, Moore excelled and featured for the entirety of the contest.

He wasn’t afraid to make his mark on the meeting, attempting seven dribbles as he aimed to mark his start with a first senior goal.

He may have failed to get on the scoresheet, but the youngster was a constant threat, managing to complete 80% of his attempted passes, whilst also winning four fouls with the opposition unable to get near the academy graduate.

Moore’s subsequent form could spell the end for one current first-team member who has failed to produce the goods for Postecoglou’s side in recent weeks.

The man who could lose his place to Moore

Spurs forward Timo Werner rejoined the club on another season-long loan from RB Leipzig during the summer after spending the second half of last season on loan in North London.

The 28-year-old, who previously played for London rivals Chelsea, has failed to get on the scoresheet in his seven outings since his return, with his wasteful nature in front of goal clear to see.

Werner missed two clear one-on-one opportunities at Old Trafford last weekend, potentially handing Spurs a more emphatic victory than what they walked away with.

The German, who earns a reported £165k-per-week, also missed yet another glorious chance after an excellent ball through by youngster Moore against Ferencvaros, having ultimately fired his effort into the side netting from the angle.

Whilst his latest blunder had no impact on the final result, the forward simply can’t afford to be missing this many clear-cut chances, especially in closer outings with Postecoglou’s side potentially dropping vital points should he replicate his recent failures in front of goal.

As a result, he could lose his place in the squad to youngster Moore, with the 17-year-old showing more quality and finesse in attacking areas than the Champions League winner.

The academy graduate has showcased he has the ability to be a success, with Werner potentially halting his development in North London – giving boss Postecoglou a decision to make in giving the youth prospect an increase in minutes to further demonstrate what he can produce on a regular basis.

Alongside Moore: Spurs' 7/10 star stole the show vs Ferencvaros

The Lilywhites continued their strong start to life in Europe…

By
Joe Nuttall

Oct 3, 2024

Arsenal have been utterly transformed over the last four years, from a team struggling in midtable to one fighting for the Premier League and Champions League.

Mikel Arteta has worked wonders on the pitch with his tactical approach, but alongside Edu Gaspar, he has also turned the Gunners into shrewd operators in the market, both in terms of incoming and outgoings.

The likes of Emile Smith Rowe, Eddie Nketiah and Folarin Balogun have all been moved on for sizable fees under the Spaniard and Brazilian, which is something that rarely happened under the former leadership.

However, for all the poor sales conducted before Arteta found himself in the hot seat, there were some great ones here and there, including one player loved by Arsène Wenger.

Wenger's biggest sales

So, before we get to the player who netted the Gunners a considerable profit, let’s look at a couple of the most significant sales completed while Wenger was still at the club.

The first player that has to be mentioned is English midfielder Alex Oxlade Chamberlain, who joined the North Londoners from Southampton in the summer of 2011 for a fee reported to be around £15m, including add-ons.

Over the following six seasons, the Portsmouth-born star would make 198 first-team appearances for the club, in which he scored 20 goals and provided 28 assists, so it was quite a surprise when Liverpool were willing to pay £35m for his services in August 2018.

The 31-year-old would go on to enjoy a relatively successful stint on Merseyside, winning several trophies, but the injury problems that saw him miss around 178 games for the Gunners continued up North.

Another of Wenger’s most significant sales was another midfielder who left for a fee in the region of £35m: Cesc Fàbregas.

The Spaniard joined the North Londoners in 2003 for around £2m and would go on to make 303 appearances for the first team over the following eight years before finally returning to Barcelona and then making a number of moves that would see him play for Chelsea, AS Monaco and Como.

Unlike Chamberlain, losing the exceptional international was a severe blow on the pitch. Still, the silver lining was the enormous profit, but another player loved by Wenger, who Unai Emery sold, netted the club an even larger profit.

Market Movers

Football FanCast's Market Movers series explores the changing landscape of the modern transfer market. How much is your club's star player or biggest flop worth today?

Expand Collapse The sale of Alex Iwobi

Yes, the player in question is none other than Nigerian international Alex Iwobi, who joined Arsenal as a youngster before breaking into and establishing himself in the first team under Wenger.

The Lagos-born dynamo, whom the Frenchman dubbed “exceptional” in November 2017, made 149 first-team appearances for the North Londoners between the 13/14 and 18/19 seasons, eventually being sold to Everton in the summer of 2019 for a massive fee of £35m with 15 goals and 24 assists to his name.

Now, while the versatile academy gem wasn’t a star of the team at the time, Emery’s decision to offload him when he did was a surprise, but given that he joined the club’s youth set up as a youngster, the fee he bought in was all profit, making it one of the best sales in the club’s history, at least from a financial perspective.

Iwobi’s senior career

Club

Arsenal

Everton

Fulham

Appearances

149

140

43

Goals

15

9

7

Assists

24

16

3

Goal Involvements per Match

0.26

0.17

0.23

All Stats via Transfermarkt

Moreover, while the 28-year-old has since established himself as a Premier League-level player, making 140 appearances for the Toffees and 34 for Fulham, he hasn’t quite developed into the world-beater that some at Hale End thought he might.

Ultimately, Iwobi was a useful player for Arsenal when he was at the club, but Emery and those in charge at the time did exceptionally well to get such a significant fee for him in 2019, especially as, at the time, the Gunners were not known for being particularly great sellers.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 23, 2024