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As Arsenal look to gain an advantage in the Premier League title race, the January transfer window could be vital. The Gunners suffered heartbreak last time out, with Manchester City eventually regaining their top spot on their way to securing a history treble in the last campaign. It is the type of heartbreak that Mikel Arteta will want to avoid this season, but after a 2-0 defeat against West Ham United, it's clear that some changes may still be needed at The Emirates.

With that said, whilst their attention could soon turn to reinforcements, reports suggest that Arsenal are ready to sell two big earners in the January transfer window in a ruthless move from the North London club.

Arsenal transfer news

The days of poor Arsenal recruitment seem to be over after a successful summer transfer window, which saw Declan Rice, David Raya, Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz all arrive. Rice particularly impressed from the off, before Havertz found his feet alongside Raya, who is now firmly Arteta's number one ahead of Aaron Ramsdale. Timber, meanwhile, suffered an early injury blow and will have to wait to have a similar impact when he returns. Following those arrivals, however, the Gunners could free up some room by selling two midfielders next month.

Arteta could land Arsenal's next Bergkamp in £86m-rated "animal"

The Gunners are seemingly stepping up their search to find a new centre-forward.

ByRobbie Walls Dec 30, 2023

According to Pete O'Rourke of Football Insider, Arsenal are now ready to accept offers for both Thomas Partey and Jorginho in January as they look to make space for those potentially coming in the other direction. Given that the North London side sit two points adrift of league leaders Liverpool too, it's clear that Arsenal could do with any advantage they can get for the remainder of the season. Of course, Arteta will hope that the potential exits of Partey and Jorginho don't instead harm his side.

Arsenal must replace Partey

If Partey and Jorginho are to leave the Emirates next month, then they must replace the midfield duo – especially the former. We've seen Manchester City suffer the consequences of failing to find an adequate back-up for Rodri this season, suffering defeats against the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers. And Arsenal must make sure to avoid suffering the same fate when it comes to Rice, with Partey currently an ideal second option for Arteta when fit. Meanwhile, the experience of a player such as Jorginho can often be invaluable in a title race and is also something that the Gunners must be wary of losing.

The potential departures could be sacrifices that turn into a good thing for Arsenal, however, given that Partey's wages reportedly sit at £200k per week and Jorginho's wages are reportedly as high as £110k per week. Given that both players are often on the cusp of Arteta's side these days too, it's fair to say that the Gunners would be clearing plenty of room on their current wage bill by sanctioning the departures of the midfield duo. When the winter window opens, they'll both be players to keep an eye on, it seems.

Luis Enrique's side huffed and puffed at Parc des Princes but couldn't find a way past the visitors' Yellow Wall

Kylian Mbappe wait for a first Champions League title goes on, with the misfiring forwards around him partially to blame as Paris Saint-Germain lost 1-0 to an organised Borussia Dortmund side in the second leg of their semi-final. Mats Hummels' second-half goal, combined with a glut of Parisian misses, handed the visitors a 2-0 aggregate win and a spot in the final for the first time since 2013.

The Parisians had the best chance of the early goings, as Ousmane Dembele blasted over after a fluid counter-attack. Dortmund could have taken the lead soon after, but a strong hand from Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Karim Adeyemi.

Warren Zaire-Emery should have given the hosts the lead early in the second half, but smashed an effort off the post from close range. The visitors then capitalised on his miss, as Hummels headed home from a corner to double Dortmund's lead on aggregate.

Nuno Mendes came within inches of pulling one back, but cracked a long-range effort off the post from outside the box. He wasn't the only one to come close, either, as Mbappe and Vitinha both hit the woodwork late on as Dortmund held out and condemned PSG to another embarrassing European exit.

GOAL rates PSG's players from Parc des Princes…

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  Goalkeeper & Defence

  Gianluigi Donnarumma (6/10):

  Made an impressive diving stop to deny Adeyemi. Could do nothing about the goal.

  Achraf Hakimi (7/10):

  Scampered down the right with regularity and whipped in some nice crosses. Couldn't ask much more of him, really.

  Marquinhos (7/10):

  Very good at the back for long stretches, and handled Fullkrug effectively.

  Lucas Beraldo (5/10):

  A bit uneasy at the back from the youngster, who was caught out of position on occasion and beaten by Hummels for the goal.

  Nuno Mendes (6/10):

  Engaged in an enthralling battle with Sancho. Unlucky to crack one off the post.

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• Getty Images
  

  Midfield

  Warren Zaire-Emery (6/10):

  Really impressive in the middle of the park, but he will rue a very poor miss after the break.

  Fabian Ruiz (6/10):

  Covered a lot of ground, but didn't offer the punch or thrust the Parisians needed on the night.

  Vitinha (8/10):

  The driving force in midfield when he had the ball. Played some incisive passes and kept the ball moving.

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  Attack

  Ousmane Dembele (4/10):

  Blasted one over in the first half, missed again in the second, but spent the rest of the game turning his man inside out – which is kind of his thing. Needs to take his chances.

  Goncalo Ramos (4/10):

  Missed a few good chances after the break. Not his finest evening following a good run in the side.

  Kylian Mbappe (6/10):

  Dangerous throughout, but was admittedly well marshalled by the Dortmund backline. Saw a certain goal denied by an excellent intervention from Hummels.

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  Subs & Manager

  Marco Asensio (5/10):

  Ineffective in a central role.

  Bradley Barcola (6/10):

  Offered some energy after his introduction.

  Lee Kang-In (N/A):

  Energetic and made things happen. Brought on too late.

  Luis Enrique (3/10):

  Made some interesting tactical choices, bringing Ramos in and sticking with the same midfield that lost the first leg. The Parisians created a lot, but simply couldn't finish on the night.

As the Champions League anthem rang out around the Emirates Stadium on match day one of the competition, Arsenal fans rejoiced.

It had been a tough wait for more continental football at Europe's top table but oh how they've made a marker since returning to the competition.

Mikel Arteta's men haven't had a perfect record this season, notably losing away at Lens, but they have won every other match, including the return fixture with the Ligue 1 side on Wednesday night at home.

How Arsenal beat Lens

It was a scintillating performance from the Gunners who ran out 6-0 winners, just one goal shy of equalling their record win in the competition.

Kai Havertz, fresh from winning the game against Brentford last weekend, opened the scoring by prodding home from close range and then it was goal after goal from that moment onwards.

Gabriel Jesus then put two Lens defenders on the ground before sliding the ball home for a two goal advantage, with further goals from Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli, Martin Odegaard and Jorginho rounding off proceedings.

The Londoners led 4-0 after just 27 minutes played, before Odegaard's superb volley on the stroke of half-time made it five.

Unsurprisingly, Arteta's men were not as rampant in the second period, with Jorginho's late penalty after a handball ended the game in the best way possible.

It was a landmark moment for many in red and white, not least Havertz who arguably delivered his best performance in an Arsenal shirt yet, while Saka's goal and assist means he is now the leading contributor of goal involvements in the Champions League this term. Not bad for a youngster making his debut in the competition.

9/10 star delivers best Arsenal display yet in Gunners player ratings vs Lens

Arsenal romped to a 6-0 victory over Lens in the Champions League.

ByMatt Dawson Nov 29, 2023

That said, there was one man who didn't get on the scoresheet but deserved just as much praise for his showing at the Emirates; Takehiro Tomiyasu.

Tomiyasu's performance in numbers vs Lens

The Japanese defender has had to be patient for regular opportunities during his time in the English capital.

When he first signed from Bologna in a bargain £16m move, Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solekhol memorably suggested that sources didn't know whether he was a right-back or centre-back.

Well, how that has come back to bite him. Indeed, Tomiyasu is perhaps one of the most underappreciated and under-the-radar members of this Arsenal squad.

That said, there is a reason Arteta once suggested that he thinks the full-back is one of the finest defenders he's seen.

Commenting on Tomiyasu earlier this term, the Spaniard said: "He can play in any position in the backline, any formation in the backline – we don’t have a player like him. His defending is probably one of the best that I’ve seen in many situations."

That has been seen first-hand in recent weeks, but the 25-year-old saved his best performance of the season – certainly from an offensive point of view – for Lens on Wednesday evening.

His athleticism and power is rather staggering. You wouldn't look at him and expect that to be the case. Indeed, Tomiyasu is an understated character but when tasked with defending a tricky attacker or running with the ball at his feet, he comes alive.

Minutes Played

45

Touches

34

Pass Success

18/22 (82%)

Assists

2

Key Passes

3

Expected Assists (xA)

0.36

Crosses

1/1

Long Balls

3/4

Duels Won

0/2

Stats via Sofascore.

Truth be told, he didn't have a huge amount of defending to do in midweek, faced with just two defensive duels – of which he lost both – but going forward he was as good as anyone we've seen in that position at Arsenal down the years.

Tomiyasu became an "assist machine" – as per reporter Connor Humm – creating two goals for his troubles, the first of which was a miraculous cross-field ball.

Whether or not he meant it merely as a clearance, it was still a fabulous delivery to the left-hand channel where Martinelli was waiting. The Brazilian drove at the Lens defence before curling the ball beyond Brice Samba. Liquid football.

The second assist was just as nice. Supporting Saka down the right-hand side, the former Bologna man galloped forward like a champion horse before laying a dinked cross on a plate for Odegaard to slam home.

Substituted at half-time, it was a testament to just how important he has become to this Arsenal team, leaving the field with a 100% cross success, as well as supplying three key passes, the most of anyone on the pitch. That's quite something from a defender in a 6-0 victory, but it proved Tomiyasu is certainly not a one-trick pony. He offers just about everything you could want from a full-back.

Erik ten Hag has reportedly been included in Ajax's three-man shortlist to replace John van 't Schip this summer.

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• Ten Hag on Ajax's three-man shortlist
• Man Utd boss likely to be shown the door
• Ajax also have Potter and Farioli on list

• Getty
  

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Manchester United boss is likely to be shown the door by the Red Devils this season if they fail to win the FA Cup and as such Ajax have placed the Dutchman on their shortlist for the next manager as per The Standard, with the Dutch club unhappy with Van 't Schip's tenure.

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• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The Dutchman, who joined the club in 2017, shone with Ajax before he joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2022. However, the same success has not followed him to England, with United currently sixth in the Premier League. The same has been the case with the Eredivisie side as they have failed to live up to their billing since Ten Hag left the club and are currently languishing in fifth place in the league, 35 points off PSV on the top of the table.

• Getty
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  As per the report, Ajax are also looking at former Chelsea boss Graham Potter and Nice's Francesco Farioli to take over from Van 't Schip this summer. Potter had reportedly held talks with the Dutch giants earlier this month, however, the Englishman's wage demands fell outside Ajax's range and therefore the talks fell through.

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• WHAT NEXT FOR AJAX?

  The Dutch side have only three more matches remaining this season and they will take on Volendam on May 5 as they look to make up the gap to AZ to qualify for the Europa League next season.

Mohsin Khan, freshly installed as the head of the PCB’s new cricket committee, wants Sarfraz Ahmed to be relieved of the Test captaincy, a suggestion that will do little to calm an already turbulent start to the committee’s existence. It is also a suggestion that the board chairman Ehsan Mani has shot down.Announced publicly only on Friday, Mohsin’s appointment had the PCB apparently distancing itself from the Justice Qayyum report on match-fixing, in a bid to convince him to work with Wasim Akram. Misbah-ul-Haq and former women’s captain Urooj Mumtaz are the other members of the committee.It then emerged that only a week before the committee was formed, Mohsin had called Mickey Arthur a “stupid donkey” on a show on TV, an assessment that could presumably make the three meetings in a year the committee will have with the coach a little awkward.On that same show, Mohsin had first aired the opinion that Sarfraz should not be Test captain, an opinion he remained true to when talking to on Tuesday evening.”I have said it before and I will say it now too,” Mohsin, who is associated with the channel as an expert, said “with Sarfraz I was saying you got a new guy in, don’t put the burden of three formats on him. It will take such a physical load on him, T20s, ODIs and then Tests if he is captain he will not get any mental relaxation.”I had said make him T20 and ODI captain and in Tests, put in a senior player for a year, year-and-a-half which will give him [Sarfraz] time, allow him to relax and groom himself as a leader, to get some confidence.”Mohsin pointed to Pakistan’s haggard performances in the Asia Cup, which appeared to have taken a toll on Sarfraz.”Sarfraz’s body language was so down. I felt sorry for him that he’s had so much pressure put on him, with T20s, ODIs and Tests. There’s no doubt he is so talented and it’s not as if he is 35-36. He is young, he has a lot of time. That was my view before and it is now as well.”It is a more sympathetic take than it may come across as; the burdens of captaincy in every format have weighed heavily on Sarfraz, who until recently was in the midst of a poor run with the bat as well as in uncertain form with the gloves.But the timing of his remarks will raise eyebrows. Sarfraz has just led Pakistan to a Test series win against Australia – where he finally managed some big scores – and then oversaw a resounding 3-0 whitewash in the T20I series. That result, incidentally, has been sidelined by the news the cricket committee has been making.Mohsin and the committee do not have the power to remove Sarfraz from the Test captaincy, only to make a recommendation to Mani, the chairman. And that is something Mohsin will be doing.”Yes, absolutely,” he said. “I have spoken to Ehsan Mani, the final decision will of course be his but I will give him the suggestion. Whatever suggestions I give, it will not be out of personal interest. I will only suggest those things that will help make Pakistan better on or off the field.”This New Zealand series, it has Tests, ODIs and T20s, it will give us a better picture of how much mentally stronger Sarfraz has become. I will repeat – I only say this because he is still young and he doesn’t need this much pressure on him. He needs some relief time because wicketkeeping itself is such a difficult job.”Mani will not be taking that suggestion on.”I have full faith in Sarfraz as Pakistan captain,” Mani told ESPNcricinfo. “He is the Pakistan captain, that is completely unambiguous. He is the Pakistan captain today, there is no other consideration or thought in anyone’s mind. He has the absolute support of the board.”Mohsin’s comments, no matter the nuance, are unlikely to enamour him to Sarfraz, which means he will have managed to annoy both coach and captain less than a week into his job. Arthur has been understandably unimpressed by Mohsin’s remarks about him, and is believed to have asked for an apology. That has left the PCB scrambling to find a way for the pair to move on from this, with a first meeting between the two likely to be in front of Mani.On Tuesday, the board was forced to clarify their stance on the Qayyum report, insisting that the “work of Justice Qayyum is acknowledged and appreciated by PCB and there is no truth in the perception… that the report has been dismissed by the PCB.”In the same statement, the board added that it “maintains a zero-tolerance policy on corruption.”

The fast bowler bagged his fourth ten-wicket match haul in first-class cricket as Tasmania began their season with a 246-run victory

The Report by Alex Malcolm19-Oct-2018Jackson Bird celebrates a wicket•Getty ImagesA seam-bowling masterclass from Jackson Bird helped Tasmania rout Queensland in their opening Sheffield Shield clash of the season at the Gabba.Bird took 5 for 42 in the second innings to complete his fourth ten-wicket match haul in first-class cricket after claiming 5 for 35 in the first innings in a worthy Player-of-the-Match performance.Queensland, the defending champions who beat Tasmania in last year’s final, began the fourth day needing 311 for an unlikely victory with eight wickets in hand.But the chase never got off the ground as six of the last nine batsmen failed to reach double figures. Luke Feldman made the second-highest score of the innings with 12 not out after Joe Burns posted 16 on the third evening.Bird rattled through the middle order with surgical precision. Charlie Hemphrey, Sam Heazlett, Nathan McSweeney and Jack Wildermuth were all caught behind the wicket to leave the Bulls decimated at 6 for 58.There was no rearguard action from the lower order with Gabe Bell and Tom Rogers finishing the job. Bell finished with 4 for 17 as Queensland were all out for 93. Only two Bulls players, McSweeney and Jimmy Peirson, managed to make more than 18 in either innings on their seaming home track.

India looked like they would win easily after they restricted Bangladesh to 222, but Mashrafe Mortaza and his boys made the Asia Cup final go down to the very last ball

The Report by Alagappan Muthu28-Sep-20182:00

Manjrekar: Team with the inherent better ability won

From 120 for 0, they fell to 222 all out, wondering what if for part of the night and what the hell for the rest of it. Bangladesh were winning the Asia Cup… until Kedar Jadhav snatched it away from them… with his part-time offspin. what… the… hell… The pain must cut all the more deeper because they were exceptional with the ball, taking a game that had no business going down the wire all the way to the very last ball.Now there is no magic to defending low totals. It’s all about discipline. Mashrafe Mortaza and his boys understood that and simply began targeting the stumps. It was a brilliant move and with the field up – six, sometimes, seven men were saving singles all through the middle overs – the Indian dressing room started to panic.It all reached a crescendo around the 37th over. MS Dhoni was gone. Rohit Sharma was gone. Shikhar Dhawan was long gone. Jadhav was at the crease, but he was having a lot of trouble with his right hamstring, unable to hit the ball, or get off strike.The team management had a decision to make – keep the last specialist batsman out there even though he was struggling or bring him back and expose the tail. After initially asking Jadhav to stay calm and bat on, Rohit ended up calling him back. The equation read 56 runs to get off 72 balls.Ravindra Jadeja knows these situations all too well – and not always for the fondest reasons. However, in this Asia Cup, he has shown that he does have the skill to handle such high-pressure situations, carefully taking India to within 11 runs of the title. But Bangladesh dug deep again and Rubel Hossain found the left-hander’s edge. The 28-year old fast bowler was the heartbeat to an unbelievable comeback. His ten-over spell included 46 dots and two crucial wickets.There was one last twist in the tale, and at the centre of it was, again, Jadhav. He walked back to the crease in the 48th over and with unreal calm got the rest of the runs in singles. Speaking to the broadcasters after his 23 off 27 balls, he suspected he might have a grade 1 or 2 hamstring tear, but did so with a big smile on his face. He had won the cup for India. Everything else took a back seat.Kedar Jadhav is overjoyed after he gets a wicket•Associated PressIncluding Liton Das. He had made his maiden ODI century, a splendid innings not only for the quality of his strokeplay but also the calculation behind it. He attacked Jasprit Bumrah, stepping out against the fast bowler; not many batsmen try that, no one did in this tournament anyway. He kept sweeping Yuzvendra Chahal and Ravindra Jadeja. Spinners hate that shot because it turns a flighted ball outside off stump into boundary-scoring opportunity. He got to his fifty in 33 deliveries and then converted it to a hundred by the 29th over. Everything was going to plan – and a funky one at that considering Bangladesh had promoted Mehidy Hasan to open the batting for the first time in any form of cricket – first-class, List A or T20s – and came away with their best partnership for the first wicket in 27 ODIs.It is usually at this point that India turn to Jadhav. Hopeless situations are the welcome mat for him. Doing nothing more than bowling straight, he gave India the control they were so desperately searching – and as a bonus took a couple of wickets as well. Mehidy was caught at cover point, trying to force the pace and the mistake consumed Mushfiqur Rahim as well. For a clearer picture of Jadhav’s impact: Bangladesh were 116 for 0 in 20 overs. He came on. Bangladesh slumped to 62 for 5 in the next 20 overs. On a slow pitch, his non-turning, barely bouncing offbreaks are really hard to get away.Having clawed their way back, India began asserting themselves in the final stages of the innings. It didn’t matter that a centurion was still in the middle. They simply kept him off strike by turning the screws at the other end. Soumya Sarkar felt it the greatest. For the first five overs that he was in the middle, Liton could face only nine balls. Kuldeep eventually got rid of the danger man with a beautiful googly and India’s spinners seemed to have set the course for another straightforward victory. Turns out, such things are becoming rarer each time they play Bangladesh.It could all have been a lot easier if India’s middle order had a more solid look to it. But Ambati Rayudu was caught behind for 2, closing the face against a Mashrafe delivery that held its line. Dinesh Karthik was lbw to a full toss after putting on a half-century partnership for the fourth wicket. Even MS Dhoni fell to Mustafizur at a time when his presence at the crease seemed beyond vital. The No. 4 debate rages on and for some reason KL Rahul just doesn’t feature in it.Bangladesh’s middle order fared quite poorly as well, contributing four of the eight single-digit scores in the innings, and that really was where the game was lost.

As a footballing institution, Everton are widely recognised for unearthing talented prospects from their youth team and facilitating their development to becoming stars.

The latest of those to rise to first-team stardom was Anthony Gordon. He was a rare beam of shining light during a dark period for the club, thrilling supporters with his frenetic performances and ultimately earning the academy graduate a £45m move to Newcastle United in January.

Since his departure, the Toffees have missed his ability to conjure up a piece of individual quality, with none of their current players stepping up to the plate in the final third, including summer signing Beto.

Summarizing Beto's performance this season

Arriving from Italian giants Udinese for a fee in the region of £25.75m, Beto was expected to take on the mantle of goalscoring and become the dominant focal point that the Merseyside club desired.

A prototypical Sean Dyche striker, who is physically strong and aerially dominant, but also comfortable with the ball at his feet and can make rapid surges towards goal, were qualities that the 6 foot 4 powerhouse demonstrated in the Serie A.

Bullying defenders with his frightening build and supplying the precise finishing to match, Beto recorded two double-figure scoring campaigns at Udinese, with 13 in the 2021/22 season and ten in the following campaign.

Those goalscoring exploits, in particular, offered supporters hope that he could become a revelation at Goodison Park, much like Romelu Lukaku did all them years ago.

Unfortunately, the towering marksman has failed to hit the ground running so far and while he's "caused a lot of problems", as claimed by former Everton defender Michael Bell in their victory over Brentford, he only has one goal to show for it in the Carabao Cup win over Doncaster Rovers.

It is painfully clear that Everton are in dire need of an added dimension up front, perhaps a burst of pace and skill to outfox opponents, and teenage prospect Francis Okoronkwo could be the man for the job.

A closer look at Everton's academy star, Francis Okoronkwo

Okoronkwo has been at Everton since joining from Sunderland in a deal believed to be worth £1m in 2021 and became the latest exciting talent to leave the North East outfit for a Premier League club, joining the likes of striker Joe Hugill and Logan Pye, who both departed for Manchester United.

Boasting lightning speed and movement, he revealed on Everton's official website that his current favourite player at Everton was Dominic Calvert-Lewin and if he continues impressing in the youth set-up, he could soon get his chance to replace him.

Since arriving at the club two years ago, the 19-year-old has progressed from the under-18's, where he scored nine goals and supplied three assists in 16 appearances, to now terrorising opposition defences in Premier League 2 with two goals and one assist in six appearances this term.

Everton's official website also dubbed him as 'skilful' and he's certainly proven that this campaign, combining his fleet-footed dribbling and precise finishing to devastating effect.

Whilst the "highly-rated" talent – as hailed by journalist Bolarinwa Olajide – continues to tear apart the opposition in Premier League 2, Everton's desire to include him in the senior squad will grow stronger, with the Englishman demonstrating his ability to slalom past defenders and inject boundless amounts of speed in the final third.

With a keen eye for goal too, which journalist Patrick Boyland once lauded his propensity for a "composed finish", the teenager has already outlined his desire to break into the first-team set-up suggesting his preparedness for the step up.

He claimed back in January: “My ambition now is to be that focal point for the Under-21s, be the No.9 that all the players can rely on.

“I want to play more minutes, score more, keep adding assists and hopefully towards the end of the season, have a few sessions with the First Team to get a taste for what that’s like in the coming years. You can see there’s a pathway to the senior squad.”

With a goal record not to be snuffed at and the capacity to provide some much-needed flair, the teenage sensation could offer something completely different to the immobile Beto and the misfiring Calvert-Lewin, with the pair only scoring a combined four goals in 15 matches between them.

The stats behind why Everton need added flair in the final third

In January 2020, Gordon made his debut for the Merserysiders as a second-half substitute against West Ham United, describing it as the "best day" of his life.

The Englishman provided supporters with a sprinkle of his flair and dynamism, which is something that Okoronkwo could supply his side if given a chance and it is those qualities that the Toffees are crying out for, especially in their position of peril at the bottom of the Premier League table.

With three points separating them from 18th-place Burnley, it is clear that Dyche's current strategy isn't getting the best out of the talent he has at his disposal and this is evidenced by their fortunes in front of goal.

Although Everton are creating a larger volume of opportunities, ranking in seventh for xG accumulated (17.66), as per Understat, the Toffees have only scored nine goals and have underperformed their xG by 8.66.

Statistically, Dyche's team are the worst in the division at taking their chances, accumulating a staggering 3.65 xG in their 2-1 defeat against Luton Town and 2.74 in their draw against Sheffield United.

Whilst their fortunes on the field paint a bleak picture, they haven't had a great deal to shout about off it with a potential point deduction only heightening their worries after supposedly breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.

A dark cloud hangs over Goodison Park until a resolution is found for breaching FFP and the 777 Partners takeover is concluded, but until then, the Toffees could find their rare beam of shining light in the shape of Okoronkwo.

When Arsene Wenger arrived at Arsenal in October 1996, the club was in a mess. They hadn’t won a trophy since 1994 and had endured Premier League finishes of 12th and fifth in the subsequent two seasons prior to the Frenchman arriving in London.

His appointment not only changed the course of Arsenal’s modern history, but also changed English football as a whole, establishing the top flight as one of the finest leagues on the continent.

The former AS Monaco manager didn’t take long to make an impact, securing the double during the 1997/98 season, becoming Manchester United’s first proper challenger in the Premier League era.

Further titles were won in 2002 and 2004 – the latter being dubbed the ‘invincible’ season due to Arsenal remaining unbeaten across the 38 game campaign – while he also added another seven FA Cup trophies to the Gunners’ trophy cabinet.

This success was made possible by his diligence in the transfer market, often signing young talent for a low price before developing them into true world-class players.

Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, and Robert Pires are just but a few examples of this, and they all contributed heavily to this golden era for the club between 1998 and 2006.

That’s not to say Wenger didn’t have the odd transfer mishap and these were more prevalent as his stint at Arsenal wore on.

When did Arsene Wenger leave Arsenal?

The Frenchman departed the club following the 2017/18 season after 20 full seasons managing the north Londoners, yet his final few years were marred by poor results and even poorer signings.

The likes of Lucas Perez, Shkodran Mustafi, Calum Chambers and Danny Welbeck failed to leave any real impact during their spell at the club and this drop in stature meant Wenger failed to realistically challenge for another Premier League title during his final few years.

One of his worst signings however was that of defender Rob Holding, who arrived at the club in the summer of 2016, and it was hardly a signing which inspired confidence amongst the Arsenal support.

How much did Arsenal sign Rob Holding for?

Having finished the 2015/16 season in second place, failing to overtake surprise winners Leicester City during the final few months, the Frenchman aimed to bolster his squad ahead of another potential challenge.

His transfer business wasn’t exactly exciting and Holding was perhaps the most unflattering signing of the lot during that transfer window, costing just £2m and the 20-year-old was viewed as a signing for the near future rather than challenging for a first-team spot straight away.

Over the next seven years, Holding rinsed the club for millions without offering any real contribution on the pitch and proved to be yet another flop signed by Wenger.

How much did Rob Holding earn at Arsenal?

During his spell in north London, Holding began by earning a modest £13k-per-week during his first season before this rose to £23k-per-week during his second and third years at the club.

From his fourth season to when he departed the Gunners this summer under Mikel Arteta, the former Bolton Wanderers man earned £38k-per-week, which represented a decent rise from his first contract and signified his position in the senior team.

Over the course of his Arsenal career, he made 162 appearances for the club, yet made only 20 Premier League appearances during a single campaign only once, missing 54 games through injury during his time at the Gunners.

Did Rob Holding deserve to earn this amount?

Although the defender probably exceeded expectations at Arsenal following his arrival as a youngster in 2016, going on to win two FA Cups with the club, he wasn’t exactly the most consistent performer.

Indeed, he made just 60 appearances across his first three seasons, and it wasn’t until the 2020/21 campaign that he firmly established himself as a regular in the starting XI, especially in the Premier League, making 30 appearances.

This represented his peak as a player for the club, ranking fifth across the squad for accurate passes per game (52.3), first for clearances per game (3.9) and fourth for overall Sofascore rating (seven), indicating he was a reliable performer on the big stage, yet it proved to be a one-off.

The following season, he dropped to a lowly 19th in the squad with regard to Sofascore rating (6.79), while ranking 17th for tackles (0.9) and 12th for accurate passes (27.5) per game, showcasing just how big a drop-off he endured.

The former England U21 international was even criticised by Gary Neville after he was sent off against Tottenham Hotspur in May 2022, who said: "What is he doing? What is he doing?! Oh my goodness. I’m watching the run from Son and he [Holding] has a jab with his elbow, it comes away from his body. He’s been erratic, rash, he’s lacked composure.

"It’s madness. Mikel Arteta has big problems now. His centre-back has caused him huge issues in the first 35 minutes of this match. We spoke about Holding earlier in the game. Son played him. He played him and played him, like a little boy. Sometimes as a defender your head goes, you’re emotional and you do rash things. Son was in his head."

The centre-back lasted just one more season at the Emirates before joining Crystal Palace for a fee of £4m this summer as Mikel Arteta looked to ship out some deadwood in the squad.

Over the course of his 371 weeks at the Gunners, Holding rinsed the club of £13m, which combines his £2m transfer fee along with the £11m he earned in wages during that spell.

On the surface, this figure doesn’t appear to be a lot, especially for a club the size of Arsenal, yet Holding was just one of a few players signed by Wenger who ended up rinsing the club dry.

Arteta has turned the Gunners around and now has them challenging for honours, both domestically and on the continent, and hopefully expensive flops like Holding are a thing of the past as the Spaniard attempts to take the club into the future and secure glory of some sort in the next few years.

West Ham United are looking to continue their impressive start to the season and clinch European qualification for a fourth successive year, having struggled in the Premier League last term but triumphed in the Europa Conference League.

David Moyes' outfit have made a confident start to the domestic season while winning both of their matches in the Europa League, but despite this, Michail Antonio's recent injury has raised a few question marks regarding the club's centre-forward position.

Gianluca Scamacca was signed for £35.5m last summer with a weight of expectation but failed to acclimatise and was described as "miserable" by pundit Chris Sutton, sold back to his Italian homeland in a £27m deal to Atalanta.

Danny Ings was only signed in January in a £15m transfer from divisional rivals Aston Villa, but he is not performing at the requisite standard and, as such, will likely have Moyes questioning his role in the first-team going forward.

Should West Ham ditch Danny Ings?

Once hailed as a "lethal" goalscorer by Sutton, Ings has been a salient name on the Premier League scene for some time now, having started with Burnley before earning a transfer to Liverpool in 2015, though his time at Anfield was hindered by injury, scoring four times from just 25 appearances.

He completed a £20m move to Southampton in 2019 after finishing a season-long loan deal, scoring seven times from 24 outings.

He would enjoy his most fruitful fortunes on the south coast, bagging 46 goals from 100 displays in total and notably netting 25 strikes during the 2019/20 campaign.

At West Ham, he has not been at the races, leading The Athletic's Roshane Thomas to remark, "I don't think this system works for Danny Ings. He's often too isolated up front."

This may well be the case, with the three-cap England international only scoring three times from 30 matches for the Hammers, and having only made five substitute showings in the Premier League this season, yet to start and yet to score, the 31-year-old's time might be running out.

On £125k-per-week, he is not living up to the wage and is a shadow of the man who was once so 'lethal' in the final third; a force to be reckoned with and a destructive centre-forward.

With Antonio out injured for the recent victory over Freiburg in the Europa League, many might've thought that it was the perfect opportunity for Ings to step up the plate, but with Moyes refraining from offering him a starting berth, there is little doubt regarding where he stands in his manager's mind at present.

It might be best for all parties that he moves on as soon as possible; with West Ham surely poised to move for an established centre-forward sooner rather than later, he will only see his role further hampered and may even be detrimental to rising stars such as Divin Mubama, who is striving for a starting spot at the front of the ship himself.

Who could replace Danny Ings?

While the obvious heir to the centre-forward position at West Ham right now is Mubama, the teenage forward is still only in his fledgling phase and must not be thrown into the deep end before learning to tread water.

He has already scored his first goal and supplied his first assist for the Irons' senior set-up, but remains an untested prospect and must be nurtured with care – as, to be fair, Moyes is doing.

Jarrod Bowen impressed as the focal frontman against Freiburg on Thursday night after teeing up Lucas Paqueta for the game's opening goal, but he is undoubtedly best served down the right channel, and, as such, the club's Scottish manager could look to provide the under-fire Maxwel Cornet with a new lease of life at the front of the ship.

Signing from relegated Burnley in 2022 for £17.5m on a five-year contract, the Ivorian winger hasn't hit the ground running by any stretch of the imagination, having only made 25 appearances across all competitions, yet to score and registering five assists.

During the 2021/22 campaign with the Clarets, he previously hit nine Premier League goals from only 21 starting showings, capturing the awe of supporters and leading Alan Shearer to describe him as “dangerous”.

While his maiden season in east London was blighted by an injury that ruled him out from October until March, he didn't prove himself at all on the pitch and only made two starts in the top-flight.

Having only played one minute in the Premier League this season, he has not been entrusted with a prominent role but could now be reborn in a central striking role, replacing the out-of-sorts Ings.

He scored three times when used in the position under Sean Dyche's wing at Burnley, and would certainly offer a different dimension to the side's frontal efforts while allowing Bowen to remain in his preferred role down the right.

As per Sofascore, Cornet offered 1.8 shots and 0.6 key passes per game while at Turf Moor, which surpasses Ings' 1.2 shots and 0.4 key passes per game in the Premier League last season.

He also offers a sense of dynamism that could prove invaluable when looking to shift with Antonio, who is a powerful and brutish striker, and while he offers different skills, he still holds a knack for some "fantastic" finishing, as has been previously noted by Dyche.

The £65k-per-week ace is only 27 years old and is ostensibly suffering from a stark decline in confidence, but with a fresh slate in a new role, he could be transformed and finally start exuding the class that Moyes knows is at his disposal.

And while Ings is still capable of finding the back of the net, his days appear numbered at the London Stadium and a tactical tweak could be vital for sustaining the fluidity over the duration of the campaign.

It would be a bold move, but handing a third Premier League start of his West Ham career to Cornet could be a wise move as far as Moyes is concerned.