Manchester United have now submitted an offer for Urawa Red Diamonds goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, but it has been knocked back by the Japanese club, with the player himself focussing on representing his country at the 2024 Olympics, according to a report.

What's the latest Man United transfer news?

With Andre Onana's arrival now confirmed, Man United have been running the rule over potential back-up options for the Cameroonian, having recently been linked with a £5m move for Fenerbahce goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.

The Daily Mail report the Red Devils are considering a move for the Turkey international, who could come in as a replacement for either Dean Henderson or Tom Heaton, with the future of both goalkeepers in doubt.

Henderson is due to join Nottingham Forest and Luton Town have offered Tom Heaton the opportunity to start regularly, so a move for Bayindir could make sense, particularly considering the fact that Fenerbahce are expecting him to be sold.

According to reports from Japan (via The Nottingham Post), Man United have made a bid for Suzuki, who is highly-rated in his native country, however it has been turned down by Urawa Red Diamonds, and the player himself has no interest in leaving.

The 20-year-old is fully focussed on representing Japan at the 2024 Olympics, and staying where he is will give him the best opportunity to do that, rather than making the switch to Old Trafford to play second fiddle to Onana.

The Nottingham Post explain that the Red Devils are actively trying to sign a new goalkeeper while Forest try to re-sign Henderson, who left a lasting impression during his loan spell at The City Ground in the 2022-23 campaign.

Who is Zion Suzuki?

The young goalkeeper, who was born in the USA, has been lauded as "one of the most exciting goalkeeping prospects coming out of Japan" by the media, in part due to his "exceptional" passing ability, which has caused him to be compared to Ederson.

The 6 foot 3 colossus has already started to force his way into the starting XI for Urawa Red Diamonds, however he is yet to establish himself as the J1 League side's first choice, having made 29 appearances in all competitions since his debut in 2021.

Given his limited first-team experience, little is known about whether Suzuki would be able to make the step-up to a club the size of Man United, so it is not too disappointing the Red Devils have had an offer rejected, as they still have some other solid targets.

Of course, Onana is likely to be Erik ten Hag's first choice, for large parts of the season, but the aforementioned Bayindir could be a decent alternative option, given that he has represented Turkey five times at international level.

At 25-years-old, the Fenerbahce shot-stopper is a lot more experienced than Suzuki, making a total of 141 first-team appearances for his current club, including 11 in the Europa League, indicating he would be capable of filling in for Onana on occasion.

Tottenham Hotspur could make a bid to sign Barcelona midfielder Franck Kessie "next week" if they sell Harry Kane, and it is believed he "would welcome" a move to England.

Who will Spurs sign?

Spurs head coach Ange Postecoglou has been backed with three major signings so far this summer, not including Tottenham's permanent deals for defender Pedro Porro and forward Dejan Kulusevski.

The north Londoners have reinforced their goalkeeping department with the signing of Guglielmo Vicario from Empoli for around £17.2 million, and he was followed closely by England international star James Maddison.

Winger Manor Solomon, after an impressive spell on loan at Fulham last campaign, then joined on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk – with the trio of new additions making their Spurs debuts in pre-season.

Attention now turns to star centre-backs, and it is believed they're eyeing two senior defensive signings for that area of the pitch, which doesn't include their potential deal for Blackburn Rovers starlet Ashley Phillips.

"That's definitely our intention, absolutely," said Postecoglou when asked about signing new defenders.

"We've been working on it for a while and we'll definitely try to get it done as quickly as possible.

"I don't think it's any secret about some of the areas we needed to strengthen. Some of it I identified early on. The goalkeeper was one and central defence is another.

"In terms of the other boys, we've got a big squad but my view is I wanted to bring them along and just work with them, get some clarity in my head and give clarity to them."

Elsewhere, as Tottenham midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg edges closer to Atletico Madrid, Spurs may well look for a replacement if he does go. Star striker Kane's future is also shrouded with uncertainty, coming as Bayern Munich make a serious push for him.

Now, according to Spanish news outlet Sport, one midfield ace attracting Postecoglou's serious interest is Kessie of Barca.

Tottenham have apparently "warned" the La Liga champions that they could make an offer him just "next week" – if they receive funds from Kane's potential sale.

Kessie, who is a real candidate for the chopping block as Barca look to get rid of one player per position, is apparently considered an interesting player at Spurs.

The £199,000-per-week ace, for his part, "would welcome" a move to the Premier League as Tottenham eye a move.

How good is Franck Kessie?

His best season at the top level arguably came at AC Milan during the 2020/2021 season, where he racked up a brilliant 13 goals and four assists in 27 Serie A appearances (WhoScored).

These numbers indicate that Kessie is a serious threat from midfield when at his very best, with former Spurs keeper Paul Robinson once claiming he could be a good fit.

"Kessie would fit the bill," said Robinson to Football Insider.

"He is strong, quick and effective at both ends of the pitch. He ticks a lot of boxes.

“There is no doubting that he is an amazing player. The question is, would he come in and command a starting spot? Hojbjerg and Bentancur have done extremely well. [Yves] Bissouma has struggled to get a look in at times."

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsWalton hit seven fours and six sixes in his 92•Randy Brooks – CPL T20 / Getty

In a scintillating showdown that produced the two highest individual scores of CPL 2017, Chadwick Walton’s 92 trumped Dwayne Smith’s century as Guyana Amazon Warriors scored a crucial four-wicket win over Barbados Tridents. That meant Warriors were level on four points with Tridents.Kieron Pollard nearly triggered a shocking collapse with four wickets at the death but it was the one wicket he did not take – bypassing a mankad opportunity with Assad Fudadin a long way out of his crease – that he may come to regret. Fudadin struck a boundary to begin the 20th to draw scores level before a wide down the leg side accounted for the winning run with five balls to spare.Smith’s charmed ton
Smith brought up the first century of CPL 2017, but not without a fair share of luck. He was first reprieved on 42, in the 13th over, courtesy a Keemo Paul no-ball. Six balls later, on 46, Smith was struck on the back pad off a skiddy Rashid delivery that would’ve crashed into the stumps, but wasn’t given. While Kane Williamson, with whom he put together a 107-run opening stand fell for 47, Smith launched a savage attack in the end overs, scoring 39 off the last three overs to bring up his century.The final surge began when he clattered three fours and a six off Sohail Tanvir in the 18th over. He slammed a four early in the 19th off Rayad Emrit then ended the over with back-to-back sixes to move to 96. He missed out on a beamer from Tanvir that could have disappeared for his century, but wound up striking a two off the ensuing free hit and then a subsequent two to bring up his century off 70 balls. He fell with two balls to spare; Tridents finished with 159 for 4.Walton mirrors Smith
After watching Smith’s carnage from behind the stumps, Walton responded with a gem himself. Martin Guptill, the captain, dropped himself down the order and promoted Sohail Tanvir to open with Walton. The pair raced to 48 off four overs to lay down the marker. But just like Smith had good fortune, Walton benefited too. He first survived a confident lbw shout off Ravi Rampaul on 11 and was then dropped at deep midwicket in the same over. After that, everything changed.While Tanvir fell in the fifth over, Walton was undeterred, smacking Imran Khan’s legspin for a four and two sixes. Even though Gajanand Singh fell in the next over, Walton’s blitz took Warriors to 71 for 2 after six overs, their highest Powerplay score this season. Walton moved to 50 off 27 balls in the following over. Having broken a window with one of his earlier sixes, he nearly took out a cheerleader with another in the 10th. His sixth and final six was an imperious straight drive off Rampaul that took him into the 90s and by the time he was dismissed in the 17th, he’d moved to the top of the 2017 CPL scoring chart.Pollard’s double double
Warriors were cruising, needing 15 off four overs with eight wickets in hand when Pollard nearly turned the match upside down. Guptill and Walton’s 81-run stand was broken, with both batsmen falling to lofted drives down the ground off consecutive deliveries in the 17th over. Jason Mohammed fell to a circus catch by a sliding Tion Webster two balls into the 19th for Pollard’s third wicket. He then had Keemo Paul next ball to give himself a second hat-trick ball in consecutive overs.The mankad that wasn’t
Prior to delivering the ball that claimed Paul, Pollard pulled out of his initial attempt upon arriving at the crease as Assad Fudadin was several yards down the pitch at the non-striker’s end. Pollard could easily have run-out Fudadin. It was hard to miss the irony, given Paul was the center of the famous mankad in a controversial West Indies win over Zimbabwe at the Under-19 World Cup last year.Instead, Pollard mocked taking off the bails before running in again to bowl the ball that claimed Paul. With Fudadin allowed to stay in, he saw off the hat-trick ball with a single and pinched two more to take strike at the start of the next over. He then hammered a lofted drive over mid-on off Shamar Springer and then watched one drift behind his pads for an extra to clinch victory.

Fulham have now made a bid of €25m (£22m) for Benfica defender Morato, who is keen on a move to Craven Cottage this summer, according to a recent report from Maisfutebol.

What's the latest Fulham transfer news?

At the moment, Fulham appear to be bracing for a couple of major departures, with Aleksandar Mitrovic reportedly telling relatives he will never play for the club again, in light of them valuing him at £52m to ward off interest from Al Hilal.

Marco Silva's future is also in doubt, with the manager's agents meeting with representatives of Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli in London, to discuss a potential £40m deal to manage in the Saudi Pro League.

With the future of their star striker and manager up in the air, it is a worrying time for Fulham, however, they still remain active in the transfer market, having recently submitted a bid of £15m for Ajax defender Calvin Bassey.

However, considering the Dutch side paid £20m for the 23-year-old last summer, it seems unlikely they would be willing to part with him for a lower amount, and the Cottagers have now identified Morato as a major target.

That is according to a report from Portuguese outlet Maisfutebol (via Sport Witness), which states that Fulham have now stepped up their interest in the Benfica defender by lodging a "decisive" offer of €25m (£22m) in order to acquire his services.

Silva's side are willing to offer the 22-year-old a significantly-improved salary package, which would nearly quadruple his wages, and the player himself would be keen on a move to Craven Cottage.

The Brazilian has allegedly instructed Benfica to accept the proposal made by the west London club, but Benfica have already turned down four bids in recent days, so it remains to be seen whether £22m is deemed to be a high enough offer.

Who is Morato?

The Francisco Morato-born defender initially made his breakthrough with Sao Paulo, attracting the attention of Benfica, where he has spent the last four seasons, making a total of 50 appearances for the Portuguese club.

However, the 6 foot 3 centre-back has been unable to cement a regular place in the starting XI, making a total of just nine outings in the league last season.

Given that Benfica won the league title last season, it is understandable that the former Sao Paulo man was not able to break into the first team, and he could still be a quality signing for Fulham.

Football talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed the Benfica ace as "magnificent", while also claiming he "has everything to become a world-class centre-back."

One of the £8k-per-week defender's best attributes is his passing ability, having averaged a pass-completion rate of 90% over the past year, which places him in the 96th percentile compared to his positional peers playing at a similar level.

It would certainly be a risk for Fulham to sign Morato, given that he only has very limited first-team experience, but he is still very young and he is showing signs that he could go on to be a top player.

Manchester United have reached an agreement with Atalanta to sign Rasmus Hojlund, according to Fabrizio Romano.

Are Man United signing a new striker?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have already bolstered the squad ahead of the new season with moves for Mason Mount and Andre Onana from Chelsea and Inter Milan respectively.

Attention has since been on a move for a new centre-forward, with Anthony Martial the only senior option available to Ten Hag at this moment in time.

The Frenchman is reportedly one of a number of players up for sale, though, showing the need for a new forward to arrive at Old Trafford before the deadline.

Hojlund has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester in recent weeks and appears to be the club’s main attacking target. A player-plus-cash offer was reportedly made earlier this month, however, Atalanta have been holding out for a cash-only deal and turned down the bid, but it looks as if they will get their wish after a breakthrough was made.

Read The Latest Man United Transfer News HERE…

Romano took to Twitter in the last 24 hours to share a big development in regards to Hojlund and a move to Manchester United. A package worth around €70m has been agreed between the two clubs, with the player already agreeing a five-year deal.

“Rasmus Hojlund to Manchester United, here we go! Agreement reached right now with Atalanta.

“Package will be around €70m with add ons, clubs preparing documents in the next 24 hours. Hojlund agreed 5 year deal ten days ago as he only wanted Manchester United.”

How good is Rasmus Hojlund?

Hojlund is only 20 years of age but appears to be a star in the making. The left-footed striker only joined Atalanta last summer, but his Transfermarkt valuation has rocketed to a career-high €45m.

The Denmark international contributed to 14 goals in 34 games during his first year in Italy and was labelled as “scary” for his pace by journalist Sacha Pisani. Hojlund has also been hailed Atalanta manager Gian Piero Gasperini, who also picked up on the forward’s speed and described his technical quality as “remarkable”.

“Hojlund has this spirit, energy, intensity, but also technical quality that is just remarkable.

"He still has so much margin for improvement, too. He is so quick, he’s under 11 seconds over 100m and that’s not even trying very hard. Considering his height, he has a low centre of gravity and can move his legs very fast. I am convinced he’ll have a great career, he just gets stronger every day.”

Therefore, it looks as if the Red Devils could be getting just what they need in both the short and long term with Hojlund. Compared to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, the forward appears to be going from strength to strength, and hopefully, he’ll continue to develop at a quick pace in England, where you’d expect he’ll be first choice under Ten Hag.

Man United may now push to finalise a transfer as quickly as possible, so Hojlund can have time with his new teammates ahead of their Premier League opener with Wolves.

West Ham United target Joao Palhinha could prove to be 'out-of-reach' due to Fulham's extremely high asking price for the Portugal international, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.

Is Joao Palhinha going to West Ham United?

According to Football Insider, Fulham have warned West Ham against making another offer for £50k-a-week Palhinha after the Hammers seen an opening bid of £45 million rejected for his services.

The report states that Palhinha is a 'top target' for West Ham following the sale of Declan Rice to Arsenal for a record fee for a British player. Last term, Palhinha was an excellent performer at Craven Cottage and made more tackles than anyone else in the Premier League with 148, racking up 48 more than second-placed Moises Caidedo of Brighton & Hove Albion.

In terms of appearances, the 28-year-old featured 40 times in all competitions for Fulham, registering four goals in total, as shown on Transfermarkt.

Last month, The Daily Mail claimed that Fulham set Palhinha's asking price at a whopping £90 million, which they had benchmarked against the fee West Ham eventually received for Rice; however, keen suitors are more likely to value the Portugal international at the £50 million mark.

Any big-money deal for Palhinha would represent a significant profit for Fulham this window, given that the west Londoners brought the box-to-box midfielder for £20 million last year from Sporting Lisbon, as per Sky Sports.

Other targets in the engine room have been mooted for West Ham over the last few weeks, including Ajax's Edson Alvarez, Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse and Manchester United star Scott McTominay.

Nevertheless, transfer insider Jones thinks that Palhinha may prove 'out-of-reach' for West Ham due to Fulham's asking price for his signature.

Jones told FFC: "So I understand he would be more into kind of that Palhinha type figure for West Ham. Now look, the other thing you've got to consider, Edson Alvarez, I think everyone can agree on is going to be a really good signing. Palhinha, I think he's going to prove out-of-reach. I mean, at the moment, for the other players that West Ham are targeting, Palhinha is going to be more expensive than all of them."

Who else could West Ham United sign this window?

West Ham United boss David Moyes is keen to get to work spending the money that the Irons have managed to accumulate for former club captain Rice and the Scot has identified several targets that could potentially pitch up at the London Stadium this window.

Manchester City youngster Carlos Borges is in 'advanced talks' to join West Ham for a fee in the region of £14 million and will provide some variation on the left flank, as per The Evening Standard.

Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher is another name of interest to West Ham; however, the Blues value the England international at a price exceeding £40 million and it is believed that he would need to drive any potential departure personally, according to Sky Sports.

FC Midtjylland talent Emiliano Martinez is attracting attention from both West Ham and Wolverhampton Wanderers and his agent, Luis Ferrer, is gauging side's that would be keen to offer his client an opportunity to move elsewhere, as per Football Insider.

A radical overhaul of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy is set to be presented before the PCB’s governing board despite some resistance to the changes

Umar Farooq27-Jul-2017

A radical overhaul of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament, is set to be presented before the PCB’s governing board on Friday. Though there has been some resistance to the changes, ESPNcricinfo understands that the resolution is likely to win the seven votes that are required for its approval.If approved, it will mean that regional sides in the tournament – such as Karachi or Faisalabad – will be picked via a draft selection, as happens in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) and has since also happened in the country’s premier 50-over tournament. News of the change was first revealed by ESPNcricinfo, but more details of the plan have emerged since then. Twelve players from each regional squad will now be allocated through a draft process, and the other eight selected in traditional fashion.A pool of over 140 players for the draft was initially thought to be made up only of players who are part of departmental teams in Grade 2, the level below first-class. But the PCB has since clarified that Grade 2 players from regional teams will also be shortlisted by the national selectors. The inclusion of more regional players in the pool is a key factor in appeasing critics who argue that regional teams will become further emaciated by the change.The rationale behind the plan, officials have said, is to make the tournament more competitive by populating each region with more experienced players. They also say that it aims to end a culture of nepotism hitherto rife in the selection of regional sides. However, the idea still hasn’t convinced two regional representatives of the PCB, Karachi and Rawalpindi. They worry that a draft selection process will obstruct a significant number of players coming through senior inter-district cricket in open trials.”Keeping in view the existing format, which includes eight departmental and eight regional teams in the first-class set-up, we have proposed meritocracy in selection through a player selection process since there were complaints that the regional teams were weak and hardly competed with the stronger departmental sides,” Haroon Rasheed, PCB’s director of cricket affairs, wrote in a blog on the PCB’s official website. Rasheed is one of the driving forces behind the change and the blog is the first time he – or any PCB official – has publicly explained the change.”Grade two players who are playing for departments or regions can be shortlisted by national selectors, and each region’s own selection committee can choose 12 players from the pool announced by selectors, while eight players belonging to the region can be chosen based on the performances in the inter-district tournaments.”Ijaz Faruki, the head of Karachi region, has written a letter questioning the process. Former players such as Javed Miandad and Mohsin Khan have also opposed the process, raising concerns about what this might do to regional associations.”With the draft coming in place, the production of the fresh players coming in the system will be lost with the passage of time,” said one regional head, who is likely to argue against it in the board meeting in Lahore tomorrow. “We have inter-district below grade cricket, and there is a huge number of players stepping up to play first-class cricket every year.”Yes, at an early stage, players are rookies in first-class cricket, but that is what it is all about. Nobody is born a Tendulkar or Younis Khan; they have to get in the system first to be developed, and domestic cricket is a platform where players get experience with time.”Peshawar and Islamabad regions are among those who support the plan, having been part of a working group that created the plan. The four departments, who are neither involved in the debate nor consulted, are not likely to argue against the proposed new system.The PCB has simultaneously also decided to revive a central contract mechanism for regional players. In 2011, the PCB had awarded six-month contracts for all 20-man regional squads. But with a change in administration, the concept was shelved, with regional players getting only match fees and the facility of lodging and boarding during tournaments.But the board will now hand 20 regional players a one-year contract, a stability many of them will not have seen before. “This will enable the PCB to work closely with them, monitor their progress, while the coaching staff can also work on improving their game and fitness throughout the year,” Rasheed wrote. “This example is followed by leading teams, as well as our own departmental sides. This way, we can produce a strong second string that can replace the national players in a state of readiness.”From now on, we have proposed induction of Under-19 players in the first-class system, which wasn’t the case until last domestic season. We want to concentrate on the development of young players and we might even set a quota for under-19 players in each team to ensure that the youngsters rub shoulders with the experienced lot which will help in developing their game.”

تحدث أسطورة نادي آرسنال، بول ميرسون، عن المنافسة على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، حيث سيخوض فريقه ومانشستر سيتي وليفربول مباريات مؤجلة خلال تلك الأيام.

ويلتقي آرسنال مع تشيلسي، مساء اليوم، في مباراة مؤجلة من الجولة التاسعة والعشرين من الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

كما يلتقي ليفربول مع إيفرتون، غدًا، ومانشستر سيتي سيواجه برايتون الخميس، في الجولة المؤجلة نفسها.

ويحتل آرسنال حاليًا صدارة الدوري الإنجليزي بشكل مؤقت برصيد 74 نقطة، بفارق الأهداف عن ليفربول، ونقطة عن مانشستر سيتي، مع العلم أن الأخير لديه مباراة مؤجلة ثانية ضد توتنهام.

وقال بول ميرسون في تصريحات نشرتها صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية: “تعرض إيفرتون لضربة ساحقة على يد تشيلسي لكنه قلب الأمور بفوز حاسم على نوتنيجهام فورست، يستحقون الإشادة”.

وأضاف: “هذه مباراة يجب أن يفوز بها ليفربول للبقاء في السباق على لقب الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز، وسيصعب فريق إيفرتون الأمر عليهم في الديربي المحلي”.

وواصل: “سيعمل جوديسون بارك تمامًا على فكرة إنهاء آمال ليفربول في اللقب، ولكنني أعتقد أن الريدز سيتفوقون عليهم”.

اقرأ أيضًا.. أرتيتا: نريد الضغط على مانشستر سيتي وليفربول عن طريق تشيلسي

وأردف: “كما أظهروا ضد فولهام، يرتفع المستوى دائمًا إلى القمة، ومن المرجح أن يحدث هذا مرة أخرى هذا الأسبوع”.

واستأنف: “ليفربول لديه عدد أكبر من اللاعبين القادرين على الفوز في المباريات، ولهذا السبب أقول أنهم سيفوزون أمام إيفرتون”.

وتابع: “أجرى كلوب الكثير من التغييرات على تشكيلته الأساسية في نهاية الأسبوع الماضي، لكنني أعتقد أن أمثال محمد صلاح وداروين نونيز يمكن أن يعودوا إلى الفريق في هذه المباراة، حيث سيفوز ليفربول بنتيجة 2-1”.

واستمر: “إذا فاز آرسنال في المباراتين المقبلتين، فيجب على مانشستر سيتي أن يكون مثاليًا من الآن وحتى نهاية الموسم ليتوج بطلاً، إذا فاز آرسنال اليوم ضد تشيلسي، وأعتقد أنه سيفعل، فسيكون هناك ضغط هائل على فريق بيب جوارديولا للفوز بالمباريات المؤجلة”.

واستكمل: “بحلول الوقت الذي يلعب فيه مانشستر سيتي، قد يكونون متأخرين بأربع نقاط عن آرسنال وليفربول، لذلك سيكونون تحت ضغط هائل، يجب على مانشستر سيتي أن يكون حذرًا لأنه يعاني من بعض الإرهاق بعد مجموعة من المباريات القاسية في جميع المسابقات”.

وشدد: “أشك في أن برايتون سيسبب لهم الكثير من المشاكل، إنهم ليس الفريق الذي كان عليه الموسم الماضي، هو فريق في منتصف الجدول هذه المرة، لذلك أعتقد أن مانشستر سيتي سينجز المهمة هذه المرة ويفوز 3-1”.

ورأت صحيفة “مترو” الإنجليزية أن أيقونة آرسنال، بول ميرسون، يلعب ألعابًا ذهنية مع ليفربول ومانشستر سيتي، من أجل ناديه القديم في ظل السباق المشتعل على اللقب.

Arsenal have a long and illustrious history littered with silverware, but the truly elite honours have eluded them for some time now. Mikel Arteta is clearly seeking to ensure that this summer finally gives them the chance to challenge once again at the pinnacle of English football, and they seem far from finished with their dealings.

Is Marc Guehi leaving Crystal Palace?

With Declan Rice the outstanding acquisition from this window, his big-money move perhaps overshadows the equally important signings of Kai Havertz and Jurrien Timber. All three of these combine to give the Gunners a massive boost with regard to their depth, which was sorely needed.

However, rumours continue to circulate despite these improvements, suggesting that sporting director Edu Gaspar is still very much incensed when it comes to tempting new faces to the Emirates.

One such report that remains, despite emerging in May, did suggest that Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi remained a viable option for the north London club.

Although his £50m price tag could provide a stumbling block, signing the England international could prove a remarkable coup for a side seeking to cultivate a youth-focused squad with the talent to challenge for those top titles now and long into the future.

How good is Marc Guehi?

During the early years of Arsene Wenger's reign, despite claiming the Premier League title in just his second season, he had suffered many near-misses in the pursuit of domination.

Between 1998 and 2001, the Frenchman led his squad to three consecutive second-placed finishes, failing to take that next step to truly achieve greatness.

That was until he signed Sol Campbell.

It was noted in the English defender's biography [Sol Campbell – The Authorised Biography, pg. 106] that he was signed on the claims of Wenger, who noted: "It was as if he was indestructible, such a power spread from him."

He was tall, powerful, fast and menacing, yet had a touch of class; he would propel the Gunners to stardom.

TheScore served to supplement such a notion, writing the following review on the 48-year-old after ranking him as the 11th-best player of the legendary manager's reign: "Sol Campbell is the epitome of an athletic centre-back, whose robust frame and barrel chest hid the fact that he was sublime on the ball."

His first year after moving from Tottenham Hotspur saw him win the Premier League title, and two years later he would be ever-present during their Invincibles run. His acquisition proved to be a catalyst, and in Guehi, they could repeat this feat.

He too boasts many of the physical qualities that made Campbell so revered, alongside a passing range that mirrors the legendary centre-back's. After all, his England U21 teammate Josef Bursik branded him an "absolute tank" back in 2021.

Just last season saw him maintain a 6,94 average rating in the league, with that figure largely upheld by his 85% pass accuracy, 82% dribble success, 1.4 tackles and 3.6 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

His ability to remove danger from his own penalty area would have seen him ranked first among Arsenal's squad last season.

With his bulky frame and speed off the mark, he can stride out from the back to then find a teammate.

Should things then go wrong, he boasts the raw pace to return back in position to thwart opposition attacks.

Guehi is the quintessential modern-day centre-back and could help take Arteta's side to the next level, should Edu manage to lure him across the capital this summer.

Having also finished second last campaign, the Spaniard will be seeking the edge that can help them overtake Manchester City.

Perhaps, given just how similar Guehi is to Campbell, he could prove to have a similarly revolutionary effect that propels them to a league title in his first year upon joining.

Essex’s lead in Division One is a formidable one but Lancashire’s dismissal of bottom club Warwickshire confirmed they cannot be discounted

ECB Reporters Network31-Aug-2017
Tim Ambrose completed a century before Lancashire’s win•Getty ImagesLancashire completed their sixth Specsavers County Championship victory of the season from 10 matches as they chased down a target of 41 to beat Warwickshire at Emirates Old Trafford.The Red Rose county, second in Division One, boosted their chances of winning a second title in seven years by completing a maximum 24-point win by eight wickets during the fourth afternoon.But they were left waiting to see if Somerset could do them a favour by hanging on for the draw against leaders Essex which would reduce Essex’s lead from 36 points to 25.Tim Ambrose’s 16th career first-class century, an excellent 104 off 198 balls, at least ensured Warwickshire avoided a fifth innings defeat of 2017 as they posted a second-innings total of 344.But, still, their sixth defeat in 10 leaves them in a perilous situation at the bottom of the table, having only taken two points.They are more than 30 points adrift of safety with four games remaining.There was no play possible before lunch due to rain, but play started at 1.10pm with a minimum of 72 overs to be bowled.The Bears started on 275 for 6 in their second innings, trailing by 29, with Ambrose unbeaten on 76 and Jeetan Patel 18. Ambrose reached his ton off 156 balls in the 88th over, the third over of play, as the pair shared a stand of 86 inside 20 overs.That partnership was ended when home captain Ryan McLaren trapped Patel lbw for 30. Kyle Jarvis then bowled Chris Wright with one that kept a touch low in the next over to leave the score at 326 for 8.Warwickshire were helped along by the addition of five penalty runs when a Matthew Parkinson delivery beat everyone in his first over of the day, including batsman Olly Stone, and hit the helmet placed behind wicketkeeper Alex Davies.But the leg-spinner struck in his second, the 103rd of the innings, when he had Ambrose lbw with 339 on the board, a lead of 35.Jarvis wrapped up the innings with his eighth wicket of the match when he uprooted Ryan Sidebottom’s middle and off stumps in the next over, leaving Lancashire with 51 overs to chase their target.Alex Davies took two boundaries off Keith Barker’s first over, but he fell lbw to the same bowling in the fifth. Haseeb Hameed launched Patel’s off-spin for six over long-on, but he was also lbw in Barker’s next over for 21 before victory was secured.