USMNT star Ricardo Pepi started for the PSV second team Monday, leaving many to question if he has been demoted despite his starring role a week ago.

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Pepi demotion questions raisedUSMNT striker starts for second teamScored UCL winner one week agoGetty ImagesWHAT HAPPENED?

The USMNT star has been sent down to the second team for their match against NAC Breda. It comes five days after Pepi netted the winner in the UEFA Champions League against Sevilla in stoppage-time – sending them through to the knockout round.

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USMNT boss Gregg Berhalter will hope it's a request from Pepi to get more minutes and not an actual demotion. It would be a baffling move from PSV if true, because the USMNT striker is not only in good form, but has mentioned he is content with his current role in the team. Regardless, it's a move that sees him get starting minutes and a potential confidence booster as well.

DID YOU KNOW?

Pepi grew up in the FC Dallas academy system in MLS. This summer, he joined PSV for €10m, and has linked up with USMNT stars Sergino Dest and Malik Tillman there as well.

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GettyWHAT NEXT FOR PEPI AND PSV?

PSV Jong (the Dutch club's second team) will finish out their game against NAC Breda before the first-team returns to action on Thursday against SC Heerenveen. Pepi and the USMNT, however, will not return to action until January with a friendly against Slovenia on the 20th.

Arsenal are set to take a break regarding incoming transfers following the signings of Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber, according to journalist Dean Jones.

What has Arsenal's transfer window been like?

The Gunners have really attacked the transfer market as they look to take the next step forward following their success last campaign, finishing second after a title challenge with Manchester City and returning to the Champions League for the first time since Arsene Wenger was manager of the club.

The north London side's first move this window was completing the signing of German forward Kai Havertz from rivals Chelsea for a fee reported to be in the region of £65m. The 24-year-old spent three seasons at Stamford Bridge, with his greatest moment being scoring the winning goal in the 2021 Champions League final against City.

The club have also agreed a fee of around £38m for Ajax defender Timber. The 22-year-old Dutch international has come through Ajax's youth system and last summer was the subject of heavy interest from Erik ten Hag and Manchester United before the club ultimately made the move for his former teammate Lisandro Martinez.

The defender has received praise from National team captain Virgil Van Dijk, who said that he "wasn't as far along as he [Timber] is (at the same age)".

The biggest move for Mikel Arteta this summer has undoubtedly been the move for Rice. The West Ham captain led his side to their first-ever European trophy and after weeks of tense negotiations, the two clubs finally reached an agreement on a £105m fee for the English international, who is set to undergo a medical soon. The 24-year-old also reportedly garnered interest from Manchester City, but he will play his football at the Emirates next season.

However, Jones has said on The Football Terrace's 'Done Deal' show that Arsenal will have to wait until the "second phase" of the window for any more incomings, especially in the wide areas, with the focus now on trimming down the squad with some outgoings.

"The focus has been so heavily on getting these first three guys through the door that there is no certainty over who they go for in that position [right wing] yet. So let's wait until the mini clearout starts to take place, the tidy up I should say, of the Arsenal squad takes place.

"And then we'll see, once that second phase is ready to be activated if Arsenal can go for those players in the wide areas."

Who will Arsenal sell this summer?

The club are set to listen to offers for a number of players this window as they look to recoup some of the £208m they have spent so far.

One player who has already left the Emirates is midfielder Granit Xhaka. The 30-year-old has joined German side Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £21.4m. The Swiss international spent six seasons with the Gunners, where he made 297 appearances across all competitions and had a spell as club captain.

Reports also state that his midfield partner from last season Thomas Partey could also be departing the club this summer, with Juventus interested in his signature. Partey enjoyed the best season of his Arsenal career last time out, making 45 appearances for club and country and recording WhoScored rating of 6.92. However, with the arrival of Rice and the reports that the club are looking at Southampton's Romeo Lavia, the Ghanaian could find his game time reduced.

A number of Arsenal defenders could also move on this summer, with Scottish full-back Kieran Tierney being most notably linked with a move to Newcastle United. The 26-year-old has struggled to beat out Oleksandr Zinchenko for the starting spot at left-back, making just six starts in the league last season, and is reportedly holding talks this week with the manager to figure out his future at the club.

Englishman Rob Holding is another player who could leave the club this summer, with journalist Ed Aarons reporting that the centre-back is expected to depart this summer, either permanently or via a loan switch. Holding make 24 appearances for the side last campaign and had an extended run of games following William Saliba's season-ending injury.

It is hard to guess how much Arsenal will make off these player sales, but the club will be hoping it is enough to fund the "second phase" of their already strong window.

If the answer to what you were doing at 16 isn’t stealing the show in a pre-season friendly for Arsenal, then we’re simply going to have to give the win to Ethan Nwaneri.The teenager, who recently signed a scholarship deal at the North London club, made it look easy up against players supposedly in their prime, who, unlike the youngster, aren’t straight from the classroom.It’s some way to spend your summer, isn’t it? Called up the Arsenal pre-season, working with players you’ve likely spent watching in the last few years. To put it simply, Nwaneri is living the dream.He could even steal the show entirely in the build-up to the Premier League season. The footage of his skill against Nurnberg certainly showed that he’s more than capable of doing exactly that in the next month.

Nwaneri stars in Arsenal pre-season friendly

As the Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw in their first pre-season game following Kanji Okunuki’s goal to cancel out Bukayo Saka’s early opener, the result became somewhat of an afterthought when Nwaneri stepped onto the pitch.

Impressing many in his cameo, one particular highlight came when he rouletted past two Nurnberg defenders, leaving them utterly bamboozled and embarrassed.

The Nurnberg defenders could quite easily be the first of many to suffer the fate of humiliation by a player who is yet to even reach adulthood.

But this isn’t the first we’ve seen of the teenager either. Last season, he became the youngest-ever Premier League player, when he came on off the bench in a 3-0 win over Brentford.

Speaking on that moment, Mikel Arteta said: “It was a pure gut feeling, I met the kid and I liked what I saw.

“But I think it sends a strong message about who we are as a club. I told him yesterday he would be with us and he had to be ready. He is ready. When he went on I said ‘congratulations and enjoy it.

“I don’t know what it is. When I met him, when I looked at him, I had that feeling.”

With that in mind, it’s no wonder the Gunners were so keen to keep him around and fans would have been delighted to learn that he snubbed interest from the likes of major rivals such Chelsea and Manchester City to commit his future to the club earlier on in the summer.

Where does Ethan Nwaneri play?

As things stand, Nwaneri is a midfielder, which is likely ideal for Arteta’s current system, given the offensive nature that he expects some aspects of his midfield to play.

The arrival of Kai Havertz is likely to highlight that, with rumours suggesting that the German could be utilised in midfield for the first time, despite playing as a forward at Chelsea – and this was where we saw him play against Nurnberg.

Nwaneri will watch on as the likes of Havertz and Martin Odegaard play the role that he dreams of playing. And, given that he’s already impressing in pre-season, we may just see the teenager make a few more appearances in the Premier League next season.

He’s certainly one to keep an eye on, such is the clear potential and talent on show. At 16, he is living a dream that is only just getting started. Beginning with a record break, in an ideal world, the only way is up for Nwaneri.

Fans took to Twitter to react to the academy star’s performance in the pre-season friendly against Nurnberg, some of which you can see below:

Manchester United have reportedly sent scouts to watch former Real Madrid winger Takefusa Kubo as they eye a replacement for £85m ($108m) flop Antony.

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• Utd scouts have watched Kubo seven times
• Ten Hag eager to replace Antony
• Brazilian could be offered to Real Sociedad on loan

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to , United scouts have been present to watch Kubo in action for La Liga club Real Sociedad seven times already this season, including his Man of the Match display in a 0-0 draw against Real Betis last weekend. The Basque club would be willing to accept a bid in the region of £43m ($54m) for Kubo, who left Real Madrid in the summer after failing to break into Carlo Ancelotti's senior squad.

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  The report adds that Ten Hag is eager to replace Antony after the forward's poor start to life at United. Since moving to Old Trafford from Ajax in September 2022, the Brazilian has only managed to register eight goals and three assists in 62 appearances. United could even offer Antony to Real Sociedad on loan in a bid to close a deal for Kubo, who is under contract with La Real until 2027.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Kubo has 28 goal contributions to his name from 67 games in a Real Sociedad shirt to date, having initially joined the club on loan in July last year. The former Madrid starlet, who also took in a spell at Barcelona's La Masia academy as a youngster, has also been strongly linked with Napoli, but United plan to continue monitoring his progress in the coming months.

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  For now, United will have to make do with Antony and their current crop of wingers ahead of a crucial festive period, with a tricky away fixture against West Ham up next on Saturday as they bid to close the gap on the Premier League's top-four. Kubo, meanwhile, will be back in La Liga action with sixth-placed Sociedad when they take in a trip to Cadiz on Friday night.

Al-Nassr star Cristiano Ronaldo is causing controversy in Japan after the governor of Nagasaki skipped a meeting back in July to watch him live.

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Al-Nassr & Ronaldo played PSG in July in Osaka, JapanNagasaki Governor attended using government fundsControversy rising over situation, calls for resignationWHAT HAPPENED?

reports that Ronaldo's friendly with Al-Nassr against PSG in July saw the Nagasaki Governor, Kengo Oishi, attend the match using government money. The match was played in Osaka, 732.1 Kilometers from the Island off the coast of Japan by road. Oishi claims he purchased the ticket with his own money, but travel accommodation and travel funds came out of the governments pocket. To make matters worse, the governor skipped an official meeting to attend the match.

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The report adds that Oishi claims the purpose of the event was to speak with Ronaldo's party about potentially playing a role in a future publicity event, while "some officials" claim no deal existed with the Portuguese forward. Demands for the resignation of Oishi are now rolling in, while many of his supporters also claim that the publicity would have benefitted the city, meaning the governor was acting in good faith.

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The two sides played to a 0-0 draw in the friendly in Osaka, with Neymar then playing for PSG in the match before his Saudi Arabian switch to Al-Hilal.

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Getty ImagesWHAT NEXT FOR RONALDO AND NASSR

The Saudi Arabian side are back in action on December 22 against Al-Ettifaq, before a crucial Pro League match against Al-Ittihad on the 26th. For Ronaldo, now is a chance for some downtime until his next match, with an 11-day break before he takes the pitch again.

R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, however, have been rotated out while the core of the batting line-up remained the same

ESPNcricinfo staff10-Sep-20173:43

Kalra: Ashwin, Jadeja will have to fight their way back

Fast bowlers Umesh Yadav and Mohammed Shami have returned to India’s ODI squad. They last played limited-overs cricket in July but were part of the 16 men picked for the first three matches against Australia. The series begins on September 17 and runs through to October 13.India have also chosen to be without R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja for a second series in a row. However, the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad clarified that both players have only been rotated out of the squad.This meant another opportunity for Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal and Axar Patel to lead the team’s spin attack. They had been impressive during the 5-0 whitewash of Sri Lanka last week, collecting 14 wickets at a combined economy rate of 4.18.India’s squad for the first three ODIs against Australia•ESPNcricinfo Ltd

“The team for the three ODIs against Australia has been selected in line with the rotation policy of the board and accordingly R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have been rested,” Prasad said. “The team’s performance during the Sri Lanka tour was outstanding and players like Axar Patel and Yuzvendra Chahal, who performed very well are being given an extended run and this will in turn supplement our approach, to build a strong reserve strength, as we prepare for forthcoming tours.”It would appear likely that Ashwin, currently playing for Worcestershire, might stay for the entire county season. He spoke to ESPNcricinfo about wanting to get used to to English conditions ahead of India’s five-Test tour in 2018 and took a five-for on debut two weeks ago. Jadeja has not played top-flight cricket since the Tests against Sri Lanka ended in the first week of August, and he has not been part of India’s limited-overs squads since July.India v Australia

Sept 12 – warm-up game, Chennai

Sept 17 1st ODI, Chennai

Sept 21 – 2nd ODI, Kolkata

Sept 24 – 3rd ODI, Indore

Sept 28 – 4th ODI, Bengaluru

Oct 1 – 5th ODI, Nagpur

Oct 7 – 1st T20I, Ranchi

Oct 10 – 2nd T20I, Guwahati

Oct 13 – 3rd T20I, Hyderabad

Hardik Pandya retained the allrounder’s spot. He was not in the XI for the final two matches of the Sri Lanka tour but will lend fast-bowling support to Umesh, Shami and Jasprit Bumrah, who is fresh from a climb to No. 4 on the ICC ODI bowlers rankings.With four seamers available, Shardul Thakur, who made his international debut a little over a week ago, has been left out.India’s batting wore a familiar look with each of the seven specialists – Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav – from the Sri Lanka series keeping their place.

Everton are interested in signing Leicester City centre-back Jonny Evans in the summer transfer window, according to a video that has surfaced from the club's official training footage.

How much does Jonny Evans per week?

The 35-year-old has enjoyed an excellent career for both club and country, proving to be an unruffled presence at the heart of so many defences. Having started in the youth team at Manchester United, he ended up breaking into the first team there, making 198 appearances in the process, and winning three Premier League titles and one Champions League crown along the way.

Since then, the £100,000-a-week-earning Evans has played for West Brom and Leicester – he has also enjoyed loan spells elsewhere – but his contract with the latter expired at the end of last month and there still seems to be uncertainty over his future, in terms of whether he will sign an extension or not after the Foxes went down.

Everton are sniffing around for new signings, as they look to improve on a hugely disappointing league campaign of their own in 2022/23, with additions required to bolster both the starting lineup and the general depth within the squad, with a third relegation battle in a row something that isn't worth thinking about.

It looks as though Evans is a target for the Blues, in that respect, following a new update regarding the veteran centre-back's future.

Could Everton sign Jonny Evans?

As per @ITalkEverton on Twitter [via The Daily Mail], Everton could be set to make a move for Evans during the current transfer window, as the Toffees Twitter user shared a now-deleted clip from the club's pre-season training camp, in which an off-camera figure can be heard saying: "We've got Jonny Evans coming in."

Evans may now be 35 years of age and past his prime as a footballer, but there is still some sense in Everton making a move for him in the current transfer window, especially as Dyche is to be trusted when it comes to defensive signings, having made Burnley such a well-organised unit down the years.

The Northern Irishman is now a massively experienced footballer who has made 356 appearances in the Premier League and won 91 caps for his country, and he could come in as a direct replacement for Conor Coady, whose loan move to Goodison Park wasn't made permanent at the end of last season.

It would be wrong to expect Evans to come in as a regular starter, given his age, but he could act as a safe pair of hands when required, putting his defensive nous to good use. The fact that he would be available on a free transfer also makes it less of a risk, should the deal ultimately backfire.

The former United defender earned the praise of the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson back in 2012, with the Scot saying, "Jonny's always had terrific ability and it's good to see he's in consistent form", while Keith Gillespie once described his compatriot as "absolutely unbelievable", which further highlights how highly he is thought of when he's fit and firing.

Everton need to be making more signings on top of Evans, with a younger centre-back also required, but the out-of-contract Northern Irishman could be a shrewd purchase on a short-term basis.

Leeds United are interested in signing Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara in the summer transfer window, according to an update from reliable journalist Graham Smyth.

How much does Leeds target Glen Kamara earn?

The 27-year-old, who currently earns £21,000 per week, has been an excellent servant for Rangers since arriving at Ibrox from Dundee in 2019. He has made 193 appearances for the Scottish Premiership giants, proving to be an influential performer in the middle of the park.

Kamara also has plenty of success to show for his four-year stay with the Gers, winning the league title under Steven Gerrard back in 2020/21, and also tasting Scottish Cup glory the following season. He has been named Finland's Footballer of the Year in the past too, having won 52 caps for his country.

The midfielder may still be contracted to Rangers until the summer of 2025, but it could be that he is looking for a new challenge before the 2023/24 season gets started, having possibly outgrown the club.

With Leeds preparing for life back in the Championship for the first time since 2019/20, it looks as though the Finn could potentially be on his way to Elland Road.

Could Leeds sign Kamara this summer?

According to The Yorkshire Evening Post's Smyth, Kamara is seen as the next possible addition after the deal for Ethan Ampadu is completed:

"Leeds have high hopes of retaining central midfielder Tyler Adams this summer but need to bolster the middle of the pitch regardless.

"Rangers midfielder Glen Kamara is another potential target they have been assessing in recent weeks. The 27-year-old Finnish international looks set to depart Ibrox this summer and has a number of interest clubs eyeing him."

Kamara could be a perfect summer addition for Leeds, coming in as a player with a huge amount of experience and both club and international level. Signing both him and Ampadu would immediately make the Whites look strong in midfield, enhancing their hopes of a quickfire return to the Premier League. Keeping hold of Adams would only help further, in that respect.

At 27, the Rangers hero is at a great age to come in and make a different from the off, having completed 89.4% of his passes in the Scottish Premiership last season, and also chipped in with 20 goal contributions (nine goals and 11 assists) down the years, despite his fairly defence-minded nature as a player.

Gerrard descibed Kamara as both a "class act" and "superb" during his time as Gers boss, with such praise from a high-profile and legendary figure in the game further outlining what a good footballer the Finland international is, and how he could aid Leeds' promotion push in 2023/24.

The lure of moving to England could be too great to turn down for Kamara, especially as he will be aware that he could even be preparing to play Premier League football this time next year, should the Whites excel under Daniel Farke from the off, and return to the top flight in no time at all.

Alex Hepburn’s new Worcestershire record could not stop Dan Christian sweeping Nottinghamshire into the quarter-finals

ECB Reporters Network13-Aug-2017Dan Christian’s commanding all-round show took Notts through•Getty Images

Notts Outlaws sealed a spot in the quarter-finals of the NatWest T20 Blast as they overcame Worcestershire Rapids by 11 runs in a low-scoring North Group encounter at New Road.Alex Hepburn returned the best ever bowling figures by a Worcestershire player in T20 cricket – 5 for 24 – as the Outlaws were bowled out for 145 in 19.3 overs.But the visitors struck back with a vengeance with the ball and skipper Dan Christian led from the front with 3 for 18 as the Rapids were restricted to 134 for 8.Harry Gurney bowled a superb final over in which he conceded just three runs to cap a disciplined performance by the entire Outlaws attack.Victory boosted the Outlaws hopes of also securing a home quarter-final while the second from bottom Rapids were left to contemplate yet another setback.The Outlaws were put into bat and Josh Tongue picked up the prized wicket of Alex Hales, on 9, as he flashed outside the off stump and nicked through to keeper Ben Cox.Riki Wessels (32) looked in good form before being trapped lbw by George Scrimshaw at 49 for 2 – and from that point the innings went into rapid decline. Tom Moores was caught and bowled by Tongue off a skier and Brendon Taylor holed out to Joe Clarke at long off.Hepburn made an instant impact with two wickets in three balls as Samit Patel flicked him to Joe Leach at square leg and Steven Mullaney was caught at cover by D’Oliveira.Outlaws skipper Dan Christian (22) and Billy Root (37) tried to repair the damage during a stand of 50 in seven overs, but the last four wickets fell in quick succession as the Outlaws were dismissed for 141 in 19.3 overs.Hepburn returned to account for Christian, who was taken at long off by Santner and Cox pulled off a fine catch as Root flicked at a Leach delivery. D’Oliveira then ran in from the deep square leg boundary to collect a mistimed pull from Ish Sodhi off Hepburn who completed his five-for as Jake Ball was safely pouched by Clarke at long off.It was the same scenario when the Rapids launched their reply as wickets tumbled.Leach promoted himself to open and perished in the first over from Patel as yet another player tried unsuccessfully to clear long off. Santner top edged Harry Gurney to backward point and Joe Clarke went for a pull and the ball ended up in the hands of extra cover. It became 35 for 4 as D’Oliveira went for an expansive drive and was bowled by Ball.Daryl Mitchell and Cox tried to effect a repair job for the Rapids and added 38 in careful fashion in six overs. But the game was back in the balance after Cox drove at Christian and was caught behind and then Mitchell went for a big hit off the same bowler and miscued to mid off.Christian then pulled off a stunning catch at mid off to dismiss Ed Barnard as he attempted to hit Ball over the top. Ross Whiteley was the Rapids last hope but after making 28 he was bowled in the final over by Gurney.

Rehan Ahmed is just 13. But such is his talent that, for the second year in succession, he was invited by MCC to bowl at the Test teams as they prepared for the Lord’s Test

George Dobell06-Sep-2017There had been talk going into this Lord’s Test that a young English legspinner might win his chance to impress.But it wasn’t Mason Crane who stuck out in the nets ahead of the third and final Test. It was an even younger legspinner named Rehan Ahmed.Rehan is just 13. But such is his talent that, for the second year in succession, he was invited by MCC to bowl at the Test teams as they prepared for the Lord’s Test.Last year he bowled so well that he dismissed Ben Stokes. But MCC felt that, in light of his age, any media coverage would be unhelpful and politely requested he be given time away from the spotlight. That will come soon enough.But this year he was back and bowled beautifully, troubling several batsmen in the nets.He can bat, too. He recently made an unbeaten 150 in a county game and, given the opportunity to face one ball from Jason Holder in the nets, charged down the pitch and drove him back over his head.”He is an exceptional, precocious talent,” Steve Kirby, the head coach of MCC told ESPNcricinfo. “And one we should nurture and not over-coach.”Nottinghamshire are doing a great job with him at present. We all just want to allow him to play and flourish. We don’t want to do anything to crush the wonderful enthusiasm he has at the moment.”Why is he here? Well, we thought he would enjoy bowling at the England and West Indies players. But more importantly, it’s all part of our attempts to build relationships with the south Asian communities. Hopefully seeing Rehan’s success will inspire other boys and girls to follow in his footsteps.”Rehan came to the attention of Nottinghamshire when his father, Naeem, brought him to open trials at the club as an eight-year-old. He was soon drafted into the Under-10 side and, this season, was deemed good enough to play for the U17s on occasions. He has two brothers, one older who is a decent seamer, and one younger, who is a spinner (he is 10 and bowls a lovely doosra).”Mushtaq Ahmed was just walking past the nets last summer and, when he saw Rehan bowl, he stopped in his tracks,” Naeem says. “He came back to watch and was obviously very impressed.”His advice? “He said ‘Just bowl and don’t take too much notice of what any coaches say.'””There is a perception that we over-coach in England,” Gemaal Hussain, the former Gloucestershire and Somerset seamer who is now working as an MCC scout, agreed. “These boys have learned the game in their garden. They have a natural talent that is born of playing the game they love with fun and freedom.”It took Hussain years to break into the first-class game. He spent nights sleeping in his car and months driving around the country in pursuit of opportunities until finally, aged 25, he got his break with Gloucestershire. Things should be considerably easier for those of Rehan’s generation.