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Bayer Leverkusen star Piero Hincapie has reportedly agreed personal terms with Arsenal on a long-term contract, snubbing Tottenham in the process. Arsenal will now negotiate a fee with Leverkusen for the Ecuadorian centre-back as they bid to hijack another Spurs transfer following the capture of Eberechi Eze.

Arsenal beat Spurs in Hincapie chaseDefender agrees personal terms with GunnersArteta adding greater depth to backlineFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After already swooping to land Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace for £67.5 million ($91m), a player Tottenham had chased hard, Arsenal now appear ready to rub more salt in their rivals' wounds by securing Hincapie. The 22-year-old has said “yes” to a switch to Arsenal, leaving Spurs staring at another bitter defeat in the transfer market, as revealed by

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Arsenal are now preparing their opening bid for Hincapie, believed to be structured as a loan with a mandatory purchase clause. Leverkusen would receive guaranteed money sooner under this proposal compared to Tottenham’s offer, which intended to delay payment until 2026 despite matching the €60m (£52m/$70m) release clause. While Arsenal may not reach the same headline figure as Spurs, the fact that Leverkusen would see immediate returns, combined with Hincapie's clear preference for the Gunners, could swing the deal firmly in their favour.

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Arsenal’s defensive reshuffle will almost certainly lead to departures. Jakub Kiwior is tipped to head to FC Porto in a loan deal with an obligation to buy for around £25m ($32m), a figure that would cover nearly half the cost of Hincapie. Oleksandr Zinchenko is also thought to be edging closer to an exit, meaning Mikel Arteta could revamp his defensive unit while ensuring the balance sheet remains stable.

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Beyond the tactical reasons, the pursuit of Hincapie sends a strong message. Arsenal aren’t just strengthening; they’re doing so at Tottenham’s expense. Each hijacked transfer has ramped up the psychological battle between the north London rivals, with Arsenal’s efficient moves casting a shadow over Spurs’ plans. 

Jamie Vardy is set to begin a new adventure in Italy after agreeing a move to Cremonese, despite late efforts from Robin van Persie to lure him to Feyenoord. The ex-Leicester striker, who ended his long spell at the King Power Stadium this summer, will sign a deal in Serie A and take his remarkable career abroad for the first time. He is set to sign a one-year deal with an option to extend by 12 months.

Vardy agrees Cremonese deal despite Feyenoord pushFormer Leicester striker to move abroadOne-year contract plus option to extendFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Vardy has reached an agreement to join Cremonese, according to Fabrizio Romano. The 38-year-old will travel to Milan to complete his medical before signing a one-year contract, with the option of an additional season if the club avoids relegation to Serie B. Feyenoord, led by Van Persie, made a last-ditch attempt to sign him, per , but Vardy ultimately opted for Serie A.

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Vardy’s move to Cremonese marks a significant new chapter after his legendary spell with Leicester City. He won the Premier League title in 2016 and scored over 200 goals for the Foxes, becoming one of English football’s great success stories.

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Vardy had interest from several clubs, including Crystal Palace, Wrexham, Rangers and sides in Spain, and Feyenoord came closest, with Van Persie personally pursuing the deal, but the Dutch club could not convince him. Instead, Vardy chose Cremonese, who were promoted to Serie A last season.

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The legendary England striker will complete his medical and sign his contract in the coming days. Cremonese are expected to unveil Vardy before the transfer window shuts. All eyes will now be on how the veteran forward adapts to life in Serie A.

With five wins on the trot, Mumbai are the only unbeaten side left in the competition

Srinidhi Ramanujam17-Mar-2023Warriorz vs MumbaiWe are heading into the business end of the WPL, with four teams, including UP Warriorz, fighting for two spots in the playoffs. Their opponents on Saturday, Mumbai Indians, come into the match having secured their playoff berth with five wins on the trot and they are also the only unbeaten side in the competition.Warriorz will be under the microscope for their remaining three matches. They are currently placed third on the table with four points from five games and sit behind Delhi Capitals, who are on eight points from six matches. Alyssa Healy’s side has blown hot and cold so far, with the team heavily relying on the captain, and allrounders Tahlia McGrath and Grace Harris – all of them striking over 150 – in the batting. In the bowling department, Sophie Ecclestone and Deepti Sharma have done the bulk of the damage, taking a total of 16 wickets between them. However, they would be hoping that their third spinner Rajeshwari Gayakwad finds her feet soon in the tournament. In the last two games that they lost, Warriorz couldn’t defend scores of 135 and 159. Against a Mumbai side brimming with confidence, they need to be at their best.Mumbai, on the other hand, could use this match to rotate the players and test their bench strength as the game is inconsequential in terms of the result. One possible change is the South African allrounder Chole Tryon coming in place of Amelia Kerr.Related

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Players to watch Saika Ishaque has been phenomenal with her bowling for Mumbai, leading the wicket-taking charts with 12 scalps from five matches at an economy rate of 5.66.Grace Harris hit 46 and an unbeaten 59 in the two innings that she played, at a stunning strike rate of 181.03. Warriorz would expect a similar knock from her come Saturday at DY Patil Stadium. Likely XIsMumbai Indians (possible): 1 Yastika Bhatia (wk), 2 Hayley Matthews, 3 Nat Sciver-Brunt, 4 Harmanpreet Kaur (capt), 5 Amelia Kerr/Chole Tryon, 6 Issy Wong, 7 Dhara Gujjar, 8 Humaria Kazi, 9 Amanjot Kaur, 10 Jintimani Kalita, 11 Saika Ishaque UP Warriorz (possible): 1 Alyssa Healy (Capt, wk), 2 Devika Vaidya, 3 Kiran Navgire, 4 Tahlia McGrath, 5 Grace Harris, 6 Simrah Shaikh, 7 Deepti Sharma, 8 Shweta Sehrawat, 9 Sophie Ecclestone, 10 Anjali Sarvani, 11 Rajeshwari Gayakwad Stats and trivia Harmanpreet Kaur has hit three fifties in the WPL, the most for any player. Issy Wong has the best economy rate of 5.18 in the tournament.Only Ecclestone has conceded less than seven runs an over in Warriorz’s bowling attack.Quotes”We’re just trying to be consistent. We’ve got players taking wickets and scoring runs well. We just don’t want to be complacent. We’re doing well, playing from the heart and enjoying ourselves.”

Arsenal defender Jurrien Timber is all set to undergo an ankle surgery which might delay his pre-season preparations.

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Timber to undergo ankle surgeryUncertainty over return dateWill miss the clash against SouthamptonFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Per , Timber will go under the knife due to a persisting ankle problem he has been nursing since last month. After examining his condition, the club's medical staff decided that the player needed surgery. However, it remains unclear when the player will regain full fitness and return to the pitch.

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Timber's ankle issue cropped up since last month, which forced him to start in just one out of the club's last seven Premier League matches as he was keeping himself fit for the Champions League clashes against Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain.

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In Timber's absence, Ben White is likely to step up and fill in the right-back role in the club's final game of the season on May 25 against Southampton.

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Timber, who missed the entire 2023-24 campaign due to an ACL injury, became an integral part of Mikel Arteta's side in the current season, having made 48 appearances across all competitions. Arteta will hope that the defender recovers quickly from his surgery and joins the team from the start for their pre-season preparations.

Shaun Wright-Phillips has advised Jack Grealish to join a team "no-one is scared of" as he bids to resuscitate his flatlining career.

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Wright-Phillips gives take on Grealish future Left out of Club World Cup squad Warned against Aston Villa move Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Grealish has been left out of City's squad for the Club World Cup, with his Etihad career seemingly over. He has been linked with a variety of clubs, including Newcastle, Everton, and Bayer Leverkusen, as well as his former employers Aston Villa. Now, Wright-Phillips has urged him to join a club "no one is scared of" so he has the space he needs to thrive.

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Grealish has been limited to just 16 starts in all competitions, with seven of them coming in the Premier League, although he managed to contribute three goals and five assists. Wright-Phillips believes he initially made his name at Villa because teams did not necessarily operate with low blocks against him, and has urged him to take a major step down as he bids to rescue a career that has rather stagnated since his move to the Etihad.

WHAT WRIGHT-PHILLIPS SAID

Wright-Phillips told Betway: "The bricks haven't fallen down on his career. For me, it's just a bit of confidence needed, and maybe you might say a bit of freedom, but then if he goes to Villa, does he get that freedom? Because people set a low block against Villa as well. Villa are one of those teams who if you don't, they will dismantle you. So most teams are scared of Villa as well.

"You can kind of feel like right now, just so he gets that enjoyment back in football, he needs to be at a team who no-one's scared of. Then there will be more spaces around the pitch for him to float into, for him to dribble on. There'll be more one-on-one situations for him so he can go inside or outside.

"When he’s at City, they’re only leaving room to go down the wing or just pass it back. But he gets a lot of stick because he isn't trying to go past two people all the time. I just think that's insane. Like, not even half of the best players in the world go past two people all the time, but Jack's the one that seems to get a lot of stick, which I think is quite unfair."

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Grealish will hope to make the right move for his career in the summer, as he looks to find a way to get back on the pitch, especially ahead of the 2026 World Cup next summer.

Both Scotland and Oman qualify for Super Sixes after Ireland’s loss to SL but Oman will not be carrying any points from the group stage

Himanshu Agrawal25-Jun-2023Brandon McMullen’s name sounds quite similar to Brendon McCullum’s. On Sunday morning, in what seemed like a Bazball effort in Bulawayo, McMullen also played quite like McCullum, switching gears from being 9 off 21 balls at one stage to finishing with 136 from 121. That took Scotland to 320 in 50 overs after they had managed just 47 in the first 13. In reply, Oman too took their time: they got 16 in the first five overs, but their run rate went past three again only at the end of 19 overs. They eventually fell short by 76 runs.The win confirmed Scotland’s progress to the Super Sixes, and Oman too qualified despite the loss after Sri Lanka beat Ireland earlier in the day. However, Oman – having lost to Sri Lanka as well – will not be carrying any points to the next stage, with points only against fellow qualifying teams from the same group considered. That also means Scotland’s next game, against Sri Lanka, is a big one as the winner will carry two extra points into the Super Six round.Scotland’s new-ball bowlers Chris Sole, Adrian Neill and McMullen himself were spot on to start with as they bowled tight, Test-match-like lines and lengths to never let Oman off the hook. But Oman’s batters had never really attempted to attack until then either, so much so that the first signs of intent from them came only after the first drinks break.Chris Greaves was among the wickets•ICC/Getty ImagesBut the fact that they had so much to do was all down to McMullen and his captain Richie Berrington. They added 138 off 122 deliveries for the third wicket, during which Oman’s hopes of restricting Scotland to a manageable total had all but evaporated despite the sedate start. When Berrington fell for 60 in the 39th over, the score was 220 already.The partnership was dominated by McMullen, who brought up his maiden ODI hundred off 92 balls. He piled up runs all across – whether it meant swinging for the leg side or pumping boundaries down the ground. The innings even included a funky, Suryakumar Yadav-inspired scoop for four over short fine leg, attempting which had McMullen lose his balance and fall on his back.Scotland lost their last seven wickets for 77 in a rush for rapid runs, four of which went to Bilal Khan, who eventually finished with 5 for 55. But in return, Oman’s batters never really backed up his efforts. The only time when Oman looked to be having a say with the bat was during the seventh-wicket stand of 105 between Naseem Khushi and Shoaib Khan. They provided some late entertainment in a union that lasted for 83 deliveries, with Khushi cracking a half-century. He smashed 69 off 53 balls, thus only delaying the inevitable.As for Scotland, apart from making it to the Super Sixes, they had another positive in the form of a five-wicket haul from legspinner Chris Greaves, who took all of the last five Oman wickets to fall.

Alejandro Garnacho has raised eyebrows with a celebratory message to Marcus Rashford after the England forward sealed a loan move from Manchester United to Barcelona. The Argentine’s reaction on Instagram came as Rashford became the first player to leave the Red Devils’ 'bomb squad', sparking backlash from fans still frustrated with the outcast winger’s recent behaviour.

Garnacho responds to Rashford's Barcelona moveFans accuse winger of showing disloyalty to UnitedUnited open to selling Garnacho for around £40mFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Rashford's loan move to Barcelona was confirmed on Wednesday, with an option for the deal to become permanent for £30 million. Garnacho responded to the official announcement with an enthusiastic "Let's gooooo" and emojis mimicking Rashford’s trademark goal celebration. The post risks drawing criticism from fans, who have already been antagonised by Garnacho this summer with his social media activity.

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Rashford and Garnacho were part of the five-man 'bomb squad' excluded from training by manager Ruben Amorim. The Argentina winger, who was told to find a new club earlier this summer, has already stirred controversy with past social media posts. His latest message has only heightened tensions with Red Devils fans who feel he is undermining the club as he continues to push for a move away from Old Trafford.

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Garnacho had previously upset fans by posting a photo of himself in Rashford's Aston Villa shirt while still under contract with United. He has missed out on the United States tour and was left out of the Europa League final lineup last season, which reportedly angered him as he and his brother publicly criticised Amorim after that decision, adding to the off-field drama.

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The 21-year-old Argentine remains available for transfer, with Manchester United reportedly open to offers in the region of £40 million. Premier League clubs including Chelsea, Tottenham, and Aston Villa have expressed interest. Rashford, meanwhile, will begin life at Barcelona, hoping to revive his form after a turbulent spell at Old Trafford.

Western Australia built a lead of 88 but after an early wicket with thwarted by the home side

AAP17-Feb-2024Tasmania opener Caleb Jewell’s highest score of the season helped the Sheffield Shield leaders stage a remarkable turnaround against Western Australia on day two in Hobart.After being routed for 183 on the opening day, Tasmania took six wickets on Saturday to bowl WA out for 271 and reached 174 for 2 by stumps.The outlook was not so good when opener Tim Ward was dismissed without scoring in the first over of Tasmania’s second innings, edging Joel Paris into the slips. Ward’s four-ball duck added to his personal woes after he was out on the first ball of the match in the first innings.Related

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Jewell was yet to score when he was dropped by Hilton Cartwright off Cameron Green’s bowling and cashed in on the chance. He struck 14 fours and a pair of sixes from 101 balls, putting him on the verge of a sixth first-class century and first of the season.Jewell and Charlie Wakim combined for a 170-run partnership for the second wicket to claim the honours for Tasmania on day two.But Wakim was needlessly out a few minutes before stumps when he was caught off Charlie Stobo.Tasmania added 150 in the final session and lead by 86 with eight wickets in hand heading into day three, with Jordan Silk at the crease alongside Jewell.Earlier on Saturday, Paris hit an unbeaten 40 as the WA tail wagged to give the visitors a first innings lead of 88. Beau Webster and Riley Meredith did most of the damage with the ball for Tasmania.WA’s Jayden Goodwin fell short of a maiden first-class hundred when he was caught behind off Meredith for 85.

RCB went from137 for 2 to 155 for 6 and eventually lost by one run against KKR

ESPNcricinfo staff21-Apr-20241:43

Rapid fire review: ‘Russell double-strike turned the game’

Faf du Plessis praised his team’s “fight” but said that sometimes, in key moments, you need the clarity and confidence you get from winning, and that’s where Royal Challengers Bengaluru fell short in their nail-biting one-run defeat to Kolkata Knight Riders.Chasing 223, RCB were well set at 137 for 2 after 11 overs, with Will Jacks and Rajat Patidar’s 102-run stand keeping them ahead in the game despite losing two wickets in the powerplay.But Andre Russell sent both set batters back in the same over and, in the next over, Cameron Green and Mahipal Lomror were out to Sunil Narine. Jacks, Patidar and Lomror all got out going for big shots. It all added up to RCB going on to lose a seventh game in eight this season.Related

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“I felt like you could see just towards the end there, there was perhaps a little bit of, you know, when you haven’t won games in a while, just that clarity [missing],” du Plessis said after the game. “I felt like we got really nice and close to the game there. And the over from Narine was probably the turning point for me, when they got those two wickets.”I think that’s … where we feel like the game is changing,” du Plessis said of the batters trying to hit boundaries from the word go. “It doesn’t feel like there’s much more time to get yourself in.”Obviously, you have the extra batter [with the Impact Player rule]. So the batting lineup is a little bit longer. But generally, the guys who come in and want to take six or seven balls to get themselves in and get six of six… You know, when you’re chasing 230, 240, 250, it just feels like the game doesn’t allow you to do that anymore. So it is tough.”But I think especially, like I said, we got that massive over before the Narine over and then it feels like you’ve got a bit of a window. You almost just play the match-up again with Narine.”I mean, that’s what I talk about those little moments where if you’re winning games and you get the confidence of how to get your team across the line, then your decision making is a little bit clearer in that space in the middle.”Du Plessis hailed the effort shown by RCB in the field, despite conceding 222 after choosing to chase. “I feel like really proud today of the boys, the way that we fought in the field,” he said. “I thought for the first time in this competition, even though the scoreboard says 230 [222], I mean, there was a couple of big overs towards the end, but just a lot of fight out there.”Everyone was trying really hard to make sure that we keep them to a total that we felt was defendable. And we did, you know?”At the halfway stage, we thought that there was a par score and we wanted to try and attack that powerplay, which I think in the powerplay, you have to do it.”I think when the field is up, you have to try and maximise as many runs and even be okay with losing two or three wickets,” du Plessis said. “But [then] there is a space in the middle there where you could look at the scoreboard and see what you need to do.”

Xavi Simons has removed RB Leipzig from his bio on Instagram as the 22-year-old hopes to complete a move to Chelsea this summer.

Simons removes Leipzig from Instagram bioLinked with move to ChelseaNetherlands star is keen to move onFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Reported by , Simons has removed his current employers Leipzig from their previous place in his Instagram bio, continuing to spark rumours surrounding the Bundesliga star's future. Simons has been linked with a surprise move to Stamford Bridge in recent days and this latest development could suggest he is preparing for life away from Leipzig. The club have also begun to look at potential replacements.

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It is widely known that Simons wishes to move on this summer. He all-but informed German media of this before the 2024-25 season had ended, but tentative links with several European powerhouses failed to develop until strong links with Chelsea emerged recently.

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Simons netted ten Bundesliga goals in 25 appearances last campaign, eclipsing the eight he managed in more game time the previous season. The 2003-born playmaker has been touted to reach the very top since he was a teenager in La Masia and Enzo Maresca will hope to help the Dutchman reach his full potential in a team brimming with young attacking talent at Stamford Bridge if he does make the switch.

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Whether Simons' Instagram bio edit is a true indication of an imminent Leipzig departure remains to be seen, but Chelsea will hope to have him on their books ahead of their new Premier League season which begins against Crystal Palace on August 17.