All posts by h716a5.icu

Chelsea has kickstarted their multi-club project by purchasing a majority stake in Strasbourg.

Todd Boehly said this move is a method to make sure “we can show pathways for our young superstars to get onto the Chelsea pitch while getting them real game time”.

As well as the Blues’ gloriously talented academy, the purchase of another club can act as another developmental agency, where products can be guaranteed regular game-time away from the English capital.

This practice follows the vastly successful model that has been deployed by Manchester City’s parent company, the City Football Group, and Brighton, who also own Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise, where the wonderful Kaoru Mitoma enjoyed a successful loan spell.

With Chelsea now able to use the same tactic, one of the first beneficiaries could be Elye Wahi.

What’s the latest on Elye Wahi to Chelsea?

According to RMC Sport, Chelsea is set to make an offer of around €32m (£28m) including bonuses for the Montepellier livewire.

If successful, the 2021 Champions League winners would send the 20-year-old to Strasbourg on loan for the upcoming season.

Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund are also interested in Wahi but are yet to initiate any formal contact.

Mauricio Pochettino already possesses Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, and Armando Broja so trying to squeeze Wahi into a squad that isn’t playing European football would be illogical.

Another year of regular minutes in a league to which he is accustomed is a logical plan and could Chelsea in a devilish position next summer.

Is Elye Wahi a good signing for Chelsea?

The Frenchman has just enjoyed the most productive year of his career to date, netting 19 times in 33 Ligue 1 outings at a rate of 0.68 goals per 90.

His impressive campaign included a spell-binding performance against Lyon back in May. In a 5-4 loss, the forward netted four goals from 1.31 xG (expected goals).

This commendable goal-scoring record places the youngster within the best 7% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for non-penalty goals per 90, and he has forged an esteemed reputation throughout his homeland.

Ex-Caen academy director Francis de Taddeo has described Wahi as “powerful” and “athletic”, with a “range of dribbling skills.”

This summer, it seems that Chelsea is making a habit of targeting Ligue 1’s most talented prodigies, with the English Giant also chasing Lyon’s Rayan Cherki.

The playmaker could cost the Blues around £34m, but he’s already been earmarked as one of the world’s most exciting assets.

Since he made his debut, the dazzling technician has consistently broken records.

In the last few years, he has become: the youngest scorer in Lyon history (aged 16 years and 140 days versus Bourg-en-Bresse Peronnas in the Coupe de France in 2020), the youngest player to play in a Champions League semi-final (aged 17 years and 3 days in the 3-0 loss to Bayern Munich in 2020), and the second-youngest Ligue 1 scorer for Lyon (aged 17 years and 258 days against Monaco in May 2021).

However, last term was his most productive and influential as he notched ten goal involvements in 21 Ligue 1 starts.

As well as this ruthless efficiency, he was just one of nine players and the only U23, to record more than 100 progressive passes and 100 progressive carries.

As Chelsea pursues its relentless quest to source the globe’s best young players, Wahi and Cherki would be a phenomenal way to continue this trend.

Durham are hoping to complete the signing of Imad Wasim as an overseas player in the NatWest T20 Blast

George Dobell14-Jul-2017Durham are hoping to complete the signing of Imad Wasim as an overseas player in the NatWest T20 Blast. Imad, who is currently rated as the best T20 bowler in international cricket, will join for five matches before departing for the Caribbean Premier League.Imad, who was born in Swansea, made his international debut in 2015 and was recently a member of the Pakistan team that won the Champions Trophy, playing in every game at the tournament.He has impressed with his left-arm spin in the Pakistan Super League, as well as during stints at the CPL, and will bring something extra to a thin Durham squad, who have lost two from two in the competition so far. Tom Latham, their main overseas signing, is currently out of action with a foot injury.Imad’s signing is subject to him receiving a work permit.

James Anderson was enjoying a productive Roses new-ball spell against Yorkshire – and then local rivalries gave way to England concerns as he limped off injured

Paul Edwards at Old Trafford19-May-2017
Scorecard1:22

County Championship round-up: Lancashire sweat over Anderson injury

James Anderson is occasionally seen as one of England’s grumpier cricketers but he can hardly have failed to be content with life as he began his sixth over on the first morning of this 270th Roses match. Having already caught Adam Lyth at third slip off Tom Bailey and bowled Alex Lees playing no stroke for nought, Anderson was probably looking forward to interrogating the techniques of Gary Ballance, the country’s most in-form batsman, and Peter Handscomb, an Australian with whom he will hope to renew hostilities in the winter.But that is where the tidings of joy ended for Lancashire, England and the bowler himself. As he was about to bowl his 34th ball of the day Anderson pulled up in his delivery stride and immediately collapsed on his back in the middle of the pitch clutching the right side of his groin. Umpire Nick Cook quickly summoned Lancashire physio, Sam Byrne, with whom Anderson left the field. Thus a match which takes pride in its insularities acquired national significance within an hour of it beginningGlen Chapple, the first team coach at Old Trafford, confirmed that Anderson had suffered a tight groin and would be assessed again on Saturday morning to see if he needs a scan. Chapple’s counterpart, Andrew Gale, was in admirably generous mood, saying that “for the sake of the country’s cricket, no one wants to see Jimmy go down,” but Gale’s magnanimity did not, of course, prevent Yorkshire’s batsmen looking to make hay on a day when the sun rarely shone at Emirates Old Trafford.Those efforts were led, predictably enough, by Gary Ballance, for whom this spring has been a season of greater than green abundance. Yet by the close, Yorkshire cause’s was being advanced by Jack Leaning and Andrew Hodd, whose unbroken 73-run partnership for the seventh wicket had probably justified their captain’s decision to bat first, even if that decision was prompted by a fear of batting last.Indeed, this first day at Emirates Old Trafford was notable for a scoring rate and a measure of justified caution which would have been familiar to the watching Richard Hutton, Yorkshire’s newly-appointed president. Hutton’s own era was notable for its Verdunesque sieges against the White Rose’s closest rivals, albeit that such rivalry also concealed warm friendships and a common approach to the incomparable game.To a degree Yorkshire and Lancashire need and deserve each other and this was grittily apparent as the visitors proceeded carefully to 71 for two at lunch with Peter Handscomb and Ryan McLaren, both of whom were playing in their first four-day Roses match, tussling for advantage. McLaren, who looks a better signing with every day’s cricket he plays for Lancashire, won that battle when he had Handscomb lbw for 29 in the sixth over of the afternoon.Yet as they pondered a score of 90 for 3, Yorkshire supporters could be encouraged by the way their captain was batting and especially his neat and accurate footwork. Last summer Ballance scored 780 Championship runs despite often appearing moored to the crease; this year he has three centuries and two fifties to his credit and his movements are altogether more fluid and purposeful. Perhaps he has watched his Yorkshire and England colleague, Joe Root, in action and adapted the injunction of the popular songster, Robbie Williams, to the effect that “if you can’t get a run and your best friend can, it’s time to move your body”. More likely, of course, Ballance has tweaked his technique to good purpose in the manner of fine batsmen. As a result, he leads his county in more ways than one.All of which only increased the mild shock caused when Ballance was dismissed for 74 by a wide ball of no menace from Bailey, the wicket-taking capability of the delivery only being revealed when the batsman slapped it carelessly to Stephen Parry at mid-off. That wicket was the prelude to Lancashire’s best period of the day since Anderson had conjured one back off the seam to trim Alex Lees’ off stump. Tim Bresnan hit Simon Kerrigan for a straight six but was bowled for 13 by one from McLaren which kept slightly low. Azeem Rafiq had managed only 16 when he pulled an unusually short ball from Parry straight to Steven Croft at midwicket. That left Yorkshire on 178 for 6 but Leaning and Hodd’s shot selection was the best of the day and they looked in little trouble as they shepherded their side to a slight superiority at the close.Yet the relative gentleness of the evening session and the sense in which it took its place in a long tradition did not expunge the equally pleasant memories of the early morning when Anderson had run in under full sail and the cricket had been watched by 4000 schoolchildren, all of them attending the Lancashire Foundation’s Schools Open Day. The children were given Lancashire Lightning flags and nearly all were flourished as Croft led his players out for the morning session. Not since Pyongyang displayed its latest batch of missiles have thousands of red flags been waved with so much zeal; certainly such enthusiasm was a contrast to the seething silence which once characterised the first mornings of Roses matches. God knows what Emmott Robinson would have made of it.

Manchester United have finally agreed to a new long-term deal for star forward Marcus Rashford, and the news has seemingly gone down very well with fans such as The Football Terrace host Terry Flewers, who thinks "there is more to come from Marcus Rashford."

Marcus Rashford signs a new contract

This summer has been a strange one for United fans. Even with the impossible-to-ignore takeover saga hanging over everything the club has done, they have been incredibly proactive in the transfer market thus far.

The first deal that was sorted was the signing of Chelsea academy star and former fan favourite Mason Mount, who joined the Red Devils for a fee of around £55m.

Next, the club turned their attention to the goalkeeping department, specifically Erik ten Hag's former number one, Andre Onana. That deal looks to be now all but complete, for a fee said to be in the region of £47m.

And now, with reports the club will look to bring in exciting young striker Rasmus Hojlund, they have also announced a new long-term deal with club star, Rashford.

With his previous deal set to expire next year, pinning him down to a new one was immensely important to ten Hag's project, something that has been reflected in the Manchester-born star's new wage, a whopping £325,000-a-week.

Unsurprisingly, United fans have been overwhelmingly pleased with the recent developments, especially The Football Terrace host Terry Flewers.

He expressed his excitement at the news on his YouTube channel, saying:

"I'm over the moon. I'm over the moon for a number of reasons, the first one being he got his head down and got himself back, not just to his best, but beyond his previous best.

"I still think there is more to come from Marcus Rashford. I still think there are more goals, more assists, more trophies for him to help us win. I'm also proud of the way ten Hag handled this. He rated him, he knew that he could get back to that level, but did not allow him to get a new deal until he had proven it.

"That's the thing in life; theory versus reality. In theory, we should have given Rashford a new deal last year, but he had to prove in reality that he could get back to the best levels. And right now, in my personal opinion, there are no attainable left-hand-sided forwards that are better than Marcus Rashford."

How good was Marcus Rashford last season?

Despite enjoying spells of brilliance for Manchester United over the seven years since his debut for the club, Rashford has often been criticised for being too inconsistent. Well, last season, he proved any doubters wrong, as he was consistently brilliant.

According to WhoScored, the 25-year-old dynamo averaged a seriously impressive match rating of 7.08 across his 35 Premier League games last season, scoring 17 goals and providing five assists to his teammates, meaning he produced a goal contribution every one-and-a-half games – elite.

His underlying numbers are equally outstanding and just go to show that his output last year was not fortunate but genuinely reflective of his actual ability.

According to FBref, who compare players in a similar position across Europe's top five leagues, the "incredible" forward sits in the top 1% for non-penalty goals and non-penalty expected goals, the top 2% for total shots, the top 8% for touches in the oppositions penalty area and the top 8% for expected goals and assists, all per 90.

His exploits last year clearly impressed his five-time Champions League-winning teammate Casemiro, who said:

"What a spectacular player. I'm enjoying so much playing with him. He gives us a lot of energy. I'm delighted to play with him. And I' sure if he stays like this, with the conditions he has, he can easily be a top five player because he's exceptional."

With his future secure, will we see the Boyhood United fan reach an even higher level next season? It certainly feels like a possibility.

Fulham are "favourites" to sign Man United midfielder Fred, coming after previous claims he's willing to join Marco Silva.

Who will Fulham sign this summer?

The Whites are yet to confirm any major signing so far this transfer window, a fact which may slightly worry some supporters given how far we are into the summer.

Fulham enjoyed an exceptional 2022/2023 campaign, their first back in the top flight after securing promotion from the Championship, but Silva will be keen to build upon it and maintain his side's strong foot hold.

Last term saw Fulham contend for European qualification but eventually settle for a solid mid-table finish, not to mention a higher league position than west London rivals Chelsea who endured a woeful season.

Star players, like midfielder Joao Palhinha, impressed over the campaign and elite English sides have taken note of his exploits – though it is believed that Fulham are set to command a hefty £90 million price tag to ward off suitors.

In terms of incomings, the Craven Cottage side have been linked with a host of players in a variety of positions, with Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi, USA international Sergino Dest, Valencia midfielder Yunus Musah, Roma defender Roger Ibanez and Fred all being linked recently.

On the latter player, who is believed to be "willing to join" Fulham this summer according to a recent claim by The Telegraph, there has been another update on his possible move from Brazil.

According to South American news outlet Globo Esporte, Fulham are "favourites" to sign Fred as they remain in pole position for him.

However, Fred is now believed to have signed with a new agency to represent him, which apparently expands his options on the transfer front.

As such, there is interest from Saudi Arabia in the 30-year-old, with no "official offer" coming from Fulham just yet. Indeed, if Silva's, side are to press ahead with a move for Fred, they may have to act quickly amid competition from the Middle East.

How good is Fred?

The former Shakhtar Donetsk star actually played very regularly under Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford last season, making appearances in 35 league games (WhoScored).

However, the vast majority were from the substitute's bench, so Fred will be looking for a new club who can guarantee him more starting places.

His best season at United, going by the statistics, was 2020/2021 – when he started 27 league matches and averaged more tackles per 90 than any of his teammates (WhoScored).

The season afterwards, though, former interim United boss Ralf Rangnick heaped praise on the 32-cap international – calling him a "valuable" and "technical" player.

"For me, he is an extremely valuable player, a team player in the true sense," said Rangnick (via Sky Sports).

"A player who puts in every effort that he has and would give his last drop of blood for the team.

"That combination makes him extremely valuable, and to reduce him to only a number six, a defensive midfield player, does not rate him highly enough. He can do a lot more than just defend."

Delhi Daredevils travel to Hyderabad to try and return to winnings way, but the Sunrisers are yet to lose a game at home this season

The Preview by Varun Shetty18-Apr-2017Match factsSunrisers Hyderabad v Delhi Daredevils
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
Start time 2000 IST (1430 GMT)
3:18

Hogg: Daredevils among the best bowling attacks in IPL

Head to headLast season: Delhi Daredevils beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in both matches they played last season. They were the only team Sunrisers didn’t beat during their title campaign.
Overall: Sunrisers lead 5-3 on wins overall against Daredevils. At this venue, the teams have both beaten each other once.
Recent form

Sunrisers: (third) beat Kings XI by five runs, lost to Knight Riders by 17 runs, lost to Mumbai Indians by four wickets

Daredevils: (fourth) lost to Knight Riders by four wickets, beat Kings XI by 51 runs, beat Rising Pune by 97 runs

In the newsCorey Anderson made way for Angelo Mathews in the last match because he was unwell. The New Zealand allrounder had won the Man-of-the-Match award in Daredevils’ previous win against Kings XI Punjab. He is understood to have recovered and is available for the game. We might see a reverse-swap from the Daredevils.Likely XIsSunrisers Hyderabad: 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 David Warner (capt), 3 Moises Henriques/Kane Williamson, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Deepak Hooda, 6 Naman Ojha (wk), 7 Mohammad Nabi/Bipul Sharma, 8 Siddarth Kaul, 9 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 10 Rashid Khan, 11 Ashish Nehra/ B Sran/ Mustafizur Rahman
Delhi Daredevils: 1 Sanju Samson, 2 Sam Billings, 3 Shreyas Iyer, 4 Karun Nair, 5 Rishabh Pant (wk), 6 Angelo Mathews/Corey Anderson, 7 Chris Morris, 8 Pat Cummins, 9 Amit Mishra, 10 Zaheer Khan (capt), 11 Mohammed Shami/Shahbaz Nadeem
Strategy punt- Sanju Samson has scored 125 runs against pace at a strike-rate of 176.05 this season. In contrast, he has scored only 48 runs off 47 balls against spinners. Sunrisers legspinner Rashid Khan has taken eight of his nine wickets this season in the first half of the innings. Four of those are inside the Powerplay. We could see him bowl early in the match as Sunrisers look to stop Samson’s destructive form in the Powerplay.- Daredevils might perform another reverse-swap in their XI to bring back Shahbaz Nadeem in place of Mohammed Shami. He will better suit the conditions in Hyderabad.Stats that matter Sunrisers (39) and Daredevils (33) are among the top teams on the table for most wickets taken this season. Daredevils’ position is especially impressive considering they have played only four games so far this season Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s ‘worst’ spell this season has been 2 for 27 in the first match against Royal Challengers Bangalore. Since then, he has conceded fewer than 21 runs in all matches. For further context on his impact – 19 out of his 20 overs this season have been bowled inside the Powerplays or in the slog overs Shikhar Dhawan has the lowest strike-rate among openers to have faced fifty balls this season – 112.50. The next lowest is Parthiv Patel’s 121.33 Daredevils have been the most effective bowling side this season – 20 of the 26 wickets they’ve taken are top-order wickets, at an average of 17.50 and an economy of 7.31 Dhawan has managed only 43 runs off 42 balls against Zaheer Khan across IPL seasons, and has been dismissed by him on four occasions The match against Kings XI on Monday was the first occasion in this season when Rashid Khan did not get a wicket off his first over of a spell Sunrisers have not lost a single game at home this season

Mitchell Marsh’s injury will see Australia making a mandatory change in their batting line-up ahead of the third Test between India and the visitors in Ranchi

Daniel Brettig13-Mar-20170:53

Quick Facts – Marcus Stoinis

One of the quirks of international cricket can be the pitting of two players from the same state for the same role even though the pair may take on quite different posts in domestic ranks. Throw in an argument within the same state over who should bat where and the identity of Australia’s new No. 6 batsman becomes even more fascinating.Ahead of the pivotal third Border-Gavaskar Test in Ranchi, Australia’s selectors seem to be pondering one of the Victorians Marcus Stoinis or Glenn Maxwell for the No. 6 batting position in place of the injured Mitchell Marsh and ahead of the wicketkeeper Matthew Wade – another Bushranger. While Maxwell has the advantage of being part of the touring squad for the entire trip so far, Stoinis seems a smoother replacement for Marsh given his all-round skills and strong seam bowling.Maxwell was not even in the Victorian Shield side at the start of the summer, having been dropped seemingly as a result of his unsuccessful attempt to move north to New South Wales during pre-season. When he did return, runs were not so easy to come by, though one innings of 81 illustrated his qualities. A tally of 129 runs at 25.80, batting largely at Nos. 6 and 7, underwhelms.Stoinis, meanwhile, has been the Bushrangers’ preferred choice at No. 3 for several seasons and has done so with some distinction – until this season. In seven matches he has tallied a mere 197 at 17.90, making his highest score of 46 in his most recent match against Western Australia in Alice Springs. Much has been made of Stoinis’ improved bowling in the past 12 months, but as a batsman only his breakout 146 in an ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park last month has provided a reminder of the composure and power that led Victoria to pick him at first drop in the first place.Wade, Victoria’s captain, has watched Stoinis closely over several seasons. “He has developed beautifully,” Wade said. “He has batted at No. 3 for Victoria over a three or four-year period now and averaged quite high in first class cricket. I think he’s only got improvement, I said that to him before he got picked in the one day team in New Zealand and we saw what he did there.Marcus Stoinis got Matthew Wade’s vote of confidence•Cricket Australia/Getty Images”He’s not a finished product that’s for sure. He’ll come in and play a really strong role for us if we need him but he’ll improve playing each game at international level. No one expects people to come in and start dominating international cricket from ball one, but he’ll improve from game to game that he gets at international level.”In terms of roles, Wade acknowledged that Stoinis’ use in the top order had been devised partly to help his chances of international selection. “I think he’s a very strong batter. Obviously batting No. 3 in Shield cricket has placed him in a really good spot to play an allround role for Australia,” Wade said. “He can bat anywhere in the order.’But the last couple of years we’ve seen improvements from his bowling. [Playing for] Australia A he really, really took the pace off. He knocked off a couple of their big players in that series so I think the last couple of years that’s probably what the selectors have seen a bit more in him. They always knew he was a really strong batter, but his bowling has improved out of sight the last few years.”Stoinis and Wade, of course, have been two of the batsmen coming in earlier in the Bushrangers’ order than Maxwell, a point he raised earlier in the season and was subsequently fined as a result. At the time, Steven Smith said Maxwell’s comment that it was “painful” to be batting below Wade in the Bushrangers order had been highly disrespectful.”I think probably batting below the wicketkeeper is also a bit painful as well,” Maxwell had said. “I think the wicketkeeper should be batting at seven unless you’re trying to squeeze an extra bowler into your line-up.”That same week, the coach Darren Lehmann had retorted to questions about Maxwell’s possible Test selection with the words: “Are you going to pick a bloke who hasn’t made a hundred in two years?”Given all that history, it was perhaps not so surprising that Wade was unsure how Maxwell would bat if given the nod to rejoin the Test team in Ranchi.”In Test cricket, you’ve got to show defence first, obviously,” he said. “But I’ve got no idea how Glenn’s going to come out and play if he gets the opportunity, that’s probably a question you would have to ask him. But in Test cricket, your game is built around defence at times, but I’m not sure how he’ll play if he comes out.”As it stands, the selectors seem left to choose between Maxwell, and an alternative in Stoinis who hasn’t made a Sheffield Shield half-century this season. The apparently least likely option is to recall Usman Khawaja, a player with far more recent runs behind him.

Chelsea are believed to be interested in bringing former defender Tino Livramento back to the club this summer before loaning him back to Southampton, according to a new transfer update.

How good is Tino Livramento?

The 20-year-old spent 12 years as a Blues player in the youth system, arriving at Stamford Bridge in 2009, before eventually departing in 2021.

Livramento joined Southampton at that point, and he has been a strong signing for the Saints overall, albeit unfortunately missing the vast majority of the 2022/23 season after suffering a cruciate ligament injury, being limited to just 26 minutes of action in all competitions.

In total, the £8,000-a-week right-back has made 34 appearances for Saints to date, scoring once and registering two assists in that time, as well as averaging 1.9 tackles and 1.7 interceptions per game in the Premier League during the 2021/22 season.

While Chelsea deeming Livramento surplus to requirements two years ago, a shock report is now suggesting he could be set for a return to west London with a view to forcing his way into the side further down the line.

Could Livramento sign for Chelsea?

According to The Daily Mail, the Blues are interested in a "surprise" move to bring the youngster back to the club in the current transfer window, but would bizarrely send him straight back to the south coast:

"Chelsea have held talks with Southampton over a potential deal for their former right back Tino Livramento that would entail loaning him back.

"Southampton value the 20-year old at £38million and have been rejecting offers from Newcastle United over the past week. They also wanted to have the England U21 international in their ranks for next season after his last campaign in the Premier League was blighted by injury.

"Chelsea sold Livramento to Southampton for £8m which also included a hefty sell on percentage. The approach comes as a surprise with Reece James and new signing from Lyon Malo Gusto already on their books."

This news certainly comes as a surprise to many of a Chelsea persuasion, especially considering the Blues look fairly well-stocked at right-back for the long-term future, as the report alludes to.

There is no question that Livramento is a talented young footballer with a potentially big future in the game, however, being described as "outstanding" by current England Under-21s manager Lee Carsley and also possessing an "aura" about him, according to Theo Walcott.

The Southampton youngster certainly won't want to be playing in the Championship long term, following the south coast's side relegation from the Premier League, so if they cannot secure promotion at the first time of asking he may well expect top flight football instead.

With Reece James unquestionably Chelsea's strongest right-back option and Malo Gusto also coming in to provide competition for the England international, however, it is difficult to see how Livramento is going to be able to enjoy regular football and continue his development as a player at any point, considering both of those players are relatively young themselves.

There would be a heartwarming element to his return to west London, though, having ultimately not made the grade at senior level, and if Mauricio Pochettino sees him as a shrewd addition to his squad in the future, the new Blues manager should perhaps be trusted in his decision-making.

Companies that handle the HawkEye technology and Spider-cam have also pulled out from the final, which will be televised without the supporting components

Umar Farooq28-Feb-2017Sunset and Vine, the UK-based production house that handles the broadcast of the Pakistan Super League, has withdrawn its services for the league’s final which will be played in Lahore on March 5. ESPNcricinfo understands that a Dubai-based company, Innovative Production Group, will handle production of the Lahore match. The PSL is also seeking to replace its overseas commentators: Danny Morrison, Alan Wilkins, Mel Jones are reluctant to travel to Lahore, while Ian Bishop, whose contract was until the play-offs, will leave to cover West Indies’ home ODIs against England.Companies that handle the HawkEye technology and Spider-cam have also pulled out from the final, which will be televised without the supporting components. A drone camera is likely to replace the spider-cam.Sunset and Vine, which had also handled the broadcast for the PSL in its inaugural edition last year, had informed the PCB through an email last week about its reluctance to travel to Lahore. Innovative Production Group was part of the PCB’s contingency plan.On Monday the provisional government gave a public go-ahead to the staging of the final at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, after week-long deliberations and assessments of the security situation in the country. The PCB has been working to get the ground ready for the match later this week.The stadium has been renovated extensively, and includes a new media facility at the College End of the ground, with a capacity to accommodate more than 150 journalists, which will be inaugurated before the final. Tickets for the final are also set to be released, with prices ranging between Rs 500 and Rs 12000.To ensure the final features foreign players, the PSL management has asked the four franchises who have made it to the play-offs to work on a contingency plan. The franchises have been asked to nominate a pool of foreign players from a list of over 60 said to be willing to travel to Pakistan, in the event – as seems likely – some of their own foreign players don’t go. Presently, Peshawar Zalmi are most confident their foreign contingent will travel to Lahore, while players from the other three sides are still undecided. Teams can field a maximum of four foreign players in their XI but the rules are flexible enough to allow teams to play with XI local players if necessary.Najam Sethi, the PSL chairman, is optimistic the final will feature foreign players.”First let the two finalists be confirmed, which will be by March 3,” he said on Monday. “I will be going back to Dubai now and once the finalists are confirmed I will again talk to the franchise owners and foreign players. We have also prepared a back-up list of foreign players in case the overseas signings of the finalist teams refuse to come to Lahore. “

Arsenal are reportedly interested in Fenerbahce ace Arda Guler, as Mikel Arteta bids to bolster his squad this summer following a title-challenging season.

The talk of the Gunners’ transfer window so far has focused on the future of Declan Rice, however, Edu could be eyeing more than just one midfield upgrade ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

With Champions League football confirmed for next term, it’s integral that the north Londoners introduced reinforcements to remain on Manchester City’s tails and produce a fight among Europe’s greatest.

Hailed as the ‘Turkish Messi’ by local media in Turkey, relayed by talkSPORT, Arsenal could land a generational talent in Guler, with the Gunners leading the race according to Football Insider.

Transfer expert Pete O’Rourke claimed via the site that Arsenal had leapfrogged fellow Premier League side Newcastle United in the bid to secure the teenager's signature, adding that Arteta’s side are ‘seriously exploring’ a deal.

The 18-year-old penned a new deal with the Turkish giants last year, with a release clause of just €17.5m (£15m) included.

What could Arda Guler offer to Arsenal?

In 20 total appearances in the Super Lig this season, Guler has shone playing among seasoned professionals in Turkey at just 18 years of age.

In his breakthrough campaign, the Ankara-born gem contributed to seven goals, scoring four and assisting three in playing an average of 46 minutes per game, as per Sofascore.

Hailed as “magical” by members of the media, the teenager could blossom under the guidance of Arteta, who has thrived in nurturing his young side that went toe-to-toe with treble winners Manchester City last season.

While Guler was the standout performer for his side last term, as per Sofascore, Arsenal’s skipper Martin Odegaard was a dominant influence on the Gunners, as highlighted by being named the club’s player of the season.

Playing in the same role as the Norwegian, Arteta could teach the Turkish superstar a valuable lesson in the art of playing in the Premier League, potentially even unearthing his next version of Odegaard in the process.

There is evidence to suggest that the duo could form a formidable force in midfield, attributable to their creative exploits in their respective campaigns, with the 24-year-old skipper averaging 2.1 key passes per game, a rate almost identical to the Fenerbahce ace’s two.

Learning the ropes at Real Madrid at the tender age of 16, Arsenal’s captain could be the perfect mentor for the teenager with his fellow left-fotter in Guler breaking through at a similar age. However, the youngster could also return the favour by aiding the £120k-per-week wizard's game.

Lauded a “sensation” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the teenager could give Odegaard added creative freedom as conveyed through his assured presence on the ball.

As per Sofascore, Guler maintained a stellar pass completion rate of 85%, while creating seven big chances in his debut season in the Super Lig.

The two talents could fuse to bolster each other's game, for the greater good of the Gunners who could see their attacking midfield set for years to come.