Seamer lets the pitch do the work, as New York venue continues to draw mixed reviews

Danyal Rasool07-Jun-20243:24

Niall O’Brien: Ireland should have restricted Canada to 115-120

A week ago, Canada fast bowler Jeremy Gordon was thrown the ball to rein in a surging USA side. The previous over had leaked 20, but Gordon had bowled a tight couple of overs, and with USA still needing just under ten an over, Canada entrusted him to tighten the screws.Instead, in a nightmarish sequence of events, Gordon sent down an 11-ball over that saw 33 plundered off it – the second-most expensive over in T20I history. The US target was down to a run-a-ball, and they cruised to victory.Little wonder, then, that Gordon felt he had amends to make against Ireland. “I personally felt my over is what gave away the last game,” he said. “To make a comeback and help the team get over the line makes me feel I’ve done a good job and makes me quite happy. It’s very emotional.”Related

Rashid, Farooqi and Gurbaz the stars as Afghanistan crush NZ

ICC working to improve quality of pitches at New York venue

Kirton, Gordon and Heyliger sparkle in landmark Canada win

Gordon has reason to be proud. Opening the bowling in defence of 137, he homed in on the back-of-a-length area. The New York strip came in for heavy criticism following India’s match against Ireland, including from the ICC itself. While the wicket was much truer on this occasion, Gordon still understood how to exploit the conditions.”I realised when Ireland bowled first that when they hit the back of a length, it was sometimes over the batter’s shoulder and sometimes kept a bit low. So I thought ‘why should I change that?'”I was overthinking in the first game. Here, I realised the pitch was in my favour because of the variable bounce. So if I hit that 7-8m length and target a line on the body or just towards the off stump I figured I’d give myself a good chance to defend the total.”It was precisely how Ireland’s first wicket fell. Canada were keeping things tight, and Gordon banged another one in back of a length. Paul Stirling, Ireland’s captain, had scored just 9 off 16, and the pressure told as he attempted a swipe across the line that was never truly on. The ball reared up and drew the top edge.Jeremy Gordon picked up impressive figures of 2 for 16•Getty ImagesBut having seen the game slip away at the death against USA, it was more satisfying for Gordon to return and finish Ireland off in the final over. Ireland needed 17 to win, and he followed up the trademark short-of-a-length ball with another. Mark Adair, Ireland’s last remaining hope of victory, tried to slap it towards midwicket but only ballooned it back up to Gordon, who took a straightforward catch. He would concede just four, and finish with figures of 4-0-16-2.”There’s definitely a lot of confidence now,” he said. “For us it’s about doing the basics right and to be disciplined. It’s about not getting ahead of ourselves. We’ll appreciate the win and then go back to the drawing board. It’s going to be Pakistan and India next, two of the better teams in the world currently. If we’re disciplined in all three areas, we might give a good account for ourselves on the day and then who knows what could happen.”Part of the intrigue of the game, though, concerned the pitch and ground conditions, particularly as the stadium gears up for it’s biggest clash on Sunday. India will take on Pakistan, so it wasn’t just the Canadians and the Irish interested to see how the surface held up after the tournament organisers were left scrambling to ensure their biggest game would not be played in subpar conditions.Though the improvement from the Ireland-India game was noticeable, Player of the Match, Nicholas Kirton, who scored 49 off 35 for Canada, felt it was far from ideal.”It wasn’t that easy to bat on this wicket, trust me,” he said at the post-match presentations. “I just tried to get in and get to grips with the pace of the wicket. There was an area in the middle of the wicket that played a bit up and down. I tried to stay as still as possible and get a good base. The outfield is a bit slow and I focused on running hard, but other than that it was a pretty good wicket to bat on.”

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet nacional： O Coritiba está na zona de rebaixamento do Campeonato Brasileiro, mas a diretoria não mede esforços para reforçar a equipe neste segundo semestre.

da cassino： O centroavante Islam Sliman, ex-Anderlecht-BEL, pode bater o martelo e atuar no time do Couto Pereira.

De acordo com as informações apuradas, o jogador recebeu uma proposta do Coxa, que aguarda a resposta até sexta-feira.

Europa 

Apesar da oferta apresentada pelo Coritiba, o Sliman ainda deseja continuar no futebol europeu e espera uma proposta tentadora na janela de verão do velho continente.

Anderlecht 

Em seu último clube, o centroavante participou de 16 jogos, marcou nove gols e deu uma assistência.

Bangladesh finally found a way to bat like a confident unit and that only happened because they realised they should always be looking for runs, even on tough pitches

Mohammad Isam in Dhaka11-Nov-2018One of the areas that Tamim Iqbal discussed with the Bangladesh batsmen during and after the first Test against Zimbabwe was the pace of their innings. He isn’t a big believer in defending too many deliveries for the sake of survival, which is what Bangladesh tried to do in Sylhet. Tamim feels batting becomes easier when you’re always on the lookout for runs, regardless of the match situation.Bangladesh suffered a familiar top-order collapse on the first day of the Dhaka Test but their recovery from that was simply excellent. They even crossed the dreaded 169, having failed to do so in each of their last eight innings. The 266-run partnership between Mushfiqur Rahim and Mominul Haque is the fourth-highest by a Bangladeshi pair. Mominul became the first batsman from his team to get to three 150-plus knocks, while Mushfiqur became only the 10th wicketkeeper to score six Test hundreds.

I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundredsMominul on Mushfiqur’s influence and making runs on a tough pitch

The change in fortune, particularly on an “unpredictable” pitch, was down to Mushfiqur and Mominul recognizing quite early that scoring runs will bring them comfort at the crease and in turn have the opposite effect on Zimbabwe’s bowlers.Mominul was the first to hit a boundary; by lunch he had four – one skewed over gully but the other three timed through midwicket, cover and mid-off. Mushfiqur was more careful, only looking for boundaries after the first interval. He had four fours when he reached his fifty.The pair had a great time in the middle session, scoring 151 runs in 32 overs. Mominul reached his century during this time, and as the partnership went into a higher gear, it became evident that they had cut out the risks and were working hard to grind down the Zimbabwe bowlers.In the last eight innings, the last of which was in Sylhet, the same batsmen had a hard time avoiding loose strokeplay. But here, there was a fine mix of deliveries left alone throughout their long partnership, with Mushfiqur especially careful against the fast bowling of Kyle Jarvis and Tendai Chatara. He reached his hundred after the tea interval, his first Test century since February 2017, against India in Hyderabad. The former Bangladesh captain has been very consistent in ODIs and T20Is during this period, but in Tests, especially with Tamim out injured, he needed to do better. And on Sunday, he most certainly did.Mushfiqur Rahim is pumped up after reaching his hundred•AFP”Mushfiqur bhai guided me throughout my innings,” Mominul said. “I found out why he is one of the top five players in Bangladesh. It really affected me. I think his input was important for me. I think it is one of my best hundreds. It was an interesting innings. It was tougher than some of my other hundreds.”Mominul is an instinctive top-order batsman. He made a good start to the year with his hundred in each innings against Sri Lanka. But apart from a 182 against Ireland A in August, he has had a lean time in 2018. But despite getting out to loose strokes several times in the last eight months, his confidence was evident even in Sylhet. Here in Dhaka, on a far more challenging pitch, Mominul scored freely but always made sure to pick the right balls to hit.”I didn’t see much of a difference [between this innings and the previous Tests]. I should have scored in the last five or six innings. You get out of the rhythm sometimes. Maybe something goes wrong with the routine, which I try to maintain.”I don’t try to complicate my batting. It is easier if you focus only on seeing the ball and playing the ball. You have to be mentally strong. Sometimes people say things when I am not scoring runs but that’s normal. Everyone would.”Still, there were the odd silly mistakes. Mominul survived dropped catches (albeit tough ones) on 9, 25 and 120 leaving no doubt that Bangladesh have a long way to go to become a fully confident Test batting unit. The three early wickets they lost also suggested the same. They were at a virtual standstill with Imrul Kayes and Liton Das finding it hard to get scoring opportunities in the first 11.1 overs. Imrul got out to a fine delivery but Liton and then Mohammad Mithun played poor shots after struggling to get the ball off the square.These were silly mistakes that could have cost Bangladesh heavily. Instead, through the Mushfiqur-Mominul record fourth-wicket stand, the home side have a stronger foothold in the contest.

White-ball captain set to return in Caribbean after watching Australia tour from sidelines

Vithushan Ehantharajah30-Sep-2024Even after Sunday’s fifth ODI had been called off, the rain kept coming. As Australia’s victorious squad gathered in the indoor nets for their trophy presentation, Jos Buttler stood out in the open mingling with fans.In between autographs and selfies were occasional grimaces skywards, wondering how much the dark clouds had left. Plenty, as it happens. Steadily, the crowd diluted and, eventually, Buttler retreated inside for cover.Despite not playing at all during this white-ball finale to the 2024 English season due to a calf injury, he remains the big-ticket draw. And thus, a conundrum still to solve. Though he adopted a similar role to Ben Stokes during the Test series against Sri Lanka – rehabbing a torn left hamstring but on deck for every day of it – this rewarding of hardy punters braving the damp was the most statesman-like duty England’s permanent limited-overs captain has performed.Related

• In spite of injuries and illness, inevitably Australia find a way

• England channel the spirit of 2019 to give wings to their white-ball revival

• Jofra Archer back on England's fast track as cautious optimism abounds

• Head, Short ensure Australia beat England and the rain to take series

Buttler was far more withdrawn than the Test skipper throughout his hands-off brief. Sky’s cameras had to zoom in to find him on the back row of the home viewing balcony at Bristol, wrapped up warm and making merry with players and coaches, as pundits used the rain delay to pontificate over his part in this white-ball regeneration.Sunday’s finale capped off a September that began with one clear objective from on high. Fresh from being announced as a replacement for Matthew Mott after two unsuccessful World Cup defences in nine months, Brendon McCullum identified the key to revitalising the set-up was to cheer up a “miserable” Buttler.Beyond the long-lens smiles, a man who was lucky to keep his job when Mott was relieved of his has by all accounts been buoyed by what has been a promising first stage of this latest “reset”. A drawn T20I series and a 3-2 loss to the defending 50-over champions having been 2-0 down showed there is plenty for him to work with going forward.”Around the group, it’s been a great opportunity for him [Buttler], just to step back and not worry about the pressures of playing, but have the opportunity to work with players and coaches, talking, building relationships, understanding what’s going on. Sit back and watch a little bit sometimes and see how the team is operating,” interim head coach, Marcus Trescothick, said. “When you’re playing, you’re so engrossed in what’s happening so it’s an opportunity to sit back a little bit.”Tresothick has essentially been acting as McCullum’s surrogate before the Kiwi assumes the job at the start of 2025. McCullum has been involved from afar while preparing for the upcoming Test tour of Pakistan. Communication has been regular, ranging from input in selection matters, such as personnel and roles, along with a handful of debriefs after games.”We are always planning ahead to when Brendon is coming in and the bigger tournaments,” Trescothick said. “That’s going to be the real judge, isn’t it? Bilateral series are great, but the real pinnacle is the Champions Trophies, the World T20s and the World Cups.”It will be the next bilateral, against West Indies at the end of October, when Buttler will return in a playing brief. And it was instructive that Trescothick felt the need to nip any talk of finding a spot in the XI for him in the bud, while admitting the exact guise of his return is up in the air.”Let’s make it clear, he will come straight back in. At what position, I don’t know. We’ll look at that for the Caribbean.”The proximity to the tour of Pakistan – the third Test is scheduled to finish three days before the first ODI in Antigua on October 31 – is likely to mean Buttler reassumes the wicketkeeping. Jamie Smith is likely to be prescribed a rest ahead of flying out to New Zealand for that three-Test series in November, while Phil Salt’s average of 19.90 against Australia suggests he has still not got to grips with the longer of the shorter formats.Harry Brook, too, is highly unlikely to feature against West Indies, which kicks the conversation around longer-term captaincy down the road. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the last month, along with Brook’s return to supreme form, was how at ease he looked with as a leader.Set against Salt’s moonlighting for the T20I series, and Ollie Pope deputising for Stokes for the last half of the Test summer – as well as Buttler’s constant wrestling with the captaincy full stop, both tactical elements and the burn of the extra limelight (and scrutiny) – Brook stands out as a leader in waiting. Trescothick praised Brook’s ability to marshal while setting the standard with the bat, finishing as the leading run-scorer across both teams in the ODI portion, with 312 at 78.00.Harry Brook led the ODI side with aplomb in Buttler’s absence•Getty Images

“He reads the game very well and the way he captains – the field settings and the decision-making – is very positive. He is quiet and unassuming but just gets the job done on everything he has to do.”Brook said he enjoyed his first taste of international captaincy having led England Under-19s before honing his leadership for Northern Superchargers this summer. He went on to state he looked forward to “taking a seat back and letting Jos do it again”.For how much longer remains to be seen. Brook’s impression has been strong enough to bring that conversation forward, at least among those watching from the outside. But the person to bring it to the table will be Buttler.This is still his patch, and the immediate priority is ensuring he slots back in more comfortably than ever before. Whatever shifts and conversations there have been against Australia, whether around playing roles, off-field bonhomie, or simply broader changes of perspective, they have been as much about emboldening the next generation as creating an environment for Buttler to flourish. As McCullum put it, the goal for however long the 34-year-old has left, “is just to enjoy it”.”I expect him to find it really enjoyable going forward,” Trescothick said. “Having worked with Brendon and the other coaches and the style that Brendon wants to implement into the white-ball stuff, it’s what’s been going on before [with the Test team].”There’s no reason why Jos won’t fit back into that mould, score millions of runs, captain well and fit back into the team perfectly.”There are reasons, however, all of which remain untouched because of his on-field absence over the last month. The next step, for England and Buttler, is working through them.

Barcelona have been told they made the wrong call regarding Marc-Andre ter Stegen's future as Ivan Rakitic says the goalkeeper should be first choice.

Rakitic says Ter Stegen should start ahead of GarciaCalls decision “very easy" and says he's world's best goalkeeperFlick expected to evaluate options during pre-season preparationsFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Former Barcelona midfielder Rakitic has strongly backed Ter Stegen to remain the club’s undisputed No. 1 under the German manager. In an interview with , Rakitic insisted the German international should start ahead of other options like new signing Joan Garcia, calling the decision “very easy” and labelling Ter Stegen the best goalkeeper in the world.

AdvertisementGettyTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Ter Stegen, currently recovering from injury, has been told he will not be first or second choice this season, with Garcia and veteran shot stopper Wojciech Szczesny being preferred much to the German's dismay. However, Rakitic pointed to the veteran’s leadership, captaincy role and elite standing in European football as key factors that should be enough to guarantee him a place in the starting XI.

WHAT IVAN RAKITIC SAID

Rakitic, who recently retired from football, said: "I spoke to him and he seems very excited and happy. I hope his injury is nothing serious and he can return soon. Between Joan García and Ter Stegen it's very easy, Ter Stegen plays. He's the captain and a highly respected player. With Marc healthy, there are no doubts. I wish all Barcelona's problems were choosing between three great players. Joan has a lot of talent and he's going to have to earn it. It's one thing to play for a La Liga team and another to be Barcelona's number 1. I don't see a better goalkeeper in Europe or the world."

Imago ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR BARCELONA?

Ter Stegen may require surgery to solve an injury he has been struggling with, which could ruin Barcelona's hopes of selling the 33-year-old, who insists he will not leave despite the club insisting he will not play.

Chelsea have been handed a boost in their pursuit of a new striker, as a key target of theirs would apparently love to join them regardless of whether they achieve Champions League football for next season.

Chelsea seal huge Man United win in race for Champions League place

Marc Cucurella’s strike twenty minutes from full-time sealed a precious three points for Enzo Maresca on Friday night, with the Spaniard scoring Chelsea’s only goal of the game in a 1-0 win over Man United.

Chelsea have held talks with £70m rival forward who allegedly wants to join

The west Londoners could go for him this summer.

ByEmilio Galantini May 14, 2025

The victory at Stamford Bridge puts Chelsea in a very good position heading into their final Premier League game of the season against Nottingham Forest, and even if Nuno Espirito Santo’s side beat West Ham on Sunday, Maresca knows that a win at the City Ground would guarantee Champions League football next season.

“Very important. At this stage of the season it’s important to win games,” said Maresca about Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Man United.

2. Arsenal

68

3. Newcastle United

66

4. Chelsea

66

5. Aston Villa

66

6. Man City

65

7. Nottingham Forest

62

“We also pay attention in the way we win the game. I think tonight we struggled on the ball because we didn’t expect them to be so aggressive man-to-man. I used to watch five, six, seven games of the other team. I’ve never seen them so aggressive man-to-man. So they surprised us a little by that.

“I think between the first half and the second half we created enough chances to deserve to win the game.

“It’s very important for sure, but the reason why I was so happy at the end is because United beat City away, drew with City at home, drew with Liverpool, drew with Arsenal. So they know how to play against a big team. So I expected, drew with us away, so I expected a very tough game.

“The reason why I was happy was especially because we beat a team that against Arsenal, Liverpool, City, it was difficult to beat them.”

The importance of a top five finish cannot be understated, especially when it comes to the club’s transfer plans, and Maresca has already confirmed their European status will have a direct effect on their summer recruitment.

Victor Osimhen keen to join Chelsea regardless of Champions League football

That being said, there is one target who’d be eager to make the move to west London anyway – Napoli outcast Victor Osimhen.

The £172,000-per-week marksman, currently on loan at Galatasaray, was a top target for Chelsea last summer before his temporary switch to the Turkish Süper Lig giants, but a move ultimately failed to materialise.

As per journalist Simon Phillips, Chelsea remain in the race for him this year, and it is believed that Osimhen would still love to join the Blues, even if they don’t end up qualifying for Europe’s most prestigious competition.

“Chelsea are ‘still there’ for Napoli striker Victor Osimhen,” said Phillips. “The player has always been keen to join Chelsea regardless of Champions League football, and he is still keen now. The deal was worked on hard last summer, and the belief from our insiders is that his wage demands would not be as astronomical as the media are portraying.

“Chelsea can easily go back into the deal and our sources believe that it wouldn’t even be that difficult to come to an agreement.”

The 26-year-old would still be expensive, though, and Chelsea would still have to break their wage structure to seal a deal, Phillips later explained.

Even so, Osimhen’s goalscoring form over the last few seasons heavily suggests he’d upgrade Maresca’s striker options.

Angel Gomes called Mason Greenwood his "little brother," with the English international now reunited with his former Manchester United team-mate.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Gomes presented as new Marseille player
• Explained how Greenwood convinced him to join the club
• Duo came through the Man Utd youth ranks together

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Gomes was presented as a Marseille player on Friday and the English international spoke about Greenwood, calling him his "little brother" and explaining how the forward helped him reach the decision of joining him at the Stade Velodrome. Gomes has made the switch from Lille, joining as a free agent upon the expiry of his contract.

Advertisement

• Getty
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Both Gomes and Greenwood were part of the Manchester United youth academy, with the former making his first team debut in 2017. Greenwood made his first appearance for the senior team in 2019, with the duo a part of the Red Devils' first-team in the 2019-20 season. Over five years after last sharing a dressing room together, the England-born duo will once again play together, this time around in Ligue 1 at Marseille.

• WHAT ANGEL GOMES SAID

  Speaking at his first press conference as a Marseille player on Friday, Gomes said: “I’ve spoken to Mason on the phone several times. He’s a bit like a little brother to me. We met when we were eight, when we played together at the youth level. Starting so young and ending up at a professional club together is rare and beautiful… I can’t wait to share these moments with him in Marseille.” 

• Getty Images Sport
  

  WHAT NEXT FOR ANGEL GOMES?

  The 24-year-old midfielder will be aiming to hit the ground running when he features for Les Phoceens in their first summer friendly on July 21 against Belgian second-tier side Olympic Charleroi.

Nottingham Forest have Europa Conference League football to look forward to next term and are now progressing in their attempts to bring a highly-rated forward to the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest transfer targets as they prepare for Europe

It wasn’t to be for Nottingham Forest in their pursuit of Champions League football, though a place in Europe’s third-tier continental tournament could offer a realistic prospect of silverware next season.

West Ham United and Chelsea’s previous exploits in the Europa Conference League will offer Nuno Espirito Santo all the encouragement he needs, but the Portuguese boss knows signings will be necessary to balance their trophy bid with domestic endeavours.

According to reports, Nottingham Forest are interested in a permanent deal for Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, though there could also be a possibility of a loan agreement in the eyes of former scout Mick Brown.

Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes is a surprise target for the Tricky Trees, lending credence to the notion that they will go all out this summer following an impressive Premier League campaign.

Intriguingly, Espirito Santo stopped short of confirming he would be in charge next term after his side missed out on Champions League qualification, stating: “We are in good place and now it’s time to reflect and focus on the future. This is not a moment to speak about me. It’s about the club.”

Nottingham Forest make contact with ex-PSG ace as Marinakis eyes £20m move

They’re already thinking about the summer transfer window.

ByTom Cunningham May 22, 2025

Either way, there is plenty to be positive about on reflection. Nottingham Forest have shown they are a force that can compete with the best after conducting a mass overhaul across the last couple of years in the East Midlands.

Sparing no expense, the Tricky Trees are now advancing in their pursuit to sign a talented forward who has likened himself to Real Madrid star Vinicius Jr.

Nottingham Forest in advanced Igor Jesus talks after £18.5m offer

Per Fogao Net, Nottingham Forest have made an offer to sign Botafogo forward Igor Jesus for £18.5 million and talks are now believed to have progressed to an advanced stage.

Negotiations between all parties are moving along nicely, leaving the final decision down to the Brazil international, who has previously pointed out similarities between himself and countryman Vinicius Jr.

Igor Jesus statistics in 2025 – Serie A (Fotmob)

Shots

33

Shots on target

13

Completed dribbles

5

Dribble success

62.5%

Chances created

14

Duels won

62

Enjoying a bright start to the year, Jesus has netted seven goals and laid on a solitary assist in 23 appearances across all competitions for Brazil’s reigning top-flight champions.

Chris Wood has been a talismanic figure at the City Ground of late, though his age may work against him moving forward and securing an alternative option would make sense to bolster squad depth.

Now, it remains to be seen if Nottingham Forest can push a deal over the line as they look to build on an impressive campaign by keeping pace with contenders for European football in 2025/26.

فتح جياني إنفانتينو رئيس الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم “فيفا” الباب أمام إقامة بطولات كأس العالم وكأس العالم للأندية في الشتاء.

ويعتقد إنفانتينو أن كرة القدم بحاجة للتفكير بعقلية منفتحة بشأن نقل البطولات الكبرى من الصيف.

وتجرى مناقشات حول جدول مباريات ما بعد 2030 وهو ما يمثل نقطة توتر خاصة بالنظر للضغط المتزايد الذي تفرضه البطولات الموسعة.

وشكل الاتحاد الدولي لكرة القدم مجموعة عمل لدراسة هذه المسألة وقد وضع الاتحاد نفسه في مأزق بمنح استضافة كأس العالم 2034 للمملكة العربية السعودية.

ومن شبه المؤكد أن تقام هذه البطولة في فصل الشتاء كما حدث مع قطر 2022، واقترح إنفانتينو أن تعتاد كرة القدم على فك ارتباطها بالصيف الأوروبي.

أقرأ أيضاً.. فيديو | إنفانتينو يهنئ منتخب مصر على التأهل إلى كأس العالم 2026

وقال إنفانتينو في تصريحات نقلتها “جارديان” البريطانية: “نحن بالفعل في صميم الموضوع ونناقشه طوال الوقت، الأمر لا يتعلق بكأس عالم فقط بل هو انعكاس عام، حتى اللعب في بعض الدول الأوروبية في يوليو يكون حارًا جداً، افضل شهر للعب كرة القدم وهو يونيو لكنه لا يستخدم كثيراً في أوروبا”.

وواصل: “ربما توجد طرق لتحسين التقويم، لكننا نناقشها وسنرى ما سيحدث عندما نتوصل لاستنتاجات، علينا فقط أن نكون منفتحين”.

وتابع: “من المعروف أنه إذا أردت اللعب في نفس الوقت في كل مكان فمن المرجح أن تلعب في مارس أو أكتوبر لأنه في ديسمبر لا يمكنك اللعب في مكان ما من العالم وفي يوليو لا يمكنك اللعب في مكان آخر”.

وأكمل: “علينا أن نأخذ جميع هذه العوامل في الاعتبار عند الحديث عن مسابقات المنتخبات الوطنية ومسابقات الأندية وأن نبحث كيف يمكن تحسينها بما يعود بالنفع على الجميع لذا هناك الكثير على المحك”.

وأضاف إنفانتينو أنه يأمل ألا يتم استهداف مباراتي أحد المنتخبات المقبلة في تصفيات كأس العالم ضد النرويج وإيطاليا من قبل المتظاهرين بعد الاتفاق على وقف اطلاق النار مع حماس.

وختم: “الآن هناك وقف لإطلاق النار ويجب أن يكون الجميع سعداء ويدعمون ذلك، الأمر يتجاوز كرة القدم، اتفاق وقف إطلاق النار خبر رائع للعالم أجمع”.

Arsenal’s search for a striker is set to dominate headlines as we enter the first mini-summer transfer window, and it’s an area of the squad which sporting director Andrea Berta is working hard to address.

Arsenal in ongoing talks for Benjamin Sesko in search of striker

Gabriel Jesus’ ACL rupture in their FA Cup defeat to Man United, and Kai Havertz’s lengthy absence due to a hamstring injury, crippled Mikel Arteta’s options up front during the second half of 2024/2025, prompting the Spaniard to utilise Mikel Merino in an emergency striker role.

Arsenal given fresh Martin Zubimendi worry as Sociedad president speaks out

The north Londoners are reportedly closing in on a deal for him.

ByEmilio Galantini May 30, 2025

Merino performed well, but that injury crisis up front brought yet more attention to Arteta’s glaring need for a prolific centre-forward.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

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A proven number nine has long been touted as the final missing piece of Arteta’s jigsaw, and Berta is said to be laying the groundwork on deals to bring Arsenal’s long search for a new striker to an end this summer.

Arsenal have held talks over signing Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, according to some reports, and they were heavily linked with a move for Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres, until this week at least.

Now, RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko has entered pole position to become Arsenal’s answer to their goalscoring woes, and “concrete” talks are underway after Berta’s meeting with Leipzig director Marcel Schafer in London.

The Gunners are said to be putting their focus on a deal for Sesko, and discussions are centered around a payment structure for his £67 million release clause.

While Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg claims Gyokeres is still high on Arsenal’s list despite these Sesko talks, Spanish media sources claim their negotiations for the Slovenian have put an end to their chase for Sporting’s serial goalscorer.

Arsenal pull plug on Viktor Gyokeres deal after opening Sesko talks

According to reports from Spain, cited by Football 365, Arteta has now ‘ruled out’ an Arsenal move for Gyokeres, and they’ve now ‘withdrawn from the bidding’ to sign him – which could open the door for other linked sides like Man United and Barcelona.

This follows their decision to up the ante in pursuit of Sesko, so going by this update, it appears the 22-year-old is now their priority target.

Given the costs involved when it comes to a deal for Sesko, we wouldn’t be surprised if Arsenal pull a U-turn on this call, especially considering that Gyokeres could leave Sporting for just £60 million.

The “quality” ex-Coventry City star is fresh off the back of an exceptional campaign, scoring 54 goals in all competitions, and there are reports in Portugal that Arsenal have already offered Gyokeres a contract, so he could just be on the back-burner for now.

“I have said this before, and I will continue to say it: he brings a lot to the team, and his teammates are aware of what he contributes, which is why they look for him during games,” said Sporting boss Rui Borges about Gyokeres.

“The collective effort also plays a role, as no one can succeed alone. Viktor is a game-changer, and he will continue to be, whether with us or elsewhere. His quality is undeniable; it is phenomenal.”