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Decision follows the independent review, conducted after West Indies’ early exit from the T20 World Cup last year

ESPNcricinfo staff15-Mar-2023

Following the independent review after West Indies’ first-round exit from the men’s T20 World Cup last year, CWI has decided to go the England route and appoint separate red- and white-ball coaches for the senior men’s team. The review, CWI director of cricket Jimmy Adams said, “included a closer look at the roles of the current head coach position”.”We believe it is now necessary to split the role and engage separate coaches for red and white ball formats,” Adams said in a statement. “The increased frequency of back-to-back multi-format tours combined with the specific demands of the respective formats no longer provides enough time for one individual to adequately plan, prepare and review across bilateral series and franchise itineraries that are so condensed.”The recruitment process for both head coaches is expected to commence shortly, CWI said, adding that the red-ball coach would also be in charge of the West Indies ‘A’ team.Related

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Adams explained that the decision to have two separate head coaches was made based on the recommendation by the review group – comprising Patrick Thompson Jr (chair), Brian Lara and Mickey Arthur – that it would help improve preparation for all the teams.”Separating the roles will also provide the head coaches with more time to oversee players’ ongoing development away from tours directly, and through increased engagement and planning with suitable high-performance programmes and coaches,” Adams said.No full-time coach since Phil Simmons leftPhil Simmons was the last full-time head coach of the West Indies men’s team, and he announced his decision to resign after what he called was the team’s “unfathomable” performance at the World Cup, though he stayed on to oversee West Indies’ Test tour of Australia soon after.In their opening match of the World Cup, West Indies were bowled out for just 118 chasing 161 against Scotland before managing to defend 153 for 7 against Zimbabwe, but Ireland easily overhauled their 146 for 5 to move into the next round.Then in Australia, they lost both Test matches, and after beating Zimbabwe away 1-0 in a two-Test series, they have gone down 2-0 in South Africa. They haven’t played white-ball internationals since the World Cup. Nicholas Pooran, their white-ball captain at the World Cup, has also since stepped down. Shai Hope and Rovman Powell have been named captains for ODIs and T20Is respectively, while Andre Coley has served as the interim head coach.

Visitors miss chance to solidify top-four spot in rain-shortened game at Bristol

ECB Reporters Network20-Jun-2023

Young guns Ben Wells and Ben Charlesworth staged a blistering unbroken third-wicket stand of 55 as Gloucestershire beat Hampshire by eight wickets on the Duckworth/Lewis Method at Bristol’s Seat Unique Stadium to keep alive their slender hopes of reaching the knockout stages in the Vitality Blast.Ross Whiteley smashed an unbeaten 41 off 25 balls as Hampshire recovered from 114 for 6 in 16.2 overs to post a respectable 158 for 7 after being put in, Gloucestershire’s experienced slow left armer Tom Smith returning impressive figures of 3 for 26 in four overs.Gloucestershire’s reply was then interrupted by rain, which caused 11 overs to be lost, and when the players returned at 9.15pm, the home side were chasing a revised target of 84 from nine overs. Wells led the charge, scoring a superb 43 from 22 balls with 3 sixes and 3 fours, while Charlesworth helped himself to three fours and a brace of sixes, smashing 29 off 15 deliveries to guide the home side to victory with five balls to spare.Hampshire remain fourth in the South Group, but missed an opportunity to extend their lead to four points over nearest pursuers Glamorgan, while a fourth win in 10 games keeps alive Gloucestershire’s slender hopes of progressing to the quarter-finals.Gloucestershire have yet to nail down their performances in the powerplay this season and they against lost an early wicket, Grant Roelofsen driving uppishly against John Turner and offering a straightforward catch to mid-on. The home side had reached 15 for 1 in the third over when the onset of heavy rain forced the players off. When the elements finally relented and play resumed just over an hour later, Gloucestershire were required to score a further 69 runs in 40 balls at 10.35 an over.Their hopes were initially dented when Miles Hammond hit Liam Dawson to mid-off and departed for 4 in the fourth over with the score on 30-2. Undeterred by the loss of his captain, Wells carried the fight to Hampshire, plundering a brace of fours off one Dawson over and then greeting Australian Nathan Ellis with a straight-driven four. Charlesworth proved a willing accomplice, smashing two fours and a six off three successive deliveries in the sixth over, at which point the home side needed a further 29 runs off 18 balls.Rising to the occasion in magnificent fashion, Charlesworth hit Turner for a straight six and ramped the next ball for four in an over that yielded 11 runs, further reducing the target to 18 off the last two overs. Wells then reverse-swept Howell for another six as the hosts brought the rate down to a run a ball in the penultimate over, rendering the remainder of their chase a formality.Hammond earlier won his first toss as captain, inserted Hampshire and saw Zafar Gohar clean bowl Ben McDermott in the second over, the Australian playing down the wrong line and losing middle stump without scoring.James Vince and Toby Albert eventually afforded the innings impetus in a boundary-studded stand of 41 in 4.3 overs as the visitors seized the initiative. Just when Gloucestershire needed to pull something out of the hat, Wells obliged, running in from wide mid-off and scoring a direct hit to brilliantly run out Vince for 15 as he attempted to pinch a quick single off David Payne in the sixth over.Thereafter, the home side deployed spin at both ends in a quest for containment, a policy that elicited some success as Albert and Joe Weatherley worked hard to advance the score to 71 for 2. Although Weatherley deployed the reverse sweep to score boundaries at the expense of Zafar and slow left armer Smith, the thidr-wicket pair were largely restricted to scampering quick singles in a bid to keep the scoreboard moving.His patience at breaking point, Albert eventually pulled the trigger and hoisted Graeme van Buuren straight to Tom Price at long-on with the score on 84, departing for a 33-ball 36 in the twelfth over having added 43 in partnership with Weatherley.Ollie Price became the fourth spinner to be deployed as Gloucestershire opted to take the pace off, Weatherley pulling him for six over midwicket in an attempt to improve the rate as Hampshire raised three figures in the fifteenth. But the wily Smith struck a double blow in the next over, having Weatherley stumped for 37 and then, three balls later, bowling James Fuller for one to reduce the visitors to 102 for 5 and put wind back into Gloucestershire sails.Smith then snared former team-mate Howell before he could inflict any damage, Tom Price racing in from deep midwicket to take a startling one-handed catch low to the ground and bring the crowd the life.In danger of falling short on 114 for 6 in the seventeenth, Hampshire were indebted to the hard-hitting Whitely, who tucked into the seamers in muscular fashion to harvest 3 fours and 2 sixes in a frenetic knock of 41 not out off 25 balls. Payne bowled Dawson in the final over, but not before the former England man had played his part in a restorative stand of 36 in 20 deliveries for the seventh wicket, an alliance the propelled the south coast side to a competitive total.

Rahul didn’t keep wicket for much of training on the eve of the game, and stand-in captain Pooran only said “we’ll see how he goes”

Shashank Kishore01-Apr-2024

Lucknow Super Giants will take a late call on KL Rahul’s participation – whether in part or more – in Tuesday’s away fixture against Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Rahul played as an impact substitute in Saturday’s home game against Punjab Kings, with the LSG management keen on “easing him back” from injury.IPL 2024 is Rahul’s comeback tournament after a quadricep injury ruled him out of the last four Tests of the five-match series at home against England earlier this year. Rahul had pulled up with the same injury – against RCB, incidentally – during IPL 2023, and had to undergo surgery followed by lengthy rehabilitation.”We’ll see how he goes at training,” stand-in captain Nicholas Pooran said when asked about Rahul’s availability on Tuesday.Related

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At training, Rahul did not keep wicket for most of the session. He first underwent a series of timed sprint and mobility drills that were monitored by head coach Justin Langer. Rahul then practiced the full range of his body movements while playing the sweep in particular and felt his left hamstring repeatedly. He then occupied a quiet corner of the field and kept a close eye on the session for more than an hour. Later, he examined at length the slightly unusual M Chinnaswamy Stadium pitch that had more than a smattering of grass right through the 22 yards.Rahul also padded up and went out for a hit against the team’s net bowlers and throwdown specialists. After a 15-minute session, he got back to finishing a few more rounds of mobility drills before walking off to have another long chat with Langer. Only towards the very end of the day did he have a short go with the gloves.”It’s always tough when you have to change combinations,” Pooran said when asked how Rahul’s absence on the field had impacted the team so far. “Obviously, it’s different with KL on the field. But our senior players came together and assisted me in making decisions as well. It’s something that happens. Sometimes when your captain isn’t available, all the senior players stand up, and try and make up for his absence.”KL Rahul scored 58 in 44 balls in LSG’s season-opener against Rajasthan Royals•BCCI

LSG have one win and one loss in two games so far, with Rahul returning scores of 58 (in 44 balls, vs Rajasthan Royals) and 15 (in nine balls, vs Punjab Kings). He kept wicket only in the first game, before handing over the responsibility to Quinton de Kock for the second.Rahul is among the contenders for the wicketkeeper-batter’s slot in India’s T20 World Cup squad.Leading into the IPL 2024 season, there had been debate among observers whether he would bat in the middle order to play a similar role he plays for with the national team. So far, Rahul has opened in both matches.”I am not going lose one second’s sleep over KL Rahul,” Langer had said on his regular captain last week. “He is a beautiful player, he’s an outstanding player. There’s a reason he’s had so much success for India and I’m blessed to have him in our team, not only as an opening batsman or a batsman and wicketkeeper, but also as the captain. He is so calm. He’s a wonderful person.”

Sheffield United slipped out of the automatic promotion places in the Championship after they were beaten 1-0 by Millwall at Bramall Lane on Tuesday night.

The Blades found themselves 1-0 down after 21 minutes when centre-forward Josh Coburn brilliantly beat Michael Cooper with a well-taken effort from just inside the box.

Chris Wilder was not afraid to make changes in an attempt to turn the game around, withdrawing Southampton loanee Ben Brereton Diaz at half-time after the forward put in a dismal showing.

Ben Brereton Diaz's performance against Millwall

The Chile international had an excellent opportunity to draw the Blades level shortly after they went 1-0 down when he had a free header from around eight yards out, but could only guide his effort straight at the goalkeeper.

Brereton Diaz ended the half with one ‘big chance’ missed – the header – and created one chance, whilst he lost possession six times, which led to Wilder taking him off at the break.

The former Blackburn Rovers attacker is now in danger of losing his place in the starting XI after he failed to make the most of his chance in front of goal, but he was not the only poor performer for Sheffield United.

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Wilder must also ruthlessly ditch Gustavo Hamer from the line-up against Plymouth Argyle at Home Park, as the mercurial playmaker was just as bad as Brereton Diaz.

Why Gustavo Hamer should be dropped

The Sheffield United boss must brutally drop the attacking midfielder from the team after a disappointing performance from him against Alex Neil’s side on Tuesday night.

The former Coventry City dynamo did not offer enough quality with his use of the ball on the left flank, letting his team down too often with a poor pass or delivery into the box.

He ended the match, having played the full 90 minutes, with zero shots on target, zero out of two dribbles completed, and zero ‘big chances’ created for the Blades.

Vs Millwall

Ben Brereton Diaz

Gustavo Hamer

Minutes

45

90

Shots on target

2

0

Key passes

1

2

Big chances created

0

0

Crosses completed

0/1

2/10

Duels won

2/3

2/7

Possession lost

6x

22x

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Hamer and Brereton Diaz both failed to create a ‘big chance’ for their teammates, but the former failed to do so whilst losing the ball a staggering 22 times, failing with eight of his ten attempted crosses.

It was an incredibly wasteful display from the Dutch whiz, who has now scored one goal and provided zero assists in his last nine outings in the Championship.

Sheffield United needed Hamer, who has eight goals and five assists to his name in the league this season, to step up and provide a bit of quality in their time of need, 1-0 down and trailing for so long against Millwall in front of their home supporters.

Unfortunately, the right-footed flop did not step up to be a difference-maker, delivering a performance just as bad as Brereton Diaz’s, and that is why Wilder should consider axing him from the XI for Saturday’s trip to Plymouth.

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Posts ByKelan Sarson Apr 8, 2025

Chelsea are back in talks with a “big” striker who they were secretly very close to signing back in January, according to a new report.

Chelsea's shortlist of striker targets for Enzo Maresca

It is no secret that Enzo Maresca requires a goalscoring centre-forward before the start of next season, with the Italian forced to improvise and get creative since the turn of the year due to Chelsea’s lack of options.

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They had negotiations in the winter.

Posts ByEmilio Galantini Apr 10, 2025

Pedro Neto has featured as a makeshift striker in the last two months, while both Nicolas Jackson and Christopher Nkunku are currently struggling to find their best form.

Chelsea were on the verge of completing a deal for Victor Osimhen last summer, competing with Al-Ahli for the Nigerian’s signature on deadline day, but neither side could get a move finalised – forcing him to settle on a loan move to Galatasaray.

Chelsea’s next five Premier League fixtures

Date

Ipswich Town (home)

April 13th

Fulham (away)

April 20th

Everton (home)

April 26th

Liverpool (home)

May 4th

Newcastle (away)

May 10th

Osimhen remains keen on joining Chelsea, but according to recent reports, the African isn’t exactly high on Maresca’s transfer shortlist.

Instead, Chelsea are serious about Benjamin Sesko as a potential option, with the Slovenian’s contract including a £62 million release clause, while Sporting CP star Viktor Gyokeres and Ipswich Town’s Liam Delap remain key candidates to bolster Maresca’s forward line.

There are even suggestions that Chelsea could reignite their interest in Mathys Tel, if Tottenham don’t trigger their £45 million option-to-buy clause, but it is Delap’s name which is currently gaining more and more traction.

In the last 72 hours, news emerged that Delap’s release clause will drop to a bargain value of around £30 million if Ipswich are relegated, which could even be confirmed this weekend.

This has understandably piqued interest from a host of top-flight sides who are on the lookout for a prolific number nine, including the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Man United and Tottenham, but Chelsea are thought to be the most determined to secure his signature.

Chelsea reopen talks with Ipswich Town striker Liam Delap

That is according to reliable journalist Simon Phillips, who states that Chelsea are very eager to bring in a striker before the Club World Cup commences in June.

As a result, despite a brief pause in contact, Chelsea have reopened “formal” talks with Delap’s agents as they try to get ahead of the intense competition for his signature this summer.

The Blues are “most serious” about striking a deal for the former Man City gem right now, and they’ve allocated enough funds to their transfer budget to do a deal without having to sell a player.

Phillips adds that Chelsea were secretly pretty close to sealing an agreement for him in January “behind closed doors”. Now, they’re yet again pushing to convince Delap to make a Stamford Bridge, and the 22-year-old is also open to joining Chelsea.

It is clear to see why Maresca’s side are so keen, with the attacking enjoying a sensational 2024/2025 and bagging 12 league goals, which are impressive numbers for a side battling relegation.

“He’s a proper striker, and I think for us as well he’s an outlet,” said Ipswich teammate Alex Palmer.

“He’s a big physical boy. He’s not huge, but he’s got that raw strength. Even build up, he helps us stick and set, so he’s not just a goalscorer. He’s an all-round striker.”

Manchester United have contacted the representatives of an “elite” player ahead of a potential move to Old Trafford this summer, according to a new transfer update.

Man Utd must replace under-fire players

Ruben Amorim will be targeting lots of new signings in various areas of the pitch ahead of next season, bringing in players who can perfectly suit his style of play. There are individuals who simply need to be improved upon if United are to make a big jump up the Premier League table, with an upgrade on Andre Onana required in goal. The Cameroonian has enjoyed good moments in a Red Devils shirt, but he makes too many mistakes to be the long-term option between the sticks.

Similarly, changes are needed down the middle of United’s attack, with neither Rasmus Hojlund nor Joshua Zirkzee looking like they will lead the line competently enough for years to come. Both remain relatively young, in fairness, but a world-class striker would make a huge difference.

Napoli ace Victor Osimhen has been mentioned as an option for Amorim, with the Nigerian expected to leave permanently having spent this season on loan at Galatasaray, while Atalanta’s Mateo Retegui has been backed to come in as an alternative choice.

Man Utd make contact with agents of Joan Garcia

According to Cope [via Sport Witness], Manchester United have made contact with Espanyol goalkeeper Joan Garcia’s entourage over a summer move to the club, as they look to nail an upgrade on Onana.

The 23-year-old is described as a standout player for his side this season, and there is hope that the Red Devils could sign him for as little as £21m, triggering his release clause in the process. That figure will rise to £25.5m in the final 15 days of the summer transfer window, though.

Meanwhile, Espanyol sporting director Fran Garagarza has admitted that a move away isn’t out of the question, saying: “There’s a lot of noise, but nothing is happening. There’s no firm movement like there was in the previous [summer] window. There may be movements because he’s a top-level goalkeeper, but we’re calm, and most importantly, the kid is very calm.”

Garcia could be just what United are looking for this summer, with the Spaniard an impressive young ‘keeper already proving himself is one of Europe’s top leagues. He has started 32 games in La Liga for Espanyol this season, winning five Man of the Match awards from WhoScored in the process, and analyst Ben Mattinson has described him as “elite”.

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Posts ByEthan Lamb Apr 25, 2025

His coach, Manolo Gonzalez, has even compared him to Lionel Messi: “Joan Garcia is going to be a global reference, no doubt about it. I really hope so, because he deserves it, both for his ability and for who he is. It’s like when Barcelona had Messi. There were tough matches, and Messi would resolve them. Well, we have that in goal with Joan Garcia.”

All this points towards Garcia being a fantastic addition for United ahead of the 2025/26 season, and given his age, he could be a regular for the next decade if the move is a successful one.

Glasgow Rangers extended their winless run to six matches in all competitions after they held their Glasgow rivals to a 1-1 draw at Ibrox in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.

Barry Ferguson has failed to lead the team to a win since the dramatic 4-3 victory over Dundee away from home at the end of March, and has not done his chances of landing the job on a permanent basis many favours.

The Light Blues decided to move on from Philippe Clement earlier this year and will have to source a long-term replacement for him this summer, with a familiar name leading the list of candidates.

The latest on the Rangers managerial chase

Football Insider recently reported that former Rangers head coach Steven Gerrard is the leading candidate to secure the job on a full-time basis ahead of next season.

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The outlet claimed that the English manager is the favourite for the role, ahead of Marco Rose, and that he is at the top of the club’s shortlist of options.

The 44-year-old boss usually deployed a 4-3-3 system during his first spell at Ibrox, which yielded an incredible, unbeaten, league title success in the 2020/21 campaign, and that could mean that the Gers need to recruit in a certain way to suit that system this summer.

It could also mean that there are some players currently in the Rangers squad who could move on from Glasgow because they do not fit what Gerrard would want in that position, and Danilo is a player who could fall into that category.

Why Danilo may not suit Gerrard

The Brazilian forward, who joined from Feyenoord in the summer of 2023, may not be ideally suited to Gerrard’s set-up because he has not shown himself to be suited to playing as a lone centre-forward.

Danilo has been used as a second-striker, or attacking midfielder, or as a centre-forward as part of a front two, either alongside Cyriel Dessers or Hamza Igamane, rather than being relied upon to play on his own.

That may be because the 5 foot 9 forward lacks the physicality to play as a sole number nine. He has lost 63% of his ground duels and 75% of his aerial battles in the Premiership so far this season, which shows that opposition defenders find it too easy to get the better of him.

The 26-year-old dud is reportedly on a wage of £26k-per-week, which is more than Mohammed Diomande (£12k-per-week), who provided the assist for Dessers on Sunday, and Nicolas Raskin (£19k-per-week), despite the duo being regular starters in midfield with 55 league starts between them this season.

Meanwhile, Danilo, who was described as being “sloppy” on the ball by pundit Steven Thompson, has started seven league matches this term and has struggled with multiple injuries during his two seasons at Ibrox so far.

Danilo’s Rangers injury history

Injury

Time out

Days out

Games missed

Knee injury

September 2024 – November 2024

65

12

Knee injury

December 2023 – May 2024

171

32

Broken cheekbone

September 2023 – October 2023

43

9

Via Transfermarkt

As you can see in the table above, the former Feyenoord marksman has missed 53 games through injury for Rangers since his move to the club in 2023, which shows that he is not reliable in terms of his availability.

Therefore, Rangers should ruthlessly cash in on Danilo in the summer transfer window because he does not have the physicality to suit playing on his own up front in a Gerrard system and does not have the availability to make him a worthwhile squad member, particularly with a wage that is higher than club Player of the Year Raskin and Diomande’s.

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Posts ByDan Emery May 5, 2025

Manchester United are now preparing a cut-price offer to sign a £60 million striker who Arsenal are in the lead for, according to a new report.

Hojlund edges closer to Man Utd exit as Red Devils eye new attackers

There are expected to be a lot of changes at Old Trafford this summer, but none seem as important as strengthening the forward line. United have been one of the poorest teams in the Premier League this season for taking chances and scoring goals, and Ruben Amorim knows that this will need to change if he is going to be successful at the club.

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Posts ByHenry Jackson May 5, 2025

Rasmus Hojlund has been a regular in the United team this season, but his lack of contribution in the final third means he could be on his way out the door this summer. According to a recent report, Serie A giants Juventus have taken “concrete steps” to sign Hojlund by making contact with the Denmark international. It doesn’t say how much United would want for Hojlund, but his departure would allow the club to bring in replacements, with two players already on their radar.

Wolves’ Matheus Cunha appears to be edging closer and closer to moving to Old Trafford this summer, as talks continue over personal terms and the structure of the transfer. Meanwhile, the Red Devils are also planning a bid to sign Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford, a player who could either play as a number nine or number 10.

This comes as United are also looking at possibly signing Liam Delap from Ipswich Town, who now has a release clause worth £30 million given the Tractor Boys’ relegation to the Championship.

Man Utd preparing cut-price offer to sign £55m+ striker Sesko

But the list of potential replacements for Hojlund does not stop there, as, according to Caught Offside, Man Utd are preparing to make an offer to sign Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig this summer.

The report states that Leipzig have placed a value on Sesko of around €80–90 million, which is roughly £68-76 million. But United are looking to bring that fee down and are planning to make an offer in the region of €65–70 million, which is roughly £55-59 million. However, United are not the only team interested in Sesko, as Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea are also preparing transfer offers.

It’s been reported that Arsenal are the team leading the race to sign Sesko, as they view the forward as the ideal addition to improve their forward line. However, it is not just English teams chasing the Leipzig striker, as teams such as Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain are also very keen on Sesko.

Benjamin Sesko’s RB Leipzig stats

Apps

85

Goals

39

Assists

8

Sesko, who has been dubbed a “quick” player, has been mightily impressive since joining Leipzig, and given how the campaign has gone for the German side this season, a move away for Sesko could be on the cards, given he will likely want to play at the highest level.

He could be a huge upgrade on Hojlund for Man Utd, as the 21-year-old has netted 43 goals in the last three Bundesliga seasons.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have now joined Borussia Dortmund in the race to sign an 18-year-old rising star who has a £10 million release clause, according to a new report.

Wolves working on multiple deals as Cunha heads for the exit door

The turnaround at Molineux since Vitor Pereira’s arrival has put smiles back on the faces of the Wolves supporters as they head into their final games of this season and then into the summer. The Midlands side look set to lose talisman Matheus Cunha to Manchester United, as the Red Devils close in on a deal, but given what Pereira has achieved this season, there is optimism that they can find players who can replace the Brazilian.

It’s been reported that Wolves are accelerating talks to sign Harvey Elliott from Liverpool, as they want to win the race to sign the young Englishman should he decide to leave Anfield. The midfielder could cost the Midlands side as much as £50 million, which will likely be covered from the sale of Cunha.

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As well as looking to win the race to sign Elliott, Wolves are also leading the way to sign Jamie Vardy, who will become a free agent at the end of the season after deciding to leave Leicester City. Vardy’s arrival at Molineux would partially fill the void left by Cunha at a low cost.

Wolves join Dortmund in race to sign 18 y/o Montoro

It appears as though the hierarchy at Molineux are working on numerous deals at once, as according to Argentine newspaper Ole, relayed by Sport Witness, Wolves are interested in signing midfielder Alvaro Montoro from Vélez Sarsfield.

The report states that the 18-year-old is likely to leave the Argentine club this summer and make a move to Europe. It goes on to add that Montoro is in fact close to leaving, with it just about where he ends up. Vélez Sarsfield have tried to tie down the young player to a new contract, as his current deal expires in December, but they have so far been unsuccessful.

Not only did Vélez Sarsfield want to keep Montoro beyond this year, but the move to offer him a new contract was so they could increase his release clause, with his current one standing at €12 million, which is roughly £10 million.

Álvaro Montoro’s Vélez Sarsfield stats

Apps

36

Goals

3

Assists

2

As well as Wolves being in the race to sign the midfielder, Napoli, Dortmund and Benfica are also keeping an eye on his situation.

Montoro, who can also play as a right or left-winger, would arrive at Wolves still very early in his football development, but Wolves would hope that, with the right care and nurture, he can quickly become a member of their first team.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is now personally keen for the Gunners to sign a Premier League rival star, with the transfer target in question also “pushing” to leave this summer.

Mikel Arteta's rumoured transfer ideas to strengthen Arsenal

Arteta recently had to affirm to the press that both him and new sporting director Andrea Berta are on the same page when it comes to the club’s recruitment strategy, following some reports of disagreements between the pair.

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Naturally, while Berta’s arrival from Atlético Madrid is seen as an undoubted boost for the north Londoners, following 12 successful years in La Liga, Arteta will have his own ideas on how to reinforce his squad this summer.

Arsenal transfer spending under Arteta (via Sky Sports)

Money on new signings

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

Journalist Simon Phillips even reported last week that Arteta would prefer Arsenal to sign RB Leipzig starlet Benjamin Sesko over the heavily-linked Viktor Gyokeres, coming after the Slovenia international rejected their advances last year.

The 43-year-old, as per Spanish media sources, is also a big admirer of Athletic Bilbao attacking midfielder Oihan Sancet, who’s scored 17 goals in all competitions and could leave Bilbao for the value of his £67 million release clause.

Now, as per The Sun and journalist Anthony Chapman, £195,000-per-week Chelsea winger Christopher Nkunku is attracting Arteta’s personal attention as well.

The France international isn’t exactly a mainstay under Enzo Maresca, despite scoring 14 goals in all competitions, and this has led to reports that Nkunku is eyeing an exit from Stamford Bridge when the window reopens.

Mikel Arteta thinks Christopher Nkunku would be a good Arsenal signing

Chapman reports that Arsenal are “lining up a move” for the versatile forward, who can play almost anywhere in the attacking third.

It is also claimed that Arteta sees Nkunku as a potential “good” signing for Arsenal this summer.

One thing worth noting is that, barring his sky-high salary, Nkunku may turn out to be a fairly astute deal. Chelsea have apparently set his price tag at around £35 million, and are willing to make a £17 million loss by shipping him out of the door, just two years after signing him for £52 million.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry heaped praise on the ex-RB Leipzig sensation in 2022, admitting back then that Nkunku is a player he loves watching, and it would appear that Arteta is in full agreement. Of course, it remains to be seen whether Chelsea would be willing to sell to a direct rival.