Tag Futebol

Arsenal may have won the Community Shield over their rivals Manchester City, but it will take much more than that to keep Pep Guardiola subdued…

Has Josko Gvardiol gone to Manchester City?

Especially given the reinforcements he has already brought in to bolster a treble-winning outfit, capped off by the recent £77m addition of Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol.

As a frightening young star, he is set to take the Premier League by storm, with his pace, power and ball-playing capabilities second to none.

Read the latest Arsenal transfer news HERE…

And yet, the Cityzens could still be set to help out Mikel Arteta, should they opt to offset some of that transfer fee by offloading Aymeric Laporte to the Gunners.

With just two years left on his deal at the Etihad, Football Transfers value the Spain international at a reasonable €42.3m (£34m).

How good is Aymeric Laporte?

The 29-year-old titan boasts vast experience at this level and has been a true stalwart for the treble-winning Manchester outfit across his five years at the club.

Since joining for a £57m fee from Athletic Bilbao, the defensive titan has amassed 179 appearances for the Citizens, starring as part of five Premier League title victories, as well as the numerous other domestic honours attained.

Should he bring that winning mentality to the Emirates, along with his top form that was on show not too long ago, he could actually prove to be the catalyst that helps them topple Guardiola’s side.

Especially given the fact that he could actually emulate, or even surpass the talent Gvardiol is set to bring to his new side, as an alternative who shares the same skillset and preferred left foot.

The 21-year-old has already been lauded as one of the greatest in his role, with national team boss Zlatko Dalic branding him the “best central defender in the world”.

FBref helps to emphasise such a claim, as he can be compared directly to others in his position across Europe. He still ranks in the top 1% for passes attempted per 90, the top 18% for progressive passes per 90 and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.

There are few on the planet as comfortable with the ball at his feet as Gvardiol, yet Laporte marks one of them.

He compares similarly against the same group, instead ranking in the top 1% for passes attempted, progressive passes and progressive carries all per 90, via FBref.

This form was no better exemplified during the 2021/22 league season, where he maintained a 7.12 average rating, buoyed by his 15 clean sheets earned, 95% pass accuracy, one tackle and 1.8 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

Journalist Bill DiFilippo even took to Twitter to simply claim: “Laporte is a warrior”.

He is steely, domineering, and most importantly adept at playing out from the back. Also, given he is eight years Gvardiol’s senior, is much more prepared for mounting an instant title charge with his potential new club.

Whilst they are at wildly differing stages of their careers, Arsenal could secure their own version of the left-footed former RB Leipzig star by snatching an out-of-favour ace from under Guardiola’s nose.

Tottenham Hotspur have been linked to a whole host of top talents this window, but they could be set to take the biggest gamble of them all in order to secure a sparkling future…

Is Brennan Johnson staying at Nottingham Forest?

Whilst their pursuit of Harvey Barnes was well-documented, with the Lilywhites even reportedly submitting a joint bid for both him and James Maddison, in the end it was only the latter who ended up joining the north London outfit.

Ange Postecoglou was forced to miss out on the wide man, who instead joined Newcastle United in a move totalling £39m. This marked a hefty sum for the 25-year-old, but one Spurs could blow out the water should alternative reports be true.

Whilst it was only suggested late last month, those at N17 likely remain interested in signing Brennan Johnson from Nottingham Forest, even if the Tricky Trees value him at an astronomical £50m fee.

Read the latest Tottenham transfer news HERE…

Although far less experienced at the top level than their earlier target, his ceiling remains so high, whilst he boasts all the physical assets to be a real star for Spurs.

How many goals has Brennan Johnson scored for Nottingham Forest?

As the Garibaldi geared up for their first top-flight campaign since 1998, many likely assumed they would struggle despite their vast incomings.

They spent over £168m and brought in 29 players across both the summer and winter windows last year, and yet somehow Steve Cooper managed to forge a functioning team out of all the egos to keep them in the division.

However, arguably the most impressive feat throughout it all was that young Johnson retained his starting spot, despite players like Emmanuel Dennis, Andre Ayew, Taiwo Awoyini and Morgan Gibbs-White all joining in positions similar to his.

In fact, the 22-year-old featured in every single one of their league games, scoring eight and assisting a further three as a second striker or off the right flank. This brought his tally for the club up to 29, having assisted 12.

This marked an outstanding return given the turmoil that surrounded the club throughout the campaign, which journalist Antonio Mango had expected, praising him the year prior as a "real handful".

Whilst these were figures surpassed by Barnes, who instead scored 13 and assisted only once in the league, he has spent far longer in the top flight than his potential alternative. Also, it is perhaps worth mentioning that the 25-year-old did still succumb to the drop, with his goals not enough to save his side.

Conversely, Johnson arguably fired his team to safety, with his brace against Everton and Leicester City, and the only goal in their win over Leeds United seeing them take valuable points from relegation rivals.

Despite that, FBref still references the former Foxes star on the Wales international's 'similar players' list, to emphasise their similarities. The fact that they recorded a 15% and 18% goal conversion rate respectively helps to further outline their shared clinical nature from the flank too.

Already clearly a big-game player despite his youth, and with a vital year of experience at the elite level under his belt, perhaps now is the perfect time for Postecoglou to take him under his wing and mould him in his image.

Arsenal have already made great strides towards bridging the gap between themselves and Manchester City, yet more acquisitions could be on the way to even push them beyond the treble-winning history makers.

What is Andre's style of play?

One such name that has been touted is Andre Trindade of Fluminense, as a tough-tackling and all-action midfield general starring in his homeland Brazil.

With a host of clubs interested as of earlier this month, the £25m price tag could put off many of the suitors below the Gunners. However, with their summer spending having already surpassed £200m, this figure represents a drop in the ocean especially if Edu is to complete his clearout.

This 22-year-old is described by Breaking The Lines as the "modern-day defensive midfielder", with his dynamism and mobility lauded despite operating just in front of the back four. Whilst only standing at 5 foot 8, his size actually gives him the ability to shift quickly with the ball at his feet, waltzing out from the back to progress the play and create.

However, journalist Fernando Campos did suggest he was also a "monster", to emphasise his defensive credentials.

Should Mikel Arteta take the risk to bring this midfield maestro directly from Brazil to north London, it could propose an interesting experiment to be had with his star signing from this window, Declan Rice.

What position will Declan Rice play in for Arsenal?

Having joined for a £105m fee last week, the former West Ham United captain finally ended years of speculation to make his move a reality.

However, Football Transfers still only value the England international at €57.8m (£50m), suggesting that the Gunners may have overpaid to get their man. Given his standing within David Moyes' squad, plus his prime age and nationality, this was to be expected though.

It has already been noted how integral his acquisition was to the future success of Arteta's squad, with his presence in their midfield said to be the catalyst that pushes them even closer to the title.

However, it is not specified where in midfield the 24-year-old might star.

Should they make a move for Andre, who has already showcased his ability as a defensive stalwart, perhaps his presence might force Rice into an alternative role, where his influence on his new team could be a more offensive one.

After all, the Brazilian maintained a 7.11 average rating in the Brasileiro Serie A, buoyed largely by his outstanding 94% pass accuracy, 1.5 interceptions and 2.3 tackles per game, via Sofascore.

Such precision when dictating the play would have ranked the youngster comfortably first within Arsenal's squad from last season for pass completion, whilst his tackling prowess surpasses Rice's from last year in the Premier League too.

Fortunately, the former Chelsea academy gem has begun to add some creativity to his game that suggests he could thrive besides Martin Odegaard rather than behind him, as his offensive right-footed counterpart to form the front two of the box midfield.

With his six goal contributions and one key pass per game last season in the league (via Sofascore), the foundation is in place for him to thrive. With the quality that his Norwegian captain, Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and more would provide too, these figures would only be bolstered as he supplies and is in turn supplied by those stars.

Given Andre clearly has the figures to be one of the division's best midfield metronomes, should he take to English football with ease, his emergence could allow Rice to truly showcase his technical brilliance and grow into much more than just a defensive stopper.

Brendan Rodgers returned to Parkhead for a second spell last month to replace Ange Postecoglou as Celtic manager and has been backed by the board during the summer transfer window.

Who have Celtic signed this summer?

The Hoops officially confirmed the signing of Polish central defender Maik Nawrocki on a five-year deal from Legia Warsaw on Wednesday, which has made him the fifth arrival so far.

Australia international Marco Tilio, Norwegian midfielder Odin Thiago Holm, and South Korean duo Hyun-jun Yang and Kyeok-kyu Kwon have also joined the Scottish giants ahead of the 2023/24 Scottish Premiership campaign.

However, that may not be the end of their business as Rodgers may look to strengthen his side further before the deadline passes, which is in over a month's time.

One ambitious target the Bhoys have been linked with a possible swoop for is Manchester United central midfielder Donny van de Beek, who is also being eyed up by the likes of Milan, Sevilla, and Crystal Palace, among others.

How good is Donny van de Beek?

The Netherlands international has struggled during his time in England with the Red Devils but his Ajax form indicates that the quality is there for him to be a terrific signing for the Hoops to partner Liel Abada in attack.

Van de Beek has only started 11 Premier League matches in three years since his move to Old Trafford in 2020, which included a loan spell with Everton at the start of 2022.

Prior to that, the 26-year-old whiz, who former Scotland defender Alan Hutton recently claimed would be an "outstanding" signing for Celtic, produced 41 goals and 34 assists in 175 first-team outings for Ajax from a central or attacking midfield position.

The Dutch gem could be a brilliant fit for the number ten role in Rodgers' 4-2-3-1 system, which would see Abada line up alongside him as part of the trident of midfielders behind Kyogo Furuhashi.

Celtic's Israel international was one of the team's top performers last season.

He plundered ten goals in 13 Premiership starts, alongside 21 appearances as a substitute, and ended the campaign as the club's third-top scorer – only behind Jota (11) and Kyogo (27).

Abada also created ten 'big chances' for his teammates and was only rewarded with five assists, which suggests that the other attackers within the squad failed to make the most of his creativity.

Van de Beek, however, could come in and provide the 21-year-old wizard with a reliable scorer alongside him in the attacking midfield positions to finish off the opportunities that he creates.

The former Ajax star scored 28 goals across his last three Eredivisie seasons, which works out at around nine goals per league term.

This could make him an upgrade on Celtic's current options in that position if he is able to translate that form over to Scotland as no central midfielder managed more than six Premiership strikes.

Van de Beek also created 1.8 chances per game during his final league term with Ajax in 2019/20, which only Matt O'Riley (2.1) and Jota (1.9) outperformed for the Hoops throughout the 2022/23 campaign.

Therefore, Abada and the Manchester United man could form a lethal partnership as part of Rodgers' three attackers behind Kyogo due to their respective ability to score and assist goals on a regular basis.

Of course, there is a question mark over whether van de Beek can return to the form he showcased at Ajax but his impressive statistics in his home country suggest that is a gamble worth taking.

Warwickshire arrested an abject start to the season as 99 from skipper Ian Bell helped them find the steel they needed to defy Surrey

George Dobell at Edgbaston24-Apr-2017
ScorecardIan Bell will feel that Warwickshire are on their knees no longer•Getty ImagesThey ended the game with fewer points than their rivals, but it may well have been Warwickshire who left Edgbaston on Monday night the happier side.To have recovered from a perilous position – Surrey were, at one point, only 65 runs behind with eight first-innings wickets intact – to have seen several batsmen return to form and to have registered 400 for the first time this season were all significant signs of progress by a side beaten by an innings in both previous matches.Most of all, though, they showed what their captain and coach described afterwards as “character.” A less united dressing room might well have capitulated at times during this game, so it bodes well for the rest of the campaign that hope and fight remains. They have made life desperately tough for themselves, but they will take some confidence from aspects of this performance and, whether you’ve played one game or one hundred, that is a priceless commodity.”It was a much-improved performance,” Jim Troughton, the head coach said afterwards. “We have come off the back of two quite damaging defeats and times like that are a true test of the individuals and also as a team.”We have had a much better four days, still not perfect by any means, but after a 100-run deficit in the first innings I thought we showed a lot of skill and character in the third innings.”Surrey, meanwhile, may feel they missed an opportunity. Both in their first innings, when they would have had hopes of building a lead of 200 at one stage, and at stages in Warwickshire’s second innings, especially on the final morning when their seamers were oddly off-colour, they were unable to produce the consistent cricket required to kill off Warwickshire. They are a fine side but the length of the tail – Tom Curran looks a bit high at No. 8 – and a bit of a lack of ruthlessness are potential causes for concern.While their coach, Michael Di Venuto, quite rightly praised the excellence of Warwickshire’s batting on the third evening, in particular, as a key factor, he also admitted his side played “some very average stuff.””It was a really mixed performance,” he said. “The good stuff was excellent but there was some very average stuff with both bat and ball.”We were slow to start the game and took two sessions to get it together and then took seven for 69 to finish it off which was a brilliant comeback. Then with the bat we got ourselves into a great position but it was disappointing the way we finished off there.”Di Venuto also confirmed that both Currans had been given a “slap on the wrist” by the ECB’s Cricket Liaison Officer, Tony Pigott after the game. It will be a surprise if more formal censure does not follow. Neither incident – dissent from Sam; a send-off from Tom – was serious, but they were unnecessary. Two such terrific young cricketers don’t need such characteristics to enjoy the success their skills deserve.When the final day started, Surrey still had a decent chance of forcing victory. Warwickshire’s lead was only 57 and a new ball was due before lunch. But Ian Bell and Tim Ambrose both played nicely, putting away a glut of short and over-pitched deliveries, and Warwickshire were gradually able to relax.Bell described himself as “gutted” to miss out on a long-awaited century. But he could take consolation from the knowledge that his runs had saved his team and take confidence from the way he timed the ball. It was some surprise when he reached for one from Gareth Batty, easily the pick of the Surrey bowlers, that didn’t turn and gave a thin edge to the keeper.Ambrose, who timed the ball even more sweetly than Bell for a while, was unable to take advantage of being dropped on 74 – Kumar Sangakkara made amends a few minutes later – but Keith Barker, with his third half-century of the campaign, made sure of the draw in an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 91 with Chris Wright.Mark Footitt was also able to bowl a handful of overs for Surrey despite being forced off the pitch with a sore leg on day three. But he wasn’t at his best and, while the odd ball misbehaved, the pitch never deteriorated enough for Surrey’s seamers to take advantage.There was a case for Warwickshire declaring and trying to put Surrey under a bit of pressure. But they didn’t want to work this hard for a draw to give Surrey any chance of victory and, by the chance they felt safe, the amount of overs left rendered it irrelevant.Their next game – against Somerset – is looking vital. Both teams have endured a disappointing start to the season and both will be looking for a boost. The loser – and the pitch at Taunton these days suggests there may well be one if the weather allows – will be in trouble.Warwickshire have been boosted by the news that Jeetan Patel will be available for that game. While New Zealand are planning on holding a training camp at the time, they have given Patel permission to remain with Warwickshire which, given the expected surface at Taunton, could be highly significant.There was a bit more good news for them. Olly Stone, who suffered a serious injury before signing for the club, was able to have a gentle bowl before play boosting hopes that he might be able to return by late July, while Boyd Rankin is also hoping to return to bowling shortly and could have an outside chance of playing in that Somerset match.

Mushtaq Ahmed, head coach at Pakistan’s National Cricket Academy, has suggested that Pakistan could include Shadab Khan in their Test bowling attack even if that meant playing two legspinners. While saying it was “too early” to predict how Shadab would fare in Test cricket, Mushtaq said he had the tools to succeed and would benefit from spending more time with Yasir Shah, Pakistan’s first-choice Test legspinner, and picking his brains.Pakistan have a rich history with legspinners but have only rarely played two at the same time. Mushtaq himself played only one Test alongside Abdul Qadir, against West Indies in Karachi in 1990, two alongside Shahid Afridi, and two – both times against South Africa in 2003 – alongside Danish Kaneria.Kaneria and Afridi, however, featured together far more frequently, doing so in 17 Tests.Pakistan have already unleashed Shadab in T20Is after a productive second edition of the Pakistan Super League. Shadab, only 18, won the Player of the Series award in his debut T20I series against West Indies, picking up ten wickets in four matches, and has found a place in Pakistan’s ODI squad as well. Given he can bat as well – he already has a first-class hundred, having played only four games so far – Pakistan might be mulling playing him in Tests as well, alongside Yasir, who has been a fixture in their side since his debut in 2014.”I think the focus of selection committee and all of us is that why can’t two legspinners play in one match?” Mushtaq told reporters on the sidelines of an ongoing conditioning camp for the Test squad. “If they have different variations and both could become match-winners, then why not? Two legspinners against a western team will have a positive impact, especially in one-day cricket if we have a legspin option in the middle overs who could take wickets.”Like I started my career with Qadir, then Iqbal Sikander and myself played together in the [1992] World Cup, then Shahid Afridi and Danish Kaneria played together.”Shadab has good variations, but 50 overs and five-day formats are totally different. I think he has all the variations. He had a lot of communication with Yasir also during the [pre-tour conditioning] camp [last month]. He’s a good listener and has a good temperament and if he stays with Yasir he will improve more. But it’s too early to predict about Shadab, how he will play in Test matches. Yasir has proved himself over the last two years and he has no match. He [Shadab] could learn from Yasir like I learnt from Qadir and then Danish learnt from me when I was his senior.”As many as 13 probables in contention for Test spots are currently undergoing a conditioning camp at Gaddafi Stadium as the selectors prepare to name a final squad over the next two days. Pakistan have already won the T20I series 3-1. The three-match ODI series – which will be played in Guyana’s Providence Stadium – will start from April 7, followed by three Test matches.Mushtaq, who spent a year and half as Pakistan’s bowling coach before taking over as the NCA head coach, said Pakistan had a good chance of beating West Indies in the ODIs and strengthening their chances of qualifying directly for the 2019 World Cup.”It’s almost like UAE conditions,” Mushtaq said. “Our spinners and reverse-swing will play an important role. West Indies team is establishing itself at the moment, their main players are not playing and we have more advantage. Our focus should be on reverse-swing and spinners, the conditions suit us in West Indies.”Our Test team is quite established, conditions will suit us and our team will do good in the West Indies. But [in the ODIs] Pakistan will be under pressure of qualifiers and Pakistan has to play positive cricket to come out of this pressure. Babar Azam and Shoaib Malik have to perform, Saify [Sarfraz Ahmed] has to perform too along with captaincy. Pakistan should play hard and see that they have to make impact in the Champions Trophy – that they can score 300 runs and can defend 300 runs.”

Arsenal and manager Mikel Arteta have made a "very strange" signing in Chelsea forward Kai Havertz, says talkSPORT pundit Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Who have Arsenal signed this summer?

The Gunners have many plates spinning in north London with some reports even suggesting they could spend in and around £200 million in total on new additions.

West Ham star Declan Rice, who is reliably believed to be of interest, has already been at the centre of two rejected bids from Arsenal with one of them being a club record.

Meanwhile, it is believed that Ajax defender Jurrien Timber and Southampton's Romeo Lavia are on the list, with talks being held over both players (Football Insider).

Before all of them, though, Arsenal and sporting director Edu have sealed the signing of Chelsea's Havertz in a £65 million move from Chelsea – with the German set to undergo medical tests ahead of a formal announcement (The Evening Standard).

Fabrizio Romano also backs that Arsenal have signed the forward, though former Aston Villa striker Agbonlahor thinks the Gunners are making a mistake.

Indeed, the talkSPORT regular seems to believe that Havertz actually doesn't suit Arteta's system, and they should be looking for an out-and-out goalscorer instead.

"I don't understand that transfer its very strange,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider.

“It would be a wrong deal for the Gunners, and I am sure that their fans would agree.”

How has Kai Havertz played?

Scoring just seven goals and grabbing one assist last season, you wouldn't describe Havertz as a serious goal-getter, but his versatility will be a big draw for Arteta.

He can play anywhere across the forward line, out wide and in central attacking midfield, with the 24-year-old also averaging more attempts at goal per 90 than any Chelsea player last season bar Joao Felix (WhoScored).

Havertz, for £65 million, could be viewed as a promising transfer and it will be interesting to see how Arteta utilises him.

Rangana Herath’s seventh ten-for in Tests put a depleted Sri Lanka side within touching distance of a 2-0 Test series sweep in Zimbabwe

The Report by Shashank Kishore09-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsRangana Herath became the first bowler to take 50 wickets in 2016•Associated PressThree days between Tests is hardly enough for teams to work on their weaknesses. But this was Zimbabwe’s opportunity to prove they had learnt from their mistakes in the first Test, or at least from their first innings in this Test. Going by the evidence of the 45 overs they batted on the fourth day, they haven’t.Rangana Herath, Sri Lanka’s stand-in captain, who on the previous day had become just the third bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan and Dale Steyn to complete five-wicket hauls against all Test oppositions, picked up five wickets to leave Zimbabwe in a spin. Along the way, he became the first bowler to take 50 wickets in 2016. Chasing an improbable 491, after Sri Lanka’s declaration on 258 for 9 midway through the second session, Zimbabwe slumped to 180 for 7, with first-innings half-centurion Craig Ervine and Donald Tiripano at the crease.The first three wickets fell in identical fashion – batsmen pressing forward and playing either outside the line or inside the line without any conviction, almost like they were searching for the ball without quite reading the trajectory. The deliveries that got Brian Chari and Hamilton Masakadza were arm balls, while another flighted delivery spun away from the rough to take Tino Mawoyo’s edge off a tentative push to Dhananjaya de Silva at slip.Sean Williams decided the best way to score runs was to step out to the spinners. He was lucky that a couple of mis-hits landed safe. But the visible difference in his approach was that there were no half-measures – a slog sweep off Dilruwan Perera from outside off over deep midwicket underscored that point. Having weathered the early storm against spin, he paid the price for relaxing against the pacers. His ugly waft away from the body resulted in a thick edge to first slip off Lahiru Kumara.Then Dhananjaya, handed the ball perhaps just to shake things up, had a wicket in his second over when Malcolm Waller looked to drive, much like he did in the first innings, to a ball that drifted away to take the edge through to the wicketkeeper.Not even the loss of five wickets in the session curbed the instincts of Zimbabwe’s batsmen. Peter Moor kept going after the bowlers and struck them well for as long as he was around, before jabbing with hard hands to be caught at silly point. Then came perhaps the ball of the innings when Herath got one to drift in and spin away to square up Graeme Cremer and hit the stumps. It was fitting that the special delivery brought his seventh ten-wicket haul in Tests.Meanwhile, Ervine, it appeared, was batting on a completely different plane, playing deliveries on merit while taking toll of the half-trackers. Zimbabwe will need him and Tiripano, who in the past has proved to be a handy batsman, to carry on for as possible to at least reduce the margin of defeat.The first session had been attritional, with Sri Lanka happy to take their time to grind Zimbabwe down. Resuming on 102 for 4, they added 75 in the first session to leave Dimuth Karunaratne facing the prospect of bringing up his fifth Test ton. Asela Gunaratne, the other overnight batsman, made a sparkling 39, driving from the rough and playing with a degree of authority, before falling lbw to Tiripano on 39.Sri Lanka’s intent to up the scoring in the second session was evident from the outset. Given a license to attack, in line with his natural game, Kusal Perera swept, swiped and reverse-swept his way to a half-century off just 61 balls to swell Sri Lanka’s second-innings total.Suranga Lakmal too helped himself like he would in a buffet, picking away leg stump half-volleys and half-trackers to the boundary in an entertaining 47-run ninth-wicket stand. Herath declared when Kusal holed out to long-on for 62, thereby giving his team a day and a half to dismiss Zimbabwe and sweep to 2-0 in his first series as captain.

Edu Gaspar is eyeing up an Arsenal move for Brazilian left-back Ayrton Lucas this summer as he plans to give Mikel Arteta the tools required to build upon their positive 2022/2023 season.

What’s the latest on Ayrton Lucas to Arsenal?

According to Italian outlet Calciomercato, Arsenal are keen on signing Flamengo defender Lucas this summer in order to strengthen their first team squad, although they could face stiff competition from Juventus.

With full-back Kieran Tierney heavily linked with a move to Newcastle United, Arteta will require someone to replace him as an alternative to Oleksandr Zinchenko and Lucas fits the bill.

The Brazilian isn’t likely to break the bank either as the report states he has a release cause of only €30m (£26m) and this is an attractive option for the Spaniard ahead of next term.

Could Ayrton Lucas replace Kieran Tierney at Arsenal?

Almost all left backs to emerge from Brazil get compared to the legendary figure that is Roberto Carlos, the former Real Madrid defender with thighs like tree trunks, although Lucas, according to journalist Andrew Sousa, has “embodied” Carlos and might Arteta have a reincarnation of the 127-cap hero?

This season in the Brazilian top flight for Flamengo, he averages 1.7 dribbles per game and 1.1 shots per game, suggesting he enjoys getting forward as much as possible, similar to Carlos – who bagged 97 club career goals and 125 assists – during his prime years, while he has even netted three goals.

The 25-year-old may not just replace Tierney in the squad, but he could well be an upgrade on the Scot ahead of a season which will see Arsenal take part in the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2016/2017.

Indeed, Lucas has registered more shots per 90 (1.23 to 0.79), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.09 to 1.36), successful take ons (15 to three), carries into the final third (19 to 12) and touches in the attacking penalty area (18 to 15) across roughly the same number of starts throughout 2022/2023 (8.8 to 8.1 90s).

This certainly suggests that the Brazilian could be a better-attacking option than Tierney, judging by his ability to push into the final third and create plenty of shooting opportunities, increasing his chances of scoring.

For the aforementioned fee of only £26m, Arteta would be signing a proven defender who has won the biggest tournament in South America (Copa Libertadores) while even claiming silverware from his spell at Spartak Moscow, winning the Russian Cup just last year, and he could well be another piece of the jigsaw for Arsenal heading into next term.

Celtic centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers suffered a knee injury earlier this month and has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2022/23 campaign.

The Hoops have conceded 30 goals in 36 Scottish Premiership matches this season, an impressive defensive record, but five of those goals have come in the last two games – without the American international.

Ange Postecoglou's side lost 3-0 in the Old Firm clash before being held to a 2-2 draw by St. Mirren last weekend in the top-flight, which shows that the back line has struggled without the ex-Tottenham man.

Speaking on PLZ Soccer, pundit Alan Rough criticised Carl Starfelt in the absence of his central defensive teammate. He said:

“They (St Mirren) looked at the Rangers game and said ‘right, if you have a go at this defence, no Cameron Carter-Vickers, no Johnston there.’

“Starfelt looks lost without Carter-Vickers there. He looks all over the place and I don’t know what he was trying to do at the second goal. He never even challenged the header."

The 27-year-old Sweden international was particularly poor in the Rangers defeat as he lost four of his seven duels and made one error directly leading to a goal.

As such, Postecoglou could ruthlessly ditch the £19k-per-week dud from the starting XI next season by securing a swoop to sign Xavier Mbuyamba this summer.

Who is Xavier Mbuyamba?

He is a 21-year-old central defender who is currently playing for FC Volendam in the Dutch Eredivisie and is a reported transfer target for Celtic and Watford heading into the summer window.

The former Barcelona and Chelsea academy prospect has enjoyed an excellent debut season at senior level after arriving in his home country from Stamford Bridge, where he played 21 Premier League 2 matches, last year.

Mbuyamba averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.00 across 27 matches in the Eredivisie and made 3.5 tackles and interceptions and 5.3 clearances per game. Starfelt, meanwhile, has averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.20 across 26 Premiership outings but only made 2.1 tackles and interceptions and 4.2 clearances per match.

The current Celtic centre-back has also won 67% of his duels in comparison to the Dutchman's 52% success rate in his physical battles, which suggests that the Hoops defender is more efficient in his defending.

However, he is also six years older than the ex-Chelsea enforcer and Mbuyamba could come in as a player who is able to hit the ground running whilst also having the potential to improve and develop as he gains more experience at first-team level.

The titan, who was lauded as "complete" and "dominant" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, won 73% of his aerial duels in five appearances in the Football League Trophy last season and this shows that the defender has the ability, at 6 foot 5, to dominate players in the air.

He may have work still to do to reach Starfelt's level but Postecoglou could place faith in the 21-year-old's development and bring him in as a starter, ditching the 27-year-old, next season in the hope that the gem can improve his efficiency whilst remaining active in making tackles, interceptions, and clearances more frequently than the Swedish dud.