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Arsenal have been linked with a host of players ahead of the transfer window, with the latest news suggesting that the Gunners are eyeing a fellow Premier League ace.

Mikel Arteta will hope to arm his squad with the necessary depth to challenge once more for the league title, after falling short this season to treble-winners Manchester City.

What’s the latest on Timothy Castagne to Arsenal?

As reported by Belgian outlet Het Belang van Limburg – relayed by Sport Witness – Leicester City defender Timothy Castagne has been eyed by Arsenal.

The report runs off the narrative of Belgium’s match-ups against Austria and Estonia, stating that the ties will be a chance for players to show their worth ahead of the transfer window.

It’s suggested that Castagne could have a potential suitor in Arsenal, following his relegation to the Championship with the Foxes.

The full-back is currently valued at £26m as per Football Transfers.

What could Timothy Castagne bring to Arsenal?

Lauded as “brilliant” by teammate Jamie Vardy, the Belgian has been a revelation since trading Serie A for the Premier League, signing from Atalanta for £21.5m in 2020.

A flock of players have been linked with moves away from the Foxes following their relegation, with movements starting with Youri Tielemans who has made the switch to Aston Villa.

Arsenal could land themselves added defensive quality in moving for the 27-year-old, in a move that could finally see Cedric Soares depart.

The Portuguese defender went on loan to Fulham in January with his place in Arteta’s squad out of reach, however the 31-year-old only made six appearances at Craven Cottage, failing to make an impact this campaign.

Arsenal are in need of defensive depth, after a double blow to William Saliba and Takehiro Tomiyasu back in March left Arteta with minimal options for quality cover, having a significant impact on the Gunners’ season.

Based upon Castagne’s statistics from this season, and Cedric’s last term at the Emirates, the Belgian could prove to be an upgrade in depth on the out-of-favour right-back.

As per FBref, the £67k-per-week ace averages better than the German-born Portugal international over a range of defensive attributes.

The Leicester defender averaged 2.41 tackles and 1.19 interceptions per 90 this season in the league, as well as winning 51% of his total duels with an average of 4.5 won per game.

Last season, the Arsenal right-back averaged 2.30 tackles and 0.97 interceptions per 90 as per FBref, and won 49% of his total duels with three won per game on average, showing that the Gunners could land a worthy upgrade in the newly relegated gem.

Another area that suggests that Castagne could be a good fit for north London, is his ability to get forward, most prominently identified through his average of progressive passes he received per 90 this campaign with 4.12, via FBref. It's that sort of performance level that's seen him dubbed a "constant threat" by journalist Josh Bunting.

Arsenal whiz Ben White scored 3.65 in this area this season, showing the ability the Belgian has in getting into attacking positions considering the success of the Englishman in the defensive flank role under Arteta.

With no moves made yet ahead of the window, only time will tell if rumours are to be believed, however, the Gunners could finally wave goodbye to Cedric to make way for the FA Cup-winning defender.

Emile Smith Rowe should stay at Arsenal and be given a proper chance to shine by Mikel Arteta, journalist Charles Watts has claimed.

What's the latest on Smith Rowe and Arsenal?

The 22-year-old has had a nightmare campaign, failing to make a single league start in what has been an injury-hit season, and in recent games has failed to even make an appearance off the bench.

The likes of Leandro Trossard, Fabio Vieira and Reiss Nelson have all been preferred to the England international, who has been described as "special" and this has fuelled speculation that he could depart this summer.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Watts bemoaned the exit rumours around Smith Rowe and called for him to be given a chance to prove his quality next season.

"It's going to pain me if Emile Smith Rowe goes, I really don't want it to happen," he stated.

"I want him to stay, I want him to get back in the team, I want him to do what he did last season, I want him to be given the chance, I don't think he's been given the chance, I don't know why he hasn't been given the chance this season.

"Mikel Arteta clearly is not playing him for some reason. Emile's fit, he's healthy, he's pain-free for the first time in a long time, but he's not playing and that's down to Mikel. He's choosing not to play him.

"Against Nottingham Forest, at the weekend, when you're losing by one goal and he brings on Fabio Vieira and leaves Smith Rowe on the bench, I mean, that just says it all really.

"It just makes you think that he could well go this summer if a big bid comes in, if a decent bid comes in for Emile Smith Rowe you would think if Arteta is not using him, you would entertain that offer.

"So I think you cannot rule out Emile Smith Rowe leaving this summer."

Should Arsenal keep Smith Rowe?

The midfielder was a standout player for Arsenal last season, scoring 11 times in all competitions having played both through the middle and on the left.

One possible reason why he has not been used is that Arteta may be carefully managing his return, as he has done in the past with Gabriel Martinelli.

When the Brazilian returned from a long-term layoff in 2021, he was used sparingly for the rest of the season, starting in just seven of his 14 league appearances, which included a spell of seven games without an appearance, before nailing down a regular spot later on in the following campaign.

Arteta may have similar plans for Smith Rowe, who came through the Hale End academy alongside the likes of Bukayo Saka and Reiss Nelson, but it remains to be seen whether he would be tempted to sell if a sizeable bid arrived this summer.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

TTCB to investigate washout

After the Test, Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board president Azim Bassarath said the reasons behind the outfield’s condition would be investigated by his board.
“As hosts, the TTCB and Queen’s Park Cricket Club regret that limited play was possible in the fourth Test match between West Indies and India at the Queen’s Park Oval,” he said in a statement. “We have jointly launched an investigation to determine what occurred with a view to remedying the situation so that this does not occur in the future. Once this has been done it will be presented to the WICB.”

The farce in Port of Spain ended in bright sunshine with no play possible, just like the earlier three days. Called off at 9.30am on the fifth day, this was the third-shortest non-abandoned Test ever.This was the first Test played in August in Trinidad, which is the rainy season. The outfield had taken a lot of beating in the days leading up to the Test, but the ground staff was economical with covering the ground when it rained, leaving the bowlers’ run-up exposed. There was no super sopper available either. As a result the field didn’t recover from the rain on day one, and only 22 overs – all in the first session of the Test – were bowled.The draw meant India lost their No. 1 ranking to Pakistan one week after they had gained it thanks to the whitewash of Australia in Sri Lanka. They still won the series 2-0, the first time they won two Tests in a series in the West Indies.

There have been a number of factors behind Tottenham Hotspur's dreadful campaign, with the north London club arguably a mess both on and off the pitch.

Antonio Conte left his position as manager nearly two months ago but no permanent replacement has been brought in, with the embarrassing away defeat against Newcastle United seeing Spurs become one of few teams in history to sack an interim manager in Christian Stellini.

While Ryan Mason has brought a little more stability, the performances have still been far from good enough and Spurs could well find themselves playing in the Europa Conference League next season, which would represent a disaster for Daniel Levy.

Therefore, it seems clear that he must hire an ambitious manager with a proven track record to take over at Spurs, and he could find an ideal option in Feyenood's title-winning coach, Arne Slot.

Could Spurs hire Arne Slot this summer?

A recent report from Sky Sports has suggested that the Eredivisie champions are increasingly resigned to the fact that Slot could move to Spurs this summer, although there are plenty of other options on the shortlist for Levy.

While Feyenoord are said to be willing to double the 44-year-old's wages in an attempt to keep him in the Netherlands, he has already admitted that his next job will be in a new country and suggested that the Premier League was the best division in the world.

Slot has unsurprisingly earned a huge amount of praise after delivering the Eredivisie title and taking Feyenoord to the Europa Conference League final last season, with Dutch football expert Marcel van der Kraan hugely complimentary on talkSPORT.

He said: “He is very similar to Pep Guardiola, his ideas are very similar, he is a massive fan of Pep and he plays the same time.

“He goes ultra-attacking, he is almost like a maniac. Not on the touchline but it is fantastic to see how he has turned an average side into a wonderful attacking machine."

With Harry Kane potentially on his way out of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this summer, the key to getting Spurs back to their best could lie in talismanic forward Heung-min Son, who has struggled to replicate his performances from the 2021/22 campaign.

Could Slot get Son back to his best at Spurs?

After winning the golden boot in the Premier League last season, fans were hoping for more of the same from the South Korean forward this season, but he has mustered just ten goals and five assists in 35 top-flight appearances.

Now 30, the former Bayer Leverkusen man is undoubtedly a fan favourite in north London, having contributed 145 goals and 79 assists in 371 appearances but has shown worrying signs of regression in a season where Spurs arguably needed him most, due to the mess behind the scenes.

Spurs pundit John Wenham didn't hold back in his criticism of the £190k-per-week winger when speaking to Football Insider after the home defeat against Aston Villa earlier in the season.

He said: “Son’s lack of form is a real concern now. He was horrendous against Aston Villa. I love Sonny to bits as a player, and I always have but he was absolutely horrendous."

However, the right manager with the right style of play could still revive Son at Spurs and given how well wide players have done under Slot in his preferred 4-3-3 formation at Feyenoord, the Dutchman could be the perfect candidate.

Both Oussama Idrissi and Luis Sinisterra have excelled as left-wingers in Slot's system, contributing 46 goals and 32 assists in a combined 128 appearances for the De Kuip outfit.

Sebastian Szymanski, Javairô Dilrosun and Igor Paixão all registered above ten goal contributions as wide options for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie this season which emphasises that the talented 44-year-old manager clearly knows how to get the best out of his wingers.

Goalscoring certainly hasn't been a problem for the Dutch giants this season, with 110 to their name in all competitions, which suggests that a number of Spurs attackers could prosper under Slot next season if he can replicate his attacking style of play in the Premier League.

Therefore, Levy should definitely be looking to appoint Slot, as there is plenty to suggest that he could be the man to get Son back to his best in Tottenham colours.

Rangers have made a surprise move for Coventry City striker Viktor Gyokeres, having recently enquired about how much the striker would cost this summer, according to a report from Football Insider.

What's the latest Rangers transfer news?

It has now been confirmed that Alfredo Morelos is set to leave the Gers this summer, with Michael Beale unwilling to offer the Colombian a new contract, meaning a new striker will be required in the upcoming window.

To replace the 26-year-old, the Light Blues could look at signing Swansea City forward Joel Piroe, having scouted the Dutchman earlier this season, while Bordeaux's Josh Maja could also be considered as a potential option.

Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors striker Cho Gue-sung has been touted for a move to Ibrox, with the South Korean set to consider his future in the summer, however Rangers are now also looking at a player from closer to home.

According to a report from Football Insider, the Gers have made a surprise move to sign Gyokeres, having enquired about the cost of signing the Coventry City marksman in the summer transfer window.

The Sky Blues are said to value the marksman at £20m, meaning Beale would have to break the club's transfer record to bring him to Glasgow, but the manager may be tempted, given that he is said to be a "huge" fan.

The move is considered a surprise as there are a number of Premier League teams interested in the 24-year-old, but Rangers are now also in the race, with a top-class number nine deemed a priority for the club in the upcoming window.

Should Rangers sign Viktor Gyokeres?

The Sweden international has played an integral part in Coventry's fantastic 2022-23 campaign, with the club currently sat fifth in the Championship, very likely to finish inside the playoff places.

In 45 league appearances, the 6 foot 2 striker has weighed in with 21 goals and ten assists, meaning he has amassed more goal contributions than any other player in the English second tier.

Given that stellar record in front of goal, it is no wonder clubs are queuing up to sign the "unplayable" £4.5k-per-week forward, but while he would be an excellent addition to Beale's squad, the transfer fee required is likely to be too high for Rangers.

The most the Light Blues spent on any player last season was €4.7m (£4.2m), and given that a rebuild will be needed this summer, with a number of first-team players out of contract, forking out £20m on one player is unfeasible.

Wolverhampton Wanderers have found themselves caught up in the tight relegation battle this season and Julen Lopetegui will be hoping he will have done enough to save the club from another spell in the Championship.

The Midlands club are currently four points clear of the Premier League drop zone following their important victory last weekend over Chelsea and are finally looking like they could pull away into safety over the coming fixtures with a number of clubs in a much worse position than them.

If the Wolves boss thought that the season was a hard-fought battle, he won't need to wait too long for his next one as the summer transfer window is already shaping up to be an interesting one at Molineux, with a number of players either out of contract or attracting attention from other clubs.

Adama Traore and Joao Moutinho are two stalwarts at the club who are set for contract expiration at the end of the campaign, whilst both Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes have been attracting transfer interest from the top six clubs.

Whilst Liverpool are the well-documented club interested in snapping up the services of Nunes, Neves has a number of admirers including the Merseyside giants, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Barcelona and Atletico Madrid.

Will Ruben Neves stay at Wolves?

There is no doubt that Lopetegui must do everything he can to keep hold of Neves this summer, as losing his influence in the centre of the pitch could be hugely detrimental to the side next term.

The £50k-per-week Portuguese titan – hailed "absolutely class" by journalist Joe Chapman – has been a loyal servant to Wolves since joining back in 2017 when the side were in the Championship and has been integral to the club's stability since being promoted to the Premier League.

Neves ranks in the top 20% of his positional peers in the top five European leagues for shots on goal, progressive passes completed, interceptions, blocks and clearances, proving that he offers high-quality and diverse skills that are incredibly valuable to Lopetegui.

Unsurprisingly, the 26-year-old is the highest-rated player in the entire squad this season – as per Sofascore – after scoring five goals, completing 77.2 touches per game and successfully completing 73% of his dribbles so far.

Despite joining the club mid-season, the Wolves boss has already lavished praise on the club captain for maintaining his quality amid the team's struggles throughout:

"Ruben is brilliant, he’s a top player.

"He deserves everything and has been doing really well from the start of the season when maybe we haven’t been doing so well. He’s always kept his levels up and been really consistent."

With that being said, it's clear that losing the midfielder could well be the manager's first disaster. Indeed, it would be interesting to see if the club can retain their Premier League status next season without him.

Rangers are reportedly confident that they could pip a number of Premier League clubs to the signing of Burnley youngster Jack McEvilly.

How good is McEvilly?

The Gers will hopefully embark on a busy summer transfer window later this year, as they look to make significant reinforcements in the market. Once again, they look set to fall short in the Scottish Premiership title race and more quality is ultimately required, in order to close the gap on Celtic.

One player who has been linked with a move to Ibrox is McEvilly, who is making a name for himself at Burnley, standing out as one of their most exciting youth team products. The centre-back is even touted as one of the best young players in his position in England, with many clubs likely to eye up a move for him at the end of the season.

It doesn't look as though Rangers' interest is going away any time soon, following a fresh update, as they look to seal the signing of the 16-year-old.

Could teenager join Rangers?

According to Football Insider, the Gers are "confident they have an advantage over Premier League clubs" in the battle to acquire McEvilly's signature. They and Celtic are both thought to have "registered their interest in a potential deal this summer" and they have an advantage because "Scottish clubs only have to pay a maximum £300,000 compensation for out-of-contract players."

In comparison, Premier League teams could have to spend millions on someone like McEvilly, due to there being "no cap on development costs and what they have to pay."

Newcastle, Manchester United, Everton, Crystal Palace and Brighton are all mentioned as potential suitors in the report, but it looks as though the talented Burnley defender could be Ibrox-bound.

While McEvilly clearly wouldn't come in as a key first-team signing by Michael Beale, it is essential that Rangers continue to plan for the future and don't simply focus on the here and now. They need to be in a position where they are a force for many years to come and the centre-back could be exactly what they are looking for, in that respect.

He could come in as a youth team player to begin with, or even be loaned out at some point, before maturing over time and eventually becoming a key figure at the heart of the Gers' defence, as he looks to match the hype.

Arsenal secured yet another Premier League victory, this time a 4-1 success over Crystal Palace, enabling them to stretch their lead at the top of the table to eight points, albeit having played a game more than Manchester City.

With the Gunners exiting Europe just three days before, it was a much-needed win that boosts their title ambitions and a few players certainly improved from the tie against Sporting CP that’s for sure.

Defender Rob Holding came in for William Saliba and was superb. He received a Sofascore rating of 7.3/10 for his efforts, making five clearances, two tackles and winning a whopping 11 out of 15 duels, proving that after some criticism in midweek, he more than deserves his role at the club.

It might prove to Mikel Arteta he can still be of use to the team, although it was a late cameo by Kieran Tierney which potentially could have saved another defender's career at the Emirates.

How did Kieran Tierney perform against Crystal Palace?

The left-back was among the substitutes for the match but came on for Oleksandr Zinchenko with 25 minutes to go, and he looked bright.

In the past, the Scot has found it difficult to stand out in that inverted role that the Ukrainian has thrived in, but on this occasion ,he was outstanding.

The former Celtic man received a Sofascore rating of 6.8/10 and won two of his four duels and completed 16 passes, which included a late goal involvement.

Indeed, it was his assist from which Bukayo Saka netted his second goal of the afternoon, pulling the ball back from the left-hand side for the Englishman to drill home and give the Gunners a 4-1 victory.

It hasn’t exactly been the best of seasons for Tierney. He has completed 90 minutes on just four occasions this term, being used as a substitute in his other 15 fixtures and this is mainly due to the form by Zinchenko, who has made the left-back slot his own.

The 25-year-old has been attracting interest from fellow Premier League club Newcastle United due to his lack of minutes, although it appears that Arteta wants to keep him at the Emirates for the long haul.

He has made over 100 appearances since joining in 2019 for £25m, winning the FA Cup in 2020 and has established himself as a fan favourite.

With just ten league matches to go, it’s clear that the Spaniard will need to utilise his whole squad if he wants to secure the club’s first title since 2003/04 and Tierney’s performance yesterday may have just been a key moment in his Arsenal career.

Since arriving at the club at the end of August, Tony Mowbray has enjoyed a strong season in charge of Sunderland has them competing for a place in the top half of the table.

They are currently 11th in the Championship and six points off the play-off places with 11 matches still to play and the ex-Blackburn boss has made his side an exciting team to watch for the most part.

Mowbray has made a number of excellent decisions since taking over from Alex Neil and one of them has been to utilise Trai Hume as his first-choice at right-back.

The Black Cats manager has struck gold with the 20-year-old enforcer as the gem’s value has soared since his initial move to the club at the start of 2022.

How much is Trai Hume worth?

He was signed from Northern Irish side Linfield for a fee in the region of £200k in the January transfer window of the 2021/22 campaign, amid competition from Celtic and Stoke City.

At the time of writing [10/03/2023], FootballTransfers places his Expected Transfer Value at £619k (€700k) and this means that his potential price has soared by 210% from the £200k they paid to sign him last year.

It has not been an easy ride for the warrior, though. Lee Johnson worked with Kristjaan Speakman to bring the young defender to the Stadium of Light but was soon replaced in the dugout by Scottish coach Neil, who then rarely used Hume.

In League One, the right-back only made three appearances for Sunderland – winning 71% of his duels and making 3.7 tackles and interceptions per match – as the club went on to be promoted via the play-offs.

At the start of this season, Hume only made two substitute outings in the Championship for Neil and his Black Cats career did not appear to be heading in the right direction.

However, Mowbray’s arrival changed everything for the Northern Irish gem as the full-back has gone on to start 12 matches in the division for the current head coach this term.

The youngster, who journalist Josh Bunting hailed as “immense”, has now featured in 17 games in total in the league and averaged a Sofascore rating of 6.88, which places him eighth in the squad.

He has won 53% of his duels and made 3.3 tackles and interceptions per match, with no player in the team making more tackles per game, and this indicates that the ace has been a solid operator at the back for the club.

His excellent form in the Championship has been reflected in the aforementioned rise in the gem’s value and shows that Mowbray has struck gold by making him a regular fixture in the side, which is something Neil was reluctant to do.

Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has been criticised for an ‘anonymous’ display as his side crash out of the FA Cup to Blackburn Rovers.

The Lowdown: Foxes defeated…

The Foxes were humbled by a Rovers side who displayed real determination and an underdog spirit.

Brendan Rodgers and his team were simply not at the races on a night to forget for the Premier League relegation-battlers, with Blackburn forward Tyrhys Dolan putting them 1-0 down just past the half hour mark.

Leicester then had a mountain to climb when attacking midfielder Sammie Szmodics doubled the away side’s lead, a strike which eventually gifted Rovers the win despite Kelechi Iheanacho’s late goal back.

The Latest: talkSPORT man hammers Vardy…

On a night to forget for Rodgers, with his side bowing out to a 2-1 defeat, talkSPORT reporter Jason Bourne criticised the display of Vardy on social media.

The Englishman was ‘pretty anonymous’ last night, according to Bourne, with the stats perfectly backing his point.

The Verdict: Right call?

As per SofaScore, the 36-year-old took fewer touches than any Leicester City starter on the night with just 19 – highlighting what was an ‘anonymous’ display.

Vardy did manage a key pass and two shots on goal with his limited involvement, one on target and one off, but this may well be a night to forget for the club legend.

The Englishman also completed just ten passes on the night, further reinforcing his struggle to get involved, with Vardy now looking to get back to winning ways.

Leicester take on strugglers Southampton in the Premier League this weekend and it’s a match which could be pivotal in determining who drops to England’s second tier.