Ipswich Town are leading the race to land yet another EFL star this summer as they look to build a side capable of Premier League survival.
Busy summer for Ipswich Town
After securing back-to-back promotions, there has understandably been significant squad turnover at Portman Road. Perhaps their most important business was to renew the contract of manager Kieran McKenna, who had been linked with Chelsea, Manchester United and Brighton before penning a new deal in East Anglia.
Ipswich now preparing big offer to sign "world-class attacker" for McKenna
The Tractor Boys mean business in the transfer window this summer.
ByTom Coates Jul 24, 2024
So far, the Tractor Boys have shelled out £60m on five new faces, with last season's hero Omari Hutchinson the pick of the transfers after he arrived from Chelsea for a club record £20m. They have also added Hull City centre-back Jacob Greaves to the heart of their defence, while they raided relegated Burnley to bring Arijanet Muric to Portman Road in a deal worth around £8m.
Ben Johnson also arrived on a free transfer after his contract with West Ham United expired, while they bolstered their frontline with the arrival of Liam Delap from Manchester City, in a move that set them back a further £15m. Now, they want to add to their ranks of impressive EFL talents with another addition.
Ipswich leading Europa League champions in chase for midfielder
That comes in the shape of Birmingham City midfielder Jordan James, who has impressed for the Bluebirds in recent seasons. The Wales international is still just 20 years old but has already racked up 11 appearances for the Welsh national side, while he passed 100 Birmingham appearances in the final weeks of the 2023/24 campaign.
Jordan James 2023/24 Championship campaign
Appearances
42
Goals
8
Assists
0
Yellow Cards
10
Though his side were relegated to League One, James is considered a major talent and former Wales boss Rob Page didn't hold back in his praise of the youngster.
"He reads the game well, he’s athletic, he likes a tackle, he can pass the ball, he can head it,’ said Page ‘He ticks a lot of boxes; he has got everything. He is a great lad and he wants to work hard. He has got potential and we’re going to help him achieve that."
Now, he could be set to leave St Andrews' and it is Ipswich who are reportedly leading the way for his signature.
That comes courtesy of HITC, who claim that the midfielder has been "made available for a fee of over £10m" this summer with James "expected to leave" before the new season.
Wales international Jordan James.
It is added that Atalanta, who are the current Europa League champions, are also chasing his signature but that Ipswich are "currently leading the race" as they look to bolster their midfield ranks.
Were Ipswich to be able to beat a current European champion to the signing of the 20-year-old, it could represent a major statement of intent from the Tractor Boys, and may well help them remain a Premier League side beyond next season.
Fast bowler is eligible again thanks to Brexit, but will return to Hampshire in 2021 and 2022
Firdose Moonda07-Jan-2021Kyle Abbott has no immediate plans to push for an international return for South Africa and aims to use his stint in the country’s domestic game to retrieve the competitive edge he lost from almost a year out of action.Abbott, who played 11 Tests for South Africa before signing a Kolpak deal with Hamsphire, has made himself available for the Centurion-based Titans franchise for the rest of the season. He will play in the One-Day Cup, which starts on Saturday, January 9, and could also feature in up to three rounds of first-class cricket and the T20 Challenge. Then, he will head back to Southampton for the first of two years as an overseas player, a status he has transitioned to after the end of the United Kingdom’s transition period with the European Union put an end to Kolpak registrations.Though Abbott is eligible to play for South Africa, and he did not rule out the possibility of a return, he indicated that he first wants to find his form. “At the moment, [international cricket] is not in my immediate view. I had a very tough 2020 not playing cricket. I need to get back into the space where I was 18 or 15 months ago,” Abbott said, from the biosecure environment in Potchefstroom where the One-Day Cup will be played.”My objective is to get back playing professionally and get back to the level that I was, which is proving to be quite difficult at the moment. The body has had rest but it’s been quite difficult getting back to that competitive edge.”Related
Abbott signs for Titans as post-Kolpak era begins
Proteas return would need CSA to 'swallow pride' – Harmer
Vilas, Delport's appeals denied as Brexit ends Kolpak registrations
Nortje's rise heralds new age of security for South Africa
Life as a Kolpak
In 2020, Abbott played only two matches – in the Lanka Premier League – in which he bowled just five overs after travel restrictions made it impossible for him to return to Hampshire for the county season. With both South Africa and England in lockdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Abbott – who returns home to Durban in the UK winter – could not organise a visa and accommodate for a quarantine period in England. As a result, he came to an agreement with Hampshire to sit out the season.That meant Abbott had a break from the time he finished at the Paarl Rocks in South Africa’s Mzansi Super League in December 2019 until the LPL in November 2020 and the lay-off affected both his training regime and his motivation. “For the first couple of months, I was quite happy,” he said. “I was enjoying the time off and not feeling guilty that I wasn’t playing anywhere or training or bowling. That was quite nice but then as soon as it got close to when they started to kick off in the UK, I started to itch a little bit and miss it a little bit.”I found myself at stages unmotivated where I would sit for days and think, ‘why must I gym? Why must I run? I can’t see an end.’ I think a lot of us went through that.”But, now that cricket has restarted in South Africa, Abbott decided to use the same system through which he worked his way into professional cricket to work his way back albeit via a different route. Instead of returning to his home team, the Dolphins, he opted for the unfamiliar territory of the Titans. “I needed an environment that would get me back into cricket and purely focusing on cricket. Having played against them in the past, I have admired the way they’ve gone about their work. It’s a hard environment and I felt I needed that to get myself back playing.”Kyle Abbott will return to Hampshire as an overseas player this year•Cricket South Africa
The Titans are home to a host of South African internationals, including Dean Elgar, Aiden Markram, Faf du Plessis, Lungi Ngidi and Tabraiz Shamsi, but most of them will be unavailable during Abbott’s stay due to international duty. For Abbott, that presents an opportunity to work with some of the younger players in the South African system and to give back to the place he still calls home. “I feel like I still owe a lot to South African cricket,” he said. “I am pretty happy and excited to impart some knowledge back to the system and see South African cricket stay strong.”Abbott’s generosity to the South African system stands in stark contrast to the feelings that surrounded him when he left, having just established himself as the third seamer in the Test attack.His Kolpak deal was first revealed by ESPNcricinfo, before he had told his team-mates, in the middle of a series against Sri Lanka. His departure dwindled South Africa’s resources as he joined a long list of players including Rilee Rossouw, Simon Harmer and Duanne Olivier, who moved to county cricket to benefit from the security of the pound and an escape from the politics of the South African game.But Abbott said going Kolpak was not as simple as chasing money and escaping drama. “People don’t realise that it was never an easy decision for any of us at the time. Life over there is not as easy as people may think – from being away from home for six months to catching a lot of flak from people in the crowd,” he said.”As much as South Africans want to see Kolpaks go, a lot of the English supporters don’t want to see us there. We almost felt we were the outsiders there as we were the outsiders here in South Africa. At the end of the day, it’s our jobs. I understand where people are coming from. It’s an emotional thing. It’s a patriotic thing. But for most of us, myself definitely, it’s purely a career decision that I had to make at the time. I don’t regret anything I ever did.”I’ve grown a hell of a lot as a bowler and a person because I’ve been thrust responsibility and almost the go-to man in most situations and most games. The first-class system in the UK has to be the strongest in the world. The [number] of teams competing every week for something only strengthens cricket. That whole Division One, with the top four or five teams competing for the trophy and bottom for relegation – at any given stage you might only have two or three teams out of it and not playing for much. To have that strength and competitiveness is excellent.”Abbott bends his back in training•Cricket South Africa
For that reason, Abbott is pleased that the South African game will soon be going a similar way. From the 2021-22 season, the domestic structure will consist of 15 teams in two divisions, with automatic promotion and relegation. “It’s been a long time coming for Cricket South Africa to do something like this and put more value on results. In a normal season here, once you get a few rained-out games and then maybe a draw, you are out of it. Now those remaining games are going to be huge because no-one wants to get relegated,” he said.”It’s a terrible feeling. I’ve been on the brink of it, in 2017. It was down to the last hour of the last day of 14 first-class games and it’s a horrible feeling. In South Africa, it’s long overdue considering the amount of facilities we have from Buffalo Park to Potchefstroom, places that can host good first-class cricket.”He maintains he “wants to see South African cricket in a strong position,” and hopes the game can get back on its feet after a difficult 18 months. “South Africa and the Proteas are very close to my heart and I’ve always got an eye on what’s happening here,” he said. “It’s very hard to comment from outside [but] from chatting to guys in the last couple of days and asking how the national teams is going, everyone is incredibly happy. They seem to think it’s in a very healthy position, which is great news.”
Em alta vestindo a camisa do Avaí, o volante Jean Cléber, ex-CSA, Ceará e Cruzeiro, espera sequência positiva com a equipe na reta final da Série B. Segundo o atleta, sua meta é crescer com todos nas próximas semanas.
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– O grupo tem trabalhado muito para crescer de produção na sequência da Série B e para terminar o ano bem, vencendo e fazendo grandes apresentações. Vamos procurar manter um ritmo forte para que isso aconteça.
Ainda de acordo com o atleta, sua fase tem sido especial.
– Estou feliz com a fase que estou vivendo no clube. Tenho me dedicado muito para melhorar ainda mais meu desempenho em campo nas próximas partidas.
O Avaí volta a campo nesta terça-feira, às 19h, quando recebe a Ponte Preta, pela 29ª rodada do Brasileirão da Série B. Os catarinenses são vice-líderes.
Glasgow Rangers are just a matter of days away from kicking off their 2024/25 campaign in the Scottish Premiership as they travel away from Ibrox to take on Hearts on Saturday.
The Light Blues capped off a slightly concerning pre-season schedule with a 4-4 draw against German side Union Berlin, which was the only match they did not lose.
Philippe Clement's side lost to Ajax, Manchester United, and Birmingham before that draw with Union, and they conceded ten goals across those four matches.
There is no need to panic yet, though, as there is still a month or so left before the summer transfer window officially slams shut, which means that the Gers could yet make further additions to the squad.
Head of recruitment Nils Koppen has already swooped for Jefte, Connor Barron, Hamza Igamane, Vaclav Cerny, Liam Kelly, Mohammed Diomande, Oscar Cortes, and Clinton Nsiala.
The Gers are reportedly looking to make more signings to add quality to the group, as Rangers attempt to end a run of three seasons without winning the Premiership title ahead of their local rivals.
Rangers interested in Premier League starlet
According to TEAMtalk, the Scottish giants have identified Manchester United central midfielder Hannibal Mejbri as a target to come in and bolster their options in the middle of the park.
The report claims that the two teams are in talks over a potential deal to take the Tunisia international to Ibrox before the end of the summer transfer window.
It states that the Gers are keen to sign the young midfield whiz on a season-long loan with the option to make it permanent at the end of the 2024/25 campaign.
However, the outlet adds that Manchester United would like to cash in on him permanently this summer, rather than sanctioning an initial loan and running the risk of him returning to Old Trafford next year.
The report claims that talks between the two clubs have been 'positive' but it remains to be seen whether or not the Light Blues can get a deal over the line for the Red Devils youngster.
TEAMtalk also reveals that the Premier League giants, managed by Erik ten Hag, are looking for a fee of £7m to part ways with the midfielder on a permanent basis, but the Gers are 'unlikely' to go that high.
It suggests that both teams will need to find a compromise in order for a deal to be agreed over the coming days or weeks and this is one Rangers should be working hard to get done, as he could be an exciting partner for Barron in midfield.
What Connor Barron could bring to Rangers
The Gers swooped to sign the 21-year-old ace from Premiership rivals Aberdeen after his contract expired at the end of May and he appears to be a promising addition to the group.
Barron is a proven Premiership performer who can step into the squad and make an immediate impact on the pitch, due to his experience in the division last season with his former club.
He is an energetic and combative midfield ace who looks to buzz around the pitch to win possession back for his side by breaking up opposition attacks.
23/24 Premiership
Connor Barron
John Lundstram
Appearances
29
34
Assists
3
5
Tackles + interceptions per game
2.6
2.5
Dribbled past per game
0.8
1.0
Ground duel success rate
53%
49%
Aerial duel success rate
68%
55%
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see in the table above, Barron could come in and offer a stronger presence at the base of the midfield then John Lundstram, who left as a free agent at the end of last season.
The Scottish dynamo dominated opposition players in physical battles, on the deck and in the air, as shown by those statistics, and this means that the ex-Dons star could be a dominant force in the middle of the park for Rangers.
Connor Barron Aberdeen
In the pre-season clash with Manchester United this summer, the young gem offered a glimpse at his defensive quality with four tackles, one interception, and four of seven duels won against the Premier League side.
If he can translate that form over to the 2024/25 campaign then Clement could have a fantastic defensive midfielder to play alongside someone with the potential to offer more in possession, which is where Hannibal could come in as a dream partner for Barron.
Why Rangers should sign Hannibal Mejbri
The Gers should swoop to sign the Tunisia international as he could provide attacking quality to complement Barron's defensive excellence in midfield.
Hannibal endured a frustrating 2023/24 campaign with a lack of first-team minutes across the season for Manchester United and Sevilla, playing just 11 games in the Premier League and LaLiga combined.
In the 2022/23 season, though, the 21-year-old dynamo spent the year on loan at Birmingham in the Championship and caught the eye with his displays.
Hannibal vs midfielders
22/23 Championship
Per 90
Percentile rank
Assists
0.23
Top 7%
Expected Assisted Goals
0.18
Top 10%
Shot-creating actions
3.14
Top 24%
Tackles
2.31
Top 27%
Interceptions
1.20
Top 25%
Blocks
1.20
Top 44%
Stats via FBRef
As you can see in the table above, Hannibal provided a fantastic box-to-box presence in midfield for Birmingham with his contributions at both ends of the pitch.
The top three statistics speak to his attacking quality and creativity. He looks to burst forward to make things happen at the top end of the pitch by creating high-quality chances for his teammates.
Hannibal Mejbri
U23 scout Antonio Mango once claimed that the £7m-rated ace can "unlock defenders" in the blink of an eye and his statistics from his
time in the second tier in England back that up.
The French-born starlet also showcased his attacking intent at youth level for Manchester United with a return of six goals and 17 assists in 41 appearances for their U23 team, and one goal and three assists in 15 outings for the U15s.
Rangers have genuine interest in move for huge McCausland upgrade
The Light Blues are reportedly interested in a deal to sign the English forward.
ByDan Emery Jul 30, 2024
Overall, Hannibal could be the perfect signing to come in and partner Barron as he is a forward-thinking midfield star who can use his quality on the ball to create for his teammates and perfectly complement the Scottish brute's defensive excellence.
Development might force Sri Lanka to reschedule their planned tour of the West Indies
ESPNcricinfo staff03-Feb-2021
Lahiru Thirimanne and the rest of the group were tested on February 2•AFP via Getty Images
Sri Lanka head coach Mickey Arthur and batsman Lahiru Thirimanne were found to have Covid-19 at the latest round of PCR testing conducted on the provisional squad, which has been preparing for the tour of the West Indies later this month.These developments may force Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) to try and reschedule the team’s travel plans – the tour is slated to begin on February 20, with the first Test scheduled to begin on February 28. Although the players who have tested positive may recover from the illness in time to tour, they may not be in a position to play the series, depending the longer-term effects of the virus. SLC’s medical team will monitor their situation over the next few weeks before further decisions are made.”They were detected following PCR Tests carried out yesterday (2nd February) for the entire 36-member squad, along with the Coaching Staff, Net Bowlers, and the HPC Staff,” SLC said in a statement on Wednesday. “Immediately upon identification, both Mickey Arthur and Lahiru Thirimanne have been directed to follow the Government’s health protocol laid out on Covid-19.”
The group started training on January 28 in Colombo – in groups of three and at different time slots – for the tour. But the schedule might change now, with SLC saying, “Considering the current situation, SLC is exploring the possibility of rescheduling the Tour of West Indies, which was scheduled to commence on 20th Feb. 2021.”In the meantime, Sri Lanka Cricket will continue with normal operations, adhering to the stipulated Health Protocols in all its centers.”Last month seamer Binura Fernando and seam-bowling allrounder Chamika Karunaratne had also tested positive for Covid-19 and were subsequently removed from the training group ahead of the West Indies tour.
Em partida válida pela 26ª rodada do Campeonato Brasileiro 2021,BahiaePalmeirasse enfrentam nesta terça-feira (12), às 21h30 (horário de Brasília), na Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador-BA.
Marca famosa pode ajudar Manchester City com Haaland, Felipão deixa o Grêmio, Barcelona perto de renovar com joia… O Dia do Mercado!
Na terceira colocação do Brasileirão com 39 pontos, o Verdão vem de uma derrota por 4 a 2 contra o Red Bull Bragantino no Allianz Parque, e não vence há quatro jogos na competição. Já o Bahia, por sua vez, ocupa a 16ª posição do torneio nacional com 26 pontos conquistados e, na última rodada, venceu oAthletico-PRpor 2 a 0, na Arena da Baixada, em Curitiba-PR.
O duelo desta terça (12) vai marcar o reencontro da torcida com o time do Bahia. Cerca de 13.800 ingressos foram disponibilizados, de acordo com os 30% da capacidade total do estádio permitida. Será necessário a apresentação da carteira de vacinação completa da Covid-19 para entrar na Arena. Todas as entradas estão sendo comercializadas pela internet.
Veja a tabela completa do Brasileirão
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A partida também marca a estreia de Guto Ferreira como mandante no comando do Bahia. O treinador chegou ao clube na última semana e comandou a equipe na vitória sobre o Athletico-PR fora de casa.
Após cumprirem suspensão automática pelo terceiro cartão amarelo na partida contra o Red Bull Bragantino, Felipe Melo e Gabriel Menino retornaram, treinaram normalmente e devem ser relacionados para o duelo em Salvador.
Por outro lado, Mayke, Marcos Rocha, Danilo e Zé Rafael cumpriram seus cronogramas de tratamento no Núcleo de Saúde e Performance, e devem ser desfalques.
Horário, transmissão, arbitragem, prováveis escalações: os dados de Bahia x Palmeiras
Data: 12 de Outubro de 2021, terça-feira; Horário: 21h30 (horário de Brasília); Local: Arena Fonte Nova, em Salvador-BA; Árbitro: Ramon Abatti Abel – SC Assistentes: Henrique Neu Ribeiro – SC e Éder Alexandre – SC VAR:Jean Pierre Gonçalves Lima – RS, Lucio Beiersdorf Flor – RS e Sergio Cristiano Nascimento – RJ
Transmissão:
– Rede Globo (TV aberta para os estados de SP, BA, RS, PR, GO, TO, MT, MS, SE, AL, PE, RN, CE, MA, AM, RO, RR, AC e AP); – Premiere (pay-per-view para todo o Brasil); – TNT (TV por assinatura para todo o Brasil, menos BA); – Estádio TNTSportseHBO MAX(aplicativo de streaming).
Veja no aplicativo do LANCE! o resultado dos jogos da rodada
BAHIA: Danilo Fernandes; Nino Paraíba, Gustavo Henrique, Luiz Otávio e Matheus Bahia; Patrick de Lucca, Daniel, Juninho Capixaba e Lucas Mugni; Gilberto e Raí Nascimento.Técnico:Guto Ferreira
Desfalques: Conti, Rodallega, Marcelo Cirino e Rossi (lesionados); Suspensos:Ninguém; Pendurados:Juninho Capixaba, Matheus Galdezani, Matheus Bahia, Nino Paraíba, Patrick de Lucca e Rodallega. Voltam de suspensão:Lucas Araújo (3º amarelo).
PALMEIRAS:Jailson; Gabriel Menino, Luan, Renan e Jorge; Felipe Melo, Patrick de Paula e Raphael Veiga; Dudu, Rony e Wesley.Técnico:Abel Ferreira.
Desfalques: Weverton (Seleção Brasileira); Gustavo Gómez (Seleção Paraguaia); Piquerez (Seleção Uruguaia); Danilo, Zé Rafael, Marcos Rocha e Mayke (lesionados); Suspensos:Ninguém; Pendurados:Zé Rafael e Deyverson; Voltam de suspensão: Felipe Melo e Gabriel Menino (Ambos por 3º cartão amarelo);
‘Volpi, Volpi, Volpi!’. Há praticamente um mês, esse grito da torcida do São Paulo em apoio ao goleiro Tiago Volpi estava longe de acontecer. No entanto, após atuações ruins na Copa do Brasil e Libertadores, o arqueiro do Tricolor mostrou que recuperou a boa fase de vez.
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A primeira mostra de confiança do goleiro foi logo na escalação inicial. Sem Miranda, suspenso, Volpi foi escolhido como o capitão do São Paulo. Logo no aquecimento do time, o camisa 1 teve o seu nome gritado pela torcida.
Durante a partida, Volpi realizou boas defesas e foi importante nas saídas de bola aérea, jogada que o Corinthians passou a apostar nos minutos finais do jogo.
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão-2021 clicando aqui
Além disso, Tiago Volpi foi o melhor do São Paulo no Índice Footstats nos últimos três jogos, diante de Cuiabá, Ceará e Corinthians. De acordo com o site de estatísticas, foram 15 defesas, sendo cinco defesas difíceis e somente um gol sofrido.
🇾🇪 Tiago Volpi foi o melhor do São Paulo no Índice Footstats nos últimos 3 jogos:
👐 15 defesas 🙌 5 defesas difíceis 🥅 1 gol sofrido
ℹ 7,1 vs Corinthians 🥇 ℹ 7,8 vs Ceará 🥇 ℹ 8,4 vs Cuiabá 🥇@TiagoVolpi é o 2º do BR21 em mais defesas difíceis (27 em 27J). pic.twitter.com/hNdOtoZ97l
— Footstats I2A (@Footstats) October 19, 2021
Além do mais, o goleiro é o segundo com mais defesas difíceis nesse Brasileiro, com 27 em 27 partidas, média de uma defesa difícil por jogo. Com Volpi em boa fase, o São Paulo também mostra mais segurança em todo o sistema defensivo.
A próxima partida do São Paulo será no domingo, dia 24, às 18h15, contra o Red Bull Bragantino em Bragança Paulista.
Matt Renshaw and Jimmy Peirson added a century stand as Queensland closed in on a lead
ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-2021
Bryce Street reaches his century•Getty Images
Bryce Street gave another example of his ability to bat long periods of time with a career-best 117, his third first-class century, as the match against Western Australia at the Gabba continued to be a forgettable experience for bowlers.Street’s hundred was followed by half-centuries for Matt Renshaw and Jimmy Peirson as Queensland closed in on Western Australia’s total with the match seemingly destined for a stalemate.Marnus Labuschagne had started the day in sight of a century but fell eight runs short when he got an inside edge into pad which looped to square leg.Usman Khawaja had got himself set when he tickled a catch down the leg side and Street’s 335-ball stay was ended by a spectacular catch at long leg by Liam Guthrie to haul in a top-edged hook.Renshaw and Peirson then added 103 for the fifth wicket as Queensland, who are top of the table, opted against declaring behind to try and open up the match.Jake Carder, playing his first Shield match of the season, claimed the last wicket of the day when Peirson was sharply caught at slip.
Reliable transfer journalist Fabrizio Romano says Mikel Arteta was "pushing a lot" for Arsenal to sign one player before top midfield target Mikel Merino.
Arsenal pursue Mikel Merino deal after extensive talks
As reported, the Real Sociedad midfielder is firmly on Arteta and Arsenal's agenda heading into the final phase of this summer transfer window.
"Top, top player" doesn't want to sign for any other club except Arsenal
The Emirates is his favoured destination.
ByEmilio Galantini Aug 8, 2024
Merino apparently only has his sights on joining Arsenal, and won't entertain approaches from any other club. An agreement is reportedly already in place on personal terms, according to Romano, as talks remain ongoing over a formal deal for the Spaniard.
The 28-year-old's contract contains a £55 million release clause, but Arsenal may only have to pay around half of that amount, as his deal is set to expire in 2025 – giving Sociedad little wiggle room to negotiate a high price.
If all goes to plan, Merino will be Arsenal's third signing of the summer window after David Raya and Riccardo Calafiori. The Spain international, who played a crucial role in his country's triumph at Euro 2024, also impressed at club level.
Mikel Merino Real Sociedad Stats (2023/24 La Liga)
Games
32
Goals/assists
5/3
Pass accuracy
76.2%
Progressive passes per 90
5.91
Tackles per 90
2.79
Interceptions per 90
0.58
via WhoScored
Merino finished the 2023/2024 season with eight goals and five assists across 45 appearances in all competitions for Sociedad, making him a potentially astute option to reinforce Arteta's midfield and provide the tactician with that extra bit of dynamism.
Arteta is said to personally want Merino at Arsenal, according to various reports, and Romano has detailed the influence Arsenal's manager is having on transfers behind-the-scenes.
Arteta pushed "a lot" to sign Calafiori for Arsenal this summer
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Romano says that Arteta was "pushing a lot" to sign Calafiori for Arsenal, before the head coach then turned his personal attention towards Merino.
“He knows that Mikel Arteta is a big fan. Mikel Arteta has been very influential this summer for Arsenal," said Romano. “He was pushing a lot to have Calafiori, now, similar with Merino, he is another player he would love to have at the club.
“And so the player is keen, very keen on the move. Now it depends on the clubs when they can reach an agreement on the package and on the structure of the deal.”
Calafiori joined for an initial £34 million from Bologna, which was made official last week. The Italy international, who also impressed at the Euros, helped Bologna to qualify for the Champions League last season with a string of assured performances.
Taking this into account, and his defensive versatility, it's little wonder Arteta seriously pursued a deal for Calafiori.