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The Premier League's winter break couldn't have come at a better time for Arsenal, as after a positive start to the festive season, the Gunners' form fell off a cliff as they proceeded to lose three games on the bounce, falling to fourth in the league and crashing out of the FA Cup.

While performances have dropped across the team, the biggest problem has been scoring goals, as the front three of Gabriel Jesus, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka have entirely gone off the boil.

That said, Ben White has been very disappointing as of late, with GOAL's Charlie Watts giving him a 4/10 for his display against Fulham, and his total lack of threat has hurt Saka's effectiveness on the right.

Mikel Arteta and co have clearly noticed this as well, as the latest name touted for a move to N5 could replace the converted centre-back and provide the young winger with plenty of offensive help: Galatasaray's Sacha Boey.

Arsenal transfer news – Sacha Boey

According to reports from Spanish outlet AS earlier this week, Arsenal are on the lookout for a new full-back in 2024 and have reignited their interest in French full-back Boey in January.

The bad news for the Gunners is that, according to the report, Galatasaray do not want to sell the dynamic defender this month, but the good news is that they would contemplate selling him should an offer in the region of £22m be made.

While that's an attainable fee for the north Londoners, they will also have to compete with the uber-wealthy Paris Saint-Germain, who the report names as another interested party.

While it might prove challenging to beat the Parisians to Boey's signature, it would certainly be worth trying as his dynamism could see him replace White and help Saka rediscover his goalscoring form at the same time.

Boey could replace White and help revive Saka's attacking threat

Saka registered his sixth goal of the Premier League campaign against Fulham on New Year's Eve, and while that might sound great, he hadn't scored in the previous five, and worse yet, he had only registered one assist in that time as well, meaning that since December 2nd he has just two goals and one assist to his name.

This clearly isn't what is expected of a player as talented as the young Englishman is, but with the rest of the team failing around him and White – who FootyStats have rated as just the 49th-best defender in the league this season – also failing to produce, it cannot be entirely his fault.

The former Brighton & Hove Albion ace has just one assist to his name so far this season, whereas he ended last season with five, so unless he dramatically improves his output, he shouldn't be starting.

In contrast, FootyStats has rated Boey as the 8th best defender in the Turkish Süper Lig, and when it comes to the pair's underlying numbers from the Champions League, there is only one winner.

Sacha Boey vs Ben White

Stats per 90

Boey

White

Goals

0.17

0.00

Progressive Carries

3.00

1.00

Progressive Passes

6.83

6.25

Shots on Target

0.17

0.00

Shot Creating-Actions

3.67

2.47

Tackles Won

2.00

0.75

Successful Take-Ons

1.17

0.50

All Stats via FBref for the 2023/24 Champions League

The 23-year-old "warrior", as described by Turkish journalist Kaya Temel, scored more goals, produced more progressive carries and passes, won more tackles, produced more shot-creating actions, and was significantly more successful when dribbling past his opponent.

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Ultimately, White has been a great player for Arsenal, but his recent poor form is hurting his chances and minimising the effectiveness of Saka, so Arteta should be pushing to sign Boey this month, as his performances in the Champions League are evidence enough that he could make a real difference in N5.

MatériaMais Notícias

Após duas derrotas consecutivas, o Corinthians voltou a vencer ao bater o Ceará, por 2 a 1, na Neo Química Arena, pela 34ª rodada do Brasileirão-2020. O resultado, importante para a briga pela Copa Libertadores, mostrou uma melhora do time em relação aos últimos jogos, o que foi elogiado pelo técnico Vagner Mancini, que também explicou suas alterações durante o duelo.

continua após a publicidadeRelacionadasVídeoVÍDEO: De virada! Veja os gols da vitória do Corinthians sobre o CearáVídeo03/02/2021CorinthiansFábio Santos comemora vitória do Corinthians: ‘Fizemos por merecer’Corinthians03/02/2021CorinthiansATUAÇÕES: Meio-campo dita o ritmo da vitória do Corinthians contra o CearáCorinthians03/02/2021

TABELA
> Veja classificação e simulador do Brasileirão clicando aqui

GALERIA
>Relembre quantos jogadores da base o Corinthians utilizou nesta temporada

Em entrevista coletiva virtual nesta quarta-feira, o treinador corintiano se mostrou satisfeito com a evolução do Timão com as mudanças que fez entre os titulares, tirando Jô, o homem de referência, para colocar Léo Natel, um atacante de mais mobilidade, como “falso 9”. Para Mancini, esses ajustes acabam sendo necessários para neutralizar as oscilações naturais no elenco.

-Eu acho que nós tivemos grandes avanços. A equipe melhorou de forma considerável em vários aspectos. Hoje é uma equipe que tem uma intensidade que me agrada. Os ajustes serão feitos durante toda a temporada, porque não há time de que não tenha que fazer ajustes, seja na parte defensiva, ofensiva, técnica ou tática. Um time de futebol é difícil render o esperado em todos os jogos. Há um padrão normal, mas também esses ajustes são necessários, porque existem oscilações ao longo do campeonato, do jogo, por isso eu penso que o mais importante para esse momento é a gente terminar bem o campeonato, mas, ao longo da temporada, com certeza, a gente precisa ter mais variações táticas de jogo, que ainda não deu tempo de treinar – afirmou.

Segundo Mancini, as alterações também foram importantes para recuperar a falta de intensidade dos últimos jogos que, para ele, foi o motivo pelo qual a equipe oscilou. Apesar da melhora, o comandante do Timão acredita que há muito a ser feito tanto para este campeonato, quanto para a temporada 2021.

– Em muitos aspectos melhoramos bastante aquilo que talvez tenha sido a nossa oscilação nos últimos jogos, que foi a perda de intensidade no jogo, que já vimos hoje novamente com algumas alterações e com uma forma mais efetiva de marcar mais em cima. Resumindo a resposta, melhoramos bem, mas ainda faltam coisas importantes a serem feitas que, ao longo da temporada, a gente vai ver – comentou o técnico alvinegro.

Por fim, Mancini analisou as substituições que promoveu no segundo tempo. De acordo com sua explicação, muitas delas tiveram como objetivo neutralizar o jogo aéreo do Ceará, que foi a maior ameaça do adversário ao longo do duelo. Essa estratégia já era esperada antes mesmo da partida e foi controlada pelos jogadores de pela comissão técnica, que garantiram a vitória.

-Eu sabia que iríamos sofrer na partida e já tinha em mente que se o resultado fosse favorável e as mexidas fossem exatamente como fiz, aumentando a estatura, entrada do Camacho, Xavier foram exatamente em cima disso, porque nós sabíamos que o Ceará tinha um ponto forte, que era a bola parada. Dentro da estratégia de jogo, tínhamos uma equipe mais rápida, que agredisse mais, fosse mais vertical, mas perdia nas bolas paradas – concluiu.

O Corinthians folga nesta quinta-feira e retorna aos trabalhos na sexta, quando inicia a preparação para enfrentar o Athletico-PR, em mais uma decisão de olho em vaga na Copa Libertadores. A partida será na próxima quarta, às 21h30, na Neo Química Arena, pela 35ª rodada do Brasileirão-2020. Atualmente, o Timão está na oitava posição na tabela, com 48 pontos, cinco atrás do G6.

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On Wednesday night, Chelsea conceded an xG of 4.07 against Manchester United which was the second-highest xG a team have managed in a Premier League game this season, second only to the Blues' 4-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur back in November.

However, Spurs had ten men for little over a half-hour and ended the match with nine players. Meanwhile, Chelsea had their full eleven out at Old Trafford in midweek as United peppered 28 shots at Robert Sanchez. The 2-1 scoreline potentially flattered the visitors.

The London outfit looked wide open at the back and Mauricio Pochettino is reportedly in the market for a new centre-back to rectify his team's defensive woes this winter.

Chelsea transfer news – Jonathan Tah

According to BILD reporter Christian Falk, Chelsea are interested in signing Bayer Leverkusen centre-back Jonathan Tah this season, having been excellent for Bayer Leverkusen under Xabi Alonso, with the German outfit rushing to the top of the Bundesliga.

The journalist is claiming that the Blues are eyeing up the Germany international as a replacement for veteran Thiago Silva.

Falk also reports that the 27-year-old centre-half has a release clause in his contract, although Leverkusen's sporting director Simon Rolfes revealed during the summer that Tah's £17m buyout clause had expired, allowing the side to negotiate their own asking price. The CIES Football Observatory has valued Tah at £25m which isn't too far off his original release clause.

Silva has been a tremendous servant for the Blues, having joined the club three-and-a-half years ago at the ripe age of 35. Former Chelsea head coach Graham Potter even admitted that the Brazilian's football brain is "above everybody" else.

However, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, a few months before his 40th birthday, Chelsea need to start looking at replacements and Tah could be the perfect choice.

Per 90 Metrics

Ranking in Europe

Touches

Top 19%

Touches In Middle Third

Top 11%

Successful Take-Ons

Top 17%

Carries

Top 20%

Passes Attempted

Top 22%

Passes Completed

Top 15%

Through Balls

Top 40%

Pass Completion

Top 3%

Long Pass Completion %

Top 3%

Goals

Top 16%

Shots On Target

Top 14%

Jonathan Tah's stats this season

During his early days with Leverkusen, former teammate Christoph Kramer described the centre-back as a "defensive battleship", but it is actually his stats in possession of the ball that make the German stand out. Tah is ranking very highly when compared to all other central defenders from Europe's top-five leagues this term in a host of possession-based metrics.

What would also make Tah a useful addition to Chelsea's squad is that, like Silva, he has played predominantly as the central centre-back in a three-man defensive line in and out of possession for Leverkusen under head coach Xabi Alonso. The Blues used the 3-4-2-1 system to great success under Thomas Tuchel during the team's run to European glory two years ago.

The idea from Tuchel was for the three centre-backs and two central midfielders to play short passes between themselves to entice the opposition's midfield to press, leaving gaps in behind. One player who was integral to the side's success under the current Bayern Munich boss was Antonio Rudiger.

Rudiger became a Chelsea player in 2017 for £29m during Antonio Conte's spell in charge and operated as both the middle centre-back and left-sided central defender. His displays at Stamford Bridge led Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand to call him "immense".

The former Roma star left Chelsea in 2022 on a free transfer but the Blues never quite replaced the sheer quality Rudiger brought to the backline.

Nevertheless, Tah could finally be the man to replace Rudiger and Silva and is statistically outperforming the duo in a number of defensive areas this term.

Goals

0.23

0

0.07

Expected Goals

0.07

0.04

0.02

Progressive Passes

3.76

2.65

2.93

Progressive Carries

0.45

0.7

0.07

Passes To Final Third

4.14

3.46

4.53

Tackles

1.15

1.08

1.13

Tackles Won

0.64

0.65

0.6

Clearances

3.89

3.3

4.13

Interceptions

0.47

0.38

0.87

Blocks

1.34

1.19

1.07

Aerial Duel Win %

82.1

70.9

77.8

Leverkusen are cruising at the top of the Bundesliga so perhaps Tah may not want to leave for a club who are going through somewhat of a crisis on the pitch at the moment. However, Chelsea would be getting a tremendous defender, should they manage to secure his services, and a player who would instantly improve their backline.

The Frenchman may be the best player in the world, but he's only got once more shot at firing his hometown club to European glory

Funnily enough for such a ridiculously well-paid player, Kylian Mbappe has long felt undervalued, particularly in his native France, yet he's always insisted that he never had an issue with compatriots taking his consistently world-class performances for granted.

"I don't blame them," he told in July of last year. "They saw me grow up, they see me all the time, at Paris Saint-Germain every weekend or in the national team. And I've been scoring a lot for years. So, for people, it becomes normal.

"But I never complained that my performances were trivialised. I myself trivialised what [Lionel] Messi was doing, what Cristiano Ronaldo was doing, what the great players were doing. We are in a consumer society, where 'It's good, but do it again.'

"And the fact that I'm right next door, in Paris… I think playing at PSG doesn't help much because it's a divisive team, a divisive club. So, of course it attracts gossip, but it doesn't bother me because I know what I'm doing and how I do it."

The irony, of course, is that Mbappe has come to personify PSG's divisiveness, a product of the culture of entitlement that pervades Parc des Princes, an increasingly polarising player that many feel creates as many problems as he solves.

Indeed, as Mbappe closes in on a long-mooted move to Real Madrid after what looks like being yet another disappointing Champions League exit, it feels fair to ask whether he proved more trouble than he was worth during his seven years at the Parc des Princes?

• All-time leading goalscorer

  When Mbappe joined PSG from Monaco for €180 million (£150m/$190m), he said that his objective was to "write history in France, in the capital, in my country, in my city." He's unquestionably realised that aim.

  PSG are presently poised to wrap up a fifth Ligue 1 title since Mbappe's arrival, with the France forward also set to finish top of the scorers' chart for the sixth time in seven seasons. In total, he has 251 goals in 301 games, making him the most prolific player in PSG's history. His place in the record books is secure.

  And yet Mbappe, just like Neymar and Messi before him, hasn't achieved what he was acquired to do: lead PSG to a first Champions League title.

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• Getty
  

  Mbappe's mission

  Mbappe once quipped that if his future at a club renowned for embarrassing European eliminations was really linked to Champions League success, he'd have left years ago. However, there is no getting away from the fact that PSG paid more than €400m (£340m/$425m) to sign both Mbappe and Neymar in the summer of 2017 to win them the Champions League.

  It wasn't an objective but an obligation, and Mbappe was just as driven to succeed as the club's Qatari owners. Indeed, in the run-up to the 2020 final against Bayern Munich, Mbappe admitted "It would be a real reward if we could win the competition with a French side. That was my mission when I joined."

  Unfortunately for Mbappe, it has not been accomplished. And time is running out.

• Getty Images
  

  More misery?

  Mbappe still has one more crack at the Champions League with PSG, but the odds are against them after last week's 3-2 first-leg loss to Barcelona in their own backyard. The Blaugrana are far from unbeatable, but are playing with far greater freedom since Xavi announced his decision to step down as coach at the end of the season.

  For this Barca, being in the quarter-finals is a bonus, an achievement nobody was expecting during a difficult first half of the season. PSG, by complete contrast, could not be under more pressure going into the second leg in Catalunya.

  Another domestic title may already be wrapped up, but their seasons are defined by how they fare in Europe, and a quarter-final exit would be considered failure for a club that significantly strengthened its squad last summer with several signings that many believe were made with Mbappe's blessing, including those of France team-mates Ousmane Dembele and Randal Kolo Muani.

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• Getty Images
  

  Betrayed

  PSG have, of course, always denied that they effectively made Mbappe their de-facto sporting director when they went out of their way to convince him to stay at Parc des Princes in the summer of 2022, but president Nasser Al-Khelaifi did publicly pronounce him "the cornerstone of the club's project".

  It was an understandable move. Any club would love the opportunity to construct a team around the best player in the world. But making such a significant investment in one man has hardly paid off.

  On the contrary, PSG are entitled to feel betrayed by Mbappe, who is on the verge of leaving on a free transfer after continuing to publicly flirt with Madrid for the past two years.

يرغب نادي مانشستر يونايتد الإنجليزي في حسم صفقة مزدوجة من صفوف بايرن ميونخ الألماني.

ويعمل مانشستر يونايتد على ضم الثنائي ماتياس دي ليخت، ونصير مزراوي من بايرن ميونخ هذا الصيف.

وذكر الصحفي فابريزو رومانو، أن وكيلة اللاعبين رافاييلا بيمينتا وافقت على عقد لمدة خمس سنوات بالإضافة إلى خيار التمديد حتى عام 2030 لكليهما.

وتلقى مانشستر يونايتد ضربة قوية مع استبعاد ليني يورو الذي انضم حديثًا مقابل 52 مليون جنيه إسترليني لمدة ثلاثة أشهر بسبب كسر في القدم.

وسيبدأ مانشستر يونايتد الموسم وهو لا يزال يفتقر إلى قلب دفاع، وهو ما دفعه للتفاوض لضم دي ليخت، الذي سبق ولعب تحت قيادة إريك تين هاج قبل سنوات في أياكس.

وبحسب صحيفة “ذا أثليتك”، مانشستر يونايتد أجرى محادثات موسعة مع بايرن ميونخ بشأن دي ليخت لكنهم رفضوا تلبية السعر الذي يطلبه النادي الألماني.

اقرأ أيضًا | بعد ارتباطه بـ الدوري السعودي.. تين هاج يحسم مستقبل كاسيميرو مع مانشستر يونايتد

ويطالب بايرن ميونخ بمبلغ 50 مليون يورو (42 مليون جنيه إسترليني) لدي ليخت البالغ 24 عامًا.

كما وافق مانشستر يونايتد على الشروط الشخصية مع مزراوي لكنه لم يتوصل بعد إلى اتفاق مع بايرن ميونيخ بشأن قيمة الصفقة.

ويزعم التقرير أن بايرن ميونخ أبلغ مانشستر يونايتد أنه سيحتاج إلى تقديم “رسوم أعلى” من أجل التعاقد مع اللاعبين هذا الصيف.

ويشير التقرير إلى أن وكيلة الثنائي مندهشة من رد بايرن ميونخ، خاصة وأن النادي أبلغ كل من دي ليخت ومزراوي أنهما ليسا جزءًا من خطط فينسنت كومباني للموسم المقبل.

Mikel Arteta shared an update on Bukayo Saka's fitness ahead of Arsenal's clash with Luton Town after seeing him limp off against Manchester City.

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Saka had to be taken off against Man CityStruggled to make an impact in the matchArteta issued a positive update on his fitnessWHAT HAPPENED?

Saka, who was initially a fitness doubt leading up to the game against City after pulling out of international duty with England, had to be substituted in the 78th minute of the encounter at the Etihad Stadium, which ended in a goalless draw. The England international was evidently in pain and discomfort as Gabriel Martinelli replaced him in the final quarter of the match.

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Despite fears of a potential injury, Arteta has now confirmed that Saka is "fine" and available for selection against Luton Town on Wednesday night.

"We haven’t trained, just recovered," Arteta told reporters. "We have a short, light session today to prepare for the game, and we will see if he’s in the best condition to start or not."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Saka was far from his best against City as he could complete just 11 passes and was unable to dribble past any defender during his stay on the pitch. However, Arteta remains optimistic that he will play a significant role against Luton as Arsenal aim to keep their title charge on track.

When asked about Saka's ability to play the full 90 minutes, Arteta affirmed: "He certainly is today. We will train today and see the state of every player and make the right decision tomorrow."

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WHAT NEXT?

The update from Arteta comes as a relief for Arsenal fans, as Saka's availability adds depth to the squad ahead of a crucial fixture. The manager will hope that his talismanic forward shrugs off any discomfort and revives his scoring touch ahead of a busy schedule for the Gunners, which will see them travel to Brighton on Saturday before hosting Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie on April 9.

With the series already decided, the hosts will look to continue their aggressive batting approach, and the visitors to keep trying their younger players

The Preview by Andrew Fidel Fernando11-Aug-2018

Lungi Ngidi roars after dismissing Upul Tharanga•AFP

Big PictureSo, at last, it happened. Six matches in, the tour finally produced a close match. Vital as the three-run victory at Pallekele was for an ailing Sri Lanka, though, it would barely have bothered the opposition. The hosts are chuffed to have broken their 11-match losing streak against South Africa in the 50-over format, but the visitors might justifiably reason that the match was so racked by rain that luck may have played a greater role in the outcome than usual. Also, having already fielded an inexperienced attack in the first three games, South Africa threw even more freshers into the mix after the series was decided. It was only a depleted South Africa team that Sri Lanka finally managed to beat.Aggression against spinners was planned: Duminy

JP Duminy, the ODI series’ top-scorer with 215 runs at an average of over 71.66, said an aggressive approach toward tackling spin helped South Africa succeed in the one-dayers. Earlier in the year, the wristspin of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav had sunk South Africa in a series at home. They have tackled the likes of Akila Dananjaya, Prabath Jayasuriya and Lakshan Sandakan a little bit better in Sri Lanka, however.
“If you look back to past series in Sri Lanka, touring teams have always struggled against spin,” Duminy said. “That’s been a conscious thing – to try and get that right to be a little bit more positive and aggressive. To get after the spinners and try and get them out of the attack. Fortunately for us pretty much throughout the series it’s worked. Even if you look back to the last game which we lost, it wasn’t necessarily the spinners that won them the game, it was the seamers. But you do have a bit more freedom in white-ball cricket to play a little bit more aggressively. We’ve seen that the pitches have been a little more batter friendly.”

But victories – particularly hard-fought ones – do sometimes have a way of injecting new hope into beleaguered outfits. Sri Lanka will be overjoyed that their lower middle order proved so tenacious in Pallekele, with Dasun Shanaka and Thisara Perera putting on the team’s best partnership of the series, at a breakneck pace. They will take heart from the fact that the bowlers came up with the “Test-match line” strategy on the fly, and executed it so well. These are only minor victories in a series that has otherwise been dispiriting, but such is the state of this Sri Lanka ODI team that even the small wins are worth clinging to.Now, as the series winds down at Khettarama, expect Sri Lanka to continue trialing the kind of aggressive batting that enabled them to make 306 for 7 in 39 overs on Wednesday. On the other hand, expect South Africa to continue trialing young players.Form guideSri Lanka WLLLW (completed matches, most recent first)
South Africa LWWWLIn the spotlightWith Imran Tahir not selected and Kagiso Rabada likely to be rested again, it is essentially down to Lungi Ngidi to lead the bowlers in the final game. So far in the series, Ngidi has been impressive, topping the wicket-takers’ table with 10 wickets at 20.10, the Sri Lanka batsmen often struggling to contend with the bounce he generates. If he produces another good performance on Sunday, South Africa’s selectors can be more sure that he is a bowler with serious one-day potential – one they should look to incorporate into their World Cup plans.Dasun Shanaka was a bit of a monochrome batsman when he first played limited-overs matches for Sri Lanka, often excelling against spin, but proving mediocre against seam bowling. However, he has clearly worked on his game, and has come back as more of a complete batsman, using the pull shot to particularly devastating effect when South Africa’s quicks tested him with the short ball. With Angelo Mathews currently unable to bowl, Sri Lanka wouldn’t mind a second seam-bowling allrounder in the squad, especially if he is capable of producing match-turning innings on regular basis, like the one he played on Wednesday.Team newsSouth Africa are likely to field the same team.South Africa (possible): 1 Quinton de Kock (capt & wk), 2 Hashim Amla, 3 Reeza Hendricks, 4 Heinrich Klaasen, 5 JP Duminy, 6 David Miller, 7 Wiaan Mulder, 8 Andile Phehlukwayo, 9 Keshav Maharaj, 10 Junior Dala, 11 Lungi NgidiSri Lanka may think about bringing Kasun Rajitha back into the side, perhaps in place of Lahiru Kumara.Sri Lanka (possible): 1 Upul Tharanga, 2 Niroshan Dickwella (wk), 3 Kusal Mendis, 4 Kusal Perera, 5 Angelo Mathews (capt.), 6 Dhananjaya de Silva, 7 Thisara Perera, 8 Dasun Shanaka, 9 Akila Dananjaya, 10 Suranga Lakmal, 11 Kasun RajithaPitch and conditionsKhettarama is generally the driest one-day surface in the country, but as Sri Lanka seem intent on playing on good tracks in order to prepare for the World Cup, there may be plenty of runs in Sunday’s match also. Thundershowers are forecast for Colombo, but these are generally not long-lived enough to wash out a whole game.Stats and trivia While Ngidi tops the wicket-takers’ list for the series, JP Duminy leads the run-scorers, with his 215 runs having come at an average of 71.66 and a strike rate of almost 140. Sri Lanka lost their last match against South Africa at Khettarama, in 2014, but generally have a positive record at the venue, having lost only twice in nine completed matches against this opposition. Thisara Perera now averages 44.83 with the bat this year, with a strike rate of 137. His bowling figures across nine matches in 2018 are just as impressive – he has taken 18 wickets at 18.61 in nine games.

New Zealand have picked uncapped left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel among the three spinners for the three-Test series against Pakistan in the UAE in October. Ajaz, who has been the top wicket-taker in domestic first-class competitions for the last three seasons, was picked in place of Mitchell Santner who continues to recover from a long-term knee injury. New Zealand also named squads for the three ODI and as many T20s they will play against Pakistan.Ajaz, 29, was named last year’s domestic Player of the Year and was a vital member of the Central Stags team that won their first Plunket Shield title in five years. He took 48 wickets at 21.52 and is among the three frontline spinners in the squad alongside Ish Sodhi and Todd Astle.”Ajaz has deserved his inclusion on the sheer weight of his domestic first-class form over the past couple of summers,” selector Gavin Larsen said. “With Mitch Santner not fully recovered yet from his knee surgery, it’s nice to have both wrist (Astle and Sodhi) and finger (Patel) spin options, given the likely conditions in the UAE.”Ajaz will leave for the UAE with the New Zealand A squad in early October and will be among those competing for the two open spots in the ODI and T20I squads each. The A squad features first-time selections such as fast bowlers Kyle Jamieson and Blair Tickner, and NZ Under-19s player Rachin Ravindra.One of the two A players who’ll be drawn into the T20I squad will replace Trent Boult, who will be on paternity leave after the Test and ODI series.Tom Blundell was named as the back-up wicketkeeping option in the Test squad for BJ Watling, who has been named in the ODI squad. Watling last played an ODI in October 2016 but is said to be in the plans for next year’s World Cup.Fast bowler Adam Milne returns to the T20I squad, while Tim Seifert, Mark Chapman and Lockie Ferguson will represent the A side in the T20s before moving to the international T20 squad to face Pakistan.Test squad: Kane Williamson (capt), Jeet Raval, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls, BJ Watling, Tom Blundell, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Ish Sodhi, Ajaz Patel, Tim Southee, Neil Wagner, Matt Henry, Trent BoultODI: Kane Williamson (capt), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Taylor, Nicholls, Latham, Watling, de Grandhomme, Astle, Sodhi, Southee, Henry, Boult, two to be added from NZ A/NZ T20 squadT20I: Kane Williamson (capt), Mark Chapman, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Seth Rance, Tim Seifert, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, two to be added from NZ ANew Zealand A (for T20, 50-over and first-class matches against Pakistan A): Corey Anderson, Astle, Blundell, Tom Bruce, Chapman, Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Scott Kuggeleijn, Patel, Glenn Phillips, Raval, Rachin Ravindra, Seifert, Blair Tickner, Logan van Beek, George Worker, Will Young, Wagner, Watling

Southampton have a rich history of producing and developing exciting young talents through their academy system over the years at Staplewood.

The likes of Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, James Ward-Prowse, Luke Shaw, and Alan Shearer are just a few of the many talented gems to have been nurtured on the south coast.

Current first-team head coach Russell Martin is now tasked with bringing through the next wonderkid through the youth set-up and has given opportunities to the likes of Will Smallbone and Samuel Edozie this season.

Jamal Musiala

£95.1m

Ben White

£47.6m

Luke Shaw

£36.3m

James Ward-Prowse

£32.8m

Tyrone Ming

£19m

Southampton's most valuable former academy players

The Saints currently have an exciting crop of U21 players who could make a first-team breakthrough in the future and one of them is 17-year-old ace Tyler Dibling, who the Scottish boss could develop into the next Walcott at St. Mary's.

How old was Walcott when he made his Southampton debut?

A record was broken when the English forward became the youngster player in the club's history at the age of 16 years and 143 days against Wolves in 2005.

Walcott went on to score five goals in 23 first-team matches for the club in all competitions throughout the 2005/06 campaign and that led to a transfer to Arsenal at the end of the season.

The former England international then racked up 108 goals and 80 assists in 397 outings for the Gunners before a spell with Everton, which then led to his return to the Saints in 2020 before his retirement earlier this year.

How many goals has Dibling scored for Southampton?

Dibling, who spent two months at Chelsea before returning to the Saints earlier this year, has scored 18 goals at U21 and U18 level combined for the Saints.

The 17-year-old gem, who was once hailed as one of the club's "shining" youth prospects by ex-boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, made his first-team bow against Gillingham in the EFL Cup earlier this season.

This suggests that Martin has seen potential in the teenage ace and believes that the quality is there for him to contribute at senior level, albeit in a cameo at this stage in his career.

Dibling's impressive form at U21 level so far this term indicates that the scope is there for him to develop into an exciting attacking option for the club if he can translate his performances to the first-team.

The England U18 international, who predominantly plays out wide on the right, has racked up three goals and two assists in six Premier League 2 appearances.

There is no guarantee that Dibling will be able to score and assist goals at a similar rate for Martin's team but there was no guarantee that Walcott would do the same when he made his emergence in 2005.

Southampton's manager may have to be bold and unleash the 17-year-old wizard at Championship level over the coming weeks and months to see if he is ready to make the step up.

If Dibling can rise to that challenge then he could emerge as Walcott 2.0 for the Saints as another goalscoring right winger from the academy making an impact as a teenager.

The list of talent being churned off the conveyor belt at Southampton is never-ending, with the South Coast club providing the platform for several players in their rise to stardom.

Of course, the academy graduate that every Premier League club will know in recent times is James Ward-Prowse. The creative maestro who boasts a wand of a right foot was integral to the Saints keeping their top-flight status for almost a decade before departing for pastures new, completing a £30m transfer to West Ham United this summer.

The Englishman has since become an instant revelation in east London, chalking up three goals and two assists so far, but he isn't the only academy player to have departed Southampton and risen to prominence elsewhere.

Gareth Bale is the biggest icon in the world of football to have been unleashed from the academy at St Mary's, but the likes of Adam Lallana, Luke Shaw and Theo Walcott have had or are having illustrious careers at the top of world football and in the ever-changing nature of the modern game, the Saints continue to unearth the next stars in the making.

17-year-old Samuel Amo-Ameyaw is right at the summit of that list.

Who is Samuel Amo-Ameyaw?

He only turned 17 in July, but Amo-Ameyaw is carrying the torch for the next generation of academy stars.

The pacey and direct winger, renowned for leaving defenders in his wake and gliding across the pitch in a perpetual motion, has made a sharp rise towards the first-team picture, enabled by Southampton's relegation to the Championship.

After signing his scholarship with the club last year, the teenager said: “My aim is to get into the first team as quick as possible, but first I’ve got to do well with the 18s and progress," and he's already ticked off that box.

Impressing in the Premier League 2 last season, scoring four goals in 12 appearances, the winger was rewarded with his first competitive start for the club in the EFL Cup defeat against Gillingham and impressed on the night.

Although Southampton bowed out against lower-league opposition, Russell Martin was encouraged by what he saw from his youthful side and Amo-Ameyaw was at the forefront of the praise having recorded more successful dribbles (4) than any other player on the pitch.

Speaking after his mature display, Martin said: "Sam Amo was outstanding, really pleased with him. Kami Doyle when he came on was great, Jayden [Meghoma] was fantastic, so that probably sums the night up, that those three were the real standouts for me."

The "talented" youngster – as dubbed by journalist Alfie House – clearly has a lot of healthy competition in the underage groups but having appeared on three occasions in the Championship this term, the teenager is competing for a place in the senior setup.

In his most recent Premier League 2 match, Amo-Ameyaw scored and assisted against West Ham, perhaps using the distaste in his mouth after being left out of the first-team as fuel to show Martin what he's capable of.

Southampton are enduring a torrid run in the Championship, losing four consecutive matches, while their wingers, including club record signing Kamaldeen Sulemana, have dramatically underperformed in recent weeks.

How has Kamaldeen Sulemana performed this season?

Since completing a £24.6m move from Rennes in January, Sulemana has only recorded three goal contributions in three goal contributions in 21 appearances, failing to make an impact so far in the Championship.

The Ghanaian winger has made three substitute appearances this season, averaging a lowly Sofascore rating of 6.3 and only recorded an xG of 0.12, losing possession on nine occasions and completing 42% of his dribbles, emphasising the minuscule threat he's had on the pitch when given the chance.

It's fair to say that more is expected of a club-record signing, especially after dropping to Championship level, but he is currently being kept out of the team by Samuel Edozie and Ryan Fraser while his frustrations were topped off in the 4-1 defeat to Leicester following a red card, although it was later overturned.

When he arrived in England, Sulemana was expected to be "unstoppable" in the Premier League – as dubbed by journalist Adam Bate – who compared him to some of the best dribblers in the world upon arrival.

While he is yet to live up to that hype, he could soon spring to life and start delivering match-winning displays but until he does, Amo-Ameyaw will feel he deserves more chances to impress in the first-team, especially given their current faltering approach.