India are 2-0 up and cannot lose the series; will they finally give Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik a look-in?

The Preview by Sidharth Monga01-Jul-2017Match FactsSunday, July 2, 2017
Start time 0900 local (1300 GMT)Will India finally give Rishabh Pant a game?•Getty ImagesBig PictureWest Indies must feel this is just a surreal nightmare. They are playing in the rainy season and at 9am in front of no crowds to adjust to the opposition’s schedule and to finish at least half the match before the opposition fans go to sleep. In the first half they try their best, flailing their limbs, trying to wake up from the nightmare, trying to bowl with discipline, and then when seemingly nobody is watching – little live crowd, little TV following in India – they slip back to the nightmare, with their inexperienced batting letting them down.Friday was their best chance to put one past India – they had got the first use of a damp pitch and had taken two early wickets – but they seem almost scared of aiming too high. If you looked at the fields and the kind of bowling West Indies employed, you wouldn’t guess it was a difficult pitch to bat on. They have now not won an ODI series in three years, and are playing like it.India, on the other hand, are enjoying a dream. Pristine islands, no crowd to haunt them for selfies, a small press contingent, an easy opposition, and their internal troubles far far away for the moment. The only dilemma they might be grappling with is when to give Rishabh Pant a go. They have avoided adventure on the field so far, but if they don’t try out Pant, now that they can’t lose the series, this trip will be wasted. India need to keep giving the youngsters game time to stay prepared for the contingency of realising in early 2019 that one of their two middle-order giants can’t make it to the World Cup. The other, smaller question will be if they should allow Kedar Jadhav more batting responsibility higher up in the order and test him for a bigger role.Form guideWest Indies LLWLL (last five completed matches, most recent first)
India WWLWWIn the spotlightIt’s like wine, MS Dhoni said, referring to getting better with age, after he had converted a slow start into a near run-a-ball 78 and had given India a match-winning total. However, he is an uncorked wine; at this age – 35 now, 37 during the next World Cup – Dhoni will know he is as good as his last couple of innings. The good thing is, his keeping has shown no signs of deterioration and he was back to providing running commentary as he kept wicket in the third ODI. He will need all this in the coming two years if he is to make it to the 2019 World Cup.Jason Holder has an unenviable task of leading an inexperienced West Indies side, and he tried to do the noble thing of leading from the front. However, he might perhaps be better off being a little more practical and not bowl himself at the death. In the last two ODIs, he has been targeted by India. In Port-of-Spain he had to be taken off after he bowled three beamers – one of them was so slow Dhoni pulled it. His 4.5 overs at the death in the last two matches have cost 65 runs.Team newsWest Indies made three changes in the last match. None of the newcomers did awfully. Kesrick Williams had an impressive debut, bowling five overs in the last nine. It might just help them to stick with the same players for a while. The only question will be if they want Alzarri Joseph back.West Indies (probable): 1 Evin Lewis, 2 Kyle Hope, 3 Shai Hope (wk), 4 Jason Mohammed, 5 Roston Chase, 6 Jason Holder (capt.), 7 Rovman Powell, 8 Ashley Nurse, 9 Kesrick Williams, 10 Devendra Bishoo, 11 Miguel Cummins,Will either Rishabh Pant or Dinesh Karthik get a chance now that India can’t lose the series? Is there scope to try Ravindra Jadeja again?India (probable): 1 Shikhar Dhawan, 2 Ajinkya Rahane, 3 Virat Kohli (capt.), 4 Yuvraj Singh/Rishabh Pant, 5 MS Dhoni (wk), 6 Kedar Jadhav, 7 Hardik Pandya, 8 Kuldeep Yadav, 9 R Ashwin, 10 Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 11 Umesh YadavPitch and conditionsThe previous ODI in North Sound was played on a damp pitch, which explains the low scores, but this one should be better to bat on.Stats and trivia MS Dhoni is now behind only Kumar Sangakkara for ODI runs as a wicketkeeper. West Indies have lost 10 and won two ODIs in North Sound.Quotes”We’ll surely look into [making changes]. We have quite a few players who haven’t had a game in a while.”
“We’ve got to come hard, we’ve got to address our batting. In the end we’ve got to bat well.”

Amitabh Choudhary, the acting BCCI secretary, has said it is the prerogative of a state association to nominate a person to the board’s special general meeting “as long as it doesn’t violate any court order”. Choudhary was responding to a question on the eligibility of former BCCI and ICC chief N Srinivasan, who represented the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) at the board’s SGM in Mumbai. Srinivasan had attended the state associations’ meeting with the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators (CoA) on Sunday (June 25) as well.

BCCI could reinstate RCA

The subject of lifting the suspension on the Rajasthan Cricket Association following the election of CP Joshi as the new president recently was also discussed at the BCCI’s Special General Meeting.
The RCA had been suspended after Lalit Modi, who was suspended by the board, was elected president. Now, the board’s acting secretary Anirudh Choudhary said: “The [Rajasthan] association has conducted its elections following the honourable Supreme Court’s order and has also communicated to us saying that all impediments will be removed, including the litigations against the BCCI.
“The house felt that we must respond to it and inform them to submit a formal answer to the showcause which had been issued to the RCA. [It] will be done expeditiously.”

Srinivasan’s eligibility has been in question since the TNCA’s executive committee nominated him as its representative. In April, the Supreme Court and the CoA had warned that office-bearers disqualified under the Lodha Committee recommendations could not attend BCCI meetings. Subsequently, the court prevented Srinivasan from representing the Indian board in the ICC meetings.Srinivasan’s disqualification at that time was on two counts: he was over 70 years of age and had completed nine years as an office-bearer at both the TNCA and the BCCI, thereby violating the judgment of July 2016, which had approved the recommendations of the Lodha Committee. Veteran administrator Niranjan Shah, who represented the Saurashtra Cricket Association at the SGM, is also disqualified on the same grounds.Choudhary, however, said he had done his due diligence when it came to examining Srinivasan’s eligibility. “A notice for a meeting,” he said, “is a notice. And, the notice says that all member units of the BCCI are requested to attend this meeting. As to which individual is chosen to represent a member unit is their discretion, as long as it doesn’t violate any court order. That’s all that I am supposed to examine, which I did.”The CoA, too, had said the issue of an administrator’s eligibility didn’t fall under its remit. “That is an issue that the Supreme Court has to discuss. We have not been mandated by the Supreme Court to sit on judgment on a person’s eligibility, non-eligibility etc,” CoA chairman Vinod Rai said on Saturday. “The attendance register will go to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court gets to know about all these things, so we are not here to sit in judgment on people’s qualification or disqualification.”A senior administrator from the west zone told ESPNcricinfo that neither Srinivasan nor Shah were currently office-bearers, and hence were eligible to attend the meeting.

يخوض فريق الكرة الأول بنادي الزمالك مواجهة قوية مساء غد الأحد، ضد دريمز الغاني، في نصف نهائي كأس الكونفدرالية الإفريقية.

الزمالك يستضيف فريق دريمز الغاني، على ملعب استاد القاهرة الدولي، في ذهاب نصف نهائي بطولة الكونفدرالية. موعد مباراة الزمالك ودريمز الغاني في ذهاب نصف نهائي الكونفدرالية

تقام مباراة الزمالك ودريمز غدًا الأحد 21 أبريل، في تمام الساعة 6 مساءً بتوقيت القاهرة، 7 بتوقيت السعودية. 

الزمالك يسعى خلال المباراة إلى تحقيق الفوز مستغلًا جماهيره في اللقاء لتسهيل مهمته قبل لقاء العودة الذي يقام في غانا الأسبوع المقبل.

البرتغالي جوزيه جوميز المدير الفني للزمالك أكد خلال المؤتمر الصحفي أن فريق دريمز الغاني قوي، وعليهم أن يظهروا الوجه الحقيقي للأبيض في مباراة الغد.

طالع | جوميز: أحب طريقة لاعب الزمالك.. ويجب إظهار الوجه الحقيقي أمام دريمز

الزمالك كان قد تأهل إلى دور نصف النهائي بعد الفوز على فيوتشر في دور ربع النهائي بنتيجة 3-2 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب.

ويدخل الزمالك المباراة بمعنويات مرتفعة بعد الفوز على الغريم التقليدي الأهلي في الدوري المصري الممتاز بنتيجة 2-1.

وعلى الجانب الآخر، فريق دريمز الغاني الذي يتواجد للمرة الأولى في دور نصف النهائي يطمح إلى الخروج بنتيجة إيجابية أمام الزمالك.

وكان دريمز الغاني تأهل إلى دور نصف النهائي بعد الفوز على الملعب المالي بنتيجة 3-2 في مجموع مباراتي الذهاب والإياب بدور الـ 8 لبطولة الكونفدرالية.

ويقود مباراة الزمالك ودريمز الغاني، الحكم الرواندي صامويل أويكوندا، ويعاونه الأنجولي إيفينالدو ميريليس والمالي موديبو ساماكي، مساعدين، والمالي بوبو تراوري حكمًا رابعًا ويتواجد الجنوب إفريقي مكاليما زينيث كحكم للفيديو، ويعاونه مواطنه توم أبو نجيل.

ومن المقرر أن يحل الزمالك ضيفاً على دريمز في غانا، يوم الأحد المقبل 28 أبريل في لقاء العودة لدور نصف النهائي من بطولة الكونفدرالية.

تجدر الإشارة إلي أن الفائز من مباراة الزمالك ودريمز يواجه المتأهل من مواجهة اتحاد العاصمة الجزائري ونهضة بركان المغربي في المباراة النهائية لبطولة الكونفدرالية هذا الموسم.

Arsenal finally announced the player that fans had been waiting for on Saturday, as an innocuous livestream of a club meeting turned into a triumphant welcome for Declan Rice.

The former West Ham United captain had been involved in an epic transfer saga in which the Gunners sought to get the best possible deal, just months after David Moyes had promised that his exit would invoke a British transfer record.

In the end, it took £105m to see off Manchester City and convince the Hammers to sell, with The Athletic reporting just how important this deal was for Edu and his manager.

Saturday's piece wrote: 'The West Ham United captain was everything to Mikel Arteta this summer. Those inside the club had repeated for months that it could not be overstated how central he was to the Arsenal manager’s vision.

'Without him, Arteta’s plan to take his team to the next level in the fourth year of his reign simply did not add up. Every other transfer target was inextricably linked to Rice as the centrepiece, the nucleus that would make everything else make sense.'

However, the completion of this deal means interest can now move onto who might now partner the England international, given the defensive security he brings.

This solidity, and unparalleled midfield foundation he brings to a free-flowing system, could certainly be beneficial for a player of Gabri Veiga's stature, given his preference as a more attack-minded central midfielder.

As links have persisted with the north London club, and a €40m (£34m) price tag standing in their way, perhaps one more addition could be on the cards to add to this free-spending summer.

Is Gabri Veiga a good player?

The 22-year-old has starred of late for his boyhood club, as their main creative threat from within the engine room.

Despite Celta Vigo's struggles, the ability of this imperious youngster to take a team on his back and lead them to safety is immense, as he scored 11 goals and assisted a further four last term in La Liga.

It was therefore no surprise to see journalist Euan McTear brand him a "dangerous" asset earlier this year.

Pairing this kind of offensive impetus from deep with the base that Rice will bring could help take these numbers to astronomical heights, especially after the year that the 24-year-old general has just enjoyed with the Irons.

Maintaining a 7.19 average match rating in the league, this figure was upheld by his six goal contributions, one key pass, 2.1 tackles and 1.5 clearances per game, via Sofascore.

This kind of solidity would be ideal for Veiga, who, when compared to other midfielders across Europe, ranks in the top 1% for non-penalty goals, the top 11% for progressive carries and the top 12% for successful take-ons per 90, via FBref.

Should he drive forward in the pursuit of goals for Arteta's side, they will be safe in the knowledge that a turnover would mean little, as Rice still stands in the way of an opposition attack.

The acquisition of this steely Englishman will hopefully be the catalyst that can propel Arsenal one step further in their race to topple the Cityzens, and yet Veiga could prove just as instrumental as an attacking threat beside him.

Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly showing a strong interest in Eintrach Frankfurt star, Randal Kolo Muani, with the Frenchman being lined up as a possible replacement for contract rebel, Harry Kane.

What are the latest transfer Tottenham rumours?

While there have been somewhat audacious claims that the Lilywhites are interested in a move for Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, journalist Sacha Tavolieri has revealed that it is Kolo Muani who is the "priority" target for Ange Postecoglou and co, with negotiations having already taken place regarding a potential €80m (£69m) deal.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "EXCL. Randal Kolo Muani to be the priority target striker for Harry Kane's replacement at #Tottenham ! Interest's huge and talks on player's side has just started. I understand this deal could happen as ENIC Group gave green light to Daniel Levy for a sale of Harry Kane.

"It's an 80M€ deal. Eintracht Frankfurt have already discusses with clubs before. Not yet from Spurs. The French striker's keen to the move. Wait&See"

This comes amid reports that Spurs are looking to sell Kane if the Englishman does not agree to extend his contract at N17, hence the need to line up a suitable successor to the free-scoring marksman.

How many goals has Randal Kolo Muani scored?

There's likely to be some real excitement among Spurs supporters amid the club's tentative links to the aforementioned Mbappe, although questions will have to be asked as to whether the 24-year-old is actually a viable option, considering the sizeable fee that it would likely take to prise him from the Parc des Princes.

If a deal for the former Monaco ace – who has been the subject of a £260m offer from Al Hilal – is ultimately too much of a pipe dream, then Postecoglou has seemingly lined up a worthy alternative in the form of his compatriot, Kolo Muani.

While the latter man is arguably not of the same ilk as his international colleague – who boasts 310 goals and assists in just 260 games in all competitions – the former Nantes ace did catch the eye with 40 goal involvements in just 46 games in Germany last season, a haul not too far off that of Mbappe (51 goals and assists in 43 outings).

Lauded as "ice-cold in front of goal" by German legend, Lothar Matthaus, Kolo Muani had previously scored 23 goals and contributed 16 assists in just 83 outings for his former employers, although he truly came alive in the Bundesliga last time out.

With both men able to operate in a central role or on the flanks, they have unsurprisingly earned comparisons to French icon, Thierry Henry in recent times, with pundit Joe Cole noting Mbappe's likeness to the ex-Arsenal man, while the Bundesliga website previously said of Kolo Muani:

'Much like Kolo Muani, legendary France striker Henry started his career by impressing with his pace and trickery out wide before being repurposed as a centre-forward. Both players also clock in around the 6'2" mark and cut very similar, rangy figures.

'Kolo Muani also has a languid dribbling style and immense turn of speed that were hallmarks of Henry's game – especially at a young age. He bears similar strength on the ball and a cheekiness to his play that will leave Bundesliga defenders both in his wake and cutting frustrated figures.'

What the duo share, in particular, is there innate dribbling ability and direct nature in attack, with the Frankfurt ace ranking in the top 7% among his European peers for progressive carries and in the top 5% for successful take-ons, while Mbappe is only slightly ahead as he ranks in the top 5% and the top 1% for those same two metrics, respectively.

As such, the likeness between the pair could suggest that even if Tottenham can't get Mbappe in the door this summer, they could be set to snap up the next best thing instead…

Manchester United are reportedly willing to meet Fiorentina’s €30m (£25.7m) asking price to sign midfielder Sofyan Amrabat.

Are Man United signing Sofyan Amrabat?

The Red Devils and Erik ten Hag have already made a start on their summer business by bringing in Mason Mount from Chelsea in a deal worth £60m. The England international has taken the famous number seven shirt at Old Trafford, and a new goalkeeper and forward also appear to be on the agenda.

After David de Gea officially left the club, United have been pushing to sign Andre Onana from Inter Milan, and it looks as if a move is close for the Cameroon international.

Onana may not be the final addition, though, with an offer made for Atalanta’s Rasmus Hojlund. The Red Devils proposed a player-plus-cash move, however, the Serie A side aren’t interested and would only want an £85.5m payment for the Denmark international.

Another new midfielder could also be a possibility, with previous reports this month suggesting that personal terms had already been agreed between United and Amrabat.

The Faithful MUFC relayed a further update from Spain in the last 48 hours regarding Amrabat and a possible move to Old Trafford. It is believed that Ten Hag has personally requested Amrabat’s services in Manchester and sees Amrabat as an ideal partner for Casemiro. The Red Devils are willing to pay Fiorentina’s €30m (£25.7m) asking price.

Barcelona have also been showing an interest in the midfielder as they look to replace Sergio Busquets, however, the La Liga champions seemingly cannot afford Amrabat at this moment in time, leaving the door open for Man United.

How good is Sofyan Amrabat?

Amrabat actually worked under Ten Hag at FC Utrecht and has been with Fiorentina since 2020. The 26-year-old has made more than 100 appearances for his current employers and has enjoyed a solid 12 months which has resulted in his Transfermarkt valuation increasing from €10m to a career-high €30m.

As per FBref in the last 365 days, Amrabat ranks in the top 1% of midfielders for long passes completed, top 2% for medium passes completed, top 5% for overall pass completion percentage and top 8% for passes into the final third, showing how he could bring plenty of control and quality to Old Trafford.

Hailed as a "monster" in the media, Amarabat was also praised by former England manager Fabio Capello for his displays at last year's World Cup in Qatar, with the Italian describing Amrabat as the 'Gennaro Gattuso of Morocco'.

"If I have to name one name, besides the well-known Hakim Ziyech and Achraf Hakimi, it would be Amrabat. He is essential for balance and a great runner. I read that he covered more than fourteen kilometres against Spain. I see him as the Gennaro Gattuso of Morocco."

It looks as if United’s focus at this moment in time is to seal a transfer for Onana, but by the looks of things, they could soon make their move for Amrabat, and you could argue that the Red Devils would be getting a player at the top of his game following his form over the past year.

James Ward-Prowse will not join West Ham United for £25m this summer, according to Alex Crook.

The 28-year-old is set to leave Southampton after spending his whole career with the Saints.

Is James Ward-Prowse leaving Southampton?

Ward-Prowse looks likely to depart St Mary's this summer following the side's relegation.

According to reports, West Ham are hoping to get negotiations moving for the Saints' captain by submitting an official bid for the midfielder in the coming days after having a verbal proposal for the player rejected by the south coast club last week, with the Hammers not being put off by the rejection for the England international.

Sky Sports also reports that the two clubs have held "positive talks" regarding a transfer, with personal terms not expected to be a problem as the player want to join the club.

The midfielder has reportedly informed his club that he wants to join a Premier League club this summer ahead of the upcoming 2024 Euros, with Southampton expected to allow their club legend to depart should they receive the asking price they want of £50m.

Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano also confirmed that Ward-Prowse wants to leave the club this summer and that there are clubs interested, stating on his 'Here We Go' podcast "I think this is [a] typical deal for [the] final weeks of the transfer window or maybe for late July because, of course, he is a very good player and so there is some clubs who [will] decide to go for him.”

Speaking on talkSPORT, journalist Crook reveals that West Ham have held conversations about signing Ward-Prowse, but will not be able to sign the England international for just £25m:

"Well conversations have taken place with Southampton in terms of how much they want for James Ward-Prowse. We know that £25m wouldn’t be enough to prise James Ward-Prowse away from Southampton. Interestingly he didn’t play in the friendly against Bournemouth but Russell Martin is adamant he’s got a genuine injury and he’s going to play at the weekend against AZ Alkmaar."

Is Ward-Prowse the right signing for West Ham?

Ward-Prowse would be a great bit of experienced business for the Hammers.

The Saints academy graduate has become a club legend over the course of his 409 appearances for the South Coast side, scoring 55 goals and registering 53 assists as well as being made captain in the 2019/20 season. In recent years the England international has become an increasingly greater goal threat, managing over seven league goals in each of the last three seasons.

Despite the disappointing season for the club, the midfielder enjoyed an impressive individual campaign, scoring 11 and assisting five across his 45 appearances in all competitions, recording a WhoScored average rating of 6.95, which was quite comfortably the best out of any Southampton player last season.

The 28-year-old has a very complete skillset, with his set-piece quality being his most recognised attribute. Called the best free-kick taker in the world by legendary manager Pep Guardiola, Ward-Prowse sits second on the list of all-time Premier League free-kick goalscorers, being just one behind legendary winger David Beckham.

This attacking quality could make him an interesting replacement for Declan Rice, being able to match and better the former captain's attacking output, but lacking the defensive strengths that Rice possesses, suggesting that should the Hammers bring in the midfielder, he would be better as one of two to three players bought in to replace Rice's qualities.

After suffering a knockout at the hands of England, Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann denied that the ongoing pay dispute involving Cricket Australia and the nation’s cricketers played any role in his team’s performance

Brydon Coverdale11-Jun-2017

Australia’s coach Darren Lehmann has denied that the ongoing pay dispute involving Cricket Australia and the nation’s cricketers played any role in his team’s early exit from the Champions Trophy. Having had their first two group matches washed out, Australia needed to win against England on Saturday to progress, but instead suffered a 40-run defeat via the DLS method.Australia will now head home to begin preparations for their tour of Bangladesh later this year, but they will do so against the backdrop of employment uncertainty. CA and the Australian Cricketers’ Association have until the end of this month to reach a consensus on a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or risk an ugly situation in which players may find themselves uncontracted.The pay standoff has been going on for many months now and Australia’s vice-captain David Warner last week expressed his disappointment that CA had distributed an information video stating their case for MoU changes while Australia’s players should have been focusing on the Champions Trophy.Warner said at the time: “If CA were trying to help us win, I don’t think they’d be trying to release videos like that”. However, after the loss to England in Birmingham on Saturday, Lehmann said he did not believe the pay dispute had played any part in Australia failing to progress to the Champions Trophy semi-finals.”No excuses from our point of view on the MoU,” Lehmann said. “That’s going on behind the scenes – it can probably come to the forefront now that we’ve finished. They’ll get down to that and sort that out. No excuses from our end on the MoU.”It’s always there. It’s the elephant in the room. It’s always going to be talked about. But from a playing point of view, you’re out there, surely you’re not thinking about the MoU when you’re batting or bowling. I wouldn’t think that would have affected the players’ performance at all.”Australia’s preparation for the tournament was not helped by a washed out warm-up game, and their first two matches against New Zealand and Bangladesh were also rained out – they were on track to beat Bangladesh in the second game when it started pouring heavily, but New Zealand had the upper hand in the first match. Lehmann said Australia’s preparation had been adequate, but they had not been up to the task in the critical match.”We were just outplayed,” Lehmann said. “We were probably 30 or so short with the bat. We needed some of those guys to go on and get hundreds. [Aaron] Finch and [Steven] Smith played well, but we needed the top four to get a hundred. And then we bowled pretty poorly after the rain break. Disappointing result.”Just disappointing, I think we lost 5 for 15 at one stage. Credit to England, they bowled well, but I think we helped them a bit in the back end of our innings. We were sitting reasonably well at one stage but once you lose wickets you’re always in a bit of trouble. I think it was 4 for 240 odd when Maxi got out. You’d hope to get close to 300, but we didn’t.”Australia’s cause was not helped by a let-off for England captain Eoin Morgan, who was dropped down the leg side by Matthew Wade early in the chase. Morgan was on 12 at the time, and pressed on to make 87.”It was disappointing. He should grab them, but nobody means to drop them, either,” Lehmann said. “Disappointing part of the game, especially at that time. But again, they played really well. Morgan and Stokes were very good today.”Australia’s own batting set-up did not work as they hoped, with the addition of Moises Henriques at No.4 proving ineffective. Henriques scored 18 and 17 in his two innings in the tournament, and his presence in the side meant there was no room for fellow allrounder Marcus Stoinis, who struck a stunning 146 not out in an ODI in Auckland earlier this year.”We’ll have to sit back and have a look at that, moving forward, what we do there,” Lehmann said. “Marcus was very good in New Zealand so it’s a tough selection call. You take advice from everyone and you make a call and the skipper was quite keen for him to bat four. He [Henriques] looked good but probably didn’t capitalise.”Lehmann said Australia would need to find a way to return to the “brave” style of play that they displayed at the 2015 World Cup. It is an approach that he believes England and New Zealand have now adopted, and Lehmann bristled somewhat at the suggestion that Australia could learn something from the way England and New Zealand were currently playing in the ODI format.”I think England and New Zealand took the way we played in the last World Cup,” he said. “We played with bravery and we smashed every side, bar obviously New Zealand in Auckland. They’re starting to take the way we played, not vice-versa. When they win a World Cup, then we can take the way they play.”We certainly want to get back to playing brave cricket. I don’t think we were brave enough or smart enough in this tournament. I would have liked us to play with a lot more freedom or bravery.”

Arsenal could use Gabriel Martinelli as a makeweight in negotiations to sign Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe, however there are doubts over whether they would be able to secure the move, according to a report from Football Transfers.

What's the latest Arsenal transfer news?

The Gunners are still weighing up new attacking signings this summer, with Ajax's Mohammed Kudus recently re-emerging as an option, according to journalist Charles Watts, who claims the Ghanaian "ticks a lot of boxes" due to his age and versatility.

Watts has also reported that Nicolas Pepe is set to leave the Emirates Stadium soon, which could free up the wages for Mikel Arteta to bring in some new options, saying: “We’ll have to wait and see but I think Arsenal, from their point of view, they would love someone from Saudi Arabia becoming interested in Pepe.

“We shall wait and see what happens but one thing’s for sure: he’s got no long term future at Arsenal. He’ll certainly be gone soon. He’s one of the highest earners, probably in the top five.”

Given that Mbappe reportedly earns £1.2m-per-week at PSG, Arsenal will seemingly need to fork out a huge sum on wages if they are to win the race for his signature, and they have now hatched a plan to sign the forward.

That is according to a report from Football Transfers, which states the Gunners may use Martinelli as a makeweight in negotiations to sign the Frenchman in 2024, amid his uncertain future with the French champions.

Real Madrid are among the favourites to sign the 24-year-old, while clubs from Saudi Arabia are also interested, and reports from France indicate a world-record breaking offer is set to be handed to PSG in the coming days.

As such, there are doubts over whether Arsenal would be able to win the race for the France international, but they have a package prepared, and it is no secret he admires the project on offer at the Emirates Stadium.

How many goals has Kylian Mbappe scored?

It is clear to see why a whole host of top clubs are circling for the attacker, as he has been extremely prolific in a PSG shirt for a number of years now, scoring a total of 212 goals in 260 appearances for the club, while also registering 98 assists.

Hailed as "unbelievable" by Fabrizio Romano, the former AS Monaco star has scored 40 goals in 70 caps for France, meaning he is already fifth on their list of all-time top scorers, at the age of just 24.

The PSG star ranks highly on almost all attacking metrics over the past year, particularly impressing with his dribbling ability, ranking in the 99th percentile for progressive carries per 90, and in the 97th percentile for successful take-ons, when compared to his positional peers.

There is no doubt that Mbappe would be an incredible signing for Arsenal, and even though Martinelli has been very impressive, scoring 15 Premier League goals last term, it would be worth using him in negotiations if it helped seal the deal.

The two suspended teams will now be able to participate in the 11th IPL edition next year

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Jul-20171:06

Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals’ rollercoaster rides

Chennai Super Kings and Rajasthan Royals have completed their suspensions of two years from the IPL on Friday and were “welcomed back” by the BCCI.The suspension on the owners of the two franchises – India Cements and Jaipur IPL – was imposed by the Lodha Committee exactly two years ago, effectively ruling out the participation of the two teams. They will now be able to feature in 11th IPL edition next year.The committee had also banned for life Gurunath Meiyappan, a former official of Super Kings, and Raj Kundra, a co-owner of Royals, from any involvement in cricket matches for bringing “disrepute” to the game.The BCCI later decided to bring in two new franchises for a two-year term. In December 2015, the New Rising consortium and Intex won the ownership rights of the new franchises Rising Pune Supergiant (home base: Pune) and Gujarat Lions (home base: Rajkot).Super Kings had won the IPL twice, in 2010 and 2011, while Royals won the inaugural edition in 2008.