All posts by h716a5.icu

Glasgow Rangers ended their 2022/23 campaign with a 3-0 win over St Mirren last weekend in the Scottish Premiership and the focus must now turn to the upcoming summer transfer window.

Michael Beale ended his first season in charge of the Light Blues without a trophy to show for his efforts and should be aiming to improve his squad in the coming weeks to ensure that his side is competing for major honours next term.

According to Monday's edition of The Scottish Daily Mail [via Ibrox News], one player the club are interested in snapping up is Cremonese attacker Cyriel Dessers.

Who is Cyriel Dessers?

He is a 28-year-old Nigerian striker who has been playing his football in the top-flight of Italian football this season and could come in as a big upgrade on current Gers ace Antonio Colak.

The Croatian centre-forward, who has been touted with a possible exit from Ibrox this summer, scored three goals and assisted one in 11 Premiership appearances after Beale arrived during the break for the 2022 World Cup. He also managed one strike in four cup appearances in 2023.

These statistics show that the ex-PAOK man has struggled under the English boss as the dynamo has rarely found the back of the net and offered little in the way of creativity for his teammates.

Whereas, Dessers has the potential to come in and offer far more than the 29-year-old in the final third based on his form over the last two seasons.

Back in April, journalist Josh Bunting hailed the ace as an "excellent" signing for Cremonese and described him as being "awkward" for defenders to play against due to his strength, as the marksman plundered six goals and two assists in 19 starts in the Serie A.

This comes after the finisher enjoyed an exceptional campaign on loan at Feyenoord in the Netherlands. He racked up 19 goals and three assists in 16 starts across the Eredivisie and Europa Conference League combined, which shows that the Nigerian international has the quality to be a prolific scorer for his side, in comparison to Colak's struggles at the top end of the pitch this year.

The £19k-per-week star has proven himself in a major European league, in Italy, and on the continental stage, for Feyenoord, and this indicates that the gem would be able to handle the switch to Ibrox, given that the talent has already adapted to multiple competitions and countries.

Therefore, Dessers could come in as a big upgrade on Colak by offering far more quality in front of goal on a regular basis, which could, in turn, improve Beale's squad next term.

Jake Ball defied cramp and sapping humidity to mark his one-day debut with record figures of 5 for 51, as England snatched an extraordinary 21-run victory in the first ODI against Bangladesh

The Report by Andrew Miller07-Oct-2016 England 309 for 8 (Stokes 101, Buttler 63, Duckett 60) beat Bangladesh 278 (Kayes 112, Shakib 79 Ball 5-51) by 21 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsJake Ball defied cramp and sapping humidity to mark his one-day debut with record figures of 5 for 51, as England snatched an extraordinary 21-run victory in the first ODI against Bangladesh at Mirpur.Powered by a brilliant century from Imrul Kayes, and with Shakib Al Hasan providing experienced support in a fifth-wicket stand of 118, Bangladesh appeared to be marching up a mountainous run-chase of 310, and living up to their newly minted reputation as a tough nut to crack in one-day cricket.But then, with victory in sight, Bangladesh suffered a throwback to their fragile old days to squander their last six wickets for 17 runs in 39 balls. The collapse of their resolve mirrored that of the atmosphere at the National Stadium in Mirpur, where thousands of fans had put aside the inconvenience of a kilometre-wide exclusion zone to cheer on a side that has not lost a home ODI series for two years and counting.For more than 91 overs of the 97.5 in the match, the mood in the ground had been akin to a national celebration, as Imrul confirmed the richness of his current form with an astounding display of clean hitting, particularly through the leg side, to take command of what looked certain to be their highest successful run-chase against a senior Test nation.His first scoring shot was the most startling statement of intent of the whole match – a murderous second-ball pull over midwicket off Chris Woakes that embedded itself so deep in an advertising hoarding that an BCB official had to reach through the hole to retrieve it. On his watch, there could be only one winner, as he brought up his hundred from 105 balls with his 11th four, before passing the baton to Shakib, whose volley of five fours and six in 12 balls seemed to have torched the asking-rate.But then, with the requirement a trifling 39 from 52 balls with six wickets still in hand, Shakib suffered a debilitating bout of cramp in his fingers, and, in a jolt of realism that popped the fans’ party mood in a trice, Ball capitalised to stunning effort. The very delivery after receiving treatment from the physio, Shakib miscued a pull to David Willey at midwicket to depart for 79 – and one ball later, the stands were in full panic mode as Mosaddek Hossain was bowled off the splice by a perfect lifting nipbacker.Imrul was still in situ at this stage, but having also cramped up late in his innings, he urgently needed someone else to stay with him and keep the boundaries coming. The captain, Mashrafe Mortaza, was unable to be that man – he guiltily grazed a loose cut to the keeper as Adil Rashid ripped an illegible legbreak out of the rough, moments after planting a seed of doubt with his googly, and the game was as good as over in Rashid’s next over, when Imrul charged out of his crease in desperate need of a boundary, and was stumped off a wide as Rashid speared the ball out of his reach.Next to go was Shafiul Islam – the hero of Bangladesh’s two-wicket win in the 2011 World Cup – who was run out without scoring, and victory was duly sealed from the penultimate ball of Ball’s spell, as Taskin Ahmed grazed an edge through to Jos Buttler, England’s stand-in captain, whose typically powerful 63 from 38 balls had earlier lifted his side to an imposing total of 309 for 8.Jake Ball finished the match and ended with a five-for•Getty ImagesBall himself could barely stand by the end of the match, and he was rightly named as Man of the Match after becoming the first England bowler to claim five wickets on debut. However, the foundations of England’s victory were laid by Ben Stokes, who anchored their innings with his maiden ODI hundred, and Ben Duckett, the day’s second debutant, whose 60 from 78 balls was a vital and mature contribution to an agenda-setting stand of 153.Stokes made 101 from exactly 100 balls – a performance that might pale statistically compared to some of the masterful feats of run-making in England’s ranks in recent months. However, given the brutality of the conditions – the humidity was measured at one stage at 90% – and his previous fallibility against spin, most notably on the tour of Sri Lanka in 2014, it was a formidable performance.It also began in some adversity, as he and Duckett came together following a collapse of 3 for 21 in 31 balls. James Vince had once again looked fluent without entirely convincing in his 16 from 20 balls, and when Jason Roy and Jonny Bairstow departed in quick succession, the latter to a third-ball run-out, England were 63 for 3 in the 13th over and in need of some shoring-up.Bangladesh used seven bowlers in all, with the third seamer, Taskin Ahmed, held back until the second half of the innings as Mashrafe leaned heavily and predictably on his quartet of slow men. Aside from their drip-drip accuracy, the speed with which they burned through their overs was especially telling. There was little opportunity to think between deliveries, but Stokes was in the mood to trust his instinct, particularly on the reverse sweep, with which he picked off four of his eight fours.Duckett, meanwhile, was quite content to play the anchorman. After his eye-popping scoring feats for Northamptonshire and the Lions this summer, this was all about bedding into the international arena, and he passed his first test with aplomb.His five fours were timely pressure releases, including one cute scoop over the wicketkeeper’s head off a Taskin short ball, but after reaching his half-century from 63 balls, his battery visibly went flat in the final minutes of his stay. He managed one run from his last nine deliveries before missing a leg-stump full-toss to be bowled round his pads.By the end of their fielding stint, however, Bangladesh were visibly tetchy after letting several crucial chances slip through their fingers – most tellingly, two lives in the space of five balls to Stokes, on 69 and 71 respectively – a low drill to mid-on and an ugly skew to deep cover.Inevitably, the man best placed to cash in in such a moment was Buttler, who arrived at the crease with eight overs remaining and a licence to go loco, but it was a tribute to the efforts of his team-mates higher up the order that he was initially forced to rein in his aggression.In fact, it wasn’t until the back end of the 47th over that Buttler flicked on the Beast Mode. After 25 runs, including a solitary boundary, from his first 26 deliveries, he signalled his change of tempo with consecutive sixes off Shakib, before two more fours and an inside-out six over extra cover off Shafiul completed a startling 33-ball fifty, which became 63 from 38 balls all told.It wasn’t apparent then, but that switch of tempo would prove to be the difference between the sides in the final analysis. That, of course, and the temperament required just to get the job done, come what may. Bangladesh have come a long, long way in the past couple of years, and their proud home record is still intact for now. But, much as was the case in their devastating collapse against India at the World T20, there remains a fragility at their core that can crack in an instant.

Journalist Charles Watts has revealed that young Arsenal goalkeeper Arthur Okonkwo is likely to leave this summer having "caught the attention" of clubs in England and Germany.

Who will Arsenal sell this summer?

Mikel Arteta and co will likely be set for a busy summer with a number of new incomings expected. For instance, £200m might be needed to land targets Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo.

Of course, though, some exits will happen too and Granit Xhaka is one player who could bring in some money – around £13m to be exact – as he looks set to join Bayer Leverkusen.

The Premier League club will offload over lower-profile players too, and it seems as though 21-year-old goalkeeper Okonkwo could be on the list of summer departures.

Indeed, when talking on his YouTube channel, the journalist how the youngster has caught the eye both at home and abroad with some impressive loan spells.

He explained (5:40): "Arthur Okonkwo, obviously the very young goalkeeper at Arsenal – very highly rated.

"My understanding is there's lots of interest in him this summer. A move looks very likely, he's had a very good loan spell – two very good loan spells in fact.

He added (6:27): "He's caught the attention of a lot of clubs, both in England, but abroad as well, especially in Germany; I believe there's lots of interest in him. he's only got a year left on his contract."

Who is Arthur Okonkwo?

Last summer, the goalkeeper went on loan to Crewe Alexandra before then heading to Austria in January to finish the campaign with Sturm Graz.

He evidently impressed a great deal in that period as Watts now reports he has suitors in both countries ahead of a possible exit from Arsenal.

He played 26 times for the League Two side, keeping 10 clean sheets while in the Austrian Football Bundesliga, he has played 14 games, losing just four times and winning the rest with four clean sheets to his name too.

An England youth international at under-18 level (who can also present Nigeria), Okonkwo has been at the club since joining the Hale End Academy as an eight-year-old but has yet to make a competitive senior appearance for the Gunners (but has played in pres-eason matches).

With Aaron Ramsdale and Matt Turner ahead of him in the pecking order though, he might feel as though his career will be better off if he leaves this summer with the promise of regular minutes at a new club.

India A surged to the top of the points table in the Quadrangular A team one day series with a bonus-point, 86-run win over the National Performance Squad in Townsville on Sunday

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Aug-2016
ScorecardFile photo – Karun Nair stitched together important partnerships with the rest of India A’s middle order•AFPIndia A surged to the top of the points table in the Quadrangular A team one day series with a bonus-point, 86-run win over the National Performance Squad (NPS) in Townsville on Sunday. Karun Nair and Sanju Samson scored 72 and 54 respectively to help India A post a formidable 7 for 304, the highest team total of the tournament so far, after which India A’s bowlers bundled NPS out for 218 in 46 overs. The pace pair of Jaydev Unadkat and Dhawal Kulkarni took three wickets each.India A had raced off to 27 in the first three overs, after being put in to bat by NPS. They lost opener Faiz Fazal to left-arm seamer Tom O’Donnell in the fourth over. Nair, who opened the innings, anchored India with an 85-ball 72, which included seven fours, while at No. 6, Samson took charge towards the slog overs, striking 54 off 42 balls with three fours and as many sixes. Bookended between the two fifties, were contributions from Shreyas Iyer (45), Manish Pandey (31) and Kedar Jadhav (45) that ensured India kept up a healthy scoring rate in the middle overs.After the early loss of Caleb Jewell, the NPS chase stabilised through a 108-run partnership for the second wicket between the in-form Hilton Cartwright and Sam Heazlett. Cartwright’s 65 was his second successive fifty, while Heazlett maintained his place at the top of the tournament’s run charts with 60. Both batsmen were dismissed in the space of four overs and the NPS chase fell apart after that, as the team lost their last seven wickets for 62 runs.This was the first defeat of the series for NPS, and the action now moves from Townsville to Mackay.

Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja steadied Australia following a shaky start in Pallekele, where Sri Lanka’s capitulation for 117, before rain interrupted the third session

The Report by Brydon Coverdale26-Jul-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details1:00

By The Numbers – Sri Lanka’s top-order woes

Before this Test was 40 overs old, 12 wickets had fallen and just 124 runs had been scored. Three of the dismissals were bowled, four lbw. Forget about reducing the depth of bats, making them wider and longer seemed a better way to achieve balance between bat and ball on a day like this. But then Steven Smith and Usman Khawaja came along, played steady, and restored sanity. They reminded everyone that, actually, these were quite good batting conditions.Until then, the only such hint from the scorecard was the footnote that Angelo Mathews had won the toss and chosen to bat. Josh Hazlewood: 3 for 21 from ten overs. Nathan Lyon: 3 for 12 from three. Sri Lanka’s top scorer: debutant Dhananjaya de Silva with 24. Sri Lanka’s best partnership: 25. And after Sri Lanka were all out for 117, David Warner and Joe Burns both fell within the first four overs of Australia’s innings. Surely this was a bowler’s paradise?Not quite. Yes, there was spin. Yes, there were hints of swing. So there should be. But the bounce was generally true and as Smith and Khawaja began to show later in the day – before rain washed out the entire final session – good batting could be rewarded. Of course, they were both still finding their way when play was abandoned, Smith on 28 from 46 deliveries and Khawaja on 25 from 54. But only one Sri Lankan – Dinesh Chandimal with 15 off 54 – had lasted that long.Certainly Australia’s bowlers deserve significant credit. Hazlewood especially found just enough movement early in the day to be constantly threatening. Mitchell Starc picked up the first wicket, Dimuth Karunaratne lbw for 5 to a ball that tailed in, but Starc was playing his first Test since November and took some time to find his consistency. Hazlewood was the man who pierced the Sri Lanka top order.Kusal Mendis was lbw to Hazlewood for 8, failing to get bat on a ball that swung in, and Kaushal Silva followed quickly for 4, edging through to Adam Voges at first slip. Sri Lanka’s 15 for 2 had become 18 for 3, and Mathews might have started to wish he had lost the toss after all. He was the next man to walk to the crease and, after offering some resistance, was also the next to walk off.Smith had called on the left-arm spinner Steve O’Keefe in the ninth over of the match and some turn was immediately evident. Then, in his fourth over, O’Keefe extracted both spin and bounce to collect the edge off Mathews, who was taken at slip for 15. The innings was not yet 15 overs old and already Sri Lanka’s debutant at No.6, de Silva, was on his way to the middle.But de Silva showed few nerves and from his fifth ball in Test cricket got off the mark with a classy six down the ground off O’Keefe, using his feet to find the pitch of the ball and hitting through the line. It was the only glimmer in an otherwise gloomy morning for the hosts. They went to lunch at 84 for 5 after Hazlewood again found some late swing, just enough to clip the edge of Chandimal’s bat; he was caught behind for 15.Sri Lanka lasted only a further 38 deliveries after lunch, as Lyon finished off what Hazlewood had started. Lyon had bowled just a single over before lunch but took two wickets within the first four deliveries after the break. The second ball of the session turned and caught the inside edge of de Silva’s bat, and he was taken at bat-pad for 24. Two balls later Dilruwan Perera was struck in front for a duck.In his next over, Lyon got rid of Kusal Perera, who offered no shot to a ball that went on with the arm and rattled his stumps. He had made 20 and was the last of the recognised batsmen. The only question remaining was whether Sri Lanka would reach triple figures; they did that, but not a whole lot more.Herath was lbw to Starc, the victim of an astute review from the Australians that found the ball had just clipped his foot before coming off the middle of the bat. Debutant Lakshan Sandakan struck four boundaries to provide some entertainment before Nuwan Pradeep was the last man out, taken at slip off O’Keefe.Rare is the Test in which a first innings of 117 is adequate, though Mathews would have been buoyed by the start made by his bowlers. In the third over, Pradeep got one to swing back in to David Warner, who chopped on for a duck, and next over Joe Burns was bowled for 3 when Herath, who shared the new ball in an attack short on pace options, moved one on with the arm.Australia were 7 for 2, but finally a half-century was forthcoming – albeit a partnership – as Khawaja and Smith compiled 59 by tea. They had just settled in when the rain did the same.

Glasgow Rangers are reportedly close to signing Ecuador midfielder Jose Cifuentes from Los Angeles FC.

What’s the latest Rangers transfer news?

Michael Beale isn’t wasting any time when it comes to bolstering his squad ahead of his first full season in charge at Ibrox.

A number of soon-to-be free agents look set to move north over the coming months. Chelsea’s Dujon Sterling and Norwich City’s Kieran Dowell appear to be closing in on deals with the Scottish giants, whereas Jack Butland is also another target.

A transfer update has now emerged on Butland, along with Cifuentes, with those in Glasgow seemingly looking to get the majority of their business finalised early, with up to 10 new additions on the cards.

According to The Scottish Sun, Beale has targeted a move for Cifuentes as part of his summer Ibrox rebuild. They state that the club are closing in on a deal, with Rangers chiefs holding talks with the player’s representatives in the past week. Discussions are reaching an advanced stage.

Who is Jose Cifuentes?

Cifuentes has been with LAFC since 2020 and is primarily a central midfielder but can also play in defensive and attacking midfield roles when required.

The 24-year-old, sponsored by Nike, is out of contract at the end of the year and has made more than 100 appearances for his current employers, contributing to 32 goals.

He could well be a shrewd signing at Ibrox, with South American football expert Tim Vickery believing that Cifuentes is ready for the step up to European football, with the reporter once labelling him as "terrific".

"He was the beating heart of that [Ecuador U20] side and I think he's a terrific midfielder. He's strong, he's got quality, he's got a good engine – he's one of the best all-round midfielders, potentially, that I've seen come out of South America in a while.

Cifuentes has also seen his Transfermarkt valuation rocket from €3m to a career-high €12m over the last two years, with the Ecuador international winning 12 caps for his country, impressing at the World Cup.

Therefore, with Ryan Jack, Scott Arfield and Steven Davis all out of contract in a matter of weeks, Cifuentes could prove to be a solid signing, offering plenty of versatility in midfield, and by the looks of it, a transfer is gathering pace.

Dutch football expert and journalist Marcel van der Kraan has told Tottenham Hotspur they're targeting an "absolutely phenomenal" manager in Arne Slot.

Who could be the next Spurs manager?

There are currently a succession of candidates still in the frame to become Spurs' next manager, coming two months after former boss Antonio Conte departed north London.

Spurs must get preparations underway for the summer window but hiring a new head coach takes centre stage for now, and any prospective new manager will want time to identify transfer targets.

The Lilywhites are ever so slowly winding down their list of possible candidates, but there are still many names in the frame, with Ruben Amorim, Marco Silva, Michael Carrick, Brendan Rodgers, Graham Potter, Luis Enrique and Slot all linked in the past week (90min).

Perhaps chief among them is Slot, and while Sky Sports say he is not the clear favourite yet, there are other reports claiming he's entered pole position.

One thing seems crystal clear – the 44-year-old is a firm target for Levy and co as they step up plans to appoint Conte's replacement.

Amid these reports, and as Tottenham eye a move for Slot, reporter Van der Kraan has told Sky Sports that they're targeting an "absolutely phenomenal" option – and Feyenoord fans "cannot believe" what he's done.

He explained:

"We all know Cruyff had only a couple of people who follow him. One of them is Pep Guardiola, I would say this is a Pep Guardiola-style manager."Everything I’ve seen of him over the last two years, every week, week in week out. He’s been absolutely phenomenal. The players like him, his style of football is great he’s super attacking.“The fans at Feyenoord cannot believe what they’ve seen over the last two years in the amount of entertainment in all the matches. And it’s brought, you a lot of goodness as well with a final and a trophy with the league.In the past, we all know that many Dutch coaches like to attack and we like entertaining football but it’s been too naive. This coach is not naive, he’s great.”

Who is Arne Slot?

The Feyenoord coach is fresh off the back of winning his first ever Eredivsie title after just missing out on a Europa Conference League crown last season.

Slot's stock is growing rapidly, leading to Tottenham's serious interest, and he could fit into the mould of an attack-minded, young and exciting project manager.

That is the type of manager Spurs are reliably believed to be pursuing and it will be interesting to see if they can prise him away from Feyenoord, who are desperate to keep him.

Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed has said that only Bangladeshi role models in fast bowling will help inspire the next generation of quicks in the country

Mohammad Isam30-Jul-2016Former Pakistan fast bowler Aaqib Javed has said that only Bangladeshi role models in fast bowling will help inspire the next generation of quicks in the country.Aaqib, who is in Mirpur to conduct a specialised High Performance camp for fast bowlers, said that there had to be an Imran Khan-like knock-on effect in Bangladesh cricket to generate greater enthusiasm for the discipline.”I think it is a lack of role models,” Aaqib said. “For Bangladeshis, whatever picture or video you show them of a fast bowler, it won’t inspire the youngsters unless you show them a Bangladeshi bowling at 145kph. But it has started to happen recently. Three of your guys have been showing youngsters that they can bowl fast. That confidence is there. And this is the beginning.”[Back in Pakistan] we used to have only few fast bowlers but after Imran came up as a role model, we never looked back. After Rubel [Hossain], Taskin [Ahmed] and Mustafizur [Rahman], you will have many fast bowlers in the next few years. Your own role models.”Seventeen fast bowlers from the extended High Perfomance squad will participate in the first four days of the camp, while the next two days will be exclusively for the nine fast bowlers in the Bangladesh team.Aaqib said that he focused on the keys to bowling on the first day. He added that while the camp’s duration may not seem very long, he would track the progress of these bowlers in the coming months.”I always believe in process, which means you can make a difference. In a week, you can transfer some knowledge but you can’t actually move them into progression,” he said. “Sometimes it is difficult to accept something that is not suitable, but I can transfer knowledge, give them a plan and, after three months, I can come and see what levels they have reached.”Discussing with the local coaches also, my belief is that some key points should be told to the players while the details should remain with the coaches to discuss. I will try my best to transfer these to the boys. It would not make a difference if I am not around after 6-7 days, but they should know where they are headed.”Aaqib said that he wasn’t keen on changing a bowler’s action but was willing to add some value to it by introducing small changes like increasing momentum.”I don’t believe in changing bowlers’ actions but I believe in adding something that helps them to bowl fast. Today we focused on speed. You should utilise your capacity. We focused on 1-2 km/h with their running speed, which is momentum, and 1-2 km/h from their front-foot force absorption and balance. And the third point is both your bowling arm and your non-bowling arm [must follow the principles of] pull-and-push theory, which can increase your speed by a further 1-2 km/h. The target is a 5-6 km/h pace increase,” he said.Aaqib also highlighted the need for bowlers to make themselves into “products” so that they are sought after in the market.”Tomorrow [Monday] we will lead into mental skills and then end with tactics – when to attack, when to bowl variations and what are the variations, and what are the pillars that every bowler should have.”We had a very interesting discussion with them about making a trade of yourself. When you are challenging as an international star, you must have something in you to show people, become a product which people can buy.”Shoaib Akhtar had pace. Seam and accuracy like Glenn McGrath. And something like Mustafizur Rahman. Something unusual. You must create something that is sellable, which is your trade. I think six days is a long time to understand and make someone understand,” said Aaqib.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta will go full tilt in his bid to land West Ham United midfielder Declan Rice in the summer window, according to journalist Paul Brown.

What's the latest transfer news involving Declan Rice?

As per Sky Sports News, West Ham United are said to be open to letting Rice leave for a Champions League club this summer if they are presented with an offer of around £120 million for his services.

Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool have all expressed an interest in the England international and the Hammers would also consider a bid of £100 million with a player in part-exchange for the 24-year-old in the off-season.

Nevertheless, The Sun have claimed that the Gunners 'fear being priced out of a deal' for Rice in a similar manner to their failed pursuit of Mykhailo Mudryk in January, who ended up moving to Chelsea for £88 million despite being heavily linked with a switch to the Emirates.

The report also states that Rice wants to test himself in the Champions League and has been 'impressed' by Arteta's preference to build his squad around young ambitious stars.

Capology understand that Rice earns £60,000 per week on the books at the London Stadium on a contract that runs until June 2024.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Brown thinks that Rice will be at the top of Arsenal's priority list this summer.

Brown told FFC: "They want Declan Rice above anyone else at the moment. They see an opportunity there, they've been given encouragement by Rice and his people and they know that this might be the year that Rice has to leave West Ham. I'm sure if Declan Rice ends the season with a trophy, as he could, he will probably feel that that's the perfect way to leave the London Stadium because he will have brought them success and will be leaving on a high."

Would Declan Rice be a good signing for Arsenal?

Rice is an elite Premier League midfielder and it would be a coup if Arteta was able to entice him to swap the London Stadium for the Emirates in the summer transfer window.

In 2022/23, before West Ham United's Europa Conference League semi-final first-leg clash against AZ Alkmaar on Thursday, Rice has made 44 appearances in all competitions for his current employers, registering four goals and four assists, as per Transfermarkt.

WhoScored also takes into account that Rice has managed to obtain an average match rating of 7.05/10 for his exploits in West Ham colours, making him the Irons' most consistent performer this term overall.

Bringing in Rice would be viewed as a statement signing by Arsenal in footballing circles and he could help to elevate the Gunners to the next level in 2023/24.

BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said the decision to include Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud in the selection committee was a result of lack of communication between the players and coach Chandika Hathurusingha

Mohammad Isam22-Jun-2016BCB president Nazmul Hassan has said the decision to include Bangladesh team manager Khaled Mahmud in the selection committee was a result of lack of communication between the players and coach Chandika Hathurusingha. In a heated press conference in Mirpur on Wednesday, Hassan said he was tired of explaining why he changed the selection structure from a three-member to a six-member committee.Explaining the reason behind the manager’s inclusion, Hassan mentioned an incident during the World T20, when he attended a team meeting and found the Bangladesh players not challenging Hathurusingha. He said the players often used Mahmud as their envoy to push for suggestions regarding team selection but they were not approaching Hathurusingha directly.Hassan said Mahmud, after informing him of these suggestions, would relay the message to Hathurusingha. To relieve himself of getting too involved in selection matters, Hassan has included Mahmud in the selection committee, where he will act as the captains’ representative.”I have to explain this out of disappointment,” Hassan said. “You know that I am very much involved with the players. During the World Cup and the World T20, I attended the team meetings. I saw there that the coach gives a strategic plan for every aspect of the match, in a lot of detail.”Unfortunately, I saw that our players didn’t challenge the coach but when I got out of their meeting room, couple of the players walked out with me. They told me that there has to be some changes made, mainly about selection. I asked them, ‘Why didn’t you tell him in the meeting?’ But they don’t get into any argument with the coach, whether it is the captain or the other players.”When I don’t attend these meetings, they communicate via the manager Sujon [Mahmud], who conveys it to me and I have to tell the coach. I don’t want to be involved in these things. So I thought that I should have lesser involvement in these matters. We can’t run things in this way so this is why I have included the manager in the selection committee. The only person who could have a problem with the manager in this committee is the captain. But he is fine with it, so why does the selector have a problem with it?”It is extremely rare for a BCB president to reveal such details from within the Bangladesh dressing room. Hathurusingha has been hailed as instrumental to the team’s successes in 2015, with many players suggesting he has given them freedom to express themselves in every match situation.While Hathurusingha has had public fallings-out with the chief selector Faruque Ahmed and former cricket operations chairman Naimur Rahman, he has never publicly criticised any Bangladesh player. Nor has any player spoken of communication difficulties with Hathurusingha.When contacted, a number of Bangladesh players refused to comment on the board president taking about the team’s private matters. Hassan admitted he wasn’t supposed to reveal such information in a press conference but he succumbed to the continuous questioning about Mahmud’s inclusion in the revamped selection committee.”Is it a good thing that I just said that our captains and players are scared of the coach?” Hassan said. “This news will now spread around the world but you won’t leave me alone until I say all these things.”