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Arsenal look to be on the journey to something special, as Mikel Arteta continues to grow as a manager alongside his budding squad full of exciting talent.

The Gunners underwent some difficult times at the start of the Spaniard’s reign, at a time when many doubted the limits of his capabilities as a coach as his first two seasons resulted in consecutive 8th-place Premier League finishes.

As time went by and the former Arsenal midfielder was able to fully sculpt the squad to his liking, improvement began to be noticeable, as he took the team to 5th place in the 2021/22 campaign, agonisingly shy of a top-four finish.

2018/19

Unai Emery

5th

2019/20

Mikel Arteta

8th

2020/21

Mikel Arteta

8th

2021/22

Mikel Arteta

5th

2022/23

Mikel Arteta

2nd

It seemed as though the squad took missing out on the top four to their north London rivals personally, as the 2022/23 season began the start of the club’s revolution, as they challenged for the title for the majority of the term.

Manchester City swept the prizes last year, winning the domestic treble, however, Arteta restored the hope at the Emirates for years to come.

During his reign, the former Everton whiz has recruited strongly, welcoming a host of talent through the doors in north London with each new arrival having a significant role to play in his master plan.

One area that needed attention was the defence, which was strengthened by the arrivals of Ben White, Gabriel Magalhaes and Oleksandr Zinchenko, paired with the return of William Saliba from his loan spells.

How much did Arsenal sign Gabriel Magalhaes for?

Signed from French outfit Lille in 2020 for £27m, Gabriel arrived in the bid for Arteta to rebuild the foundations of his back four.

The manager lauded his new arrival as a player who could strengthen his squad as a “defensive unit and as a team”, branding him an “outstanding” defender based on his form in France.

It was revealed at the time of the deal being complete that Manchester United were also eyeing a potential move for the Brazilian, with Everton and Napoli also named as clubs that held interest.

Around the time of his move from Ligue 1 to the Premier League, the centre-back had an expected transfer value (xTV) of €15.5m (£13.4m), which has significantly risen since his journey to fame in north London, via Football Transfers.

What is Gabriel Magalhaes’ market value now?

Currently, the Sao Paulo-born ace has a market value of €80m (£69m), as per CIES Football Observatory, showcasing just how much his game has developed, as well as how good of a deal Arsenal struck to acquire him.

In three years, the defender’s value has risen by almost €65m, with his good form and personal development rewarded with an improved contract from the club in 2022, where his deal was extended to 2027.

At the time of his renewed deal, Arteta dubbed his star defender as a “hugely important” part of the squad after establishing himself as one of the Emirates’ first-choice centre-backs.

How much does Gabriel Magalhaes earn?

Along with his stay being extended, the Brazilian saw his wages rise as a result of his revised contract.

The 25-year-old saw his hard work pay off as his salary doubled in value last year, taking his weekly wage from £50k to £100k by putting pen to paper.

From earning £291k-per-year at the point of signing for Lille, the defender’s rise at Arsenal has resulted in him earning £5.2m-per-year, suggesting just how highly he is regarded in north London.

Why is he worth that much?

Praised as being “solid as a rock” by talent scout Jacek Kulig in his debut season, Gabriel’s form has transformed over the years, with it seeming as though the Brazil international has found sanctuary in playing alongside Saliba.

In the 2020/21 campaign, the Brazilian averaged a pass completion rate of 85.4% per 90, as well as making 1.13 tackles and 2.57 aerial wins per 90, via FBref.

The most prominent improvement to his game has been his distribution, recording an average pass completion rate of 89.4% per 90, as well as making 1.27 tackles and 2.64 aerial wins per 90 in the 2022/23 season.

Working alongside Saliba seems to complement the former Lille star, with the Frenchman being an extremely competent ball player himself as highlighted by his average pass completion rate of 91.0% per 90 last term.

When reviewing Arsenal’s defence, the combination of Gabriel and Saliba has assisted in balancing the back four, with both showing their strengths in orchestrating the play ahead of them as well as the task at hand.

Twitter X figure Eduardo Hagn was full of praise for the partnership after the Gunners’ emphatic win against PSV on their Champions League return, calling them a “world-class” duo.

What does the future hold for Gabriel?

With 124 appearances for Arsenal in all competitions under his belt, the 25-year-old has all the tools to write himself into history as part of a squad that is destined for glory sooner rather than later.

The Gunners struggled for years to unearth the next capable defensive duo, with the combination of Per Mertesacker and Laurent Koscielny arguably the last pairing that consistently succeeded in red and white.

Last season was the first term that Saliba and Gabriel were combined in the heart of the back line, and with such performances marking their first experiences with each other, Arteta’s defence is in safe hands for years to come.

Arsenal are back in the Champions League and among the top side’s in the Premier League, with the Brazilian being an integral part of the journey in the capital.

Away from domestic football, the future looks bright for the former Ligue 1 gem’s international prognosis, as he earned his first cap for his country earlier this month after the disappointment of not being selected for the 2022 World Cup.

Emerging as a top talent in England with Arsenal, and a player recognised at international level for Fernando Diniz’s squad, the Gunners machine is in for an exciting new chapter of his career if his form can continue to flourish.

In signing Gabriel for just £27m, Arteta and Edu struck gold on another Brazilian talent whose value continues to soar in the capital.

Confirmation of Glamorgan’s £2.5m payout from ECB comes ahead of an emergency meeting of county chairmen on March 26

David Hopps22-Mar-2018Glamorgan have confirmed a compensation payment of £2.5m from the ECB in exchange for not applying to host Test matches for a five-year period between 2020 and 2024.Overall contributions from the ECB amounted to nearly £5.2m – a figure which also includes the annual share-out to county clubs from international proceeds, and an additional £1m payment from ECB reserves that all counties received in the past year. The total sum is thought to be a record ECB payout to a county.The revelation, shown in the county’s annual accounts, comes at a tense time for the first-class game with an emergency meeting of county chairmen scheduled for March 26.Colin Graves, the ECB chairman, is under scrutiny after it emerged that ‘compensation’ payments could be habitually paid to some Test-hosting clubs in the years they did not stage a match despite the policy having not been discussed at Board level.It remains to be seen whether other counties will also be identified as having been promised similar sums.Bob Warren, the Sussex chairman, has written to Graves, saying: “The ECB policies are, taking into account the way matches and money are being distributed, going to produce eight super-counties with dire effects for the rest of us.”Glamorgan said of their financial support: “Following discussions with the ECB the club decided not to apply to host Test matches during the 2020 to 2024 period in return for a compensation payment of £2.5m. The Club has agreed that if it wishes to host Test match cricket in the future, it will repay this sum on terms to be agreed with the ECB.”This formed part of the Club’s strategy to become the white-ball venue of choice which resulted in the successful allocation of international T20s and ODIs and the appointment of the SSE Swalec as a venue for the ECB’s new T20 tournament.”The appointment of Cardiff as one of the venues for the ECB’s speculative new T20 tournament was not without controversy as both Taunton and Bristol had ambitions to share the south-west venue and, in the case of Somerset, have expressed the belief that they were given reason by the ECB to expect this would be the case.Glamorgan, meanwhile, are nearly out of the financial woods. At their AGM on March 28, they will announce an EBITDA (Earnings before Interest, Taxation, Depreciation and Amortisation) profit of £4.146m.The statement read: “Since 2012 the Club has made EBITDA profits of £4.0m, before debt write-offs and before this recent agreement with the ECB. These profits have been delivered through successful hosting of a number of high profile cricket events, including two Champions Trophies and an Ashes Test match, alongside very close control of costs.The debt burden, not so long ago a crippling £15.1m, which came close to driving Glasmorgan into bankruptcy until the chief executive, Hugh Morris, negotiated a way out of the mess, has been reduced to £2.5m.Glamorgan concluded: “The Club is very focused, alongside a close partnership with Cricket Wales, upon developing the game of Cricket in Wales, producing the highest quality players, and providing top quality entertainment for audiences within Cardiff and around Wales. The sporting, social and financial impact of these aspirations for Wales could be enormous.”Durham are another county who might look askance at the situation. They were relegated at the end of the 2016 season, and suffered other sanctions, in exchange for a £3.8m bale-out by ECB – another county that made the heady rush towards Test status and suffered financial hardship in the process.

Following just three seasons in the Premier League, Leeds United have been thrust back into the second tier amid what was a dismal 2022/23 campaign, with it already proving a difficult start to life back in the Championship for Daniel Farke's side.

Such woes are a far cry from the success that the Yorkshire giants endured in the early 2000s, with David O'Leary notably guiding the club to the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2001, following a respectable third-place league finish the year prior.

While that glittering period was brought crashing to a halt by the club's subsequent financial setbacks – resulting in their drop out of the top tier – it remains a time that is fondly remembered by Whites supporters, particular for the stellar crop of talent that graced Elland Road at the time, including the likes of Mark Viduka and Harry Kewell.

That O'Leary era also saw the rise of an exciting gem from the academy in the form of Alan Smith, with Farke likely hoping he can unearth another diamond from the youth set-up in the near future…

How good was Alan Smith for Leeds?

Despite having somewhat burned his bridges with the club after joining rivals Manchester United in the summer of 2004, the now-retired ace had thrived after rising up the ranks at Leeds prior to that, notably scoring on his first-team debut away at Anfield in 1998.

The then-teenager would ultimately go on to play a vital role under O'Leary over the next few years despite his relative youth, with the versatile attacker – who could feature through the middle, on the flanks or in midfield – scoring 54 goals in 224 appearances in all competitions for the club.

Aside from his devastating attacking threat and positional flexibility, what also initially endeared Smith to the Leeds crowd was his work-man-like nature and energetic, all-action style, having notably been lauded for those traits by O'Leary following the quarter-final clash with Deportivo La Coruna in 2001:

"Alan Smith was without a doubt the man of the match. He was incredible. He trod every bit of grass, he was unbelievable. I hope people realise he's still only 20 years old and give him chance to learn and grow. We are very lucky to have him at Leeds United because he loves playing for the club. He's a winner."

Finding such talents in the youth ranks is not a common occurrence, although current boss Farke could well be able to find a suitable heir to the 42-year-old, in the form of exciting forward, Sean McGurk.

Who is Sean McGurk?

The 20-year-old attacker – who can operate out wide or in a number ten berth – has caught the eye in Yorkshire ever since joining from Wigan Athletic back in the summer of 2021, scoring nine times and registering five assists in 44 games at U21 level thus far.

A player with a "big personality to go with his ability" – according to Yorkshire Evening Post journalist Graham Smyth – the young Englishman has enjoyed a particularly impressive start to the new campaign, scoring three goals and providing one assist from just four Premier League 2 outings.

As Smyth also stated, there is a "lot to like" about the emerging sensation, with the player himself speaking about his "exciting" attributes upon his arrival at the club just over two years ago:

"People describe me as a player who is quite exciting, I like to create goals and score goals and I think that is the strongest part of my game."

The forward's goalscoring threat was also evident during his prior stint with the Latics as he netted three times in just five games for the club's U18 side, notably scoring a late winner against Manchester United at Old Trafford – a strong way to endear himself to his current side.

Although a chance at first-team level has yet to emerge for the former Wigan man, Farke would be wise to put his faith in the creative gem as the season progresses, particularly after losing the likes of Luis Sinisterra and Jack Harrison this summer.

As was evident with the case of Smith, it can be incredibly rewarding seeing an academy talent blossom into a star in the senior set-up, with McGurk seemingly having the tools to be able to follow in the footsteps of the former England international.

And in their chase, Peshawar Zalmi cruised to a ten-wicket victory courtesy a hundred-run partnership between Kamran Akmal (57*) and Tamim Iqbal (37*)

The Report by Danyal Rasool03-Mar-2018In a nutshellThe template doesn’t change for Lahore Qalandars. They got off to a blazing start in the Powerplay again with Fakhar Zaman smashing 25 in the first two overs. Once the first six overs had ended, they began to lose wickets and the wheels came off rapidly. Peshawar Zalmi skittled them out for 100, the lowest total in the PSL this year. Soon after, they became the fifth team to inflict defeat on Brendon McCullum’s beleaguered side. This was the most resounding one yet, the first 10-wicket defeat in the history of the PSL.The collapse this time was even more dramatic than previous games, tempered only by its predictability. After reaching 57 for one at the end of the Powerplay, they failed to build on it through the middle overs, continuing to go for rash shots and losing wickets rapidly in the process. Before you knew it, the tail was in, and Peshawar, further strengthened by the return of Hasan Ali, prowled ominously.The chase was everything Lahore are not: calm, clinical, mature and professional. It required just openers Tamim Iqbal and Kamran Akmal to brush aside Lahore. Kamran scored a 47-ball 57, while Tamim was unbeaten on 36 as the chase effectively became a stroll early on. Lahore’s bowlers were toothless, their fielding uninspired, their captain out of ideas – and their side very likely out of the tournament already.Where the match was wonA chase of 101 isn’t daunting by any means, but many teams thought processes get muddled while assessing how to go about a small chase. Not Peshawar Zalmi, whose openers were as assured as could be hoped in the situation. They got their eye in for the first couple of overs, not letting the lack of runs worry them. Inevitably, the runs came once they were settled at the crease. Lahore weren’t good enough in the field either, dropping a catch early on, and allowing themselves errors they could ill-afford. It wasn’t Lahore’s charity to give, and Peshawar didn’t need it at any rate, the opening pair ensuring no one else in the dugout was disturbed.The men that won itHasan Ali hasn’t bowled for over a month, but he didn’t look any worse for it. Skiddy, quick and consistent, he bowled in the Powerplay when Fakhar was in blistering form, keeping that over to just three runs. He got rid of the McCullum, and was instrumental in orchestrating Lahore’s collapse, cleaning up Sunil Narine and wrapping things up with a third wicket for good measure.Another newcomer into the side didn’t do much worse either. Liam Dawson was brought in to replace Darren Sammy. It doesn’t bear repeating that those are big shoes to fill. But Dawson was up to the challenge, ripping the Lahore top order apart with his left-arm spin. He dismissed Fakhar and Dinesh Ramdin off just his second and third deliveries, and overall figures of 4-0-20-3 suggest he’s more than just a back-up in Peshawar side.Where they standLahore look to have taken out a lease on the basement of the table, firmly sixth after their fifth successive defeat. Peshawar are third, having won three of their five games.

Everton have endured a rough start to their Premier League campaign, having essentially sacrificed their opening few fixtures due to a lack of speed in the market, feeding into an absence of clinical finishing.

However, the solution has seemingly since arrived, with huge expectations now resting on the shoulders of one man; new signing Beto.

How good is Beto?

Having signed for a fee that could rise to £30m, the acquisition of a tall, powerful, pacey forward like Beto was integral for Sean Dyche to provide some much-needed reliability to a role that has seen so little whilst people have rested their hopes on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.

The former Sheffield United forward has been a solid asset for the Toffees during his seven years at Goodison Park, growing into a fine striker for this level before injuries took over. He has since made just 30 starts across the two full seasons since he scored 21 and assisted five across all competitions, meaning a replacement was needed.

In the Portuguese finisher, they hope to have their solution, with glimpses of his quality having been emphasised in their recent win over Doncaster Rovers, and draw with Sheffield United.

Fractured Cheekbone

18 days

Hamstring Injury

89 days

Hamstring Injury

32 days

Knee Injury

46 days

Fractured Toe

125 days

All stats via Transfermarkt

Scoring in the former, his performance in the latter also drew praise, with Liverpool World offering the following summation after what they deemed to be a 7/10 display: "Really caught the eye in the opening 45 minutes, using his physicality and running the channels while his blocked shot yielded the corner for the opener. Then played his part in Danjuma’s equaliser with a lay-off for Patterson. A superb Premier League debut especially given he only arrived earlier this week."

Sofascore helped to emphasise this, handing him a 7.5 rating and showcasing his starring assets. Attempting four shots and earning success in six of the nine dribbles he attempted, the 25-year-old was a constant thorn in the Blades as he used his sizable frame to wreak havoc. However, his deft touch also allowed him to muster one key pass and forge one big chance, whilst he also won an impressive 11 duels.

He battled well and created for others, but had little service of his own. Fortunately, he could soon have the perfect partner to help him recapture his goalscoring touch and potentially surpass Calvert-Lewin. That man is Dwight McNeil.

When will Dwight McNeil be fully fit?

Dyche's unconvincing start to the term has to be profiled alongside the numerous casualties he has suffered already, with Dwight McNeil a key absentee.

The former Burnley winger scored seven and assisted three last season in the league, as the club's top scorer in a year where they narrowly avoided the drop. Writer Dominic King even lauded the £25k-per-week ace as "outstanding" after one stellar showing.

However, a 15-minute cameo in that aforementioned game offers hope that he will soon return to full fitness, given he was reportedly subject to a late call by the manager before the clash.

The 23-year-old steadily grew into one of the club's most important players last campaign, with his creativity often wasted due to a lack of focal point up top. He averaged 1.4 key passes per game, alongside his 1.4 accurate crosses per game too, via Sofascore.

Should he now trade the 5 foot 8 Neal Maupay for the 6 foot 4 Beto, it could mark the start of a perfect partnership that could terrorise the rest of the division. Especially given the latter forward scored ten Serie A goals in his final year, winning 53% of his aerial duels all season in the Italian top flight.

Desperately craving their first win, it seems that given his fine start to life at his new club, the former Udinese man will be an integral figure in achieving that and hopefully many more. Simply by staying fit will he have the foundation to surpass Calvert-Lewin, especially with McNeil back soon and providing for him.

Albeit from a limited number of matches, England’s T20I form has been less consistent than their 50-over exploits. What might come up for debate during the tri-series?

Andrew McGlashan04-Feb-2018.Reserve No. 3Joe Root was eventually persuaded to take a rest from this series (although that was perhaps with a focus on the IPL only for him to be overlooked for that) which means there is a vacancy at No. 3. Presuming Alex Hales and Jason Roy are fit to take the opening positions – and Roy is rated ’50-50′ by Eoin Morgan for Hobart due to a back spasm – that is likely to leave James Vince and Dawid Malan vying for first drop unless England get funky and utilise David Willey. Malan made an impressive 78 on debut against South Africa last year and would provide another left-handed option at the top of the order. Vince made his T20 debut in 2015 and was named Man of the Series against Pakistan in the UAE but has played just two matches since. His pretty 30s may not go a long way to winning Tests, but can certainly influence a T20.Buttler’s best positionThere is the potential for so much flexibility with England’s batting order, but that also needs to be weighed against players knowing their roles. Without doubt Jos Buttler is a player capable of scoring T20 hundreds were he to bat the majority of an innings – Hales remains England’s lone century-maker in the format – but he is among the finest closers, batting first or second, of an innings in the world. Thirty-nine of his 49 T20I innings have been at No. 5 or 6, but two of his five half-centuries have come in the top four: an unbeaten 73 opening against Sri Lanka and an unbeaten 66 against the same opposition at No. 4 in the World T20. If an innings is beyond the 10-over mark when the second wicket falls there is a strong case for Buttler being the next man in.The captain’s formIt’s a change of formats, so it’s unwise to draw too many conclusions come success or failure, but there will be a focus on Morgan’s run-scoring in this series. He was the least convincing of the top order in the one-dayers against Australia. As with the 50-over side, there is a clamour for spots in the top order with Root and Ben Stokes to slot back in at some point in the future. Morgan’s leadership carries a lot of weight but at some point the conversation may need to be had as to whether he sees himself in the role for the 2020 World T20 or if the 2019 World Cup could be an end-point. Morgan has occasionally left himself out of the T20 side to give Jos Buttler captaincy experience, most notably in the deciding match against South Africa last year.Horses for coursesMorgan has said that England will adjust their plans – particularly around the bowling attack – dependent on each ground during the tri-series, taking particular note of the varying dimensions. England’s series takes them to Hobart, Melbourne, Wellington, Hamilton and potentially Auckland for the final, the latter with some of the shortest straight boundaries in the world. It could be that England don’t always employ two spinners, particularly in the continued absence of Stokes to balance the side.Pace-bowling squeezeThere is certainly no shortage of quicks in the squad to mix-and-match with – seven if you include Jake Ball who stayed with the party as injury cover. Among them is the uncapped 19-year-old Sam Curran, but Stokes and Chris Woakes are surely in England’s best XI. While plenty of rotation can be expected over the next two years – and names not in the squad, or even in the frame, could feature – there won’t be room for them all going forward and there is plenty to play for among the pace-bowling unit.

An update has emerged on Celtic and their attempts to complete their seventh piece of incoming business before the end of the summer transfer window…

What's the latest Celtic transfer news?

According to Football Insider, the Hoops are set to confirm the signing of Honduras international Luis Palma from Aris FC 'in the next days' ahead of Friday's deadline.

The report claims that the Scottish giants have already agreed a £3.5m deal to sign the forward from the Greek side and he is now poised to join Hyeok-kyu Kwon, Hyun-jun Yang, Maik Nawrocki, Odin Thiago Holm, Gustaf Lagerbielke, and Marco Tilio in arriving at Parkhead this summer.

It states that the 23-year-old ace is due to fly over once he has been given international clearance and will then undergo a medical over the next 24-48 hours.

Football Insider also report that manager Brendan Rodgers could look to make up to four other signings before the window slams shut; including a centre-back, goalkeeper, left-back, and striker.

How good is Luis Palma?

The Aris star's form since the start of the 2022/23 campaign suggests that he could be a sensational signing for Celtic if he is able to translate those performances over to the Scottish Premiership.

Palma is a right-footed left-winger who has the potential to score goals and create chances for his teammates on a regular basis, which could make him Rodgers' next version of former Hoops star Scott Sinclair.

The Honduran phenom racked up 11 goals and four assists in 20 Super League starts for his club last season – an average of one goal contribution every 1.33 starts. This came alongside one goal and three assists in three Europa Conference League qualifier starts.

He showcased his clinical edge in front of goal with only one missed 'big chance' in the Greek top-flight, which shows that the talented ace rarely passed up a good opportunity to find the back of the net.

The £3.5m-rated hotshot has started the current campaign in phenomenal form with two goals and three assists in five starts across the Super League and Europa Conference League qualifiers.

This means that Palma has produced 24 goals and assists combined in 28 starts across the two aforementioned competitions since the start of last term.

The 5 foot 10 magician is, therefore, capable of making a consistent impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and creator, which is why he could be the next Sinclair at Parkhead.

During Rodgers' first spell in Scotland, the former Manchester City winger amassed 60 goals and 41 assists in 148 appearances from a left-wing position for the Bhoys, which worked out as one goal involvement per 1.47 matches on average.

Sinclair was a vital player for the Northern Irish tactician's attack as the English wizard was able to consistently provide quality in the final third with goals and assists.

Palma, who was described as a "huge player" by Aris manager Apostolos Terzis, could do a similar job for Rodgers on the left flank if he is able to carry on the sublime form that has seen the Honduras international catch the eye over the last 12 months or so.

As such, the inbound dynamo could well emerge as Rodgers' next Sinclair-like talent on the wings at Parkhead this season.

Aston Villa could face a problem in their bid to secure their fifth summer signing, despite Unai Emery’s wishes to bolster his squad in preparation for what’s to come in the 2023/24 calendar.

The Spaniard claimed his first three points of the campaign in match week two, slaying Everton 4-0 at Villa Park to get things back on track after a nightmare Premier League opener that saw a 5-1 defeat and a devastating blow to Tyrone Mings.

While proceedings are back to the usual highs under Emery in the Midlands, there could be some difficulty in his pursuit of one of the club’s rumoured targets, making for a potentially interesting climax to the transfer window.

Who could Aston Villa sign this summer?

Having welcomed Pau Torres, Youri Tielemans, Moussa Diaby and Nicolo Zaniolo to their ranks, it’s expected that the Villans’ movements in the market are far from over.

Read the latest Aston Villa transfer news HERE…

There has been ongoing speculation over Sevilla full-back Marcos Acuna, with Football Insider claiming last week that the club were ‘continuing talks’ over the weekend to sign the Argentine.

Valued at £13m by the Spanish outfit, it appears that Monchi’s former club could retract their talks to allow the 31-year-old to depart, with journalist Rudy Galetti shedding fresh light on the situation.

The renowned Italian journalist relayed that talks have “stalled” between the two clubs, with Sevilla feeling less convinced to let the left-back leave and are currently discussing “internal evaluations” to make a decision over his future.

What could Marcos Acuna offer to Aston Villa?

Deployed as left-back, Emery could capture a player with significant experience and versatility in a position that could become vacant this summer at Villa Park.

There is ongoing speculation regarding the future of Lucas Digne, who despite starting the opening two fixtures for the Villans, could depart before the end of the window.

In Acuna, the Midlands outfit could integrate a defender capable of playing the role of a dynamic full-back expertly, with skills in going forward and being a combative presence in the back line.

Lauded as an “animal” by journalist Facundo Del Real for his performance at the 2022 World Cup, which saw him add the biggest prize of them all to his accolades, the 31-year-old could bolster Villa’s options at full-back.

Already this season, it’s become evident just how useful having a full-back with attacking tendencies is in the league, with Serge Aurier setting up both goals in Nottingham Forest’s first win of the campaign, and Pervis Estupinan thriving for Brighton.

The Ecuadorian left-back has contributed to three goals in two appearances already this term, scoring one and assisting two to begin the 2023/24 calendar as he left off.

Estupinan’s presence in Roberto De Zerbi’s side has become integral to their style of play, leaving other managers envious, however, Emery could secure his answer to the 25-year-old in Acuna.

Likened to the Seagulls star based on their statistics gathered during the World Cup, via FBref's comparison model, the Argentine could be Villa’s own explosive left-back, as supported by his numbers in the tournament.

As per FBref, Acuna averaged similarly to the Brighton whiz, recording 3.14 progressive passes and 1.21 progressive carries per 90, as well as 1.21 key passes and a monstrous 2.90 tackles per 90 for the World Cup winners.

To put into perspective the roundedness of his talents in comparison to those more familiar through Estupinan, the 25-year-old averaged 4.00 progressive passes, 1.33 progressive carries and 1.67 key passes per 90 for his country, as well as making an average of 2.00 tackles per 90, via FBref.

Emery could sign his own version of De Zerbi’s wizard, though the Spaniard will have to wait in the wings to see if Sevilla will eventually sanction a move for the 31-year-old.

Sydney Sixers said the allrounder had taken personal leave, and there was no date set for his return

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Dec-2017Sydney Sixers’ captain Moises Henriques has taken a break from the ongoing Big Bash League, with no date set for his return.The seam-bowling allrounder played the first two matches of the season for Sixers before missing the third because of illness. “The Sydney Sixers advise that Moises Henriques will be taking some personal leave from the BBL,” a statement from the team said. “He will return when he feels ready to continue in the tournament. Out of respect for Moises’ privacy, the club will not make any further comment.”Henriques’ absence is a major blow to the Sixers, who have lost all their three matches so far. He is their most experienced player, with 1235 runs and 23 wickets in 55 matches.Allrounder Johan Botha, who had led the Sixers in place of Henriques on Thursday against Adelaide Strikers at the SCG, might continue to stand-in as captain.

Lahore Blues secured the title against Lahore Whites thanks to a disciplined bowling performance and an assured innings from Imam-ul-Haq

ESPNcricinfo staff30-Nov-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsLahore Blues celebrate the National T20 Cup title•PCBIn a tournament replete with close finishes, the final of the National T20 Cup was a damp squib. Lahore Blues sealed a comfortable victory against Lahore Whites, winning by seven wickets with nearly three overs to spare. Set 128 to win, Lahore Blues, who had registered the highest score of the tournament on Wednesday – 221 against FATA – were never in any danger of falling short. Opener Imam-ul-Haq led the chase, scoring an unbeaten 59, including seven fours and a six.Salman Butt’s Whites had earlier struggled with the bat. Though Butt batted through the innings, his knock never took on any momentum, and the strike-rate was well below what was required to put on a total his bowlers could be confident of defending. His 62 came off 59 deliveries, and with none of the big hitters in his side able to get in, the 127 they managed was always going to be too little. It didn’t help that the Blues’ bowlers expertly hit their lines and lengths, only one of them conceding more than 6.50 runs per over. Atif Jabbar was the pick of the bunch, taking 2 for 24 in four overs.This is the second year that National T20 Cup final has featured two sides from the same city. Last year, Karachi Blues and Karachi Whites squared off for the trophy, with the Blues coming out on top.