Arsenal transfer chief Andrea Berta is now targeting a marquee Premier League forward for Mikel Arteta, as his talks for Real Madrid star Rodrygo hit a snag.

Arsenal open talks for Rodrygo in chase for quality new winger

Last week, Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg broke news that Arsenal had opened talks over a move for Rodrygo, with Berta in hot pursuit of a quality new winger who can provide them with even more goals and assists.

Club tell "popular" young forward they want to ship him back to Arsenal

A return to north London for him now beckons.

1 ByEmilio Galantini May 24, 2025

Rodrygo shot to the “very top” of Berta’s list of transfer targets in that regard, but it is still seen as a pretty difficult deal to pull off for a multitude of reasons.

The 24-year-old, who’s bagged 13 goals and 10 assists in all competitions over 50 total appearances this season, is also on around £202,000-per-week at Real. This would make Rodrygo one of Arsenal’s highest-paid players on a wage bill which is already pretty significant, with the Gunners’ annual payroll already totalling around £170 million.

19/20 – winter

£0

20/21 – summer

£81.5m

20/21 – winter

£900k

21/22 – summer

£156.8m

21/22 – winter

£1.8m

22/23 – summer

£121.5m

22/23 – winter

£59m

23/24 – summer

£208m

23/24 – winter

£0

24/25 – summer

£101.5m

24/25 – winter

£0

If you also factor in his £68 million rumoured price tag, a move for Rodrygo suddenly becomes a costly operation, and Arsenal need to set aside their summer funds carefully as they also target a prolific striker.

Taking all of this into account, it’s actually little surprise that negotiations are now stumbling, as reported by Plettenberg this week.

Arsenal eye Kaoru Mitoma as Rodrygo talks stall

Writing via X, the Sky journalist claims that Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma has now been identified as an alternative to the Real winger, with a move for Rodrygo proving complex as talks stall.

As Arsenal become faced with the very real possibility of having to give up on their “dream signing”, as per Plettenberg, Mitoma could prove to be a tempting option in place of Rodrygo.

The Japan star has scored 11 goals and bagged a further four assists in total throughout 24/25, enjoying yet another productive season at the Amex, but he won’t exactly be much cheaper than Rodrygo.

Reports suggest Mitoma could cost as much as £80 million to prise away from the south coast, with Brighton known to be stern negotiators when it comes to selling their star players.

The 27-year-old won’t be a signing for the ultra-long-term either as he fast approaches his prime, so this is a move which Berta will need to consider very carefully.

Juventus are going to prepare a new proposal to ensure Randal Kolo Muani stays with them, but Paris Saint-Germain are against another loan deal.

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Juve intend to keep Kolo Muani next seasonWill prepare new proposal for the FrenchmanPSG want to permanent sale for a certain feeFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Juventus are determined to bolster their attack ahead of the 2025-26 and are keen on retaining Kolo Muani for another season. claims that the Italian outfit will prepare a new proposal for the Frenchman — a loan deal for another year with a substantial fee with the obligation to buy next summer — which does not match the requirements of PSG.

AdvertisementGetty ImagesTHE BIGGER PICTURE

Juve's new general manager Damien Comolli is working on a revised loan deal for Kolo Muani. Talks have been ongoing, with Juve aiming for a costly loan worth €10m including an obligation to buy should he meet certain criteria based on performances throughout the season. PSG, who paid €90m (£77m/$96m) for him in 2023, are reluctant to accept anything without guaranteed terms. However, the player’s desire to stay in Turin and PSG head coach Luis Enrique's lack of interest in his return could play in Juve’s favor as they seek to strengthen Igor Tudor’s attacking options.

DID YOU KNOW?

Last week, Gianluca Di Marzio reported that PSG wanted Juventus to pay €45m (£39m/$53m) if they wished to keep Kolo Muani. Les Parisiens have absolutely no desire of wasting more time before permanently offloading the 26-year-old. As such, the French international has been offered to a number of clubs across Europe in an attempt to drive up the price of the player.

Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR JUVENTUS?

Juve have already signed Jonathan David as a free agent on a five-year contract and have been keeping tabs on Victor Osimhen's situation at Napoli. It is likely that the Nigerian will complete a permanent move to Galatasaray. However, there is still hope for the Serie A giants. If they can successfully offload Dusan Vlahovic, who seems to have no suitors at the moment, then they could reignite their pursuit of the wantaway Napoli striker.

Fast bowler arrives at Wantage Road as replacement for Chris Tremain

ESPNcricinfo staff08-May-2024Siddarth Kaul, the India seamer, has been signed by Northamptonshire on a short-term deal that will cover their next three Vitality County Championship fixtures.Kaul, 33, played three T20Is and three ODIs in 2018, including two wicketless appearances against England at Trent Bridge and Lord’s, and most recently was in action for Punjab in the Ranji Trophy, claiming 15 wickets at 31.26 for the season.Overall, he has taken 286 first-class wickets at 26.44, including 16 five-wicket hauls, and joins Northants as a replacement for the Australian seamer, Chris Tremain, whose four-game spell has come to an end.”I’m very happy to be here to represent Northamptonshire and very excited to help the team win games and push for promotion,” Kaul said.”I’m confident that I will bring my positive mindset and experience to help my teammates win in any situation in the match.”Northants head coach, John Sadler, added: “Sid has a lot of experience with the ball, he’s played a lot of first-class cricket and is keen to make a big impact when he joins the squad.”He’s finished his domestic season over in India where he picked up some good form so hopefully he continues that on with us.”Kaul is available for selection immediately, and could feature in Northamptonsire’s next game against Gloucestershire, at Wantage Road on May 10.

There hasn’t been any one standout performer with the bat for the team, but they have still found the runs they needed

Hemant Brar23-Jan-2019Numbers can be misleading sometimes. Consider this: coming into the Ranji Trophy 2018-19 knockouts, Saurashtra had only one player among the top 40 run-scorers in the tournament. And their batsmen hit only five hundreds – the least among the eight teams to qualify for the quarter-finals.But dig deeper, and we find five Saurashtra batsmen with more than 400 runs – only Gujarat and Jharkhand had the same number.Perhaps that was the reason Saurashtra coach Sitanshu Kotak wasn’t too worried. It’s a team game and one individual may not win you matches. He pointed to Punjab and Shubman Gill. “For Punjab, their opener Shubman Gill was absolutely outstanding,” Kotak said ahead of his side’s quarter-final game against Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow. “But despite him scoring so heavily, they couldn’t qualify. Because their other batsmen weren’t as consistent. So I am not sure if you can say our batsmen failed.”With Cheteshwar Pujara available for only one league match because of his responsibilities with the Indian Test team, and Jaydev Shah retiring midway through the tournament, the responsibility fell on the shoulders of Sheldon Jackson in the main. And while, by the end of quarter-finals, Jackson had 692 runs from nine matches at 49.42, including a century and a seven half-centuries, it was more of a collective effort that steered Saurashtra forward.***Harvik Desai couldn’t sleep the whole night. He was unbeaten on 83 at stumps on day four of the game against UP. While his side still needed 177 to nail the highest-successful chase in Ranji Trophy history, his immediate concern was the next 17 runs. Prior to this, the 19-year-old had scored six half-centuries, but failed to get to three figures.Harvik Desai takes his stance against Uttar Pradesh in Lucknow•Ekana Cricket Media/ Randhir DevDesai, India’s wicketkeeper-batsman during their successful Under-19 World Cup campaign in New Zealand in 2018, was drafted into the side after regular opener Avi Barot picked up an injury just before the start of the tournament.Playing as a pure batsman, the youngster not only registered his maiden hundred as Saurashtra pulled off the record 372-run chase but also became the side’s leading scorer – 738 runs at 43.41 from nine games.While Pujara was playing a lead role in India’s historic series win in Australia, Vishvaraj Jadeja cashed in on the opportunity to bat at No. 3. In his debut match, the 20-year-old scored 97 against Maharashtra in Nasik, followed by a 71 against Mumbai in Mumbai and 105 not out against Vidarbha in Rajkot.So good was he that when Pujara returned to the side, they played Jadeja at No. 3 and Pujara at No. 4, adding depth to their batting.

Saurashtra’s collective batting effort in Ranji Trophy 2018-19

Player	Inns	Runs	HS	Ave	100/50
Harvik Desai	17	738	116	43.41	1/6
Sheldon Jackson	17	692	147	49.42	1/7
Snell Patel	17	561	91	33.00	0/4
Arpit Vasavada	15	455	120	30.33	1/2
Jaydev Shah	9	427	165	61.00	1/2

Outside of them, Snell Patel, Saurashtra’s wicketkeeper, chipped in with useful half-centuries at the top of the batting order, while Arpit Vasavada also made important contributions, including a hundred and two half-centuries.***Saurashtra’s batting collective peaked when they needed it the most – during their quarter-final game. Having conceded a first-innings lead of 177, Saurashtra were set a daunting target.Desai and Patel gave Saurashtra a 132-run opening stand, and Pujara and Jackson then scored unbeaten half-centuries to take the side home by six wickets. It was such a team effort that Pujara’s 67 not out was the fourth-best indivisual score of the innings.ALSO READ: Pujara made us believe we could win it – UnadkatDespite all this, what might be a concern for Saurashtra is that their batsmen have failed to convert their fifties into hundreds. Their main batsmen have 28 half-centuries among them but only six centuries.”If I look at our batting, I am a lot more satisfied because eight or nine players are scoring runs for me,” Kotak said. “The first six players are scoring runs, maybe not scoring hundreds, but scoring 450 in eight games when you have three result wickets, I think that’s pretty good.”On top of that, the lower order is contributing more or less in every game, so I am not sure if that’s a very consistent batting performance from the whole team or that’s a batting failure. We had some three result wickets, so that also doesn’t help at times. On those wickets, you don’t score 500. It’s more like a 350 kind of wicket.”He, however, conceded, “I still believe we could have had at least five more hundreds, instead of the 70s and 80s. Obviously we can always work on it, but all in all our batsmen have been absolutely fantastic.”As Saurashtra prepare to take on Karnataka in the semi-final in Bangalore, they will hope for more of the same.

MatériaMais Notícias

da bet nacional： O Palmeiras foi derrotado pelo Bahia por 1 a 0 na noite desta quarta-feira (21), na Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador, pela décima primeira rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro. Thaciano, nos acréscimos, marcou pelo Tricolor de Aço. Na saída de campo após o confronto, o meia Zé Rafael lamentou a derrota sofrida, afirmando ‘falta de eficiência’ do Verdão, que acabou perdendo sua invencibilidade no Brasileirão com o resultado.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasPalmeirasTécnico do Palmeiras, Abel Ferreira será julgado pelo STJD por tomar o celular de jornalistaPalmeiras22/06/2023PalmeirasATUAÇÕES: Sem brilho individual ou coletivo, Palmeiras peca em finalizações e sai derrotado da BahiaPalmeiras21/06/2023PalmeirasBahia bate o Palmeiras, e resultado pode tirar o Verdão da vice-liderança do BrasileirãoPalmeiras21/06/2023

da bet7k： +Veja tabela e classificação do Brasileirão-2023 clicando aqui

– Aqui sempre é jogo difícil, hoje faltou para nós eficiência. Tivemos as melhores chances no primeiro tempo e isso reflete, acabamos sofrendo o gol na única chance deles. O futebol é assim – disse Zé Rafael.

Com a derrota, o Palmeiras fica com 22 pontos na classificação, mas permanece na segunda posição, um ponto atrás do Botafogo, que ainda joga na rodada nesta quinta-feira (22), diante do Cuiabá, fora de casa.

continua após a publicidade

Caso o Flamengo vença sua partida, tomará a vice-liderança do Alviverde. Na próxima rodada, neste domingo (25), o Verdão recebe o Fogão no Allianz Parque, no que pode ser um duelo pela liderança.

Tudo sobre

BrasileirãoPalmeirasZé Rafael

The decision came after Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil urged the board to help Gaekwad

PTI14-Jul-2024

File photo: Aunshuman Gaekwad, Kapil Dev and Shantha Rangaswamy after a CAC meeting•Annesha Ghosh/ESPNcricinfo

The BCCI has decided to release INR 1 crore for the treatment of former India batter Aunshuman Gaekwad, who is battling blood cancer at a medical facility in London.The BCCI’s decision came after Kapil Dev and Sandeep Patil urged the board to help Gaekwad.”Mr Jay Shah has instructed the BCCI to release INR 1 crore with immediate effect to provide financial assistance to India’s veteran cricketer Mr Anshuman Gaekwad, who is battling cancer,” the BCCI apex council said in a statement.”Shah has also spoken to Mr Gaekwad’s family to take stock of the situation and extend support,” the statement continued. “The board stands by Gaekwad’s family in this hour of crisis and will do whatever is essential for Mr Gaekwad’s quick recovery.”The BCCI will continue to monitor Mr Gaekwad’s progress and is confident that he will come out of this phase strongly.”Gaekwad, 71, played 40 Tests and 15 ODIs for India between 1975 and 1987. Later, he became a selector and then the coach of the national team.

Arsenal are "unable to comment" after Thomas Partey was formally charged with multiple sexual offences. The Metropolitan Police have charged Partey with a total of six offences, five of them being rape and one of sexual assault. These charges are connected to allegations made by three different women.

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• Partey charged with rape and assault
• Will appear at Magistrates' Court next month
• Arsenal decline to comment

Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  According to investigators, two of the rape allegations involve one woman, while three others are tied to a second woman. The single charge of sexual assault relates to a third complainant. Police officials noted that the alleged incidents are believed to have taken place between 2021 and 2022. A police inquiry into the allegations began in February 2022, following the receipt of the first complaint.

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• Getty
  

  WHAT ARSENAL SAID

  An Arsenal spokesperson told "The player's contract ended on June 30. Due to ongoing legal proceedings, the club is unable to comment on the case."

  The situation has reignited concerns among parts of the club’s fanbase. The campaign group Arsenal Supporters Against Sexual Violence has held regular demonstrations calling for stricter responses to serious allegations involving professional players. Although their protests have not specifically mentioned Partey, the group has long maintained that any player facing such serious allegations should be suspended until the matter is resolved in court.

• WHAT HAS PARTEY'S LAWYERS SAID

  Partey has denied all accusations. In a statement shared by his legal representative, Jenny Wiltshire, the Ghana international maintained his innocence and said he looks forward to the chance to clear his name in court.

  In a statement, Wiltshire said: "Thomas Partey denies all the charges against him. He has fully cooperated with the police and CPS throughout their three-year investigation. He now welcomes the opportunity to finally clear his name. Given that there are now ongoing legal proceedings, my client is unable to comment further."

• Getty Image/ Goal AR
  

  DID YOU KNOW?

  Detective Superintendent Andy Furphy, who is leading the investigation, expressed his department’s continued support for the women who have come forward.

  "Our priority remains providing support to the women who have come forward," he said. "We would ask anyone who has been impacted by this case, or anyone who has information, to speak with our team. You can contact detectives about this investigation by emailing [email protected]".

Seamer claims four wickets alongside Douthwaite, as Ingram and Carlson build stand

ECB Reporters Network29-Aug-2024Timm van der Gugten was the pick of the Glamorgan bowling, grabbing the first four Leicestershire wickets to fall, while Dan Douthwaite also chipped in with four wickets to justify the decision to bowl first.Leicestershire fast bowler Chris Wright made his first-class return from a drugs ban to help his side to a batting bonus point, his side recovering to 251 all out on a hybrid pitch in Cardiff.Wright, who was banned for nine months but found not to be at fault after a banned substance was contained in a fruit supplement, combined with debutant Sam Wood and Tom Scriven as the last two wickets added 75 runs.Glamorgan lost both openers early in reply, but moved onto 114 for 2 at the close with Colin Ingram, 63 not out, and Kiran Carlson, 42 not out, putting on an unbroken partnership of 87 to put their side in the driving seat.After winning the toss and inserting Leicestershire in overcast and drizzly conditions, Glamorgan would have been hoping for an early breakthrough, which was delivered from a familiar source.Van der Gugten has been the spearhead of the Glamorgan attack this season and he delivered once again, taking all three wickets to fall before the lunch break with arrow-like accuracy.He bowled opener Rishi Patel for 7 with a delivery which clipped the top of off stump, then fellow opener Ian Holland played on with one which jagged back slightly when on 13.The Dutchman returned to have a spell just before lunch and added a third, this time LBW as captain Lewis Hill did not get far enough forward to depart for 25.Ned Leonard, on loan from Somerset, should have had a wicket when Indian star Ajinkya Rahane top-edged a pull shot, but deep midwicket Douthwaite was slow coming forward and ended up spilling the low chance.It was the ever-reliable van der Gugten who brought the downfall of Rahane, finding the outside edge after lunch and helped by a sharp catch at second slip by captain Sam Northeast.After looking good, England all-rounder Rehan Ahmed gave things away when he lifted a short ball from Douthwaite straight to Billy Root on the deep square leg boundary.Then out of the blue Australian Peter Handscomb went for 46, trying to dab Douthwaite down to third man but instead just feathering a catch to wicketkeeper Chris Cooke.Then New Zealander Fraser Sheat got into the act with his first wicket in county cricket, a rather tame dismissal of Liam Trevaskis who chipped the ball to mid-on.The tame-ness was copied by Louis Kimber who also chipped the ball in the air, aiming a leg side half volley at catcher Asa Tribe off the bowling of Douthwaite.That brought Sam Wood to make his debut in confident style as he and Scriven put on a half-century partnership, Wright and Wood doing the rest to reach the first batting bonus point.Glamorgan’s innings could not have got off to a worse start, captain Sam Northeast promoting himself to open and then departing first ball of the innings, caught behind by Handscomb from the bowling of Holland.The same bowler accounted for debutant Asa Tribe, who played on for 4. Ingram and Carlson saw out the rest of the day’s play to put Glamorgan in a strong position.

MS Dhoni, Lasith Malinga, Chris Gayle, along with others like de Villiers and Malik, are close to the end of their careers

Gaurav Sundararaman21-Jul-2020MS Dhoni
It’s impossible to speculate when it comes to MS Dhoni, but with the IPL and the World Cup originally scheduled for April and October this year, you’d think Dhoni had a perfect sign-off planned. However, we are talking about another year now, and Dhoni hasn’t played any cricket for India since July 2019. He will be 40 by then too, and will need two solid IPLs to stand a chance, which makes it highly unlikely. But it’s Dhoni we are talking about – can’t rule him out, can we?Lasith Malinga
The leading wicket-taker in T20Is with 107 strikes, Lasith Malinga had earlier announced that he would be retiring after the 2020 World Cup. Does the change mean he will hang around? He will be past 38 then. That said, the last year or so has been great for Malinga, who helped Mumbai Indians win the IPL again and followed it up with four wickets in four balls against New Zealand in September 2019. Fitness will be a concern, but form might not be, and it might come down to whether he is up for one more tilt or not.Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo have been two of the most iconic T20 players in the world•Getty ImagesChris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo
Chris Gayle is perhaps the most recognisable face on the T20 circuit, and even at 40 – close to 41, actually – he is a force to be reckoned with in the format. Gayle has hinted at extending his career but would be very lucky to make it at the end of the postponement. Also, Gayle has lot of competition for his spot in the side, so making the cut might require a combination of form and fortune, not to mention fitness.Gayle’s old colleague Dwayne Bravo came out of retirement earlier this year with an eye on the World Cup. Since his return, he has taken seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.15. With potentially an IPL and a CPL before the World Cup, Bravo was all gung-ho. It will be interesting to see how he deals with the tweaked situation. From his point of view, the best thing would be to play as much franchise cricket as possible, and hope the West Indies team management still has room for him, and his unique skills.Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik
The Pakistan duo of Mohammad Hafeez and Shoaib Malik were expected to script their swansongs in Australia. Hafeez, who will be 40 in October this year, had said that he would delay his retirement if the tournament is rescheduled, and might go ahead and do just that now, though whether he will fit into the team’s plans a year on remains to be seen. Ditto for Malik, who will turn 39 in February.Pakistan may have found many competent youngsters the last few months to not miss the two veterans, and the fact that both of them have similar skills means fitting both of them in the squad could be a bit of a stretch. But big performances between now and then, and who knows…Both Faf du Plessis and AB de Villiers want to play the T20 World Cup•AFP via Getty ImagesFaf du Plessis and AB de Villiers
Faf du Plessis had announced his desire to captain his side till the end of the T20 World Cup. But that was a long time ago, and Quinton de Kock has replaced him at the helm since then. Du Plessis will be 37 by the time the next World Cup starts, and it’s not unthinkable that South Africa would have looked at younger players to take the team forward by then.As for AB de Villiers, well, the question marks around him linger. The much-speculated comeback has been put on ice, but he is certain to be active in the franchise circuit, whatever the number of tournaments that get on the road eventually. Therefore, there’s not much difference between now, when he is 36 and a half, and next year. The bigger issue, of course, is whether he wants it or not.

Everton are set to embark on an exciting new era at Bramley-Moore Dock and could make a bargain signing to kick off their summer business, according to a report.

Everton preparing for summer of mass changes

David Moyes has comfortably ensured top-flight survival for Everton and has managed to revive a squad that has plenty of uncertainty hanging over it heading into the summer.

With the Toffees set to say farewell to Goodison Park, key figures such as Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Seamus Coleman and Ashley Young are yet to commit to extensions, while several loanees find themselves in limbo.

Abdoulaye Doucoure has commented on his future at the club, stirring debate among supporters, stating: “There’s not been any talks so far with Everton. I think personally, I don’t wait for them to give me a contract or not, because my contract is finished. I already have some proposals on the table, to be honest, and I think in the next three weeks, I will have to take my decision — whether I stay or not.”

Clearly, Moyes has plenty of work to do in the market before his squad is in ideal shape for next season. Ipswich Town pair Liam Delap and Omari Hutchinson have emerged as Everton targets, offering an inkling of the direction his recruitment strategy could take.

Burnley’s Josh Brownhill could join the Toffees on a free transfer, which would be a wise move in the face of PSR regulations, which could otherwise create problems in a moment of positivity.

Sky Sports reporter says 49ers want to sign £20m+ Everton star for Leeds

Leeds have added a new attacker to their transfer shortlist heading into the summer.

ByBrett Worthington May 8, 2025

Tapping into that theme, another star from the EFL Championship may also arrive this summer without the Toffees having to spend a penny in transfer fees.

Everton want to land Leeds United full-back Junior Firpo

According to Everton News, as per journalist Graeme Bailey, Junior Firpo could make a surprise move to Everton this summer on a free transfer once his contract expires at Leeds United.

While Spain is thought to be his preference, Everton appear to be at the front of the queue if the defender opts to remain in England.

Labelled “immense” by Conor McGilligan, the Dominican Republic international has registered four goals and 10 assists this campaign, playing a major role in the Whites’ promotion back to the top flight.

Ricardo Chavez Soto

Monterrey

Ryan Hollingshead

Los Angeles FC

Jesus Gallardo

Toluca

Anton Gaaei

Ajax

Juan Sanabria

Atletico San Luis

Earning £60,000 per week at Elland Road, it is said that Firpo also has admirers from Spain, where he came through the ranks at Real Betis before joining Barcelona back in 2019.

Previously, the Santo Domingo-born defender struggled with life in the Premier League under Marcelo Bielsa, but he has been a key attacking force down the left flank this term and appears primed for another tilt at the top flight.

Now, Everton’s task is to put forward a convincing argument that they are a better proposition than Leeds in the long run. Given their newfound stability, they stand a good chance of winning the race for his signature.