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David Warner’s wife Candice Warner has spoken of the pain she went through during Australia’s tour of South Africa, where she was the subject of a sledge and abuse from spectators, and hinted that episode may have contributed to Warner’s mindset going into the Cape Town Test, during which he was caught in the ball-tampering scandal.Warner’s controversial tour began with a stairwell argument involving South Africa wicketkeeper Quinton de Kock during the first Test in Durban – de Kock retaliated to sledging from Warner with a remark about Candice – and ended when he was sent home following the third Test at Newlands, after he was banned by Cricket Australia from playing international and domestic cricket for 12 months for his role in the plan to tamper with the ball.”He’s just such an emotional wreck,” Candice told after Warner held an emotional press conference in Sydney where he apologised for his role in the incident. “I feel like it’s all my fault and it’s killing me, it’s absolutely killing me. I haven’t been much of a support because I’ve been a wreck.”After reports emerged about the cause of the stairwell argument, Candice was subjected to further abuse from spectators in South Africa. People wore masks of Sonny Bill Williams – a New Zealand rugby player Candice had been involved with in 2007 – and sang songs to taunt Warner. All of this, Candice said, contributed to Warner having to deal with trauma after he came off the field during the series.”To have people staring and pointing and laughing at me, to have the signs, to have the songs made up about me, I would have to sit there and cop that,” Candice said. “Dave would come home from the game and see me in tears in the bedroom, and the girls just looking at their mum. He had to just cope with it. He was protecting me as much as he could and protecting the girls.”AFP

During the press conference at the SCG following his ban, Warner accepted he may never play for Australia again, but declined to answer questions about the ball-tampering incident.”I’m sure there were things he wanted to say but he just couldn’t get it out. He is hurting. He is seriously, seriously struggling and he’s not in a great headspace,” Candice, who was also at the press conference, said. “He’s just such an emotional wreck and I think he was sitting there hearing words but not really being able to process. If people could understand, which they probably won’t because there’s so many people out there that want answers, but if they could just sympathise just slightly with the month that he’s had.”Candice said the emotional impact on their two daughters has been ‘really, really hard’ to deal with. “I’m really not well, without going into details. It was important that I went to support my husband as I always do. Coming home today I walked into the room and I was in tears and our daughters were so upset. They were like ‘why you crying, Mummy?’ I had to make an excuse. It’s really hard to explain to kids.”

علق سيف فاروق جعفر لاعب فريق الكرة بـ الزمالك على غيابه عن المشاركة مع القلعة البيضاء خلال الفترة الأخيرة، موضحًا حقيقة قيامه بسرقة عقده مع النادي قبل رحيله إلى بيراميدز بالصيف الماضي.

وقال سيف فاروق جعفر في تصريحات تلفزيونية عبر قناة اون تايم سبورتس: “أي خطوة أخذها أتعلم منها لكي أكون إنسان أفضل، إذا عاد بي الزمن كنت سأغلق أذني عن بعض الأمور التي كانت تأخذ من تفكيري”.

وتابع: “كانت تحدث ظروف خارجة عن إرادتي في بعض الأوقات ولا أشارك، لكن إن شاء الله الفترة القادمة أجتهد أكثر لكي أكون متواجدا باستمرار”.

وأكمل: “لا أرى أن هناك لاعب بديل لآخر، كل لاعب له أسلوبه، يأتي لاعب ويرحل آخر، وهذه سنة الكرة، أجيال تسلم أجيال وكل لاعب مستقل بشخصيته، لو كنت ألعب باستمرار كان أدائي سيكون أفضل، التنافس في مصلحة الفريق، والأصلح لنادي الزمالك يُشارك”.

وواصل: “سيد نيمار لاعب جيد جدًا، لكنه مظلوم في هذه الفترة ولا يُشارك كثيرًا، لكن أثق أنه سيحصل على فرصة مع المدير الفني وسيتألق، وأحمد فتوح سيستعيد لياقته بعد الإصابة، هو لاعب كبير جدًا، وسيف الجزيري نجم كبير”.

طالع | سيف فاروق جعفر: أتمنى عودة أشرف بن شرقي للزمالك.. وشيكابالا من الأفضل في التاريخ

وأردف: “جوميز دائمًا يتحدث معي وعلاقتنا جيدة، وكل مدرب له طريقته، وأرى عندما يجد لاعبا يتألق في التدريبات يشجعه ويدعمه، وإن شاء الله الفترة القادمة تكون هناك تنافسية والأفضل يشارك”.

وزاد: “أتأسف لوالدتي لأنه في فترة من الفترات كان يُقال إنها تشجعني على الرحيل من الزمالك، لكن هذه كانت صورة يتم تصديرها للناس بأنني خائن للنادي”.

وأضاف: “حزنت جدًا عندما قيل إنني سرقت العقود وضربت الإداري، حتى لو سأرحل عن الزمالك كنت لا أحب أن أخرج بهذه الصورة، لأنني لم أفتعل أي مشكلة منذ تواجدي في الزمالك، أنا أعشق الجمهور، وأكون مجنونا لو كنت أريد أن أرحل وأتركهم”.

طالع أيضًا | سيف فاروق جعفر يكشف أسباب وصفه بـ”الخائن” داخل الزمالك وحقيقة عرض الأهلي

وأوضح: “مجلس الزمالك الحالي كان على علم بما حدث معي، وقلت لهم عندي استعداد أوقع للزمالك حتى لو سأتعرض للإيقاف، لو بيراميدز لم يوافق على رحيلي كنت سأوقع للزمالك”.

وأتم: “أتمنى عودة مصطفى فتحي للزمالك، نجم كبير ولا يوجد مثله الكثير، كما أتمنى أيضًا ضم رمضان صبحي ومحمد الشيبي وأسامة جلال”.

Arsenal star Kai Havertz has received waves of criticism for his performances at the Emirates Stadium so far, with Piers Morgan now having his say.

Arsenal 3-1 Man United

Mikel Arteta's side most recently put their shock 2-2 draw at home to Fulham behind them with a 3-1 victory over Man United in north London.

Goals from Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus were enough to cancel out an opener from Marcus Rashford, with Alejandro Garnacho also having a goal ruled out late on for the away side.

The win takes Arsenal up to fifth, level on points with West Ham, Liverpool and Tottenham near the top of the Premier League, but one player who has came under fire is Havertz for his display.

The Germany international missed a guilt-edged chance to score his first Arsenal goal since signing from Chelsea in the summer transfer window, making a "right mess" of his lines inside the United penalty area.

Gary Neville, speaking to Sky (via The Mail) during the encounter, said it was a bad, bad miss.

"Havertz, well, questions have been asked of him already very early in his Arsenal career but that was a great chance," said Neville.

"He has a swing at it and makes a right mess. That could have been a big moment for Kai Havertz, connecting with this crowd."

The former Bayer Leverkusen star is yet to register a single goal or assist for the Gunners, a fact not lost on Morgan, who took criticised Havertz during his outing against Erik ten Hag's side.

The journalist, taking to X, says he has an "ongoing bemusement" with the winger and how he has been playing lately.

Morgan said: "My joy at Declan Rice’s purring performance is tempered by an ongoing bemusement about what Kai Havertz is doing out there."

Havertz will next have a chance to prove his worth in an Arsenal shirt when they take on Everton at Goodison Park, following the international break.

What's been said about Kai Havertz?

Finishing last season as Chelsea's top goalscorer in the league with just seven goals, the towering 6 foot 4 Havertz hasn't exactly been pulling up trees in the top flight lately.

His £65 million signing came under question, perhaps most notably from former Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor.

"I don't understand that transfer its very strange,” Agbonlahor told Football Insider.

“Arsenal haven’t learned their lesson with transfers, Kai Havertz is not a clinical striker.

“He is not an out and out number nine, which what Arsenal need as they currently have Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah but require an upgrade on them.

“Havertz hasn’t got that finishing instinct, so it is very strange from Arsenal if they are going to give £50-£60million to Chelsea, so they can then sign a player that the Gunners want in Moises Caicedo.

“It would be a wrong deal for the Gunners, and I am sure that their fans would agree.”

However, Havertz has been praised by Arteta for his attitude and application on the training ground, where he shows his "quality" on a daily basis, according to the Arsenal boss.

Leeds United have bolstered their playing squad with four new additions since their relegation from the top-flight at the end of last season.

Who have Leeds signed this summer?

The Whites made their first signing of the summer transfer window last month as they brought in versatile Ethan Ampadu on a permanent deal from Premier League side Chelsea.

They then brought in goalkeeper Karl Darlow from Newcastle United to compete with Illan Meslier for the number one spot and signed Sam Byram on a free transfer following his release from Norwich City.

Read the latest Leeds transfer news HERE…

Their most recent arrival came on Thursday night as the club confirmed that they have signed Wales international Joe Rodon from Tottenham Hotspur on loan.

However, they are yet to bolster their attacking options and that area of the pitch could be added to before the end of the window as Daniel Farke's side are reportedly keen on signing Michail Antonio from West Ham United.

How good is Michail Antonio?

The Whites head coach could finally replace Rodrigo, who left the club on a permanent basis to join Al-Rayyan SC this summer, by securing a swoop for the Hammers striker.

He is a proven top-flight performer who could thrive in the Championship with the step down in quality and provide the goals that the club lost when they sanctioned the excellent Spaniard's departure from Elland Road.

The former Valencia ace scored 26 Premier League goals across three seasons in Yorkshire, which works out as roughly 8.6 league goals per campaign, and produced 13 in 31 appearances last term in spite of the team's eventual relegation.

Meanwhile, no other Leeds player managed more than five goals in the division and this suggests that Farke does not have a wealth of goalscoring options at his disposal, which is why Antonio would be a much-needed signing for the German head coach.

The Jamaica international, who current Brentford coach Thomas Frank once stated is "a handful" and is "a little bit like [Romelu] Lukaku", scored 14 goals in all competitions for the Hammers last season and has scored ten Premier League goals in three of the last four campaigns respectively.

These statistics show that the veteran attacker is a proven goalscorer at the top level who could offer a similar level of production to Rodrigo, whilst the drop down to the Championship could also allow him to improve upon his record as he would be facing lesser quality defences.

Antonio's performances in the Europa Conference League last season were particularly impressive. The 33-year-old marksman averaged a Sofascore match rating of 7.43 across nine appearances as he plundered six goals and one assist to help the club win the competition.

This suggests that the former Nottingham Forest man still has plenty to give on the pitch, in spite of his age, and could be an excellent signing for the Whites due to his knack for finding the back of the net.

Therefore, the £85k-per-week gem could replace Rodrigo as Leeds' go-to man for goals at the top end of the pitch if Farke is able to convince him to make the switch to Elland Road and ditch top division and European football with West Ham this season.

Fulham have joined the race to sign Monaco full-back Ismail Jakobs after manager Marco Silva admitted they need more cover in that area.

Who will Fulham sign?

The Whites have officially confirmed two major summer signings so far, but with time running out, they will need to move for other targets fairly quickly.

Calvin Bassey, after a brilliant season at Ajax last term, has joined Fulham in an £18.2 million deal and his experience will be invaluable – especially after his run to the Europa League final with Rangers in 2022.

Meanwhile, star striker Aleksandar Mitrovic is apparently pushing for a move away, with Mexico international striker Raul Jimenez coming in to potentially replace him.

"It's not the ideal situation, I have to tell you. Not because he received an offer, it's the situation about himself," said Silva on Mitrovic last month.

"As you know, he's not going to play tomorrow, he didn't play last Wednesday. He's not working properly with his team mates and when I say this is not the ideal scenario, this is the situation."

Meanwhile, Silva has also admitted that Fulham have a shortage of full-back options, as well as wingers, and the need for a new central midfielder.

“Unfortunately, we need many still. We have some important players injured,” he said.

“I hope they can come sooner. We have just two full backs, we need a midfielder too and we have just two wingers so we need another two wingers.

“We have completed our central defenders. I needed these players 15 days or 20 days ago, not now.”

After Silva's admission on their full-back shortage, The Daily Mail now claim that they have joined the race for Senegal international wing-back Jakobs.

The Mail relay this does come after Silva addressed the need for a new full-back, with Fulham now holding a keen interest in the 23-year-old.

Forest are another top flight side to have been targeting Jakobs but the Whites are now also contending for the African's signature.

Jakobs, who featured at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar last year, has long been admired by Fulham, even as far back as his Cologne days before he joined Monaco.

Antonee Robinson is Fulham's only available left-back option right now, so the defender would come in to shore up that weakened position.

Jakobs, a highly versatile player, is also capable of being deployed further up the left flank in another incentive to move.

Who is Ismail Jakobs?

The full-back signed for Monaco from Cologne in 2021, where he has gone on to make 80 appearances in all competitions for the Ligue 1 side.

Jakobs has racked up eight assists in that time, adding to his tally of four goals and four assists in in 47 appearances whilst he was at Cologne (Transfermarkt).

However, one thing Silva may want to watch out for is his disciplinary record, as former Monaco manager Phillippe Clement dropped Jakobs for that reason last campaign.

"Jakobs was fined for something that will remain internal," said the Belgian.

"It’s clear that it wasn’t good. He understood that. It’s done, but he won’t be part of the squad [against Toulouse]."

Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi has "agreed personal terms" with Fulham as the two clubs continue "haggling over a fee", claims journalist Alex Crook.

Is Callum Hudson-Odoi leaving Chelsea this summer?

It appears that the Stamford Bridge fire-sale has yet to come to an end this summer. The flow of players leaving the west London club might've stemmed somewhat from earlier in the window, but it continues nonetheless.

Read the latest Chelsea transfer news HERE…

The next name that looks to have played their final game in blue is Cobham graduate and former England international Hudson-Odoi.

The 22-year-old has had a tough few years in football, going from being the next hot prospect to suffering a series of injuries that totally scuppered any momentum he might've had.

It was only three years ago that German behemoths Bayern Munich were offering to take the youngster on loan with an option to buy for £70m – a situation that seems a million miles away from where the Wandsworth-born winger finds himself now.

Indeed, the team that want to sign him in this window – and the one that looks like they will – is fellow west Londoners Fulham.

The Cottagers have already agreed personal terms with the man Frank Lampard once described as "special", and now it's just down to the clubs to negotiate a fee, with Chelsea wanting £8m, per journalist Crook.

He explained the situation live on TalkSPORT, which was posted to the station's YouTube channel:

"Another departure from Stamford Bridge seems to be imminent and a short journey across west London for Callum Hudson-Odoi. Personal terms between him and Fulham have been agreed; the two clubs haggling over a fee, as we understand it at TalkSport.

"Chelsea are looking for around £8m; Fulham [are] hoping to agree a deal for a few million quid less than that."

Who else could leave Chelsea this summer?

The club may have already conducted the majority of the player sales they were planning on earlier on in the window, but after Hudson-Odoi, it looks like fellow Cobham graduate Conor Gallagher could be the next man out of the door at Stamford Bridge.

At this point in time, the club that appear most interested in acquiring the services of the dynamic Epsom-born midfielder are West Ham United. According to the Daily Mail, the Hammers have already had a bid of £40m rejected by the Blues.

The other interested parties are the mega-rich Newcastle United and traditional rivals Tottenham Hotspur.

The Guardian has reported that Spurs have considered the 23-year-old as a potential replacement for Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg as Spanish giants Atletico Madrid close in on him.

On the Magpies' side, the publication reported that the interest is genuine, but due to a deal costing more than £40m, they will have to sell players first.

Should Gallagher follow Hudson-Odoi out the door, they would be the third and fourth Cobham graduates to leave west London in this window alone, following the exits of Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mason Mount.

Ultimately, the squad that Mauricio Pochettino has come the first game of the Premier League season next month will be dramatically different to the one he inherited just a few months ago, but whether it will help deliver dramatically different results remains to be seen.

Kent skipper Sam Northeast hit the winning boundary and finished with an unbeaten 54 as Kent secured a seven-wicket win under the DLS method over Somerset in a rain-affected NatWest T20 Blast clash at Canterbury

ECB Reporters Network27-Jul-2017Kent skipper Sam Northeast hit the winning boundary and finished with an unbeaten 54 as Kent secured a seven-wicket win under the DLS method over Somerset in a rain-affected NatWest T20 Blast clash at Canterbury.Pursuing a revised target of 181 from 18 overs, Northeast kept a cool head in cantering to a 26-ball half-century that ensured his side’s seventh straight South Group win over their West Country visitors.Northeast, the Man of the Match, said: “I don’t think we bowled that well and their 197 was above the par score, but get off to a flyer in the powerplay when ‘Deebs’ and Joe played seriously well. They put us in a commanding position. It got a bit nervy after the rain and in the middle there, but it was great to get a win and I hope we can build a bit of momentum from it.”We had to go hard at the start because it was skidding on nicely and we told them to keep going. I played a few big swats that didn’t connect to start with, but it was nice to contribute to the win and hit a few out the middle at the end there.”Originally chasing 198 for their third win of the campaign, Kent were given a flying start as in-form openers Daniel Bell-Drummond and Joe Denly dashed to 77 by the end of the Powerplay.Sam Northeast led Kent home in their chase•Getty Images

With the floodlights taking full effect, rain arrived just before 9pm forcing the players off the field with Kent already 30 ahead on the DLS rate. After a rapid mop-up and the loss of two overs, play resumed 38 minutes later with Kent chasing a revised target.Needing a further 104 from their remaining 12 overs at an asking rate of 8.66 per over Denly and Bell-Drummond faced spin at both ends after the resumption and legspinner Max Waller struck almost immediately by bowling Denly off his pads for 46 as the right-hander flicked to leg.Waller then had Bell-Drummond caught on the ropes at long-on and, with no pace to work with for their strokes, Kent’s batsmen suddenly appeared clueless in their quest for boundaries.They were given respite with the return of pace bowling. Craig Overton conceded the first boundaries in three overs with Alex Blake cracking four and Sam Northeast six over long on. Then Northeast hit the biggest six of the night as Tim Groenewald conceded 16 to leave Kent needing 50 off their last six overs.Lewis Gregory returned to clean up Alex Blake and bring in Sam Billings with 29 needed off 20 balls, but Somerset’s gamble on giving Waller a fourth over backfired as Northeast plundered 16 runs to move to his fifty with two fours and three maximums in steering Kent over the win line.Batting first after winning the toss, Somerset posted a testing target of 197 for 6 built around half-centuries from Steven Davies and Johann Myburgh. The third-placed visitors suffered an early blow when Gregory miscued Jimmy Neesham’s slow-ball bouncer to mid-on to go to the fifth ball of the night.Somerset recovered from the loss courtesy of a rare seven in the third over when Billings’ needless under-arm shy to the non-striker’s end went for four after Jim Allenby and Davies had already scampered three as 18 came off the over, Adam Milne’s first.Davies pulled the first six of the match to raise Somerset’s fifty from 26 balls and Allenby repeated the dose two balls later after which Milne, in his first game back after a thigh injury, limped off after sending down two overs for 34 and never returned.Kent’s rookie left-arm spinner Imran Qayyum hit back with his second delivery having Allenby caught behind off a skied sweep, leaving Davies to march to his 23-ball fifty with five fours and two sixes.Kent kept pace off the ball through legspinner Denly, who also struck in his first over enticing Davies to chip to deep-midwicket and make it 99 for 3 in the 11th over.Qayyum switched ends only to be biffed for six over extra cover by Myburgh, who then laced one leg-side and into the building site constructing retirement flats adjacent to the ground. James Hildreth threw the kitchen sink at one from Matt Coles to be caught behind but the diminutive Myburgh continued to go big, five sixes on his way to a 27-ball fifty.Kent continued to feed Myburgh with short stuff and he obliged by clubbing a Coles’ half-tracker over the ropes at midwicket but, with64 to his name off 35 balls, the South African miscued an umpteenth pull to the keeper to give Mitch Claydon deserved figures of 1 for25 before Peter Trego fell to a last ball run out.”Steve Davies and Johann Myburgh played great knocks and I felt we were ahead of par with 197 for six, but it wasn’t to be,” Allenby said. “I think the going off for that break helped us regroup and re-access what we were doing, but the rain clearly didn’t help because it made the ball skid on that little bit better.”We’ve been playing well and one little blip tonight doesn’t mean we’re a bad side. We’ve had four good games in a row, so there is no need to scrap any plans or go back to the drawing board. We’ll just get it right next time.”

Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson produced a brutal display to help Delhi Daredevils mow down a target of 209 and knock Gujarat Lions out of the tournament

The Report by Varun Shetty04-May-2017
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details5:15

Bangar: There was method to Pant and Samson’s madness

Only once had a team chased more than 209 to win an IPL match and yet Delhi Daredevils made such short work of the target that by the last five overs, the required rate was less than a run a ball. This incredible situation was the result of local boy Rishabh Pant (97 off 43) and Sanju Samson’s (61 off 31) blitzkriegs. At one stage, the two batsmen together struck four successive deliveries for sixes. In all, there were 31 hits over the boundary line – a record for this tournament – and 20 of them came off the bat of the Daredevils as they raced to their target with 15 balls to spare and forced the Gujarat Lions out of the playoffs.Earlier, impressive spells from Kagiso Rabada and Pat Cummins had turned the momentum after Suresh Raina and Dinesh Karthik struck rapid fifties, restricting Lions despite their having raced to 158 in their first 14 overs.Raina gets on Daredevils’ listThe Daredevils have a new tradition: they’d dropped at least one catch in each of their last two games. Today, they dropped three. Each of the reprieved batsman – Yuvraj Singh and Robin Uthappa – had gone on to score 70 or more and Raina followed suit tonight. He was on 2 when Shreyas Iyer spilled a dolly at first slip off Rabada’s bowling. He was on 40 when Marlon Samuels couldn’t hold on to a flick aimed straight at him at midwicket. Eventually, the latest beneficiary of the Daredevils Goodwill List finished with 77 off 43 balls.Lesson learntAt the other end, Karthik had not given Daredevils the slightest chance. He struck at a quicker rate than Raina as the pair counterpunched in response to being 10 for 2 by the second over to put on the Lions’ highest partnership (133) in the IPL.It was around this time, though, that Daredevils began learning an important lesson: when the batsman gives you a chance, convert it. Rabada caught Raina short at the non-strikers with a direct hit from backward point. Next over, Karthik fell to one of the catches of the season – Corey Anderson leaping backwards with an outstretched left hand at mid-off, before executing the perfect tumble to hold on. For good measure, Pant pouched a skier to dismiss Aaron Finch in the penultimate over.A sixer here, a sixer thereAfter their successful chase in the last game, Nair revealed the plan had been to play like a young side – hit hard and have fun. And it was the youngest of them all who masterminded this chase. Pant’s first scoring shot was a six on the up over cover, a sign that dew was making its presence felt, and of a batsman enforcing home advantage.So when Raina decided that Pant’s Delhi team-mate Pradeep Sangwan would bowl the next over, he was asking for trouble. Pant welcomed Sangwan with 16 off the first three balls and the Daredevils had breached 50 inside the fifth over. James Faulkner conceding five runs to end the Powerplay would be the last instance of the Lions being in the game. The next six overs went for 90 runs; each over contained at least one six, the 11th went for three.When Samson – who hit seven sixes and no fours – was dismissed by Jadeja in the 14th over, Pant responded with a six and a four to bring the asking rate below run-a-ball. It was perhaps the perfect T20 innings. The only way it could have been better was if he had scored the three runs required to become IPL’s youngest centurion.When Pant was caught behind for 97, Raina, knowing he will not play an IPL playoff match for the first time in 10 years, still came up and hugged the young man. It seemed like the handing of a baton, the IPL’s pre-eminent batsman heralding a new hero.

Celtic have scheduled discussions with Kyogo Furuhashi regarding a new contract extension at Parkhead, according to reports.

When did Kyogo Furuhashi join Celtic?

Furuhashi first arrived in the Scottish Premiership from Vissel Kobe back in July 2021 where he went on to become a regular feature of Ange Postecoglou’s first team making 83 appearances to date, but with the former boss having now left to join Tottenham Hotspur and Brendan Rodgers being back in charge, his future is up in the air.

The Japan international was the Hoops’ top-performing offensive player and indeed the division’s highest-goalscorer last season so was a standout star north of the border, and this form has already started to attract significant interest from the Premier League.

Crystal Palace have primarily been the side most linked with a summer swoop for the 28-year-old striker, but Spurs appear to have more recently entered the race to secure his services with Postecoglou eyeing a reunion in N17, and whilst that will be an attractive opportunity, the hierarchy are keen to stop him from leaving.

Is Furuhashi signing a new contract?

According to Football Insider, Celtic are set to hold “talks” with Furuhashi over a new deal when he returns from his current break in his homeland. The Glasgow outfit are “keen to tie down” their prized asset to a “new and improved agreement” in the hope of fending off outside attention, with the aim being to extend his contract that runs until 2025 by at least one more year.

Alongside Palace and Spurs, it’s reported that he’s also become a target for Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and several unnamed clubs in the Serie A and Bundesliga. Furuhashi was believed to be “stung” by Postecoglou’s exit, but it’s stated that he’s “happy” where he is and “won’t rush into any decision” in the weeks ahead.

Does Furuhashi deserve improved terms?

Celtic will recognise the hugely positive impact that Furuhashi has made since joining and also how much he’s appreciated by his teammates having been hailed “world-class” by Jota, so offering the centre-forward a new contract would be nothing less than he deserves.

The £19k-per-week earner clocked up a remarkable 26 goal contributions (23 goals and three assists) in 31 Scottish Premiership outings last season whilst recording 85 shots over the course of the campaign which was more than any other of his fellow peers, as per FBRef.

Furthermore, Furuhashi has not only helped the side secure five trophies following his arrival but he’s also been rewarded for his individual performances by being named the Hoops’ Player of the Year for 2022/23 so it’s clear to see how loved he is, making this a decision that the board shouldn’t even have to think twice about.

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

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

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

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

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

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

What could Arda Guler offer to Arsenal?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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