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Southampton are now just three weeks away from beginning their first season in the Championship since 2011-12, yet there are still question marks over a number of first-team players, including both Romeo Lavia and Tino Livramento.

What players are Southampton selling?

With a host of Premier League clubs, it is tough to see how either Lavia or Livramento will still be at St Mary's come the end of the transfer window on September 1.

Perhaps a more pressing matter is that of the future of captain James Ward-Prowse, who continues to be linked with Premier League pair Fulham and West Ham United.

While players of Lavia and Livramento's quality come and go – a stark reality for a team outside of the elite – replacing Ward-Prowse could be even tougher.

That is down not only to the unique set-piece ability he brings to the side, but also his leadership qualities. After spending more than a decade as a regular, the past three of those years as captain, Ward-Prowse would leave a huge void to be filled.

However, it was recently suggested by talkSPORT that former Saints defender Jose Fonte could return to the club this summer, and that now looks an even stronger possibility after Lille president Olivier Letang confirmed the Portuguese is set to leave the Ligue 1 side.

Is Jose Fonte a good option for Southampton?

Fonte made close to 300 appearances for Southampton across a seven-year spell at St Mary's that came to an end in January 2017 when moving to West Ham.

The 50-cap Portugal international spent two-and-a-half years as captain of the Saints, meaning he is a natural ready-made replacement for Ward-Prowse in that regard should he return.

Indeed, he continued to prove a real figurehead when moving to West Ham, with goalkeeper Darren Randolph hailing him as a "leader". "He is loud and vocal and organises well," Randolph added.

Southampton have plenty of quality in their ranks for new manager Russell Martin to call upon, but they do not possess many capable of stepping up and leading in the way of Fonte, who Capology claims is on wages of £28,000 a week at Lille.

Being able to bark out instructions is one thing; having the quality to perform in the Championship at the age of 39 is another. However, Fonte started 30 games for Lille in Ligue 1 last season, suggesting he is more than capable of playing regularly despite his advancing years.

In fact, Fonte ranked in the top 12% of all centre-backs across Europe's top five leagues for passes attempted last season (68.72 per 90), as per FBref, and in the top 11% in terms of pass completion (90%).

That ability to pass the ball out from the back is a huge plus given that is exactly what Martin was after during his time as Swansea City head coach.

In terms of the more defensive metrics, Fonte won two aerial duels per game in Ligue 1 last season, as per WhoScored, which compares to 2.1 for Saints centre-back regular Jan Bednarek in the Premier League.

Fonte's team-high 3.5 clearances per game, meanwhile, was bettered by only three Southampton players who started 10 league matches or more.

While he may not be the colossus he was six years ago, Fonte showed last season he is still capable of doing a job at a high level. That, combined with his leadership qualities, make his arrival on a free transfer a no-brainer.

Aston Villa have reached an "agreement" to bring Villarreal defender Pau Torres to the Premier League, according to The Athletic's David Ornstein.

Is Pau Torres joining Aston Villa?

Quique Setien’s academy graduate will be out of contract at the end of next season meaning that the ongoing transfer window is his club’s final opportunity to cash in should they not want to lose him for free, and 90min have claimed that he’s told them that he’s ready to leave.

The Yellow Submarines centre-back has reportedly been made a top target by the Midlands outfit with Unai Emery a “big fan” of the 26-year-old having managed him for 105 appearances during his time in his homeland.

The La Liga star’s deal has a £55m release clause included but Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that NSWE and Monchi will pay "way less" than that, and if the following update is anything to go by, the conditions of the deal have already been addressed.

Taking to Twitter, Ornstein revealed that Aston Villa have finalised a deal for Torres with the defender having given the green-light to complete a summer move to the Midlands. He wrote:

"Aston Villa have now reached an agreement with Villarreal to sign centre-back Pau Torres. Personal terms are also in place for 26yo Spain international defender to join in what’s another big coup for #AVFC + manager Unai Emery."

Is Torres a good signing for Villa?

Aston Villa will already be aware of what Torres is capable of due to Emery’s existing connection to the centre-back, and having also been dubbed an “extraordinary talent” by his former coach Javier Calleja, he would be a fantastic acquisition for the boss.

The Spain international averaged 4.1 clearances, 1.7 aerial wins and 1.3 tackles per league game last season, via WhoScored, so is a real rock at the heart of the backline, but he also likes to push his team as high up the pitch as possible having ranked in the 99th percentile for most progressive carries by centre-backs.

Torres, who stands at a staggering 6 foot 2, also knows what it takes to compete and be successful at the level that the Villans are looking to achieve having previously won the Europa League back in 2020/21, so he could inspire the rest of the squad to give it their all on the bigger stage next season in their first campaign in the Conference League.

Peter Siddle has withdrawn from his Nottinghamshire contract for 2017 due to a persistent back injury

ESPNcricinfo staff13-Mar-2017Peter Siddle has withdrawn from his Nottinghamshire contract for 2017 due to a persistent back injury. Siddle, 32, has not played since the Hobart Test against South Africa in November, during which he suffered a recurrence of the back problem that had kept him out for much of the previous year.Notts have been linked with potentially signing Siddle’s Victoria team-mate and fellow Australia international James Pattinson, with Mick Newell, the club’s director of cricket, hopeful of “quickly securing a replacement”.Siddle, who played for Notts in 2014 and Lancashire the following season, had signed a two-year deal to return to Trent Bridge but was unable to appear in 2016 due to stress fractures in his back. He made a comeback at the start of the 2016-17 season with Victoria and won a Test recall against South Africa before being sidelined once again.”I guess the years of playing cricket, you always have little setbacks with injury and missing cricket at different stages,” Siddle said. “It makes it a little bit easier to take in when you get older. So, I’ve been able to stay pretty level.”I don’t think I’ve played this little cricket in an 18-month window since I was an 11-year-old kid and was just starting out. That’s the most frustrating thing, not playing the game that you love and your profession. But mentally I’m pretty good. I’m in a good place and I’ve got some good people around me who give me good support.”Notts have already signed another Australian, Dan Christian, for the NatWest Blast but the arrival of James Pattinson – whose older brother, Darren, played for the county between 2008 and 2012 – would be a significant coup. Pattinson has taken 70 wickets in 17 Tests but missed out on a call-up to Australia’s tour of India after Mitchell Starc was ruled out by injury, despite taking a five-wicket haul last week to help put Victoria in the Sheffield Shield final.Newell said: “I feel for Peter in particular because he’s had absolutely no luck in recent years when it comes to injuries. We certainly didn’t imagine, when we signed him on a two-year contract for 2016 and 2017, that he wouldn’t play a single game for us during that time. It’s disappointing because his competitive character and proven ability would have been a real asset for us.”We never stop monitoring the situation overseas. We’re always looking at who is available and who has the kind of quality we need, so we’re confident of quickly securing a replacement.”

Matt Turner will not figure for the USMNT against Oman, with the Nottingham Forest goalkeeper being recalled from international duty by his “boss”.

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Keeper played 90 minutes against UzbekistanHelped to pick up a clean sheetAttention shifting away from sporting mattersWHAT HAPPENED?

The 29-year-old shot-stopper played the full 90 minutes for his country as they collected a 3-0 friendly victory over Uzbekistan. Turner starred in that contest, earning Player of the Match recognition, but is now leaving Gregg Berhalter’s squad.

AdvertisementTHE BIGGER PICTURE

That is because his partner, former NFL cheerleader Ashley Herron, is due to give birth to the couple’s second child. Turner had to get permission to travel to St. Louis during the international break, but it will be a case of one and out for him as his focus shifts away from professional matters and back to personal ones.

WHAT THEY SAID

Turner, whose son Eaton was born in June 2022, has told the USMNT’s of why he is heading home early: “It was a clear message from the boss back home that I needed to make sure that if I was going to come, that I was going to make it worth it. A clean sheet and a win is all I could ask for. Now focused completely on the safe delivery of our baby girl into the world.”

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Getty ImagesWHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Turner is up to 33 caps for his country and is enjoying a productive 2023-24 campaign. Alongside the imminent birth of his baby daughter, he has also been celebrating regular first team football at club level after completing a summer transfer from Arsenal to Forest.

Cameos from Darren Sammy and Umar Akmal late in Rajshahi Kings’ innings gave them enough momentum to beat Rangpur Riders by 12 runs

ESPNcricinfo staff25-Nov-2016
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsDarren Sammy’s 18-ball 44, along with Umar Akmal saw them add 70 runs in the last 37 balls•BCB

Rajshahi Kings’ bowlers latched on to the momentum of Darren Sammy’s late assault to defend 162 and beat Rangpur Riders by 12 runs. Rajshahi rose from 94 for 5 to post 162 thanks to a 70-run partnership between Sammy and Umar Akmal for the sixth wicket, which came off only 37 deliveries. That was sufficient to put Rangpur under pressure, given their most successful chase in this season was 126.Losing Mohammad Shahzad in the seventh over was a blow for Rangpur but Mohammad Mithun and Nasir Jamshed led a brief recovery, adding 40 runs for the second wicket. Mithun waged a lone battle after Jamshed fell, and then watched as Soumya Sarkar, Anwar Ali and Liam Dawson were dismissed, leaving the score at 119 for 5 in the 17th over. With a six over long-on, Mithun reached his fifty in the 18th over, and Rangpur went into the last two overs needing 28.Mohammad Sami, however, bowled a tight penultimate over, giving away just three singles. Mithun slammed his fourth six in the final over but his unbeaten 64 off 36 balls was not enough to take Rangpur over the line.Earlier, Rajshahi’s innings got off to a rollicking start as Sabbir Rahman struck four boundaries and a six before falling in the seventh over for a 24-ball 31. Rangpur fought back in the next seven overs to reduce Rajshahi to 94 for 5.Sammy and Akmal hit a flurry of boundaries, taking 17, 15 and 23 off the last three overs. Sammy struck three fours and four sixes – over long-off, square-leg and midwicket – in his unbeaten 44 off 18 balls, while Akmal hammered two fours and a six in his 33 not out

Vietnam's recent rise has been impressive, but they'll need a miracle to make it through the group stages

Vietnam are one of eight teams making their Women's World Cup debut in Australia and New Zealand this summer. Making it to the grandest stage of them all, though, would have seen fancical when they played their first ever game in 1997.

However, steady improvement over the past decade means they will be mixing it with some of the best players on the planet in Group E. The United States, the Netherlands and Portugal are their opponents – three extremely tough tests on paper.

Vietnam will therefore need a minor miracle to make it through to the knockout stages, but the fact that they have made it here at all is a source of enormous pride back home. Their journey begins with a daunting match against reigning champions, the U.S., where they'll be hoping to avoid a heavy defeat in front of a global television audience.

• Getty
  

  How they got here

  The 2022 AFC Women's Asian Cup was used to determine World Cup qualification in Asia. The tournament was hosted by India and each squad was subjected to strict coronavirus rules. The hosts themselves even had to withdraw from the competition after a spate of Covid-19 cases decimated their playing ranks.

  Vietnam were placed in Pot Three for the draw and ended up in a strong group alongside 2011 World Cup winners Japan, South Korea and Myanmar. As expected, they found it tough. Japan and South Korea each helped themselves to 3-0 victories over Vietnam, with their game against Myanmar ending 2-2.

  Despite earning just one point, they squeezed through to the knockout stages as the second-best third-placed team, due to Iran losing each of their group games. Vietnam met eventual winners China in the quarter-finals, succumbing to a 3-1 defeat.

  However, salvation came in the form of another safety net. As a result of the World Cup being expanded to 32 teams, an additional automatic place was available via a round-robin play-off contested between each of the fallen quarter-finalists – minus Australia, who qualified automatically as hosts.

  Vietnam began with a morale-boosting 2-0 victory over fierce rivals Thailand and a second win over Taiwan meant they topped the group and progressed to their maiden World Cup. Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy was the hero in the second, decisive game, dedicating her winner to her late father, who passed away in 2016.

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• Getty Images
  

  A rising power in Asian football

  Although they remain well behind China, Japan, South Korea and Australia, Vietnam have emerged as the leading footballing power in Southeast Asia in recent years.

  They have won the women's football tournament in each of the past four SEA Games, most recently defeating Myanmar 2-0 in the 2023 final in Cambodia. Vietnam also won the 2019 AFF Women's Championship, shocking hosts and bitter foes Thailand in the final.

  The fact that they have made it to the World Cup, and their long-time rivals have not, makes their maiden tournament appearance all the sweeter. The next step in their development will be looking to challenge the AFC's big four, though this is easier said than done due to the vast resource gap.

• Full squad

  Position	Player	Club
  Goalkeeper	Tran Thi Kim Thanh	Ho Chi Minh City
  Goalkeeper	Khong Thi Hang	Than KSVN
  Goalkeeper	Dao Thi Kieu Oanh	Hanoi
  Defender	Chuong Thi Kieu	Ho Chi Minh City
  Defender	Tran Thi Thu Thao	Ho Chi Minh City
  Defender	Tran Thi Thu	Ho Chi Minh City
  Defender	Luong Thi Thu Thuong	Than KSVN
  Defender	Le Thi Diem My	Thank KSVN
  Defender	Tran Thi Hai Linh	Hanoi
  Defender	Hoang Thi Loan	Hanoi
  Defender	Nguyen Thi My Anh	Thai Nguyen T&T
  Defender	Tran Thi Thuy Nga	Than KSVN
  Midfielder	Duong Thi Van	Than KSVN
  Midfielder	Tran Thi Thuy Trang	Ho Chi Minh City
  Midfielder	Nguyen Thi Bich Thuy	Ho Chi Minh City
  Midfielder	Thai Thi Thao	Hanoi
  Midfielder	Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha	Hanoi
  Midfielder	Ngan Thi Van Su	Hanoi
  Midfielder	Nguyen Thi Tuyet Dung	Phong Phu Ha Nam
  Forward	Huynh Nhu	Lank Vilaverdense
  Forward	Pham Hai Yen	Hanoi
  Forward	Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang	Than KSVN
  Forward	Vu Thi Hoa	Ho Chi Minh City

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  The MVP

  This wasn't a hard choice. Huynh Nhu is Vietnamese football's first superstar. Not only is she her country's all-time leading scorer with 67 goals in just 103 caps, Nhu is also the only player in the squad who plies her trade overseas.

  In August 2022, she was snapped up by Portuguese side Lank FC Vilaverdense. Located in Braga, the team are reported to be increasing her salary to around $3,200 per month next season following an impressive maiden campaign in Europe.

  The move is a source of enormous national pride back home, with coach Mia Duc Chung telling FIFA.com: "It is a great honour when a European country signs a South-east Asian player, a Vietnamese one. It’s a big achievement for Huynh Nhu and I think it's an honour for our country. She is a good example for our female players to follow and it will help Vietnam women's football to be well known and respected."

  The five-time Vietnam Golden Ball winner is a set-piece wizard and chipped in with some vital goals in qualifying. If they are going to make the net bulge this summer, she is the most likely player to do it.

Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is preparing to bolster the ranks this summer with European qualification on the cards, and Borussia Mönchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram has been earmarked.

What's the latest on Marcus Thuram to Newcastle?

According to The Telegraph, Frenchman Thuram is among the names the Magpies recruitment department are considering when assessing the optimum strategy to take across the forthcoming months.

With the 27-year-old's contract in Germany set for expiry in a matter of months, there have been a whole host of outfits vying for his name, with the Toon joined in their intrigue by the likes of Aston Villa, Chelsea, Borussia Dortmund and Atletico Madrid.

The ten-cap France international has been of interest to technical director Dan Ashworth for some time now, with 90min's Graeme Bailey stating that Newcastle were "very keen" on a move before the winter transfer window.

Who could Thuram replace at Newcastle?

Thuram was beset with injury woes for much of last campaign, plundering only three goals from 23 matches as his travails were compounded by an inability to harness the requisite fitness for success.

This year, the 25-year-old has enjoyed far more fruitful fortunes, scoring 16 goals and providing six assists from 30 matches across the German Bundesliga and the DFB Pokal, with journalist Raj Chohan hailing him as "clinical" for his frontal feats.

After blitzing into life in the early phase of the campaign, scoring ten goals from 15 league clashes before the season paused for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Thuram has discernibly slowed the pace as the season has continued, though this is somewhat to be expected given the din of the speculation surrounding his future and the knowledge that his time at BORUSSIA-PARK draws to a close.

Described as a "goalscoring monster" for his offensive prowess by sports writer Robin Bairner, the £54k-per-week menace also ranks among the top 9% of forwards across Europe's big five leagues for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, which illustrates his knack at pushing the ball up-field and driving at defenders to bypass opposition lines.

If Howe and Ashworth succeed in swiping him up on a free, he could even be the heir to Callum Wilson's role in the Toon team, with the 31-year-old striker's contract up at the end of next season.

Wilson has scored 15 goals from just 27 matches this season, including only 18 starts, and ranks among the top 5% of positional peers across Europe for rate of goals per 90, though he doesn't rank very highly across the majority of non-goalscoring metrics, illustrating his poaching demeanour on the pitch.

Thuram boasts youth and energy where Wilson does not, and could be a "world-class" – as once heralded by Wolfsburg sporting director Marcel Schäfer – acquisition for St. James's Park, especially considering that qualifying for Europe comes with a startling increase in match action.

With the winds changing on Tyneside, Howe must act with conviction to sign a worthy successor to embody the ascension that shows little sign of slowing down.

If England succeed against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer they will complete a set that few would have contemplated possible two years ago

Melinda Farrell at Headingley18-May-2016Turn back a year, to the two-Test series against New Zealand, with low expectations of a team rising from the fiasco that was the World Cup, and few would have foreseen the bright summer that captured the public’s imagination and reinvigorated a young and exciting England side.Turn back another, and the knives were sharpening for whoever was left standing after an Ashes pasting that left the team in tatters and ended several careers.It seems astonishing, therefore, that England are just two series wins away from holding all nine bilateral Test series trophies. If they succeed against Sri Lanka and Pakistan this summer they will complete a set that few would have contemplated possible two years ago.”I think it would be a great achievement,” Alastair Cook, England’s captain, said. “People have spoken about it over the last couple of weeks and I don’t think there’s any harm in that if it inspires us to do it. But actually achieving that will be hard work. We know that and it’s not going to be given to us against two good sides.”In a testament to his durability, Cook has weathered the turmoil, led each new round of new eras and now stands on the cusp of becoming the first English player to reach 10,000 Test runs.That he will reach the milestone as England captain is, he acknowledges, down to his stubbornness and determination never to quit. It will be fitting, too, if he passes the mark against Sri Lanka at Headingley; it was during England’s loss in the corresponding Test two years ago – as Angelo Matthews and Rangana Herath frustrated England’s bowlers with a match-winning partnership – that Cook reached his nadir as captain and was on the verge of quitting, in his own words “close enough that you wouldn’t want to get any closer”.Cook on…

Reaching 10,000 Test runs: “It would mean a lot and hopefully I can get there sooner rather than later so we can talk about something else. It’s a big milestone in terms of the people who have done it previously so it would be great to try and score these 36 runs. I’ve just got to put that to bed and try and do what I’ve done in the previous 10 years, which is concentrate on that ball coming down and nothing else. If it’s your day, go big and get a big score.”
James Vince’s debut: “I haven’t seen him play for a couple of years but I did see him play a few years ago when I was standing at first slip for Essex and he’s one of those players who had a lot of time and he timed the ball really well. They are two things that made him stand out then and over the years I think he’s matured a lot and to watching him go about his business mentally he looks ready for Test cricket. Talking to people, the way he’s operated in the T20 and ODI squad, Trevor [Bayliss] and Paul [Farbrace] rate him very highly and he’s the kind of character you need.”

“I just thought about that what had gone on since January 30 that year to what had gone on there really. It was a tough three or four months off the field as much as on the field,” he said.”I’ve never really quit on anything. I probably had about two percent left in me saying if you walk out now you still have a bit more to offer that side really. So I suppose me being stubborn, probably, and not quitting… I don’t really want to be known as a quitter.”It was certainly a tough day, the fourth night was tougher than the fifth,” Cook said of England’s Headingley defeat, which was confirmed from the penultimate ball of the Test. “I was very proud of the way we battled on the fifth day but the damage had already been done. It’s an amazing game of fine margins, that series. Minus the last ball [that] didn’t quite carry [at Lord’s] and then Angelo Mathews nicked a ball which didn’t quite carry and then he went on to get a brilliant 160, which won them the game.”It was a game of fine margins and Sri Lanka came out on top and thoroughly deserved it. It was a real tough moment for me as a captain, there’s no doubt about that, but I’m glad I hung in there for what’s happened since.”While Cook leads a far more settled side into this series, questions surround those batting alongside him in the top order, despite a successful tour of South Africa. But while he admits the consistency has been missing from the top three, Cook is keen for Alex Hales and Nick Compton to tune out the dissenters and embrace their own, contrasting styles of play.”Until someone really grabs that opportunity and nails it then there’s always going to be questions asked,” Cook said. “Alex is the man in possession at the moment and the way he played, certainly the one-day series against South Africa, five scores above 50 – the way he played, certainly watching back home, showed everyone he’s not just a T20 specialist. He played proper cricket. He wasn’t just whacking the ball. I thought he played some excellent shots and he looked really controlled. He can certainly play at this level.”As always with these things you want to get a big score to try and prove that to people and do it consistently. That’s his challenge and it’s the same for Nick as well. He got a really good 80 at Durban and that was only four games ago and that helped set up in tricky conditions a score that we were able to push on and win. The guy’s a fighter and he’s just got to relax and play.”Cook can no doubt relate to Compton’s situation – that of being a more traditional top-order batsman who excels in blunting the new ball and accumulating, rather than accelerating, in a world where aggressive batting has become far more fashionable.But many of Cook’s 9,964 Test runs to date have come via nudges and nurdles, and many more will likely follow in the same manner. As he leads his side out for the first session of England’s summer campaign, the man who was 98% sure he would hand in his notice is now sure of his place.”It’s probably taken me three years to feel comfortable in the job and hopefully I can carry on for a bit. While I’m still enjoying it and while the guys are still responding I’m staying there.”

Farhad Moshiri backed former Everton manager Carlo Ancelotti with significant amounts of cash as the Italian was charged with taking the Toffees to the next level.

The start of the 2020/21 campaign saw the former AC Milan manager sign the likes of James Rodriguez, Ben Godfrey, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Allan in the hopes of challenging for the European spots and despite a wonderful start, winning their first seven straight matches in all competitions, they eventually fizzled out and finished tenth.

What Everton fans would give for a finish like that now, but Ancelotti left for Real Madrid in the summer of 2021 and although some of his signings clicked, Allan failed to replicate the form he showed at Napoli under the Italian.

How much did Allan cost Everton?

The Brazilian midfielder signed for a fee of £25m and having enjoyed success in Serie A, reuniting with Ancelotti looked like it could bear fruit in the Premier League.

It quickly became apparent that the move wouldn’t become a success, as he struggled to cope with the demands of English football and across his 57 appearances for the club, he failed to score a single goal while registering just three assists, a far cry from the 28 goal contributions he managed at Napoli.

Journalist Dave Downie even described the midfielder as an “imposter” last season as he couldn’t perform half as well away from home as he did at Goodison Park.

That summary was rather apt throughout his time on Merseyside, bemoaned for one game in particular where he staggeringly made just two passes in 73 minutes of a clash with Liverpool. To make matters worse, both of those came from kick-off.

Much was expected of him following his arrival, especially with the big fee attached and the fact he was approaching 30, many felt it was a move that would produce immediate results.

He left at the start of the season to join Al Wahda in Abu Dhabi having failed to make a single appearance under Frank Lampard in the opening weeks of the campaign.

The 32-year-old earned a staggering £70k-per-week across his 107-week stint at the club and combining that with his transfer fee, Allan ransacked Everton for a grand total of £32.5m, a ridiculous sum of money.

Transfers such as this one have ultimately dragged the club down a few notches, and it’s no wonder they are battling relegation. Under Sean Dyche, the Merseyside outfit may have a decent chance of building a team without splashing the cash.

The Daily Mail journalist Sami Mokbel says that Arsenal are ‘in talks’ over a new contract for Reiss Nelson.

The Lowdown: Emirates hero

Nelson was a hero at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday afternoon as he scored a last-minute winner to ensure that Arsenal beat AFC Bournemouth 3-2 and take another vital three points in the Premier League.

The result kept the Gunners five points clear at the top of the table, after Manchester City had beaten Newcastle United 2-0 at home in the lunchtime kick-off.

The Latest: Contract talks

Taking to Twitter, Mokbel says that the Gunners are ‘in talks’ with Nelson over a new deal, and there is ‘positivity from all sides’ that it can be agreed:

“Arsenal in talks with Saturday’s hero Reiss Nelson over new contract. Positivity from all sides that a deal can be agreed. Nelson’s current deal is expiring, but Arsenal believe he is keen to stay.”

The Verdict: Deserved

A new contract for Nelson is fully deserved after the impact that team made off of the bench on Saturday.

Not only did he score, but he also provided an assist, making it five goal contributions in just three Premier League appearances so far this season (Transfermarkt).

Nelson has shown that he can make an impression when called upon, and given the injuries in Arsenal’s frontline at the moment, with Leandro Trossard joining Gabriel Jesus and Eddie Nketiah on the sidelines, the Englishman could prove to be a key player in this next set of fixtures for the North Londoners.