Tag Futebol

Arsenal have now been in contact over the signing of an “incredible” Bayern Munich star, and a free transfer could be on the cards next summer.

Gunners set out to strengthen in January due to injury crisis

Mikel Arteta has made it clear he is looking to bring in new reinforcements during the January transfer window, given the injury crisis he’s been forced to deal with this season, saying: “The thing is, we’ve had more injuries than expected, some of them not avoidable, I would say, but we want to be better, and we know how important the part of having the right availability with players is going to play in the season.

“The window is there. We’re Arsenal and we have to be looking at it and saying ‘OK, what do we need?’ We have to be actively looking, and then can we do it or not? That’s a different story, but our job is to always be very prepared because something can happen.”

Indeed, the Gunners have struggled on the injury front, with Declan Rice even being forced to fill in at right-back in the recent 2-1 victory against Brighton & Hove Albion, given that Jurrien Timber was absent.

One position in which Arteta is well-stocked is central midfield, with Rice and Martin Zubimendi forming quite the partnership, but the north Londoners have now been in contact over a move for Bayern Munich star Leon Goretzka.

That is according to a report from Caught Offside, which states Arsenal have been approached by the representatives of the midfielder, who has the same agent as Kai Havertz, although they are more likely to wait until the summer before pursuing a move, at which point he may well be available on a free transfer.

However, there are a whole host of clubs in the race for the German’s signature, with bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur currently in pole position, while the likes of Atletico Madrid, Sevilla and Manchester United are also named as potential suitors.

Goretzka could be "incredible" signing for Arsenal

Former Arsenal man Emmanuel Petit has urged Arsenal to make a move for the Bayern maestro in the past, saying: “The main two players I would target if I was Arsenal would be Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka.

Related Arsenal make contact to sign "exceptional" maestro, ready to make £35m offer

The Gunners have made an approach to sign a midfielder

Posts 1 ByDominic Lund

“They are both incredible players with huge experience who have both been at Bayern for a while and would maybe like a new challenge.”

Subscribe to the newsletter for transfer insights Get deeper Arsenal transfer perspective by subscribing to the newsletter. Expect clear, focused coverage of moves like the Goretzka chatter, context on midfield fit, and which clubs are actively in the race for signings.

---

Subscribe By subscribing, you agree to receive newsletter and marketing emails, and accept Valnet’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe anytime.

Since then, the Gunners have strengthened their midfield, with Zubimendi proving to be a savvy addition, being lauded as “exceptional” by Arteta, but the manager could do with some more strength in depth if he is going to compete on all fronts.

Goretzka, who rakes in £218k-a-week, could therefore be a savvy addition, especially considering his potential availability on a free transfer, with the central midfielder very experienced at the highest level, amassing six goals and nine assists in 68 Champions League games.

‘I was trying to watch [Muralitharan] from the non-striker’s end, trying topick in my own mind what it was he was bowling before I got downthere’ © AFP

In the 2005 Ashes, word slipped out that England’s organisers hadbooked their open-top bus parade a full week in advance, and the ECBwere rightly accused of hubris. Nobody, however, has bothered to levelthe same charges at the committeemen at the Asgiriya in Kandy. MuttiahMuralitharan’s face is everywhere at the moment – on one billboardhe’s posing with the number 709, on another he’s already beingcongratulated for reclaiming his crown. No-one has doubted his destinyin this match – least of all, it seems, England’s batsmen.England’s cricket on the second day was naïve but not unexpected. Theysquandered a position of undoubted strength, and yet, such was thebug-eyed fervour with which Muralitharan hounded them back to thepavilion, it would be harsh to chastise them too severely for theirfailings. They tried their best, but their best was found wanting, asit surely will be tomorrow as well. England’s tail is as long andbrittle as a deep-frozen anaconda, and Murali must be odds on tocomplete not only his bid for the world record, but his secondeight-wicket haul in consecutive Tests against England.”It’s disappointing because we were in a very good position, butthat’s why Murali is the best in the world,” said Ian Bell. He wasEngland’s most fluent batsman against the seamers, but unsurprisinglyfound Murali a completely different proposition. “It’s important we goout tomorrow and build some partnerships around Colly [PaulCollingwood]. We’ve got a chance to get a decent lead and the guys cancome out and bowl like they did in the first innings.”It all looked so promising after the first hour’s play. Michael Vaughan was entrenched but enduring, absorbing Murali’s wiles while Bell watched and learned from the non-striker’s end. This was the first time Bell had faced him in the longest form of the game, and it wasn’t until he had made 56 from 72 balls that he finally crossedwith his captain and went to take guard.”I was pretty happy to be honest for the skipper to see him off,” saidBell. “I was trying to watch from the non-striker’s end, trying topick in my own mind what it was he was bowling before I got downthere. It gave me a bit more opportunity to give myself the bestchance.” Several hours in the nets with Merlin, the ECB’sspin-replicating machine, had helped Bell to visualise the moment, butnothing could adequately prepare any of the England players for thetrials they were about to face.

Premature but inevitable. Muralitharan’s face is adorned across the ground in anticipation of his breaking Shane Warne’s record © AFP

Bell’s own innings included moments of aggression against Murali – atwo-step down the pitch resulted in a chancy swipe over mid-on forfour, and his eventual dismissal was a shot of similar intent. But asEngland had preached beforehand, gameplans are everything when itcomes to negotiating his menace.”I just wanted to be positive,” said Bell. “I’ve learnt so far in myshort career that I want to play my game and use my feet, and be aspositive as possible against the spinners. From what I’ve learnt fromplaying Warne and those guys, if you just try to survive they aregoing to get you out anyway. I wanted to be positive in defence aswell as attack, watch the ball and trust myself.”Bell and England’s gameplan also included lots of quick singles, butthat was one aspect of their play that simply didn’t materialise.Murali’s 30 overs included just 19 scoring shots, a tribute to hismasterful accuracy but also indicative of a side that seemed trappedin his headlights. “It’s disappointing but that’s why he’s the bestbowler in the world,” said Bell. “His record in Sri Lanka speaks foritself.”England’s prospects for the rest of the match now look as bleak as theweather, which might in fact be their best hope of salvation. “Thepitch has been low from day one, and that’s what it’ll be like for therest of the game,” said Bell, as the prospect loomed of anotheragonising masterclass in the fourth innings. “I think that it’simportant for the bowlers to hit a line and length and be patient,because it’s going to be harder to score as the game goes on.”England’s bowlers answered that brief magnificently in the firstinnings, but Murali doesn’t even need to be posed the question. Heknows what he’ll be producing for the rest of the match. England knowit too, as of course do his expectant hometown fans. Their ardour has beendampened by consecutive days of anticlimax, but Murali and hiscelebrations will not be delayed for much longer in this game.

Scorecard

Ben Edmondson’s 6 for 28 were his best first-class bowling figures © Getty Images

Ben Edmondson and Steve Magoffin humiliated Tasmania at Hobart, where the home side were bowled out for 94. Edmondson claimed six wickets and Magoffin four, justifying the visitors’ decision to bowl first before Chris Rogers continued his outstanding year and the Warriors reached 3 for 155 at stumps.It was Magoffin who started the damage, claiming Michael Di Venuto for 14 and then, in unusual circumstances, Tim Paine for 3. Paine was adjudged hit wicket after swinging his bat in frustration at missing a Magoffin delivery and accidentally hitting his stumps.Magoffin finished with 4 for 50 but Edmondson’s 6 for 28 – his best first-class figures – tore the core out of the home team’s innings. Michael Bevan’s 25 was the top score as seven batsmen failed to reach double figures.Rogers then added to the Tigers’ ordeal, making his way to 93 not out at stumps as the Tasmania fast bowlers failed to have the same impact as Edmondson and Magoffin. Rogers, the leading Pura Cup run-scorer in 2006-07, guided the Warriors to a 61-run lead at the close of play. His sixth score of 50 or more in eight innings was enough to push him past 700 runs this season at an average of more than 100.

Umar Gul has recovered from a back injury that put him out of action for more than a year © Getty Images

Umar Gul, the Pakistan fast bowler, has been included in the Pakistan A squad for India’s first warm-up game of the forthcoming tour of Pakistan on January 7.Gul is making a comeback after a back injury sidelined him for more than a year. In his last Test, Gul took 5 for 31, a haul that included the cream of the Indian batsmen.”Gul has been recalled because he has now been playing at the domestic level and appears to have made a complete recovery from his injury”, a Pakistan Cricket Board official told Reuters. India will arrive in Pakistan on January 5 and play three Tests and five one-day internationals. The first Test begins on January 13 in Lahore.Meanwhile, Abdul Razzaq was admitted to hospital Wednesday with high fever and a chest infection but said he hopes to be fit before the India series next month.Razzaq told AFP, “I have been advised to rest for one week and have undergone tests on achest infection. The high fever has weakened me. I hope that I will regain fitness before the India series.”Razzaq, a key allrounder for Pakistan, missed Pakistan’s three-Test series against England due to an elbow injury, but played in all five matches of theone-day series which ended last week.Pakistan A
1 Hasan Raza (capt), 2 Imran Farhat, 3 Mohammad Wasim, 4 Faisal Iqbal, 5 Asim Kamal, 6 Bazid Khan, 7 Zulqarnain Haider, 8 Mansoor Amjad, 9 Mohammad Irshad, 10 Umar Gul, 11 Iftikhar Anjum, 12 Yasir Arafat.

Lord MacLaurin: unhappy with possible new deal© Getty Images

Reports that the ECB is about to agree a new TV deal which would pass more coverage of England’s home matches to satellite station BSkyB at the expense of terrestrial broadcaster Channel 4 have angered Lord MacLaurin, the former chairman of the board.MacLaurin said that he gave the government a gentleman’s agreement in 1998, while he was chairman, that coverage of Test matches would be kept evenly split between satellite and terrestrial television in return for them dislisting cricket. Until that time, TV coverage of Tests had to be on mainstream television as one of the so-called "crown-jewel" events which include Wimbledon, the Derby and the FA Cup final.”I spent nine months talking to Chris Smith [the minister responsible] and I did the deal with him at a Test match at Lord’s," MacLaurin told the Daily Telegraph. "He agreed on condition that we split coverage equally.”The rumours are that Channel 4’s coverage will be downgraded, possibly so they only cover the second series of the summer. With all one-day internationals and domestic matches already the exclusive domain of Sky, that would mean that there would not be any cricket on terrestrial TV until mid July.MacLaurin has flagged his concerns with David Morgan, his successor at the ECB. “If they change anything radically, they will have to clear it with the Government because Smith would have logged the deal," MacLaurin warned. "It’ll be a great shame if we don’t see cricket on terrestrial television until at least halfway through the season.”The BBC is the only other broadcaster who was interested in the rights, but they are understood to have withdrawn from the bidding last month.

In an interview to ABC radio, Shane Warne has hit back at Dick Pound, World Anti-Doping Agency president. He said: “As far as I’m concerned it’s got nothing to do with these guys (WADA).””I’m an employee of the Australian Cricket Board and both the ACB (now called Cricket Australia) and us have come to a decision," said Warne. “I’ve abided by their rules and had an arbitration meeting and they said I can play in charity games, I can train with the team, I can do all those things.”Pound and David Howman, WADA chief executive, earlier criticised Cricket Australia’s (CA) decision to allow Warne to play in charity matches and train with the team, saying that it was “bizarre” and “anti-ethical” to “allow a cheater to play”.Jason Warne, Shane’s brother and manager, said today that Shane didn’t have immediate plans to play charity games anyway, putting to rest rumours that he had a game lined up for the rich Lashings club in England on August 18.”The first thing is, Shane has no charity games booked in at the moment – no, he’s not playing for Lashings, simply because he’s unavailable,” said Jason. “Right from the word go, not once has Shane been told he can’t train with the team, as long as he’s invited.”CA ruled Warne was ineligible for any form of cricket when it suspended him in February for testing positive to a diuretic.But in July an independent arbitrator gave Warne the green light to take part in charity fixtures, forcing CA to comply.Warne will finish his ban on February 10 – just before Australia leaves for a tour of Sri Lanka.In the meantime, he can be invited to train as a guest with the Australian team – another development the WADA hierarchy disapproves of.Warne, who hasn’t bowled a ball since a guest appearance at a net in June, will be commentating on Channel Nine during Australia’s home Test series against Zimbabwe in October.

On Friday evening, at the end of the first day of this non-Test, South Africa captain Shaun Pollock described it as a "practice match". A practice match, he could well have added, played under conditions closely approximating, but not quite replicating, the real thing.With this in mind, South Africa reached the end of the second day at SuperSport Park, having outpractised India to the extent of a 29-run lead with six wickets still standing. The truth about all this is that while both sides are taking the cricket seriously, the Indians are taking it a little more seriously. As if it were, in fact, an official Test.While Pollock was adamant that this was not a Test, and should not be reclassified as such in retrospect, India have taken the view that it is an official Test, no matter what the ICC says. Perhaps the strongest evidence for this argument is that the match has followed closely the pattern set during the first two Tests of the series with South Africa helping themselves to a comfortable first innings lead.On this occasion South Africa ended day two at 261 for four in reply to India’s 232. With the pitch quickening up and flattening out on the second day, the conditions were ideal for batting with all of the South Africans, with the exception of Jacques Rudolph who managed to get himself run out, getting themselves in.Rudolph was a little unfortunate in his first innings for the senior South African team. He showed few signs of nerves, opening his account with a pair of boundaries off Harbhajan Singh and looked the part until he was slow in going for a second with Gary Kirsten and found himself well short.The real significance of his innings, though, was that he batted at three with Jacques Kallis and Neil McKenzie dropping down a place each. This may well be an indication of how South Africa intend to play it in Australia next month (Rudolph, incidentally, was picked for this match before its official Test status withdrawn).The more experienced South African batsmen all helped themselves to runs. Herschelle Gibbs played second fiddle to Gary Kirsten in a 135-run opening partnership, but still managed to make 59 before scooping Javagal Srinath down to Harbhajan Singh at long leg.Kirsten, meanwhile, had been in spanking form. He has adjusted as he has matured into the side’s senior pro and plays far straighter than during the early stages of his career and, as a consequence, is a far more effective player, perfectly capable of outscoring Gibbs when the mood takes him.He looked, in fact, all set to make his first unofficial, five-day international friendly century when he was somewhat surprisingly dismissed, edging Ashish Nehra to first slip.There was only one further successes for India on a day when their three seamers and two spinners all looked equally ineffective. Kallis (41 not out) and McKenzie (33) put on 66 for the fourth wicket before McKenzie was caught at slip off Sachin Tendulkar off the last ball of the day. By then, though, attention at Centurion was mostly focussed on the England-South Africa rugby match at Twickenham. That, at least, was an official Test match.

Bangladesh have opted to retain the squad that played the Test series against South Africa for the upcoming first Test against Australia. The squad also includes left-arm spinner Taijul Islam, who has recovered from a bout of jaundice which he suffered last month.

Rubel doubtful for first Test

A calf muscle strain has put Rubel Hossain in doubt for the first Test against Australia, after suffering the injury on the first day of the three-day game for Bangladesh A against India A in Bangalore on Sunday.
Rubel couldn’t bowl throughout the second day’s play, and there was further bad news for pace bowler, Shafiul Islam, who sustained a hamstring injury. According to the BCB, both Rubel and Shafiul are to be assessed upon returning to Dhaka on September 30.
Rubel, who was named in the 14-man squad to face Australia in the first Test, played his last Test against Pakistan in Khulna, before being rested for the solitary Test against India and benched for the two Tests against South Africa.

The Bangladesh Cricket Board has announced the squad despite the uncertainty surrounding the series. Last week, Cricket Australia chose to delay the team’s scheduled departure on September 28 due to increased security concerns. CA’s chief executive, James Sutherland, cited “recent advice from a range of Australian government sources” that identified potential security risks to Australian interests in Bangladesh.CA’s decision to proceed with the Test series will depend on the outcome of meetings between its security chief Sean Carroll and government and police officials in Bangladesh. It is learnt that security officials who met with Carroll assured fool-proof security for the team and the BCB is also quietly confident of sharing more detailed information that can help ease CA’s concerns.According to the current schedule, the first Test is scheduled between October 9 and 13 in Chittagong, while the second Test will be played in Mirpur from October 17. Australia are also scheduled to play a three-day tour match against the BCB XI in Fatullah before the start of the Test series.Bangladesh squad for the first Test: Mushfiqur Rahim (capt), Tamim Iqbal (vice-capt), Imrul Kayes, Jubair Hossain, Liton Das, Mahmudullah, Mohammad Shahid, Mominul Haque, Mustafizur Rahman, Nasir Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Shakib Al Hasan, Soumya Sarkar, Taijul Islam

Shaun Marsh has been given a more lenient ban than Luke Pomersbach after the pair broke team rules by drinking in the lead-up to this week’s games © Getty Images

Western Australia have dealt heavy blows to two of their star batsmen, and to their own Pura Cup chances, by suspending Luke Pomersbach and Shaun Marsh until next month. Pomersbach has been ruled out for two Pura Cup and two FR Cup matches while Marsh will miss only one of each.The disciplinary action came after the pair broke team rules by drinking alcohol in the lead-up to this week’s one-day and Pura Cup matches against South Australia. Pomersbach will not be considered for selection until the Pura Cup game against South Australia starting on December 14, while Marsh’s shorter ban could see him back in the side for the limited-overs clash with Tasmania on December 1.Both players scored centuries in Western Australia’s last Pura Cup match and Pomersbach in particular has had a superb start to his season. He has scored two hundreds and averages 98.75 from three Pura Cup games, sitting behind only Simon Katich on the competition run tally.The Warriors have made four changes to their squad for the Pura Cup match that starts on Friday, with Trent Kelly and David Bandy also omitted. Ben Edmondson returns from a hamstring strain and Aaron Heal has also been included, while the allrounder Theo Doropoulos and the batsman Liam Davis could be in line to make their first-class debuts.Davis, 23, played one limited-overs match for Western Australia in 2005-06 and has made a solid start to Perth’s club season with 333 runs at 47.57. Chris Rogers has also been named in the 12-man group after recovering from stomach cramps that kept him out of last week’s FR Cup game.South Australia have a strong list of inclusions with Shaun Tait and Mark Cosgrove added to the squad, as well as Darren Lehmann, who will be playing his final Pura Cup match after announcing his retirement on Monday. Mark Cleary, Shane Deitz and Cameron Borgas have made way for the returning trio.Western Australia squad Justin Langer, Chris Rogers, Adam Voges (capt), Liam Davis, Luke Ronchi (wk), Theo Doropoulos, Brad Hogg, Darren Wates, Aaron Heal, Steve Magoffin, Ben Edmondson, Mathew Inness.South Australia squad Matthew Elliott, Callum Ferguson, Mark Cosgrove, Nathan Adcok (capt), Darren Lehmann, Andy Delmont, Graham Manou (wk), Ryan Harris, Jason Gillespie, Dan Cullen, Shaun Tait, Cullen Bailey.

Adding injury to insult – Ramnaresh Sarwan’s tour has been cut short © Getty Images

Ramnaresh Sarwan, the West Indies vice-captain, hasbeen ruled out of the five-match ODI series againstPakistan due of a foot injury, sustained duringthe final day’s play of the Test series againstPakistan.Sarwan was batting on 35 when he was struck on theright foot by a vicious, swinging yorker from Umar Gulduring the 32nd over the West Indian second innings inthe morning session. He immediately fell to theground, in visible pain. After a few minutestreatment, he was carried off the field by trainers.He was taken to a local hospital for X-rays, whichconfirmed a small hairline fracture in his rightinstep. He will fly back to the West Indies before theODI series.Sarwan was recalled for this match after being droppedfor the second Test in Multan because of poor form. Inthe first innings, he had been bowled for a duck byGul, from another reverse-swinging yorker.Sarwan is a vital member of the West Indies ODI sideand widely regarded as one of the most accomplishedODI batsmen in world cricket. Though his form duringthe DLF Cup in Malaysia and the Champions Trophy inIndia was patchy, he averages over 44 from 115matches.