Arsenal insiders have responded to whispers that they’ve held talks over signing a once-£137 million star for manager Mikel Arteta, ahead of a potential transfer opportunity in 2025.

Arsenal transfer chiefs seeking fresh wide options

A few star wingers have been linked with moves to north London recently, with Bukayo Saka’s injury scare pushing Emirates Stadium transfer chiefs into looking at alternatives to the £195,000-per-week star.

"Incredible" Arsenal ace now "close" to injury return in boost for Arteta

There’s been good news this week.

ByEmilio Galantini Oct 30, 2024

Bryan Mbeumo is a target for Arsenal ahead of January, according to some reports, while it is believed Arteta is a real admirer of Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo – who they’re contemplating a move for at the end of this Premier League season.

Saka returned to the starting eleven against Liverpool, opening the scoring in a 2-2 draw on Sunday, but was absent for their previous clashes against Bournemouth and Shakhtar Donetsk after injuring his hamstring on international duty with England.

Newcastle United (away)

November 2

Chelsea (away)

November 10

Nottingham Forest (home)

November 23

West Ham United (away)

November 30

Man United (home)

December 4

While the 23-year-old is back fit, and set to play a major role in their title challenge, his brief spell on the sidelines brought attention to Edu Gaspar’s need to sign quality back-up options to Saka – not to mention other key members of Arteta’s squad.

The Spaniard has been forced to deal with a host of injuries to important members of the squad this season, and if their trouble with player fitness continues, it could seriously threaten to derail their hunt for a first league crown in 21 years.

Former recruitment chief Mick Brown, who is well-connected from his spells working for Premier League sides, suggested recently that Arsenal are planning to bring in quality alternatives for mainstay stars, including Saka.

“I’ve heard the Arsenal hierarchy have held discussions about what happens if certain players get injured, and that includes Saka,” said Brown to Football Insider.

“They want to get to a point where they have a solid backup for every player in their starting XI. Long-term, they’ll be planning to strengthen in every position.”

Brown, in another interview with Football Insider this week, stated that he believes Arsenal have their eyes on Leroy Sane – who looks set to leave Bayern Munich at the end of this season.

He claims Arsenal have been working on a deal for Sane “in the background”, sparking whispers of potential talks for the Germany international could be snapped up at zero cost.

Arsenal respond to "talks held" over deal for Leroy Sane

Today, a report from The Boot Room and journalist Graeme Bailey shared the Gunners’ response to this.

Indeed, it is believed Arsenal have played down that they’ve “held talks about a deal” for Sane, and they claim that their priorities lie elsewhere despite his agents attempting to secure him a move away and informing sides that he’ll be a free agent next year.

Arteta knows Sane well from their time together at Man City, where he once commanded a seismic £137 million price tag, and the pair enjoyed quite a stay at Eastlands where they won trophies galore.

On a reported £320,000-per-week, and nearing the age of 30, it is perhaps clear why Arsenal are hesitant – even if Sane has showcased his quality on world football’s biggest stages time and time again.

It’s become impossible to ignore: Arsenal’s season is starting to fall apart.

Mikel Arteta’s side have dealt with a number of injuries, unnecessary suspensions and, at best, underwhelming performances on the pitch, which have left them nine points off Liverpool on top of the Premier League.

However, while things look grim for the North Londoners, there is still time to get their campaign back on track, especially if they make the most of the January transfer window.

Fortunately, recent reports suggest that they may well do that, as the latest star touted for a move to N5 is an imposing striker who could be the ideal Kai Havertz replacement and has even been compared to Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland.

Arsenal transfer news

According to a recent report by journalist Rudy Galetti, Arsenal are interested in Juventus’ star striker, Dušan Vlahović.

The respected reporter has revealed that the Serie A giants are “open to letting Dusan go,” and that the Gunners have been “monitoring” his situation and are “expected to meet his agent soon to gather fresh information.”

There is no mention of a potential price in the report, but Transfermarkt values him at €65m, which is about £55m, and with his contract expiring in 19 months, combined with the Old Lady’s willingness to let him go, that seems like a realistic price.

It would still represent a sizeable investment from Arsenal, but given Vlahovic’s ability in front of goal and the comparisons to Haaland and Mbpabbe, it could be one worth making, especially as he could be the dream replacement for Havertz.

Why Vlahović would be an ideal Havertz replacement

Okay, so before we get to the comparison between Vlahović and the man he’d have to displace from Arsenal’s starting lineup, let’s examine this comparison to arguably the best players in the world right now: Mbappé and Haaland.

The comparison stems from an interview with football agent Roberto De Fanti in January 2022, before the Serbian star moved to Turin.

In the interview, De Fanti described the then 22-year-old poacher as possessing “all the attributes to become a big star” and that, due to him being so young and yet so exciting at the time, he was “one of those guys on the list like Mbappé and Halland which all the European clubs will want to buy.”

Now, it would be fair to say that the Belgrad-born marksman has not quite hit the heights of those two just yet, but during his time with Fiorentina, when the comparison was made, it looked like he might, as he left La Viola with an incredible record of 49 goals and eight assists in 108 appearances, equating to an average of a goal involvement every 1.92 games.

With all that said, how does the 31-capped international stack up to the Gunners’ number 29? After all, it’ll be him he needs to surpass to get regular game time in North London.

Appearances

42

47

Goals

14

9

Assists

4

1

Goal + Assists per Match

0.42

0.21

Appearances

38

51

Goals

18

14

Assists

3

7

Goal + Assists per Match

0.55

0.41

Appearances

16

17

Goals

9

7

Assists

1

1

Goal + Assists per Match

0.62

0.47

Fortunately for him, he’s comfortably outperformed the former Chelsea ace over the last few years, as since the start of the 22/23 campaign, the 24-year-old has found the back of the net on 41 occasions and provided eight assists in 96 appearances, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.95 games.

In contrast, the Gunners’ Aachen-born poacher has scored 30 goals and provided nine assists in 115 appearances, which comes to an average of a goal involvement every 2.94 games.

Unfortunately for the German, not even his average of a goal involvement every 2.34 games for the Gunners is better than the man who may soon replace him.

Ultimately, while it won’t be cheap, adding Vlahovic’s goals to the team in January is a no-brainer, even if it impacts Havertz’s game time. Therefore, Arsenal should act on their interest as soon as possible.

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Nov 19, 2024

An update has come to light on the future of Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, with sporting director Edu Gaspar and manager Mikel Arteta set for crunch internal talks.

Arsenal targeting new striker for 2025 and it could be in January

Kai Havertz’s fine start to the new Premier League season, picking up where he left off last campaign, hasn’t affected Edu’s plans to eventually bring in a new number nine who can be that 20-plus goals per season frontman.

Arsenal could be without "underrated" star for Shakhtar after injury update

He may be unfit to play.

By
Emilio Galantini

Oct 22, 2024

Reports in the build-up to January have suggested that Arsenal are on the lookout to sign a new striker for 2025, and it could even be January, with well-connected former recruitment chief Mick Brown claiming that the addition of a forward is entirely possible at the turn of the year.

“Havertz has been brilliant recently,” said Brown to Football Insider.

“You have to give people like that a lot of credit because questions have been asked of him and a lot of people would have shied away. But he’s done a great job for them. You have to credit Mikel Arteta because he’s brought this out of him. I’ve heard, though, that if there was the right option out there, Arsenal still want to buy somebody in that position.

Arsenal’s next five Premier League games	Date
Liverpool (home)	October 27
Newcastle United (away)	November 2
Chelsea (away)	November 10
Nottingham Forest (home)	November 23
West Ham United (away)	November 30

“The problem is there’s not a long list of players who are good enough to play that role and are also available to come to the Premier League. Arsenal won’t want to waste any money they have on a player they don’t need.

“They’ll be prudent, but I know they’ll be looking for areas they can improve, and I think that will be one even with Havertz playing as well as he has been.”

This also comes amid Jesus’ questionable form. The Brazilian is yet to get off the mark in all competitions this season, leading to doubts about his suitability to lead the line for Arsenal going forward.

There are suggestions that Jesus could leave Arsenal and Arteta is a real fan of Eintracht Frankfurt star Omar Marmoush as his replacement – among other potential targets.

Gabriel Jesus set for exit talks with Edu and Arteta at Arsenal

According to GiveMeSport this week, Jesus is in line for internal exit talks with Arsenal. It is believed both Edu and Arteta will be involved in these discussions as well, with the ex-Man City star pondering his future despite retaining the faith of his manager.

The £265,000-per-week forward isn’t keen on playing a bit-part role during this stage of his career, which is exactly what has happened this season, considering he’s played just 89 minutes of league action this season and was an unused substitute in their 2-0 loss at Bournemouth.

Arteta openly spoke about his importance to the team earlier this year, though, calling the South American a “very important” player.

“Their contribution is super important, and we are really happy to have them,” said Arteta on Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko.

“They certainly were two players who helped us to accelerate the process and generate belief and their presence has been very important for our success.”

Liverpool can’t control everything – such as refereeing and the opinions of the Premier League officials – but Arne Slot’s side are doing everything within their power to flourish this season.

Jurgen Klopp’s era is no more. Many of those who are not of a Liverpool persuasion will have been cavorting over the German’s decision to step down after nine illustrious years, but Liverpool have only gone from strength to strength since the summer and have taken the frustrating tag of the early title favourites.

A silver-laden finish would be brilliant this season, but the Reds faithful will want an age of lasting success and in order to achieve that, the non-commital trio of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold must pen new deals.

Salah and Van Dijk are into their 30s but still certainly world-class, however, Alexander-Arnold is stepping into the prime of his career and is a Scouse-born superstar. Losing him is inconceivable, but with Real Madrid eager, very possible all the same.

Trent Alexander-Arnold's defensive improvement

Alexander-Arnold has completed 325 appearances for his boyhood club, a key part in the golden modern age, notably lifting the Premier League and Champions League.

One of football’s finest technicians, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher has remarked that “it’s like having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back,” such is the influence that he projects from the right flank.

As per FBref, Alexander-Arnold ranks among the top 18% of full-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 12% for assists, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 3% for shot-creating actions and the top 2% for progressive passes per 90. The spread of his quality is near unparalleled.

What’s more, though, the Liverpudlian is beginning to refine the seemingly lesser facets of his skill set; Slot’s arrival to the dugout has given rise to a new-found defensive ability.

2024/25

3.5

0.9

3.9 (55%)

0

2023/24

2.5

1.5

2.7 (44%)

5

2022/23

2.7

1.0

2.5 (50%)

2

2021/22

2.6

1.0

2.1 (44%)

0

2020/21

3.0

1.2

2.7 (51%)

4

2019/20

2.6

1.8

2.2 (44%)

3

He’s never been more precise in the duel, with greater emphasis on his tackling and interceptions too. Alexander-Arnold’s decreased clearing output is actually a positive pointer too, for it suggests he is crisper in dealing with pressure and less profligate.

He’s one of the best right-backs of his generation and may cement himself within loftier conversations upon retirement. There’s a reason that Real Madrid hold a vested interest in his name.

He’s easily the Anfield side’s finest academy superstar since Steven Gerrard, but whatever the outcome in the ongoing contractual quandary, fans can take a sliver of solace in the fact that Trey Nyoni is the latest to emerge, with the teenager looking to shoot to the top.

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Journalist Antonio Mango has described Nyoni as a “star in the making”, with the 17-year-old midfielder drawing plenty of plaudits since completing a move from Leicester City last year, fending off fierce competition for his services.

Quickly establishing himself as one of Liverpool’s most prominent youth members, Nyoni has scored seven goals at different levels for the development sides, with his performances leading him to play a part in Klopp’s swansong last term.

Such success provided Nyoni, who has been praised for his “special” quality by Reds correspondent DaveOCKOP, with a place in Slot’s pre-season squad, and he proved his precocity with a fine strike against Sevilla in August.

He’s already been compared to one-time Manchester United sensation Paul Pogba and indeed looks to carry many of the former £89m star’s most eye-catching physical qualities, blessed with incipient elite-level technique too.

He featured off the bench during Liverpool’s Carabao Cup victory over Brighton & Hove Albion in October and has been named as a substitute in Champions League games against Bologna and RB Leipzig. Slot holds high hopes for this youngster.

Such faith, at such a young age, bears testament to Nyoni’s pedigree, and might just see him nail down a name as Liverpool’s prized youngster as he continues to earn chances to impress.

Liverpool’s formative fold has gone from strength to strength over the past several years, and Nyoni would have some competition for the number one spot, namely from Ben Doak.

Doak isn’t plying his craft on Merseyside right now, having joined Michael Carrick’s Middlesbrough on a season-long loan move in the summer. The 19-year-old’s promising breakout campaign was cut short by injury, but the 18-year-old is still regarded among the finest talents in the Premier League.

Former Scotland defender Willie Miller hailed him as his nation’s “standout” during a defeat against Croatia in October and he is certainly making waves with Boro, recording three assists from his past two fixtures in the Championship after scoring earlier in the term.

The right winger is the real deal, and the best part is that he can operate in conjunction with Nyoni, who is a sort of hybrid number eight.

Slot’s got so much talent at his disposal, but Nyoni is showing all the signs of being the cream of the crop. Who knows, he might even prove to be Liverpool’s finest academy graduate since Alexander-Arnold waltzed onto the scene.

In The Pipeline

Football FanCast's In the Pipeline series aims to uncover the very best youth players in world football.

adidas has revealed its new away kits for the 2025 European Championship, with world champions Spain among the six nations to get new looks.

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• adidas drop new away kits for six Euro 2025 teams
• World champions Spain among those to get new looks
• Tournament kicks off in Switzerland in July

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Shop Women’s Euro 2025 kits at adidasBuy now

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  La Roja will head into this summer's tournament as the favourites, having asserted themselves as the world's best by beating England in the 2023 Women's World Cup final. They'll do so with a fresh new pink and grey away kit, on an off-white base, which takes its inspiration from the cubism movement of the 20th century.

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• adidas
  

  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Germany will be another frontrunner for the title, having made the 2022 final before suffering defeat in extra time to England. The eight-time winners will head to the Euros ready to show off a fresh new away kit which incorporates shades of red and pink, in a modern graffiti style. The design is to embody the vibrant murals found across the heart of Germany's cities.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Italy, a dark horse for the tournament, Belgium, quarter-finalists three years ago, Sweden, beaten only by eventual champions England in the semi-finals in 2022, and Wales, set to make their major tournament debut on the women's side, are the other nations to drop new away kits this week.

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  WHAT NEXT?

  The 2025 European Championship gets underway in Switzerland on July 2, with the final to take place on July 27 at St. Jakob-Park in Basel.

  Shop Women’s Euro 2025 kits at adidasBuy now

MatériaMais Notícias

Medindo forças em partida válida pela 1ª rodada da Copa do Nordeste, Botafogo-PB e Sergipe entraram em campo na noite desta quarta-feira, no estádio Almeidão, em Campina Grande. E quem se deu melhor foi o Belo. Com gols marcador por Adilson Bahia (2x) e Anderson Paraíba, o time da casa garantiu o triunfo por 3 a 0 que o fez subir na classificação.

Com o resultado, a equipe comandada por Gerson Gusmão chegou aos 11 pontos, pulando para a terceira colocação do Grupo B, enquanto o time comandado por Daniel Neri, por conta do tropeço fora de casa, acabou estacionando na lanterna com apenas um ponto, porém do Grupo A.

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>Aplicativo de resultados do LANCE! está disponível na versão iOS

BOM INÍCIO DO BOTAFOGO QUE ABRE A CONTAGEM

Fazendo valer o fator casa, a equipe do Botafogo, buscando uma vaga entre os líderes de seu grupo, tratou de ir para cima do Sergipe na expectativa de abrir a contagem nos primeiros movimentos. Entretanto, até os 12 minutos, apesar de ficar mais com a posse de bola, criou apenas uma chance com Nicolas, mas sem sucesso na investida.

Até que aos 14, o Belo finalmente conseguiu tirar o zero do marcador. Após penalidade marcada sobre Adilson Bahia, ao ser derrubado por Ewerthon Ageu na área, o próprio cobrou e, sem chances para o goleiro Kennedy, marcou o primeiro.

SERGIPE SE COMPLICA APÓS O GOL SOFRIDO

Buscando o empate na sequência, a equipe visitante ainda teve uma baixa momentos depois. Após uma falta dura em Erick, Elivelton acabou sendo expulso o que gerou muita reclamação contra o árbitro. Com isso, os mandantes, aproveitando o momento, passaram a pressionar o adversário na expectativa de aumentar a vantagem.

Apesar disso, poucas foram as chances criadas pelo Belo, já que o sistema defensivo do Gipão mostrava-se atento a qualquer investida rival segurando o empate sem gols até o término da etapa.

BELO AUMENTA O PLACAR

Buscando resolver a situação logo no início do segundo tempo, o técnico Daniel Gusmão então promoveu duas trocas no intervalo. E se deu bem. Ganhando ofensividade, aos 9 minutos, Anderson Paraíba, após dominar a bola, mandou uma bomba no ângulo do goleiro Kennedy fazendo 2 a 0.

EQUIPE MANDANTE FECHA A CONTA

Além da vantagem numérica em campo, o Botafogo pouco permitia que o Sergipe conseguisse chegar ao seu campo de ataque. Com mais algumas trocas, desta vez por ambos os lados, o Belo marcou mais um, outra vez de pênalti, desta vez sofrido Gabriel Rangel após ser puxado por Gilmar. Na cobrança, Adilson Bahia, que já havia deixado o dele, balançou novamente a rede rival, segurando o resultado até o apito final do árbitro.

FICHA TÉCNICA
BOTAFOGO-PB 3×0 SERGIPE

Data e horário: 02/03/2022, às 19h30 (de Brasília)
​Local: Estádio Almeidão, em Campina Grande (PB)
Árbitro:Diego da Silva Castro (PI)
Assistentes:Jailson Albano da Silva (PI) eJanystony Rabelo de Melo (PI)

Cartões Amarelos:Chiquinho, 22’/1ºT; Adriano, 27’/1ºT;Esquerdinha, 11’/2ºT; Janderson, 18’/2ºT;Gilmar, aos 39’/2ºT

Cartões Vermelhos: Elivelton, 21’/1ºT

Gols:Adilson Bahia, 14’/1ºT (1-0); Anderson Paraíba, 9’/2ºT (2-0); Adilson Bahia, 40’/2ºT (3-0)

BOTAFOGO-PB: Luis Carlos; Erick (Gabriel Rangel, aos 33’/2ºT), Paulo Vitor, Gabriel Yanno e Bruno Ré; Adriano (Ratinho, no intervalo), Pablo e Anderson Paraíba (Felipe Codó, aos 42’/2ºT); Nicolas (Esquerdinha, no intervalo), Leilson (Roney, aos 26’/2ºT) e Adilson Bahia.
(Técnico: Gerson Gusmão)

SERGIPE: Kennedy; Chiquinho, Silvio, Diegoe Elivelton; Ageu (Diego Aragão, aos 19’/2ºT), Janderson e Fabiano (Gilmar, aos 25’/1ºT); Léo, Kaio Felipe (Doda, aos 19’/2ºT)e Adaílson (Márcio Lima, aos 46’/2ºT).
(Técnico: Daniel Neri)

Wrexham blew a chance to go level on points with Wycombe Wanderers as poor finishing cost the Red Dragons two points in a 0-0 draw with Bolton.

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Wrexham blow chance to win in 0-0 drawO'Connor blazes over while Longman impressesBirmingham beat Wycombe in other Saturday gameFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱TELL ME MORE

The Red Dragons were without Paul Mullin and Ollie Palmer, both of them dropped from a League One matchday squad yet again, as they hosted Bolton in a game devoid of any clinical finishing. Both sides had chances to take the lead in the opening stages, with January signing Sam Smith coming closest for the Red Dragons after 24 minutes but the forward’s downward header bounced and looped over the bar. The Wrexham pressure appeared to have broken the deadlock seven minutes before the break when Eoghan O'Connell struck but the celebrations were cut short immediately after the referee blew for a foul in the build-up.

Wrexham goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo was then given a fright by former Arsenal academy team-mate Jordi Osei-Tutu when the left-midfielder rattled the bar from a tight angle. After a scrappy but entertaining first-half, neither side were able to register a shot on target, let alone a breakthrough, with improvement needed.

Wrexham started the second period brightly and pressed the visitors high up the pitch although it was Bolton who found the net through Josh Sheehan, only for an offside flag to save the Red Dragons. The disallowed goal sparked life into the home fans and players and a deep Sebastian Revan cross was met by an impressive header back across goal from Ryan Longman to Thomas O'Connor who, from two yards out, inexplicably spooned his effort over the bar.

The game opened up in the latter stages, Osei-Tutu again threatened down the Bolton left and pulled back to Carlos Mendes-Gomes who blazed his effort over the Wrexham net. Jack Marriott was sent clean through before the end but could only drag his effort 10 yards wide and Okonkwo was then the hero for Wrexham as he denied James Collins with a smart stop down to his right. A late O'Connor free-kick caused a few murmurs but went wide with the last kick of the game and it all ended square.

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Wrexham will take heart from their promotion rival's misfortune as Wycombe Wanderers lost to league leaders Birmingham. While the Blues grow increasingly out-of-sight, the Red Dragons will now be set on chasing down the second automatic promotion spot. Phil Parkinson's side are just two points off Wycombe after Saturday's results.

Getty Images SportTHE MVP

Ryan Longman was the standout performer for the Red Dragons. A constant threat down the Wrexham right-flank, the wing-back put in a series of dangerous crosses and should have provided a match-winning assist. He was surprsingly subbed after 73 minutes.

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Getty Images SportTHE BIG LOSER

Thomas O'Connor will be having nightmares tonight about his missed chance. The defender found himself alone, just metres out, and was unable to convert Longman's header back across goal. O'Connor, leaning back when he struck the effort, will not want to watch that golden chance again.

Harry Kane’s form for England has been a big talking point of late, but will he still be leading the line for his country at the 2026 World Cup? And if not, who could replace him?

There is no question that Kane is one of the greatest strikers this country has ever produced, with the 31-year-old the Three Lions’ leading goalscorer in history.

Not only that, but he is second in the Premier League all-time scoring charts behind Alan Shearer, and had he not moved to Bayern Munich in the summer of 2023, he would have had every chance of overtaking the former Newcastle striker.

For all Kane’s brilliance, though, he has found himself under the spotlight on England duty of late, not least during Euro 2024, when his performances were horribly below par – prompting criticism from the likes of Shearer and Gary Lineker.

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Whether he was simply unfit is up for debate, but Ollie Watkins became a better option as the tournament went on, and it was telling that Kane was substituted by Gareth Southgate at important times, including in the final against Spain.

Now 31, some feel that the Bayern star’s legs are beginning to go, with his preference for dropping deep and not running in behind hurting other players, and there have to be question marks about his place in Thomas Tuchel’s starting XI by the time of the next World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico in 2026.

Kane remains likely to be part of the squad as things stand, but if not, who are the leading contenders to replace him? Here are six that we’ve chosen…

1 Ollie Watkins Aston Villa

Ollie Watkins is the clear frontrunner to replace Kane at present, with the Aston Villa hero now proving himself as an international striker who can deliver on the big stage.

The 28-year-old’s stunning late winner against the Netherlands in the semi-finals of Euro 2024 summed up his quality, and he is a player who could be coming right into his prime.

Watkins now has 5 goals in 18 caps for England, and while that may not be an earth-shattering return, he should score more often if he is given more opportunities from the starts of games. He also has more legs than Kane these days, not to mention that ability to run in behind.

It is worth noting that Watkins himself will be 30 by the time the World Cup begins, so he can’t be viewed as the long-term solution leading the line for the Three Lions.

2 Dominic Solanke Tottenham Hotspur

For a while, there were doubts over whether Dominic Solanke would reach his potential, having failed to make himself an important part of Jurgen Klopp’s plans at Liverpool.

However, the 27-year-old has done impressively in the years since leaving Anfield in 2019, enjoying five brilliant years at Bournemouth, scoring 77 goals in 216 appearances for the Cherries.

His form there earned him a move to Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, and he has continued to lead the line in formidable fashion, netting six times in all competitions this season heading into the winter period. He has to be considered one of the best choices to succeed Kane.

Solanke is still awaiting his first England goal, and just three caps shows that his international career hasn’t got going yet, but he should be involved far more in the next 18 months or so, having earned his first call-up for seven years in recent months.

3 Ivan Toney Al-Ahli

This time last year, Ivan Toney would have been alongside Watkins as a standout choice to succeed Kane, but his move from Brentford to the Saudi Pro League has arguably seen him fall down the pecking order.

Tuchel may find it hard to justify bringing the Englishman into his squad, considering he is playing at a far lower level of quality to the Premier League. But it should be remembered that he also did well at the Euros when called upon like Watkins – and his penalty-taking ability is second to none, as proven in the quarter-final win over Switzerland.

Therefore, Toney can’t be ruled out as a contender to start in place of Kane.

Every England penalty shootout at major tournaments

A chance to relive all of the Three Lions’ penalty shootouts at major tournaments.

1 ByStephan Georgiou Jul 6, 2024 4 Liam Delap Ipswich Town

Ipswich Town may be struggling amid their return to the Premier League this season, but Liam Delap has been one of the clear standout players for Kieran McKenna’s side.

Having left Manchester City permanently for Portman Road in the summer transfer window, the 21-year-old has excelled, scoring six league goals in just 10 starts, which is highly impressive for a side near the bottom of the table.

Delap should be viewed as one of the best long-term attacking options for England, and by the time the World Cup rolls around, he will be a more experienced figure who is hopefully still banging in the goals and gaining Tuchel’s attention in the process.

The former City youngster has been capped by the Three Lions at seven different age groups, so it may not be long before Tuchel calls him into the senior setup if his progress continues.

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The Tractor Boys secured a magical promotion to the Premier League just a year after escaping League One.

ByStephan Georgiou May 7, 2024 5 Cole Palmer Chelsea

On the face of it, it makes no sense to be talking about Cole Palmer as a possible Kane replacement, but it remains to be seen how Tuchel will set up his England side when he takes charge next year.

Some of the criticism aimed at Kane has been his ability to blunt those around him, from Phil Foden to Jude Bellingham, and the new manager may feel that a more fluid attacking unit is needed.

In Palmer, England have a prodigiously gifted talent who has arguably been the Premier League’s best player so far this season, and he has the intelligence and versatility to thrive as a roaming false nine.

The Chelsea star can drop deep and run in behind, and the idea of him dovetailing with the likes of Foden, Bellingham and Bukayo Saka is a mouthwatering thought for Three Lions supporters.

It still feels more likely that Tuchel will want a proper striker in his team, but don’t rule this out.

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Cole Palmer has been voted England Player of the Year, but were some of his teammates robbed?

1 ByBarney Lane Oct 11, 2024 6 Tammy Abraham Milan

When an English player moves to a foreign country, it can be easy to forget about them because they aren’t in the limelight as much.

That has arguably happened with Tammy Abraham, who hasn’t played in England since departing Chelsea for Roma back in the summer of 2021.

Still only 27, Milan loanee Abraham shouldn’t be ruled out as an option to come in for Kane, with his pace, movement and physicality making him a tough proposition for defenders.

There are likely better choices out there, but a season in Serie A that makes people sit up and take notice back home could change all that.

South Africa’s Test captain says focus on the head coach’s disciplinary hearing is taking the spotlight away from the team’s recent on-field successes

Firdose Moonda02-Feb-2022Constant conversations around Mark Boucher’s upcoming disciplinary hearing are taking the spotlight away from South Africa’s recent successes, according to Test captain Dean Elgar. Speaking at the squad’s departure press conference ahead of their two-Test tour of New Zealand, three of the first five questions put to Elgar were about Boucher’s situation. When he was asked one more towards the end of the interaction about balancing talk about cricket with discussion about the politics in the sport, Elgar was, as he often is, upfront.”It takes away everything we achieved and for me that’s bulls**t,” he said. “I know it’s extremely relevant in the public eye and it is relevant for us, no doubt, but as a players’ group, we’ve achieved so much and that gets squashed by negativity in the media. Rightly so, it sells headlines.”Related

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But Elgar did not entirely shy away from his responsibility in answering tough questions. “I know I have to answer these things and that’s okay. I have got absolutely no issue with doing that because I understand interaction between me and the media is extremely important. But this is a presser about going to New Zealand and if you want to talk about the hearing, we can make another time for that,” he said. “I don’t mind speaking about these kinds of externals. Just understand, this is a presser about us leaving tonight to New Zealand to play a Test series and 60% of the questions haven’t been about that so you can understand my frustration. I want to get the right message out there and the questions that are received have got nothing to do with cricket.”By that point, Elgar, on behalf of the team, had already voiced his support for Boucher, whose dismissal Cricket South Africa is seeking after charging him with gross misconduct. “We’ve realised cricket comes first for us irrespective of what our head coach is going through but we are still supporting him through this process because we know how much value he adds to our system and our group,” Elgar said. “We’ve had these tough times before. We need to stick together, which we’ve done in the past, and let this process follow its course. We know we are there to play cricket; we are there to win matches, win series and that’s ultimately the way I view it. In the same breath, we are still supporting our head coach because he is a massive part of our group.”It’s not the first time Elgar has stood up for Boucher and the current coaching staff. Before the Test series against India, Elgar said it felt as though the administrators did not offer the coaching staff enough backing and praised the backroom staff’s work ethic. Whether that means Elgar is among those who will testify in Boucher’s defence is yet to be seen but he said the players are ready to play their role in the disciplinary process.”We had a feeling it might come to this point where players might be asked to testify in the hearing and so be it,” he said. “It’s a natural process that will take place and we will cover those grounds within the next month. We have some time until May to establish some concrete ground for players. I’m sure our player representative board will come into play to assist us through this process if players are asked to testify. I haven’t heard who and when the players will be to fulfil these requests.”Elgar expects the South African Cricketers’ Association (SACA) to advise the players, if need be, ahead of any testimony. “This is also where our player representative body comes into play. They will assist and guide players if they need to. I am pretty sure guys like Andrew Breetzke, who is our CEO from SACA, is going to be on top of this. He has got players’ welfare and well-being as the first priority and it’s awesome to have him in our corner,” Elgar said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if Andrew has established these kinds of things in case players are called to testify. But I’m not sure if this is a presser about what’s happening in the hearings or us going to New Zealand. We either call it now or we talk cricket please.”Boucher’s hearing is scheduled for May 16 to 20, which is more than three months away. South Africa play two Tests in New Zealand followed by two at home against Bangladesh, against whom they also play three ODIs and three T20Is, so there will be plenty more opportunities for Elgar and others to be asked about team culture and their relationship to Boucher, irrespective of the team’s results.

Malik Scott insists that he never intended to fight Jamie Carragher after seeing an ill-advised "loyal" quip aimed at his CBS Sports host wife Kate.

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• On-air quip made at Kate Scott's expense
• Malik threatened to address the issue
• Insists there is no tension in the CBS camp

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• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Liverpool legend Carragher courted controversy with an on-air 'joke' made during coverage of Arsenal’s Champions League clash with Porto in March 2024. His comment did not go down well, with Kate Scott and the rest of the CBS crew left feeling uncomfortable as red-faced apologies were quickly lined up.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Boxing trainer Malik, who has worked with former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder, said in the aftermath of the incident: "If Kate gets upset then it's a really big deal to me and I'll give him a call and if he doesn't pick up my call, then I'll show up in a physical manner so we can talk like men."

• WHAT MALIK SCOTT SAID

  Scott has now told when asked if there was ever any chance of scores being settled in the ring: "I didn't have any plans on fighting Jamie. But at the same time, I put it out there because my wife was hurt and I'm here to protect my wife and that was that. But Jamie, when we see each other, we shake hands, give each other big daps, have a laugh and move on.

  "Jamie and I always see each other, so it's not an intimidating thing. It's just a respect that men have with each other. That's all it is. I respect him, he respects me, and my wife respects him, and he's going to respect my wife. And he does respect my wife. There’s no grudge with Jamie at all. I love that whole panel."

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Malik recently made a guest appearance on the CBS panel, during a European tie between Real Madrid and Manchester City at Santiago Bernabeu, during which he wore a hoodie that sported the names of the show’s cast with “Jamie” crossed out.

  He added on that playful jab at Carragher: “Well I had that hoodie and we just put a little flare onto it for the show. It was good. People loved it.

  “About six or seven months ago, Jamie Carragher was on the panel with my wife, Kate Scott, Thierry Henry, and Micah (Richards) – they were doing a game and it was an outside game and Kate was explaining to Jamie. that she was loyal to I believe a Manchester team (Manchester United).

  “Jamie acted like he didn't hear it so he said ‘Loyal to who? Not to Malik.’ And that went pretty bad. And it was probably the wrong kind of joke. And it just got out and when the word got to me, I put a couple of statements out that really went crazy. I was just verbally protecting my wife on the internet about that thing Jamie said.

  “So time goes by and here I am at the game the other day and I have my Champions League sweatshirt on and the best panel on sports is up there.

  “They came to me asking would I hop on the last segment. I didn't have the hoodie like that but by the time I got up there I had Jamie’s name crossed out and they basically asked me what I had on so I opened the shirt and I said, ‘I've got to get me another one because I basically crossed Jamie’s name out on that’.

  “That was a little get back at him from the beginning of the story, just the comment that he said about Kate. Then as the show went on they were asking me my favourite (on the panel). Of course, I'm going to say my wife. The one that I married is my favourite, Kate Scott. Then I said Micah. Then Jamie said, ‘Who's next?’ I looked at Jamie with a face and I said, ‘Don't you do it, Jamie’. And then we all had a good laugh and it was just good.

  “It was a really good experience. That's a very good crew. Best panel in sports in my opinion, chemistry wise. The producer really hit it right on the button with them. They got a great thing going. It was incredible. They’ve got the right individuals on there and it was fun more than anything.”