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It’s not all been smooth sailing, but since taking the job six years ago, Mikel Arteta has got a lot right at Arsenal.

One area he has helped improve, alongside the Sporting Directors, has been the club’s transfer business, at least when it comes to signing players.

For example, the likes of David Raya, Martin Odegaard, Gabriel Magalhães, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori have all joined under his tenure.

However, when it comes to the Spaniard’s best signing, it’s hard to look past Declan Rice, so fans should be excited about reports linking Arsenal with someone who could be their next version of the Englishman.

Arsenal target their next Rice

Arsenal spent far more than they usually do in the summer transfer window, and so some might argue that they don’t need to go big again in January or at the end of the season.

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However, while that might be true in some areas of the pitch, the midfield is a different story.

As things stand, only Martin Zubimendi and Rice are really at the level required to regularly contribute in the middle of the park, with the boss clearly not fancying Christian Norgaard and Mikel Merino thriving up top.

Therefore, the Gunners really do need to sign another top-quality midfielder to provide the two regular starters with competition and chances to rest, and it looks like they’ve found one.

At least that is according to a recent report from Caught Offside, which claims Arsenal are interested in Ayyoub Bouaddi.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Frenchman is now at the top of their list of midfield targets.

However, they are not the only ones interested, as the report has also revealed that Chelsea are keen on the youngster.

Therefore, it could be a complicated transfer to get over the line, but given Bouaddi’s immense potential, it’s one Arsenal should be fighting for, especially as he could be their next Rice.

Why Bouaddi could be Arsenal's next Rice

The first thing to say is that while Ayyoub Bouaddi is very highly rated and looks to have a huge future ahead of him, Arsenal should expect him to come in and be on Rice’s level right away.

The Frenchman is still just 18 years old, and therefore, that would be an unfair expectation.

However, there is no reason he couldn’t eventually reach that level, especially as there are already quite a few similarities between the pair.

First and foremost, like the Gunners’ monster 41, the LOSC Lille gem is primarily a central midfielder, but has shown an impressive level of flexibility.

For example, he has also played in defensive midfield, attacking midfield, and even centre-back – sound familiar?

The second similarity is that, thanks to this ability to play in so many areas, the “world class talent,” as scout Jacek Kulig dubbed him, is someone who can help in build up as well as in defensive areas.

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For example, FBref ranks him in the top 1% of midfielders in Ligue 1 for blocks, the top 2% for long pass completion, the top 8% for successful take-ons, the top 16% for touches in the opposition’s penalty area, and more, all per 90.

Bouaddi’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

Blocks

1.99

Top 1%

Pass Completion % (Long)

88.0%

Top 2%

Passes Blocked

1.56

Top 2%

Successful Take-Ons

1.39

Top 8%

Tackles (Att 3rd)

0.61

Top 10%

Successful Take-On %

69.6%

Top 10%

Touches (Att Pen)

2.60

Top 16%

Shots Blocked

0.43

Top 19%

All Stats via FBref

Moreover, respected analyst-turned-scout Ben Mattinson has described his press resistance as “elite level” and his tackling as “exceptional.”

Ultimately, he is still young and has a lot of developing to do, but Bouaddi already looks like a top-level talent and someone who could easily develop into a future Rice.

Notably heralded as one of “the best young talents in world football” by the Guardian’s Ed Aarons, Arsenal should do all they can to sign him next year, before another team get there first.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes

	Adam Gilchrist received his baggy green from Bill Brown, who he says “was just so respectful of the modern players” © Getty Images

Bill Brown, who has died aged 95, epitomised the Australian cricket ethos and was an invaluable role model for the younger generations of Test cricketers, according to Steve Waugh. It was during the Waugh era that Australia’s players embraced the team’s history and Brown was called on to present baggy green caps to modern stars Adam Gilchrist and Michael Hussey.”I reckon that if one person could have their picture beside the baggy green cap to illustrate what it stood for, it should be Bill,” Waugh told the . “Bill was the man who my generation really looked up to. I say that all the time at corporate functions.”For us he was the embodiment of everything great about the baggy green cap. He had everything – strength, great ethics, character and wonderful stories from the past and yet still had great respect for the modern game.”The remarkable thing about him was he was so sharp. You never had to repeat anything. Nothing got past him. You felt as if you were talking to a 30-year-old. He was always putting himself down. He used to say his best shot was a leg glance and that he was just the guy who used to bat at the other end [to champions like Don Bradman].”Gilchrist said cricketers of the past decade adored Brown’s willingness to keep up with the game and appreciate the newer generation of Australian Test representatives. “He was just so respectful of the modern players,” Gilchrist said. “You never heard Bill complaining about modern bat weights or covered wickets.”Sam Loxton, who is now one of only four surviving members of the 1948 Invincibles touring squad, said Brown was a good friend. “Bill was a great fellow and a terrific player,” Loxton said. “He was always fun to be with.”Creagh O’Connor, the chairman of Cricket Australia, said Brown would be remembered as a first-rate batsman of the 1930s and 1940s. “Bill was a fine cricketer, good enough to carry his bat while making a double century at Lord’s,” O’Connor said. “But those of us who had the good fortune to meet and know him in more recent years will also remember him with great affection as an impish wit and good-humoured servant of the game, always ready to lend his assistance.”

John Bracewell isn’t quitting © Getty Images

Following New Zealand’s exit from the World Cup semi-final, Stephen Fleming, the Test captain, is hopeful their coach John Bracewell will stay on after his contract expires next month. “I think Braces should stay on, I think he’s a fine coach, he’s worked well with this side,” Fleming said in The Press.Bracewell, who is expected to submit a detailed performance appraisal of the squad to New Zealand Cricket (NZC), said a review of the World Cup campaign would determine his future. He was recently under-fire from Martin Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, who suggested that he should resign.However, Bracewell hasn’t given any indication he would join the mass exodus of international coaches and said the priority would be to sort out the player contracts for the forthcoming season. “Once we’ve gone through that review process I’ll make that decision on whether to continue, or that decision will be made for me,” Bracewell told .”Ric Charlesworth [the NZC high performance manager] has a lot of things on the table when we get back in terms of the development plan. We have a month of hard cricket ahead of us, not in terms of playing, but players’ contracts have to be sorted out. There’s a lot of work to do.”New Zealand impressed through the group stages but faltered towards the end of the event. They were exposed in all departments in the semi-final against Sri Lanka, raising questions about their ability to lift their performance in knock-out games. This was their fifth semi-final loss in World Cup history.Though NZC were non committal on Bracewell’s future, Justin Vaughan, the newly-appointed chief executive, was also hopeful that he would continue. He said the off-season would be ideal time for the players to reflect on their performances. “They have been going at it since the series against Sri Lanka in December so they deserve the chance to sit back and reflect on things,” Vaughan said.Reflecting on his side’s showing in the tournament, Bracewell said they had performed above expectations, but admitted they were completely undone by a far superior side in the semi-final. “We were as well prepared as any side that’s has been put together,” he said. “We really have to put our hands up and say we didn’t perform on the day. A good dose of Test cricket will do us the world of good – players like Ross Taylor and Peter Fulton need it to continue their development.”

A hike in monthly pensions for former players, plans to boost support to other sports, and venues for the 2006 Champions Trophy were some of the issues discussed in the BCCI’s working committee meeting in Mumbai on Sunday.Showing the money
Players who have figured in 25 Tests or more will receive up to Rs35,000 as pension amount while those who have played in less than 25 will get Rs25,000. The widows of Test cricketers will also receive the same amount. Former cricketers who played for India in Tests and ODIs after December 31, 1993 and all international umpires will receive a sum of Rs10,000 per month.Sharing the booty
Sports other than cricket will also benefit from the BCCI’s largesse, after they decided to set up a corpus fund worth Rs50 crore (approx US$11 million) to boost budding talents in the under-15 age group in various sports. “It’s the responsibility of the BCCI to support young talent in sports that figure in the Asian Games and Olympics,” Sharad Pawar, the president of the BCCI, said about this initiative. “The BCCI will pick the No.1 in the under-15 age group and help them in training in India and abroad. The modalities have to be worked out and the BCCI constitution has to be amended for this purpose. We will set aside Rs50 crores and add the proceeds of one off-shore match every year [around Rs40 crores] to build the corpus.”Ground work
The board, after negotiations with the ICC, confirmed four venues — Cricket Club of India, Mumbai, Jaipur, Mohali and Ahmedabad — for the Champions Trophy to be held in October-November this year. “The ICC has agreed to reduce the compensation money from US$1 million to under 200,000 dollars for the fourth venue,” informed Pawar. “The ICC rejected Chennai and Bangalore because of the threat of rain and the Cricket Association of Bengal informed the BCCI that it was not in a position to conduct the Champions Trophy games.”Pawar will choose eight venues in India for the 2011 World Cup and the “eight centres will have to send the compliance letter soon,” reported BCCI treasurer N Srinivasan. Also, a special committee headed by Chirayu Amin, the vice president, and comprising Arun Jaitley of the Delhi District Cricket Association, Lalit Modi, Bindra and Ajay Shirke, Maharashtra Cricket Association president, had been formed to come up with proposals to develop the 30 acres of land given by the Delhi Development Authority to the board.To cap it all
Agreeing with Sunil Gavaskar’s views on the India cap, Pawar announced that only the national players will wear the cap with the BCCI’s crest on it, while the support staff will not be allowed to wear it.Searching for talent
A special committee headed by former chief IS Bindra will give suggestions about optimum usage of the board’s funds, and will also offer recommendations on the Talent Research Development Wing (TRDW). “The committee will submit a preliminary report on all the related issues, including the scraping of the TRDW and the change in the format of the national selection panel [from five members to three],” said Pawar. Gavaskar had earlier criticised the proposed move to scrap the TRDW, asserting that the increase in the number of players from smaller towns was due to this system. He felt it would be a “big mistake” to scrap such a successful system.

Ramnaresh Sarwan led from the front to add some respectability to the total© Getty Images

After a fighting knock that stabilised the West Indian innings against South Africa in the second Test in Trinidad, Ramnaresh Sarwan, unbeaten on 93, said that his team would be looking to add another 100 runs to their lead of 119.West Indies were struggling on 92 for 5, before Sarwan and Bravo stitched together a vital 78-run partnership to end the day on 170 for 5. “Tomorrow we will have to start all over again,” Sarwan was quoted in Reuters. “If we can get close to 219 runs ahead that should set South Africa a good challenge. We needed someone to take responsibility and bat through the day, and that became my responsibility. It was important for me and Dwayne to pick up any singles that were on offer, and to rotate the strike as much as possible on a pitch that was not the best.”Sarwan also blamed the pitch for the mini-collapse, as they lost four wickets for just 13 runs. “I don’t think it’s a lack of application,” he explained. “Obviously the pitch has not been playing that well, it has been of variable bounce but, of course, you gotta apply yourself and stuff but I don’t think it’s lack of anything from our batsmen.”He defended his batsmen, though, and added: “It’s just one of those days when things didn’t go our way It will be very hard for me to say the guys are not applying themselves because everyone going out there wants to perform. Obviously if I get a hundred I will be very happy but I think if I get beyond a hundred it will be very good for us and put us in a good position.”

Kapil Dev: coming out strongly in favour of Kale © AFP

Kapil Dev and Arun Lal have voiced their displeasure over the manner in which the Indian board has dealt with Abhijit Kale in the bribery scandal. Kale has been suspended pending an investigation for allegedly offering money to two selectors for a place in the Indian team.Kapil said: “If he is not proven guilty, I wonder how the BCCI will compensate him.” The BCCI has ordered a probe into the cash-to-play scandal and will meet in an emergency session in New Delhi on Sunday to discuss the case.Kapil questioned the decision to ban Kale from playing before the investigation was complete. He added, “I feel for the young man. I’ve been through all this and support Kale completely.”Arun Lal, now secretary of the Indian Cricket Players Association, hoped that Kale would get adequate legal support.Lal said,”He is an integral part of Indian cricket and therefore it’s only fair the BCCI appoint a lawyer for the accused as well.”

A change in attitude – not the end of selection rotation – was the key factor in Australia’s form reversal in the cricket tri series, batsman Mark Waugh said today.Australia’s comprehensive victory over South Africa in Sydney last night, its second in three days, came from an improved mental approach, not the change inplaying personnel, Waugh told reporters in Adelaide today.”We didn’t lost the first three games because of the rotation, we lost because our attitude wasn’t quite right,” Waugh said.”We didn’t do the basics right, rotation or not, you’ve got to do the basics right.”Selectors opted to go with Australia’s best batting line-up for last night’s match after deciding to end the system of rotating the squad of 14 players through the side for the first four matches of the series.Waugh said Australia’s one-day side had rotated regularly and without any problems for the past 26 matches.But he said the turnaround in attitude should be enough for Australia to carry its improved form through to the tri-series finals after climbing past South Africa (8 points) with a bonus point last night to be on nine points, behind New Zealand (12).”I think we’ve turned the corner, our attitude’s been spot-on the last couple of games, guys have got a bit more confidence back and hopefully we can keep thatgoing,” he said.”We can’t afford too many slip-ups or we won’t be in the finals but I’m confident that we’ll keep winning now.”Waugh said his own improvement in making 55 not out last night was more to do with a change in luck than a return to form.”I wouldn’t say I’m in great form, I had a bit of luck last night, I haven’t had much luck all summer, so it was nice to get a few chances and post a 50,” he said.Waugh had made scores of one, nought and 15 in his three previous innings in the series and there was speculation he would be dropped from the side with theprolific Darren Lehmann touted as a replacement.But the 36-year-old veteran said he had not felt any added pressure.”I suppose when you get older people don’t want to give you as many chances,” he said.”Every time there’s a couple of failures there’s always pressure on but I’m pretty used to it now, I’ve got to keep scoring runs, that’s the name of the game, so that’s what I hope to keep doing.”

Islamabad, Nov 22: Out of favour Test batsman Mohammad Wasim announcedhis return to form with a valiant 112 (133 balls) studded with 15boundaries to help Rawalpindi reach respectability in their firstinnings total of 283 for 7 against Gujranwala here on the first day ofQuaid-i-Azam Trophy fixture at Pindi Cricket Stadium.The top order batsman saved Rawalpindi from complete dire straits asthe hosts were perilously placed at 134 for 6. For the seventh wicketWasim and wicket-keeper Nadeem Abbasi (59 not out 89 balls 8×4, 1×6)added 149 runs 113 minutes to raise the total to 283.Wasim who slammed his first ton of the first class season againstBahawalpur ten days ago, was in punishing form to reach his secondhundred. The right-hander however, had one life when at 21 a thickedge was dropped by the slip fielder off pacer Mubashir Nazir.Afterwards Wasim batted effortlessly. Trying to glace pacer Basit Butthe was caught off Khalid at 112, he consumed 189 minutes during stayat the crease.Put into bat, the hosts found themselves in deep waters with threebatsman back in the pavilion at the total of 43. Opener Asif Mahmoodfailed to open his account on nine balls whereas all rounder YasirArafat sent up fell for 5 to leave Rawalpindi tottering at 16 for 2.The hosts struggling to stabilize their innings received another joltwhen debutant pacer Adnan Farooq struck for the second time dismissingwell set opener Naveed Qureshi at 23 (42 balls, 3×4).

Tottenham manager Antonio Conte could be on his way out of north London at the end of the season.

What’s the talk?

That’s according to a report by Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport (via Sport Witness), who claimed that, despite having only been appointed at Spurs last November, the 52-year-old could be in line for a move to Paris Saint-Germain this summer, with the Ligue 1 leaders seemingly set to part ways with current manager Mauricio Pochettino at the end of the campaign.

The report added that, even if the former Inter Milan manager doesn’t go on to join PSG, he could still move on to pastures new prior to the end of his current deal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with a return to his homeland said to always be on the cards for the Italian.

Partici must avoid Conte disaster

While it is true that life at Tottenham has not exactly got off to the best of starts for Conte, the argument that losing the 52-year-old at the end of the season would be a disaster for Fabio Paratici and Spurs is nevertheless an easy one to make.

Indeed, having won 15, drawn three and lost nine of the 27 games he has managed at Tottenham, the club’s form under the Italian can certainly be improved. It seems to have done in recent weeks, with Spurs having picked up 12 from a possible 15 points in their last five Premier League outings.

The longer that Conte remains in north London, the more accustomed the Tottenham players will become to the tactical instruction of the former Italy manager, which considering his impressive trophy haul can only be good for the club.

Furthermore, Paratici brought in Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski in the January transfer window, both of whom are quite clearly Conte-style signings. Therefore, should the 52-year-old ultimately leave Spurs after just seven months, the club’s next manager would more than likely have his own targets, potentially making Tottenham’s considerable outlay on the former Juventus duo redundant.

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As such, it is clear to see that losing the £15m-per-year (£288k-per-week) coach who Pep Guardiola dubbed a “master” would be a devastating blow to everyone involved with Tottenham – and something Paratici must do all he can to avoid.

AND in other news: Conte can unearth his next 243-goal talent in THFC prodigy who “runs over every blade”

Lalman Kowlessar, an executive member of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), has called the recent strike by the West Indies Umpires’ Association (WICUA) during the sixth round of the Carib Beer Series a “total failure”.Kowlessar also praised the six umpires belonging to the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Umpires and Scorers Council (TTCUSC), which was not a part of the strike, and who were drafted in to fill in the void created by the WICUA’s boycott. “The games went on and the umpires did a great job,” he said.The WICUA had withdrawn its services for the last two rounds of the 2007-08 Carib Beer Series to protest against the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) decision to remove Trinidadian umpires Hayden Bruce and Kaso Dowlath from the list of officials for the tournament’s sixth round. The duo are linked to the newly-formed Association of Cricket Umpires of Trinidad and Tobago, a body which is not aligned with the Trinidad board.But Kowlessar said Bruce and Dowlath were not on the list of umpires recommended by the TTCUSC to the Trinidad board, though their names appeared on the list approved by the West Indies board’s sub-committee for umpires. “This was noticed by the TTCB, which informed the WICB, pointing out the perceived error. The WICB then removed those two names.”