Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey could be set for a summer exit from the Emirates over the coming weeks.

Who will Arsenal sign this summer?

The Gunners enjoyed a seriously impressive 2022/23 campaign which saw them provide Manchester City with some stern competition at the top of the table.

However, Mikel Arteta's side were unable to prevent Pep Guardiola and his team from retaining their Premier League crown.

And as a result, it is believed the Gunners will be looking to make some major moves in this summer transfer window which could see some movement in the midfield.

Indeed, reports have suggested the north London club are seriously keen on making West Ham United's Declan Rice an Arsenal player this summer.

This comes amid claims the current Arsenal star Granit Xhaka could be set for a potential return to his homeland with Bayer Leverkusen reportedly interested in acquiring him.

And as the speculation surrounds a potential incoming and outgoing in north London, it appears Xhaka may not be the only Arsenal midfielder to leave in the coming months.

Speakng on his YouTube channel, Fabrizio Romano has claimed the Ghanaian midfielder, Partey, could also be heading for the exit doors at the Emirates:

"So guys, let me start with Arsenal because I have important updates to give you about the Gunners."

"Thomas Partey could be on the move this summer. It's a possibility for Thomas Partey to leave Arsenal.

"I'm told this is a very concrete chance for Thomas Partey to find the solution and to leave Arsenal Football Club.

"There are conversations ongoing. This is still not advanced, for example, Xhaka to Leverkusen is more than advanced. It's almost done just waiting for the green light from Arsenal.

"For Thomas Partey, still time to look at options and then discuss with Arsenal but Thomas is a concrete name in the potential exits of Arsenal."

How long is left on Thomas Partey's contract?

This summer will mark Partey's third year since joining the north London side from Atletico Madrid for a fee believed to be worth in the region of £45m.

And in that time he has played a significant role in the middle of Arsenal's side having made 99 appearances for the Gunners across all competitions (via Transfermarkt).

In the Premier League alone last season, Partey was able to rack up a third of those 99 appearances where he contributed with three goals.

But the – dubbed "monster" – Ghanaian has also battled with numerous injuries over his time in north London which could be a reason behind his potential departure from the Emirates.

On the back of an impressive campaign for the Gunners, the 30-year-old now has just two years remaining on his deal with the north London side.

And with reports suggesting Arteta's side are hoping to bring in Rice over the coming weeks, perhaps Partey is not viewed as a long-term option anymore.

If they are to wait another year to potentially sell the Ghanaian then they could receive a much lower return on their £45m investment.

South Africa’s bowling coach believes Keshav Maharaj’s economical bowling makes him the ideal foil to a pace attack that could also include Wayne Parnell

Firdose Moonda in Johannesburg09-Jan-2017South Africa may resist the temptation to play an all-pace attack on what is certain to be a spicy Wanderers surface in the third Test against Sri Lanka, which starts from Thursday. Substantial rain in the lead-up to the match resulted in the pitch being prepared under a tent during the weekend, but with skies set to clear a little over the next two days, South Africa will weigh up their options carefully as they go in search of a whitewash.”We need to wait until the last minute,” Charl Langeveldt, South Africa’s bowling coach said. “The groundsman says there is a lot of grass on the wicket but the weather could change and at the last minute he could take the grass off. But we’re not scared of going in with a spinner.”Both Test captain Faf du Plessis and coach Russell Domingo have long been in favour of including a spinner in the team, especially if that spinner can hold one end for long periods of time to allow the quicks to rotate from the other. In Dane Piedt, South Africa were not quite sure they had that – and they have since sent him back to the franchise system to tighten up – but in Keshav Maharaj, they are more convinced they do. “Keshav is economical, he does hold up an end,” Langeveldt said. “When we were playing well in Australia, we were holding up both ends and it gave KG (Kagiso Rabada) the freedom to attack the stumps more.”On Rabada’s home ground, he is likely to be given even more of a license to attack, especially now that he has found the rhythm that was lacking in the first Test, which makes Maharaj’s chance of playing higher. “This wicket actually suits KG a bit more with the extra bounce. He loves bowling in Johannesburg – in a first-class game he got 13 wickets here,” Langeveldt remembered.Wayne Parnell has had two solid seasons in the franchise system, working on consistency in terms of game time and bowling•AFPThat does not necessarily mean Rabada will take the new ball. Langeveldt indicated he is more in favour of Wayne Parnell opening the bowling with Vernon Philander, as he has done for his franchise, Cape Cobras. “I would tend to go with the left-armer. He brings something different, gets a bit of shape back into the right-hander and does swing the ball up front,” Langeveldt sad.Langeveldt’s comments also suggest rookie inclusion Duanne Olivier will have to wait for his first cap because Parnell, who was in the squad for the first two Tests but did not play, could get the nod ahead of him in a three-pronged pace pack.Since last playing a Test almost three years ago in March 2014, Parnell has worked specifically on consistency, both in game time and bowling terms. Before that, Parnell played sporadically on the domestic circuit because he was often a non-playing member of the South African touring party and he had a reputation for being wayward with the ball. After two solid seasons in the franchise system, in which Parnell has also made changes to his action, Langeveldt is excited to see what he can do. “It’s going to be a challenge to see what Wayne has to offer. Can we get him to be more consistent in his lengths? Test cricket is all about getting the ball in the right area,” Langeveldt said.Morne Morkel is stil nursing a back injury but will play a List A match later this month to determine his availability for the limited-overs matches against Sri Lanka•Getty ImagesEven if Parnell slots straight in and Olivier returns to the Knights with only a training session or two to show for his maiden call-up, Langeveldt has provided an assurance that Olivier will come up for consideration again soon, especially as South Africa rebuild from Kyle Abbott’s Kolpak-induced exit. “It’s an exciting time. We’ve had it in previous years where guys have left to play Kolpak cricket and it’s going to be a challenge. But we have to look at what our next line of players is. There are a few young and upcoming bowlers in the A side, but international cricket is a big step for them. We have to invest in them in the next couple of months.”The leap a player has to make from the first-class set-up to the international stage is considerable and that may be why South Africa want Olivier around the camp for a little longer before they unleash him. “There’s a huge difference. We saw that when Dale and Vernon were injured and we played against England. We saw the shortcomings and saw the difference in length,” Langeveldt said, referring to last summer when South Africa tried everyone from Chris Morris to Hardus Viljoen, without success, to fill in for their spearheads. “In first-class cricket if you bowl full and straight and fast you will get wickets. Once a guy gets to the international [level], it’s a whole new ball game.”Du Plessis has also spoken of the importance of experience in a Test attack. That brings into question how desperate South Africa are to have Morne Morkel back. Morkel is still nursing a back injury sustained at the CPL. “Morne Morkel is always going to be in the pecking order. He’s probably next in line when he’s not injured. He brings a whole different dimension to our attack when he’s around,” Langeveldt said.Morkel trained with the squad at Newlands last week and will play a List A match for provincial side Northerns on January 22 to determine his availability for the third T20 against Sri Lanka and the ODIs that follow. Should Morkel be declared fully fit, Langeveldt believes he is “probably going to be in our one-day set-up”, and will likely also come into consideration for the Tests against New Zealand and England later this year.

In what will be his 20th Test match as captain, Virat Kohli is yet to field the same XI in consecutive games

Alagappan Muthu in Mohali25-Nov-20162:21

Span of eight days too short to analyse DRS – Kohli

Virat Kohli will captain his 20th Test match on Saturday and he is yet to field the same XI in consecutive games. Sometimes that choice has been taken away from him – Mohali being the latest example where India’s first-choice wicketkeeper Wriddhiman Saha will not be available due to injury.Other times the changes were tactical. The inclusion of Bhuvneshwar Kumar in St Lucia and Kolkata earlier this year on pitches that looked like they would seam is one such instance. There was also the Cheteshwar Pujara v Rohit Sharma debate that dominated the 2015-16 season. Both, India’s players and the management appear to be comfortable with such an environment, where a change in conditions could mean someone’s skills become surplus to the team’s cause.Kohli responds

On ball-tampering allegations: I think it’s just to take the focus away from the series. It happened in Australia when South Africa won the series. I’m surprised the issue came up in Rajkot but there was no mention of it until the Vizag game was over. To me a newspaper article doesn’t matter over the decision of ICC. We as cricketers respect that only. If I was doing something, ICC would have spoken to me.
On umpire’s call in DRS: A lot of people don’t understand it. If the on-field umpire has made the call, then obviously the benefit has to go to him, what his vision of the decision was and then DRS just confirms that particular decision. If it is really, really off, then DRS corrects it but if it is marginal, then you got to respect it.
India’s progress with DRS: We are going to get better with using it. We are going to understand it and actually figure out where the ball has hit the pad and sometimes you feel like you have less time to review, but you do actually have more time. So those are the sort of things we will be more aware of going forward but a span of two games is very little to judge how we have gone so far with DRS.

Kohli explained the horses-for-courses approach was a conscious decision. “This is something that we made pretty clear when we lost the game in Galle [against Sri Lanka in 2015]. After that we had a pretty clear chat that we are going to play people that we think are suitable for different venues.”Even the batting order changes; I have gone up and down the order as well and other batsmen are keen to do it as well. I think it sends the message across, that the eventual motive is for the team to win.”While he has always wanted to bat higher, R Ashwin’s success at No. 6 also falls into the category of India’s players taking up the challenge of unfamiliar batting positions.Pujara made a century as a makeshift opener in seamer-friendly conditions at the SSC in Colombo last year. Ajinkya Rahane made one at No. 3 on a different ground in the same city. Kohli did the same in the Caribbean, moving to one drop after making a double-century at No. 4. Each of them adjusted because India wanted Rohit in their XI.Still, there is an argument that players might prefer a little job security. Kohli appreciated that his men were willing to look past that.”Every player needs to buy into the idea and it makes it easier as captain and the management if players agree to it – and they have,” Kohli said. “They have been pretty good with it and that’s why if you see someone stepping in for a game or two, they take it as an opportunity and have actually given match-winning performances.”It’s not like they are taking the pressure off not knowing whether they will play the next game. It’s all about focussing on that particular game and staying in the present and it has been really wonderful to see it and we just want to carry that forward.”Parthiv Patel is in such a situation. Coming back into Test cricket for the first time in eight years, he may only play for India till Saha recovers from his thigh strain. At the moment, that is only one match.”Parthiv understands the situation he’s in,” Kohli said. “I’m pretty glad he respects that and he’s still looking forward to the opportunity and try to make a mark. He knows when we plan to take two wicketkeepers away. This is the opportunity.”

A round-up of the 2016-17 Sunfoil Series matches that ended on January 29, 2017

Firdose Moonda29-Jan-2017South Africa’s newest Test cap Duanne Olivier’s 11-wicket match haul helped Knights regain the top spot in the Sunfoil Series, with a 121-run win over Warriors in Bloemfontein. Olivier also remains the leading wicket-taker in the competition, 13 ahead of his nearest challenger, team-mate Marchant de Lange, who took five wickets in the match.The pace pair’s performance came after Knights piled on 431 in the first innings, built on Rudi Second’s 151. Second, who is also a keeper, now lies fifth on the run-charts and has put himself in prime position to travel as a reserve glovesman, should South Africa take one to New Zealand. Second and Rilee Rossouw shared a third-wicket stand of 118. Rossouw scored 83, but Simon Harmer’s 4 for 90 ensured Knights did not top 500.In reply, Warriors were in trouble at 159 for 7. A 119-run eighth-wicket stand between Harmer and Sisanda Magala saved them from the follow-on. Both batsmen scored half-centuries, before Olivier removed them. Oliver and de Lange shared all 10 wickets in Warriors’ first innings, which ended on 299.After taking a 132-run lead, Knights were sloppy in the second innings and lost wickets frequently. Second top-scored with 37 as Knights were bowled out for 189, setting Warriors a gettable target of 322 with more than a day remaining. Warriors closed out the third day on 73 for 3, 249 runs behind, but the target proved too big. With only Lesiba Ngoepe crossing 50, Warriors were bowled out for 200. Despite the loss, they remain in contention for the title in fourth position, 14.58 points behind table-toppers Knights.In Centurion, Cobras’ stirring second-half-of-the-season comeback continued as they beat Titans by nine wickets. The victory has lifted them from last place and put them ahead of Lions, and they are 16.52 points behind Knights.Titans chose to bat first and were looking solid after openers Aiden Markram and Dean Elgar put on 86. Both batsmen were dismissed off consecutive balls by Tsepo Moreki, which triggered a collapse. From 86 for no loss, Titans lost all 10 wickets for 109 runs to be dismissed for 195. Heinrich Klaasen brought some respectability to the scorecard with 52. Wickets were shared among all four of Cobras’ frontliners, with Moreki the most successful with 3 for 37.Cobras’ replay began with Rowan Richards dismissing the openers cheaply before David Wiese got rid of Stiaan van Zyl to leave Cobras on 37 for 3. But a combination of old and new put them in a position to take the advantage. Justin Ontong and Jason Smith put on 148 for the fourth wicket. Ontong brought up his 25th first-class century, and when he was dismissed, Cobras were well ahead on 285 for 6. They added 41 more for the last four wickets. Wiese claimed a five-for, but could not prevent Cobras from taking a 131-run first innings lead.Markram and Heino Kuhn, who opened in the second innings, started well again and shared a 61-run partnership, but Titans’ top-order collapsed for the second time as they lost five wickets for 30 runs. Klaasen again scored a half-century, and it saved them from an innings defeat, but only just. Rory Kleinveldt rolled back the years and finished with 5 for 45 as Titans were bowled out for 168. It left Cobras with just 38 to win, which they did with nine wickets in hand.

Fans online have been left rather excited after hearing that Liverpool ace Darwin Nunez could soon be wearing the number nine shirt, suggesting it will help him find a new level next season.

What number will Darwin Nunez wear next season?

The Uruguayan striker arrived at Anfield with big expectations after sealing a club-record £85m move from Benfica. And right away, he was pitted against Manchester City’s big summer signing, Erling Haaland.

For instance, ITV’s coverage of the Community Shield noted that he “struck first blood in the battle of the summer super-signings” after he scored in the 3-1 win while the Norwegian didn’t.

However, now we’ve reached the end of the season, it’s safe to say Haaland had a much better debut campaign in England than his opposite number.

Indeed, the City star won the treble and scored 52 goals in all competitions, while Nunez scored only 15 times and didn’t win anything else.

However, both men are relatively young and there is plenty more to see from the pair. With that in mind, the 23-year-old Liverpool ace will hope to improve next term – and one thing will be different right from the off.

Indeed, The Anfield Talk hinted online that Nunes will be taking the number nine shirt from the departing Roberto Firmino this summer.

It’s safe to say a number of Liverpool supporters are already hyped for next season and they seem to think this new kit number could help their striker explode into life.

They took to Twitter to make their points. Here are the best reactions…

Some even think this means Nunez will now outshine Haaland.

Eddie Howe is close to strengthening his midfield and defence with the expected arrivals of Sandro Tonali and Tino Livramento, but Newcastle United's transfer business is far from over.

Despite having the likes of Callum Wilson, Alexander Isak and Allan Saint-Maximin in their ranks, the Magpies outscored just two sides in the top eight of the Premier League last season.

Howe could therefore look to bring in another new attacker this window, with the aim of building a side capable of scoring regularly while continuing to keep out the opposition.

According to football transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Juventus forward Federico Chiesa is one of those being targeted by Newcastle ahead of the new season, alongside Aston Villa who have reportedly offered £52m.

In the view of former Premier League star Paolo Di Canio, that would be the ideal signing for United to make this summer if they are to take the next step.

What would Federico Chiesa bring to Newcastle United?

Howe paired Wilson and Isak together in the latter stages of last season, having alternated between the two prior to that, and that could still be the case even if Chiesa – on £153k per week at Juve, according to Capology – does indeed sign.

As pointed out by Di Canio in an interview with Sky Sport Italia: "[Chiesa] is a devastating player on the wing, especially on counter-attacks. I imagine Chiesa on the left and he could be devastating with Isak up front."

Indeed, if Wilson, Almiron and Chiesa are all fielded, it would leave Saint-Maximin as the odd man out in the front three. Either way, there is no denying Chiesa can bring something a little different to St James' Park and can form a brilliant partnership with centre-forward Isak in particular.

Across Europe's top five leagues over the past 12 months, Chiesa ranks in the top 4% of all attacking midfielders and wingers for assists per 90 minutes (0.42), as per FBref.

The Italian winger was directly involved in 0.74 goals per 90 minutes in a stop-start Serie A campaign last time out in which he featured 21 times, which compares to 0.48 for Saint-Maximin across 25 Premier League matches.

Miguel Almiron (0.47) and Jacob Murphy (0.43), incidentally, were further down the list and will surely see their playing time diminish more if Chiesa is recruited.

The Italy international likes to cut inside and shoot, but he also has the ability to get the ball into the middle, as highlighted by his 0.63 crosses into the box per 90 minutes last season. Only Kieran Trippier bettered than number last term among Newcastle players (0.70), with Saint-Maximin next highest on 0.32.

As Isak himself said earlier this year, he performs at his best when "connected to the game and involved". On that basis, Chiesa could be just the man to unleash Newcastle's club-record signing, who scored ten times in the Premier League last season but can still bring more.

After all, Chiesa completed 2.63 passes into the final third per 90 minutes, showing his ability to get the ball into the zone Almiron – and indeed Wilson – will be waiting to take over. To put that figure in perspective, Saint-Maximin managed 1.85 per 90.

Whether it is part of a front three with Wilson and Isak, or as an alternative for one of the two, there is no doubt that Chiesa could be the man to help take Newcastle to the next level.

The batsman’s availability for the Nagico Super50 will depend on his meeting with the WICB, which has been pending

ESPNcricinfo staff09-Jan-2017

Darren Bravo has been omitted by the defending champions Trinidad & Tobago from their squad for the Nagico Super50 tournament starting on January 24. He was served notice by the WICB to meet with them following a breach of contract last November and the Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board has said they would rule on Bravo only after he sat down with the WICB.”In furtherance to the team for the Super 50 do note that Darren Bravo’s availability is dependent on the outcome of his pending meeting with the WICB,” TTCB chief executive Suraj Ragoonath said.Bravo’s exclusion from the T&T squad has come after he made “disparaging” comments about board president Dave Cameron on Twitter last year. His match contract was cancelled and he was pulled out of the West Indies ODI team which had been in Zimbabwe at the time for a tri-series with the hosts and Sri Lanka.In November, Cameron told Sports Max TV, a Caribbean television network, that Bravo was offered a grade C contract (the lowest of five grades) because of his declining averages over the last two years. He also questioned how a player would be motivated if he continued getting a grade A contract despite a slip in performances.Bravo responded by tweeting: “You hav been failing 4 d last 4yrs. Y don’t u resign and FYI I’ve neva been given an A contract. Big idiot @davec51.”In December, the WICB invited Bravo for a meeting to determine the way ahead. However, sources close to Bravo at the time indicated he did not oblige and instead served a legal notice to the WICB for dropping him from the Zimbabwe tour. Neither the WICB nor Bravo have revealed anything on subsequent developments.T&T had won the title in 2015-16 with considerable help from Bravo, who was the top-scorer of the tournament with 274 runs in three matches, including a 97 in the final. His contributions offset the fact that big players like Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo, Samuel Badree, Sunil Narine and Lendl Simmons were unavailable last season and remain so in 2016-17 as well.Squad: Denesh Ramdin, Kyle Hope, Evin Lewis, Kjorn Ottley, Jason Mohammed, Nicholas Alexis, Roshon Primus, Ravi Rampaul, Shannon Gabriel, Khary Pierre, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Imran Khan, Sheldon Cottrell, Rayad Emrit.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsNiroshan Dickwella brought up his maiden T20I fifty to anchor Sri Lanka’s chase•Associated Press

Sri Lanka spoiled AB de Villiers’ comeback by snatching the T20 series from South Africa to claim the first silverware in the country in their history. Niroshan Dickwella’s career-best 68 overshadowed de Villiers’ 63, in his first international outing in six months, as Sri Lanka chased down 170 with one ball remaining but it was Seekkuge Prasanna’s 16-ball 37 which completed the second highest successful chase at Newlands.South Africa were without their newest spearhead, 20-year-old Lungi Ngidi, for most of their time in the field after he bruised his hip, and he could not bowl his final two overs, but had a tardy fielding effort rather than lack of resources to blame for their inability to defend the total. They put down five catches in total and saw several more aerial chances go unclaimed to allow Sri Lanka some leeway in what was a tough task.Still, it took cool heads for Sri Lanka’s batsmen to cross the line, especially after Imran Tahir removed their stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal early on and then removed Dickwella and Dhananjaya de Silva in the same over. Sri Lanka had to rebuild their innings twice and eventually needed 26 runs off the last two overs. Against the inexperience of Andile Phehlulwayo and debutant Dane Paterson, Prasanna and Asela Gunaratne got there to seal a memorable win.By the time the 19th over began, Prasanna already had 23 off 10 balls – having brought the target down from a daunting 50 off 21 balls – but Gunaratne had yet to score a run and only faced one ball after Kusal Mendis was run-out in the previous over. The pair ran hard off the first and second deliveries before Prasanna advanced on a Phehlukwayo slower ball and sent it over long-on for six. He did not get hold of the next one, losing his bat as he swung, but finished the over with a ramp over the Mangaliso Mosehle’s head to leave Paterson with 11 to defend off the last over.Gunaratne took the pressure off the final passage of play with a scoop over fine leg for four and took quick singles before he swung across the line and top-edged over Mosehle to level scores. In his excitement, Gunaratne thought the match was over and grabbed a stump out of the ground in celebration only to be told he needed one run was still needed. He drove the penultimate ball through the covers and this time could keep the stump.Having threatened through the series, with 43 in Centurion and 22 in Johannesburg, Dickwella went one better and converted his start into his first T20 half-century. He had support from Upul Tharanga, who was playing in his first T20 since the World T20 in 2012, and was aggressive from the get-go. The pair punished width early on and took on the short ball and it took a change of pace to separate them.Tharanga lobbed a catch to mid-on off Wayne Parnell’s first ball, a slower delivery, to give South Africa a breakthrough but it was when stand-in captain Dinesh Chandimal was bowled by Tahir’s first delivery that Sri Lanka were under real pressure. Tahir’s over went boundary-less and then a hat-trick of missed chances came off Parnell’s second over, including a return catch, with Dickwella surviving two of those chances. He made South Africa pay.He saw off Tahir and targeted Phehlukwayo at first, before switching gears and lapping Tahir but South Africa’s complications came when they needed a replacement for Ngidi after he injured his hip diving at cover. Jon-Jon Smuts had to fill in but his two overs cost 22 runs as Dickwella reached fifty off 34 balls.With five overs to go, Sri Lanka needed more than ten an over but would have been fairly comfortable with Dickwella well settled. Tahir had an over in hand, though, and appeared to have changed the game. He had Dickwella caught in the deep and de Silva stumped to turn things South Africa’s way but Sri Lanka had more muscle.In the end, South Africa might blame their middle-order problems for not posting a big enough total. They lost 4 for 28 runs in 25 balls between the 14th and 18th over, including de Villiers which may have been the difference.South Africa trialled a new opening partner for Smuts in Reeza Hendricks and it proved a good decision. While Smuts continued to show nothing more than glimpses of the potential that took him to the top of the domestic T20 competition run-charts, Hendricks had the composure for a longer stay and formed one half of the hosts’ major partnership on the nightAfter Smuts was given out lbw, Hendricks was joined by de Villiers and was happy to cede control to the senior man, but not before a third perfectly timed offside drive to the end the PowerPlay strongly.De Villiers initially played within himself before giving making room to drive through point for his first boundary. He did not focus on finding the rope too many more times early on, though, and strike-rotation with a partner who was as speedy as him formed the foundation of their scoring. Every single was cheered loudly, twos and a solitary three were even more appreciated but there was no doubt the crowd was expecting more. When de Villiers danced down the track to meet a Lakshan Sandakan delivery on the full and send it straight back over his head for six, Newlands erupted. Their superstar was back.A scoop off Gunaratne saw de Villiers overtake Hendricks before the latter was stumped. Hendricks will not be happy with his carelessness when he dragged his foot out against Sandakan after the ball spun across him and he failed to push his foot behind the line. Chandimal needed two attempts to complete the stumping and, still, Hendricks did not inch further back.Despite that wicket bringing South Africa’s most dangerous hitter, David Miller, to the crease, Sri Lanka had created an opening to claw their way back. Miller, Farhaan Behardien and de Villiers all departed and South Africa entered the final two overs on 141 for 5 without one of their regular finishers on hand. Nuwan Kulasekara did an exceptional job in his final two overs which only cost 11 and removed de Villiers.Mosehle took the opportunity to show what he could do with a stunning cameo. He plundered three sixes off the first four balls in the last over, which cost Isuru Udana 21, and took South Africa’s total over 160 but it was not enough.

Newcastle United could potentially turn their attention to the Barcelona forward Ousmane Dembele as a possible option in this summer's transfer window.

The Toon qualified for the Champions League following their takeover by the Saudi Arabian backed PIF, and Bailey believes the club could make some big moves in the summer market.

Newcastle transfers news – Ousmane Dembele

The transfer journalist told the Chasing Green Arrows podcast that fans should monitor Newcastle’s interest in Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele.

Newcastle have already brought in one new face this summer in the form of Yankuba Minteh but he has been loaned immediately out to Feyenoord.

But Bailey has suggested if the Toon are to look at making a marquee signing this summer, they may turn their attention to the 26-year-old France international.

What has Graeme Baily said about Ousmane Dembele?

“Keep an eye on Ousmane Dembele as a marquee signing, especially for Newcastle.” Bailey told host Dean Jones.

“They [Newcastle] have talked to him. He came over if you remember and met the Sunderland chairman, and he did have contacts with Newcastle at that point. He's only got a year left at Barcelona And he does appeal to PIF as well."

“Eddie Howe talks about marquee signings, I think this left forward could be the marquee signing.”

Would Ousmane Dembele be a good signing for Newcastle?

Dembele signed for Barcelona for a fee of an estimated £115 million in 2017 from Borussia Dortmund but has not hit the heights he was expected to.

In his time at the Nou Camp, – the once hailed "wizard" – Dembele has featured 185 times, scoring 40 goals and providing 43 assists per Transfermarkt. Not a bad output but potentially a little underwhelming considering his price tag and what the club expected his potential to be.

The host of the Chasing Green Arrows Podcast, Dean Jones, believes Dembele could be a great signing for the Toon Army.

“I think it Ousmane Dembele is a good marquee signing, because he's not a Neymar, he's not somebody that you're going to have a pile of problems.” Jones said.

“Injuries might be the biggest problem you get with Ousmane Dembele.”

Injuries would be the biggest red flag for potential pursuers of Dembele. The French international has had a recurring hamstring injury that forced him to miss 17 games of the 22/23 season when he tweaked it at the end of January.

The same hamstring injury was a problem in 2020 when Dembele tweaked it in January which forced him to miss 19 games.

In a season where Newcastle have to contend with European football alongside the league, Dembele is a high risk potential signing but one that they could certainly reap the rewards from if he stays fit.

Newcastle United have thrown their hat into the ring in the race for youngster Adama Bojang, according to a report from The Guardian.

Who is Adama Bojang?

The 19-year-old may not be familiar to many because of where he currently plies his trade but it appears as though he is catching the eye of those who have been able to see him in action.

Despite his age, he has already been given the opportunity to play for his country for example in The Gambia Under-20 team. He has eight caps for them so far and has hit the back of the net six times – an incredible rate.

As for his club side, he currently plays Steve Biko FC in his home country and therefore a move to Europe is somewhat of a risk considering that he has yet to test himself at a really high level. However, it is testament to his abilities that so many clubs have now watched him and consider him to be worth the money that is being demanded. One such side now considering a move for him is Newcastle.

According to a report from The Guardian, the Toon are one of a growing number of Premier League sides – and German teams – who are keeping tabs on the player and are considering stumping up the asking price to seal his signature.

What is Bojang's transfer value?

It appears as though his club would want around 3 million Euros in order to let him leave (or about £2.6m). It's a large fee for a player who is so young and has little experience in the game but again, it showcases the potential interested parties are clearly seeing. In fact, the report adds that there has already been an offer from an unnamed team in Germany for Bojang.

Despite being only 19-years-old, his talent already appears to be clear to those who have seen him. Football talent scout Jacek Kulig for example called him "the future of Gambian football" based on his showings for his international team's Under-20 side. It shows that he is already displaying his potential – and he could be a really good signing for the future if the Toon are able to snap him up and add him to the likes of Garang Kuol.