Arsenal defender William Saliba "will sign his new deal" and it's just a matter of putting pen to paper, according to reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Who could leave Arsenal?

Mikel Arteta and co currently have important decisions to make in regards to the futures of some squad members, with six players nearing the end of their contracts either this year or next.

Indeed, both Ainsley Maitland-Niles and Reiss Nelson are, as things stand, could leave on a Bosman deal at the end of this month – though reports heavily suggest the latter player is set to sign a new contract.

Meanwhile, Jorginho, Rob Holding, Mohamed Elneny, Granit Xhaka and Saliba are entering the final 12 months of their deals, though Xhaka is widely believed to be on his way to Bayer Leverkusen.

As the aforementioned names edge closer and closer to leaving, it would seem Kieran Tierney, Emile Smith Rowe, Nuno Tavares, Sambi Lokonga and Folarin Balogun could depart in the near future as well (Goal).

A squad overhaul could be on the cards, with Jorginho also tipped to return to Italy via reports in the press recently.

Going back to Saliba, though, Arsenal are very keen to keep hold of their star defender. The north Londoners have been locked in talks over an extension, and according to Romano, supporters can breathe a sigh of relief – as it looks like fresh terms have been fully agreed.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, the reporter claims Saliba "will sign" a new deal with Arsenal and it's just a matter of physically putting pen to paper.

Romano goes on to call this development a "really important" one for Arsenal.

“For Saliba, it's just a matter of signing the contract, but everything is okay" said the journalist.

"Saliba will sign his new deal until 2027 with Arsenal. This is a really important one for Arsenal.”

Who is William Saliba?

The 22-year-old came back from his 2022 loan at Marseille to absolutely shine as part of Arteta's new-look defence last campaign.

As per WhoScored, Saliba started every league game for them before his season-ending back injury in March, a blow which arguably cost Arsenal the title.

Speaking to BT Sport (via The Mirror), former Man United defender Rio Ferdinand was effusive in his praise for the Frenchman after a 3-1 north London derby win over Tottenham last October.

"I think his composure, he’s very strong, mobile but it’s the composure in the pressure situations," said Ferdinand.

"He was the most composed centre-back on the pitch today – especially for Arsenal. There was times today where in transition, Arsenal could’ve got hurt but how many times did we see him come out with the ball. At the top level, you need to be calm, composed in these situations and at the moment."

Potential new Manchester United owner Sheikh Jassim is thought to be planning a move for Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, according to reports.

What’s the latest Man United transfer news?

Jassim is still battling Sir Jim Ratcliffe when it comes to taking over at Old Trafford from the Glazers. The Qatar group made a fifth and final offer last week to take control at United, however, he is still none the wiser when it comes to knowing if his bid has been successful.

There was recent speculation that Jassim and co were set to win the race for the Red Devils, however, that has since been shut down. It does look as if Jassim is looking at potential marquee Manchester United signings, though, with an update emerging on the future of Mbappe.

According to Football Insider, Jassim feels that the France superstar “belongs at Man United” and is planning a sensational move, should his takeover bid prove successful.

Mbappe is valued at £170m, and if he doesn’t accept a new PSG offer this summer, it is likely that he will be sold prior to the 2023/24 season.

How much does Kylian Mbappe earn?

Mbappe, hailed as "unstoppable" in the media, could prove to be a game-changing signing by Jassim and one that would surely win over every United supporter.

The 24-year-old is a world superstar and currently picks up a whopping £893,000-a-week, so alongside a £170m transfer fee, could end up costing the Qatar group hundreds of millions of pounds in total.

However, Mbappe is now a name known around the world following his displays in recent years, including scoring a hat trick in the World Cup final last year. The French forward has deals with the likes of EA Sports and Nike and has scored 212 goals and provided 98 assists in just 260 games for PSG.

Mainly a centre-forward who can also play on the left, Mbappe has gone from strength to strength in his native count and could be open to a move to the Premier League due to his contract situation at PSG.

Real Madrid have also been heavily linked with Mbappe in recent years, though, so the Spanish giants may fancy their chances of a deal, but it is good to see that Jassim is already looking at ambitious United transfers, looking to take Erik ten Hag’s side to the next level.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly chasing a move for Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat this summer, according to reports.

What’s the latest Spurs transfer news?

Ange Postecoglou looks set to be backed by the Spurs board ahead of his first Premier League season in charge in north London, with five potential new signings on the agenda.

A transfer meeting has already been held, with a new midfielder thought to be on the wishlist. Leicester City’s James Maddison appears to be a target, however, Tottenham appear to be trailing Newcastle United in the race for the England international.

Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate is another to be linked with a move to Spurs following Postecoglou’s arrival, and it appears as if Amrabat is another name to look out for.

Sport Witness relayed an update from Mundo Deportivo regarding Amrabat. The report states that Spurs and Bayern Munich have joined Atletico Madrid in the race for the midfielder, who is set to leave his current employers over the coming months.

An auction looks set to take place at a starting price of €20m, with SW citing previous claims suggesting that contact has already been made by Spurs to Amrabat’s representatives.

Who is Sofyan Amrabat?

Amrabat, described as a "monster" at the World Cup with Morocco by journalist Carlo Garganese, is primarily a defensive midfielder who can also play further forward in a box-to-box role.

The 26-year-old, who cares the same agency as Ben Davies, appears to be at the top of his game after his Transfermarkt valuation rocketed from €10m in November to a career-high €25m prior to the New Year. He has made 107 appearances for his current employers but has more than 250 games of senior club experience under his belt.

Bringing in a new defensive midfielder could prove to be a smart idea, as Oliver Skipp is the only out-and-out holding midfielder on the books at this moment in time. As per FBref, Amrabat ranks in the 99th percentile for long passes completed and 98th percentile for medium passes completed, so could bring a real stability to Spurs’ midfield.

Adding Maddison to bring the creative spark to Postecoglou’s 4-3-3 formation could complement someone like Amrabat and an existing central midfielder such as Rodrigo Bentancur, but Spurs will need to pip a number of sides to secure Amrabat’s services over the coming months.

Kieron Pollard, the West Indies allrounder, has been denied a No-Objection Certificate to compete in South Africa’s domestic T20 league

Colin Benjamin07-Nov-2016

Kieron Pollard, the West Indies allrounder, has been denied a No-Objection Certificate to compete in South Africa’s domestic T20 league, after the West Indies Cricket Board made the unprecedented move of levying 20% of the contract fee on any Caribbean player wishing to participate in an overseas T20 tournament.Pollard, who signed a two-year contract last season with Cape Cobras, was informed of the WICB decision on November 3 by the board’s chief executive officer Michael Muirhead in an emailed letter. He is currently still in Trinidad, with the tournament due to get underway on November 11.Muirhead called the move a “policy” decision, taken by the WICB board of directors. He also said that the WICB had notified all the ICC Full Member boards of this decision.”The WICB will levy a charge for the granting of an NOC for West Indian cricketers seeking a release to participate in Leagues outside the jurisdiction of the West Indies,” Muirhead informed Pollard in the email, which has been accessed by ESPNcricinfo. “This will be an amount equivalent to 20% of the player fee (as defined in the player contract) that is actually paid to the relevant player.”Pollard was told he would not be granted the NOC until the WICB had received “acceptance of our position” from the various boards which feature Caribbean players in their domestic T20 tournaments.It is understood that the Bangladesh Cricket Board is considering a 10% payment, but might ask the BPL franchises to carry out such a payment. Cricket South Africa has rejected the WICB proposal while there has been no response as yet from the Pakistan Cricket Board and Cricket Australia.The Federation of International Players’ Association (FICA) has described the WICB decision as “restraint of trade” and warned that it could attract legal challenges.Muirhead argued that a release fee was necessary given how many Caribbean players are now seeking to maximise their earnings in the various T20 tournaments around the world.”WICB however, having invested in developing a player’s talent, is not able to realise a return on its investment if the player is not available to play in local tournament, which would allow lesser experienced players the opportunity to face a more experienced and skilled opposition, thereby improving on the standard and competitiveness of the domestic tournaments,” he wrote.However, the move comes as little surprise to seasoned observers of the current WICB administration. The board has consistently said that senior players who earn big money in the T20 leagues need to compromise and give back something to the regional cricket. Otherwise, as Muirhead noted to Pollard, it “disadvantages” the West Indies team.”In the end, it compromises the standard of the WICB’s international team and that team’s performance internationally. The primacy of international cricket is threatened.”Muirhead stated in his email that the WICB move could not be called as restraint of trade. “While we do not wish to act in restraint of trade, we must seek a balance to ensure that there is fair and adequate compensation for the investment made in the players,” he wrote. “What WICB seeks is some compensation to recognise the investment made into players, an investment from which another Full Member is benefitting.”Although Pollard is the only player officially contacted by WICB so far, many other Caribbean players are predicting a similar email in their inbox at some point in the near future.Muirhead said the board could put the fees collected for an NOC from various players into a pot which then could be redistributed as contracts to players who only play T20. Pollard, along with the former West Indies captain Darren Sammy, are some of the prominent voices who have asked WICB to offer them T20 contracts.”It is our expectation too, that the accumulation of these fees will facilitate the offer of contracts to players participating only in the short format of the game,” Muirhead said.Pollard, however, is not even a contracted WICB player, having been controversially dropped for the tri-series in Zimbabwe, scheduled for later this month. And for that reason, Tony Irish, the FICA chairman, believes that the move is unjustified.”We have made it very clear to all the boards that any restrictions placed on players are likely to constitute restraint of trade and there challengeable legally,” he said. “In the case of Kieron, he is not even contracted by the WICB. Therefore their attempt to levy 20% in exchange for the NOC effectively imposes a restriction on freedom of movement.”Irish called the decision arbitrary, considering the WICB had not even discussed the move with players and the other boards. He added that he will be speaking directly to the WICB on Tuesday about a decision that looks set to prevent Pollard from fulfilling his second year of the contract with the Cobras.”It is not a good situation. I will be taking it directly as a FICA issue with the WICB and making them aware of the implications.”Insignia Sports, who manage Pollard along with other leading West Indies players including Sammy, Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo, has also said it will be challenging the WICB move.”It is a blatant restraint of trade on a player who has not been selected by WICB for the upcoming tri-series, does not have a contractual tie to the WICB permitting such a restriction,” said Eddie Tolchard, one of the partners at Insignia Sports. “Applying an unreasonable and unjustifiable fee and requesting CSA pay it in order to provide a NOC is a restraint of trade.”Additional reporting by Nagraj Gollapudi

Arsenal will now be participating in the Community Shield following the result in the FA Cup final, and their pre-season plans are set to be altered, Charles Watts has revealed.

Who do Arsenal play in pre-season?

The Gunners are set to travel to the USA for part of their preparations, and could even stage The Emirates Cup, a two-day tournament which has been held in north London on several occasions over the years.

Manchester City beating their rivals Manchester United in the FA Cup final means that Arsenal are now set to compete in the annual season-opener at Wembley, as a result of their second-placed finish behind City, and this will now change their preparations.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts revealed that the Emirates Cup, which is typically played over the course of a weekend, could be staged midweek because of the Community Shield.

"Arsenal are going to be in the Community Shield, we know that is another fixture scheduled into the pre-season calendar, it's going to be Arsenal vs Manchester City at I presume Wembley," he stated.

"This one is going to be at Wembley on August 6th, whether that's Arsenal's final pre-season game of the summer, I'm not yet sure, and there's talk that they might have the Emirates Cup, I'm not sure it hasn't been confirmed yet.

"I heard that it might be squeezed in on a midweek, but I can't imagine they would do it on a midweek, I don't know.

"So you've got obviously the game in Germany, which we're expecting to be confirmed at some point against Nuremberg, I believe, and then the trip to USA with three games there against the All Stars, Barcelona, and Man United, then the Manchester City game in the Community Shield and potentially an Emirates Cup, but we'll wait and see on that, but certainly a pre-season now taking shape."

When is the Community Shield?

Although pre-season is mostly focused on fitness and preparation for the new season, the Community Shield played on could be a significant game for Arsenal as they aim to challenge for the title again.

The game at Wembley is expected to be played around 5/6 August ahead of the Premier League campaign kicking off.

The Gunners fell just short of Man City after leading the league for most of the season, and with eight losses in a row against Pep Guardiola's side, they can make a statement ahead of the campaign that they are going to build upon their progress.

Arsenal have beaten City in three of their last four encounters at Wembley Stadium, which included the 2014 Community Shield, as well as two FA Cup semi-finals, but they have found themselves on the losing side to the Champions too many times in the past few seasons.

Everton are “informed” on the situation of Lyon striker Moussa Dembele ahead of a potential move to the Premier League, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

Is Moussa Dembele leaving Lyon?

The Frenchman first arrived at the Groupama Stadium from Celtic back in 2018 and since joining, he’s gone on to make a total of 172 appearances under Laurent Blanc, but he’s now on the lookout for his next destination after it was confirmed that he would be leaving upon the expiration of his contract at the end of this month.

The Ligue 1 centre-forward is no stranger to the English top-flight having carried out a spell at Fulham between 2012-2016, and after making himself available on the market, there’s a chance that he could be set to return having caught the eye of Sean Dyche, but not for the first time.

Back in January, The Mirror (via Goodison News) reported that the Toffees were in talks to sign the 26-year-old but a deal failed to come to fruition, though with him now set to cost nothing to recruit, the boss has been put on alert once again as he weighs up whether to make a second attempt at bringing him to Merseyside.

Are Everton signing Dembele?

Taking to Twitter, Romano name-checked Everton as one of the clubs interested in striking a deal for Dembele following his departure from Lyon. He wrote:

“Moussa Dembele has been approached by several clubs after leaving OL as free agent. Understand Everton and Galatasaray are both informed on conditions of the deal, while Saudi clubs are also keeping tabs on Moussa's situation.”

Should Dyche make another move for Dembele?

Everton are clearly serious about signing Dembele to be considering another approach and it’s no surprise given Dyche's penchant for playing with a classic number nine. Dembele was previously dubbed the “New Didier Drogba” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, so with the centre-forward being free, it would be an absolute bargain of a deal and one that Dyche should 100% revisit.

The Adidas-sponsored star, who pockets £51k-per-week, clocked up 89 goal contributions (70 goals and 19 assists) in 172 Lyon appearances and standing at 6 foot tall, makes an ideal target man, averaging 1.3 aerial wins per league game last season, a number that rises to 3 if you take it per 90 minutes.

Finally, Dembele, who has the versatility to operate as a second striker alongside his natural role up top, already knows what it takes to compete and be successful having secured ten trophies at club level throughout his career, so would be able to instill a much-need positive mindset and winning mentality to the squad at Goodison Park.

Everton are interested in a deal to sign Manchester United forward Amad Diallo on loan this summer, according to reports.

Who is Amad Diallo?

Diallo is naturally a right-winger who first arrived at Old Trafford back in 2021 from Atalanta, but having made just nine senior appearances, has spent the majority of his time on the road having carried out two loan spells, the first with Glasgow Rangers and most recently Sunderland.

During his time at the Stadium of Light, the 20-year-old was a standout star and established himself as Tony Mowbray’s top-performing offensive player so he’s bound to have attracted interest ahead of the upcoming window.

The Red Devils ace still has another two years to run on his contract with Erik Ten Hag’s outfit and has even admitted that it’s his dream to play regular football under the Dutchman, but despite this, Sean Dyche is ready to swoop in a bid to bring him to Goodison Park.

Are Everton signing Diallo?

According to The Northern Echo, Everton are “keen” to take Diallo on loan ahead of the start of the 2023/24 term. The Toffees are expected to “target” the temporary market as a result of having an extremely limited budget. Premier League rivals West Ham United and newly-promoted Burnley have also been credited with an interest, alongside Sunderland, who would love to re-sign him.

Ten Hag “intends” to give the talented prospect a chance to prove himself in the senior fold, but it’s stated that the boss “will consider” letting him out on loan again should he feel that he’s not ready to step up at Man United.

At Sunderland, Diallo was hailed for his “exceptional” shooting skills by talent scout Jacek Kulig, and should he be able to replicate the same prolific form at Everton, he would be a top-class acquisition for Dyche on Merseyside.

United’s left-footed gem, who pockets £28k-per-week, posted 16 goal contributions (13 goals and three assists) in 37 Championship appearances last season, as well as recording 64 shots which was higher than any other member of Mowbray’s squad, as per FBRef, and this form saw him receive four man-of-the-match awards.

Finally, Diallo is a versatile operator having played in six various positions over the grass since first bursting onto the professional scene, including everywhere across the frontline and even in the midfield, making him the perfect candidate to put pen to paper in the weeks ahead.

KL Rahul, who had aggravated an injury to his left forearm in the nets in Mohali, has been released from the India squad but is expected to be fit in time for the fourth Test against England in Mumbai on December 8. Allrounder Hardik Pandya has had to leave the team as well, having hurt his right shoulder while training at the PCA Stadium. The BCCI’s medical staff have advised him to “consult a specialist to decide the future course of action”. No replacements were named by the board in its media release.Rahul had picked up his problem while batting in the Visakhapatnam Test – which was his comeback from a hamstring injury picked up in September. His career has been a bit stop-start. Soon after making a century in his first Test series, in Sydney, he contracted dengue and missed a one-off match in Bangladesh. He was brought back into the XI when M Vijay was injured in Sri Lanka, but didn’t play the home Tests against South Africa. Rahul reclaimed his place and became India’s first-choice opener on the tour of the Caribbean, when he made a century and a fifty. His unavailability in Mohali led to Parthiv Patel – on a comeback of his own – opening the batting for India.Pandya was with the Test squad for the first time, his pace and one-day form impressing the selectors. He was the only uncapped player in the squad by the time he picked up the injury, with Jayant Yadav making his debut in Visakhapatnam and Karun Nair in Mohali.

كشف مصدر خاص بالاتحاد المصري لكرة القدم النقاب عن تطورات أزمة مستحقات المدير الفني السابق لمنتخب مصر الأول روي فيتوريا.

وكان اتحاد الكرة قد وجه الشكر لروي فيتوريا بعد خروج منتخب مصر من الدور الإقصائي الأول ببطولة كأس أمم إفريقيا 2023.

وآوضح المصدر في تصريحات خاصة لـ بطولات أن اتحاد الكرة قدد سدد مستحقات مساعدي فيتوريا الأجانب والمصريين عن الفترة الماضية.

خاص | مفاجأة جديدة بشأن مدرب الأحمال المنتظر انضمامه لـ منتخب مصر

وأكد أنه لا يتبقى سوى تسوية مستحقات روي فيتوريا، حيث أن عقده مازال قي المراجعة من جانب محمد الماشطة المستشار القانوني للجبلاية.

وأشار المصدر إلى أنه حال إعطاء الماشطة للموافقة القانونية سيتم تسوية الأمر مع المدرب.

وشدد المصدر على أن اتحاد الكرة يبحث عن ثغرة قانونية في عقد فيتوريا يستطيع من خلالها عدم دفع الشرط الجزائي للمدرب.

الجدير بالذكر، أن قيمة الشرط الجزائي في تعاقد فيتوريا تعتبر 3 شهور كاملة من راتبه، المقدر بـ 200  ألف دولار.

Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou is personally keen on signing Man United defender Harry Maguire this summer as Spurs weigh a bid, according to journalist Sami Mokbel.

Who could Spurs sign this summer?

Postecoglou's appointment marks the end of a long, drawn out search for Spurs' next manager after Antonio Conte, who departed north London over two months ago.

The Lilywhites had spoke to other big name candidates, including former Barcelona manager Luis Enrique, but chairman Daniel Levy instead elected to move for Postecoglou.

Fresh off the back of a domestic treble win at former club Celtic, Levy spoke to Tottenham's official website on the Australian's hire, who is set to start work on July 1.

“Ange brings a positive mentality and a fast, attacking style of play," explained Levy.

"He has a strong track record of developing players and an understanding of the importance of the link from the academy – everything that is important to our Club. We are excited to have Ange join us as we prepare for the season ahead."

Postecoglou is apparently set to have a major say on Tottenham's transfer planning after he enjoyed great success with that at Parkhead.

Leicester City star James Maddison, Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie and Brentford's David Raya have all been mentioned as targets in the last 48 hours – but Mokbel has shared news on a fairly new target.

Man United's Harry Maguire, who has been left on the periphery at Old Trafford, is apparently attracting Postecoglou's personal interest.

According to Mokbel, writing for The Daily Mail, the 57-year-old is keen on moving for the £200,000-per-week centre-back and Tottenham are now "exploring" a bid.

It's added that the former Leicester City star will be allowed to leave this summer, and Spurs have made checks on his situation ahead of a potential summer swoop.

Who is Harry Maguire?

Maguire impressed for England in Qatar as they reached the quarter-finals, but at club level, there have been many question marks surrounding the 30-year-old.

Former Man City captain Richard Dunne, speaking to Virgin Media (via The Irish Mirror), slammed Magurie's physical attributes – claiming he is too slow.

"You want to try and play a nice style of football and move the ball quickly, but Harry Maguire is painfully slow when he has the ball at his feet," said Dunne.

"He takes five or six touches every single time, he hesitates and he doesn't make the pass."

A move for the ex-Hull City man could be a divisive one among Tottenham supporters, but Maguire has at least displayed true leadership qualities in recent seasons.