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They continue to keep pace with Trinbago Knight Riders as their spin attack dismantled the Patriots, restricting them for 121 before romping past the target in a seven-wicket win

The Report by Peter Della Penna15-Sep-2019Guyana Amazon Warriors continue to keep pace with Trinbago Knight Riders as their spin attack dismantled the St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots at Warner Park, bowling out the hosts for 121 in 19 overs before romping past the target in a seven-wicket win on Saturday night.Spinners accounted for seven of the first eight wickets to fall, a runout by Imran Tahir producing the other, before Keemo Paul wiped out the tail in a dominant bowling effort. Brandon King then clattered a rapid 49 in the Powerplay as half the target was knocked off by the end of the sixth over. Shoaib Malik and Nicholas Pooran picked up the slack scoring an unbeaten 24 and 18 respectively to take Amazon Warriors over the line with 25 balls to spare.Spin to WinAmazon Warriors’ strategy of opening with spin from both ends has flummoxed opposition early in CPL 2019 and this match was no different. After struggling to get Chandrapaul Hemraj’s left-arm spin away in the first over, Devon Thomas was defeated by a skiddy delivery from Chris Green to start the second. Laurie Evans had done well to negotiate Green, Hemraj and Tahir through the rest of the Powerplay until the final ball when he tried to take on Tahir’s arm from short fine leg and was run out with a direct hit at the striker’s end for 26.It proved to be a pivotal moment as Qais Ahmad was soon whittling through the line-up. Mohammad Hafeez, who was brought in to open in place of Evin Lewis after the local star was injured playing football in warm-ups, couldn’t get the elevation on a drive against Qais and picked out Shimron Hetmyer at long-off for 14.Tahir then struck twice in the ninth, first trapping Jason Mohammed playing down the wrong line for 4 before Dominic Drakes top-edged a slog sweep that fell safely into the hands of Qais at midwicket in the ring for 2. Shamarh Brooks tried his best to counter-attack scoring 34 in a 44-run stand with Fabian Allen but eventually fell skying a drive to Hetmyer off Qais. Qais took his third three balls later when Allen fell sweeping to Keemo Paul at deep square leg, helping him earn Player-of-the-Match honours.Green came back to knock over Joseph for the eighth wicket, skying a catch to King at point. By this stage captain Carlos Brathwaite was running out of partners and tried to take on Paul but only managed to find Green at long-on. Two balls later, Paul had his second to end the innings with one over to spare when he lunged to his left to pull off a sharp return catch off Cottrell. After the run-fest between the Knight Riders and Jamaica Tallawahs 24 hours earlier, Patriots’ performance looked especially limp.King of Warner ParkThe 24-year-old Amazon Warriors right-hander just missed out on what would have been his second career T20 fifty. But King still did more than plenty to deflate what hope Patriots might have had of defending the meagre target by striking his 49 at better than 200.After a skewed drive over point for his first boundary off Sheldon Cottrell in the first over, he meted out severe punishment in the third against the left-arm quick. A cut behind point produced his second boundary on the third ball of the over before he smashed a length ball out of the ground over midwicket for six. A sumptuous drive through extra cover followed for another four before he glided a full toss behind point for another boundary to end an 18-run over.Allen wasn’t spared either replacing Cottrell for the fifth. Getting his length a touch too short in the fifth, Allen was carted over long-on for six. The left-arm spinner appeared to defeat King in flight on the fifth ball of the over but King released one hand off the bat for a tennis backhand over long-off to complete another audacious six. Back-to-back fours in the sixth off Hafeez took him to 49 but his innings came to an end when he tried to pinch a tight single to square leg off the final ball of the Powerplay that Hemraj hesitated in response to, and by the time King tried to get back in his crease, Mohammed had relayed to Thomas to catch him two yards short.But by this stage King had done the bulk of the heavy lifting for the visitors. Despite two more wickets falling – Hemraj and Hetmyer – Pooran and Shoaib set their modes to cruise control and went through the rest of the chase unfussed. Victory was eventually clinched with a wide in the 16th over.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Grêmio pode ganhar uma baixa de peso para a decisão contra o Independiente Del Valle. Trata-se de César Pinares, que sentiu a parte física e não encara o time equatoriano.

Com a provável ausência do chileno, Jean Pyerre deve ganhar uma oportunidade no time titular e ganhar outra chance para se redmir com a torcida.

+ Confira a tabela detalhada da 1ª fase da Libertadores

Provável Escalação: Brenno; Felipe, Rodrigues, Kannemann e Diogo Barbosa; Maicon, Matheus Henrique, Alisson, Pinares (Jean Pyerre) e Ferreira; Diego Souza.

Após perder a ida por 2 a 1, o Grêmio precisa de vitória simples ou a partir de dois gols de diferença para avançar.

RelacionadasSantosSantos consegue parecer favorável sobre multa abusiva no Caso DoyenSantos12/04/2021VascoEsquentou: Vasco acusa Ferj de favorecer o Flamengo ao adiar o Clássico dos Milhões; confira a notaVasco12/04/2021Futebol Internacional‘Solidez’ é a palavra que Luan Dias, atleta do Montalegre, usa para definir a campanha da equipeFutebol Internacional12/04/2021

MatériaMais Notícias

O lateral-direito Orejuela apareceu no BID (Boletim Informativo Diário) da CBF nesta terça-feira e já está regularizado para fazer sua estreia com a camisa do São Paulo.

Carneiro foi mais um: relembre gringos que não deixaram saudade no São Paulo

O jogador briga por uma vaga entre os inscritos da primeira fase do Campeonato Paulista.Os clubes têm até 9 de abril para inscreverem novos jogadores, sendo que o São Paulo pode colocar mais três atletas.

CONFIRA A TABELA ATUALIZADA DO CAMPEONATO PAULISTA DE 2021

RelacionadasSão PauloSão Paulo avança em reforma do programa de sócio-torcedorSão Paulo01/04/2021São PauloCasares evita dar prazo sobre patrocínio máster no São PauloSão Paulo01/04/2021São PauloSão Paulo será cabeça de chave no sorteio da Libertadores; veja cenárioSão Paulo31/03/2021

No entanto, com seis novos reforços contratados, metade deles vai ficar de fora da fase inicial do estadual. A tendência é que Orejuela e Miranda devem ser inscritos no estadual. Eder, Benitez e William brigam pela outra vaga. Outro reforço, Bruno Rodrigues já foi inscrito e até estreou pela equipe de Hernán Crespo.

O colombiano assinou contrato com o Tricolor até março de 2025 e chega para suprir a lacuna na lateral após a saída do espanhol Juanfran.

Orejuela BIDou! pic.twitter.com/CiEPY0J2Li

— Gabriel Santos (@ga_obiel) April 1, 2021

Com a chegada do colombiano, a lateral pode ganhar em situações ofensivas. No Brasileirão, Orejuela marcou um gol e ganhou destaque nos ataques do Grêmio. Segundo o ‘SofaScore’, o jogador teve uma eficiência de 72% dos passes no campo do adversário. Ele ainda teve 48% nas bolas longas e 40% nos lançamentos certeiros. No entanto, em cruzamentos, ele acertou apenas 24%.

Na defesa, Orejuela somou 54% de disputas de bolas ganhas, 53% nos duelos de chão e 54% nas disputas aéreas. A altura de 1,80m também facilita nas bolas aéreas.

Leeds United will hope they can string together a positive sequence of results this January to mount pressure again on the Championship top two, Daniel Farke's men falling short of the automatic promotion spots recently.

Defeats on the road to Preston North End and West Bromwich Albion to close out December stick out as poor results looking back, the Whites seven points off second in the league as a result with Southampton even leapfrogging the patchy West Yorkshire side in the process.

Leeds did get back on course with a 3-0 win over Birmingham City to start 2024, but Farke will still be eager to add more bodies to his promotion-chasing side to give the Whites a slight edge over their promotion rivals in the Championship.

Sammie Szmodics

Blackburn

25

16

3

Adam Armstrong

Southampton

26

13

9

Morgan Whittaker

Plymouth

26

13

5

Crysencio Summerville

Leeds

23

12

6

Jack Clarke

Sunderland

26

12

2

Jonathan Rowe

Norwich

24

10

2

The Whites might well have missed out on landing Fabio Carvalho – the dynamic Liverpool midfielder opting to join Hull City over Farke's men who had targeted him – but that snub can be quickly forgotten if Leeds sign this equally as skilful midfield option this January.

Leeds transfer latest – David Brooks

talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook disclosed in late December that both Leeds and Southampton were waiting with bated breath over the possibility of signing AFC Bournemouth attacker David Brooks this January.

The conclusion of the Carvalho transfer saga has potentially made both clubs even more anxious over who Brooks could select to join.

In a recent post on social media, Crook further opened up about the fact Russell Martin is now itching for Brooks to join the Saints as a result of the Carvalho deal falling through for the South Coast club.

Leeds won't let another potential incoming pass them by however, the 26-year-old winger a player they simply can't give up on with the Welshman offering more strength in depth and allowing Leeds to have another attacker – alongside Georginio Rutter – who can dazzle opponents with ease.

David Brooks' record in the Championship

At Championship level in the past, Brooks has shown his capabilities as a feared attacker for defenders to keep under control.

Making 69 appearances in the second tier to date across his career, the Welshman has 20 goal contributions next to his name with nine goals and 11 assists managed.

In comparison, Carvalho has two fewer with 18 goal contributions in the second tier over his career which could ease the bruising news a little that Leeds missed out on the Portuguese talent to the Tigers.

Brooks was once praised for his style of play by former Cherries boss Eddie Howe, the now Newcastle United manager stating that the attacker had an innate 'creative flair' and his movement on the ball was 'intelligent' back in 2018.

Games – 69

Games – 36

Goals – 9

Goals – 10

Assists – 11

Assists – 8

Stats by Transfermarkt

The new Hull recruit Carvalho plays predominantly in the number ten spot with the Reds youngster also adept at playing down the channels if required, but Leeds arguably don't need reinforcements in that position owing to the continue heroics of Rutter.

Indeed, Rutter was a star performer in the 3-0 win over the Blues on New Year's Day – the 21-year-old amassing three key passes in the straightforward victory – and so Leeds are better suited pursuing Brooks to strengthen down the right-hand side instead of through the middle.

Despite the Cherries encouraging Brooks to depart the Vitality Stadium on loan, the slick 26-year-old has shown in flashes this season what he's about when given a chance by Andoni Iraola.

Brooks' short but sweet cameo against Fulham on Boxing Day stands out, teeing up fellow substitute and ex-Leeds figure Luis Sinisterra for a game-clinching third goal in the 3-0 win despite only being on the pitch for a matter of minutes.

Farke could well view Brooks as a worthwhile short-term option to go after to give his Leeds side more quality as the fixtures become even more tense and balanced on a knife edge, the tricky 5 foot 8 winger capable of producing moments of immense magic that would see him go toe-to-toe with Daniel James on his arrival.

Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is to propose a new change to the offside law which could give attackers a big advantage.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• New change to offside rule to be proposed
• Must be daylight between attacker and defender
• Wenger's plan likely to face opposition

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Wenger currently works as FIFA's chief of global football development and is keen to amend the offside law after being "convinced" his proposal works following trials in Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands, according to . Under Wenger's proposal there must be "daylight" between the attacker and defender for an offside offence to occur. If any part of the attacker's body, from which they can score, is in line with the last defender then this is considered onside. The former Arsenal manager plans to make the proposal to the the International FA Board (IFAB) and is hopeful it can be adopted quickly.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The current offside rule continues to cause controversy and yield contentious decisions despite the introduction of VAR. Yet Wenger's proposal may face opposition as there are concens it will "give too much advantage" to attackers, according to the report. Former Real Madrid and Barcelona star Luis Figo, who is the head of UEFA's Football Board, is said to be against the proposal and Wenger's plan may have to be trialled again in a competition that uses VAR before any changes to the law are adopted.

• WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

  Former Arsenal and FA vice-president David Dein has backed the idea. He told a FIFA Congress in Bangkok earlier in May: "The offside rule has to change as it is too contentious and problematic. Arsene’s idea is refreshingly innovative."

  Wenger has been working on the proposal for four years and said the following back in 2020 about the offside rule: “There is room to change the rule and not say that a part of a player’s nose is offside, so you are offside because you can score with that. Instead, you will be not offside if any part of the body that can score a goal is in line with the last defender, even if other parts of the attacker’s body are in front. That will sort it out and you will no longer have decisions about millimetres and a fraction of the attacker being in front of the defensive line."

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  WHAT NEXT FOR THE OFFSIDE RULE

  Premier League clubs will see changes to offside decisions next season with semi-automated technology to be used in the English top flight for the first time. The system has already been used in the World Cup 2022 and in the Champions League and Serie A. Any further changes to the offside rule must wait for IFAB approval.

Leeds United moved to ten points behind Ipswich Town on Tuesday night as they were beaten 1-0 by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.

The Whites failed to pick up any points on Wearside, whilst the Tractor Boys beat Watford 2-1, and the gap between themselves and the top two will be ten points if Leicester City win their match on Wednesday.

Daniel Farke's side have won nine of their last 12 Championship games but the incredible form of the two teams above them has left them miles away from the automatic promotion places.

They are aiming to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking and will need a degree of luck, in terms of the results of the current top two, alongside a strong run of form for the rest of the campaign.

The January transfer window is fast approaching and Farke may look to work with Nick Hammond to bolster his playing squad to provide a boost ahead of the second half of the season.

Leeds transfer news – Trai Hume

TEAMtalk reported earlier this month that the Whites are one of a number of teams eyeing up impressive Sunderland full-back Trai Hume.

Premier League side Burnley are also said to be looking at the talented young defender, whilst Championship outfit Leicester are also in the mix to land his signature.

The report stated that the Black Cats could be tempted to cash in on him in January if they can make a significant profit on the £200k they paid Linfield to sign him last year.

All three of the interested parties are said to be looking closely at the Northern Ireland international as they ponder a swoop to sign him at the start of 2024.

However, he put pen to paper on a new contract with Sunderland over the summer and is contracted through to the summer of 2027, with the option to extend it by a further 12 months.

It, therefore, remains to be seen how much the Black Cats would demand for his services, along with how much Leeds would be willing to pay in January.

The Whites have been hit with a host of full-back injuries this season. Sam Byram is set to miss three weeks with a hamstring blow that was suffered against Blackburn Rovers, whilst Jamie Shackleton has a glute issue and Junior Firpo is 'close' to a return to first-team training.

On-loan Tottenham Hotspur right-back Djed Spence also missed eight weeks with a knee injury that was sustained back in September and made his first start of the season, at left-back, against Sunderland.

Farke must now push for Hammond and the club to seal a deal for Hume as he could be an excellent addition to their full-back ranks, as he illustrated with a phenomenal display against Crysencio Summerville on Tuesday night.

Hume's performance against Leeds in numbers

The 21-year-old starlet lined up on the right of his side's back five at the Stadium of Light and dominated the Dutch winger with a sublime defensive performance.

Hume recorded a game-high Sofascore rating of 7.8 as he showcased his fantastic quality as a defender with numerous key interventions to prevent Anthony Patterson from being troubled.

The former Linfield star made three clearances, two blocks, four interceptions, four tackles, and made one clearance off the line to stop Joel Piroe from scoring.

Leeds' Dutch forward worked space for a shot in the box and saw his goalbound effort hooked away on the line by the hard-working full-back, who positioned himself perfectly to clear the danger.

Hume's exceptional defending meant that Summerville ended the match without a goal or a single 'big chance' created in his 90 minutes out on the left wing.

Crysencio Summerville's season in numbers

This was an impressive achievement for the Northern Irish gem as the Leeds forward had produced nine goals and ten 'big chances' created in 15 league starts ahead of the match – a goal or a 'big chance' created every 0.83 starts on average.

The 22-year-old whiz has provided 2.9 key passes and completed 2.6 dribbles per game respectively – the most within the squad in both statistics – and this illustrates how exciting he has been at the top end of the pitch.

Farke's electric forward has been a consistent threat in the final third with his ability to score goals and create chances at an exceptional rate.

However, Hume was able to stop him from being a match-winner for Leeds at the Stadium of Light with his impressive blocks, tackles, and interceptions on the night, which led to him being described as "outstanding" by journalist Josh Bunting.

Trai Hume's season in numbers

That display was not a flash in the pan as the 5 foot 11 EFL titan has consistently produced fantastic defensive performances for Sunderland this season.

The Whites target has started all 21 of his club's matches in the Championship and has caught the eye with an incredible 5.1 tackles and interceptions per game.

Meanwhile, no Leeds player has managed more than 3.5 per match and no full-back at the club has produced more than 3.3 per outing.

Appearances

28

Sofascore rating

6.93

Assists

Two

Tackles per game

2.4

Interceptions per game

1.3

Hume, who has averaged six ball recoveries per clash, has also scored one goal and created four 'big chances' from a right-back position, whilst makeshift right-back Archie Gray has zero goals and two 'big chances' created for Leeds in 20 appearances.

He also ranks within the top 24% of Championship full-backs this season for progressive passes (4.83) per 90, which shows that the Whites target offers quality in possession to go along with his sublime defensive work.

In fact, Hume ranks within the top 18% or higher of his positional peers for tackles (3.52), interceptions (1.74), blocks (1.59), and aerial duels won (2.46) per 90 this term.

The Sunderland star has proven himself to be a terrific performer at this level and this means that Leeds would be signing a player who has the quality to hit the ground running in the Championship.

Therefore, Farke must swoop to bring the Northern Ireland international to Elland Road as he could be an outstanding defensive option who is capable of locking up and dominating the opposition's star players each week.

The hosts held their nerve in the 105-run chase to seal the T20I series against Sri Lanka with a tight win at the Wanderers

The Report by Liam Brickhill03-Feb-2019South Africa sealed the T20I series against Sri Lanka with a tight two-wicket win at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Sune Luus’ 5 for 14 helped to bowl Sri Lanka out for 105 but South Africa stumbled through the latter stages of their own chase to find themselves 97 for 8. But the hosts held their nerve, with no. 6 Nadine de Klerk guiding the team home with an unbeaten 15.Captain Dane van Niekerk had once again set South Africa off to a rapid start, cutting and driving two off-side boundaries in Udeshika Prabodhani’s opening over and collecting another brace through the leg side off Chamari Atapattu’s offspin two overs later. Van Niekerk then took the attack to Achini Kulasuriya, swiping a massive six down the ground and then clubbing two further boundaries over the leg side. But van Niekerk then played one shot too many, swiping underneath another big hit with Kulasuriya settling under the swirling chance to hold the catch herself.Her dismissal offered Sri Lanka a window back into the game, and they clawed back to dismiss Marizanne Kapp, Tazmin Brits and Luus cheaply. Two leg-side boundaries from Lara Goodall kept South Africa ticking, but the run-rate started to mount and when Goodall sliced a leading edge to Imalka Mendis at point, Sri Lanka had another opening. Saarah Smith tried to break free with a mow into the leg side, but she could only get as far as Nilakshi de Silva at deep midwicket, and South Africa were six down with 23 still needed.Smith’s dismissal put Sri Lanka ahead, but in a cauldron of pressure the visitors’ fielding let them down at crucial moments. In Oshadi Ranasinghe’s fourth over, the backward point and third man fielders both tumbled over a deft late cut from Faye Tunnicliffe to give away a boundary, and four balls later Tunnicliffe laced a drive through the hands of mid off to take the requirement down to 15 from the last two overs.Her luck ran out in the next over, however, as she flicked a flighted delivery from Atapattu into the leg side and then took on Kulasuriya’s arm for a risky second. But the throw was sharp and accurate, and wicketkeeper Sanjeewani whipped the bails off with Tunnicliffe short of her ground. Sanjeewani was at it again in the same over when Shabnim Ismail lunged forward at a flighted offbreak, only to be beaten by flight and turn, the wicketkeeper breaking the stumps with Ismail’s back foot in front of the line to leave South Africa eight down.The hosts needed eight from the final over bowled by Prabodhani, but no. 10 Masabata Klaas was on strike, with Nadine de Klerk stuck at the other end. Klaas played and missed at the first delivery, but Sanjeewani fumbled her take and de Klerk charged through for a bye. De Klerk crunched two through the covers and then turned the strike over with an edge that fell short of Sanjeewani. Klaas’ drive to long on put de Klerk back on strike, and with three needed from two balls.Sri Lanka’s fielding then let the team down a third, and decisive, time. De Klerk cut hard to beat point, and the cover sweeper then dived over the ball to allow a boundary, giving South Africa an unassailable 2-0 series lead.The Wanderers track used in the men’s ODI last week was a little drier than expected, and today the spinners on both sides once again found plenty of purchase. Luus made particularly good use of conditions to record her second T20I five-for.Sri Lanka were well placed at 72 for 3 when Luus was brought into the attack, Siriwardene having hit van Niekerk and Tumi Sekhukhune out of the attack in a flurry of boundaries. Siriwardene cut Luus’ first ball past point, but in her next over she charged down the track at one that ragged away from her off the pitch to be stumped for 38. In the very same over, Mendis swiped a catch out to Klaas at deep midwicket, and all the hard work had been undone.Luus then got to work on the lower order, with some sterling help from her fielders. Sekhukhune pulled off a superb diving catch in the outfield to get rid of Thimashini, and wicketkeeper Tunnicliffe then pulled off another swift stumping to dismiss de Silva for 4.Kapp, who had struck twice at the top of the innings, then returned to castle Prabodhani to leave Sri Lanka nine down. But the final act of the innings went to Luus, who held on to a sharp return catch from Ranaweera to claim her fifth wicket and bowl Sri Lanka out for a total that was just inside South Africa’s reach.

Chelsea have quickly become one of the most unpredictable sides in the Premier League. Whilst they became the team to end Tottenham Hotspur's unbeaten start to the season with a 4-1 thrashing, before they earned points against both Arsenal and champions Manchester City in games they could have won, the Blues were eased past by Newcastle United and have suffered defeats against Brentford and Nottingham Forest this season. If any side have been the definition of inconsistent, it is Mauricio Pochettino's.

The Blues will be well aware of the issues that they face, however, and have reportedly already turned their attention towards future transfer windows, with one journalist delivering a positive verdict on one specific defensive target.

Chelsea transfer news

It's a rare day when Chelsea aren't in the headlines for their transfer activity, especially since the arrival of Todd Boehly and that looks set to only continue. During the summer transfer window, the Blues attempted to rebuild by bidding farewell to the likes of Mason Mount and Kai Havertz to make room for incomings such as Cole Palmer and Christopher Nkunku. That rebuild is yet to have any success though, and the London giants have been left needing further reinforcements. They have at least been given a positive verdict on one target, however.

Speaking to the Simon Phillips Substack, one reporter claimed that Marc Guehi would be keen on a move to Chelsea: “Chelsea have sold a lot of home-grown talent already, they have to have a certain amount. Crystal Palace have been really clear that they want to do no business until after the Euros. That’s what their line is. Marc Guehi would be very keen to join in the first team and play for Chelsea. SO that’s something that’s definitely got legs. It’s one to watch out for.”

Guehi, of course, began his career as an academy graduate at Chelsea before finding his feet away from Stamford Bridge, meaning that a return now that he is an established Premier League player may feel somewhat fitting. It does look as though the Blues will have to wait until late next summer before any deal can potentially get done.

"Excellent" Guehi deserves big move

Not only is Guehi now an established Premier League defender, he is now an England international who looks increasingly likely to get a place on the plane for Gareth Southgate's Euro 2024 squad. Guehi's stats show that he is more than ready for a big move too.

Player

Tackles Won

Blocks

Interceptions

Clearances

Marc Guehi

10

14

12

59

Thiago Silva

7

12

12

48

Axel Disasi

2

10

4

33

It's no surprise, given how well Guehi has performed, that Southgate has had nothing but good things to say. The England boss told Channel 4: “Marc has been excellent. He has really in every game he has shown great composure. His defending has been good. He has taken what I have seen for his club into international and we all know that is not straight forward but he is really looking like a top player.”

Glasgow Rangers have shown vast improvement under Philippe Clement since he took over last month as the Ibrox side have won six of his first seven matches in charge.

An impressive record, yet it will all be for nothing if the club do not maintain their current form and secure a trophy or two by the end of the season.

The Belgian might also be targeting the upcoming January transfer window as a chance to not only bolster his squad, but to also add some much-needed depth.

Rangers transfer news

According to TEAMtalk, the Light Blues are reportedly keen on signing teenager Noah Mbamba in January as they appear to be ahead of Manchester City in the race for the youngster.

The 18-year-old gem is currently playing for Bayer Leverkusen in German and the outlet adds that any potential move would likely be a loan deal.

Bayern Munich have previously sent scouts to watch his performances before he sealed a move to Leverkusen, and it looks as though a temporary move will give him some senior experience.

Fabrizio Romano dubbed the young midfielder a “top talent” upon his arrival at Leverkusen back in January and Clement looks like he wants to give the player a platform to shine on, albeit temporarily.

The Gers signed Abdallah Sima on a season-long loan deal in the summer, and the club could repeat that masterclass by landing another superb loanee.

Noah Mbamba could be Abdallah Sima 2.0

The on-loan Brighton and Hove Albion gem has certainly impressed during his stint at the club so far, scoring nine goals across 22 matches and proving to be a dangerous threat on the left wing.

The winger also ranks second across the squad for goals and assists in the league (six) while also ranking second for successful dribbles per game (1.7) and third for scoring frequency (a goal every 151 minutes), indicating how impressive he has been domestically.

The young Belgian could also have a similar impact at the Gers should he make a move to Glasgow in January, given his impressive cameos in the top-flight of German football this term.

While he has played just twice in the Bundesliga this season and averaged just seven minutes of playing time, he has already created a big chance and averaged 0.5 key passes per game – assisting one goal.

Despite being a defensive midfielder by trade, Mbamba has been able to showcase his attacking quality and could, as Sima has, make an impact at the top end of the pitch for the Gers during the second half of the campaign.

A 94% pass success rate also means he can dictate the play well, and he also has Champions League experience, playing three times in the competition during the 2021/22 season aged just 16.

The teenage sensation may be a rough diamond, but Clement could certainly give him a platform to shine on, especially if the Gers go on a deep run in Europe, where squad rotation could be important.

Sima has enjoyed a wonderful spell so far, chipping in with vital goals, and with any swoop for Mbamba looking like it will be a loan deal, he could have the potential to replicate Sima’s success.

Whilst there is no guarantee that the Leverkusen youngster will be able to hit the ground running, like the Senegal international has, the scope is there for him to be an exciting signing.

With City keen on the youngster, Clement will need to act fast in order to snap him up once the winter window finally opens.

Arsenal are in a good position heading into the winter period in the Premier League, but manager Mikel Arteta is a man of intelligence and cunning.

A strategist, he understands that to topple the purportedly indomitable Manchester City, the Emirates Stadium must be strengthened in January.

The London side have perhaps gone a bit under the radar this season, and despite a few wobbles are top of their Champions League group and are third-placed in the English top-flight, just one point off top spot.

But might it be fair to say there is something… missing? Maybe it's pedantic to claim that Arsenal – who have scored 26 goals from 12 matches – are lacking offensively, but then Arteta is indeed a perfectionist, and silver-laden success is nestled in his mind like a chick waiting to hatch.

Arsenal transfer news – strikers

According to Tutto Juve – as per TEAMtalk – Arsenal are in a good position to win the race for Juventus striker Dusan Vlahovic in January, with his Serie A outfit reportedly looking for €60m (£52m) to grant his sale.

Chelsea and Real Madrid are also interested in the Serbian, but it's unlikely that either would match the Gunners' bid and Arteta would ostensibly have a smooth route to his acquisition.

The 23-year-old is one of the best centre-forwards in Italian football but he has not quite clicked in Turin, and given the Old Lady's financial problems, it's believed that Massimiliano Allegri would welcome his sale, with Juventus second in the league.

Dusan Vlahovic's style of play

Juventus completed the £67m transfer of Vlahovic from Serie A rivals Fiorentina in January 2022 after his free-scoring feats had landed him an exciting move, but he has failed to match his return of

Last season, he scored 14 goals from 42 matches, impressing with his movement and finishing skills but unable to reach the kind of heights that were expected after he bagged 17 goals and four assists from his final 21 league outings for La Viola.

Described as a "monster" by reporter Carlo Garganese, Vlahovic is tall and powerful, boasting a mastery of his physicality and exceptional in receiving the ball under pressure and barging into dangerous areas.

As per Sofascore, Vlahovic has clinched four goals and an assist from just six starts in the Italian top flight this season, taking 2.7 shots per game and succeeding with 75% of his dribbles.

The 24-cap Serbia international has also been called "lightning" by pundit Micah Richards, who remarked that he has "everything you could need in a striker".

How Dusan Vlahovic compares to Victor Osimhen

The £219k-per-week talisman is perhaps failing to reach his apex at the Allianz Stadium but that certainly does not mean that he is not a first-rate forward.

To ventriloquise Richards, he boasts all the attributes that Arteta needs to serve as the perfect foil to Gabriel Jesus in the focal role up top – less creative, perhaps, but a natural sharpshooter.

Player

Club

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

Victor Osimhen

Napoli

Timo Werner

RB Leipzig

Patrik Schick

Bayer Leverkusen

Rodrygo

Real Madrid

*Sourced via Football Transfers

Given that he is of a similar make to Victor Osimhen, goalscoring extraordinaire of Serie A champions Napoli, Arteta may well be wise to forge ahead with plans to bring him to the Emirates fold.

Nigeria international Osimhen was invariably destructive last season as his outfit secured the Scudetto, posting 31 goals and five assists across all competitions, even heralded as a "superstar" by The Athletic's Colin Millar.

Osimhen is also a robust, quick, powerful and intimidating striker who threatens through the blending of his athleticism, hold-up play and defence-splitting motions through the lines.

Vlahovic boasts that same innate predatory instinct, even if he is struggling to click into full gear with Juventus. Arteta could offer him the perfect platform to use as a launchpad, with his prolific exploits sending a frisson of excitement through the Gunner ranks as they surge toward illustrious success,.