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He had worked in the same capacity with Royals from 2018 to 2021

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Feb-2025Former India legspinner Sairaj Bahutule has been appointed as Rajasthan Royals’ spin-bowling coach for IPL 2025. He worked in the same capacity with RR from 2018 to 2021.”Joining Rajasthan Royals again is a tremendous honour,” Bahutule said in a release. “The franchise’s commitment to nurturing talent and playing an exciting brand of cricket resonates with my own coaching philosophy. I am eager to work alongside Rahul [Dravid, head coach] and the rest of the coaching staff to develop our bowling attack and contribute to the team’s success. Together, we aim to achieve great milestones in the forthcoming season.”Related

Rathour joins Rajasthan Royals as batting coach

Dravid unveiled as Rajasthan Royals head coach

After his stint with RR, Bahutule joined the National Cricket Academy as spin-bowling coach and was part of the support staff during multiple India A series. More recently, he was assistant to stand-in India head coach VVS Laxman when India toured Ireland for a T20I series. He was also India’s bowling coach when they won gold at the Asian Games in 2023.Bahutule has 633 wickets in first class cricket and ten wickets in T20s. He played two Tests and eight ODIs for India and has transitioned into a coaching career since.”Sairaj’s deep understanding of spin bowling and his extensive coaching experience make him an invaluable addition to our team,” Dravid said. “His proven ability to mentor young bowlers aligns perfectly with our vision at Rajasthan Royals. Having worked with him before, I am confident that his insights and guidance will significantly benefit our players as we strive for excellence in the upcoming season.”Ahead of the auction for IPL 2025, Royals had brought Dravid on board as their new head coach, replacing Kumar Sangakkara, who had been in charge from 2021 to 2024, and Vikram Rathour as batting coach.

Barcelona sporting director Deco has lifted the lid on contract renewal discussions between the club and key midfielder Frenkie de Jong. The Netherlands international’s current deal expires next summer but the Blaugrana hierarchy have now revealed they are confident fresh terms will be agreed soon as negotiations are set to continue between both parties.

Speculation has been swirling around De Jong's future

Speculation has been rife regarding De Jong’s future at Barcelona. In a recent report from Spanish publication , talks between De Jong and the Spanish champions were back on track after initially hitting the buffers when the 28-year-old switched to a new agent.

AdvertisementEarlier reports claimed De Jong had agreed a deal until 2029

Another report from the same outlet then claimed that De Jong was close to putting pen to paper on a contract extension which would tie him to Barcelona until 2029. The report stated that the former Ajax star had even agreed to take a pay cut in order to remain with Hansi Flick’s side.

Getty Images SportRevealed: Deco opens up about the contract talks with De Jong

And now Barcelona chief Deco has had his say on where things stand with De Jong. In an interview with , the 48-year-old has revealed that while an agreement is yet to be found, discussions are going well between both parties and there is belief that a deal can be concluded in the near future.

In quotes carried by , Deco said: “We are talking. Frenkie is really enjoying being here. He has matured on all levels, with his family, in the team.

“If you are a player with character, you don’t just want to stay because you are in Barcelona, but because you want to compete for titles, and he sees that he can compete for titles. He sees this and wants to stay here.

“At the club, we see him as a key player for the current project and the coming years, so I think we’ll get him to continue.”

And when pressed on whether he believes De Jong will ink fresh terms, Deco added: “Yes, I do.”

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Barca president Laporta remains confident De Jong will stay

In a separate interview earlier this month, Barcelona president Joan Laporta also expressed his belief that De Jong would remain at the club, telling "The renewal with De Jong is being worked on. De Jong has done an extraordinary job. We said we didn't want any player whose contract expires this year, but we made an exception for De Jong because he changed agents. He's motivated; he even says he's sleeping despite having recently become a father. We expect good news soon.”

Transfer deadline day is always an exciting one for fans all over England, but today could prove to be a huge day for Tottenham Hotspur in their quest to end the window on a positive note.

Up to now, the business conducted by Thomas Frank has been a huge success, spending around £155m on new additions, with Xavi Simons being the latest big-money signing in North London.

The Dutchman joined in a £52m deal last week, adding to the £55m signing of Mohammed Kudus and a permanent move to land Frenchman Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich.

However, new boss Frank is evidently still hunting for further additions to help boost his chances of securing any form of success in Europe and or the Premier League this campaign.

Numerous names have emerged on their shortlist throughout deadline day, with progress being made on deals to land various top-level European talents.

Spurs’ hunt to land new talent on deadline day

Despite Simons’ transfer in recent days, Spurs have been hunting for the signature of Ademola Lookman over the last couple of hours – potentially costing a fee in the region of £43m.

The Nigerian, who scored 20 goals for Atalanta last season, has been desperate for a transfer this summer, potentially getting himself a move to North London before tonight’s deadline.

However, another name has emerged on their radar in recent hours, with Football Insider reporting the Lilywhites are keen on a late move for Conor Gallagher.

They claim that the Atlético Madrid star is available for €60m (£52m) in the coming hours, with Newcastle United also battling Frank’s side for a potential switch back to England.

Why Spurs’ latest target would be perfect for Kolo Muani

Alongside Lookman, Spurs are negotiating a deal with PSG for the signing of striker Randal Kolo Muani – despite the Frenchman looking certain to join Juventus this summer.

It’s been reported this morning that the Lilywhites are close to agreeing personal terms with the forward over a deal to North London – with a loan with an obligation to buy mooted before tonight’s deadline.

Such a deal has advanced after Dominic Solanke suffered a setback with his current ankle issue, with no timeframe currently placed on his return to first-team action.

Kolo Muani, who scored 10 goals in 22 appearances on loan in Italy last campaign, would offer another impressive option in the final third – potentially being aided by Gallagher in his quest for goals in 2025/26.

Whilst the former Chelsea star is primarily a ball-winning option, he’s also showcased his ability to break the lines and play key passes into attacking areas – having the tools to be a perfect box-to-box talent in Frank’s side.

His underlying stats from the 2024/25 campaign showcase the talent he possesses, with £52m potentially being an excellent price – should he replicate such figures in North London.

The 25-year-old, who’s been labelled “sensational” by journalist John Cross, ranked in the 89th percentile for tackles won (1.8) and in the 90th percentile for recoveries made (5.9) in LaLiga – showcasing his ability to regain possession should he move to Frank’s side.

However, in possession, the England international also impressed, making an average of 3.5 progressive passes per 90 at a pass completion rate of 85% – tallies which could provide Kolo Muani with constant chances in dangerous areas.

Games played

32

Goals & assists

6

Pass accuracy

85%

Progressive passes

3.5

Passes into final third

2.5

Tackles won

1.8

Interceptions made

1.1

Recoveries made

5.9

2.6 of his progressive passes last season were made into the final third, further showcasing his talent with the ball at his feet, offering added ammunition for the Frenchman should he join the Lilywhites.

£52m would be another huge investment from the Spurs hierarchy, but it’s a deal that could add further quality into Frank’s already impressive midfield department.

If he can replicate his numbers from LaLiga last season, it would be a sensational pickup and one that could allow Kolo Muani to adhere himself to the supporters in the process.

Frank's next Wissa: Spurs close to agreeing terms to sign £50m star

Tottenham are set for a frenetic finish to the summer transfer window.

2 ByAngus Sinclair Sep 1, 2025

Fresh off toppling England again, Afghanistan face Australia with a semi-final place at stake

Andrew McGlashan27-Feb-20251:44

Shahidi: We have planned for the entire Australia team

The last time Afghanistan faced Australia in an ODI, Glenn Maxwell produced arguably the greatest innings the format has ever seen with his unforgettable double century to secure a remarkable chase in Mumbai.It ripped away a game that appeared a certain Afghanistan victory when Australia were 91 for 7 chasing 292, but they have insisted there is no extra focus purely on Maxwell ahead of a winner-takes-all clash in Lahore with a semi-final spot on the line.Related

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A significant reason for that is Afghanistan know they beat Australia: last year at the T20 World Cup they prevailed by 21 runs despite Maxwell’s 59 off 41 balls. His dismissal to Gulbadin Naib was the defining moment of the game”You think we will come only to play with Maxwell?” Hashmatullah Shahidi said when asked about the 2023 World Cup meeting. “We have planning for all Australian team. I know that he played really well in 2023 World Cup, but that’s part of the history.”After that, we beat them in [the] T20 World Cup. We think about all [the] opposition team, we are not coming to the ground to plan on [an] individual player. We will try our best to come with the planning and we are not playing only Maxwell – we are playing Australia.”Afghanistan were the winners of this fixture at last year’s T20 World Cup in West Indies•ICC/Getty ImagesA second consecutive ICC tournament semi-final beckons if Afghanistan prevail on Friday, but they insist their minds won’t wander that far. “We will try to play positive game – just like we defeated England today, we hope to beat Australia as well,” Shahidi said. “We won’t put that pressure on ourselves by thinking too much about the semi-final qualification.”Afghanistan will enter the match less than 48 hours after the eight-run victory over England highlighted by Ibrahim Zadran’s magnificent 177. He also has good memories of facing Australia having scored 129 in that Mumbai match then 51 off 48 balls in the T20 World Cup victory in St Vincent.”It’s never easy for a player to return from injury and make such a strong comeback in a high-stakes match,” Shahidi said. “I am extremely happy for him because he is a very talented and hardworking player. When players like him perform well, as a leader, it makes me very happy and hopeful for the future. Ibrahim played a brilliant innings, and I pray that he continues to perform like this always.”The two matches so far in Lahore have seen all four innings pass 300 with Australia chasing down 352 against England in their opening match. Pace bowler Azmatullah Omarzai was Afghanistan’s match-winner yesterday with 5 for 58, but there was enough assistance for the spinners to provide encouragement. Noor Ahmad conceded just 51 from his 10 overs.”There was support,” Shahidi said. “I think the spinners bowled also really well. In this kind of condition our spinners are very good, and if they have a little bit help, I know they will do it for the team.”

Harry Kane scored his 100th goal for Bayern Munich in record quick time as Vincent Kompany's team eased to a 4-0 win over Werder Bremen. The England international brought up his century for the Bundesliga leaders with a brace to make him the fastest player in Europe's top five leagues to reach that milestone. And goals from Luiz Diaz and Konrad Laimer either side of his efforts sealed a thumping victory.

BAYERN EXTEND WINNING RUN

After winning seven matches in a row in all competitions, Bayern, naturally, began this fixture in confident fashion, and had it not been for an inspired display from Arsenal loanee Karl Hein, Bremen would have been cut adrift in the opening 45 minutes.

Kane uncharacteristically dragged a shot wide early on, but was then brilliantly denied by the Estonian stopper when the England captain was through on goal. He could do nothing, however, when the irrepressible Michael Olise fired in a teasing cross and Jonathan Tah's backward flick ricocheted off an unsuspecting Luis Diaz in the 22nd minute to make it 1-0.

Hein once again denied former Tottenham star Kane when he seemed certain to score, but he was unable to keep out the 32-year-old's penalty after Marco Freidl clumsily brought him down in the box on the stroke of half-time. The visitors fired a warning shot of their own when full-back Yukinari Sugawara stung the hands of Manuel Neuer from a tight angle but in the 66th minute, it was 3-0 when Kane swept the ball home after Diaz's shot from the edge of the area was blocked.

The away team thought they pulled a goal back through Wisdom Mike but the forward was adjudged to have been offside, and then to make matters worse, Konrad Laimer danced past a challenge and scored from a tight angle three minutes from time.

This was a night to remember for Bayern as they went five points clear at the top of the table and Kane made history with his 100th goal for the club in record time.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE MVP

While former Crystal Palace star Olise looked the most dangerous and exciting player on the pitch, it was Kane's goals that ultimately got the job done. On another day, the Bayern striker could have had five of them, had it not been for the excellent Hein, but a 10th of the league season may keep him content for now. With this double, the forward took his tally for the campaign as a whole to 15 in just eight appearances in all competitions. 

Incidentally, before the game, manager Kompany explained how Kane has taken his game to the next level.

"Harry Kane has always been a goalscorer, but I think he has opened up his game even more! The way he drops back, gets between the lines. In the end, that allows him to escape the attention of defenders," he said.

THE BIG LOSER

While Bremen were always likely to lose this game, especially after going behind through Diaz, captain Friedl may have put the game out of reach for his side with his sloppy foul on Kane. The England ace wasn't in a particularly threatening position, even for a player of his quality, but the 27-year-old stuck out a lazy leg, and Kane duly went over it to win the penalty. A comeback never looked likely and Bayern scored two more to romp to victory. But it could have, potentially, been a different story if Friedl had shown a bit more defensive care.

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Getty Images SportWHAT COMES NEXT?

Bayern – who are five points ahead of second place Borussia Dortmund, although BVB do have a game in hand – take a break from the Bundesliga on Tuesday when they travel to Cypriot side Pafos in their next Champions League game. After beating Chelsea 3-1 in their league phase opener, Kompany's players will hope to build on that impressive victory when they head to Cyprus. After that, they return to the German top flight for a tricky game against Eintracht Frankfurt on October 4, in what is their last game before the latest international break.

Nottingham Forest have a new manager at the helm in Ange Postecoglou, and he may already be about to sanction his first major piece of business since arriving at the City Ground.

Nottingham Forest boss Ange Postecoglou speaks after appointment

Nuno Espirito Santo has now left the East Midlands after his public fallout with Evangelos Marinakis proved to be the final nail in the coffin for their relationship, in a development offset by Edu Gaspar’s appointment as sporting director.

Ultimately, the Tricky Trees opted to go in a different direction, and they didn’t wait long to secure their replacement. Postecoglou arrives with a Europa League title to his name and the question now surrounds how his high-octane style of play will take shape on the River Trent.

Speaking ahead of his first match in charge of Nottingham Forest against Arsenal, the Australian manager made it clear that his attacking mode of operation will be a key feature of his next career step in the Premier League, even if it isn’t the only trick up his sleeve.

Ange Postecoglou dealt first Nottingham Forest worry amid Arsenal decision

Mikel Arteta’s side are facing him this weekend.

ByEmilio Galantini Sep 11, 2025

With anticipation growing surrounding how Postecoglou will take to life in his new role, he may have already sanctioned his first piece of transfer business at the club.

Nottingham Forest's Jota Silva set to sign for Besiktas

According to Fabrizio Romano on social media platform X, Nottingham Forest winger Jota Silva is set to join Besiktas on an initial loan deal with an option for the Turkish giants to purchase the Portugal international.

In a transaction that could see the Tricky Trees earn £17 million between the fee for his loan agreement and future permanent transfer, Marinakis may earn some funds for Postecoglou ahead of the January window once all is signed and sealed.

With the former Vitoria Guimaraes man flying to Turkey today, he will bring the curtain down on his time in England, which resulted in four goals and three assists in 38 appearances across all competitions.

Dan Ndoye’s arrival has left Nottingham Forest well-stocked in the wide areas, so being able to offload a spare part for a healthy sum is a pleasing development for supporters.

Kylian Mbappe was left raving about Achraf Hakimi’s performance for Paris Saint-Germain in the French side’s Champions League victory over Barcelona, with the Real Madrid superstar admitting that his close friend is “too much” to handle when performing at the peak of his powers. The buccaneering full-back put in another classy display as the reigning kings of European football claimed another notable scalp in Catalunya.

Kings of Europe: PSG claimed dramatic win over Barcelona

La Liga giants Barca headed into said contest full of confidence after hitting the summit of their domestic division. They had teenage wonderkid Lamine Yamal at their disposal, with the 18-year-old lining up on the opposite side of the field to Hakimi. Marcus Rashford was initially charged with the task of trying to get the better of PSG’s Morocco international right-back.

The Manchester United loanee did that when teeing up Ferran Torres for the opening goal of the game, but PSG fought back from there to claim a dramatic winner in the 90th minute through Portuguese striker Goncalo Ramos. Hakimi starred when keeping Yamal and Co at bay, allowing Luis Enrique’s side to play their way into the game and ultimately emerge victorious.

AdvertisementMbappe watched PSG after netting Real Madrid hat-trick

Former PSG forward Mbappe was among those watching on from afar. He had enjoyed a productive Champions League outing of his own 24 hours earlier, with a hat-trick being recorded for Real Madrid in their 5-0 demolition of Kazakh side Kairat. He made a point of tuning in for PSG’s highly-anticipated clash with Barca.

He was given plenty to get excited about, as Clasico rivals came unstuck on home soil. PSG’s all-time leading scorer was particularly pleased to see Hakimi thrive on the grandest of stages – with the 26-year-old showing once again that he is one of the best in the business when it comes to the art of defending and providing a threat heading in the opposite direction.

Hakimi posted several images on social media that were packaged as “Champions League night”. He ended that reel with a shot of Jamie Foxx portraying former boxing world heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in a biopic miniseries. Mbappe responded to those pictures by saying: “You there, that’s too much, huh.”

Hakimi happy with his standing in Ballon d'Or vote

Hakimi recently finished sixth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or vote, with club colleague Ousmane Dembele walking off with the Golden Ball. He said of that recognition: “I don't think it's a disappointment for me. It's nice to be in the list of the 30 best players in the world. Sixth is something I've never thought about in my life. I think about team trophies first, not individual trophies. I want to perform well with my team and give everyone pleasure. Then you're the ones who talk about individual trophies. I'm proud of this sixth place and I want to keep working to, why not, move up a little in the rankings.”

Hakimi also told of his relationship with Mbappe – who left Parc des Princes in 2024: “As soon as I arrived in Paris, he helped me. I didn't speak French and he spoke a little Spanish. The friendship was formed from the start. He supported me in times when I needed it. I also supported him when he needed it. It's a natural friendship. We're friends beyond football. We don't have any problems between us. If there's something, we talk about it. It's a real friendship and we will continue to be friends.”

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GettyChampions League or World Cup: Will Mbappe & Hakimi meet again?

Mbappe and Hakimi were denied an on-field reunion last season when Real suffered a Champions League quarter-final defeat to Arsenal. PSG went on to see off the Gunners, paving the way for them to demolish Inter in the final and land a historic continental crown. The pair did, however, cross paths at the FIFA Club World Cup.

It could be that they meet again in 2025-26, with two European heavyweights setting their sights on ultimate glory once again. PSG and the Blancos have made faultless starts to the league phase, picking up six points from two games so far. Hakimi and Mbappe could also meet at next summer’s World Cup, with Morocco already booking their tickets to that event while France sit top of their group in the UEFA section of qualification.

RCB had slipped to 42 for 4 in the seventh over, before the middle order smashed 64 runs in the last five overs

ESPNcricinfo staff02-Apr-2025Mohammed Siraj has done his siuuu celebration a number of times at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in the last seven years. Most times, it has been met with a roaring response. On Wednesday, he went on his celebratory run twice in the powerplay to pindrop silence.Having not been retained by Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) ahead of IPL 2025, Siraj had a point to prove. And he did it in some style by picking 3 for 19 off his four overs for Gujarat Titans (GT). But despite his economical show, RCB finished with 169 for 8 in their 20 overs, thanks largely to Liam Livingstone’s 40-ball 54, and Tim David and Jitesh Sharma’s cameos.Shubman Gill had no hesitation in fielding first, and his decision was vindicated with both Siraj and Arshad Khan working up good speeds. Siraj was driven for a four by Virat Kohli through covers, but Arshad soon snared him as Kohli helped a nonchalant back-of-a-length ball to deep-backward square leg.Siraj, meanwhile, was finding his lengths perfectly, and was targeting the stumps as he castled Devdutt Padikkal, who was looking to go over mid-off. Phil Salt had his moments when he was dropped by Jos Buttler, and then had a run-out chance missed by Siraj, but his luck soon ran out. Salt tonked a 95-metre six over deep midwicket, but the very next ball, had his off pole flattened by a 145.9kph Siraj thunderbolt.Rajat Patidar was caught plumb in front by Ishant Sharma as RCB slipped to 42 for 4 in 6.2 overs. Livingstone and Jitesh had a crucial 52-run stand off just 38 balls for the fifth wicket, with the latter being the aggressor.R Sai Kishore then got rid of Jitesh and Krunal Pandya in quick succession to silence the home crowd again. Livingstone then took on Rashid Khan, thrashing him for three sixes in an over to provide RCB the much-needed impetus. RCB smashed 64 runs in their last five overs, with David doing the bulk of the scoring as he fell off the final ball for an 18-ball 32.

But it’s a bowling attack that’s going great guns, with Prasidh Krishna – “he’s bowling with good heat” – at the top of the Purple Cap table at the moment

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Apr-20252:44

Boucher: Strange that Sai Kishore only got one over

We are 36 matches into IPL 2025, and the Purple Cap table is led by a Gujarat Titans (GT) man, one of his team-mates is at No. 6 on that list, and another is at No. 9. Between them, the three of them – Prasidh Krishna, R Sai Kishore and Mohammed Siraj – have 36 wickets in seven games each. But after Saturday’s win over Delhi Capitals (DC), the most interesting talking point was perhaps the overs Sai Kishore wasn’t given a chance to bowl.”It was quite strange,” Ambati Rayudu said on ESPNcricinfo TimeOut after the game. Sai Kishore bowled just one over in the game. It was the last over of the DC innings. He gave away just nine runs and got the wicket of the big-hitting Ashutosh Sharma. With Rashid Khan hardly setting the IPL on fire – he had none for 38 this time – why hide Sai Kishore away?”Given the conditions – it was an afternoon game – you would expect the ball to grip a little bit, especially with the new ball when the seam is hard and slightly elevated,” Rayudu said. “He should have bowled at least one over in the powerplay and definitely through the middle. He’s been their best spinner so far; he’s been bowling better than Rashid in this competition. Doesn’t make sense to me.”Related

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The answer, not unsurprisingly, could be match-ups, since the left-handed Axar Patel was batting from the fifth over onwards, till the 18th, and Nicholas Pooran, a left-hand batter like Axar, had given Sai Kishore a hiding in GT’s previous match – he ended with 1.3-0-35-0.”Spooked by match-ups and perhaps what’s happened before. I think the last time we saw him bowl, [he was] put under the pump, but it was Pooran. And that’s why we’re all scratching our heads, going ‘why didn’t he give him a go?’ Especially when three of your topline seamers are all going at more than ten runs an over,” Mark Boucher said on the same show.”Even if he’s bowling to a match-up like Axar, he’s still got the mindset that ‘I can bowl it outside his eyeline’ and I think he might still have created opportunity there. Yes, your best spinner in the competition at the moment and he only bowled one over, in a day game – it is very strange not to have given him the opportunity, or a better opportunity.”With Rashid well off his best, Shubman Gill, the GT captain, might have a job to do to make sure Sai Kishore doesn’t lose his confidence.”One of the biggest things as a spinner is the knowledge of your captain backing you in situations,” Boucher said. “There are certain times when, unfortunately, you’re going to have to bowl against a left-hander. And you get put under pressure. But the one thing as a captain you can do is go to him and say, ‘listen, I know it’s a match-up you don’t enjoy but you’re actually bowling really well, picking up wickets, so just bowl your best ball to him; you’re clever enough to bowl balls and deliveries that are going to make it tough for him to hit’.”On the day, Gill didn’t think so. And they won in the end to go to the top of the table, so who can question the plan?1:30

Rayudu: Prasidh a great prospect for India going forward

Boucher: ‘Prasidh is bowling with good heat’The bowler who is only providing answers to GT is Prasidh. He started with a wicketless game, but has been a star since, the constant in an attack that is often shuffled around based on conditions. On Saturday, he went off his plan of bowling into the pitch for a moment and bowled one of the deliveries of the tournament, nailing the inswinging yorker to KL Rahul and catching the batter lbw.”He looks in great rhythm. His strength is hitting the pitch hard, but the ball he has bowled to KL Rahul was quite surprising and also it moved right at the end,” Rayudu said. “He surprised KL Rahul, and he has a lot of variations – his slower ball is quite effective as well. I think he’s a great prospect not only for GT but for India also going forward.”Prasidh had been out with an injury for the longest time, but made an impressive comeback in the Sydney Test against Australia earlier this year, picking up six wickets, and hasn’t looked back.”I think he really enjoys bowling with Siraj in his team. He takes a bit of pressure off him, as a sort of wicket-taker,” Boucher said. “His pace is up. He gets good bounce obviously because of his height. He’s also getting nice and tight to off stump when he’s delivering. So the ball doesn’t have to do a lot.”KL’s ball didn’t swing a lot, but just swung enough. I think he’s high on confidence at the moment, his release points are good, he’s bowling with good heat, and it’s a great position for him to be in and it’s a great position for GT to have a guy who’s not taking the new ball but is coming in the middle overs and taking wickets for them.”

When it comes to producing exciting up-and-coming talents, few Premier League clubs have been as successful as Arsenal in recent years.

For example, even after adding plenty of international superstars to the team, Mikel Arteta’s most important player remains Bukayo Saka.

Moreover, Ethan Nwaneri and Myles Lewis-Skelly are already established first-teamers, and Max Dowman looks like he could be the club’s next world-class superstar.

However, for all those youngsters who’ve made their way into the team, Arsenal have lost several incredible gems to other sides, including one who could have potentially one day been a homegrown version of William Saliba.

Saliba's Arsenal career

While it has been on the cards for some time now, David Ornstein finally reported yesterday afternoon that Saliba has agreed to sign a new five-year contract with Arsenal.

According to the respected journalist, the Frenchman will put pen to paper in the “coming days”, and it is difficult to overstate how big a deal this is for the club.

After all, it’s been widely reported for several years now that Real Madrid are desperate to add the incredible centre-back to their squad, and it’s easy to see why.

The Bondy-born “monster,” as dubbed by content creator Connor Humm, has made 139 appearances for the North Londoners, scoring seven goals and providing three assists in that time.

He has also won 28 senior caps for the French national team and put up some seriously impressive underlying numbers last season.

npxG/Shot

0.38

Top %

Pass Completion %

94.3%

Top %

Pass Completion % (Long)

79.9%

Top %

Touches (Mid 3rd)

46.53

Top %

Live-ball Passes

74.27

Top %

Goals/Shot

0.33

Top %

Passes Completed

71.46

Top %

Passes Received

63.29

Top %

Passes Attempted

75.78

Top %

Total Passing Distance

1227.78

Top %

Passes Blocked

0.12

Top %

Touches

83.63

Top %

Touches (Live-Ball)

83.63

Top %

Carries

52.00

Top %

According to FBref, he ranked in the top 1% of centre-backs in the Premier League for pass completion, the top 4% for live passes, the top 6% for goals per shot, the top 7% for passes attempted and more, all per 90.

In short, Saliba is one of the best defenders in the world’s toughest league, so securing his services for another five years is a massive deal.

Unfortunately, Arsenal sold a former academy gem who could have potentially been a homegrown version of the Frenchman.

Arsenal's former homegrown Saliba

So, with Saliba signing a new deal, the incredible performances of Cristhian Mosquera and the other unreal options Arsenal have at centre-back, they are unlikely to be overly concerned about losing a young prospect.

Where Are They Now

However, it can also be true that they would’ve been better off keeping and loaning out Ayden Hevaen anyway.

Yes, the youngster in question is the 19-year-old Englishman, who, after making a name for himself in Hale End and earning a few cameos here and there, joined Manchester United for £1m in the winter window.

Described as a defensive “beast” by podcaster and Hale End expert Will Balsam, the teenage phenom made 47 appearances across the Gunners’ various youth sides and one senior competitive appearance against Bolton Wanderers in the League Cup.

However, since moving to the Red Devils, his game time has dramatically increased, with Ruben Amorim already playing him eight times, including twice this season.

There is still a long way to go before the youngster gets anywhere near his full potential, but it’s easy to see why so many were excited about his development in North London.

On top of his “remarkable” defensive qualities, as Arteta put it, the Englishman is, like Saliba, no slouch with the ball.

In fact, when explaining his qualities, Balsam was keen to point out that his “passing range is frankly insane”, and talent scout Jacek Kulig named Levi Colwill as another player he’s similar to, again because of his “passing” ability.

Ultimately, Arsenal probably have the best set of defenders in world football, but had they kept hold of Heaven, that set would be just that little bit stronger.

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ByEmilio Galantini Sep 26, 2025