Everton weren’t able to learn all that much from their recent draw in the Premier League against West Ham United.

The central forwards are still misfiring, but there is a new spring in the Toffees’ collective step, and David Moyes’ system continues to show an impressive degree of dynamism.

Against West Ham, there were both winners and losers in Blue. A draw was the result, and Everton shift into ninth place, alongside a huddle of sides on eight points after six games.

Michael Keane continues to stake his claim for a regular starting role in this improving Everton side, while Jack Grealish, even on an ‘off day’, created three chances and looked a focal source of joy from an attacking standpoint. The flow of Moyes’ system runs through the esteemed loanee.

However, we cannot hide from the fact that there were a few who flattered to deceive. In particular, Beto’s woes in front of goal persisted against Nuno Espirito Santo’s Irons, and the Bissau Guinean striker needs to click into gear quickly if he is going to confidently lead the line across the term.

Beto's struggles in front of goal

Manager bounce. A sporting phenomenon that can be defined as a temporary improvement to an ailing team’s performance levels as a direct result of a change in leadership, invigorating the players with a fresh lease of life.

For Everton, this was certainly the case, but then they have also plateaued at a level above that which was being played when Sean Dyche was in the dugout and battling against relegation.

However, for Beto, his post-Dyche purple patch is beginning to look like a flash in the pan. Peripheral across the first half of the 2024/25 season, the 27-year-old scored five goals in four Premier League matches after Moyes’ arrival. He has since scored three times across 18 league fixtures.

Games

42

23

Starts

10

20

Goals

4

8

Assists

0

0

Work is needed, but Thierno Barry, £27m summer signing from Villarreal, has yet to prove that he has what it takes to supersede his positional rival.

Against West Ham, Beto struggled once again, missing a chance to score in the first half, with sports writer Barry Viner even describing the forward as “useless”.

If an upswing in form is not on the horizon, changes will be needed. And Beto isn’t the only one, with another Everton star proving against West Ham that he is not the solution in his current role.

Moyes must ditch Everton star

Moyes has an aptitude for lifting players. He recognises the strengths and qualities inherent in any given star and knows how to apply their preferred style within his tactical system.

And the rise and rise of Jake O’Brien since the beginning of 2025 has been a testament to this argument. The Irishman joined from Lyon for around £16m in July 2024, but he scarcely played until the new year had dawned.

More often than not, he has played as a right-back, moonlighting in a role he probably didn’t envisage when crossing the Channel and heading to Merseyside.

But the 6 foot 6 O’Brien has typified the commitment and willingness needed to succeed in a Moyes team, having played every minute of the Premier League campaign from the right side of the defence.

This needs to change, and the draw against West Ham underlined that, with the Liverpool Echo branding the 24-year-old with a 5/10 match rating after a performance that laid bare his lack of focus and deficiencies when getting forward and contributing toward the attack.

He also left something to be desired from an aerial standpoint. As per Sofascore, O’Brien only won three of his six headed challenges, dribbled past twice and having lost the ball 12 times despite failing to create a single chance.

Iliman Ndiaye is playing in an unnatural right-flanking role this season, so to accommodate Grealish on the left. He’s shown flashes of quality across his five appearances, but then Senegalese talent is being supported by a right-back more naturally suited to the centre-half role.

This is not to say that O’Brien never deserves a starting berth again. He has been dependable and industrious since Moyes arrived at the club. However, not signing a right-back this summer was a confusing decision from the Friedkin Group, especially with Ndiaye playing on the right and thus in need of more support.

Former Everton writer Adam Jones even noted during the game that “O’Brien at right-back just does not work in the long term”, continuing to criticise the “mind-boggling” decision not to sign a natural wideman this summer.

While Moyes intimated during the transfer window that this new Everton project cannot be built in a day, or, more accurately, a single transfer window, there’s a sense that the club have sold themselves short in some areas, and with such promise coursing through the squad, it would be disappointing for a dearth of options in key areas to unravel the hard work plied across the year.

O’Brien is a talented and combative defender who has a long-term place in this Everton squad, but it’s clear that TFG needed to sign a natural right-back this summer, especially with Seamus Coleman at the twilight end of his career and Nathan Patterson embroiled in an interminable battle against injuries.

As the season deepens, it’s becoming clear that Beto might not have what it takes to lead the line for Everton in the long run. Is this the same for O’Brien? It is not.

However, as Moyes’ system continues to develop and modernise, so too must an emphasis be placed on an upgrade on the right.

Moyes has just unearthed Everton's brand new Baines & it's not Mykolenko

Everton drew 1-1 with West Ham United in the Premier League as they crept up into ninth place.

ByAngus Sinclair Sep 30, 2025

Being the massive club they are, Arsenal have had some genuine world-class stars play for them over the years.

Most fans will go straight to the likes of Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and Robert Pirès, but there is another who perhaps deserves more respect: Cesc Fàbregas.

The Spaniard certainly tarnished his reputation in the way he left and then joined Chelsea, but during his time in North London, he was utterly incredible, racking up a tally of 57 goals and 95 assists in 303 appearances.

Arsenal have had their fair share of unreal midfielders since, but there is one player in Mikel Arteta’s current squad who could be on his way to emulating Fabregas at his very best this season.

Ranking Arsenal's best midfielders since Fabregas

A name that springs to mind when thinking about some of the best offensive midfielders Arsenal have had since Fabregas left is Aaron Ramsey.

The Welsh international was never on the same level as the Spaniard, but there were points in his tenure at the club when he was near enough unplayable.

For example, in the 13/14 season, the Cardiff-born monster scored 16 goals and provided nine assists in 34 appearances, and while he left for free in 2019, he did so with three FA Cups to his name, and as something of an Emiratés icon.

Another icon of the Emirartes era and one who arguably was as talented as the Como manager, but supremely unlucky with injuries, was Santi Cazorla.

The 40-year-old magician joined the club for under £15m in the summer of 2012 and went on to score 29 goals and provide 44 assists in 180 games before leaving in 2018.

However, the numbers alone don’t do the Lugo de Llanera-born star justice, as, at his best, watching him play football was breathtaking. He could use both feet with ease, could spot a pass way before anyone else and had sensational close control.

The firm fan favourite is perhaps one of the best examples of a ‘what if’ player, as at his best, he could do whatever he wanted.

Finally, when it comes to superstar midfielders in the years after Fabregas, you cannot ignore Mesut Ozil.

Yes, his last couple of years at the club were nothing short of a disaster, but for a significant period of his time in North London, he had a fair chance of being the best ten in the Premier League.

Appearances

254

Starts

237

Minutes

20816′

Goals

44

Assists

77

Goal Involvements per Match

0.47

Minutes per Goal Involvement

172.03′

Points per Game

1.89

By the time he left the club, the former Real Madrid star had made 254 appearances, in which he scored 44 goals, provided 77 assists and won four FA Cups.

And now, it looks like one of Arteta’s signings could reach the levels Fabregas did this season.

The Arsenal star who could reach Fabregas levels

There is plenty of excitement around the potential of Ethan Nwaneri, and the arrival of Eberechi Eze has bolstered Arteta’s midfield options.

Chalkboard

Football FanCast’s Chalkboard series presents a tactical discussion from around the global game.

However, in this instance, the player who could potentially reach the level of a prime Fabregas this season is Martin Odegaard.

Now, it’s undoubtedly true that last season was the Norwegian’s worst in an Arsenal shirt, and led many to consider whether he was good enough to lead the club.

However, it’s essential to remember that he suffered an ankle injury early on, and in the two previous campaigns, the “world-class” talent, as dubbed by ex-Arsenal star Paul Merson, was named the club’s Player of the Year.

Moreover, based on his performance in the last two games, he looks to be getting back to his very best, if not surpassing it.

For example, once he came off the bench against Newcastle United, his passing was perfect, and he got the ball to Declan Rice for him to cross to Mikel Merino for the equaliser.

Then, on Wednesday night, he started against Olympiacos and delivered what might be his most impressive performance in years, living up to the billing that he is “more complete than Bergkamp and Ozil” in the words of fellow Norwegian John Arne Riise.

The manager seemed to give him more license to roam, and so, instead of sticking to the right-hand side, he was popping up here, there and everywhere, and it was difficult to keep track of every brilliant pass through the Greek side’s backline he played.

While he did finally get his assist courtesy of a Bukayo Saka finish towards the end, on another night, he could have ended up with two or three.

Now, when you combine this renewed “sensational” passing ability, as one content creator put it, with the fact he’s being allowed to play more of a central midfield role and roam, it doesn’t feel absurd to suggest he could start putting in the sort of performances Fabregas once did at his prime.

Ultimately, there is still so much of the season to go, so if this is just the start of a fully fit Odegaard, then Arteta and Arsenal could have an incredible campaign with him pulling the strings in the middle of the park.

Arsenal have signed a "powerhouse" who looks like a new Saka-type player

Arsenal may have found a new talisman, akin to Bukayo Saka.

1 ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 2, 2025

CSK were restricted to 187, before Survyavanshi’s fifty, and cameos from Jaiswal and Jurel, wrapped the chase

Sidharth Monga20-May-20250:47

Chopra: Madhwal has looked the part since his inclusion

Despite losing eight matches chasing out of nine, Rajasthan Royals (RR) decided to chase one last time and came out victors with 17 balls to spare. Unlike earlier games, though, their bowlers did well against fellow laggards Chennai Super Kings (CSK), leaving them just 188 to get on a good batting pitch. Akash Madhwal reversed the ball to restrict CSK in the end to just 17 runs off the last three overs, and Vaibhav Suryavanshi then aced the chase with a measured 57 off 33 deliveries.R Ashwin took two wickets in the 14th over to remind observers of RR’s poor chasing record, but it proved to be nothing more than a stutter. Dhruv Jurel made sure it never got close with a sparkling 31 from 12 balls. The unbeaten batters at the end were Jurel and Shimron Hetmyer, who have been in the middle in some of the past fluffed chases.As a result of the win, RR were momentarily off the bottom of the table, but their season was done. CSK were left needing a big win in their last match to avoid finishing at the bottom for the first time in their history.CSK lose early wicketsThe start of the game was action-packed, but not easily explained. CSK lost five wickets in 7.4 overs to length balls that didn’t swing or seam. They were not off-pace deliveries either. Of these, one was not even an attacking shot. It was just one of those days when the risks were not coming off, and Yudhvir Singh ended with a haul of three wickets.Yudhvir Singh ended with three wickets•BCCI

For a while in between, the risks did come off for a 56-run stand between Ayush Mhatre and new No. 4 Ashwin. Mhatre scored 43 off 20 balls, mostly just clearing the infield for eight fours and one six. This meant CSK were going at over 10 runs an over even though they lost five early wickets.Brevis continues to impressThe second half of CSK’s season has been all about identifying a core for the next IPL. Two triumphs in that regard have been their replacement batters, Mhatre and Dewald Brevis. Both shone in Delhi. Brevis scored 42 off 25 deliveries as he and Shivam Dube added 59 runs for the sixth wicket.The reverse curseIn three of their five tight losses, RR have had to contend with the reversing ball. This time, though, they got the ball reversing themselves. Madhwal, who started bowling as late as the 12th over and went for ten runs in his first two balls, quickly realised that the ball was ready for reverse swing, and started going for the yorker.In his four overs, Madhwal nailed at least eight of them to go with plenty of low full tosses that were difficult to get away. The one that got Brevis off the inside edge was a half-volley, but it did tail away, thus causing the mis-hit.3:08

Chopra: Suryavanshi has already shown maturity

Dube, meanwhile, took care of the spin threat that was reserved for MS Dhoni, thus maintaining the run rate of 10 till the 17th over. But Madhwal and Tushar Deshpande were excellent in the last three overs. For once the RR batters were not going to have to chase an above-par total.Jaiswal gets RR off to a flying startThe target this time was exactly what RR scored to tie the game against Delhi Capitals (DC) at the same venue, but this was a better batting pitch. For the 13th time in the IPL, Yashasvi Jaiswal hit the first legal delivery of the innings for a boundary – a record. This one, though, came off the glove in an over in which he hardly middled the ball. By the time he started his second over, though, Khaleel Ahmed had lost the movement, and Jaiswal raced away to 36 off 19 balls.Suryavanshi, Samson assured in chaseThis time, Suryavanshi and Sanju Samson had the opportunity to get a sighter or two thanks to their bowlers and the quick start provided by Jaiswal. It didn’t take Suryavanshi long, though. He hit six, four and four in Noor Ahmad’s first over, and took sixes in Ravindra Jadeja’s first.1:26

Bangar: If I was Dhoni I would say ‘enough’

The one spinner that Suryavanshi couldn’t hit was negotiated by Samson. He hit a six in each of former team-mate Ashwin’s overs to make sure RR stayed ahead of the asking rate.Jurel overcomes jittersBy the time Ashwin gave CSK a glimmer of hope, getting the better of former captain Samson and Suryavanshi in the 14th over, the ask had already come down to 50 runs. Suryavanshi had again dazzled observers, this time with his measured approach to go with his hitting prowess.Jurel, though, didn’t let CSK consolidate their gains. He hit Jadeja for a six and a four, Noor for a four, and then Ashwin for a six. In perfect symmetry, it was an 18-run Ashwin over that ended CSK’s brief comeback.

The New Zealand allrounder had been recalled to the T20I squad earlier this year before injury struck

ESPNcricinfo staff23-May-2025New Zealand allrounder Hayley Jensen has announced her retirement from international cricket after an 11-year career.Jensen, 32, played 35 ODIs and 53 T20Is having made her debut in 2014. She was part of four T20 World Cup squads – finishing as New Zealand’s leading wicket-taker at the 2020 edition in Australia – and also the 2022 ODI World Cup on home soil. She had not featured in ODIs since late 2022 but had been recalled to the T20I squad for the series against Sri Lanka in March after a two-year absence before being ruled out through injury.She also played in the 2022 Commonwealth Games, claiming 3 for 24 in the bronze medal match where New Zealand beat England by eight wickets.”Ever since I was 10 years old, I came home from my first cricket tournament and knew I wanted to be a White Fern,” Jensen said. “To have had the chance to live that dream is something I’ll always treasure.”It’s been an incredible journey – filled with challenges, growth, unforgettable experiences, and the best group of people I could’ve hoped to share it with.”It’s never easy to move on from something that’s meant this much, but I know in my heart it’s time. I’m proud of what we’ve achieved together and even prouder to have been part of the White Ferns environment.”New Zealand head coach Ben Sawyer said: “I want to congratulate Hayley on a fantastic international career and thank her for her contributions to the White Ferns environment”Hayley has made key contributions to the team with both bat and ball on the field and always brought a genuine passion and love for the game. We wish her all the best for whatever the future holds.”Jensen will make a decision on whether to continue her domestic career at a later date.

Five-wicket pacer Dillon Pennington helped Nottinghamshire complete a fourth win in seven matches, this one against Yorkshire at Headingley shortly before tea on day four, to strengthen their position at the Division One summit in the Rothesay County Championship.Struggling Yorkshire were set a 463-target during the third afternoon and closed on 176 for five, losing four of those wickets in the evening session, including one in the day’s final over to Pennington.Yorkshire started the fourth day well, with top-scorer Matthew Revis and George Hill sharing a 54-run partnership to raise hopes of avoiding a fourth defeat in seven matches. But they needed much more and were later bowled out for 299 inside 121 overs, slipping to a 163-run defeat.The part-time spin of Freddie McCann made the breakthrough by bowling Hill with the first ball of a solitary over shortly before the new ball. Pennington then removed Revis for 45 just after lunch and finished with a superb impressive season’s best five for 106 from 31 overs.Nottinghamshire claimed 19 points to Yorkshire’s three and reach the midway point in the four-day campaign well placed to claim a first Championship title since 2010.Not since 2011 have they won here at Headingley, a venue at which they have only ever won five Championship matches, including this.Pennington claimed three of his wickets today in easing batting conditions to keep Yorkshire second-bottom in the table.Revis and new England Lions all-rounder Hill, who contributed 26, batted pretty comfortably through the first 85 minutes of a gloomy and chilly day.Although the former took a painful blow on the right thumb from the seam of Brett Hutton, he played confidently through the off-side off front foot and back on the way to a season’s best score in his fourth appearance.But all Notts had to do was stay patient, and you felt success would come. And it did, even if it initially came via the most unexpected route.The off-spin of McCann was brought into the attack to bowl the 79th over, the penultimate before the new ball was due.He dragged his first ball down and Hill’s eyes lit up. He went to pull, but the delivery scooted through and uprooted middle stump, leaving the score at 230 for six.Then, seven balls into the afternoon, Pennington forced Revis – playing back – to feather behind to South African Kyle Verreynne with the score on 244.The same combination ousted Yorkshire’s stand-in captain Dom Bess for 21 and then Ben Coad for five.By that stage, at 277 for nine, the outcome of this game was all but certain.With light rain starting to fall, last pair Jack White and Jordan Thompson resisted for more than an hour – and almost 20 overs – to threaten that theory.But Mohammad Abbas got White caught behind by Verreynne, whose sixth catch in the innings and ninth in the match sealed the win.

Chelsea ran out 2-1 winners over Premier League champions Liverpool on Saturday despite fielding a weakened side, and Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards says a previously struggling player shined alongside Moises Caicedo.

Chelsea battle to dramatic 2-1 win over Liverpool

After what was a difficult last few weeks in the build up to their clash at Stamford Bridge, with reports even suggesting tension between Enzo Maresca and Chelsea’s board (Simon Phillips), the Blues couldn’t have gone into the international break on more of a high.

Supporters perhaps feared the worst, knowing that Maresca had precious few options to pick from defensively, with Trevoh Chalobah, Wesley Fofana, Levi Colwill and Tosin Adarabioyo all forced to miss Liverpool through injury or suspension.

Maresca elected to start youngster Josh Acheampong alongside Benoit Badiashile at the heart of Chelsea’s defence, and the duo managed to keep Arne Slot’s side fairly at bay as the West Londoners sealed a dramatic victory.

Caicedo opened the scoring with one of the goals of the season so far, thundering a long-range strike past Giorgi Marmadashvilli just 14 minutes into the keeper’s Premier League debut.

Cody Gakpo managed to grab one back for the visitors, but it was exciting teenage sensation Estevao Willian who scored next deep into added time — securing all three points as the delighted Maresca was sent off for his jubilant celebrations.

Caicedo and Estevao grabbed most of the headlines for their obvious contributions on an afternoon to remember for Chelsea, but a few other star performers deserve a worthy mention.

Star right-back Reece James was impeccable against Liverpool, and Chelsea will be praying the Englishman’s shin problem isn’t too serious after he withdrew from the England squad with Man City’s Nico O’Reilly replacing him.

Reece James vs Liverpool

Statistics

James

Match rank

Tackles

5

1st

Defensive actions

10

1st

Blocks

1

1st

Interceptions

2

2nd

Key passes

2

4th

Accurate passes

50

2nd

Duels contested

10

3rd

Duels won

8

1st

Aerial duels won

2

1st

Touches

83

1st

SofaScore rating

7.2

5th

Stats via SofaScore

As well as the aforementioned, redeemed star Enzo Fernandez once again proved very capable in his more advanced midfield role.

The Argentina international was struggling to justify his mammoth price tag around this time last year after a difficult start to life in London, but he’s since become a mainstay of Maresca’s midfield as Fernandez also attracts serious rumoured interest from Real Madrid.

Micah Richards says Chelsea star Enzo Fernandez now has "everything"

Speaking on The Rest is Football Podcast, Richards was effusive in his praise for the 24-year-old after Liverpool — saying Fernandez now has “everything” after becoming a “leader” at Chelsea.

Even taking into account the odd sub-par performance this season, Maresca has made it clear what he thinks of Fernandez, with the Italian underlining his plan to utilise the ex-Benfica star in an attacking midfield role more often than not.

Manchester United enjoyed a productive summer window and could now have landed a shot in the arm as they bid to force an exciting deal over the line in January.

Man Utd preparing for Man City battle

Despite a mixed start to the Premier League campaign, Manchester United sit above rivals Manchester City in the table as they prepare for Sunday’s derby clash at the Etihad Stadium.

Ruben Amorim will have found some solace in the international break after leading his side to a last-gasp victory over Burnley before his players jetted off to different corners of the world, but the hard work begins now if the Red Devils are serious about climbing the top-flight standings.

Paul Scholes has admitted that it is difficult to gauge what level of league finish would be acceptable given the transitional nature of Manchester United’s season, claiming that anywhere from eighth upwards may be deemed as an adequate return.

“This season… It’s so hard to tell. You’re even looking at the first three games: okay, they won one, drawn one, lost one. So difficult. I think top eight. I think he would take that at this point.”

After a strong showing in the transfer window, Manchester United have Nottingham Forest star Elliott Anderson on their radar heading into January, and he may not be the only name on their radar as the Red Devils build under the guise of INEOS.

Ajax defender Aaron Bouwman is also on the Red Devils’ radar, indicating that they could be set to target youthful assets with years of development potential ahead of them at Old Trafford.

Regardless, the need for ready-made experience is always paramount at Manchester United, and INEOS have now received a boost in pursuit of their top target.

Man Utd have Emiliano Martinez at top of January shopping list

According to reports in Spain, Manchester United have Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez at the top of their shopping list in January as he continues to remain out of the picture in the West Midlands.

The Argentina international, a former Arsenal player, is said to be desperate for minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which could hasten the process of an exit should he manage to land a stunning move to Old Trafford. The report also adds that Martinez could cost €25m (£22m) halfway through the season.

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Maintaining a save percentage rate of 69% in the Premier League last term, per Fotmob, Martinez, a World Cup winner in 2022, kept 16 clean sheets in 53 appearances across all competitions in 2024/25, though has started just once this campaign.

AC Milan’s Mike Maignan is also being looked at on a free transfer as an alternative, something that could potentially put the cat among the pigeons regarding Senne Lammens’ place in the pecking order.

Andre Onana’s recent loan move to Trabzonspor has created a space for someone to fill between the sticks at Old Trafford, and Martinez would definitely be a popular solution among supporters to their goalkeeping debacle.

Mexico’s right back position remains unsettled ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but there’s a new glimmer of hope. El Tri striker Santiago Giménez shared an encouraging update on Copenhagen defender Rodrigo Huescas, who’s recovering from a torn ACL. The two came up together in Cruz Azul’s youth academy, where they formed a close bond.

Getty Images SportReasons for optimism

Huescas' injury has ruled him out for the remainder of the season with FC Copenhagen, but despite the setback, the young Mexican defender is dreaming big. During a TikTok live session, Giménez revealed that he recently spoke with Huescas and relayed that the right back remains optimistic about making it to the 2026 World Cup.

“I talked to Rodrigo the other day – he’s hopeful, and we all have hopes that he’ll make it to the World Cup,” said the AC Milan striker.

AdvertisementAFPHow the injury happened…

The injury occurred during a UEFA Champions League group stage match against Qarabağ, where Huescas exited the field in the 13th minute after a challenge on the right flank, visibly distraught as the severity became evident.

Getty Images SportThe recovery process

Despite the grim diagnosis, recent updates have provided encouraging signs. On social media, Huescas shared footage of himself training on a stationary bike, sporting only light wrapping on the injured knee. The video sparked optimism among Copenhagen fans – and especially among Mexican supporters who see him as a potential solution for El Tri’s right-back dilemma.

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Getty Images SportWho is on the list?

The race to fill that position remains open. While regular names like Julián Araujo, Kevin Álvarez, and Jorge Sánchez remain in contention, new options such as dual-national Richard Ledezma have begun to surface – even though he has yet to be called up by Javier Aguirre.

Arsenal are trying to lock star defender William Saliba down with a brand-new contract, but Andrea Berta is forced to contend with the temptation of a move to Real Madrid.

Mikel Arteta dealt William Saliba concern as Arsenal contract runs down

As things stand, the Frenchman’s deal is set to expire in 2027, and as each day passes, Mikel Arteta grows more and more vulnerable to losing his pivotal centre-back who’s formed a stellar partnership with Gabriel.

Saliba and the Brazilian have been a vital ingredient of Arsenal’s trophy challenges since the beginning of 2022/2023, with the pair often praised for being the best central defensive pairing in Europe.

It is testament to summer signing Cristhian Mosquera, who’s seriously impressed in Saliba’s absence, that Arteta’s side have conceded just once in five total games so far this term.

The 24-year-old is pushing to play in Arsenal’s vital Premier League clash against Man City on Sunday, according to Arteta in his pre-match press conference, but behind-the-scenes, tying Saliba down isn’t exactly plain sailing.

While there is optimism among reliable media sources that Saliba could eventually commit his future to Arsenal, with talks currently ongoing (Fabrizio Romano), some reports suggest that negotiations are moving at a slow pace (Football Insider).

This could give Real hope of signing the ex-Saint-Etienne star in 2026, with an update now coming to light on the situation courtesy of El Desmarque.

Arsenal set William Saliba price tag after blunt response to new contract offer

As per the outlet, Saliba has already rejected the Gunners’ first offer of a contract renewal, and El Desmarque report that the Bernabeu is a realistic destination for him.

According to their information, Saliba is prepared to leave Arsenal amid Real’s serious interest, and Xabi Alonso’s side view him as a “dream” signing.

Arsenal have also set a “high” price tag for the France international at around £70 million, which can be considered lofty when factoring in he’ll have just one season remaining on his deal by next summer.

Real are aiming to make a splash through the signing of superstar defenders next year. It apparently hasn’t been ruled out that they could sign both Saliba and Liverpool star Ibrahima Konate, which would be quite the statement of intent from Florentino Perez.

Arsenal simply cannot lose William Saliba

Saliba’s importance extends beyond raw defending. He is comfortable in possession, rarely flustered and plays a huge role in starting Arsenal’s build-up from the back.

Real’s interest is no surprise — he’s exactly the level of player they’re regularly target. However, Arsenal are no longer in a position where they can be bullied into selling their stars. With the team now competing consistently at the top, losing Saliba would send the wrong message and tear a significant hole in Arteta’s carefully constructed long-term project.

Signing a replacement for Saliba would be Berta’s most almighty task yet, and it is something they’ll be looking to avoid at every cost.

“I can quite comfortably say that at every turn the best Proteas side will be put out on the field,” he said on Friday

Firdose Moonda09-May-2025

Shukri Conrad expects South Africa’s players to put international fixtures ahead of league pursuits as he looks to build his white-ball squads for next year’s T20 World Cup and the 2027 home ODI World Cup. Conrad, whose role was expanded from the Test team to all-format coach on Friday, explained that he had already started the process of long-term planning with centrally-contracted players, with a view to ensuring their availability.”We’re going to put out the best Proteas side every time we play,” Conrad said at a press conference to announce his appointment on Friday. “I’ve had conversations with our players, all-format players and guys that only play the one format that are contracted to us, that at every turn when the Proteas play, there’s an expectation that they’ll play for South Africa.”The Proteas will never be a franchise team, the Proteas will never be a league, nor will it be a convenience. This is part of building a culture and building an environment that players want to be part of. Every single player is committed to that and wanting to be a part of it so I can quite comfortably say that at every turn the best Proteas side will be put out on the field.”Related

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Conrad: 'We've got to do tough better, but we're starting to do tough now'

Conrad to take over as SA's white-ball coach

Conrad’s comments come against the backdrop of an increasingly packed calendar with South Africa playing almost non-stop from mid-June to mid-December. Some of their fixtures could be era defining – such as the World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord’s or the two-Test tours of Pakistan and India later in the year – and others, more preparatory.They will play two Tests and a T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe in July and three T20Is and three ODIs each in Australia and England in August and September. Those series, however, clash with Major League Cricket (MLC), the Hundred and the Caribbean Premier League (CPL). Players such as Ryan Rickelton, Marco Jansen (both retained at the MLC) and David Miller (contracted to the Hundred but on a white-ball only central contract) will face a fixture clash. Conrad indicated that, following discussions, they will put South Africa first.”This comes with careful planning and buy-in from everyone and I think going down this road just cleans up everything,” he said. “It makes it less messy, [there will be] less conversation and less talk that can be quite polarising in many respects. It’s clear; black and white: when South Africa plays, I want all my players available to play. If you choose not to play for South Africa, well, then we go down that road. Our all-format players have been spoken to. They are fully supportive of what I’m wanting to do and then we plan the year for them in advance.”Conrad has left space for mandatory rest periods, such as the conditioning blocks Jansen, Gerald Coetzee and Lungi Ngidi were put on at various stages of last summer, and for playing in leagues outside of international game time. “Where rest periods are going to be emphasised or suggested, it will be exactly that – a rest period. It won’t be one where you can then go and play in another league,” he said.”By the same token, we still want our players to gain experience playing in leagues so when South Africa are not playing, guys are going to be free to play wherever they want because we want them to maximise their earning potential and then obviously come back to South Africa as better cricketers also. But when the Proteas play, and I can’t put it more simply than that: all our players must be available for selection. If they make themselves unavailable for selection, well, that’s a decision that they’ve made and the path that they’ve chosen.”Exactly what the ramifications of opting out of national duty will be were not disclosed and sources within South African cricket suggested Conrad could be more flexible as things unfold. He will also soon begin talking to players who are not contracted, such as Anrich Nortje, Heinrich Klaasen and Tabraiz Shamsi (who all opted out of central contracts but remain available for South Africa) and the likes of Dewald Brevis and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (who play in leagues) to map out their national futures. Conrad specifically wants to avoid situations where players do not feature in any bilaterals and are parachuted in for a World Cup or one where a severely under-strength national squad has to take the field.Conrad will coach SA till the 2027 ODI World Cup•Themba Hadebe/Associated Press

He already has experience of the latter, when he was forced to take a Test squad without most of his frontline players to New Zealand last year because of a clash with the SA20. As a staunch Liverpool supporter, he likened that situation to “when Burnley went to Anfield,” and said, “that thankfully won’t happen again.”The SA20 will avoid fixture clashes with all South African internationals in future, and the existence of the tournament has also meant South African players have a home-grown avenue to earn substantial amounts of money from. CSA has not yet restricted how many other leagues they can play in but it has been mooted that they would permit NOCs for the IPL and one other league only in future.Conrad’s concern is less about that and more around what he needs to achieve with the national side over the next two-and-a-half years. He has already taken the Test team to the WTC final, and his predecessor Rob Walter got them to the T20 World Cup final last year. It’s now for Conrad to go one step further.”Rob obviously laid a really good foundation and did some wonderful things. You only need to look at the performances at ICC events to see that. I’ll try and build on what Rob has done,” Conrad said. “Those processes have started already. As recently as this morning, I chatted to some of our players at the IPL and abroad in terms of potentially what their year can look like in terms of active involvement. The planning processes have started and it will be modified as we go along. I’m excited and looking to build on what Rob has done and take whatever good things we’ve done in the Test space and hopefully transfer that into the white-ball space as well.”For now, Test cricket remains Conrad’s primary focus and he called it the “immediate project.” South Africa will announce their WTC final squad on May 13. They have a warm-up fixture against Zimbabwe at Arundel from June 3 to 6 before the final, which starts on June 11. Conrad’s white-ball support staff has not been confirmed but he is considering bringing in T20 specialist coaches in particular.