Jack Taylor, the Gloucestershire allrounder, has been banned from bowling for a third time after being reported for a suspect action
ESPNcricinfo staff23-Oct-2017
Jack Taylor has become a useful batsman for Gloucestershire•Getty Images
Jack Taylor, the Gloucestershire allrounder, has been banned from bowling for a third time after being reported for a suspect action. As per the ECB’s regulations, he will not to be able to bowl his offspin for 12 months from September 26, 2017.Taylor, 25, was suspended from bowling last season but was allowed to resume a couple of months later after remodelling his action.Having been called again, he underwent testing at Loughborough on September 26 and his arm was found to exceed the permitted 15-degree limit for flexion and extension. As this was his second suspension within a two-year period, he receives an automatic 12-month ban, after which he can request to have his action retested.In recent seasons, Taylor has become a valuable lower-order batsman for Gloucestershire. This year, he scored two Championship hundreds and averaged nearly 40, while contributing 302 runs at 43.14 in the Royal London Cup; with the ball, he took 19 wickets in all competitions.His first-class batting average has risen to 32.44, with six hundreds, to go with 75 first-class wickets at 43.86. Taylor’s value as an allrounder was more apparent in white-ball cricket and he was Man of the Match in the final of the 2015 Royal London Cup as Gloucestershire won their first trophy in a decade.Taylor was previously banned in 2013 for an illegal action before being passed to bowl again after remedial work in February 2014.
ScorecardWith doubts lingering over Stuart Broad’s fitness for Saturday’s Royal London One-Day Cup final at Lord’s, Nottinghamshire face another anxious couple of days assessing the fitness of a second key bowling asset after injury forced Jake Ball to leave the field during the final session here.Despite playing the injury down overnight, Ball was sent for a scan by the ECB on Wednesday morning, and the selectors will be monitoring the results closely as they prepare to meet to select the squad for the first Test against South Africa at Lord’s next week.The England fast bowler, who had already struck an important blow for his team in this match at the start of Kent’s second innings, pulled up in his follow-through after bowling one delivery of his third over, feeling some pain in his right knee.After receiving attention on the field it looked at first as if he would continue but after a couple of attempts to replicate his run-up to the crease under the supervision of his county physio he asked the umpire for his cap and sweater and left the field, leaving Luke Fletcher to complete his over.Nottinghamshire head coach Peter Moores described his withdrawal as “a precaution” and said his prospects of resuming in this match would be assessed in the morning. However, he is being monitored by Notts and England medical teams, and he will not bowl again in the match.Broad, who was forced to miss this match after suffering a heel injury against Leicestershire last week, was still rated as doubtful on Monday but there was better news today. Put through his paces before play, he appeared to be moving well enough, although Nottinghamshire will be wary of risking any further damage with the opening Test against South Africa just over a week away.After playing his part with a flurry of boundaries with the bat in helping Nottinghamshire to a lead of 191 on first innings, Ball had dealt Kent the early blow they least wanted as they began their second innings against the pink ball in the awkward day-to-night phase.After bowling brilliantly with scant reward in the first innings, with only one tailender’s wicket to show for his efforts, Ball found success in his second over this time, producing a full and fast delivery to which Daniel Bell-Drummond, who had so valiantly held Kent together on Monday, had no answer.Yet Ball’s absence hardly made things easier for Kent, who were four wickets down and still 86 behind at the close. To make matters worse, Sam Billings, unbeaten on 39, now leaves this match to play for the Lions at Worcester. The 20-year-old batsman Joe Weatherley takes his place.Despite a career-best 168 from Steven Mullaney, who was 63 not out overnight, and a partnership of 222 between the opener and Alex Hales, Nottinghamshire had not fulfilled their objective of batting Kent out of the game, losing their last wickets for 41.They fell short even of maximum batting points, which felt almost like a formality earlier in the day when Hales and Mullaney, having come through a tough pink ball baptism on the first evening, plundered runs under the pale sky of the second afternoon.Mullaney, one half of the key partnership in the historic win over Essex that booked Nottinghamshire’s place at Lord’s, completed the 12th first-class century of his career, punching the air as he might after a bout of nausea almost forced him to leave the field in the early part of his innings on Monday.Jake Ball limped off – and that will worry England•Getty Images
Once something of a bit-part player among stars at Trent Bridge, Mullaney has become a key figure in all formats. Always an all-round asset in the one-day sides, he has found his niche at the top of the order in the four-day side, and a useful partnership-breaking bowler to boot. Well respected in the dressing room, he led the side in Chris Read’s absence last season and looks a natural choice to take on the captaincy in his own right when Read retires at the end of the season.As a batsman, he may lack the flair and natural timing of Samit Patel, with whom he shared that epic stand at Chelmsford, and he does not dominate in the way Hales sometimes does. Yet he has the temperament to concentrate for long periods and packs a punch when the moment arrives to up the tempo.He and Hales were together for 47.5 overs for the fourth wicket before Hales was caught on the rope attempting a second six straight off Joe Denly’s leg spin, missing out by 15 on what appeared to be a certain hundred.The innings lost some of its impetus after Hales. Riki Wessels was unusually subdued and Mullaney went an hour without scoring a boundary before a couple in quick succession off Adam Milne eased the pressure.He passed his previous best, 166 against Somerset here last year, with a six off Will Gidman and the applause that accompanied his return to the pavilion, caught behind off Matt Coles, was a measure of his popularity. He acknowledged it properly, too, raising his bat to all corners of the ground.Kent’s bowlers have to be commended for the way they maintained their discipline and in denying Nottinghamshire their full complement of points they might consider they scored a minor triumph.Yet, the possibly unwelcome consequence of this was that it was their batsman who were exposed to the day-into-night phase. After Bell-Drummond, Denly edged a fine, swinging ball from Fletcher to be caught behind before Harry Gurney struck twice, Sam Northeast following a ball outside off-stump to be caught behind, Sean Dickson edging to Brendan Taylor at third slip.July 28, 11.36am – This story was updated with news of Ball’s knee scan
Chelsea target and Inter Milan forward Lautaro Martinez would love to complete a summer switch to Stamford Bridge, according to reports.
How old is Lautaro Martinez?
Martinez is a 25-year-old striker who has played his football at the San Siro Stadium since 2018 after joining from Racing Club. During his four years in the Serie A, he’s been a regular feature of Simone Inzaghi’s first-team, racking up a total of 238 appearances to date.
The Argentina international, however, could be on the move during the ongoing window after establishing himself as his side’s both overall and offensive best-performing player last season with a WhoScored match rating of 7.18, not to mention that he also won the World Cup, which has attracted plenty of attention from the Premier League.
Back in June, 90min reported that the Blues and Manchester United, alongside La Liga giants Real Madrid, had all registered an interest in a summer deal for the attacker who is expected to start a new adventure, and his new home could well be in SW6.
Since his arrival, Mauricio Pochettino has already recruited RB Leipzig’s Christopher Nkunku and Villareal’s Nicolas Jackson, but it appears that he’s in the market for even more attacking reinforcements if the following update is to be believed.
Are Chelsea signing Lautaro Martinez?
According to Football Insider, Martinez is "keen to make the switch" to the English top-flight and more specifically "wants to team up" with his compatriot Pochettino at Stamford Bridge. The Chelsea boss is believed to be a "big fan" of the centre-forward and it's claimed by sources that he would "love" the opportunity to work with his countryman.
Inter Milan's talisman is on a "shortlist" of final third targets alongside Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic and Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani, though it yet remains to be seen which of the three strikers would be the preferred option in the capital.
Inter Milan striker Lautaro Martinez.
How many goals has Lautaro Martinez scored?
In the Serie A last season, Martinez posted a remarkable 28 goal contributions (21 goals and seven assists) in 38 appearances with this outstanding form seeing him collect eight man-of-the-match awards, so should he put pen to paper, he could be a real force to be reckoned with leading the line at Chelsea.
Sponsored by Nike, Inter’s “dangerous” striker, as lauded by talent scout Jacek Kulig, also recorded a total of 125 shots over the course of the campaign which was more than any of his fellow teammates, as per FBRef, highlighting not only how much of a standout star he is but also the constant eye and desire he has to make sure that the ball hits the back of the net.
Martinez, who pockets £182k-per-week and has the versatility to operate anywhere across the frontline, including out wide on both wings, will additionally know what it takes to compete and be successful at the highest level having secured eight senior trophies since the start of his career – that number could increase if he was to move to the capital where a new era is about to begin under Pochettino.
Macaulay Langstaff considers being told to “f*ck off” by Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, while also being called “handsome”, to be a compliment.
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Notts County striker claimed Golden Boot in 2022-23
Threatened to dash Red Dragons' promotion dreams
Hollywood stars aware of the threat that he poses
WHAT HAPPENED?
The prolific Notts County striker threatened to be a serious thorn in Wrexham’s side last season as a thrilling promotion race unfolded in the National League. Langstaff hit 41 league goals for his side, pipping 38-goal Paul Mullin to the Golden Boot, and netted a match-winning effort when County played host to the Red Dragons.
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THE BIGGER PICTURE
Wrexham would get their revenge later in the season at SToK Racecourse, but Langstaff’s efforts were impossible to ignore. Reynolds and McElhenney were certainly aware of him, with the pair telling the Welcome to Wrexham documentary as title rivals refused to go away: “Macaulay Langstaff, he can f*ck off.” Reynolds reacted to McElhenney’s joke by adding: “Yeah, God that guy is good. He's handsome as f*ck. He looks like he could be in Peaky Blinders.”
WHAT THEY SAID
Langstaff has not seen the episode in which he starred, but has told of being made aware of comments from two Hollywood superstars: “When Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are calling you handsome and saying you should be on Peaky Blinders, how can you not be complimented by that! It was brilliant. I haven’t actually watched the documentary, I don’t think I can watch it because of what happened last year – obviously losing out to them in the end. I don’t think I can bring myself to watch it, but I’ve obviously been sent the video by numerous people and when I saw it, it was really funny. It looks like a good documentary. It looks like it’s really light-hearted, so really enjoyed that 20-second clip of me!”
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WHAT NEXT?
Both Wrexham and Notts County posted more than 100 points in 2022-23, with the Magpies eventually securing promotion through the play-offs. The two sides are back in direct competition this term, as they fly high in League Two, and Langstaff has been back on the goal trial after registering 11 efforts through 17 appearances.
Mumbai crashed out of the Vijay Hazare Trophy despite chasing down 96 against Goa in 5.4 overs in Chennai. After allrounder Abhishek Nayar’s 4 for 23 skittled Goa for 95, Suryakumar Yadav and Aditya Tare shared an unbroken 76-run stand off 20 balls to mow down the target and seal an eight-wicket win.Mumbai, chasing the second quarter-final spot from Group C, won with 266 balls to spare – the second biggest (in terms of balls remaining) in List A history in India – but it was not enough. Gujarat pipped Mumbai on net run rate and qualified along with Bengal.Earlier, Goa’s innings lasted only 35 overs with only captain Sagun Kamat and Darshan Misal passing 20. Nayar did the bulk of the damage and was assisted by Dhawal Kukarni and Shardul Thakur who took five wickets between them.Bengal suffered their first loss of this season’s Vijay Hazare Trophy, against Gujarat at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Captain Parthiv Patel struck an 82-ball 88 in Gujarat’s seven-wicket win; Bengal were also through to the quarter-finals. Mohammed Shami, playing his first competitive match after four months, conceded 36 runs in seven overs without picking up a wicket.Jasprit Bumrah, though, had sparkled with 3 for 27 to help bowl Bengal out for 168. Ashav Panchal and Rujul Bhatt, meanwhile, shared four wickets between them. Abhimanyu Easwaran (37), Aamir Gani (37), and Ashok Dinda (33) flickered briefly before Bengal were dismissed in 49.1 overs.Parthiv and Priyank Panchal then laid the foundation for the chase with a 69-run opening stand. Parthiv then fell with his team two runs away from the target, but Bhargav Merai and Bhatt completed the victory.Hanuma Vihari’s career-best 135 not out helped Andhra ace their chase of 236 against Rajasthan in Chennai. He added 146 with Prasanth Kumar, who scored 62 off 84 balls before falling to Salman Khan. Vihari, however, stayed till the end to give Hyderabad a consolation win.Having been sent in, Rajasthan were quickly reduced to 49 for 4 with Manender Singh, Salman, and Puneet Yadav bagging ducks. However, 17-year-old Mahipal Lomror’s second successive fifty and Tajinder Singh’s first List A fifty revived Rajasthan to 235 for 7. Seamer P Vijaykumar was the pick of the bowlers for Andhra, finishing with 3 for 17 in 10 overs.
Manchester United would love to also add Declan Rice to their midfield this summer if their financial situation was to allow a potential move.
How much is Declan Rice worth?
Champions League football in on the menu at Old Trafford for next season and it seems they are not looking to waste any time in bringing in some new faces this summer.
Indeed, reports would suggest the Red Devils are keen to acquire the services of Chelsea's Mason Mount to provide Erik ten Hag some strength in midfield.
It has been claimed that the Londoners would be looking for a fee in the region of £68m this summer for their 24-year-old who only has one-year remaining on his current deal.
However, there is another 24-year-old midfielder from London who finds himself surrounded in transfer speculation this summer.
And it happens to be Mount's best friend, Rice, who now looks set to leave West Ham United following their Europa Conference League triumph.
Reports would suggest the Hammers are looking for a fee in excess of £100m this summer for their England international with the likes of Chelsea and Arsenal said to be interested.
Speaking on TalkSPORT, insider Alex Crook has claimed those at Old Trafford would love to bring Rice to the Theatre of Dreams this summer but the finances could prove an issue:
"I think United would love to try and sign Declan Rice but again it comes down to economics. We know they want a number nine they want a centre-back as well."
What is Man United's transfer budget?
There have been some suggestions that United will only be handed around £100m to spend this summer which will leave them in need of selling some of their players to create funds.
Adding to their limitations as a result of the FFP regulations, it may be a tricky summer of spending to navigate for the Red Devils.
However, their reported interest in Mount and Harry Kane would potentially see that figure swallowed up immediately over the two potential deals.
Chelsea's Mason Mount
Indeed, with Chelsea believed to be holding out for close to £70m for Mount, a possible deal for Kane would see United needing to raise some significant cash.
It is believed Tottenham Hotspur will be doing everything they can this summer to keep their all-time record goalscorer in north London.
But if the England captain is to force a move away, then Spurs will be looking for a figure in excess of £100m for the 29-year-old striker.
And with all of this in mind, you do have to question where a potential move for Rice could fit in?
Potentially if moves for Kane and Mount fall flat then United could look at a deal for the "absolute monster", Rice, however, it looks as if Arsenal are not going to waste any time in their pursuit of the 24-year-old.
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said his batsmen had given West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo “eight soft wickets” during their second-innings collapse on the fourth day of the day-night Test
ESPNcricinfo staff17-Oct-20163:16
Want to be a team that closes the opposition out – Arthur
Pakistan coach Mickey Arthur said his batsmen had given West Indies legspinner Devendra Bishoo “eight soft wickets” during their second-innings collapse on the fourth day of the day-night Test in Dubai. Having taken a 222-run lead in the first innings, Pakistan were dismissed for 123 in 31.5 overs, losing their last six wickets for 11 runs. Chasing 346, West Indies were 95 for 2 at stumps with senior batsmen Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo at the crease.Arthur praised Bishoo but rued that the collapse had given West Indies a chance to win the game. He said Pakistan’s plan when they chose not to enforce the follow-on was to score about 180 runs in 45 overs and shut West Indies out of the match.”I am not going to take anything away from the way Bishoo bowled because he bowled really, really well,” Arthur said. “I thought we gave him eight soft wickets. We were cutting against the spin, some lazy shots. That is something we have spoken hard about because that’s not how we play the game. We worked so hard to get ourselves in front of the game and then in one session we lost 6 for 11 and that gave West Indies a sniff. We want to be better than that. We want to be a team that closes the opposition out when we get the opportunity and we didn’t.”The message was very simple: we wanted a score of 180 in 45-50 overs. We felt that would have given us 25-30 overs tonight and a full day tomorrow. So we were looking at 180 in probably 45 overs at the most and we played poorly.”Bishoo, whose returns of 8 for 49 were the best by a visiting bowler in Asia, said he had reflected on his performance in the first innings – 2 for 125 in 35 overs – and decided to bowl straighter, targeting the stumps, in the second innings.”Last evening I spent some time thinking about how I had bowled in the first innings and I was bowling most likely fourth-fifth stump and they were cutting the ball down to cover for a single all the time,” Bishoo said. “So I tried to bowl straighter on the stumps. I expected the ball to spin more on the fourth and the fifth days, and that’s exactly what happened. I used the rough a little and I tried to use the crease a bit more and tried to bowl more on the stumps.”Arthur said the batting implosion had forced Pakistan to play slightly defensively when West Indies came out to chase on the fourth evening. He said the team was working towards eradicating issues, like the sudden collapse, from their game.”We’ve batted really well, certainly through the Test matches in England I thought we were excellent, and we were brilliant in the first innings here. So that is something we are trying to eradicate. We want to get this completely out of our game. Consistency is something we need to keep working on, we are talking long and hard about it.”We were disappointed that we took our foot off their throat and gave them a glimpse into the game when we should have put them out of it. Because what that would have done for our spinners tomorrow is it would have allowed us to have close catchers for longer. So tonight we have a man at sweeper and we haven’t got a silly point to Bravo and that’s simply because the game is getting closer.”
The WICB has taken legal advice in response to calls for a forensic audit
ESPNcricinfo staff15-Sep-2016The WICB has taken legal advice in response to calls for a forensic audit, claiming that it could carry the “suggestion of wrongdoing”. Terming the calls to carry out the forensic audit by six former board officials as “serious allegations”, the WICB has said that it is consulting Anthony Astaphan, a senior counsel in Dominica, for his advice and recommendations.”The Board has been advised that in a number of instances the call for a forensic audit carries the suggestion of wrong doing and misappropriation of WICB funds by present members of the WICB,” the WICB said in a media release, issued on Thursday. “Additionally, it suggests the auditors are either incompetent or complicit. These allegations are completely false, and seriously damaging to the reputation of the WICB, its members, and auditors.”The WICB has therefore decided that these are serious allegations and has referred the matter to Senior Counsel, Anthony Astaphan of Dominica, for his advice and recommendations.”Last week six former WICB officials – Ken Gordon, Pat Rousseau, Anthony Deyal, Charles Wilkin, Bruce Aanensen and Imran Khan – claimed that the current board administration under Dave Cameron has seemingly become “untouchable”, and not doing anything would lead to the “inevitable demise” of cricket in the Caribbean. As a remedy, the six men urged CARICOM to conduct a forensic audit to save West Indies cricket from “absolute and total downfall”.The WICB said the six men had ignored the facts. “These calls for a forensic audit by the former officials are without any basis in fact, and importantly, notwithstanding, that these former officials are aware that the WICB has for many years retained internal and external auditors.”As it pointed out last week, the WICB repeated once again today that the board’s internal and external audits are done and authorised by a pair of global consultants – PricewaterhouseCoopers and KPMG respectively. The release also noted that all the WICB accounts are published by or available from the WICB on all its platforms, including the board’s website where the reports are available.The WICB said that the allegations “appear triggered not by fact or evidence but an emotional reaction” to its response to the CARICOM sub-committee on cricket. Members of the sub-committee have repeatedly suggested the dissolution of WICB as a starting point to bring back Caribbean cricket to its glory days.
Back in 2009, an Arsenal youth side containing a spritely Jack Wilshere lifted the FA Youth Cup, defeating Liverpool by a 4-1 margin. Typically, Wilshere was a scorer on that evening, finding the back of the net courtesy of a penalty as he drove his teammates to success.The career that would fall upon the midfielder’s shoulders after that was extraordinary. He would go on to boss one of the best Barcelona teams we’ve seen in the Champions League as a teenager, but that was about as good as it got for the now 31-year-old.Nearly 14 years on, Wilshere has retired after an injury-ravaged career that saw him never reach his true potential.However, the former England international would prefer us to now focus on the positives. Last week, the gifted technician spoke of rediscovering his love for football.How has he done that? Well, by coaching Arsenal’s U18s. Wilshere was only ever going to land back at Arsenal but few would have predicted the roaring success he’d turn out to be behind the scenes.Now firmly involved in the academy set-up, the Stevenage-born hero took charge of his first game against non-league Hendon last summer. Fast forward several months and he’s now dining out at the Emirates, aptly guiding the club to another FA Youth Cup final.
They have achieved that feat in some style, with Myles Lewis-Skelly scoring a last-gasp extra-time winner against Manchester City at the Emirates a matter of days ago. The teenager lept the highest from a ball into the area and found the net in the dying seconds of the tie.
How poignant it would be if they were to now win that final. A key part of that has been wonderkid Ethan Nwaneri who will no doubt take most of the attention in the side, but there is a Wilshere-esque talent just lying in wait for Arsenal; Bradley Ibrahim.
Who is Bradley Ibrahim?
The 18-year-old is highly rated by those at Arsenal having trained among the senior team and been named on the bench during two Europa League clashes this term.
Described as an ‘an energetic box-to-box midfielder’ and a ‘tireless holding midfielder’ by the club’s website it’s clear to see where the comparisons to Wilshere come in.
Like his coach, Ibrahim is an able ball carrier while his passing range from deep is arguably what sets him apart from his peers.
His 81% pass success in the EFL Trophy, as per Sofascore, this term outlines the teen as someone who is calm in possession, while he is particularly good in front of the back four, maintaining a pass accuracy of 94% inside his own half.
The highly-gifted starlet’s range of passing was on full display in that semi-final win over Manchester City a few days ago, with scout Jacek Kulig going as far as to suggest he was sending “long diagonals like prime Xavi.”
That said, there is a physicality to Ibrahim’s game which suggests he could be like Thomas Partey too, having won two ground duels per game in the EFL Trophy.
Indeed, there are plenty of similarities between the two, with the Ghanaian notably adept at evading the press, bullying opponents and spraying cross-field passes.
It’s unlikely the FA Youth Cup star will ultimately rival Partey for a place but there is every reason to believe that Charlie Patino should be looking over his shoulder.
Arsenal's Charlie Patino.
The Blackpool loanee is the current darling of the Arsenal academy and has been tipped for big things after scoring on his senior debut in last season’s Carabao Cup.
Indeed, after scoring three times and laying on four assists for the Tangerines this term, the 19-year-old has impressed a great deal after finally being handed regular senior minutes.
As such, it feels like there will be a place ready and waiting for him in the first team next term. He will likely now face competition from young Ibrahim, however, a combative presence who is learning from one of the best to come through Hale End and progressing at a rapid rate.
Whatever way you look at it, the future seems incredibly bright for the centre of Arsenal’s midfield.
Arsenal's reported summer target Declan Rice made no secrets about his post-match discussion with the Gunners manager Mikel Arteta.
Does Declan Rice want to join Arsenal?
The north London side have enjoyed an impressive 2022/23 campaign under their Spanish coach where they have put together a solid push for the Premier League title.
However, over the last two weeks, there have been indications that this title charge could be on the verge of collapsing with two-goal leads thrown away against Liverpool and West Ham United.
But it seems as if they are already looking ahead to the summer transfer window as their project under Arteta may need further reinforcements to solidify them as regular title competitors.
One name who has been linked with a serious interest from the north London club is West Ham's midfield general, Rice, who put in a solid shift on Sunday.
And after the game at the London Stadium, the £60k-per-week Rice was captured sharing an embrace with the Spaniard amid the transfer speculation.
Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Dean Jones has commented on the England midfielder not being concerned about the perception on his discussion with Arteta ahead of the summer window:
"What I think is interesting is that he (Rice) didn't care about being so public about those moments. He knows the stories are out there.
"But in his mind, he's given West Ham absolutely everything. And he's got nothing to hide in this situation. End of the day, he's making a career for himself."
Should Arsenal go all out for Rice?
Perhaps one of the surprise packages in this season's Premier League campaign has been Granit Xhaka in the middle of the Arsenal side.
The Swiss midfielder has even been booed off the pitch by his own fans in the past but he has received a lot of praise over recent months for his turnaround in north London.
However, he operates the midfield alongside Thomas Partey who has established himself in the side since his arrival from Atletico Madrid.
Granit Xhaka looks on as Arsenal blow their two-goal lead against West Ham United in the Premier League.
So it will provide Arteta with an interesting headache if Rice is to join over the summer given the Gunners already have such a strong midfield.
Rice has been hailed as a "superstar" by Bianca Westwood and it's clear to see why when he ranks inside the top ninth percentile for both clearances and interceptions (via FBref).
This is a player who could seriously improve the Arsenal midfield with their strength in depth taking a huge boost if Xhaka was willing to play a rotational role.
Rice (2.27) has more than doubled the number of tackles per 90 minutes that Xhaka (1.06) has returned this season with a much higher tackles-won percentage too (via FBref).
But it will leave an interesting dynamic in the camp and it would be intriguing to see whether – at 30 years old – Xhaka would be willing to take up a lesser role in the squad.