Arsenal have now turned their attention to Romeo Lavia after holding internal discussions about their transfer plans, according to reports…

Arsenal transfer news – Romeo Lavia

The Gunners are believed to be pushing to seal a deal West Ham United captain Declan Rice as their first priority but according to The Guardian's Jacob Steinberg, manager Mikel Arteta is keen to sign two midfielders, having also been linked to Brighton & Hove Albion gem Moises Caicedo.

It's now thought the north London outfit have shifted their focus onto other players due to the sizeable sum it would take to secure the Ecuador international, as per the aforementioned report. Lavia is one potential alternative, with talks being held about making a potential move to bring the relegated Southampton star to the Emirates Stadium this summer.

The Sun, meanwhile, claim the Belgian midfielder is valued at around £45m by the Saints and is viewed by Arteta as 'a better option' than Caicedo.

Elsewhere, Arsenal are also keen to sign Chelsea attacker Kai Havertz, with the German said to be "very close" to joining, whilst the north Londoners are said to be in pole position to land Moussa Diaby of Bayer Leverkusen too.

Should Arsenal sign Romeo Lavia over Moises Caicedo?

Lavia was perhaps one of Southampton's only shining lights in what was a dismal Premier League campaign, one which saw them relegated to the Championship for the first time in 11 years.

The former Manchester City youth product was second to only James Ward-Prowse when it came to the average match rating of the Saints' engine room options and similarly, he ranked second for tackles per game (2.1) too, as per WhoScored.

Such impressive form saw Independent journalist Benjy Nurick hail the teenage sensation as an "absolute monster" and it also led to him picking up his first cap for the Red Devils back in March 2023.

Lavia grew up idolising Spain powerhouse Sergio Busquets and that is quite apparent when watching him play, with the same reporter waxing lyrical about his qualities as a defensive midfielder, taking to Twitter to say: "Always offering himself as an option to the defence, great range of passing, and a devastating turn away from markers with a little drop of his shoulder."

At just £45m, the dynamic 5 foot 11 enforcer would represent a shrewd piece of business, especially with Brighton looking 122% more (£100m) for Caicedo.

Lavia is not only younger, fitting in with Arteta's developmental project, but he has also come through an all too familiar system at City, where the Spaniard was Pep Guardiola's assistant prior to taking the helm at the Emirates Stadium.

These factors could indeed make him a better option than Caicedo this summer.

Cristiano Ronaldo showed his appreciation for Al-Nassr fans after he helped fire them to a comeback victory against Damac on Saturday.

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• Ronaldo helped Al-Nassr to win
• Scored free-kick in league match
• Thanked fans for tribute

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Riyadh club went a goal down late in the first half on home soil in the Saudi Pro League clash, but came back to secure a 2-1 victory, with Anderson Talisca equalising before Ronaldo smashed home a free-kick.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  The win came after Al-Nassr fans put on an awesome display in honour of their star player. The Portuguese attacker made his 200th appearance for Portugal in midweek and the Saudi supporters displayed a huge banner depicting him as a superhero to commemorate the milestone.

• WHAT THEY SAID

  Ronaldo expressed his gratitude with posts on social media, saying: "Incredible atmosphere in the stadium tonight. Happy with the win and we keep working hard every game. Thank you to the fans for such a lovely tribute also."

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  WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

  Ronaldo will be in action again for Al-Nassr when they take on Qatari side Al-Duhail in the AFC Champions League on Tuesday.

Manchester United are reportedly interested in sealing a move for Nice defender, Jean-Clair Todibo, as manager Erik ten Hag seeks to strengthen his centre-back ranks this summer.

What's the latest on Todibo to Man United?

According to journalist Fabrizio Romano, the Red Devils are believed to be keeping tabs on the 23-year-old, alongside Monaco's Axel Disasi, as the Premier League giants plot alternatives to Bayern Munich target, Kim Min-jae.

Writing on Twitter, the transfer insider stated: "Axel Disasi remains concrete name in the list at Manchester United in case Kim Min-jae will end up joining Bayern as expected [next week will be crucial for Kim deal].

"Man Utd also sent their scouts to follow Jean Clair Todibo multiple times — no decision made yet."

The signing of the 6 foot 3 Frenchman – who still has four years left to run on his existing deal – could reportedly cost United a fee in the region of £26m, according to reports in Spain (via Football365).

Who is Jean-Clair Todibo?

Lauded as the "French Wall" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the former Barcelona man – who made the move to his current side back in 2021 – could well be the figure to replace club captain Harry Maguire in Ten Hag's squad next season, with the England international having been linked with an exit from the club of late.

The £80m man was branded a "walking disaster" by journalist Samuel Luckhurst during the 2021/22 campaign and continued those woes last season, having notably slipped down the pecking order after being restricted to just eight Premier League starts.

With a departure likely to be in the best interest of all parties – despite the 30-year-old's apparent desire to stay put – Ten Hag could well hasten the former Leicester City man's exit by bringing Todibo into the fold over the coming weeks and months.

Not only would the one-time Toulouse starlet represent a more long-term option due to his relative youth, but he is also seemingly a much better asset in the short-term, such is his superior quality both in and out of possession.

With Maguire representing something of a liability when playing out from the back – as his clumsy error in the defeat away to Sevilla showcased – the Sheffield native notably ranks in just the bottom 47% for progressive passes and only the top 48% for pass completion, while Todibo, by contrast, ranks in the top 12% and the top 20% for those same two metrics respectively.

Equally, the latter man also appears to offer a greater ball-winning presence than the current United skipper as he ranks in the top 8% for tackles made, with Maguire ranking in just the bottom 15% in that regard.

With Todibo coming off the back of a season in which he started 33 Ligue 1 games – averaging 3.4 tackles and interceptions combined per game in that time – the towering gem could well aim to replicate that stellar form at Old Trafford, while in turn allowing Ten Hag to finally show his club captain the door.

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale appears to have responded to Jamie Carragher’s “Oscars” jibe by pointing out that he has always been a team player.

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Arteta favouring Raya at presentEngland international on the benchSupporting team-mates from the sidelinesWHAT HAPPENED?

The England international has lost his place in the Gunners team over recent weeks, with Mikel Arteta favouring summer signing David Raya between the sticks. That has left Ramsdale stuck on the sidelines, with a role among the substitutes being taken up.

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It was while occupying a spot on the bench during a thrilling north London derby clash with arch-rivals Tottenham that Ramsdale was spotted applauding Raya for a stunning save from Brennan Johnson. Carragher said on Sky Sports afterwards of the cameras cutting to Ramsdale: “I thought it was like the Oscars, you know when someone loses the Oscar and they start clapping and smiling for the other person. I was laughing when I saw that. He's absolutely devastated with that really.”

DID YOU KNOW?

Said comments attracted criticism from Ramsdale’s father, who replied to a tweet about Carragher’s quip by saying: “You are a disgrace!! Show some class!! My lad has.” The 25-year-old shot-stopper has now shared images within an Instagram story of him previously celebrating the exploits of team-mates.

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WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Ramsdale has posted an image from his time at Bournemouth, which shows him celebrating with fellow goalkeeper Mark Travers following a penalty shootout victory, while also including a picture of him joining in the celebrations which accompanied Reiss Nelson’s dramatic winner against Bournemouth last season. Ramsdale may find himself back in action for Arsenal on Wednesday as Mikel Arteta is expected to make changes for a Carabao Cup third-round clash with Brentford.

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A round-up of the Momentum Cup matches played on March 3, 2017

ESPNcricinfo staff04-Mar-2017Warriors thumped Dolphins by 130 runs in Port Elizabeth, stopping them from building a lead at the top of the table. No. 3 Warriors now have the chance to go top, if they beat No. 2 Titans in their next match on Sunday.Warriors chose to bat and put up 274 for 5 on the back of a century from Colin Ingram. Batting at three, Ingram’s 105 came off 112 balls, and included seven fours and two sixes. Lesiba Ngoepe provided the final surge, pushing the team over 250 with an unbeaten 43 off 26. In their reply, four of Dolphins’ top six got into double digits, but none could get past the 30s. Warriors’ bowlers mostly kept a tight rein on them – five of the seven who bowled went at less than five an over, and four of those were below three to the over – but medium pacer Ayabulela Gqamane was the pick of the lot. He took two top-order wickets and went at 2.57 in his seven overs as Dolphins imploded for 144 in 35.1 overs.Fast bowlers Shadley van Schalkwyk and Mbulelo Budaza set up a 22-run win for Knights against Titans in Benoni. Van Schalkwyk claimed Titans’ top three in their chase of 250, while Budaza took 4 for 43 to polish off the tail. The top scores for Titans came from Nos. 6 and 7 Albie Morkel and David Wiese, who scored 42 and 46 respectively, but that was not enough to take the team home.Knights’ 249 was was built around a 75 from wicketkeeper Rudi Second and a 72 from Leus du Plooy. They did not manage to bat out their 50 overs – they were bowled out in 47.1 – but in the end, that did not cost them.Lions came out top in a closely-fought game with Cape Cobras in a battle of the bottom two teams. They won by three wickets with one ball remaining chasing 245 in Paarl.Cobras were off to a horror start after choosing to bat, falling to 8 for 3 in the fourth over. But four solid middle-order contributions steadied them. Justin Ontong was the was the biggest contributor with 80, while Aviwe Mgijima scored 58 and the two Danes – Vilas and Piedt – scored 42 apiece. Rassie van der Dussen laid the platform for the chase with a dogged 66, and after he got out captain Dominic Hendricks kept the chase going for Lions. Cobras managed to keep breaking through at the other end – especially pacer Lizaad Williams, who took 3 for 31 – but Hendricks did the job. He finished on 91 not out as Lions edged home.

Worcestershire’s Daryl Mitchell has been elected as the new chairman of the Professional Cricketers’ Association

ESPNcricinfo staff16-Feb-2017Worcestershire’s Daryl Mitchell has been elected as the new chairman of the Professional Cricketers’ Association (PCA). He succeeds Mark Wallace, who steps down after four years having completed the maximum two terms.Mitchell has already flagged the ECB’s plans for a new city-based T20 competition to be introduced in 2020 as a major issue to be tackled by the PCA under his chairmanship.”There is going to be big change ahead, not just for English domestic cricket but also on the world stage. These are interesting times,” Mitchell said.”There is talk of a franchise Twenty20 competition and it would be good to be involved in the discussions surrounding that. It’s important that the questions of our 400-plus members about how it will all work are answered and that was the crux of my manifesto.”Mitchell won a ballot of current county players ahead of four other candidates: Graham Onions, Paul Horton, James Hildreth and Steven Crook. He will serve for the next two years, with the appointment due to be ratified at the PCA’s annual general meeting on Tuesday.”It was pretty competitive and there were some really good lads who went for it, so to be elected by your peers from other clubs is very pleasing,” Mitchell said.”It’s a prestigious role and it has been done very well in recent years by Vikram Solanki, who I know from his time at Worcestershire, and then Mark Wallace, who has done a fantastic job over the last four years. It’s a big role and a big honour and I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.”I have been involved with the PCA as a county representative since 2009 so I know about the fantastic work that they do. I have enjoyed being involved as a representative so this is the next step really. I want to try to get involved at the coal face of the organisation.”Mitchell, 33, has been a Worcestershire player for over a decade and served as captain until the end of last season, when he was removed from the position in acrimonious circumstances.He is the third Worcestershire player to become PCA chairman after Tim Curtis (1989-96) and Solanki (2009-13) and he will link up with another former county team-mate, David Leatherdale, the PCA chief executive who previously held the same role at New Road.”Daryl has been a PCA county representative for more than seven years and has a wealth of knowledge of the county game at all levels,” Leatherdale said.”He is undoubtedly held in high regard by players across the whole country as today’s appointment shows and, combined with his experience as the players’ representative on the ECB cricket committee, he will bring a great deal to the role of PCA Chairman. I very much look forward to working with Daryl again over the coming years.”Mitchell takes charge in the PCA’s 50th anniversary season. Wallace, the former Glamorgan wicketkeeper, last week announced his retirement to become a PCA Personal Development Manager.

Burnley manager Vincent Kompany has made good use of his links to Manchester City over the past year, having brought in Arijanet Muric, CJ Egan-Riley and Taylor Harwood-Bellis to help with last season's successful promotion-winning campaign.

With Harwood-Bellis returning to the Etihad Stadium, the Clarets may well opt to use their City connection to bolster another position in the back line.

Transfer expert Sacha Tavolieri claims Burnley have reached out to City regarding a loan move for Sergio Gomez, but the Spanish left-back is stalling over a decision as he wants to try to win over boss Pep Guardiola first.

It is a loan move that makes sense for all three parties, though, with the 22-year-old likely to play regular Premier League football, while Burnley get a talented defender to help boost their survival hopes.

Is Sergio Gomez a good option for Burnley?

City signed Gomez for £11m from Anderlecht, where he spent time playing under Kompany, but he was restricted to only ten starts in all competitions in 2022-23 – just two of those in the Premier League.

Gomez showed he is capable of playing in a number of positions, as most players can under Guardiola, which is something the Spain U21 international prides himself on.

"I consider myself versatile. I'm available for whatever the coach asks," he told Spanish radio station Partidazo de COPE. "At City, they ask me to play full-back and with [Spain U21 boss] Luis de la Fuente, I'd always played right wing, and he likes me to play there."

It is at left-back Gomez is most comfortable – he started six games there last season, as per WhoScored – and from his limited time on the field, there are strong comparisons to be made with one of the finest around in that position.

Indeed, FBref's comparison model lists Liverpool's Andy Robertson as the player most like Gomez in terms of their statistical profiles. For example, Gomez averaged 0.25 assists per 90 minutes last season, compared to 0.28 for Robertson, with neither player scoring themselves.

The pair attempted 81.3 and 78.9 passes per 90 minutes respectively, averaged 91.8 and 86.5 touches, while they won the same amount of aerial duels per 90 (0.77).

Gomez has a long way to go to show he can be a match for Robertson, and a move to Burnley under Kompany is his first real step towards doing that.

With a relatively low salary of £50k-a-week, according to Capology, Gomez could also prove to be an upgrade on current left-back Ian Maatsen.

But as someone described as "a full-back, playmaker, king of assists and winger" by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kompany would not just be strengthening one position, but two or three with one deal.

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.

Ravindra Jadeja has climbed one place to join R Ashwin at No.1 in the ICC rankings for Test bowlers

ESPNcricinfo staff08-Mar-20171:00

Quick facts – Jadeja’s productive home season

Ravindra Jadeja has climbed one place to join R Ashwin at No.1 in the ICC rankings for Test bowlers in what is the first instance of two spinners jointly claiming the top spot.Top five bowlers in Tests

1. Ravindra Jadeja – 892 points
1. R Ashwin – 892 points
3. Josh Hazlewood – 863 points
4. Rangana Herath – 827 points
5. Kagiso Rabada – 821 points

Jadeja’s seven wickets, including a first-innings six-for, in the second Test against Australia helped him occupy the top rank and assured India the No.1 spot in the ICC Test Team rankings for the annual April 1 cut-off.He shares the top spot with Ashwin, whose eight-wicket haul took him past Bishan Bedi as the fifth-highest wicket-taker for India in Tests with 269 scalps. However, Ashwin’s poor returns with the bat – 20 in the last four innings – meant he has dropped behind Shakib Al Hasan on the list of Test allrounders.The last time two bowlers shared the No.1 rank was in April 2008, when Dale Steyn and Muttiah Muralitharan were at 897 points. Jadeja and Ashwin are currently at 892 points each, and lead Australia’s Josh Hazlewood at No. 3 by 29 points.In the rankings for Test batsmen, Virat Kohli lost his second spot to Joe Root after managing only 40 in his last two Tests. Steven Smith maintained his reign at the top for the 77th Test, edging past Ricky Ponting’s 76 matches as the third longest stint at the top among Australians after Steve Waugh (94) and Don Bradman (93).

The 20-year-old midfielder was one of several standout performers as the U.S. crushed the Black Stars.

On Tuesday, we got a look at what it's like to see a healthy Gio Reyna unleashed for the USMNT. It's been a long time since we saw Reyna this decisive and a long time since we saw him totally dominate a game in this way.

Injuries and off-field drama have been the talking points around Reyna for the better part of 2023, but Tuesday's dominant performance against Ghana was a huge reminder in just how good Reyna, the player, can be. He scored twice, netting his first-ever international brace with one from open play and one from an indirect free kick, while totally running the game from the No. 10 spot.

He wasn't the only USMNT star to step up, even if he was the best player on the pitch throughout his 45 minutes. Christian Pulisic joined him on the scoresheet, burying a penalty for his second goal this window while Folarin Balogun did found the back of the net as well, turning and firing a fantastic finish into the top-corner.

If this is what the U.S. can do in their 4-2-3-1 formation, there's plenty of reason for hope. The USMNT still has a lot of growing to do, as do the players that comprise this group, but this lopsided win was enough to end the camp on a high, even with their Saturday defeat against Germany.

GOAL rates the USMNT's players from Geodis Park…

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  Goalkeeper & Defense

  Matt Turner (7/10):

  An absolutely spectacular save just before the break as Turner showed an insane change-of-direction to get to a deflected shot.

  Kristoffer Lund (7/10):

  A bit overshadowed by Dest's work on the other side, but Lund was also good in a game that was a big step up. Definitely did enough to remain involved as Antonee Robinson's understudy.

  Miles Robinson (6/10):

  Wasn't tested much, but handled whatever mini-tests Ghana threw at him.

  Chris Richards (7/10):

  Totally smooth on the ball and didn't need to do much off of it. A good bounce-back game, even if Ghana didn't ask many questions of him.

  Sergino Dest (8/10):

  This is the version of Dest the USMNT needed vs Germany. A fantastic performance from the PSV star, who gave Ghana headaches all night with his ability to get forward and create havoc.

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  Midfield

  Johnny Cardoso (7/10):

  Had a good game as one of the two deeper midfielders. Has clearly grown as a player as he added a lot of stability and calm to the U.S. midfield.

  Yunus Musah (6/10):

  Solid but not spectacular. Will definitely go down as a memorable game, though, for a player with Ghanaian heritage.

  Gio Reyna (9/10):

  An absolutely incredible performance, one that shows just how good this team can be with him in this spot. The first goal fell to him and the second came via that indirect free kick, but Reyna absolutely ran the show, even outside of those moments, completing 97 percent of his passes.

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  Attack

  Christian Pulisic (8/10):

  Got his goal on the penalty kick, and it was a deserved one given all the work he did on the attacking end. His touch was fantastic and he was dangerous throughout his 45 minutes.

  Folarin Balogun (8/10):

  An absolutely fantastic finish from the Monaco man, who did well to turn and fire on his goal. Could have scored another, too, as he fired four of his five shots on target. A much more involved performance and the USMNT will hop it's a sign of things to come.

  Tim Weah (8/10):

  Completely unstoppable. Weah was as dangerous as anyone on the field, even if he didn't get on the scoresheet himself. Drew the penalty for Pulisic's goal, assisted Balogun's and played a part in Reyna's first. A fantastic performance.

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  Subs & Manager

  Ricardo Pepi (6/10):

  Didn't get much service and, to be fair, the energy in the game was gone after halftime, which is when he came in.

  Brenden Aaronson (6/10):

  As always, plenty of energy, but was bullied off the ball a bit too easily.

  Weston McKennie (7/10):

  Nearly scored a stunning goal, but just missed the far post. Overall, a good run out for the Juventus man, who should be feeling good heading back to his club.

  Lennard Maloney (6/10):

  A fantastic moment for the Heidenheim midfielder, who earned his first cap. Took a slight knock at one point, but shook it off to help the U.S. seal the 4-0 win.

  Cameron Carter-Vickers (6/10):

  A good step as the Celtic man continues to recover fitness and form after starting the season with an injury.

  Luca de la Torre (N/A):

  Came on late for Musah and didn't have too much to do.

  Gregg Berhalter (9/10):

  Got the tactics spot on and was able to get his stars out of there for a much-needed rest ahead of their club returns. Just about a perfect night for the USMNT boss.