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Eberechi Eze's brilliant hat-trick secured Arsenal bragging rights in the north London derby as Mikel Arteta's men romped to a 4-1 win over a sorry Tottenham side on Sunday. Leandro Trossard got the ball rolling for the Gunners before an Eze double either side of half-time put the hosts in control. Richarlison's wonder strike gave Spurs some hope, but another classy finish from Eze ensured Arsenal went six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Arsenal took the lead in the 36th minute when Mikel Merino's delightful through ball cut open Tottenham's defence, and Trossard was on hand to nudge the ball home via a deflection. A very defensive-minded Tottenham side were 2-0 down five minutes later when Eze's quick feet and snap shot proved too much for Guglielmo Vicario. 

The ultra-confident hosts put the game to bed a minute after the break when Eze – who looked like he would join Tottenham before Arsenal swooped in for him during the summer transfer window – lashed in a shot from the edge of the area to send the home fans wild. However, out of nowhere, Spurs scored with their first shot on goal as Richarlison caught David Raya off his line with a spectacular 40-yard strike in the 55th minute.

But hopes of a comeback were obliterated when former Crystal Palace star Eze scored a superb third 14 minutes from time after good work from Trossard. After Manchester City's shock loss to Newcastle on Saturday, this was the perfect response from Arteta's men, and results like these may go a long way to ending their 21-year wait for a Premier League title.

GOAL rates Arsenal's players from Emirates Stadium…

Getty Images SportGoalkeeper & Defence

David Raya (6/10):

The former Brentford 'keeper was beaten by a wonderful bit of improvisation from Richarlison. Some of his distribution wasn't the best but, he wasn't tested much.

Jurrien Timber (8/10):

Was commanding and powerful in defence and attack in the first half and continued that after the break with an assist for Eze's second.

William Saliba (7/10):

The France international was relatively untroubled against Tottenham's uninspiring attack. Tougher tests will lie ahead, and he won't have the injured Gabriel Magalhaes alongside him, but so far, so good.

Piero Hincapie (7/10):

Came in for Gabriel and acquitted himself well at the back, albeit he wasn't tested a great deal. Likes to get forward, too.

Riccardo Calafiori (7/10):

Continues to keep Lewis-Skelly out of the starting XI and for good reason. The Italian is just a brick wall at times.

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Eberechi Eze (10/10):

Popped up with a moment of magic for his opener and Arsenal's second. Quick feet and some terrific finishing earned him a dream-like north London derby debut. This is a game he will never forget, and he could be the difference-maker this season.

Martin Zubimendi (6/10):

After a competent first half, he lost possession a bit too easily, and seconds later, Richarlison reduced Tottenham's arrears with a goal of the season contender. Still passes through the lines very well.

Declan Rice (7/10):

Bagged an assist for Eze's first goal with a neat one-touch pass, which summed up his attitude for the game. Ergo, get the ball forward quickly and in a direct manner.

Getty Images SportAttack

Bukayo Saka (8/10):

When Spurs were standing firm, he was the one who showed signs of breaking their resistance. Nearly scored with an excellent free-kick and was involved in the build-up for both first-half goals. 

Mikel Merino (8/10):

Led Arsenal's attack in place of the injured Gyokeres, but his most telling contribution was outside the box when he lofted a brilliant pass into Trossard's path for the opening goal. He's a good option for Arsenal to have.

Leandro Trossard (8/10):

Timed his run to perfection for Arsenal's first of the game and just about did enough to squirm his shot past Vicario. His movement and decision-making were top-notch and nabbed an assist, too.

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AFPSubs & Manager

Noni Madueke (7/10):

Was sharp and direct when he came on.

Ethan Nwaneri (7/10):

The teenager was lively and alert off the bench.

Cristhian Mosquera  (N/A):

Too little time to make an impact.

Myles Lewis-Skelly (N/A):

Came on at the death.

Mikel Arteta (9/10):

While Frank fielded a very conservative starting XI, Arteta played a strong hand, and it worked for him. His team repeatedly managed to break open Spurs' deep-lying defence with a mixture of skill, vision, and tenacity. Performances like these will do his team the world of good, as the Spaniard got this spot on.

After missing out on an extra forward in the summer, BlueCo have now reportedly made their first approach to sign a Bundesliga attacker for Chelsea in 2026.

Maresca reveals Marc Guiu warning

Following a strong start on the transfer front in the summer, Liam Delap’s injury threw Chelsea’s final week into chaos. Nicolas Jackson’s move to Bayern Munich was off then back on again, Marc Guiu was recalled from his Sunderland loan before he could truly get going and a number of rumours emerged. Ultimately, however, Enzo Maresca was forced to settle for his current attacking options.

Guiu’s recall caused particular debate. From a likely starter at Sunderland, the young striker has since found himself forced to watch on from the bench at Chelsea in frustrating fashion. What’s more, it’s only in recent weeks that he’s had the chance to impress for the Blues again.

Having his say, Maresca revealed earlier this week that the forward simply was not training well enough to earn the game time that he desires at Stamford Bridge.

There have been rumours that Sunderland could yet return for Guiu in January, but that may depend on Chelsea’s own movements. Ahead of the winter window, a number of names have already been linked with a move to West London.

That includes both Guela Doue and Porto’s Samu Omorodion, who would certainly add more firepower to Maresca’s side. Whether BlueCo will be willing to spend big or look to hijack Barcelona’s move to sign a Bundesliga alternative is the big question ahead of 2026.

Chelsea launch approach to sign Asllani

According to reports in Spain, BlueCo have now launched their first approach to sign Fisnik Asllani for Chelsea in 2026. The deal would see them beat Barcelona to one of the most in-form forwards that the Bundesliga has to offer.

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In a formal move, the Blues have turned their focus towards the Kosovo international in an attempt to add further depth to their frontline behind one of their most expensive signings, Joao Pedro. After scoring five goals in eight games in all competitions for Hoffenheim so far this season, there’s little doubt that the 23-year-old has the quality to seal a big move.

Dubbed “clinical” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, Asllani is certainly one to watch. Whilst his name is not as well-known as Omorodion, his numbers speak for themselves and Chelsea have the chance to get one over on Barcelona by securing his signature. Whether they choose to do so as soon as January remains to be seen, however.

India captain keeps his cards close when asked if the team would play Kuldeep

ESPNcricinfo staff01-Jul-20252:28

Gill: A second spinner won’t be a bad option if pitch is similar to last Test

In the wake of two lower-order collapses in the first Test against England in Leeds, India’s captain Shubman Gill has put the onus on the batters, starting with himself, to not give away starts on these flat pitches in England. India were 430 for 3 and 340 for 4 before losing 7 for 41 and 6 for 31, failing on both occasions to bat England out of the game. Eventually they lost by five wickets on the final evening despite getting into positions from where a draw should have been the worst result for them.”When we were batting, I felt I could have, now looking back at it… the kind of shot I played, I felt I could have batted a little bit more, added another 50 runs with Rishabh [Pant],” Gill said when asked what lessons he learnt from his captaincy debut. “That was my learning from when I was batting.”Gill was on 147 when he tried to hit Shoaib Bashir in the air, and ended up dragging it to the deep fielder on the leg side. What followed was some extravagant shots from the lower order, which didn’t come off. Gill was asked if the lower order was spoken to regarding batting responsibly. He again shifted the spotlight more on himself and the batters. “Definitely [chats have been had],” Gill said. “It’s been one of the things that we always talk about, especially with our batting depth… the lower order sometimes isn’t able to contribute as much as the other teams.Related

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“Having said that, you can also look at the other side as well. I was batting on 147 and the way I got out, maybe I could have scored 50 more in partnership with Rishabh. If you get a good ball and you get out, that’s fine, but once you are set and you know that you don’t really have that much depth in your batting order, maybe the top order could take a little bit more responsibility and bat the opposition completely out of the game. So I think these are different perspectives to look at the game, but definitely your lower order when your last five or six don’t contribute as much, then it becomes easier for the opposition to come back in the game.”The batting depth is what India seem to be grappling with Jasprit Bumrah available for Edgbaston but likely to be rested to manage his workload, which demands he play only three of these five Tests. The surface is dry underneath and Birmingham has been dry and warm in the lead-up to the match, which gives India an option to go with a second spinner. Indications are that the said spinner could be Washington Sundar to retain batting depth.”When we were bowling, there were learnings like once the ball is getting old and it’s getting soft, there isn’t much happening,” Gill said. “So how do you contain? How do you control the run flow, especially with the way they bat? Maybe having an extra spinner might help contain that run flow, especially in the third or in the fourth innings.”Gill was asked if Bumrah’s absence might encourage them to play a wicket-taking spinner in Kuldeep Yadav. “We will take that [final] call this evening, and I don’t think it will change the combination as such,” Gill said, suggesting a direct swap between Bumrah and a fast bowler, and a spinner for Shardul Thakur, whom India played as a “bowling allrounder”.”We did play an extra bowler, I would say a proper bowling allrounder in the last match,” Gill said. “And now having to look back at it, I think nobody really expects that your last six is going to get out in under 40 runs. Even if they play bad, you expect them to maybe score 100 runs or 80 runs. And these are things that you can’t really plan or you can’t really expect, but you can reflect on those things. And we have some things in mind if we are in this kind of situation again, how we can get better at it.”

MatériaMais Notícias

A briga na qual o vice de futebol do Flamengo, Marcos Braz, se envolveu nesta terça-feira (19) se tornou um caso de polícia. À noite, o torcedor Leandro agredido pelo dirigente foi à 16ª Delegacia Policial da Barra da TIjuca, na Zona Oeste do Rio de Janeiro, e prestou depoimento.

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Leandro Campos da Silveira Gonçalves Júnior, de 22 anos, afirmou que foi mordido na virilha por Braz. O entregador, que tem seu trabalho vinculado a um aplicativo, chegou à DP com sua mãe, Patrícia.

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De acordo com os relatos, dois amigos de Leandro que trabalham no Via Parque e souberam da presença de Braz no Barra Shopping. Com isso, a dupla, que integra o 2º Pelotão da organizada Torcida Jovem do Flamengo, foi ao local e fez cobranças ao dirigente. Posteriormente, Leandro apareceu no local, fez cobranças e xingou Braz. De acordo com o depoimento, o entregador foi agredido quando virou as costas e, entre as agressões de Braz, houve uma mordida na virilha.

Perguntados sobre a forma como tomaram conhecimento da presença do vice de futebol do Flamengo no shopping, os amigos de Leandro afirmaram que “a notícia corre” e que “viram imagens na Internet”. Em seguida, foram socorrer o entregador, que havia sido agredido por Braz e um segurança.

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O dirigente estava no Barra Shopping comprando um presente para sua filha, que faz aniversário nesta quarta-feira (20). Seu pai, Mário Braz, foi à delegacia para acompanhar as investigações. De acordo com sua advogada, Ani Luzi, Leandro Campos da Silveira Gonçalves Júnior também passou por exames no Hospital Lourenço Jorge e depois passará por exame de corpo de delito. O vice de futebol do Flamengo também irá para o Instituto Médico Legal (IML).

The break in the IPL witnessed the departure of two huge pillars of Indian Test cricket. It resumed with a 23-year-old and a 14-year-old taking T20 batting to new heights. Yashasvi Jaiswal and Vaibhav Suryavanshi put on a 76-run opening partnership where 74 runs had come in boundaries. But even with that head start, it was heartbreak for Rajasthan Royals (RR) as they lost by 10 runs. Punjab Kings (PBKS) are now up to 17 points. They were assured of a playoffs spot after Gujarat Titans (GT) beat Delhi Capitals (DC) later on Sunday evening.

Wadhera, the unsung hero

PBKS equalled an IPL record for most 200-plus totals in a season (6). They made 219 for 5. That it happened after they lost three wickets in the first 19 balls just added even more sheen to their achievement. The top-scorer Nehal Wadhera (70 off 37) attended a mid-innings interview where he said his captain Shreyas Iyer had told him to keep hitting despite wickets falling and that mentality was the reason why they made the most of beautiful batting conditions in Jaipur.Most of PBKS’ firepower has come from their openers. But on Sunday, both Prabhsimran Singh and Priyansh Arya couldn’t get going. That though allowed Wadhera all the time he needed to come into his own. He is a lovely spin-hitter (strike-rate 156, average 84 this IPL). Two of his best shots came off Wanindu Hasaranga on either side of Iyer’s wicket – one where he picked the googly and hit down the ground for six and the next where he picked the leg break and slog swept it for six.Wadhera could’ve been out on 48 had Hasaranga been able to hold onto a tough caught and bowled chance.Shashank Singh scored quickly and creatively•Getty Images

Shashank Singh nails the finisher role

Tushar Deshpande went into death overs mode in the 15th itself, using yorkers and bouncers of varying pace to save himself. Akash Madhwal, who was having a rough evening, might have thought he’d bought his team some relief when he dismissed Wadhera with four overs still left. Shashank Singh, at the time, was looking scratchy. He could’ve been dismissed for 11 off 10 if Dhruv Jurel had not misjudged where the boundary line was at long-off while trying to take a catch.Shashank made the most of the life he got and became a menace for an RR attack that had plans to deal with him. The wide yorker was a big part of that, but the finisher one-upped them by moving around in his crease, twice scooping off the wide line to find the fine leg boundary and once taking guard almost two feet outside his crease in order to meet the yorkers on the full. Shashank made 59 off 30 balls.

Jaiswal, Suryavanshi, Carnage

Nobody was ready for how the RR innings began. Jaiswal went 4, dot, 4, 4, 6, 4 in the very first over bowled by Arshdeep Singh. Suryavanshi wasn’t lagging behind. From his place deep in his crease, and with the kind of power that doesn’t really tally with his age, he found leverage to hit bowlers looking for his nose and his toes out of the park. RR were 51 for 0 in three overs. Fifty of those runs in fours and sixes. One run off a wide. The first scoring shot that wasn’t a boundary took 26 balls to arrive. On the back of this unreal partnership, RR put up their highest powerplay total (89 for 1) in IPL history.Harpreet Brar picked off both Rajasthan Royals openers•BCCI

Harpreet Brar turns it around

With the ball flying to all parts – and regular captain Shreyas Iyer subbed out to manage a finger injury – PBKS turned to Harpreet Brar (4-0-22-3) to see if pace off the ball would work. It did. Brar bowled one in the powerplay, got the benefit of a spread-out field after that, he still had to deal with a left-handed batter for most of his spell, nothing fazed him. Because he was clear with what he wanted to do. If he went full, he was not going to give RR the chance to get under the ball. He offered no room either. If he went short, he bowled it quick and kept the stumps in play to deny the batter time to swing. Riyan Parag found that out when the speed of his hands was no match for the skid of Brar’s arm ball. RR hit 19 boundaries in the powerplay. Brar came on to control the middle overs and they hit only four boundaries between overs 7 and 14.

The end

RR’s finishers have been under the scanner all season. Shimron Hetmyer has the fifth-lowest strike rate of all batters who have at least 50 runs in the death overs. Jurel has been found out by spin. Here too, he made only 15 off 13 against Brar and Yuzvendra Chahal, but he was able to get on top of the PBKS quicks. He had a season strike rate of 179 against pace coming into this game. He upped it to 211 on Sunday.A tense finish was on the cards, but Arshdeep came back for the 19th over, and nailed his lengths, whether he went yorker, or knuckle-ball into the pitch, and gave away only nine runs. That left RR with 22 runs to get off the last six balls. They managed to do that once in this game. Twice was asking for too much.

With his job seemingly hanging by a threat, one managerial candidate is now reportedly a serious candidate to replace Russell Martin at Rangers.

Russell Martin Rangers sack update

Without a win in the Scottish Premiership in five attempts, the pressure is mounting on Martin at Ibrox. Reports have insisted that he still has the backing of the 49ers, but Martin admitted that there were a number of fans who didn’t want him at the club in the first place.

It has reached a stage where even attempts to enjoy a team bonding session at Loch Lomond have received a fair share of criticism. Simply put, Martin can currently do no right in Scotland.

Other reports have claimed that it will be game over if Martin fail to defeat Hibernian in the Scottish League Cup quarter-final this weekend. Defeat would make it six straight games without a win in all competitions and it would be hard to argue a case that the former Southampton manager should still be in charge.

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For the 49ers, it would be back to square one if they chose to sack the manager that they had so much faith in at the start of the summer. Whether one particular name would take the job would be the big question in the face of such a decision.

Gerrard now a serious option to replace Martin

In an unexpected turn of events, it could be out with the new and in with the old at Ibrox. According to TeamTalk, Steven Gerrard is now a serious option to replace Martin now that he is free from previous contractual issues from his time at Al-Ettifaq.

The emergence of the former Rangers boss comes after the news that Jose Mourinho is set to return to Benfica, rather than remain a candidate to join the Gers. The so-called ‘Special One’ was considered an option, but Rangers’ ability to reach his wage demands have often been questioned whenever those rumours have emerged.

So, the attention has gone back towards Gerrard. The 45-year-old remains the last Rangers manager to win a Scottish Premiership title, sealing victory in 2020/21, but will have some making up to do after ditching the club for Aston Villa midway through the campaign that followed.

That said, if the 49ers are looking for someone who knows how to transform Rangers into winners, then Gerrard is arguably their man ahead of the likes of Sean Dyche and Danny Rohl.

Left-arm quick Jason Behrendorff has announced his retirement from state cricket after 16 years at Western Australia. But he will continue to play on the T20 franchise circuit where he has enjoyed considerable success.Behrendorff, who turns 35 in April, does remain available for national selection having played 17 T20Is with the last being against West Indies in Perth 12 months ago. He also played 12 ODIs from 2019-22.His retirement comes on the back of leaving Perth Scorchers at the end of last season – having just finished as the BBL’s leading wicket-taker – and signing a three-year deal with Melbourne Renegades. He won four BBL titles with Scorchers over a 13-year, 106-game career.”It is the end of one chapter which has been a really exciting one,” Behrendorff said after announcing his retirement on Wednesday. “It’s been so much fun. I’ve been able to live my childhood dream playing state cricket to then have played cricket for Australia as well. The WACA ground has been my home for so long now.”After growing up in Canberra, Behrendorff joined WA as a 19-year-old and quickly became a key part of their attack across formats. He won five One-Day Cup titles and claimed 75 wickets to sit fifth on WA’s all-time list. His last List A game came at the beginning of the current season.Behrendorff also took 126 wickets at 23.85 from 31 first-class matches, but was forced to give up red-ball cricket after the 2017-18 season due to a slew of back injuries.Even though his Shield career was limited, playing in the midst of a long title drought for WA, Behrendorff produced one of the greatest performances in the competition’s history when he claimed 9 for 37 in Victoria’s first innings at the WACA in 2017. It was the second best figures by a WA bowler and his match haul of 14 for 89 is only bettered by Terry Alderman’s 14 for 87.Before his wretched run of injuries, Behrendorff had been considered a potential Test replacement for Mitchell Johnson. Towering at 6 foot 4, Behrendorff’s awkward bounce and prodigious swing with the new ball made him an appealing option.He was consistently on the fringes for Australia in the shorter forms. His international career highlight was when he claimed a five-wicket haul at Lord’s during the 2019 World Cup, ripping through eventual champions England in a 64-run Australia victory.Behrendorff does not have any immediate T20 franchise plans, but he should be in demand. He previously played a couple of seasons for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL and enjoyed a standout campaign in 2023 with 14 wickets. But his hopes of returning to MI last year were unluckily dashed on the eve of the tournament after suffering a freak leg injury while batting at training.Behrendorff played in the recent season of the SA20, where he took two wickets in three matches for Pretoria Capitals.Away from franchise cricket, Behrendorff plans to spend more time with his family. “It played a huge part in my decision to retire, he said. “I know that I’m away with international commitments, franchise leagues and the like, but I want to be home and present for my kids. In particular, things like school pick-up and drop-off.”To be able to do those things I don’t always get to do, to spend more quality time with my wife, Juvelle … to be able to immerse myself more in family life.”

The Premier League is finally back, and Chelsea kick off their campaign tomorrow afternoon.

It’ll be a challenging game away to FA Cup and Community Shield winners Crystal Palace, but Enzo Maresca’s men look like they could do something really special this year.

They’ve been practically faultless in their short pre-season and the board have only made them stronger with the business they’ve conducted.

Moreover, it appears the club will only make more signings over the next two weeks, with Alejandro Garnacho set to be the next in line.

However, if reports are to be believed, the club is also targeting another international who’d be an even better pick-up.

Chelsea target better signing than Garnacho

Chelsea have been interested in Garancho for some time now, with stories first emerging on the topic back in the winter window.

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However, the Blues have stepped up their pursuit of the Manchester United star in recent weeks, and while some fans are against the move, it now looks like he’ll be making his way to Stamford Bridge before September 1st.

However, the West Londoners don’t look like they’ll be calling it a day after that, as they’re now eyeing a move for another international, someone who’d be an even better signing than Garnacho.

At least that is according to a recent report from BolaVIP, which claims that Chelsea are very interested in Piero Hincapié.

In fact, the report has revealed that the Blues are now ready to pay around €60m for the centre-back, which is about £52m.

However, the same story also points out that while Bayer Leverkusen would be willing to let him leave, they want around €70m to do so, which is about £60m.

Even if Chelsea need to pay a little more than they’d like, they should, as Hincapié is a brilliant player and would be a better signing than Garnacho.

Why Hincapié would be a better signing than Garnacho

Now, the first thing to say is that, while some are opposed to the deal, we do not think that Garnacho to Chelsea is a bad transfer.

After all, even though he played for a truly terrible Manchester United side last season, the youngster was still able to score 11 goals and provide ten assists in 58 appearances, which is not a bad return at all.

However, there are still several reasons why Hincapié would be a better signing this summer, and the first relates to what the squad need.

As things stand, the Blues’ attack feels particularly stacked with quality across most positions, and with Xavi Simons still being linked with a move, it feels like adding even more attack-minded players isn’t a necessity.

On the other hand, the team’s defence has been made markedly weaker by Levi Colwill’s ACL injury, and while Jorrel Hato has joined the team, he’s still just 19 years old and has never played in a top-five league, so throwing him in right away feels like a recipe for disaster.

Therefore, bringing in the Leverkusen ace is a far more pressing concern, and Maresca told the press as much yesterday afternoon, when he openly admitted “we need a central defender.”

The second reason the Ecuadorian international would be the better signing relates to why he would have to start ahead of Hato: his experience.

Bundesliga

115

10

Europa League

26

1

Champions League

14

1

DFB-Pokal

8

0

DFL Super Cup

1

0

For example, across his career to date, the “absolute beast,” as journalist Antonio Mango dubbed him, has made 115 appearances in the Bundesliga, 26 in the Europa League, 14 in the Champions League and eight in the DFB Pokal since moving to Europe.

He’s also no stranger to winning things, either, as he played a pivotal role in the German side’s undefeated league and cup double a couple of years ago.

Ultimately, Garnacho will likely be a good signing for Chelsea, but due to the need for a new centre-back and his immense experience, Hincapié would be a better one.

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Sunderland is pushing ahead with more and more new signings this summer.

Some might have expected the Black Cats to slow down the intensity of their activity after Granit Xhaka’s statement arrival on the scene, but Regis Le Bris’ men are closing in on yet another exciting deal in the form of Chelsea hotshot Marc Guiu.

Some unwelcome delays have been thrown Sunderland’s way regarding Guiu joining the Stadium of Light ranks, but all looks to still be in place for the Spaniard to eventually call Wearside his home on loan ahead of the forthcoming Premier League season.

Le Bris isn’t done here when it comes to additions up top, however, as frantic rumours continue to be churned out about Sunderland enhancing their attacking personnel.

Sunderland offered chance to sign £50m attacker

The main rumour that will have caught the attention of the Stadium of Light masses is Sunderland’s alleged interest in RB Leipzig goal machine Lois Openda.

Sky Sports’ Germany reporter Florian Plettenberg revealed early on in August that the Premier League newcomers have the clinical Belgian on their shortlist of targets, but a deal could be hard to reach, as Leipzig weigh up losing other key first-teamers in Xavi Simons and Benjamin Sesko.

Instead, a more viable opportunity to land a deadly marksman could soon come in trying to secure a deal for Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Of course, the obvious elephant in the room here is Mitrovic’s ex-Newcastle United loyalties, but Sunderland would be foolish to turn down an opportunity to land such a potent attacker.

Journalist Graeme Bailey has revealed that the Serbian is being offered out to a whole host of Premier League clubs as he eyes up a move away from Al-Hilal, in the wake of Darwin Nunez potentially heading to the Middle East from Liverpool.

Leeds United have been offered the £50m striker’s services, alongside the Black Cats, with Sunderland able to secure themselves an even bigger talent than Openda in front of goal if they’re able to convince Mitrovic to forget his Magpies past and defect to Wearside.

Why Mitrovic is an even better signing than Openda

Openda might well possess more credit in the bank in the here and now, as the Belgian terrorises Bundesliga defences consistently, while his Serbian counterpart plays in the much-maligned Saudi Pro League.

However, as is seen with his razor-sharp instinct against Arsenal to retrieve the ball home and slot home a finish, the 30-year-old is far more proven in the tough terrain of the Premier League, when weighed up next to Openda, away from just being a general menace wherever he’s been across his globetrotting career to date.

Indeed, when looking at the table above, it’s clear to see why Mitrovic was once dubbed a “natural-born goalscorer” by former Fulham teammate Harrison Reed, with an astounding 123 goals next to his name on English shores.

That’s before you even take into account his blistering output for Al-Hilal, where he has managed to bag a ridiculous 47 strikes from just 51 games, leaving the likes of Openda in the dust in the process, who has a lesser 41 goals next to his name in Germany.

The worry will be that his weakest return to date has fallen in the Premier League, but he will be eager to become Sunderland’s main man as the Black Cats attempt to steer themselves to safety in style.

Of course, Openda also has a reputation for being a lethal presence up top, as seen in his colossal tally of 105 career goals.

Yet, Sunderland might never get the opportunity again to win such a proven goalscoring “monster” – as he has been labelled by Saudi-based journalist Matt Monaghan for his continued heroics at Al-Hilal – as Le Bris and Co. now seriously consider snapping up the 30-year-old to gift themselves an almighty advantage in their aim to beat the drop.

Manchester United have been extremely active within the current summer window, already addressing the need for additions in key areas of the pitch.

Bryan Mbeumo is the biggest addition made by Ruben Amorim this summer, with the Cameroonian international moving to Old Trafford in a £71m deal from Brentford.

He arrives at the club with real excitement, after managing to find the net 20 times in his 38 Premier League outings for the Bees last time around.

However, the prospect of the 25-year-old linking up with Matheus Cunha in attacking areas is certainly an exciting one, handing the side the attacking threat they’ve lacked in recent times.

Despite the two previous additions within the final third, further signings are expected between now and the end of the window, further highlighting the ambition of the current owners.

The latest on United’s hunt for new attackers this summer

Benjamin Sesko has been one of the biggest names mentioned with a summer move to join United this summer, unsurprisingly so given his tally of 21 goals across all competitions in 2024/25.

Talks have already commenced over a move to land the 22-year-old this window, being a part of the club’s final shortlist to fill the void at the top end of the pitch.

However, he’s only one of two players currently in their sights, with Ollie Watkins another player currently being considered, according to The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell.

He claims that, like Sesko, the hierarchy are in constant talks with Aston Villa over a move for the 29-year-old, who’s seen as a Premier League proven option for Amorim.

The report also claims that Unai Emery doesn’t want to lose his talisman this summer after scoring 16 times in the league last campaign, subsequently placing a £60m price tag on his head.

Why United’s latest target would be perfect with Mbeumo

Mbeumo will be hoping to make his own impact at Old Trafford next season, wanting to carry over his tremendous form at Brentford that ultimately led to his big-money addition.

He’s capable of finding the back of the net on his own, but will also be able to provide others with the chances to bolster their own tallies after registering seven assists in 2024/25.

Such numbers made him the third-highest contributor in England’s top flight, highlighting the incredible talent Amorim has managed to get his hands on this window.

However, as previously mentioned, he’s unlikely to be the final addition in such an area of the pitch, potentially leading to a move for Watkins in the near future.

A deal for the Englishman could be an exciting one, but one that could allow him to thrive alongside the Cameroonian, just like he did during his own spell at Brentford.

The pair last partnered each other in the Championship back in the 2019/20 campaign, managing to register 40 league goals between them as the side fell at the final hurdle, suffering defeat in the play-off final.

Both ended the year in the top ten of the division’s top goalscoring charts, before taking different paths, which has led them to their current positions in their respective careers.

However, they could star together once again, with Watkins, who’s been labelled “unbelievable” by ex-professional Stephen Warnock, able to be the recipient of Mbeumo’s impressive assist tally.

He managed to register 1.4 shots on target per 90, at an accuracy rate of 44% last season, and could be able to transform the fortunes of the side within the final third.

Games played

38

Goals & assists

24

Goals per shot on target

0.4

Progressive passes

1.1

Pass accuracy

72%

Progressive carries

1.9

Carries into final third

1.3

Aerials won

1.9

Fouls won

1.2

Watkins’ all-round ability is further reflected in his tally of 1.9 aerials won, having the ability in the air to add a new dimension to the Red Devils’ frontline throughout the upcoming campaign.

If the pair can rekindle their impressive partnership together at Old Trafford, the side will have every chance of rising up England’s top flight in Amorim’s first full campaign in charge.

It may prove to be a pricey addition, but it’s one that would provide the excitement the fanbase have lacked in attacking areas, making the Red Devils a force to be reckoned with once again.

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