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It’s been a gruelling start to the season for Arsenal this year.

Mikel Arteta’s side have had to play Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur away in the Premier League, as well as Atalanta and Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Yet, with all those games behind them, the Gunners are level on points with City in the league and are, thanks to a draw in Italy and an emphatic victory last night, undefeated in Europe.

There have been several star performers for the Spaniard so far this season, but one player who has carried on his immaculate form from last year is Kai Havertz. However, there was a chance the club might not have signed him last summer had they secured the services of another star they were interested in.

Havertz's recent form

Havertz didn’t have the easiest start to life as an Arsenal player last season. For around two-thirds of the campaign, Arteta insisted on playing him in the left-eight role, and while he wasn’t dreadful there, he also wasn’t particularly effective.

However, in early February, the Spaniard moved him to the centre-forward position, and almost instantly, he went from being a somewhat useful player to one of the first names on the team sheet.

For example, in his 32 games as a midfielder, he scored a paltry six goals, whereas, in his 18 games as a striker, he scored eight goals and provided seven assists, meaning he averaged a goal involvement every 1.20 games as a number nine.

Appearances

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25

Goals

6

12

Assists

0

8

Goal Involvements per Match

0.18

0.80

The good news is that the former Chelsea ace has maintained his impressive form this season, and as things stand, he has scored five goals and provided one assist in nine appearances, equating to a goal involvement on average every 1.5 games.

Moreover, the Aachen-born marksman has been on fire at home, and should he score against Southampton on the weekend, he will match Robin van Persie’s record of scoring in seven home games on the bounce – talk about esteemed company.

Overall, while his transfer initially raised more than a few eyebrows, Havertz has more than proved his worth at Arsenal and has become an essential part of Arteta’s incredible title-chasing team. However, considering the player they were interested in before they signed him last year, there is a world in which the German never moved to North London.

Arsenal wanted to sign İlkay Gündoğan

Yes, for those who weren’t aware, Arsenal were interested in signing City icon and fellow German international İlkay Gündoğan before they bought Havertz last summer.

According to a report from the Guardian in May 2023, the Gunners were very keen on securing the vastly experienced star for free following the expiration of his contract at the Etihad.

The report claimed that upon entering the race for his signature, the North Londoners were hopeful that the prospect of working with Arteta again would tempt the midfield superstar to move down south, but as we all know, that didn’t happen, and instead, he joined Spanish giants Barcelona on a two-year deal.

The former Borussia Dortmund star instantly became an essential player for the Blaugrana and, by the end of the season, had made 51 appearances for them, scoring five goals and providing 14 assists.

However, it wasn’t necessarily the happiest of marriages. After several public outbursts and talk over his salary being a problem, his stay was cut short, and he made his way back to Manchester to sign a mammoth £230k-per-week one-year deal.

There is no doubt that had the Gunners signed the Champions League winner last season, their midfield would have reached another level, but due to his wage demands and the amount of game time he would have wanted, that could have seen the club pass over Havertz, as for most of last season it was clear that Arteta wanted to play him in midfield.

Ultimately, we’ll never know if Arsenal would have played the pair of them together, but given their respective ages and the incredible form Havertz has been in over the last nine months, we think Arsenal got the right German international.

Neville called Arsenal star "terrible" last season, now he's undroppable

The incredible international keeps proving people wrong.

ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 2, 2024

With domestic events postponed, Barbados get the nod as they are the defending T20 Blaze champions

ESPNcricinfo staff14-Aug-2021Barbados will participate in the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games as the “representative team from the West Indies”, the update coming after Cricket West Indies postponed the 2021 T20 Blaze and Women’s Super50 Cup until next year. That meant Barbados, as the defending T20 Blaze champions, having won it in 2020, made the cut. It’s the first time women’s cricket will be played at the Games.The decision to postpone the regional women’s tournaments was taken after ODI and T20I dates for the West Indies vs South Africa series – August 31 to September 19 – were finalised, as well as taking into account “the ongoing logistical challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic [with regards to] multiple teams to be hosted in one country”, as CWI said in a statement.Related

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The 2021 T20 Blaze was meant to be the qualifying tournament for next year’s Commonwealth Games, to identify the one national team that would represent the Caribbean region, after West Indies were confirmed as one of seven teams to qualify directly based on the ICC rankings on April 1, 2021. England, the hosts, along with Australia, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and South Africa are the other teams to have made the cut based on the rankings, with an eighth team coming through via a qualifying event, to be held by January 31 next year.”This is an historic occasion as for the first time Women’s Twenty20 cricket will feature at this prestigious global sporting event, which is a great fillip for our sport and great exposure and opportunity for the players,” Johnny Grave, the CWI chief executive, said. “We wish them all the very best as they compete for the gold medal, and we know they will continue to do West Indies proud.”It has been a challenging period with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic at our doorstep, and we have been forced to take the decision to postpone the Women’s T20 Blaze and Women’s CG Insurance Super50 Cup for this year. We have however been able to invest in several High Performance Camps and international fixtures to the Women’s squad, conducted by Courtney Walsh and his coaching staff. These have been hugely beneficial to date and we have identified a core group of players who are the best available in the region for the ICC Women’s World Cup qualifiers who will benefit from the additional resources that CWI is committing to preparing the West Indies Women’s squad.”

Mikel Arteta says he won't blame the ball Arsenal and Manchester United play with in the FA Cup after the coach criticised the Carabao Cup version.

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Newcastle beat Arsenal in Carabao CupArteta complains about cup ball in lossGunners boss walks back ball claimFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

After Arsenal lost 2-0 in the first leg of their Carabao Cup semi-final to Newcastle in midweek, manager Arteta hinted the "tricky" Puma ball used in the competition contributed to their defeat. Ahead of facing United in the FA Cup third round this weekend, the Spaniard may have walked back his initial claim.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportWHAT MIKEL ARTETA SAID

He said to reporters: "In Champions League it’s different, you’re relating to the question I got the other day about the ball and what I said is every ball is different. Champions League ball is different, grip different, fly different, feel different.That’s it, it's not an excuse it's a reality every pitch is different. Weather conditions change in football that’s the beauty of it. Never an excuse."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

After Arteta made his ball remarks, the English Football League put forward a quick and robust rebuttal. Arsenal are close to being knocked out of the Carabao Cup, so they will not want to suffer an early FA Cup exit at the hands of the Red Devils on Sunday, either.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT?

After Arteta's Arsenal host United on Sunday afternoon, they then entertain bitter rivals Tottenham at the Emirates in the Premier League on Wednesday.

England allrounder uncomfortable with spending extended time away from home for winter’s Ashes

George Dobell26-Sep-2021Moeen Ali, the England allrounder, is set to announce his immediate retirement from Test cricket.Moeen, 34 and a veteran of 64 Tests, has decided he no longer has the hunger to play the longest format. In particular, ESPNcricinfo understands he is uncomfortable with the prospect of an extended time away from home in the coming months as a likely member of both the T20 World Cup and Ashes squads. He is currently in the UAE, playing for Chennai Super Kings in the IPL but is understood to have informed Chris Silverwood, the England head coach, and Joe Root, England’s Test captain, in recent days.He is keen to continue his career for England in white-ball cricket and is also expected to continue to play county and franchise cricket. It seems unlikely he will continue to play first-class cricket but no firm decision has yet been taken on that.Related

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People will, no doubt, be debating the merits of Moeen’s career for years to come. Some of the statistics are arresting: he reached the landmark of 2000 Test runs and 100 wickets, for example, in fewer Tests than Ian Botham, Garry Sobers and Imran Khan. Only 15 England bowlers have taken more Test wickets. At his high point, he was rated the third best allrounder in the ICC’s Test rankings.But it’s maybe fitting that he looks set to finish short of 3000 runs and short of 200 wickets. For there was something about Moeen that always left you wanting more. Something that delighted and frustrated in equal measure. Even in what turned out to be his final Test, when his skied slog-sweep saw him dismissed for 35, you could feel the groan of disappointment around The Kia Oval.The will for Moeen to succeed, to see his elegant cover drive unfurled once more, was immense. Perhaps the fragility, the sense that it could all end at any moment, made it feel all the more precious.At his best, such as when he scored four Test centuries in 2016, he looked a fine batter more than worth his place in the side as a specialist. But there were times, sometimes quite extended times, when the confidence seemed to drain away and the scores disappeared with it. A final Test batting average of 28 seems modest for one so talented. That unbeaten innings of 108 against Sri Lanka in his second Test promised so much more.Many of the same things could be said about his bowling. At his best, such as when he took 25 wickets in four Tests against South Africa in 2017, or a haul of 32 wickets in six Tests against Sri Lanka and West Indies in the winter of 2018-19, he demonstrated the drift, dip, pace and bite that would delight any offspinner. It is telling that, of England spinners, only Derek Underwood and Graeme Swann finished their careers with more wickets. Even Jim Laker couldn’t match Moeen’s strike rate of 60.70.Moeen fields in front of packed stands at The Oval•AFP/Getty ImagesOn other occasions, such as the Ashes tour of 2017-18, when his five wickets came at a cost of 115 apiece, he seemed a man charged with an impossible task. Nobody else in the top 25 wicket-takers in England’s Test history has an average as high as Moeen’s 36.66. But in a weak era of English spin bowling, he answered the call more capably than anyone could have predicted. Ultimately, it may be concluded that he overachieved with the ball and underachieved with the bat.The debate over whether England coaxed the best out of him will rumble on, too. Certainly he was asked to fulfil multiple roles – he batted everywhere from No. 1 to No. 9 – to accommodate the demands of more valued players. And while he produced some memorable lower-order innings, the mentality of batting with the tail changed him. He became a provider more of cameos than the substantial innings he dreamed of playing as a youngster.

The will for Moeen to succeed was immense. The sense that it could all end at any moment made it feel all the more precious.

Equally, the faint praise from Ed Smith, then the national selector, suggesting “the role of first-choice spinner might not be best suited to him” stung and, along with not being given a full central contract at the end of 2019, represented a turning point in Moeen’s relationship with the team management. At the time he was dropped, after the first Ashes Test of the 2019 series, he had been the world’s top wicket-taker in Test cricket over the preceding 12 months.It remains to be seen whether any of Moeen’s England colleagues follow suit with news of their own in the coming days. Certainly there are serious reservations from as many as 10 players and several more support staff about the prospect of further time in quarantine and the demands this could place on family life. If the cricket boards of England and Australia insist the Ashes go ahead at any cost, they will find themselves with a much diminished contest.Such issues can wait. Now is the time to reflect on Moeen’s legacy. With a hat-trick, five centuries, five five-fors and some sharp catches, he has been involved in some of the most thrilling moments of England’s Test cricket over recent years. And, as a willing spokesperson for diversity and inclusivity, he has performed a valuable role in educating a generation that it is perfectly possible to be British, Muslim and proud of both. He reminded us, too, that cricket wasn’t just a game of the public school playing field or village green, it was a game of the urban park or backyard, too. This may well be remembered as his most significant contribution to the sport.Will he be remembered as a great of English cricket? Well, he comes from a background where his parents went without food to ensure money was found for travel to games and match fees. Now he’s a World Cup winner with more than 200 international caps, a trunk full of awards and an IPL contract which will ensure that investment made by his family will pay off for generations to come. More than that, he has enjoyed a career which made many people smile and many more – not all of them from the traditional breeding grounds of English cricket – feel they could follow in his footsteps. That sounds pretty great, doesn’t it?

Celtic are keen to get ahead in their transfer planning for 2025, and have identified a potential new addition, with both the player and his club keen to see the move go through, according to a fresh report.

Celtic flying high again

Fresh off the back of their double success in last season’s Scottish Premiership and Cup, Celtic again look well-placed to fight for major honours domestically. Brendan Rodgers’ side sit five points clear of Rangers after seven games, having thrashed their Old Firm rivals 3-0 at Celtic Park already this season.

Perhaps surprisingly, they are being matched by Aberdeen so far, who have also won all seven of their opening Scottish Premiership games and are only behind Celtic on goal difference, albeit considerably so. With just a single goal conceded so far this campaign, Rodgers’ side remain far and away favourites to lift the league title once more come the end of the season.

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The story is somewhat different in Europe though; after thrashing Slovan Bratislava 5-1 on the opening night of their Champions League campaign, Rodgers’ side were on the end of a worse thrashing themselves.

A Karim Adeyemi hat-trick and some woeful defending from the Scots saw them fall to a 7-1 defeat against last season’s finalists Borussia Dortmund, a result that brought plenty of Celtic fans crashing firmly back down to Earth, reminding them just how big the gulf across the continent remains. Now, they have been handed some much-needed good news in a move that could help close that gap.

All roads lead to Celtic for defender

That comes as former Celtic defender and captain Kieran Tierney may finally complete a long-awaited return to Scotland, five years after leaving the club. The Bhoys skipper joined Arsenal in a deal worth £25m after cementing his status as a club legend, helping them win a “treble treble” amid five consecutive Scottish League titles.

Kieran Tierney at Celtic

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37

Yellow Cards

10

However, his time in north London has only gone downhill – largely due to injuries – and after a loan away at Real Sociedad he is now in the final two years of his £110,000 a week deal at the Emirates Stadium.

An injury picked up at EURO 2024 with Scotland prevented a summer departure, but a January or summer 2025 move seems almost certain given Tierney is now well down in Mikel Arteta’s pecking order. A return to Celtic has long been mooted, but given the finances required to take him north of the border it was unlikely earlier in his contract.

However, now that has changed, according to a report from TBR Football. They claim that “Arsenal are ready to let the Scot leave on loan”, a deal which Celtic are interested in.

Better yet, it is added that the Gunners “would be open to a deal that would make it possible for Celtic to complete a permanent move” in the future, while Tierney himself “has made a move back to Glasgow his priority” in a bid to revitalise his career, with all three parties ready to get a deal done.

Though Celtic are well stocked at left-back as it stands, the chance to bring back a club legend may be too good to turn down.

Wrexham boss Phil Parkinson says that the EFL must take further action to shield James McClean from the abuse that he faces at away games.

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McClean abused regularly by home fansWrexham star pelted by objects at ShrewsburyParkinson demands EFL do more Follow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

McClean has often been on the receiving end of abuse from fans when Wrexham play away from SToK Cae Ras. However, over the course of the season, the verbal discourse, which the midfielder generally revels in, has transcended into some supporters throwing objects at the Red Dragons star.

AdvertisementGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

McClean was targeted again last weekend when Wrexham travelled to New Meadow to take on Shrewsbury Town in a League One clash. The Shrews' supporters frequently targeted McClean and security personnel had to intervene at one point as objects from the crowd rained down on him. McClean responded by delivering a brutal dig at Shrewsbury fans on social media after the game. Wrexham boss Parkinson has now called on the English Football League to do better and protect players against such crowd abuse.

Getty Images SportWHAT PARKINSON SAID

When questioned about the abuse McClean received, Parkinson said: "Occasionally the level of abuse goes too far and I'm not sure enough is done about it. People are quite quick to jump on the back of players for stepping out of line and referees are quick to give people yellow cards. Then I think what are the EFL doing about the level of abuse Jimmy gets on a week-to-week basis and for me it's nowhere near enough. But unfortunately I don't think my words are going to be enough to change that.

"I feel for James because the level of abuse he gets is something I've never witnessed for a player. He's a great lad and it's human nature that will spill over with him. Go back to the Barnsley game, Birmingham away and obviously the other day and for anybody that's difficult to deal with. But he's a tough character and he's focusing on what he's got to do on the pitch."

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WHAT NEXT FOR MCCLEAN?

Wrexham are set to take on League One leaders Birmingham City next as the Red Dragons look to close the gap to the top of the table. However, McClean may not be a participant in the clash as the midfielder's availability remains in doubt following a car crash earlier this week.

Following the blockbuster NBA trade of Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis, New York City FC players were left mystified

NYCFC players react after Mavericks deal Doncic for DavisThe Slovenian star joins LeBron JamesNYCFC kick off MLS season against Inter MiamiGetty Images SportWHAT HAPPENED

In a blockbuster and transformative NBA trade, the Dallas Mavericks this week dealt franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis as a part of a three-team deal. The trade stunned the sports world, with athletes, fans and the rest all left in disbelief – and the Internet responded superbly. From memes to reaction videos, athletes and fans did them all, with some struggling to process how such a huge deal was done in complete secrecy.

That includes the NYCFC players, as several were simply stunned that a deal of this magnitude could take place.

AdvertisementWHAT THE CAMERA SPOTTEDGetty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE

The trade of Doncic was a seismic shift in basketball, but the reactions from the NYCFC players comes as no shock – especially as the MLS has close ties to the NBA. For example, Charlotte FC collaborated with the Charlotte Hornets to welcome Wilfried Zaha to the league. Not only that, they used the same social media post to unveil their new home kit for the 2025 season, featuring Hornets star Brandon Miller.

Further, Chicago Fire boss Gregg Berhalter, and Frank Kopas, were spotted at a recent Chicago Bulls game, highlighting the crossover appeal of sports.

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Getty Images SportWHAT NEXT FOR NEW YORK CITY FC?

Despite a sixth-place finish in the Eastern Conference, New York City FC failed to capitalize and were knocked out in MLS Cup playoffs in the quarterfinals by cross-town rivals New York Red Bulls. Yet, their performances overall does have fans hopeful that their side can replicate it once again in the 2025 season.

The club signed goalkeeper Greg Ranjitsingh and Prince Amponsah on free transfers so far. The club will kick off their 2025 MLS campaign against Inter Miami on Feb. 23.

Iftikhar blasted KP to the final in a thriller against Northern, while Central Punjab secured a more routine win against Sindh

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2021Sahibzada Farhan’s half-century followed by a blistering 17-ball 45* from Iftikhar Ahmed saw Khyber Pakhtunkhwa storm into the final of the National T20. The title defenders looked like they might stutter midway through the chase, only for Iftikhar to bail them out.Put into bat first, Northern had a cautious start, scoring 48 in the Powerplay with no batter really able to capitalise on their start. Nasir Nawaz (27 off 18), Ali Imran (24 off 24), Umar Amin (22 off 18) and Zeeshan Malik (29 off 21) all failed to build on their innings, and Northern looked vulnerable at the 15-over mark, going at under seven an over. But 52 runs were scored in the last five overs to put on enough to give their bowlers something to defend. Arshad Iqbal was most prolific for KP, taking three wickets for 35, while Iftikhar Ahmed kept the runscoring down.KP started off the pursuit with Farhan played a steady knock to lay a solid foundation with 53 off 39 balls. Kamran Ghulam who scored an unbeaten 110 last night put together a more measured knock, managing 35 off 29. KP were 107-5 when before Zaman Khan and Sohail Tanvir allowed just ten runs in the following two overs, meaning KP required 40 in the final three. But for a dialled in Iftikhar, it proved only too easy. 44 runs were plundered off the next 13 balls as KP sealed their place in tomorrow’s final.Central Punjab stormed into the final by beating Sindh in a one-sided affair by seven wickets. They will take on defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tomorrow at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore.CP, chasing a moderate target of 142, made a wobbly start, losing Mohammad Akhlaq in the second over, but Ahmed Shehzad (49 off 46) and Kamran Akmal (51 off 36) shared an 88-run stand for the second wicket to keep the pursuit on track. It broke the back of the chase, with Hussain Talat and Qasim Akram finishing the job with more than two overs to spare.CP had put Sindh into bat first, who made a decent start thanks to aflying start from Sharjeel Khan, who blazed 32 off 19 deliveries. Khurram Manzoor at the other end struggled for fluency, scoring 34 in 40 balls, while the middle order fell apart somewhat cheaply. After stumbling to 107 for 6, Sohail Khan tried to stabilise the innings with 21, while Mir Hamza struck a couple of sixes, but the 141 they managed felt distinctly below par.Akram and Zafar Gohar were the pick of the bowlers, each conceding just 15 in their allotted four overs, picking up three and two wickets respectively. Those overs of spin told much of the tale of Sindh’s struggles to ensure it’ll be Central Punjab to try and dethrone KP from pole position in the final tomorrow.

Throughout Arsène Wenger’s long reign in charge of Arsenal, he helped uncover, develop and sometimes sell on a plethora of talented young stars.

There were obviously the likes of Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, who came to define the club, but there were also a whole host of other impressive, talented players who weren’t quite on the same level but went on to have great careers anyway.

Moreover, while anyone can go out and spend millions on an already highly-rated youngster, the Frenchman often oversaw the signing of relatively unknown and cheap prospects who would go on and make it into the first team.

One of those players joined the North Londoners in January 2006 alongside another couple of future first-teamers before being sold for millions more than he cost the club over a decade later.

Arsenal's transfers in January 2006

So, starting with a player who, while undeniably talented, isn’t well-liked among Arsenal fans anymore: Emmanuel Adebayor.

According to Transfermarkt, the Gunners paid AS Monaco around £8m for the Togo ace, and while he wasn’t a household name at the time, he would go on to become a reliable source of goals for the North Londoners, netting 62 times and providing 19 assists in 142 games.

However, in the summer of 2009, the talented marksman moved to Manchester City and, in an infamous game at the Etihad, ran the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of his former fans.

If that wasn’t enough to tarnish any relationship he might’ve had with them, he signed for Tottenham Hotspur on loan for the 11/12 season before making a permanent move the following year.

Overall, the 66-capped international enjoyed a brilliant career, but it would be fair to say that he’s probably not welcome at the Emirates anymore, unlike the other attacker signed in January 2006: Theo Walcott.

The former England international joined the Gunners from Southampton for around £5m, rising to £12.5m, and while some might say he never quite reached the levels so many believed he could, the rapid forward enjoyed a successful 12 years in the capital.

The 47-capped international made 397 appearances for the club, scoring 108 goals, providing 73 assists, and playing a crucial role in two FA Cup triumphs, which is a career most players could only dream of.

However, another future star joined the club in the same month as Walcott and Adebayor, and he did so for a lot less money.

Wojciech Szczęsny's Arsenal career

Yes, the player in question is Polish goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, who joined the club’s youth setup in January 2006 from Legia Warsaw for a fee that Transfermarkt claims was just under £50k, which, given the career he went on to have, was a steal.

After spending a couple of years in the academy, the Warszawa-born shot-stopper joined Brentford on a short-term loan in November 2009, and while he wasn’t even there for an entire campaign, he was voted the Bee’s keeper of the decade in 2015 by the fans.

Wenger finally gave the promising youngster a run of games in the 2010/11 campaign, and by the following year, he was the team’s number one and proved as much when he made a superb double save at Anfield in 2012.

In all, the Polish international made 181 appearances for Arsenal, but several incidents, including a sending-off against Bayern Munich and smoking in the showers, combined with the arrival of Petr Cech in 2015, saw him loaned out to Serie A giants AS Roma that same summer, where he spent two brilliant seasons and caught the eye of Juventus.

Despite once calling him “world-class”, it was clear that Wenger did not want the 6 foot 5 titan back in N5 following his time in Rome, so the club acted on the Old Lady’s interest and agreed to a £10m transfer, which means he was sold for about 19900% more than he cost the club 11 years earlier, which isn’t bad going.

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In the years since, Szczesny became an integral part of Juventus’ first team and is now playing for Barcelona after coming out of retirement a few weeks ago, and with David Raya holding down the number one spot for Arsenal, his departure probably worked out for all parties.

Arsenal target dream Martinelli upgrade in "unstoppable" £100m star

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ByJack Salveson Holmes Oct 24, 2024

He would “love nothing more than to represent Sunrisers still”, but has admitted it may be time to move on

ESPNcricinfo staff12-Oct-2021David Warner would love to remain with Sunrisers Hyderabad next season, but he admits that might not happen, after being benched for their last five games of IPL 2021. He insists, however, that his fans will have plenty to look forward to in the “long time I have left”.”Look, I’m not 100% sure,” Warner told , when asked about what led to his sacking and eventual axing from the team. “With utmost respect for the owners, Trevor Bayliss, [VVS] Laxman, Tom Moody and Murali [Muthiah Muralidaran], when a decision gets made, it has to be unanimous. But you don’t know who is going for you, who wants you selected, who doesn’t. End of the day you’re told you’re not playing.”Related

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Warner was cagey on what led to his sacking as captain, but he has expressed hurt at how he was treated over the course of the season. Having captained Sunrisers to the 2016 title and scored over 4000 runs for them over eight seasons, Warner felt he needed answers from the team management, but wasn’t sure they would be forthcoming.”The disappointing thing for me was not being explained why I was dropped as captain,” he said. “I think if you want to go along the lines of form, it’s a difficult one because I guess whatever you’ve done in the past would have some weightage moving forward, especially when you’ve played 100 [95] games for the franchise.”I had four bad games, two run-outs in that, on slow and low wickets in Chennai. It’s difficult, a bitter pill to swallow but I don’t think I will ever get answers and must move on. It’s time to look forward, there’s another auction coming up. I’d love nothing more than to represent Sunrisers still, but the decision remains with the owners and what direction the franchise wants to go in.”David Warner says he would be ‘thrilled’ to captain a side in IPL 2022, if asked to do so•BCCI/IPLHaving averaged over 39 in each of his previous seven seasons at the franchise – while striking at over 140 in six of them – Warner endured a disappointing 2021, scoring 195 runs in eight innings at an average of 24.37 and a strike rate of 107.73.Sunrisers removed Warner from the captaincy midway through the tournament, just before the India leg came to a halt because of Covid-19. They replaced him with Kane Williamson, who had first taken over the captaincy in 2018 when Warner was serving a year-long ban for his role in the Newlands ball-tampering episode. During the second leg of IPL 2021 in the UAE, Warner featured in just two of the Sunrisers’ seven games, before being left out altogether.In one of those games, Warner wasn’t even part of the contingent that travelled to the ground, which led to speculation of a fallout with the team management, before head coach Bayliss confirmed that Warner hadn’t been the only senior player left behind at the team hotel.Warner seems to have recognised that it’s time to move on from Sunrisers, however – a recent Instagram post in which he thanked the team’s fans for their support over “a great ride” suggested as much.

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“Sometimes you get the feeling that you’re not going to be retained by a franchise, with little signs that you could see in and around the group,” he said. “From my perspective, I could see the writing was on the wall, and it was an appropriate time to say thank you [to the fans on social media].”With the addition of two new teams set to make the IPL a ten-team event from 2022, Warner could become a hot pick at the auction. And he would be happy to take over leadership responsibilities if asked to.”[Captaincy] is definitely something I love doing,” he said. “It makes me play a lot better, also having had a taste of it in this [IPL] environment makes it easier as well. I shared that role at Sunrisers with Kane [Williamson] a fair bit, it was also great to have other leaders in and around the franchise.”He [Williamson] was one guy I had a lot of chats with, Jason Holder is another guy. Rashid Khan as well, he has captained Afghanistan. These are guys with whom you can share knowledge and rebound information on and off. I would be thrilled to do that [captain a side] if it came up, it’s all about getting a solid foundation together.”If it did arise, I’d love to do it. A person of my character can get people up and about. I’m energetic, I call a spade a spade, I would love every individual to perform at their best and hold everyone accountable to their actions.”No matter which team it’s at, and whether it’s as captain or not, Warner is raring to be back at the IPL next year.”Obviously I’d love to be part of the IPL in 2022. I obviously started my career at Delhi, played with Sunrisers and yet the final chapter of my career, I still have a long time left in these leagues, and there are plenty of runs left. I’ll be looking forward to whatever opportunities present itself and I’ll give it my 100%.”